A Blog devoted to progressive politics, environmental issues, LGBT issues, social justice, workers' rights, womens' rights, and, most importantly, Cats.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
OUT Of The Closets and Into The STREETS!!!!
Yay! New York just signed the Gay Marriage Bill, people, so what are you waiting for? Time to PAR-TAY DOWN!
FTA: "Republican Sen. Stephen Saland, who had been undecided about the bill and was one of the legislators who led the negotiations, announced during the debate on the Senate floor that he would support the bill, effectively giving it the 32 votes it needed to pass."
Everybody be sure to send a thank-you note to Rep. Saland, who will be targeted by homophobes for his support. He did the right thing, and it will cost him unless we all translate our thankyous into support at the polls. Thank you, Rep. Saland, for making this day happen!
TalkingPointsMemo has the details. And be sure to check out their pic of the celebrations at STONEWALL!!! Hai-yaah!
A great big huge gigantinormous thank you to Joshua Micah Marshall of TalkingPointsMemo who brought us this wonderful reportage.
Photoshopped by K. Smokey Cormier this is an actual quote
Schwarzenegger, when running for the governor's office, claimed to be a leader. Nuts to that. A real leader stands up for his beliefs. He vetoed same-sex marriage twice when the California state legislature passed it in 2005 and 2007.
So, why is he in favor of same-sex marriage now? Typical politician: he's not running for any election.
Hypocrite: a person who pretends to be what he is not. Is Schwarzenegger a free thinker and an ally of gay people, or is he a bigot?
Today's dose of Republican Fambly Values is brought to you by California Assemblymember Michael Duvall of Orange County. Duvall, who earned himself a 100 per cent rating for Repuglican Fambly Values, aka hatin' on teh ghey, was caught on tape talking about fucking two married female lobbyists. Apparently, the sex also involved spankings. Apparently, he has a habit of discussing his sexual adventures with other people in that deeply disturbing and creepy way that pervs usually have.
Apparently, the Assembly has no "zero tolerance" policy in place for such creepy perviness. In the commercial workplace if you corner your colleagues and start talking about scoring hot booty points the previous evening, you can be fired immediately for actions "contributing to a hostile workplace environment." But not in our Legislative bodies, where these slimy old hypocrites sit to pass the laws that regulate our lives.
Incidentally, both the fuckees were lobbying for industries that are regulated by the fucker. Ain't that sweet? Orange County, y'all need to get rid of this asshole. If it hasn't dawned on you by now that he sure as fuck ain't representing your interests, man, do y'awl need the trademarked Golden Bat o'Clue whumped upside your heads!
The OC Weekly has named the lobbyist Duvall is porking. FTA:
"Their relationship is the worst-kept secret in Sacramento," a capitol staffer recently told me. "He's old and fat. She's hot, blonde and about 20 years younger. He could have never gotten a woman like that before he got this job.'"
[...]
"Assemblyman Duvall has been a consistent trooper for the conservative causes," CRI president Karen England announced in March. "For the last two years, he has voted time and time again to protect and preserve family values in California. We are grateful for his support of California families.'"
Acknowledging the CRI award, Duvall observed in a press release that as long as he is in office, he would work to protect "California families" from "constant assault in Sacramento."
Somebody should tell that to the families of the TWO women he is cheating on his wife with. Oh, yeah, and what about his two kids and wife? Apparently, he's content to "constantly assault" family values, he just doesn't want the rest of Sac'to joining in. Or something.
Is anybody surprised that this schmuck is an outspoken supporter of Prop 8? Or that he's voted against "Domestic Violence Protection," whatever that is?
Oh, and guess what? The creepy old perv sits on the Ethics Committee. Time to get him off that one, fersure. Also the Utilities and Commerce Committee, where he gets to decide on things that affect all our lives.
If you're disgusted by the gross, vulgar, unbelievably stupid and hypocritical "Fambly Values" displayed by this idiot, feel free to check out his Democratic opponent, John MacMurray. You can donate to his campaign here.
Update: Duvall has resigned. Naturally, he has not apologized or expressed any regret for being a scum-sucking scumbag. Let's hope the wife and both mistresses confront him and ensure that he spends the rest of his life panhandling on the streets of Yorba Linda. Yes, he's from there. Nixon is spinning in his grave.
No, we didn't go to the parade. Actually, we stopped going years ago, after meeting the current partner. And also because the fucking crowds got unmanageable, although that's not a slur on the fine Pride Marshals who did a great job of keeping Teh Gay folks happy yet disciplined. It was the gawkers from outa town wit' their cameras and their annoying brats, videotaping anything that moved and oohing and ahhing over teh gheyness of it all. Not getting up four hours earlier than usual to ride the train over, get one's toes stepped on, swelter in the heat and get one's naughty bits crushed, not even for Dykes on Bykes or Teh Menstrual Cycle or teh Gay Games folks doing their trix on Parade, not with those leering Xtians watching and all but prodding the leather daddies.
Fuck that shit.
Hope y'all had a wonderful Gay Day, children, and tomorrow we go back to working on DOMA and DADT and the hate crimes bill, and those nasty Mormons pouring millions into the fight against our rights!
President George W. Bush meets with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican June 9, 2007. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (VATICAN)
I feel that people are focusing too much attention and anger towards the Mormons. We must remember the power of the Catholic Church. And we must remember that it was the current Archbishop of San Francisco, George Niederauer, former Catholic bishop of Salt Lake City, who rallied the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to join forces and campaign in favor of Prop 8. He started the ball rolling.
The Catholic Church is powerful and wealthy. The Church is very secretive about its wealth. Why? Well, would you keep filling your parish's envelopes if you knew how wealthy the Church was?
(The Catholic people are a different story. Many Catholics are working class and poor. I think of the Catholic people and the Catholic Church/Government as different entities. I was one of those Catholics at one time. Very devoted to Jesus' philosophy of love thy neighbor -- that's where I learned how to be a progressive, a liberal, a radical y'all!)
In the bowels of the Vatican are art treasures worth ... well, it's hard to evaluate ... there's so much of it and so much of it is worth millions. And that's just the art ... that's not counting the real estate they own all over the world -- and I'm NOT talking about the property that churches, rectories, convents, and schools are built on. No. I mean hard cash type real estate. A bulging stock portfolio. (Although not worth as much as it used to be worth.) Companies that they own. Huge deposits in foreign banks.
If you can, get a hold of a book called The Vatican Empire by Nino Lo Bello, a former Rome correspondent for Business Week.
Focus some of your disagreement towards the Catholic Church ... share the wealth ... don't hog all that energy for only the Mormons. Start boycotting things related to the Catholic Church.
We love you Wanda!!! Have I told you that I'm a The New Adventures of Old Christine fan? I'd love to see more of Wanda in it.
Yes, Wanda came out yesterday at a Marriage Equality rally in Las Vegas.
Associated Press reports:
"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."
Just a short while ago I was in Frank H Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, California for Marriage Equality rally. Hundreds of cities across the U.S. and, I believe, around the world were holding rallies like this to promote marriage for all people -- no special rights -- just EQUALITY.
I kept looking for my buddy, Barb, ‘cause I knew she’d be there. And ... eventually I found her -- even though it was very crowded by the time I saw her.
I almost didn’t go because Ms. Manitoba believes that the state ... the government, in other words, should have no involvement in any marriages. Marriages are a private matter. If you need to set certain things down for legal reasons -- like custody, property ownership, immigration rights of your partner, inheritence etc. -- then you go through a legal process of writing up a contract. Just like any other legal matter.
I went to the rally because I have always been for equal rights for everyone! Equality. I was at rallies in the sixties for equal rights -- for all kinds of people. I have never been one of those lesbians that cared only about my rights. Equality for everyone!
The rally started (I was happy to see) with herbal smudging from a local First Nation lesbian (for you USers, that’s Canadian for “Native American”). She actually runs my local pet supply store that my kids and I go to. Then there was a circle of gay/lesbian First Nation drummers ... drumming out the main message: Love.
gay/lesbian First Nation drummers at the Marriage Equality Rally in Oakland, California
Then there was this great speaker who was going to be the MC for the rally -- but, he didn’t introduce himself so I have no idea what his name is! He had great spirit and was very articulate.
The next speaker was a lesbian from Iran. She was great!! I wish I had taped what she said. Very powerful. Basically her message was this: the Religious Right took over my country -- do you really want the Religious Right to take over the U.S.?
I had to leave after about an hour.
Here are some photos from the rally ...
you've got to be very prejudiced and cold-hearted to want to deny these cuties the right to marry!
Hey, everybody, it's National Coming-Out Day! Time to celebrate your queerness. We'd like to link to celebrating queer and straight bloggers out there whether you're on our blogroll or not, so join us as we sashay down the street, y'all.
Benny, over at Benny's World, has a cool post on the origin and meaning of the Rainbow Flag, go check it out!
Over at Penguin Central, BadTux reminds us that the face of hate is not always easily recognizable, that a huge effort is underway in California to repeal the right to marriage for the LGBTQ community, and that you can, and should, grow a pair and tell the bigots to fuck themselves.
Alan, over at Blogging Out Loud, makes us pee our pants laughing, as usual, with his commemorative post. Warning: Keep fresh, dry pantalones handy.
VJack, over at Atheist Revolution, wishes our whole community a happy National Coming-Out Day, thanks, VJack!
Steven, over at Heterosexually Challenged, acknowledges the day, reminds us it's the tenth anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death (gads, it feels like it only happened yesterday), and celebrates with football;
The Bilerico Project is celebrating Queer History Month with lots of posts from lots of posters. Checkidout;
Over at Pam's House Blend (note new URL), a couple of posters talk about coming out and coming out. Please to read;
Kathy, over at If I Ran the Zoo, has a nice reminder for all the straight allies — equality for LGBTQ people will only happen if you join us in the struggle;
A funny story about figuring out your sexuality, from Mockingbird's Medley;
caliberal has a post about marriage equality up on My Left Wing;
Nelson has his usual biting posts on the homophobes among us, over at NGblog;
QueersUnited has a slew of celebratory posts, check 'em out!
Happy Coming-Out Day! If you're not out yet, consider doing it now. Yeah, it'll hurt and people might say shitty things, but you might find support where you least expect it.
Congratulations, Connecticut! Same-sex marriage -- hooray!!!
The Connecticut state Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. This makes the third state to do so after Massachusetts and California.
La Casa de Los Gatos welcomes Queers United to the blogroll and thanks them for this very interesting post on the formation of the LGBTQ Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. The post links to all the LGBTQ Caucus members so you can thank them yourself, and includes such progressive stalwarts as Fortney (Pete) Stark, Lynn Woolsey, Robert Wexler, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Niki Tsongas, Henry Waxman, and our very own dearly beloved Barbara Lee!
``A government that would deny a gay man a bridal registry is a fascist state,'' Cho said. ``I urge love without restraints, unless you are into leather, and then by all means use restraints.'' -- Margaret Cho, speaking at the Gay March in Washington, DC on April 30, 2000
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