Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

France: Anti-gay activist commits suicide at the alter of Notre Dame

In an apparent protest of France’s recently passed marriage equality law, an anti-gay activist shot himself in the head today after placing a letter on the altar of Paris’ famed Notre Dame Cathedral.

From the Daily Mail:

Dominique Venner, who had recently been campaigning against gay marriage in France, is said to have calmly walked past the crowds milling around the 850-year-old Cathedral, one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, before taking out a Herstal automatic pistol.

The 78-year-old put the gun in his mouth and fired before collapsing on to the altar, according to French media reports.

The Cathedral was full of visitors when the horrific incident took place, at around 4pm.

My small understanding of the relationship of religion and suicide is that it is considered a mortal sin.

So, not to be unkind, but this man would rather commit a mortal sin and burn in hell forever than live with the fact that people who love one another can marry?

Wow – he really showed us, didn’t he?

I am sad that so much hate can be whipped up in the world that would lead someone to this end.

Posted on

Linda Harvey: Gays deserve to be fired

Right Wing Watch shares a rant by Mission America’s Linda Harvey who says gays deserve to be fired for not following the moral standards of, well, someone else…

Shouldn’t an employer have the right to uphold high moral standards in his or her company? Or shouldn’t schools have the right to not have open homosexuals or cross-dresses modeling that lifestyle to kids?

This does not deprive anyone of a job by the way, except those who insist on displaying these lifestyles to everyone and forcing their acceptance. Such behavior shows a disrespect for two things: everyone else around them and for hardcore facts.

The fact is that no one needs to be involved in homosexuality and all of the good qualities a person may have that might make that person otherwise an excellent employee don’t require a homosexual lifestyle.

Now the activists won’t like this and I may get another slew of hateful emails and such from the tolerance crowd but really where is the actual concern for the rights and beliefs of others? The track record on these so-called non-discrimination regulations shows a consistent and disturbing pattern of bullying and abuse.

One of many problems with Linda Harvey’s “opinion” is that she references high moral standards’ but doesn’t fully articulate that it’s HER ‘moral standards’ that she expects to be followed.

Her philosophy seems to be “you can’t be fired for your religion – which you choose, but you can be fired for your sexual orientation – which you do not choose.”

And then there’s an ugly message of conformity here, worrying that gays or lesbians may dress or act in a way SHE isn’t comfortable.

What Ms. Harvey needs to realize is ‘different’ is not a dirty word; diversity is good.

Especially if it means we all don’t emulate her.

Posted on

Marriage News Watch – May 20, 2013

Matt Baume with this week’s marriage equality update from American Foundation for Equal Rights.

From the YouTube page description: Minnesota passes a marriage bill, bringing the total to twelve states with the freedom to marry. Can we make it thirteen?

Time’s running out for Illinois to pass its marriage bill this year.

And even with public support for marriage soaring, numerous states may be stuck with marriage bans for years to come.

Hit the play button to catch up on where we are with marriage equality thus far.

Posted on

TV: “666 Park Avenue” to return to ABC for summer run

“666 Park Avenue” may still be canceled, but ABC is not done airing the series yet.

ABC has decided to air the remaining episodes of the series starring Terry O’Quinn and Vanessa Williams with another cancelled drama, “Zero Hour,” on Saturdays this summer for a two-hour block of supernatural TV.

The “Zero Hour” return was previously announced and begins June 15 with a two-hour premiere. “666” returns the following week, on June 22, when “Zero” airs in its regular 8 p.m. ET time slot leading into the remaining episodes of “666” at 9 p.m. ET.

(via Zap2It)

Posted on

Two more violent anti-gay attacks in NYC

Two more violent anti-gay attacks happened in New York City last night.

In Soho, a couple was assaulted in the early morning hours, according to NBC News:

A gay couple was attacked early Tuesday in SoHo, hours after thousands marched to protest the killing of a gay man and several other bias attacks that have shaken the community, NBC 4 New York has learned.

Law enforcement sources said the two men, 41 and 42, were walking on Broadway between Prince and Houston streets at about 5 a.m. when two men started yelling anti-gay remarks in English and Spanish. The victims are Hispanic. The men were both punched, and one suffered an eye injury, sources said.

Fabian Ortiz and Pedro Jiminez were arrested and are being charged with third degree assault as a hate crime, police said.

In addition, Nightlife Gay reports another anti-gay attack:

“Shock, outrage, anger sums up how I am feeling today as one of my very good friends was gay bashed last night in New York City. Dan Contarino, former promoter of Shampoo Nightclub’s “Shaft” Fridays, was jumped last night at Avenue D & 4th Street.

“Allegedly, witnesses are reporting the assailant was yelling “faggot” as he was kicking and beating Dan. Neighbors rushed to Dan’s aid and chased after the attacker but unfortunately he got away. The police are investigating the assault now and have not determine it a hate crime.”

(source)

Posted on

Anti-gay voices’ deafening silence on violent LGBT attacks

Pic via Memeographs.  Click pic to enlarge

After last year’s shooting at Family Research Council, many prominent voices in the LGBT community condemned the senseless attack.

However, I have been pondering the deafening silence of the Tony Perkins’ (Family Research Council) and Brian Browns’ (National Organization for Marriage) of the world regarding the multiple violent attacks on the gay community in NYC this month.

Question: does silence equal consent?

UPDATE: Interestingly, the following statement appeared on the NOM Blog this afternoon, hours after my original post above.

“We condemn in the strongest possible way the murder of a gay man in New York by a killer who apparently hurled anti-gay insults at him moments before the killing. This senseless act cannot be condoned in America or anywhere, and we urge that the perpetrator be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Our heart goes out to the family of the victim, and we hold them in our prayers. While this killing appears to have no connection to the current debate about redefining marriage, there is no room for violence toward any American — whether they support traditional marriage or not. No person should be subjected to violence because they are gay or lesbian or because they believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. There is no place for violence, period.” – Brian Brown

UPDATE 2: This statement is now on the Family Research Council website.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement regarding the charges filed in the Mark Carson murder case in New York City: “We denounce any and all acts of unprovoked violence. No American should be the target of violence – period. We hope and trust that justice will be served in that the perpetrator of this senseless act of violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Perkins said.

Posted on

Lack of LGBT inclusion in immigration reform leads to outrage by advocates

LGBT advocates are growing increasingly upset as it appears Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA) seem ready to allow LGBT inclusive language to be left out of immigration reform.

From Lavi Soloway at The DOMA PROJECT:

Despite hearing from tens of thousands of constituents in recent weeks, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) have not budged. They will refuse to vote for either amendment, and as a result, Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy, will likely not call either of his LGBT amendments (the one based on the Uniting American Families Act, which I helped write 14 years ago, or his historic and unexpected Marriage Equality “DOMA Carve Out” exception) for a vote knowing that the amendment will fail to garner the necessary 10 out of 10 Democratic votes to pass out of Committee.

The betrayal of our community by Senator Schumer who voted for DOMA as a member of the House and fought for gay votes when he ran for Senate despite HRC’s controversial endorsement of his incumbent opponent, Republican Alphonse D’Amato, is appalling to put it mildly. After all his promises to fight for LGBT inclusion, he has signaled day after day that he won’t upset the bipartisan Gang of Eight applecart. Dianne Feinstein, who, 35 years ago, became Mayor of San Francisco after the assassination of Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk, has once again failed to provide leadership when the going got tough. Her leadership on the repeal of DOMA (Respect for Marriage Act) notwithstanding, this was the moment that counted. This was the moment that required courage and leadership.

The most vulnerable members of our community relied on Senator Schumer and Senator Feinstein to stand up for us and end decades of catastrophic and irreparable harm to our families caused by DOMA and our exclusion from US immigration law.

Today, it seems clear, they will betray us.