From the Huffington Post: Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is hoping to see legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in Illinois approved by lawmakers in time for the Feb. 14 holiday.
Cullerton told the Chicago Sun-Times he is hopeful the state Senate will approve the bill next week — and is confident they have the 30 votes of support needed to do so.
The bill would then need to advancing to the House of Representatives, which is considered to be more conservative. Gov. Pat Quinn has already vowed to sign the bill.
Rainbow Wedding Network returns to Las Vegas for their 3rd LGBT Wedding Expo on Sunday February 10th, 2013 from 1-4pm.
Las Vegas Pride acts as the premier community sponsor and Circus Circus Hotel & Casino will host the event.
From the website:
The event will feature dozens of gay-friendly wedding vendors, fabulous raffle giveaways, LGBT-planning tips, music, samples and interactive presentations. RSVPs are requested through this event webpage and 25% of attendee donations will be contributed to Las Vegas Pride.
Experience the joy of planning in a welcoming environment! 25% of all donations will be contributed directly to Las Vegas Pride!
Couples, singles and marriage equality advocates are all invited to attend!
Sunday Feb. 10th, 2013 (1:00-4:00pm)
Circus Circus 2880 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, NV 89109
By the usual standards of measuring a former mayor’s legacy — the city he inherited, the challenges he faced, the resources available to meet those challenges and the extent to which his work endured beyond his term — historians and political experts generally give Mr. Koch mixed-to-good reviews.
Most important, he is credited with leading the city government back from near bankruptcy in the 1970s to prosperity in the 1980s. He also began one of the city’s most ambitious housing programs, which continued after he left office and eventually built or rehabilitated more than 200,000 housing units, revitalizing once-forlorn neighborhoods.
Politically, Mr. Koch’s move to the right of center was seen as a betrayal by some old liberal friends, but it gained him the middle class and three terms in City Hall. He was also the harbinger of a transformation in the way mayors are elected in New York, with candidates relying less on the old coalition of labor unions, minority leaders and Democratic clubhouses and more on heavy campaign spending and television to make direct appeals to a more independent-minded electorate.
A life long bachelor, Koch was often asked about, but refused to acknowledge, his gayness. Four years ago he spoke to the New York Times about being asked.
“I do not want to add to the acceptability of asking every candidate, ‘Are you straight or gay or lesbian?’ and make it a legitimate question, so I don’t submit to that question. I don’t care if people think I’m gay because I don’t answer it. I’m flattered that at 84 people are interested in my sex life — and, it’s quite limited.”
Here’s the official trailer to the film “Kock” – a documentary on the former mayor:
Baltimore Raven Brendon Ayanbadejo’s reaction to Chris Culliver’s anti-gay remarks:
“You know, I think that in San Francisco, and being from the Bay Area myself, that’s something that we really try to preach — love and acceptance of everybody. And so I couldn’t really even say anything negative to the young man. It’s just one of those things where you have to live and you have to learn. And I said earlier on (a TV broadcast) — in the words of Martin Luther King, you can’t fight hate with hate. You have to fight hate with love. We’ve all made our mistakes, we’ve all been there and done certain things, and we’ve hurt people regardless if we meant to do it or not. But more than anything it’s an opportunity to have a learning experience.”
And the Minnesota Vikings Chris Kluwe had this to say:
“While he’s certainly entitled to speak his mind, Culliver is a role model whether he likes it or not. There are kids all over the United States who aspire to be right where he is and he has an obligation to consider the effect of his words. Kids are listening.”
By a narrow 5-4 vote, the New Mexico House Public Affairs Committee passed a bill to place marriage equality to a public vote.
The bill would let voters decide the issue of same-sex marriage, but it also states churches would not be required to recognize the same-sex marriage bill. After hearing very different opinions and personal experiences, lawmakers decided along party lines to pass the bill, which moves it to the next committee.
“We should not discriminate. The state should be doing everything possible to encourage people to enter into committed, long-term relationships, especially when there’s children involved,” Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, said.
“What happens to those kids? Those kids were not created in that relationship,” same-sex marriage opponent Jose Vasquez said.
Egolf said he’s been contacted by hundreds of people who thanked him for sponsoring the bill.
The bill must pass out of two more committees before reaching to the floor of the state House. If approved by both state chambers and signed by the governor, marriage equality would appear on the November 2014 ballot.
The prospects of the bill are uncertain as the New Mexico legislature has voted down even domestic partnerships in the past.
A northern Alabama high school teacher is being investigated after a student recorded him making derogatory statements about gays and First Lady Michelle Obama.
School district officials are investigating allegations that a Lauderdale County High School teacher made slurs in the presence of students regarding first lady Michelle Obama and gays.
Superintendent Jennifer Gray confirmed the investigation concerns the school’s head football coach, Bob Grisham, who also teaches driver’s education and psychology.
The investigation includes a 1-minute, 24-second audiotape of Grisham asking who knows who is behind the 600-calorie school lunch. “Fat butt Michelle Obama,” he said. “Look at her. She looks like she weighs 185 or 190. She’s overweight.”
Male voices interject comments during the discussion, at one point referring to Michelle Obama as a “fat gorilla.”
Later in the tape, Grisham referred to the U.S. as going in the “wrong direction” and tells the students they can “get pissed off at me or not. You can go tell the principal, call the superintendent and tell her. I don’t believe in queers. I don’t like queers, I don’t hate them as a person, but what they do is wrong and an abomination against God.”
The tape was reportedly recorded by a student Monday and took place on school campus during the school day.
Grisham told the TimesDaily on Wednesday afternoon he misspoke. “I misspoke in a debate-type situation,” he said. “I have no hatred toward anyone or any group. People that know my heart, they know that.”
Another wrinkle in the discussion around San Francisco 49ers and gays unfolded yesterday as two players, linebacker Ahmad Brooks and nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga, were being questioned by reporters about Chris Culliver’s anti-gay remarks.
In light of Brooks and Sopoaga participation in the 49ers ‘It Gets Better’ video last year, reporters assumed they would have an broader perspective on the issue. However, now there is a new chapter to the 49ers anti-gay story as Brooks and Sopoaga both denied participating in the video. Even when they were shown it, they stated they never knew it had anything to do with gays.
At first, Brooks and Sopoaga, approached by USA TODAY Sports, denied being part of the project.
“I didn’t make any video,” Brooks said. “This is America and if someone wants to be gay, they can be gay. It’s their right. But I didn’t make any video.”
When told USA TODAY Sports had seen the video and he was in it, Brooks replied, “I don’t remember that. I think if I made a video, I’d remember it.” He was shown the video on an iPhone.
“Oh, that. It was an anti-bullying video, not a gay (rights) video,” he said.
When told that studies show that the majority of teens who are bullied are harassed over sexual identity issues, Brooks thought for a second. “I know that. I know that,” he said. “Okay, you’re right and I’m wrong. Are you from one of those New York newspapers?”
Unfortunately, someone apparently forgot to deliver the message to the players that this was a video that supported gay rights.
Sopoaga, too, denied making the video, even while teammate Will Tukuafu, who overheard the question, tried to refresh his memory. “Yeah, you made that video, remember?” Tukuafu said.
“No,” Sopoaga said. “I never went. And now someone is using my name.” Sopoaga was shown the video. “What was that for?” he asked.
To ask teens to stop bullying other teens because of sexual identity, he was told.
“Yeah, OK,” he said. Would you like to comment on it, he was asked. “No,” he said.
Multiple players wanted to be in the video, USA Today adds, but only the most intimidating players were chosen.
Dan Savage tweeted last night: “We’ve removed the #49ers #ItGetsBetter video from our website. #homophobia #NFL #horsesh*t”
For the record, here is the video that Brooks & Sopoaga “forgot” they participated in:
Via Towleroad, this is a little trip down memory lane of some of the most virulent political & religious homophobes to be “outed.”
The clip stars such well-known hypocrites as Ted Haggard, George A. Rekers, Richard Curtis, Roy Ashburn, Albert Odulele, Mark Foley, Christopher Lee, Eddie Long, Jim West, Paul Babeu, Ken Mehlman, and Larry Craig.
Just a reminder that, yes, many times the guilty dog barks the loudest.
So, the next time you see someone leading the charge in the anti-gay fight, you might step back and wonder “hmm…”
