Good for these guys. Obviously they had fun doing this and have a sense of humor.
Fun.
Matt Zarley’s “We Belong” – The Advocate’s #3 item on “Hot Sheet” this week
So proud of the response Matt Zarley has gotten from his new anthem for LGBT youth that benefits The Trevor Project.
Click here to see on Advocate.com – go to #3 on The Hot List!
Zach Wahls from Iowa on ELLEN
How do you not beam watching this guy? His moms obviously did an amazing job raising a bright, articulate and clear-headed young man. THIS is the America I look to for our future. Watching this really makes me happy.
NH Conservative Marine supports Marriage Equality
Great story here. This is really what it’s about kids.
Craig Stowell wrote a full page ad in New Hampshire’s largest newspaper, the Union Leader, saying he supports his brother’s right to marry and efforts to repeal marriage equality are “off task.”
Watch his story here.
Chris Matthews: Hearings on no Iraq WMD
I watch Chris Matthews “Hardball” everyday. He is absolutely honest, direct and fair with every guest that comes on his show. Democrat or Repub, he demands honesty and direct answers. I’ve seen him call out anyone who tries to double-speak their way out of something.
Yesterday, in light of the fact that more and more people have come forward saying there was no evidence of WMD in Iraq. Over 4,500 American soldiers have died and over 100,000 Iraqis have died. “Curveball” – the Iraqi who said the weapons were there now admits he made it up. Rumsfeld now admits we had no evidence.
The war in Iraq was sold to the US people with the scare tactic that Iraq HAD Weapons of Mass Destruction and they were “coming to get us.” This, after 9/11, made the US people so afraid that they supported the war.
If the last administration had come to the US people and said “Hussein’s a bad guy – we’re going to invade a country that has never attacked us and lose 4,500 American lives to free the Iraqi people” the country never would have supported the war.
We’ve also spent over $770 billion on the war there. Talk about spending and deficits!
Watch Chris Matthew’s end of show yesterday. He tells it straight. I want answers too.
Hawaii: Civil Unions bill headed for Governor’s signature
The Hawaii State Senate voted 18-5 in favor of the Civil Unions bill and is now headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.
From the Star Advertiser: “I have always believed that civil unions respect our diversity, protect people’s privacy, and reinforce our core values of equality and aloha,” Gov. Abercrombie said in a statement after the vote.
“I appreciate all the time and effort invested by those who shared their thoughts and concerns regarding civil unions in Hawaii. This has been an emotional process for everyone involved, but that process is now ended. Everyone has been heard; all points of view respected.
“For me, this bill represents equal rights for all the people of Hawaii,” Abercrombie said.
Hawaii will now become the seventh state to offer civil unions to it’s citizens. Five states and Washington, D.C. offer marriage equality to same-sex couples. The civil unions status in Hawaii will afford couples all the rights, benefits, protections and responsibilities as traditional marriage.
Hawaii couples, gay and straight, can enter civil unions beginning in January.
Let’s all celebrate the beautiful Aloha state!
CA Supreme Court to hear arguments on Prop 8 repeal
The CA State Supreme Court has decided to hear arguments about whether anti-gay proponents have “standing” to oppose the repeal of Prop 8 in California. March 14th is when the court will accept briefs on the issue.
From Lambda Legal: “Because the federal appeals judges said they need clarification, we look forward to a decision by the California Supreme Court confirming that initiative proponents lack legal standing to continue the Perry case. They are not law enforcers, and have the same limited rights as everyone else to litigate only when their own rights are at stake, not merely to assert their opinions about others’ rights.”
Initiative proponents also cannot step into the shoes of the attorney general, the governor or other state officials. The reason for this is basic: the governor and attorney general are elected by the people to represent all the people, not just one point of view on one issue, out of countless, competing concerns. Most importantly, state officials swear an oath to uphold the federal and state constitutions, including their abiding promises of equal protection and due process for everyone. Initiative proponents take no such oath, and have no such duties.
Should the CA Supreme Court decide the anti-gay forces have no standing to appeal, the issue dies, the repeal of Prop 8 stands and marriage equality is reinstated in CA. If the court decided the anti-gay forces do have standing, then the issue goes back to the Federal Appeals court to decide the issue. This could mean the whole magilla may end up in US Supreme Court.
Stay tuned kids…
Indiana: House approves Marriage Equality ban
In a vote of 70-26, the Indiana state House voted to approve a state constitutional amendment to not only ban same-sex marriage but “anything similar” like civil unions and domestic partnerships.
The bill now goes to the state Senate, where it look to pass there as well.
The proposal has to pass in another separately elected legislature in 2013-14 before it can go before the voters.
Sad to know that so many in Indiana like the idea of committed partners not having the same rights as straight couples. Hospital visitation, inheritance, medical decision making…
Sure, we can go spend thousands at a lawyers office, but why should gays and lesbians have to spend all that money for a small handful of rights when heterosexual couples don’t? Seriously kids – this isn’t the America we can be proud of.
Random Facebook conversation…
Reading through my Facebook at my friend Matt’s house –
Randy: “Wow, I’ve friended a lot of porn stars on FB.”
Matt: “It happens…”
KS Tea Party/GOP Rep. Says She Can Tell Who Is ‘Illegal’
One week ago, the Kansas House Federal and State Committee held a hearing about in-state tuition being granted to the children of undocumented immigrants, which has been the policy in the state since 2004.
Speaking in favor of repealing the law, Tea Party Rep. Connie O’Brien (R-KS) began telling an anecdote at the hearing about how her son had difficulty in getting financial assistance to attend college. She explained that she took her son to a financial aid office, and as she was waiting in line, she believed there was a girl waiting in line with them who was “not originally from this country.”
REP. O’BRIEN: My son who’s a Kansas resident, born here, raised here, didn’t qualify for any financial aid. Yet this girl was going to get financial aid. My son was kinda upset about it because he works and pays for his own schooling and his books and everything and he didn’t think that was fair. We didn’t ask the girl what nationality she was, we didn’t think that was proper. But we could tell by looking at her that she was not originally from this country. […]
REP. GATEWOOD: Can you expand on how you could tell that they were illegal?
REP. O’BRIEN: Well she wasn’t black, she wasn’t Asian, and she had the olive complexion.
There you go folks – if you aren’t black or asian, you must not be from this country originally. Whatever that means.
I also think it’s rich that she didn’t think it was “proper” to ask the girl in question her nationality, but it’s fine to decide she’s an illegal. That’s “proper.” This is the Tea Party kids. Party on…
Listen below: