LGBTQ news and entertainment
After the dust up last week when it was discovered newly elected mayor of Troy, MI, used the word “queers” in a tweet disapproving of marriage equality in NY state, a lesbian married couple and their two daughters powerfully address the mayor Janice Daniels, at a city council meeting.
Good for the mother for taking a direct but not hateful approach to the issue.
First, over 70% of Americans support the repeal of DADT.
Second, nothing keeps anyone from praying anywhere. While there may not be organized prayer, anyone can pray anywhere they want in this country.
President Obama has not signed a single law that threatens anyone’s religious beliefs. In the USA, the law of the land dictates that you are allowed to believe, or not believe, in any religious faith you wish.
Shame on Rick Perry for throwing such false “red meat” out to the conservatives.
As many people in the political world know, rumors about Rick Perry have been around for years. I don’t know if he’s gay – but I do know he’s really kicked up the anti-gay rhetoric lately. And sometimes, good defense is a good offense.
As I wrote here earlier, President Obama today issued a memorandum “directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons.”
Well, Rick Perry is not good with the United States standing up for universal human rights. To Rick Perry, using U.S. foreign aid to prevent persecution and even execution of LGBT people amounts to “promoting special rights for gays.”
Gov. Rick Perry today issued a statement which said, in part:
“Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t get any more out of touch with America’s values, AP reports his administration wants to make foreign aid decisions based on gay rights.
“This administration’s war on traditional American values must stop.
“This is just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith in this country. Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many Americas of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong.
“President Obama has again mistaken America’s tolerance for different lifestyles with an endorsement of those lifestyles. I will not make that mistake.”
First of all, there is no war on anyone’s faith in America. Everyone is allowed to hold their own beliefs. How is standing up for the rights of a minority of people around the world a “war on American values?” And no tax dollars are being ‘invested’ in promoting any lifestyle.
Second, Perry seems to be playing a bit of “do as I say, not as I do.” He wants to wage a cultural war against gays and lesbians, where we are supposed to be happy that we are tolerated, but he (and those of like-minded bigotry) gets to be angry an American President would take the time to add his leadership to respecting ALL citizens of the planet – not just evangelical christians.
Ironically, this statement comes from Perry on the same day that an Associated Press review of Perry’s phone records and daily public schedules reveals a chronology of the governor’s meetings before his campaign launch, which seems to indicate that the TX governor may have used his official phone line for campaign outreach. Texas state ethics rules prohibit use of state phones for campaign purposes. Perry officials said the talks were for official business.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum denounced the call for global equal rights by adding that Obama “said he’s for traditional marriage, and now he’s promoting gay lifestyles and gay rights, and he’s fighting against traditional marriage within the courts, and I think he needs to be honest.”
From KRISTV.com: A high school male cheerleader in Alice, TX, said he was kicked off the squad and suspended after he was caught kissing another male student on campus.
The young man spent countless hours practicing every day for years to make the varsity cheer squad, and he had it all taken away from him in an instant.
Perhaps most surprising, is the way the student was caught. Not in person by a teacher, but by surveillance camera, leading the young man to believe he was being watched and targeted by school officials simply because of his sexual orientation.
“They never check cameras for anything unless something is stolen,” the young man said, asking not be indentified. “We would be the ones getting caught because I’m sure we were the only ones, sexual orientation wise, being caught like that.”
The boy said public displays of affection are a relatively common occurrence at Alice HS, and he believes that the principal would not have targeted him had he been caught kissing a female student.
“In this school [kissing] is everywhere, if that were the case, suspending everyone for that, half the school would be suspended,” he said.
The district superintendent said he couldn’t comment about the matter because of privacy issues.
The family said that they were told during a meeting Thursday with school administrator’s, that the principal’s decision will be under review, and if there are any changes to that decision, they will be notified sometime at the beginning of next week.
They say if their son isn’t put back on the cheerleading squad, they will pursue further action.
In Indiana, one of the Republican State Legislators who supported the passage this year of an anti-Gay Marriage amendment, Phillip Hinkle, was just outed when he was caught soliciting sex from a young man on Craigslist.
According to The Advocate, Hinkle invited an 18 year old man he met on Craigslist to a hotel, asking for “a few hours of your time.” He promised the young man $80 for his time, plus $50-$60 more for “a really good time.”
Apparently once the young man, Kameryn Gibson, found out that Hinkle was a politician – he tried to back out. Hinkle’s wife then called him and offered him $10,000 if he didn’t call the police or the media.
The Anti-Gay Marriage amendment in Indiana passed earlier this year with Hinkle’s help. However, Indiana law dictates that their next legislature must ratify the vote, then it moves on to a general vote. Time will tell on that issue.
Laura Fortusky, the now former town clerk of Barker, New York, has quit her job because she didn’t want to become a part of the gay agenda by adding her signature to same-sex marriage licenses.
On Monday, the Nassau County District Attorney issued a statement advising all state town clerks to adhere to the new marriage equality law or risk arrest a misdemeanor violation. Laura Fortusky became the first known state official to resign in protest of equality.
In a letter submitted to the stringently homophobic group New Yorkers for “Constitutional Freedoms,” Fortusky writes:
“There was no protection provided in the legislation for Town Clerks who are unable to sign these marriage licenses due to personal religious convictions, even though our US Constitution supports freedom of religion.
“I believe that there is a higher law than the law of the land. It is the law of God in the Bible. In Acts 5:29, it states, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’”
I support freedom of religion. However, the founding father’s chose to make America a country where you HAVE freedom of religion. Any religion. Or no religion. Civil servants don’t get to pick and choose which laws they follow.
So good riddance Laura Fortusky.
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| Todd Reynolds |
After New York Rangers forward Sean Avery recorded a video in support of marriage equality, he was promptly criticized by a Canadian sports management executive, who took to Twitter with a series of posts knocking gay marriage.
Todd Reynolds, VP of Uptown Sports Management, which represents a handful of NHL players, tweeted that it was “very sad to read Sean Avery’s misguided support of same-gender ‘marriage’. Legal or not, it will always be wrong.”
Later in the day, his father compared gay marriage to bestiality.
However, once Reynolds took some heat for his views, he quickly response: “To clarify. This is not hatred or bigotry towards gays. It is not intolerance in any way shape or form. I believe we are all equal.”
Later on TSN Radio he said: If you oppose a viewpoint, you’re immediately targeted by some people as a hater, a bigot, intolerant, homophobic and many other terms. I don’t hate anyone and I’m certainly no a bigot, but I believe in marriage between one man and one woman.”
Someone should point out to the confused Mr. Reynolds the very definition of “bigot” – a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion; one who stubbornly or intolerantly adheres to his or her own opinions and prejudices.
This pretty much sums up Mr. Reynolds. He stubbornly adheres to his own opinions and prejudices. It’s always amazing to see the old chestnut “I don’t think gays should have any rights, but that doesn’t make me intolerant.”
Hockey professionals quickly spoke out against the anti-gay comments made by Uptown Sports management:
Agent Scott Norton, who helped bring the Stanley Cup to last year’s gay pride in Chicago, told Outsports:
“I think they are very small minded comments. The world has changed, and people need to change also. Everyone in the world has rights, and one of the main rights is to have the ability to love and care for whomever you want, no matter race, religion or sexual orientation.”
Agent Andrew Warren told Outsports he is a big supporter and a good friend of Patrick Burke:
“I absolutely would support any client, friend, or family member who came out. I believe that public support of gay rights in sports will make it easier for those in the world of sports that may want to come out able to do so without apprehension or fear.”
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.