Sen. Carl Levin: DADT Repeal Is ‘Proof That We Can Deal With Our Mistakes And Correct Them’ | thinkprogress.org

Thanks to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network for inviting ThinkProgress to report live from its Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Day Celebration.

As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) was a leading force for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. He will continue to play a role in the implementation of repeal as Congress tracks “remnants of discrimination” that take place in the military, but he’s optimistic that all the military leaders are on board and will realize this is “a different world, a different generation.”

At Tuesday night’s celebration, he lauded DADT repeal as an advance for freedom, openness, and tolerance in America and thinks historians will look back on the repeal process as proof of the United States’ ability to better itself:

LEVIN: This is an amazing country. We’re able — usually — to change and to deal with things that need to change. “Change” has kind of been our middle name here in America. It’s another milestone on a road to a better county and a greater country, but it’s also proof that we can deal with our mistakes and correct them and pull together and be a better country when we do pull together.

Click the link above to watch the video.

145,000 E-mails to Oklahoma Leaders: Tell Sally Kern Her Bigotry is Unacceptable | hrc.org

In the past eight hours alone, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) members and supporters have generated 145,000 emails to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and state legislative leaders calling on them to denounce State Rep. Sally Kern’s dangerous anti-LGBT remarks. In a recent interview with the hate group Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, Kern said young people learn that homosexuality is “normal and natural” because they’re “bombarded” with it every day. As a result, Kern claims, homosexuality presents a bigger threat to the United States than terrorism. She also implied gay Americans were responsible for the HIV/AIDS crisis.

“Americans are sending a message loud and clear to Oklahoma’s leadership – Sally Kern’s brand of bigotry is entirely unacceptable,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Her dangerous remarks stand to incite violence against LGBT Americans, and are so far out of the mainstream that they cannot go unnoticed. At a time when the majority of the nation is showing support for a wide array of equality issues, Sally Kern is spreading a false message of hate that must be stopped.”

Kern made similar remarks in 2008 comparing homosexuality to terrorism. Her statements last week come at a time when a number of extremist political figures and candidates are adopting anti-gay messaging.

HRC is calling on its members and supporters to keep the pressure up on Governor Fallin and the state’s legislative leaders, and to rally friends and family to join in taking action.  For the latest, visit www.hrc.org/callitout.

Oregon Republicans strip anti-gay language from party platform

gaypolitics:

The Oregon Republican party has voted to the remove language from the official party platform that some members saw as needlessly hostile toward gays.

The change is a conscious effort to attract younger voters — as well as more gays and lesbians — to the party, said one party member.

…

(via )

Federal funds used to support anti-gay efforts in Iowa

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney declined to directly respond Monday to a recent media report revealing that $2.2 million in federal money that had gone to an Iowa group aided in its efforts to undo marriage equality in the state.

In response to a question from the Washington Blade, Carney said he was unaware of the Associated Press report about the issue and declined to say whether the Obama administration has a problem with federal resources being used for that purpose.

“I wasn’t aware of that,” Carney said. “I’ll have to take that question.”

Carney also demurred when asked about  the idea of President Obama issuing an executive order that would bar the use of federal funds for discriminatory efforts against LGBT Americans as a means to address the issue.

“I don’t have any — I mean, you’re asking a hypothetical about an executive order that doesn’t exist,” Carney said.

Last week, AP reported that $2.2 million in a federal grant received by the group — now known as the FAMiLY LEADER — between 2006 and 2010 for marriage counseling purposes also helped pay some operational expenses while the organization was leading a campaign against same-sex marriage. The information was found through grant documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

Click the link above to read the full article.

New NOM-Related Site Now Trying To Appeal To Hip Young Conservatives | gayagenda.com

The internet yawned today as professional spin-doctress Maggie Srivastav unveiled a new site which is a complete rip-off of the gay-run Drudge Report called (wait for it…) The Maggie Report. Apart from “wacky news” about New York’s doughnut burger and a girl fined for saving a woodpecker Maggie’s also sprinkled in some anti-gay pellets like “A Semi-Defense of the Infamous Slavery Passage in the ‘Marriage Vow’ Pledge,” “Florida Teacher Suspended for Facebook Comment Opposing “Gay” Marriage,” and a link to the SLPC-certified hate group the Family Research Council!

Wow! A defense of slavery and a link to a hate-group? Tell us more!!

CONTINUED »

Many people are commenting on the previous post involving marriage equality and the 2012 elections.

You can find the original post I am referring to here.

Anyhow, I think there are a few things you folks should remember:

  1. It does not matter if you are a Republican, Democrat, or independent. Politicians SHOULD be in office to serve their people no matter what color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc.
  2. It does not matter what side you are on as long as you support true equality FOR ALL (and mean it). Remember: Politiks is a show. It is a deceitful practice surrounded by media distortion and lies. Trust what you KNOW, not what you see or hear.
  3. The infographic that was posted is going by the politicians’ previous records and what they SAY they will do. Only time will truly tell what will actually happen.
  4. Also, and more as a sidenote: Ron Paul is one of the worst candidates that we can have elected. Sure, he is anti-war and pro-marijuana legalisation. That’s all well and good, but have you looked at his other positions?
  • He is FOR DOMA.
  • He is AGAINST DADT repeal.
  • He is ANTI-abortion.
  • He is ANTI-immigration/birthright citizenship.
  • He does not want church separate from state.

Need I go on? This fellow is bad news bears for the queer community (among others).

Let’s remember to try not to be too quick to judge a book by its cover. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Just because someone does not share your politikal ideals, does not mean that they cannot support you and stand up for you. These people have voices, and we should support those who choose to use their voices for the good of the community.

Not to get too personal or anything, but this commentary is coming from an anarchist who does not believe in government, politiks, the use of violence, etc. I believe in true equality, and I admire those who are willing to help towards it any way that they can.

I hope that clears some things up regarding the comments pouring in.

Sincerely,

SLZ

What Is Nerdbutts?

solemnhypnotik:

NerdButts is run by two of my favourite people in the entire world - Beth and Dave!!

Check them out.

Give them a follow, and spread the word!

Please and thanks.

nerdbutts:

There’s been some discussion here at NBHQ about what exactly is the direction we want to take here on the site, what exactly it is that we want to be when we grow up.

What is Nerdbutts?

The idea of Nerdbutts was to have a place for all our personal fixations: comics, video games, movies, tv, culture, equality, politics. In a lot of circles, some of those things go together, but not others. TV sites don’t often talk about equality or politics. Beth and I felt unwelcome on a lot of “nerdy” sites because of the rampant sexism, racism and classism, if not in the articles themselves then for sure in the comments. There’s a prevalent idea in our society that “nerd culture” is about the consumption of media without ramification or examination. But that’s the surface of nerd culture, and the part of it that mainstream society has been quick to accept over the past couple of decades. It’s the worst kind of nerdiness, the kind that caters to corporations who want to sell you crap, the kind that accepts the status quo as long as there’s something good to watch on TV.

But being a nerd has always been first and foremost about the pursuit of knowledge. An overwhelming ability to memorize and spout meaningless trivia is a by-product, not the end result. The purpose of the best sci-fi is to examine society, to take it a part and see how it works. We love that. We love stupid, unimportant shit, but also we love using our minds to see what’s going on in the world. Being a nerd does not absolve you of responsibility to society. If anything, it deepens it.

So we want this site to be a place where we can examine sci-fi and fantasy, where we can be nitpicky about the minutiae of our favorite TV series, but also where we can examine what it means to be human, to live and breathe, and how society is making it easier (or harder) to be who we are. We can examine the differences between the different versions of D&D in one article, review an obscure old film in the next, and address sexism in politics in the next. We are Nerdbutts. We do not take ourselves seriously, but we are serious. And there are more of us out there. Come find us.

(via riley-ferretboy-konor)

Source: nerdbutts

bluestatebarbecue:

A video for LGBT youth around the country and the It Gets Better Project, featuring U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Reid Attacks Romney's Gay Record

MITT ROMNEY HARRY REID X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM

Senate majority leader Harry Reid (right) lashed out at GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, saying he flip-flops on gay marriage — an accusation that isn’t true.

Reid told reporters on Tuesday that the former Massachusetts governor “doesn’t know who he is.” The Nevada senator argues that Romney has changed positions on gay rights and abortion rights, and that when he was governor he supported both. But Romney never supported same-sex marriage — even when same-sex marriages began in the Bay State in 2004, Romney said he was forced to comply with the marriage equality law, which passed against his objections. After the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that barring marriage equality was unconstitutional, Romney started to enforce a 1913 law, which barred couples from marrying in Massachusetts if they were not residents, to prevent out-of-state gay couples from flocking to the state to wed. That law was eventually overturned with the backing of current governor Deval Patrick.

Romney has voiced support for civil unions, domestic partnerships, and workplace protections for gays, but he downplayed those positions when he ran for president in 2008.

WV Gubernatorial Candidates on LGBT Issues

West Virginia X390

The West Virginia newspaper Charleston Gazette distributed a questionnaire to the state’s gubernatorial candidates, asking their thoughts on adding sexual orientation to civil rights laws.

The Gazette asked both Democratic and Republican candidates the questions, “Do you support adding sexual orientation to the state’s existing civil rights laws? Why or why not?” LGBT advocacy organization Fairness West Virginia, which hasn’t endorsed a candidate, quotes the responses along with their comments about each.

Based on the responses all but two of the Democratic candidates and only one of the Republican candidates, Bill Clark, appear to support protection of the state’s LGBT citizens.

Read Fairness West Virginia’s full report here.

GOProud Leader Discusses Gay Conservatives

By Julie Bolcer

JIMMY LASALVIA X390 (FAIR) | ADVOCATE.COM

GOProud executive director Jimmy LaSalvia agrees with Andrew Breitbart that it is challenging to be a gay conservative, where he finds the “vast majority” of criticism comes from the more liberal segment of the gay community.

Breitbart, a GOProud advisory board member married to a woman, appeared on WNYC on Wednesday and discussed the gay conservative vote with host Brian Lehrer. On Thursday, LaSalvia followed up the conversation and responded to comments from Breitbart about topics including gay opposition to marriage equality and the challenges of being a gay conservative.

“I think what Andrew said was, ‘Imagine being a conservative in the gay community,’ and that’s really where we experience the most intolerance, is… the gay left is, by far the most intolerant toward us,” said LaSalvia. “Are there some on the right that don’t like gay people? Sure, but the vast majority of our critics come from the left, are on the left.”

Breitbart also discussed the significance of the gay vote, which LaSalvia supported with exit poll data. According to statistics he cited, some 28% of gay voters supported John McCain for president in 2008, and 31% supported Republican candidates in the midterm elections.

Asked whether some gay people oppose marriage equality, LaSalvia, said, ““I think there are some, yeah.”

Listen to the interview here.