Courting Catholics

In the wake of the passing Senate Bill 6239 which is expected to go to the Washington State House of Representatives this week, it appears that opponents of marriage equality have wasted no time in getting their demonstrations started. As early as Friday morning, members of a Catholic charitable organization known as the Knights of Columbus already showed their presence on the Capitol steps carrying a sign stating “Knights of Columbus Support Marriage Exclusively Between One Man & One Woman”.

It's okay, guys, the Knights didn't get the memo that Jesus is cool with you too.

The Knights of Columbus, whose ability to help raise $1M along with the Catholic Church and other anti-marriage organizations during the 2008 California Proposition 8 battle, seem to be in a bit of a bind themselves these days with most of their money and donations going to anti-gay marriage as opposed to relief work right on the heels of their 130^th anniversary, as Nicole Sotelo reports in the National Catholic Reporter:

“On the surface this sounds benign, but “family life” is the Knights’ terminology for predominantly anti-gay initiatives, whereas “community projects” represents soup kitchens and food pantries… Additionally, in 2009 and 2010, Knights officials contributed $200,000 as noted in annual reports to Vox Clara, the bishops’ committee responsible for turning back the clock on the liturgy and implementing the recent controversial language changes in the Mass. They have been a significant funder of the committee since 2006. Over the same time period, the Knights donated almost $1.2 million to fund the bishops’ newly created committee that works against equal protection for gays and lesbians and dubbed it “charity” in their annual report.”

Although Washington has historically been considered one of the most non-religious states, the Catholic Church represents the largest religious organization in this state with 1,058,721 members, inclusive of the Archdiocese of Seattle and the Diocese of Spokane. While many Washington Catholics such as Governor Christine Gregoire (D) - who helped to endorse this bill – are split on the issue of same-sex marriage, they can also be great allies in the fight for greater civil rights.

As same-sex marriage becomes a closer reality for residents of Washington State, it will be increasingly important for members of equal rights groups to garner increasing support religious communities in raising money and awareness about the facts of marriage equality and help to assuage concerns about the negative impact of allowing gay marriage and in speaking out, as I have in my own personal blog, about addressing the fundamental dissonance in fighting against marriage when monies raised could be going toward more constructive ends.

NOM Has A Hissyfit, Part Five Thousand

This is an exciting year for queers in Washington State, as it appears that the legislature is finally on the brink of approving same-sex nuptials for all residents of the Evergreen State. Numerous politicians have voiced their support for a measure legalizing marriage equality, while a number of large corporations based in Seattle and outlying areas have endorsed the proposed law, to include Starbucks:

Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Starbucks strives to create a company culture that puts our partners first, and our company has a lengthy history of leading and supporting policies that promote equality and inclusion.

This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company. We are proud of our Pride Alliance Partner Network group, which is one of the largest Employer Resource Groups for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) employees in the U.S., helping to raise awareness about issues in the communities where we live and work.

While I'm not a HUGE fan of corporations, I DO get a tickle when they (whatever their other practices) get their heads out of their collective asses and fall on the right side of history regarding LGBT rights. One organization (which seems to have forgotten it was effing broke recently) has weighed in heavily against the measure, specifically targeting Starbucks for their support. Who is it? Our old friends over at National Organization for Marriage:

 

Today, Brian Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), sharply criticized Starbucks' decision to wade into the gay marriage fight in Washington State. That decision comes on top of an earlier decision by Starbucks to ask the Supreme Court to strike down the federal definition of marriage as one man and one woman as well.

"Americans should be able to drink a peaceful cup of coffee without worrying that a portion of the company's profits is going to be used to push gay marriage without a vote from the people," said Brown. "This is a gratuitous leap into a hot button culture war issue; respect for diversity touted by Starbucks ought to include respecting the diverse views of all its customers and employees."

Meh. I'm not sure that Starbucks has actually contributed a dime to marriage equality, but can't you just HEAR Miss Bond's hissyfit in NOM's hatequarters?

Tragedy: Man Dies Waiting For Marriage Equality

The one thing Ed Watson wanted to do was marry his partner, Derence Kernek, before he died. Unfortunately, due to the machinations of anti-gay groups that mired California in the legal nightmare that is Proposition 8, he was unable to fulfill his dream and passed away Wednesday. In a sad ironic twist, he died the day before hearings on the controversial "Prop H8" began.

Gay rights activists lamented Watson's death as a reminder of the harm inflicted on same-sex couples throughout the state because they are denied the right to marry. 

"It's ironic that he died on the eve of appeals about peripheral issues around a case that should have been settled more than a year ago," said Richard Jacobs, chairman and founder of the gay rights advocacy group Courage Campaign, as he was en route to San Francisco for a hearing before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "None of this will matter to Ed or Derence." 

U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled on Aug. 4, 2010, that Proposition 8 violated the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians to due process and equal protection under the law. Sponsors of the initiative passed by 52% of Californians who voted in November 2008 have appealed Walker's ruling and won a suspension of it pending the 9th Circuit's ruling.

This is sad. How many more LGBTs have to die disappointed before people just admit, like Hillary Clinton did before the UN, that gay rights are human rights?

OneAngryCultist: Love Thy Neighbor

In a recent article on the Catholic Lane, retired schoolteacher and fellow, Seattle OCCUPY activist and writer Robert “Bob” Struble, Jr. writes about the ongoing problem of institutional child abuse. In his recent articles, Paterno, Pedophiles, Homosexuals, and Cowards; and Homosexuality/Pedophilia Correlation? Struble explores the recent Penn State sex abuse scandal in which assistant coach Jerry Sandusky had been found guilty of sexually assaulting or having inappropriate contact with at least eight underage boys as indicative of the moral decline of society due to the growing acceptance of homosexuality.

In the first article, Struble writes:

“Cultural commissars in the West urge citizens to worship at the altar of a much-touted triune ethic – tolerance, diversity and choice. This secular trinity militates against the influence of righteous indignation. It demands that people who express disgust at sexual sins be reprogrammed. Teach them to reconsider their negative attitudes. Show them that a tendency to look down on homosexual sex is wrong in itself. Brow beat them with the notion that such a critical attitude is condescending and judgmental.”

Putting aside any snarky reference I could make by invoking Matthew 7:1-5, there is a tendency in our culture to censor language that is perceived to be intolerant or that doesn’t respect the current values of diversity and choice and with good reason –this kind of language kills people!

 In a free society we do have the right to speak our minds, however the point at which this language and dialogue infringes upon the lives and liberty of others, I take serious concern.

In specific regards to Catholic social teaching, of which Mr. Struble should be well aware, sexual minorities, “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” Quoting the controversial archbishop of the airwaves, Fulton Sheen, Mr. Struble writes in agreement:

“Tolerance is an attitude of reasoned patience toward evil…, a forbearance that restrains us from showing anger or inflicting punishment…. Architects are as intolerant about sand as foundations for skyscrapers as doctors are intolerant about germs in the laboratory. Tolerance does not apply to truth or principles.”

Immediately following, in his own words, Bob additionally calls for an end to, “the prevailing idolatry about inclusiveness. We need, rather, to exhibit the militancy and intolerance that Jesus modeled when he cleansed the temple.”

So, Bob, tell us what you really think about the teachings of Jesus who enjoins all Christians to, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk. 12:31). Thousands of Catholics struggle on a daily basis with deep-seated problems related to being faced with having to choose between being true to themselves or their faith – I for one think they are owed at least a modicum of tolerance.

In his second article, Bob attempts to make the case that the child abuse case at Penn state is not only a moral problem, with which I fully agree, but correlates homosexuality to pedophilia – clearly something I cannot endorse. Pedophilia cannot in any way be related to homosexuality.

Pedophilia, as defined by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems is “a sexual preference for children, boys or girls or both, usually of prepubertal or early pubertal age” and has nothing to do whatsoever with homosexuality even in cases where the abused are of the same gender of the abused.

In essence, pedophilia is a profound psychological and emotional disorder that cannot be correlated in any way to homosexuality in which relationships formed between same-sex partners are most often consensual in nature, as with heterosexual relationships, and based on positive regard for partners and are not typified by power-dynamic disparity as in the case of pedophilia.

Continuing, Bob predicts:

“That if social mores continue their downward trajectory, and society reaches such a level that NAMBLA’s agenda gets mainlined into the culture (as was its equivalent in ancient Greece and Rome); then the social climate will be about as libertine as we read about in pagan antiquity, when there was not much about pedophilia that scandalized people… 

At that point, homosexuals and homosexualists (their heterosexual backers) will not be compelled to conjure up so much anger or indignation whenever someone associates them with pedophilia. To the extent that all sex is considered good sex, no stigmatizing of deviant sexuality will exert enough social suasion to make people feel guilty about sexual relations with children.”

With all due respect, Bob, NAMBLA represents a socially deviant organization that I can guarantee the majority of the LGBTQI community along with the rest of society views with equal disdain as you yourself hold. Also, as something of a lay-historian myself, I’m profoundly disappointed in Bob’s anachronistic reading into the fall of ancient Rome which most historians now assess as being due to extreme economic pressures brought about by territorial expansionism and not about sexual excess and moral denigration. 

Historically speaking, same-sex attraction as understood in the ancient world was understood differently than it is today. While the cultural practice of pederastry as practiced to a small extant in Ancient Greece and Rome may be to some extant equitable with hebephilia – a related but different disorder from pedophilia and something against which Paul rails in Romans – there are cultural contexts which separate making such a drastic comparison to NAMBLA.

These two articles fail to pass biblical and intellectual standards of editorial excellence and are indicative of a small-mindedness that should not be confused with the great academic and loving religious values present in Catholicism, instead they appear to regurgitate the same old “gays are bad because the pope says so” arguments that contribute to a strong social stigmatization of the Church.

I humbly, yet frankly, ask the author to look deeper into the issues at stake as well as inform himself better on the Spirit of the Gospel as opposed to the letter of the law and enjoin him to make a sincere and loving inventory based on love of his sisters and brothers and cease depriving what he likely would not appreciate having deprived himself – the right to love their partners as themselves.

In Dedication to Ss. Sergius and Bacchus
(Aren't they cute?!)

For Better Or For Worse

Australian activist organization GetUp created this video in support of marriage equality and it's too precious to not post.  Gay couples face the same struggles and triumphs straight couples do... so why not let them tie the knot?

New Hampshire To Repeal Gay Marriage Act?

Just over a year ago, New Hampshire governor John Lynch signed into law an act which allowed gay marriage. Yesterday, lawmakers in the Republican-dominated legislature got one step closer to repealing that act, as the state House Judiciary Committee moved forward on a bill that would eliminate gay marriages, replacing them with a foggy version of civil unions (which New Hampshire had allowed since 2007, prior to the gay marriage act):

The bill would not enact the same civil unions law that was in effect before gays were allowed to marry. That law granted gays all the rights and responsibilities of marriage except in name. The proposed civil unions law would be open to any two adults and would let anyone refuse to recognize the unions. It also would allow anyone to discriminate against the couples in employment, housing and public accommodations based on religious or moral beliefs.

I'm David Bates and I command you to have children!

Right, because if we let them, gay people will just marry willy-nilly, so we may as well open it up to "any two adults" - even relatives, perhaps? Some lady I happen to pass on the street? Sponsors of the bill condemn such same-sex couplings, citing the state's need to "[promote] stable and committed marital unions between opposite-sex couples so as to increase the likelihood that children will be born to and raised by both of their natural parents." Last I checked they weren't campaigning against divorce, separation, or single parenthood in the state of New Hampshire, though please stop me if I'm wrong. The statement that marriage exists solely to produce a child is an egregious one and a blow to civil rights, not to mention all that advocates, gay and straight, have fought for in the state over the past few years.

Legislators say that gay marriages already on the books will continue to be recognized, and opponents of the bill say there is little likelihood that it will pass. Still, stay tuned for more news from New Hampshire, or better yet, contact those assholes: rep.bates@live.com.

--submitted by OneAngryAlly while Ian Awesome continues to be off saving the world!

Maggie's New Gig: Supporting "Victims" Of Marriage Equality

One of the powerful and most often repeated memes of the opposition to marriage equality is the idea that gay citizens fighting for their rights are somehow victimizing people who want to oppress LGBTs.  NOM has tried to hide their donor list for years while repeating this line, insisting that by exposing who their supporters are they'll be left open to harassment and violence by "homofascists."  I'm of the opinion that they simply don't want that sort of transparency because something is fishy in their books, thus inventing this clever myth in order to protect their BS, but it's one the right has latched onto with fervor.

Continuing that myth, the newly-stepped-down former NOM chairwoman Maggie Gallagher has announced, just one day after her resignation, that she has a new project: heading up a support network for people who feel afraid or victimized due to LGBT activism:

If you have been threatened, harassed, or made to feel afraid because you believe in the great, foundational truth of Genesis –we are born male and female and called to come together in love to give children mothers and fathers—Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance is here to help you: you are not alone. 

We want to hear your story, connect you with others who share your deepest beliefs, with legal and other practical help, and with other Americans of good will, who (regardless of their views on marriage) want to put a stop to the shaming and the fearmongering of our fellow citizens. 

The goal of the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance is to create a supportive community for those who have been threatened for standing for marriage, to nip the climate of fear being created in the bud, to expose for fair-minded Americans on both sides of the debate the threats being made, to conduct high-quality qualitative and quantitative research documenting the extent of the harm, to develop legislative and community proposal to protect Americans right to engage in the core civil rights: to organize, to vote, to speak, to donate, and to write for marriage. 

Isolated and alone, we can be suppressed and intimidated. Together we are too many to be treated as second-class citizens.

This idea that conservative Christians are being treated as second-class citizens is insane.  I recommend to anyone that feels like this group speaks to them instead seek out psychiatric care.  Delusions of victimization are regularly characterized in paranoid disorders and can be treated.

Ding Dong, The Witch Is... Resigning

The news broke today that one of the foremost visible opponents in the fight for LGBT equality, Maggie Gallagher, is stepping down as chairwoman of the National Organization for Marriage, the secretive yet outspoken group credited with the passage of Proposition 8 in California and defeating marriage equality in the state of Maine.

*cue applause*

She is slated to be replaced by John Eastman, a professor of law who has participated in numerous high-profile cases addressing social issues, to include the Boy Scouts controversy over their anti-gay policies.  From NOM blog:

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) announced today that John Eastman, a distinguished Constitutional law scholar, is taking on the role of Chairman of the Board for NOM. 

Dr. John Eastman is the former Dean of Chapman University Law School in California and is the Founding Director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a public interest law firm associated with the Claremont Institute. He has participated in over 50 cases in our nation’s highest courts, including such landmark cases as the Pledge of Allegiance case, the Boy Scouts of America case, the Ohio school vouchers case, the Kelo case involving property takings, and the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act case. Dr. Eastman is a former clerk to United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He received his J.D. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in government and political philosophy from Claremont Graduate School. 

Brian Brown, President of NOM, stated, “John Eastman is one of America’s foremost constitutional scholars and has distinguished himself as a fierce advocate for families and religious liberty. As a legal scholar, he has participated in dozens of cases before our nation’s highest courts, including the United States Supreme Court. When important constitutional principles are on the line, people frequently turn to John Eastman to advocate a conservative, pro-family position. He will be a great asset to NOM.”

LezGetReal notes that John Eastman was a failed candidate for California's Attorney General, something not lost on many liberal readers assessing the situation.  With Maggie's tenure as chairwoman being characterized as combative and negative to her cause, has NOM picked a loser to replace a loser?  Only time will tell.  

Maggie says she will continue on NOM's board and will continue to be involved in the fight against marriage equality, but one has to wonder... did she just get tired of being lambasted for her idiosyncrasies?  She recently attended Dustin Lance Black's star-studded staged reproduction of the Proposition 8 trial, in which her involvement in the case and the press storm surrounding it was scripted with her laughable and oh-so familiar tactics of "bulldoze the opposition."  It drew laughs from the crowd, and one has to wonder if maybe this signified that it was time for Gallagher to go?

Whatever the reason, she's going, and good riddance.  I can only hope that with her departure as their chairwoman and spokesperson NOM will hasten its slide into irrelevance.  

Will The Obama Administration's New Stance On Deportations Save This Couple?

Brian Andersen and his Indonesian husband Anton Tanumihardja may have the singular distinction of being the first couple to test the Obama administration's "kinder, gentler" stance on deporting non-criminal immigrants.

A legally married couple that now lives in Philadelphia, Anton and Brian are anxiously awaiting word from the ICE that could spell disaster or salvation for their marriage.  Anton does not have the proper documentation to stay in the United States, and under previous direction for Immigration was a candidate for deportation.  In fact, last February, he was three hours away from boarding a plane to Jakarta when an emergency appeal from politicians and advocacy groups stayed the decision to deport him.

Now the clock is ticking once more, as unless his case is dismissed, he will be due for deportation on October 7th.

From Stop the Deportations:

Unlike the two history-making cases (Henry & Josh, Doug & Alex) in which Stop The Deportations has won “administrative closure” this year, Anton’s case is significantly further along in the legal process. Anton has exhausted all his appeals and recently received a final denial of his last appeal. Because Anton has a “final order of removal” ICE has the power to put him on a plane and deport him at any time. 

Will ICE Deportations and Removals Officers apply the prosecutorial discretion guidelines to protect this married gay couple from being torn apart? As part of the Stop The Deportations campaign, Brian and Anton will use every day that remains to ensure that Anton is granted "deferred action" and to ensure that the Obama administration's commitment to same-sex binational couples facing deportation has tangible results.

Indonesia is a fairly conservative country with no protections for LGBT citizens.  It is very likely that were he to be deported, he wouldn't just face the heartbreak of separation from his husband, but also discrimination in his daily life.

Anton is not a criminal, and this makes him a prime example of the sort of individual who should be kept in his adopted country.  I pray that his family stays together.

Skyrim Wants You To Get Gay Married (If That's Your Thing), But Star Wars? Hates It!

Gaymers rejoice!  Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is continuing Bethesda Softworks' support of homolove by allowing players, in game, to have a gay wedding.

The Sims, Fable, and numerous other games already allow same-sex lovin', to include Bethesda Softworks' previous Fallout installments.  I know that this particular gayming geek is more likely to purchase a game that lets me get it on with a hot elvish sorcerer, so smart marketing on their part.

oooooooooooh yeah.

Not every geek franchise has learned the lesson on same-sex relationships, however, as the upcoming Lucas Arts game Star Wars:  The Old Republic is totally banning gay nuptials, while opposite-sex relationships are available to players.  They have promised explanations, but thus far have released nothing.

In a video interview posted on YouTube by KAEmpire, Star Wars: The Old Republic developer Corey Butler says (at ~2.30 into the video) that the game will not feature same sex relationships. The Bioware forums are afire with a fifty-one page discussion of the issue and a community poll.

That forum actually became closed due to the outrage from prospective buyers of the game.

Come on!  I know Senator Amidala would TOTALLY have refused to defend DOMA!  This is clearly a confusion tactic on the part of Chancellor Palpatine in an effort to smokescreen his true agenda.  I call for a vote of no-confidence.

Hey Rick, What Are You Comparing Gay Marriage To This Week?

Rick Santorum thus far has compared gay marriage to water and beer, napkins and paper towels, and now says in an interview with the Iowa Independent that gays can't get married because a tree is not a car.  Or something.

Because it changes the definition of an intrinsic element of society in a way that minimizes what that bond means to society.

Marriage is what marriage is. Marriage was around before government said what it was.
It’s like going out and saying, ‘That tree is a car.’ Well, the tree’s not a car. A tree’s a tree.

Marriage is marriage.

You can say that tree is something other than it is. It can redefine it. But it doesn’t change the essential nature of what marriage is.

So which is this?  A beer?  Or a tree?  Or a paper towel?!  Hmmmm...

Marriage is a union between a man and a woman for the purposes of the benefit of both the man and the woman, a natural unitive according to nature, unitive, that is for the purposes of having and rearing children and for the benefit of both the man and the woman involved in that relationship.

His arguments are getting even more nonsensical and only seems to highlight how irrelevant he actually is.  His entire argument, of course, is that same-sex marriage will lead to a slew of social disasters such as interspecies nuptials:

And for the benefit of society because we need to have stable families of men and woman bonded together to raise children. That’s what marriage is. You can say two people who love each other is marriage. But then why limit it to just two people? Why not three people? Why not 10 people?

If it’s just about love and everybody needs to be treated equally, then why not 10? Why not allowing nieces and aunts to marry? Why not? If marriage means anyone who is in love, well, then, let everybody who is in love get married. But it’s not what marriage is.

 
Yawn.  That old thing?  That argument is about as old as I am.  No, Rick, I don't think the advent of marriage equality will lead to the FLDS suddenly being in the clear for polygamy.

His finishes off, of course, with stating that his position is an attempt to preserve the religious right's ability to discriminate against people they judge to be sinful:

Anybody who does not recognize what the state says is good and right is a bigot. We don’t give licenses for adoptions to organizations that won’t do gay adoptions because they’re bigots. And a lot of those are faith-based organizations.

Will we go into pulpits and tell preachers they can’t preach that gay marriage is wrong? Well maybe not right away but maybe tax-exempt status is next.

There’s a conflict here because we’ve created something that is not what it is.

 Rick Santorum is, by this time, the laughingstock of the GOP in his insistence on running for President.  He can't raise money and is a shoe-in for "worst GOP candidate for 2012."  Basically the only thing he's getting for his pains is yet another Google bomb from Dan Savage. 

Maine Marriage Equality Part Deux

One of the big shockers of the past decade in the struggle for LGBT equality in America was our defeat in a Maine referendum in 2009.  The Northeastern state had seemingly struck a victory for the good guys with a legislative bill legalizing same-sex marriage until NOM and friends intervened, successfully placing the bill on hold and then passing a voter-approved law banning gay nuptials.

Well, Mainers, get ready, because it's about to get rehashed again.

Today, same-sex marriage advocates in Maine announced that a citizen initiative campaign for a law allowing same-sex couples to marry cleared its first major hurdle with the Secretary of State’s approval of the language of the proposed statute. This allows campaign volunteers and supporters to begin collecting the signatures required to put “An Act to Allow Marriage Licenses for Same-Sex Couples and Protect Religious Freedom” on the November 2012 ballot.

“I’m grateful to Secretary of State Summers for promptly approving the language of the proposed law to let same-sex couples marry in Maine,” said Pastor Michael Gray of Old Orchard Beach United Methodist Church, one of six original signers of the initiative petition. “As campaign volunteers fan out across the state to collect signatures from their fellow Mainers I expect they will encounter thousands of willing signers who have changed their hearts and minds on marriage after getting to know their gay and lesbian neighbors, co-workers and community members – just as I have done.”

The Maine defeat was a crushing blow to equality, and many advocates are excited to see the referendum process start again.  In order to place the bill on the ballot, thousands of petition signatures are needed.  Then begins the grueling campaign to convince voters in 2012 to allow gays to marry.  However, with the passage of marriage equality in New York State, many are hopeful that Maine will signify a new victory in the countrywide fight to defeat bigotry and inequality.

Lesbian Advocate Dies In Stage Collapse, DOMA Then Rears Its Ugly Head

UPDATE:  Turns out this story just isn't true.  Click on over to my retraction and apology.

This is a sick and sad illustration of why DOMA has to go.

The blogosphere has been in mourning for days at the news that LGBT advocate Christina Santiago, manager of programming for the Lesbian Community Care Project at Chicago's Howard Brown Health Center, died in the collapse of a stage at the Indiana State Fair during a storm.  A freak gust of wind toppled the stage while they were waiting for a Sugarland concert, killing five and injuring many others.

Santiago and her partner, Alisha Brennon, had chosen to take advantage of Cook County's legalization of civil unions and had a ceremony planned for September of 2012.  Unfortunately, Brennon, who was injured in the accident, is keenly feeling the lack of any legal rights in her relationship with Santiago, as the coroner's office is now refusing to release her remains to Brannon.  Why?

You've guessed it.  The Defense of Marriage Act.

The Marion County coroner's office is refusing to release Santiago's body to her partner; the office cited the Defense of Marriage Act as the reason why they've turned down Brennon's request to pick up her loved one's remains. DOMA allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. 

Indiana has its own version of DOMA that outlaws same-sex marriage. Since Indiana law requires the next-of-kin to pick up Santiago's body, but the state won't recognize Brennon as the surviving spouse, Santiago's body is still laying in the morgue awaiting a solution. Brennon, who is still hospitalized, is now working with Santiago's aunt to pick up the body and make funeral arrangements.

This is worse than sad, it's disgusting.  Brennon is injured and grieving for the loss of the love of her life, and the state of Indiana is kicking her where it counts just in order to assert its right to discriminate against gay relationships.  I may have shed an angry tear over this one.

Basic Rights Oregon Responds: We Need A Clear Path To Victory

Earlier today I sent Basic Rights Oregon an e-mail asking them if their clarification on the Statesman Journal's report wasn't something of a "soft stance" on the same-sex marriage issue.  Essentially, I posited that BRO could push the issue more and was instead conceding the debate to the opposition merely because the opposition is loud.

Jeana Frazzini, the Executive Director of BRO, thoughtfully responded to my questions by asserting that jumping the gun with a ballot initiative could prove disastrous to the same-sex marriage debate in Oregon:

“We’re engaging Oregonians in conversations about marriage and it’s working. We are moving public opinion in the right direction and, in fact, accelerating the pace of change. But we’re not there yet. If the election were held today, it’s not clear that we would win. Given the expense – financial, physical and emotional – of mounting a ballot measure campaign, it would be irresponsible to go to the ballot without a clear path to victory. Other states have shown that once a measure is on the ballot, both sides start shouting and it’s hard to move minds on this issue. We’ve seen states that were forced to the ballot just a few points shy of majority support for marriage, and months later despite giving it their best, they were still a few points shy of victory on election day.”

While I was not told this directly and am mainly speaking on behalf of myself, I got the feeling that it is unclear whether the poll numbers were strong enough to justify a petition drive at this time.  In short?  It hasn't been ruled out, but more work is needed to be sure of victory.

While I'm eager for marriage equality to become fact in my home state, I'm satisfied that BRO knows what they're doing, despite my disappointment in a possible delay to the ballot.

Update: Basic Rights Oregon Hasn't Really Made Up Their Mind

Queerty did some fact-checking and it turns out Basic Rights Oregon has not committed to beginning the process of collecting signatures to legalize same-sex marriage in the Beaver State.  Their Executive Director, Jeana Frazzini, explained what The Statesman Journal got wrong :

“We are still engaged in an education campaign, and will make a decision in October as to whether to forward with signature gathering. We’ve been working to engage Oregonians in conversations about marriage for over a year – through TV ads, social media, field work and encouraging one-on-one conversations across the state. While support for marriage equality is increasing, we do not want to go to the ballot unless we are confident that we can win.”

Frazzini added, “Once we enter a heated political campaign, it will be impossible for our message of love, commitment and fairness to be heard over the din of the opposition’s negative advertising.”

I find this rather disappointing.  Not just the glitch in journalistic accuracy, but I would hope that Basic Rights Oregon would, um, have bigger balls on the issue?  Frazzini's stance appears to boil down to "the opposition is loud and mean and we would rather not lose."  I've sent an e-mail to BRO asking if this is indeed the case and will update you as I get more information.

Oregon Gears Up For Gay Marriage In 2012

Basic Rights Oregon announced this weekend that they are gearing up to put a ballot initiative to the vote in 2012 legalizing same-sex marriage in the Beaver State.  Anybody can place an initiative on the ballot given enough petition signatures in Oregon, so the petition drive is slated to begin this October:

The announcement was made during a Garden Party fundraiser in South Salem benefiting the organization.

"I fully support the work that Basic Rights Oregon does," said Oregon State Secretary Kate Brown, the event's keynote speaker.

"They do an amazing job educating and engaging Oregonians across the state," she "I think it’s really important that Oregonians have an understanding of how discrimination impacts the lesbian, gay, transgender and bi-sexual community."

 It has the possibility of actually passing.  A recent poll found that 48% of Oregonians support full marriage equality, but some worry that a strong right-wing push in rural areas might keep current legislation in place.  In 2004, Oregonians approved a measure writing discrimination into the state constitution and that constitutional ban is what Basic Rights Oregon is up against.

Tim Nashif, the Oregon Family Council co-founder who ran the successful 2004 campaign for a ballot measure banning gay marriage in the state, says he is gearing up for a fight he doesn't want. 

If Basic Rights Oregon puts a measure on the 2012 ballot to repeal the ban, Nashif said he's confident Oregonians will uphold the ban. 

"We'll fight hard for it. We have been working for that end as if they are going to run" a ballot measure, said Nashif. But, he added, "it's a lot of stinking work and it causes a lot of hard feelings."

I was an Oregon voter in the '04 elections, and I was dismayed and outraged that my home state had taken such drastic steps to discriminate against myself and my fellow LGBT Oregonians.  I'm hopeful that, in 2012, the voters in the Beaver State will re-establish our image as welcoming and inclusive.  

On Rick Santorum And Napkins And Such

Failing Presidential candidate Rick Santorum recently was filmed making some nonsensical comparison of marriage to napkins and paper towels... or something.

Cutie-patootie Sean Chapin filmed his response, and eloquently comments on the whole thing without saying a word.

One Of The Many Reasons I Love Labor

Just about everyone who is not affiliated with the Koch brothers can agree that the Labor movement is good, having established important worker's rights that benefit about everyone from pregnant mothers to children to low-income employees.  Need another excuse to like Labor?  They love the gays!

There's a huge fight going down in Michele Bachmann's home state of Minnesota in which some A-grade haterz are attempting to amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage.  The Minnesota chapter of the AFL-CIO (heavy hitters in the labor discussion) have now released a resolution opposing the amendment:

WHEREAS: State-sanctioned civil marriage provides rights and responsibilities set out in over 500 Minnesota laws available to opposite sex couples, but not same sex couples; including negotiated health coverage for state and local public employees, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits paid to a survivors, and laws affecting couples during illness and even death; and 

WHEREAS: Trade unionists believe that our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters undeniably deserve the same benefits as their heterosexual counterparts; and 

WHEREAS: The Minnesota Constitution has never been amended to discriminate against any group of people by denying them civil rights; now, therefore be it 

RESOLVED: That the Minnesota AFL-CIO opposes the 2012 general election ballot question recognizing marriage as only between one man and one woman.

Thanks, Labor!

No, Bert And Ernie Aren't Gay. Get Over It.

There's a petition circling the blogosphere asking Sesame Street to give up the ghost and finally hitch Bert and Ernie, a pair of puppets that have had gay pundits asking for years if they were lovers.  The pair have been roommates since the show's inception, providing comic relief in an educational setting for millions of toddlers over the years.

Yes, I love this.  No, they're still not gay.

The petition, started by Lair Scott of Change.org and promoted by the incomparable David Badash of the New Civil Rights Movement, reads as follows:

"It’s important for our children to be educated that it’s okay to be gay. For over 40 years, our beloved Sesame St. characters, Bert and Ernie, have been living as ‘roomates’ and we would like PBS and Sesame St. to allow them to live as a gay couple and maybe eventually, marry. It would show children and their parents that not only is it acceptable but also teach children that homophobia is wrong, bullying is wrong and that Sesame street should recognize that there are LGBT relationships, families, and include them in their show.

"We’re not here to debate our mission but we are here to educate. Please share our link with other friendly walls and join us in our quest to bring Bert and Ernie to the forefront of educating our children, to say "Gay is okay" !!  "

The Sesame Workshop first addressed this terribly important issue back in the early 90s with a firm denial of the homosexuality of the characters:

"'Bert and Ernie, who’ve been on Sesame Street for 25 years, do not portray a gay couple, and there are no plans for them to do so in the future,' stated Sesame Workshop back in 1993. 'They are puppets, not humans. Like all the Muppets created for Sesame Street, they were designed to help educate preschoolers. Bert and Ernie are characters who help demonstrate to children that despite their differences, they can be good friends.'"

There you have it.  Not.  Gay. 

I feel it's necessary to add a little something myself: One of the first lessons any young LGBT person needs to realize is that certain situations aren't necessarily gay.  Just because two men have a close relationship it does not necessarily mean that they are secret lovers.  Is this a case of Sesame Street oppressing two puppet's love?  No.  I think this is a case of "Everyone-is-gay-itis," which is simply just not true.

Yes.  Two men can be longtime friends and roommates without bumping felted uglies, so to speak.  Can we move on?

Perhaps a more worthwhile petition to sign, however, is this petition asking Sesame Street to end its business relationship with an anti-gay referral service, the Christian Values Network:

Did you know that dozens of major brands, including Target, Macy’s, USA Today, Netflix, Apple, Dell, and even Sesame Street are supporting known hate groups through the link referral service know as the Christian Values Network (CVN)? 

According to CVN, there are more than 170,000 charities that benefit from the CVN’s service by receiving donations through purchases made through the site. For example, someone could buy airline tickets from Delta, and the airline would make a donation to the charity of the customer’s choice through CVN. 

Unfortunately, there are several organizations included on CVN’s service that support discrimination. In addition to Focus on the Family's anti-gay agenda, the Southern Poverty Law Center has declared organizations like the Family Research Council and Abiding Truth Ministries as known “hate groups,” for their blatant and repeated homophobic lies about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. These organizations receive donations through CVN when customers buy products through CVN stores. 

Sesame Street, a trusted children's program, is allowing its brand to be used to raise money for organizations whose major focus of work is hurting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. This has to stop. Call on Sesame Street to insist CVN stop using their brand to raise money for hate.

See?  Stop trying to make everyone gay and instead have an impact on negative business practices.

Civil Union Legislation Proposed By Chilean President

Just because ERRBODY has to be better than the US on LGBT rights, Chile's President, Sebastian Pinera, is now attempting to push through legislation granting civil unions to gay Chileans, giving them rights of inheritance and other legal advantages normally solely accredited to heterosexual marriage.

FAB sash, Sebastian.  

From the AP:

"Chile's conservative president proposed legislation Tuesday to recognize gay civil unions, granting them some of the same rights as married couples in the ultra-Catholic country.

"'All forms of marriage deserve respect, dignity and the support of the state,' said President Sebastian Pinera, who signed the proposal and sent it to Congress.

"'This puts opposite-sex and same-sex couples on the same footing, because in both cases it is possible to develop love, affection and respect.'"

However, he is quick to echo a very familiar line by reiterating the full marriage equality isn't something he has "evolved" enough to grant gay Chileans:

"I deeply believe that marriage is by nature between a man and a woman, but that conviction does not prevent me from recognizing that other forms of affective relationships exist."

While I find THAT particular line rather tiring, it's nice to see a step in the right direction, especially in such a heavily religious country.  It's important for social conservatives to realize that many gay people don't give two shits about co-opting their religious idea of marriage, instead wanting a social contract which includes the legal rights and responsibilities inherent in civil marriage.