Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thanks Advocate!
BlogActive: Anyone who's seen Outrage! knows how Michael Rogers made a name for himself -- outing closeted, antigay politicians. And while BlogActive.com doesn't deal exclusively in outing antigay conservatives, much of what Rogers blogs about has to do with hypocrisy. And since he has a reputation as one of the most feared men in Washington, you'd better believe that when Rogers sniffs out a story, it's good ... really good.
Pressure works
The Pentagon is considering how it might ease the 'don't ask, don't tell' law requiring gays to keep quiet about their sexual identity or face expulsion from the military, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday.
'One of the things we're looking at is, is there flexibility in how we apply this law,' Gates told reporters aboard a military plane.
The Pentagon boss said he discussed the issue last week with US President Barack Obama and that there also has been discussion among senior military and legal counsel about possible changes in how they apply the law, which he described as 'very restrictive.'
'We're talking about how do we move forward on this, achieve this objective which is changing the policy.'
Gates added: 'What I discovered when I got into it was it's a very restrictive law. It doesn't leave much to the imagination, or a lot of flexibility.'
The defense secretary said one possible modification might be consider the circumstances under which a service member is 'outed' in determining whether or not he or she must leave the military.
Gates offered as an example 'when we're given information from someone with vengeance in mind or blackmail, somebody who has been jilted."If somebody is outed by a third party, does that force us to take action?" he said.
"That's the kind of thing we're looking at -- seeing if there's a more humane way to apply the law until it gets changed."
Sorry, Charlie...

Hurricane Charlie - The Republican Barney Frank. WSJ.com:Florida Governor Charlie Crist is running for the U.S. Senate next year, and we wonder if one reason is that he doesn't want to be in Tallahassee when the next hurricane hits his state. His veto of a hurricane insurance reform bill last week all but guarantees a state disaster on top of any wrought by Mother Nature.
The bill would have trimmed the cost of a state-run enterprise that insures homeowners against storm damage. The program has an $18 billion unfunded liability and has taxpayers on the line for tens of billions in property losses from the next major hurricane. The Republican legislature tried to reduce those future losses, but Mr. Crist sounded like Barney Frank rolling the dice on Fannie Mae in declaring there's nothing to worry about.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Paging David Dreier
NYTimes.com:
Having admitted on Wednesday to an extramarital affair and to misleading people about his whereabouts for a week, Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina acknowledged on Thursday that he saw his mistress in Argentina while on a government-funded trip and promised to reimburse the state for what he called "a mistake." But Mr. Sanford’s latest admission introduced new ethics concerns that seemed to place his job in even more jeopardy.
White Jesus freak trieds to drive a wedge...
I called this loser. He is white and has never talked to anyone at the "church" he wrote about. I love the "AS FAR AS WE KNOW," line.I wrote him and called him and asked him a question he refused to answer.
Here is what I did....
I dialed 866-508-2232 and asked "I am trying to find out if Gary Cass ever committed sodomy and put his penis in the mouth of another person."
Try it, it's fun... put the responses in the comments.
That's 866-508-2232.
Homosexuals Defame Black Church:
Contact: Dr. Gary Cass, Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, 866-508-2232
BRIDGEPORT, Conn., June 25 /Christian Newswire/ -- 'Where is the tolerance for a church who tried to help a young man who freely asked for help to overcome homosexual temptations?' asked Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. 'No church deserves to be maligned for trying to help a troubled teen who asked for prayer.'
Manifested Glory Church, a non-denominational black church in Bridgeport, CT, has been under fire ever since a video appeared on the internet of the exorcism of a 16 year old young man who came to the church asking for help. The church holds to the historic, biblical view that homosexual behavior is unnatural and sinful.
'White homosexual activists who demand tolerance for their sexual sin have no right to defame black Christians for practicing their Constitutional religious liberty,' said Cass. 'As far as we know, this young man went to church on his own prerogative and left the church physically unharmed.'
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Yes, BUT....
Giuliani: Democrats cheat as often as Republicans:
Former New York mayor and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani offered a roundabout defense of disgraced Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford — and Republicans as a whole — on Fox News Wednesday.
"This has happened just as often in the Democratic Party,” Giuliani told Fox’s Neil Cavuto. “These problems of romance, sexuality, et cetera, are not confined to Republicans or Democrats or independents."
In other news
1. The sun will set in the west.
2. In the USA, It will be darker outside at midnight than at noon.
3. Your local PBS station is on the verge of bankruptcy and you must call now.
4. A self-righteous, self-declared Jesus freak Republican politician is fucking someone outside of his marriage. And he's head of the RGA! Thank you, Goddess.
Raw Story:
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford admitted to an extra-marital affair with an Argentinian woman Wednesday afternoon, at an eagerly-awaited press conference to explain his sudden disappearance last week.If you want to thank Governor Sanford for proving again what these judgmental politicians are, here is his contact page.
Sanford also announced his resignation as chair of the Republican Governors’ Association.
"I've been unfaithful to my wife," Sanford said in front of the cameras. "I developed a relationship with … a dear, dear friend from Argentina. It began very innocently, as I suspect these things do."
Another marriage destroyed by them gays...
Boycott the White House? (Can you say, "over the top?")
A number of activists have suggested that LGBT leaders boycott the White House event hosted by President Obama.I've talked before about the DNC dinner and the people pulling out from it. I understand both sides of why people go or decide not to go the fundraiser. It's a party event. There will always be people on the inside and outside who apply the pressure. It's a good thing and it's served us well for a long time.
Then there is The White House event hosted by President Obama. In the same way they are being asked to pull out of the dinner, activists are suggesting that people should refuse to attend the White House event. Ugh.
Anyone who turns down an invitation from the President of The United States of America to the White House like this without a very legitimate reason (e.g. mom's funeral) completely misses the point. I can't think of anything more disrespectful in the political and government realms than saying to someone like President Obama "Fuck you, I'm not coming to your house when you want to meet me." I mean really... can you think of anything dumber?
Why would someone who is upset with the President's progress give up a chance to have a respectful chat with him. If even for 30 seconds, to say "Mr. President, I've served our nation in the military.,..." or "Mr. President, please meet my husband and our son who desperately needs protections...." Such an interaction is EXACTLY what we want.
We have had 8 years of "yes men" in the White House with no dissent. No one is suggesting that people should bow before the president, but this is what we wanted, ACCESS. THIS IS PART OF THE ACCESS.
Call me SHOCKED, but I did not get invited to the Bush White House. If I was, I think I would have said the same thing. When the President of the United States says "hey come on by," you go. Invitations to the Oval Office or the White House are not supposed to be used to get up in the President's face, it's the time to compellingly present your case.
End of story.
When thinking of people who are pulling out of a White House event I wonder where on the scale they appear, certainly somewhere between stupid and dumb.
What they miss is this. It's not the president (lower case) that extends these invitations, it's The President (upper case) and to that you simply do not say "no." If you do, you are doing a disservice to the very movement that you were invited to represent.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Stonewall Democrats get tough
[W]e are incredibly disappointed that the DNC has made a decision to withhold any financial support to National Stonewall Democrats this year but is in turn asking us to help raise money for the DNC in a difficult financial environment. The DNC has historically supported National Stonewall through sponsorship of the annual Capitol Champions event. This year, we did not receive any support.When your own party organizations start to bail you know you must have really screwed up.
On a personal note, I want to take a moment to thank the President. That brief is the best organizing tool you could have ever given us. Thanks!!
Snap
So thanks for nothing. Obama is the chagrined husband who thinks a bunch of flowers will excuse an infidelity. And to make it worse, instead of roses from the florist, he picks up wilted daisies from the drugstore.
You Go, Lindsey...
"I think he will be welcomed back by his colleagues and go back to being a good senator," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who said Ensign shouldn’t have resigned his leadership spot.
Graham downplayed the political impact this would have on the GOP, saying, "Most Americans look at this as a personal situation."
Graham let out a laugh and said: “I’ve got plenty of sins that I’m not going to share with anyone else." (Emphasis added, with a snap.)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tonight's Ed Show
After my 1:30 appearance on MSNBC was posted, the comments asked me to press harder and said that I was too light on the President. And... when you ask... well, I hope I delivered a strong message.
Video soon and thanks
Video from MSNBC today
Others are defending Obama’s move as a first step in the right direction. The president is starting to live up to his obligations to the gay community “starting today,” gay-rights activist Mike Rogers told MSNBC’s Savannah Guthrie earlier today. ”I think what happened was there was a huge brouhaha with a huge lesbian and gay fund-raiser happening next week for the Democratic National Committee. When people started pulling out I think that it woke up the administration to realize this is serious and to do exactly what President Obama has been wanting us to do.This video is from MSNBC’s News Live, broadcast June 17, 2009.
Busy Media Day
1:15 pm MSNBC TV
6:00 pm MSNBC The Ed Show
All times ET
Understanding the logic...
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
John Ensign, 2004
From his Federal Marriage Amendment floor speech:For those who say that the Constitution is so sacred that we cannot or should not adopt the Federal Marriage Amendment, I would simply point out that marriage, and the sanctity of that institution, predates the American Constitution and the founding of our nation. Marriage, as a social institution, predates every other institution on which ordered society in America has relied.
. . . .
It is not right to mold marriage to fit the desires of a few, against the wishes of so many, and to ignore the important role of marriage.
Yaaaaaaawn
GOP 2012 hopeful Sen. Ensign admits extramarital affair
Sen. Ensign was also one of the loudest critics of former Sen. Larry Craig (R-Id.), calling for his resignation after he was famously arrested for gay sex in an airport bathroom. At the same time, Sen. Ensign defended Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), whose telephone number turned up in the databases of the Washington, D.C. “madam’s” prostitution ring.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Why are we upset?
One struck me as particularly sad. Here is what we were looking for in 1961. The highlighted sections are the things we are still waiting for after 48 years.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
How come they never say...
But you have to support him anyway...
There are many in the community who say the President needs more time before he can address ANY of the issues facing the community. Others urge more pressure on. Lets do both. I'm ready to be fully supportive again once a few questions are answered satisfactorily.
How long we are expected to wait? To what end do we support the Administration without knowing anything of its plan (and worse, its lack of action)? Do we wait until after the 2010 midterms to 'protect our majority'? Do we wait until the end of 2012 after he is reelected? Or do we wait until the 2014 midterms to keep Congress? Perhaps we are expected to wait until year 7 of his administration (assuming he hasn't tossed aside so many supporters that he loses). Perhaps they will ask us to hold off until 2017, because, after all, we don't want to lose the White House.
Let's look at exactly what we are asking for:
1. DADT: Repeal of a law that Congress passed and the President signed to shaft gays.No doubt that Obama
2. DOMA: Repeal of a law that Congress passed and the President signed to shaft gays.
3. ENDA: Job protections that leave us without protection from housing, lending or public accommodation discrimination.
(Hate crimes don't count. Not one life has been saved by them and I want protections before my skull is bashed in on a sidewalk. Plus, does anyone really think the increased funds for local law enforcement will go to protect gays where the protections are needed most? And as Frank Rich said "fighting AIDS is not a get-out-of-homophobia-free card." )
Thanks for that... Now the right wing forever will be able to use those arguments with the full backing of the Obama Administration. I can see that brief ending up in Prop 8 commercials all over California: "Gays are tied to pedophilia, make crappy parents and are bad for the economy. The Obama Administration says so." Pathetic but, based on what we have seen on paper so far, true.
No doubt there are very legitimate reasons for the administration wanting the Supremes to not grant cert on this case. That being said, there are a couple of matters the political folks may want to address:
1. Our community needs to hear from our President. It is astonishing to me that, as someone pointed out, Barack Obama has said more publicly about his dog Bo and going to Five Guys for burgers than he has addressed gay rights since January 20. If that is the case, the President who claims that he is our "fiercest advocate" or our supposedly pro gay Attorney General should explain exactly why they claim that mantle. These are not state secrets.
2. I wrote earlier that "I agree with Jonathan Capehart's call for President Obama to give a speech on the 40th anniversary of Stonewall. I also think that if nothing comes by that date we need to significantly ramp up the pressure. He gets way too much help - financial and organizing - to continue his silence."
There is a point where we have to say we will not be complicit in this by following blindly. If we are wrong, why the secrecy? We keep saying to the GOP "you have no plan?" Well without an explanation the Democrats have told us that they have no plan either.As long as tens of millions are being spent by the Pentagon to enforce Don't Ask, Don't Tell, gays should say to politicians "you have our money, go get it back from Secretary Gates."
3. The March (or whatever it's renamed these days) was pretty much on the road to failure. Then this. If the blogs are any indication, the action of the DOJ has infused a new sense of urgency. Hotel reservations are being made and unlike the marches before it, there is absolutely no central organizing going on. This has all the ingredients for a recipe for disaster. The best recruiters in the country for the October 11 march date are Barack Obama and Eric Holder.
4. Silence = Death and the west wing has been awfully quiet.
I am curious. If not now, when? At a minimum we are owed the answer to that question.
If you haven't watched this...
Friday, June 12, 2009
Stooooopid GOPers strike again
The only problem with the new 'Just Say Yes' motto is that in the age of the Internet, social networking and online donations and campaigning - the GOP probably wants a slogan that undecided voters can just pop into Google. In an ideal McDonnell world, typing 'Just Say Yes' into a search engine would lead you right to McDonnell's home page or twitter account.They should just give up and stay off the web.
But right now if you type 'Just Say Yes' into Google you get your hands on 'an irreverent and unabashed sex education guide for teens. It covers issues of AIDS, STD's, birth control, pregnancy and abortion.'
Awwwwwwwwwwwkwaard.....
Lost campaign photo found

The time has arrived. It may be for very legitimate reasons that the DOJ thinks these are the wrong cases to press the issue with. If that is the case the President who claims that he is our "fiercest advocate" or our supposedly pro gay Attorney General should explain exactly why they feel that way. These are not state secrets.I agree with Jonathan Capehart's call for President Obama to give a speech on the 40th anniversary of Stonewall. I also think that if nothing comes by that date we need to significantly ramp up the pressure. He gets way too much help - financial and organizing - to continue his silence.
Silence = Death and the west wing has been awfully quiet.
I am curious. If not now, when? At a minimum we are owed the answer to that question.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Get your Pride on
Monday, June 08, 2009
Firedoglake
Join us at 8pm ET.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
The great diversion
"We are definitely going to win hate crimes and the President will sign it before the mid-term elections," Wade Henderson, the President of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, said to me after a presentation he made at America's Future Now, the largest gathering of progressives in DC this year, save the inauguration.I first talked to Wade during the ENDA fight on Capitol Hill. He encouraged me to support the bill, despite it not including 'gender identity.' It's an issue I danced around, simply because I have seen success using both strategies. (OBVIOUSLY, I support an inclusive ENDA, that was never the issue. The matter is more one of strategy than desired end result.)
"It's garbage," I said, and went on to explain that I'd be happy if the police would enforce existing laws when LGBT people are attacked or murdered. Hate crimes are already illegal! It's the punishment that will be enhanced. In the bill funds will be allocated toward local investigations and hate crime prosecutions. If you are confident that police departments across the country will use these funds to help gay people, you might want to take a reality pill.
Hate crime laws will become the great rallying point for those in the Administration. "Yay! We passed a hate crimes law," we will be told. I'm not interested in a law that only does me good if I am dead.
What Obama meant to add when talking about Don't Ask Don't Tell and ENDA was, "By the way, my fingers are crossed and what I really mean is "If you expect more than hate crimes from me in the first term, you must be kidding."
This is not change. It's the status quo.
We can make change happen. The latest from The Dallas Principles:
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Capehart to Obama: Speak out
When I asked the senior administration official if Obama would commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, which ushered in the modern gay civil rights movement, he said yes. Then added, 'And more than once.' Such a speech must be a part of it.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Betty explains marriage
Go Linda, Go!
An openly lesbian 2008 South Carolina Democratic candidate for Congress has called out three Palmetto State Republicans for being closeted gays in an interview for a progressive Democratic blog.The bombshell statements were made in a FireDogLake interview on June 1 from Linda Ketner, an openly lesbian 2008 Democratic candidate against South Carolina’s First Congressional District incumbent Henry Brown.
“We have more gay people serving in South Carolina than probably in anyplace in the United States; they’re just not out of the closet,” she told blogger Howie Klein. “We have an awful lot of people in the closet — Lindsey Graham, Glenn McConnell who’s our Senate president pro tem, our Lt Governor [André Bauer].





