Tag: marriage equality

Oklahoma and Kansas wants to ban gay adoptions!

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The legislatures in Kansas and Oklahoma are looking to ban adoption to LGBT citizens.

First of all I follow a channel on YouTube called Hoovie’s Garage – he’s pretty funny and based in the Wichita area. I suppose I’ll ping him and let him know I’m not happy about this.

But this type of thing has been occurring all over the United States – predominantly in the south or mid-western flyover states. And let’s not get into the debate whether or not flyover isn’t a pejorative. If you don’t live on the east or west coasts you’re in flyover country. But the religious bigots are pushing to limit adoption, or religious liberty bills that say they can discriminate against LGBT people etc. This all started after the Obergefell v. U.S. case found for plaintiff and legalized same sex marriage across the United States. So the bigoted assholes are trying to claim their religious beliefs trump civil society and in the process chipping away at the protections marriage provides.

The bigots can go and fuck themselves.

The Bigots are Responding

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I’ll start locally. Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin of course used language that was a euphemism for ‘intrinsically disordered.” It must really suck to be a Bishop when the church is losing members left and right but yet you still don’t understand that history has passed you by and there is no going back.

Then of course the National Organization for Marriage with their head puppet/pumpkin head Brian Brown is just saying they’ll fight on.

Then you’ve got Senator James Inhofe saying his gay friends agree with his opposition to marriage equality. What gay friends is he talking about? Ken Mehlman and Condoleza Rice?

I think it’s now turned the corner, the arguments are over and all we have to do is ridicule the bigots. And I do mean ridicule them.

If for example they trot out the Levitical statement, ask them to go a text or two before – and answer the question of where the other people came from. You know the others I speak of right? When Cain goes out of the land of Eden, east into the land of Nod, and there finds a wife and spawns humanity, or so they’d have us believe.

And if they talk about the abomination thing, explain that eating shellfish is also an abomination, and pork too.  And let’s not even talk about shaving, mixing of fabric, working on the Sabbath etc.

Then explain the concepts of  copy error, translation error and editorializing. Because that’s the Bible we have today, whether it’s the KJV, NIV, or the like. I like how family guy treats it, that the abilities of Jesus may have been a tad exaggerated.

But in the end, haters gonna hate. So all we’re left with ridicule – just call it their puny god.

At last – marriage equality across the land

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I never thought I’d see this day. But it’s true.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the sixth district judgement and knocked down the bans in the remaining states.

Now back a few years ago I was all set to file suit against the State of Rhode Island. But the folks at GLAD found out and talked me down. But here’s the thing – the gains in marriage equality over the last couple years have been through the judiciary and not the legislatures. So the folks at GLAD were wrong, wrong, wrong.

Congratulations to Ireland’s Gay Community

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I find it remarkable – in a country upon one half of which is Catholic that this actually passed a public referendum. My congratulations are in order.

And having a bit of Irish ancestry myself I’m glad it happened. Things are getting better at a remarkable rate all around the world for we gay people.

The Tears of Brian Brown Part IV

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So he’s saying what he always says when a court corrects a legislative or initiative error:

“Pennsylvania voters have long sought, and been denied, the right to vote on the issue of marriage. This ruling adds insult to injury, as it leaves the citizens of Pennsylvania doubly disenfranchised,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s President. “Members of the Pennsylvania legislature have been actively working for years to put this matter to the voters, which makes Judge Jones’ cavalier decision even more brazen and unjust. The ruling unilaterally makes an end-run around the democratic process and places the capricious will of one man above the desires of millions of citizens.”

He’s crying that they couldn’t stir the bigot pot again and try, just try to get the ‘people’ read as the NOM supporters, to respond to bogeyman complaints about the children, the coming storm, etc. There are only so many ways you can beat a dead horse there Brian Brown.

And he insults the PA Legislature – not surprising. I insult my legislature and legislators here in RI all the time. But the way he insults them makes the legislators in PA seem particularly inept.

“Pennsylvania voters have long sought, and been denied, the right to vote on the issue of marriage. This ruling adds insult to injury, as it leaves the citizens of Pennsylvania doubly disenfranchised,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s President. “Members of the Pennsylvania legislature have been actively working for years to put this matter to the voters, which makes Judge Jones’ cavalier decision even more brazen and unjust. The ruling unilaterally makes an end-run around the democratic process and places the capricious will of one man above the desires of millions of citizens.” – See more at: http://www.nomblog.com/39174/#sthash.Q0l94GuM.dpuf

“Pennsylvania voters have long sought, and been denied, the right to vote on the issue of marriage. This ruling adds insult to injury, as it leaves the citizens of Pennsylvania doubly disenfranchised,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s President. “Members of the Pennsylvania legislature have been actively working for years to put this matter to the voters, which makes Judge Jones’ cavalier decision even more brazen and unjust. The ruling unilaterally makes an end-run around the democratic process and places the capricious will of one man above the desires of millions of citizens.” – See more at: http://www.nomblog.com/39174/#sthash.Q0l94GuM.dpuf

“Pennsylvania voters have long sought, and been denied, the right to vote on the issue of marriage. This ruling adds insult to injury, as it leaves the citizens of Pennsylvania doubly disenfranchised,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s President. “Members of the Pennsylvania legislature have been actively working for years to put this matter to the voters, which makes Judge Jones’ cavalier decision even more brazen and unjust. The ruling unilaterally makes an end-run around the democratic process and places the capricious will of one man above the desires of millions of citizens.” – See more at: http://www.nomblog.com/39174/#sthash.Q0l94GuM.dpuf

“Pennsylvania voters have long sought, and been denied, the right to vote on the issue of marriage. This ruling adds insult to injury, as it leaves the citizens of Pennsylvania doubly disenfranchised,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s President. “Members of the Pennsylvania legislature have been actively working for years to put this matter to the voters, which makes Judge Jones’ cavalier decision even more brazen and unjust. The ruling unilaterally makes an end-run around the democratic process and places the capricious will of one man above the desires of millions of citizens.” – See more at: http://www.nomblog.com/39174/#sthash.Q0l94GuM.dpuf

“Pennsylvania voters have long sought, and been denied, the right to vote on the issue of marriage. This ruling adds insult to injury, as it leaves the citizens of Pennsylvania doubly disenfranchised,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s President. “Members of the Pennsylvania legislature have been actively working for years to put this matter to the voters, which makes Judge Jones’ cavalier decision even more brazen and unjust. The ruling unilaterally makes an end-run around the democratic process and places the capricious will of one man above the desires of millions of citizens.” – See more at: http://www.nomblog.com/39174/#sthash.Q0l94GuM.dpuf

“Pennsylvania voters have long sought, and been denied, the right to vote on the issue of marriage. This ruling adds insult to injury, as it leaves the citizens of Pennsylvania doubly disenfranchised,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s President. “Members of the Pennsylvania legislature have been actively working for years to put this matter to the voters, which makes Judge Jones’ cavalier decision even more brazen and unjust. The ruling unilaterally makes an end-run around the democratic process and places the capricious will of one man above the desires of millions of citizens.” – See more at: http://www.nomblog.com/39174/#sthash.Q0l94GuM.dpuf
“Pennsylvania voters have long sought, and been denied, the right to vote on the issue of marriage. This ruling adds insult to injury, as it leaves the citizens of Pennsylvania doubly disenfranchised,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s President. “Members of the Pennsylvania legislature have been actively working for years to put this matter to the voters, which makes Judge Jones’ cavalier decision even more brazen and unjust. The ruling unilaterally makes an end-run around the democratic process and places the capricious will of one man above the desires of millions of citizens.” – See more at: http://www.nomblog.com/39174/#sthash.Q0l94GuM.dpuf
“Pennsylvania voters have long sought, and been denied, the right to vote on the issue of marriage. This ruling adds insult to injury, as it leaves the citizens of Pennsylvania doubly disenfranchised,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s President. “Members of the Pennsylvania legislature have been actively working for years to put this matter to the voters, which makes Judge Jones’ cavalier decision even more brazen and unjust. The ruling unilaterally makes an end-run around the democratic process and places the capricious will of one man above the desires of millions of citizens.” – See more at: http://www.nomblog.com/39174/#sthash.Q0l94GuM.dpuf

Reading: Forcing the Spring: Inside the Fight for Marriage Equality

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Well – reading means currently doing so but I’ve finished the book. All in all a nice view inside the goings on of both the Prop 8 and DOMA cases. 

Now I’ve seen numerous complaints around the web from those who say the book overlooked all the people who’ve fought for full equality. That may be so but the book only focused on the two cases, not the general movement.

In fact the book is highly relevant to me – as I had been about to embark on a case of my own against the State of Rhode Island before the legislature deigned to grant equality here. An attorney from GLAD in Boston had a conference call with me and my cousin Tom who was then training to become an attorney himself.

Some of the things she said remind me of the attitudes of the HRC and others – that the slow steady trod is what will pay off. For example, the woman said that the Rhode Island Judiciary was HOSTILE to the cause of marriage equality. This struck me as odd since in the Ormiston v. Chambers case the judge actually advised the women that they should have filed as an Article 1 Section 2 offense and she would have had to grant the divorce they sought.

I had actually warned legislators that their failure to act would result in embarrassment for the state. The reason I did that is because the only real obstacle to marriage equality in Rhode Island was the Family Law Act of 1967. I was ready to directly challenge the law. That would have put the kibosh on the act resulting in all sorts of grief but would have gained equality at long last. I think that’s what scared GLAD to the point they had to convince me not to file the suit. 

But the book – it shows what happens when a disruptive change takes place, but more to the point that organizations such as the HRC and others had to adapt to this new paradigm. In fact in the U.S. right now there are several suits in a whole bunch of southern states bubbling through the justice system. And the U.S. Supreme Court will once again have to revisit this case and employ a 50 state solution. 

 

Support for Gay Marriage rises in black churches

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This is very interesting.

‘The sharpest change has occurred among black Protestants, only 32% of whom favored same-sex marriage in our aggregated 2013 polling,’ Pew Research notes.

 ‘A survey we conducted last month found that figure has now risen to 43%,’ the organization continues.

 The study also points to an uptick ‘among white mainline Protestants (from 55% in 2013 to 62% this year).’

 
I think it’s likely because they now suffer from cognitive dissonance. For the longest time pastors have been condemning gay people. But then the people in those churches see that close to half the U.S. now has marriage equality and the sky hasn’t fallen as predicted.

And the same is true in the white mainline Protestant sects.

In fact people in general are starting to wake up to the fact that religious leaders have used fear and hatred to try to propagate their agenda, but that agenda doesn’t necessarily jibe with the alleged teachings of the church, and people KNOW that.

I also see it as a function of the fact that we’re becoming a pretty literal society. That by itself is enough to demolish the religious pseudo-arguments.

Congratulations Michigan

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About time – a judge has struck down their ban on gay marriage.

More interesting from the article is this:

“Seventeen states and the District of Columbia issue licenses for same-sex marriage. Since December, bans on gay marriage have been overturned in Texas, Utah, Oklahoma and Virginia, but appeals have put those cases on hold.””Seventeen states and the District of Columbia issue licenses for same-sex marriage. Since December, bans on gay marriage have been overturned in Texas, Utah, Oklahoma and Virginia, but appeals have put those cases on hold.”

Now as far as Texas, Utah, Oklahoma and Virginia I’m pretty sure the bigots are going to lose at appeal too. So technically speaking there are 22 states with marriage equality now. Never thought I’d see the day.

And so goes Texas in the question of marriage equality.

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Even in some of the reddest states we’re seeing courts knock down same sex marriage bans left and in right. And most of the rulings cite the striking down of Section 3 of the Federal Defense of Marriage act. 

And by and large – people are now bringing claims against state bans into the Federal courts. And not one has been lost by the plaintiffs despite the weak protestations and appeals of the bigots. 

Just the beginning of the decision is fairly fascinating to read. And continue reading on for a mini-synopsis of the twists and turns of the battle for full equality. 

And of course you know the bigots will yammer away about this – they’ll all suffer as Joe My God calls it the Sadz. They can bitch and moan all they want – their arguments have no validity in a court of law. No validity whatsoever. 

Up with Steven Kornacki tackles Marriage Equality

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Excellent, this is a good breakdown of the issue.

The panel was comprised of our old favorite bigot Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage (Every time I write that line I feel like stating the obvious, it’s an oxymoron!), Aisha Moodie-Mills  from the Center for American Progress, Josh Barrow  from Business Insider and  Rachael Bade from Politico.

Toward the end of the first part Brian Brown is going off and Josh Barrow takes issue with what Brown is saying. And then Brown starts getting increasingly more shrill as he goes on. He cannot defend his position any longer and so he’ll resort to umbrage at being labeled as a bigot. The real truth is, he IS a bigot. He just doesn’t want to hear that – it causes a great degree of cognitive dissonance.

You have to watch Brown, the voice register goes up and the eye rolls start. He’s pulling it straight out of his own ass. It comes in at around 16 minutes in the first clip. You get to hear Barrows response in the second bit.