I Didn't Say It........

Sophia Bush, actress, on marriage equality:
"When we’re talking about the ’60s, when my best friend couldn’t drink out of the same water fountain as I can because his skin is a different color than me … now, you’re talking about a different best friend of mine who can’t get married even though I could get married seven times in my life and he can’t do that because he is a different sexual orientation than me?! That’s absolutely a civil rights issue."

Putting it bluntly.
No matter what anyone says about special rights or traditional or religion, marriage equality is a Civil Rights issue.
Civil Rights ain't just an African American thing.

Colin Farrell, on the bullying of LGBT youth in Ireland:
"If there was one great wish I have for my country--for a land that I love and a people I so revere, it would be that school bullying were a thing of our past. So much has befallen us in our shared history as a people. The harshest of these times have threatened to take our dignity, or scald our hearts into closing. Most of our great trials, from soiled land to the institutionalized abuse of trust and power, were inflicted upon us, whether by nature or the power corrupt. Now with bullying, there is a clear choice and the choice is ours. Each individual, as a member of his and her community, must Stand Up! In the face of this appalling brutality that plagues our schools. In effect, bullying is no less than the systematic doling out of pain upon the innocent. It is literally laughing in the face of somebody as they fall into increasingly grave danger. It's not my place to draw parallels, but we have had enough of such hardships. The world has. Whether it be the attacking of Gay students, which I witnessed first hand happening to my own brother, or students who are in the minority as a result of race or religious beliefs or any other such characteristic that separates them from 'the norm', it is all wrong and has no place in a just and compassionate country such as I know Ireland to be.  We have always been praised as being the friendliest and most welcoming race in the world.  My wish is for us to prove it daily, in the school yards and playgrounds across this Great Land of Ours."

Hot. Sexy. Compassionate.
'Nuff said.

Leonard Pitts, Jr., on Dalan Wells and Brandon Morgan's Marine homecoming photo: 
"Or, as Fleetwood Mac once put it, 'yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.' And the sooner the Grand Old Party concedes that and stops pandering to the bitterness and fear of dead-enders and hard-liners still desperately clinging to the broken remains of Beaver Cleaver's white picket fence, the better off we all will be."

The past is past.
It's time to realize that times changes, and time to realize that we all must change.
Or be left behind, wondering....

Chris Gregoire, Washington governor, on how President Obama was her inspiration for Washington marriage equality:
"I think we probably have succeeded as much as we have because of his leadership. He's used the bully pulpit. He's been the inspiration that allowed the state of Washington to recognize that we need to have equality. It's because of what he's been able to do that I actually think in large part we were able to achieve what we did. So I don't criticize. To the contrary, I thank the president for his leadership on GLBT issues."

He's still evolving, yes, while Chris Gregoire has already evolved.
Hopefully, now, Christine Gregoire will become an inspiration for President Obama in the fight for full marriage equality nationwide.

George Clooney, on how he feels about the rumors that he is gay:
"I think it’s funny, but the last thing you’ll ever see me do is jump up and down, saying, 'These are lies!' That would be unfair and unkind to my good friends in the gay community. I’m not going to let anyone make it seem like being gay is a bad thing. My private life is private, and I’m very happy in it. Who does it hurt if someone thinks I’m gay? I’ll be long dead and there will still be people who say I was gay. I don’t give a shit."

Seriously.
We need more heterosexual allies to stand up like Clooney and shout from the rooftops that gay isn't bad.
We say it enough, but we need some straight people to echo the sentiment.

Ken Mehlman, former RNC Chair and, formerly closeted gay man, apologizing for the harming the LGBT community in his position as W's campaign manager:
“At a personal level, I wish I had spoken out against the effort. As I’ve been involved in the fight for marriage equality, one of the things I’ve learned is how many people were harmed by the campaigns in which I was involved. I apologize to them and tell them I am sorry. While there have been recent victories, this could still be a long struggle in which there will be setbacks, and I’ll do my part to be helpful.”

I've said it before, the most dangerous foe the LGBT community has to face isn't the religious right, or the Conservatives. It's closeted gay men and women in positions of power, who are so self-loathing that they work against us just to prove how "not gay" they think they are.

Kirk Cameron, on the media firestorm that occurred since his remarks to Piers Morgan over that homosexuality is "unnatural...detrimental" and "ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization.”:
"I spoke as honestly as I could, but some people believe my responses were not loving toward those in the gay community. That is not true. I can assuredly say that it’s my life’s mission to love all people. I should be able to express moral views on social issues, especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years — without being slandered, accused of hate speech, and told from those who preach ‘tolerance’ that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I’m in the public square. I believe we need to learn how to debate these things with greater love and respect....I’ve been encouraged by the support of many friends (including gay friends, incidentally).”

Here's my take, like it or not.
He has the right to his opinion, whether it's based on ALLEGEDLY self-loathing, or based on his limited world-view and narrow religious belief.
He has the right to his opinion and the right to say it.
Juts as I have the right to say Kirk Cameron is a delusional self-loathing closeted homosexual religious wingnut,
Oh, and Kirk? You don't have any gay friends, because if you did, you'd be parading them around.

George Clooney, again, on marriage equality:
"It’s always been this albatross that stood out to me as the final leg of the civil rights movement. It really came to a head during the 2004 elections, when it was used as a wedge issue, and it was a very effective tool to keep the Republicans in office and to avoid talking about other issues. Well before Prop. 8, I’ve made the point that every time we’ve stood against equality, we’ve been on the wrong side of history. It’s the same kind of argument they made when they didn’t want blacks to serve in the military, or when they didn’t want blacks to marry whites. One day the marriage equality fight will look as archaic as George Wallace standing on the University of Alabama steps keeping James Hood from attending college because he was black. People will be embarrassed to have been on the wrong side. So it’s encouraging to know that this too will seem like such a silly argument to our next generation."

People will be saying, in ten, twenty years time, 'Why were we so against this?'
'What was the big deal?'
History has proved this already, many times, with every single march by any group towards equality.

Linda Harvey, on how same-sex marriage "destroys" opposite-sex marriage:
"The question is sometimes asked, how would same-sex marriage harm your marriage? There are several simple answers. One, it changes what is considered normal and legal throughout our culture and therefore what is taught and modeled to our children and grandchildren. Do we want little Morgan in second grade to learn that when she grows up she might marry a boy or might marry a girl and either one is perfectly fine and she won’t know until she’s older which she prefers, but that’s OK. Do you think Morgan will develop with a secure and stable idea about her identity as a girl and woman with this shaky and morally irrational guidance? No wonder our kids are anxious, stressed out and feel they have nothing to believe in sometimes, they are being told what they can see themselves is foolishness and being told to swallow these lies and stay quiet if you don’t agree."

What is considered 'normal' varies from house to house.
A single-parent house may seem abnormal to a kid with two parents. A gay parent household is different from a straight parent household. Different isn't necessarily bad.
As for Little Morgan, you cannot teach gay; you can teach what it means to be gay, but you cannot teach someone to be gay.
Born that way, remember? And if Little Morgan is told that whomever she chooses to love, and to marry, is perfectly all right, then Little Morgan will grow up to be perfectly well-balanced, open, and tolerant of everyone.
And that's what scares people like Linda Harvey so much.

Barbara Bush, on the GOP primary season: 
"I think [the 2012 presidential campaign] been the worst campaign I've ever seen in my life. I hate that people think compromise is a dirty word. It's not a dirty word. ... I think the rest of the world is looking at us these days and saying, 'What are you doing?'"

I agree, to a point.
The rest of the world isn't looking at all of us. They're just looking at the GOP and wondering what the hell is going on.

Michele Bachmann, pandering and fear-mongering on Glenn Beck's radio show:
"Kathleen Sebelius, the Health and Human Services secretary, she said that it's important that we have contraceptives because that prevents pregnancy, and pregnancy is more expensive to the federal government. Going with that logic, according to our own Health and Human Services secretary, it isn't farfetched to think that the president of the United States could say, we need to save healthcare expenses, the federal government will only pay for one baby to be born in the hospital per family, or two babies to be born per family. That could happen. You think it couldn't?"

Yes, Michele, the President will soon be telling people how many babies to have, and of which gender.
That line forms right next to the one for the Death Panels.
Sit down, Michele, your stupid is showing again.

Jon Hamm, on fame and famewhores:
"Whether it's Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated. Being a fucking idiot is a valuable commodity in this culture because you're rewarded significantly."

I.Love.Jon.Hamm.
That's all.
Oh...and Kim Kardashian responded to this, with, "So?"
Well, maybe not exactly, but that's what it amounted to.

Blake Shelton, on his "bromance" with fellow Voice judge Adam Levine:
"All I have to say is, it's true: I have a man crush on Adam. It blows me away people can pick up on that just by watching that on television. I want to kiss him. I want to kiss him so bad. I don't care if it's mutual or not. Can you honestly tell me that you don't have a little bit of a crush on Adam? He's sexy, is the word I'm using."

When i first read this, I thought it was a typical, yee-haw, good old boy, joke at the expense of the gay community. I thought Shelton would be mincing and making faces and laughing while he said this.
Wrong.
I searched out the YouTube video and he says this plainly and simply. No joke. No denigration, No shame.
I've never really cared for Blake Shelton. I may have to rethink.

Chris Writes To Chris

Unlike our President, Chris Gregoire has evolved on the issue of marriage equality, so much so, that she set aside her own religious beliefs, and battled for same-sex marriage in Washington. And won. Gregoire signed the law into effect on Monday--though it still faces a repeal vote, perhaps, in November.
So, naturally, as we are watching New Jersey tackle the question of full equality for all its citizens,. Gregoire decided to write a letter to New Jersey Governor Chris "Krispy Kreme" Christie, who has vowed to veto any marriage equality bill that crosses his desk.
In Gregoire's letter, dated January 31, 2012, she tells of her own issues with her role as governor and her Catholic beliefs, and then ends by saying, “If you would like to talk, please give me a call.” 
Krispy Kreme has not responded. His mind, apparently unlike his mouth in a room full of donuts, is closed. This is no way to govern, to sit close-minded, refusing to respond, to listen, to hear, what people are saying. Christie is nothing but a petulant not-so-little child who refuses to listen to anyone bother than his base of right-wingnuts, Conservatives, and evangelicals. He's out of touch and will soon find himself out of office.


via ThinkProgressLGBT

Today's The Day!

Today is the day that Washington governor, Christine Gregoire, will sign the newly passed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. Washington is now Number 7 on the list of US states that believe all citizens deserve equal treatment under the law.
Still, the measure will not take effect before early June, and those people who dislike equality for gay and lesbian citizens have pledged to seek a repeal at the polls in November. They cannot, however, begin collecting signatures for a petition to overturn the bill until it is signed into law.
Today.
Christine Gregoire said, after the vote, that Washington would "no longer deny our citizens the opportunity to marry the person they love, [and] we tell every child of same-sex couples that their family is every bit as equal and important as all other families in our state."
Opponents of marriage equality seek seek to overturn the legislation through one of two ballot measures: a referendum for repeal, or an initiative defining marriage as the exclusive domain of one man and one woman--though they would have the legal right to marry and divorce as much as they choose. The initiative would need almost 250,000 signatures of registered voters by July 6 to secure a place on the November ballot, while a repeal would need about half that number.
If the referendum qualifies for the November ballot, the new marriage law would be suspended until the election, and certification of returns, on December 6, before it is either repealed or goes into effect. But the proposed initiative to deem marriage as a right and privilege only afforded heterosexual couples--even if it makes the ballot in November--would not prevent gay and lesbian marriages from proceeding under the newly passed statute starting. And, it remains unclear whether any gay and lesbian marriages performed in the interim would be nullified if an initiative were to pass in November.
Still, Washington has said before that most of its citizens believe in equality for all, so there is a great deal of hope that, even if the measure is put to ballot, it would be shut down, and equality will be the law of the land.
As for today, though, it's all good news.


source

Washington Says 'Yes' To Equality!

When you have a governor who was open to discussion, open to understanding, open to seeing what's right, coupled with a legislature that, while the debate may have been contentious, wants all of Washington's citizen's to be equal, it doesn't take long for marriage equality legislation to be passed.
And now that bill allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry will soon be on the desk of Governor Gregoire, who has said she will sign. I mean, after all, she asked for it to happen.
Of course, whether any marriages will actually take place is something voters will probably be deciding this fall as those folks who are anti-equality have mounted a campaign to repeal the marriage bill with a referendum this November.

But the people of Washington were once asked to deny their gay and lesbian citizens equality by voting against the Everything But Marriage Bill, AKA Referendum 71, and they chose equality. So, fingers crossed, I'm hoping they'll do the same this time.

Way to go Washington, Governor Gregoire and Ed Murray. 

With the declaration by the courts this week that Prop H8 is unconstitutional and the passage of marriage equality in Washington, this is a great, great week.

source

Washington Is Moving Quickly

You gotta hand it to 'em, the Washington state legislature is moving quickly toward having enough support to make it the seventh state to approve marriage equality.
That same-sex marriage bill that Governor Chris Gregoire wanted to see is expected to be introduced in the state house by week's end. And, out of the 49 state senators, more are firmly supporting marriage equality, by a margin of 22-18--it needs just 25 votes to pass the Senate. The House is widely expected to have enough support.
Still, there are four Democrats who say they are considering whether to support it, including one who is leaning in favor, while a pair of Republicans--Steve Litzow and Cheryl Pflug--have already come out in support. Add to that two first-term Republican senators--Joe Fain and Andy Hill--who say they are open the possibility of supporting the bill, after discussing it with constituents.
Openly gay Democratic Senator Ed Murray, who has been leading the push for LGBT equality for years, says he's "50 percent optimistic" it will pass.  "I can't declare victory," he said. "I don't think we'll know we have the votes until we actually vote."
Of the undecided Democrats, Senator Rosemary McAuliffe says she was likely to support the measure but not yet willing to commit, and the three Democratic senators who previously cast votes against expanding options for gay couples--Brian Hatfield, Jim Kastama and Paul Shin--said they are considering support.
What's up with that fellas? What's to consider? Equality? non-equality? Equality? Non-equality?
Hatfield is grappling with the issue because he understands the opinions on both sides. He has become a devoted Christian in recent years, and said he is "torn" by the debate. "The supporters of the bill determine you're a 'hateful bigot' if you vote no, while the opponents question your faith and say you're 'turning your back on God' if you vote yes."
Let me make this queer for you Hatfield. You are a bigot if you're against it. This is not a religious issue, this is a legal issue of equality guaranteed to all citizens. Not one single gay person I know has ever said that people of faith need to accept marriage equality, all we ask is that you keep religion out of the law.
Queer enough?
Then we have Democratic Senator Mary Margaret who isn't willing to support anything that didn't allow a vote of the people.  Um, Mary Margaret, since when do we allow people to vote on equality, honey? I mean, picture the struggle women faced when demanding the right to vote. Had we allowed that to go to a popular vote, by men, you might not even have that right. Had we allowed the rights of Black people to be treated equally in this country to be put up to a vote, goddess knows where we'd be today.
You cannot let the majority legislate the rights of a minority. Again, queer enough?
Ed Murray said each of the "undecided" lawmaker "has a very difficult personal struggle" and that this "isn't a policy debate, or something you can trade a vote for. It's such a personal decision."
I disagree Ed. It is a policy debate, and ones personal choices and beliefs need to be set aside and the decision must be based on the law. The only people affected personally by this issue are gay people who want to get married in Washington. Everyone else is superfluous; we're the only ones affected.
And it needs to be done now. Washington has had a long struggle with equality, going back to fifteen years ago when lawmakers overrode a governor's veto to pass a law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. But since then, lawmakers have expanded LGBT rights, including, in 2007, Washington's domestic partnership, which was expanded into the "Everything But Marriage" law in 2009.
Supporters of marriage equality feel a sense of urgency to get the bill through the Legislature this year, in case Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna wins in November. 
McKenna opposes same-sex marriage.
The time is now, Washington.


source

I Didn't Say It........

Christine Gregoire, governor of Washington, making no bones about it:
“It’s time, it’s the right thing to do, and I will introduce a bill to do it. I say that as a wife, a mother, a student of the law, and above all as a Washingtonian with a lifelong commitment to equality and freedom. Some say domestic partnerships are the same as marriage. That’s a version of the discriminatory ‘separate but equal’ argument. Our gay and lesbian families face the same hurdles as heterosexual families—making ends meet, choosing what school to send their kids to, finding someone to grow old with, standing in front of friends and family and making a lifetime commitment. For all couples, a state marriage license is very important. It gives them the right to enter into a marriage contract in which their legal interests, and those of their children if any, are protected by well-established civil law.”

So, Chris Gregoire has "evolved" on the issue of marriage equality.
Your turn, Mr. President.

Dan Savage, on how the media should stop accepting homophobes' claims of having gay friends:
"Political reporters? When Elizabeth Santorum says, 'I have gay friends and they support my dad because they agree with him about family issues,' i.e. her dad's opposition to gay people having a families of their own, your immediate response should be a request for the names and phone numbers of some of these gay friends. Because that claim requires checking out before you put it in print or pixels. Reassure Elizabeth you'll quote her friends anonymously to protect them from potty-mouthed gay bloggers, they can talk to you on background or whatever, but tell her that you're going to need to verify the existence of these gay friends....Because you're a journalist, not a stenographer. You'll either catch Elizabeth Santorum in a revealing lie—what does it tell us about this moment in the struggle for LGBT equality that even homophobes like Elizabeth and her dad perceive a political risk in being perceived as homophobic?—or you'll land a fascinating interview."

You have to hand it to Dan. That's a question that should have been asked of Frothy's offspring.
And I, for one, would have liked to have seen all her so-called gay friends being trotted out and saying they agree with Rick Santorum about homosexuality being like men having sex with dogs.
It wouldn't happen because Elizabeth Santorum is as delusional as her daddy.

Donald Trump, on how he might run for president, even though he's already dropped out of the race once:
"I do have my ducks in line if I want to do it, but I’d love to see the Republicans pick somebody that was going to win and take over this country and frankly, to use the expression, make America great again.I think when somebody like Ron Paul gets such a large percentage of the vote potentially, I look at the polls, and I think it’s absolutely madness to even think about it. I just see the candidates go up and down, it’s like yo-yos, they go up and down, they’re gone, they’re forever forgotten, then they re-emerge. What’s going on is very strange. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it and I’ve been following politics for a long time."

Let's see....he tried as a Republican and was laughed out of the race months before the first caucus. And now he thinks he has a shot.
Work on your hair, Donny, that's your full-time job.

Newt Gingrich, on another of his amazing gifts:
"I’m an amateur paleontologist. I spend a lot of time looking at the Earth’s temperature for a very long time. I’m a lot harder to convince than just looking at a computer model."

Historian.
Paleontologist.
Weather man.
Cry baby.
Adulterer.
Liar.
Yup, that sums it up.

Rick Santorum, saying that individual states should be allowed to ban contraception:
"The state has a right to do that, I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that. It is not a constitutional right, the state has the right to pass whatever statues they have. That is the thing I have said about the activism of the Supreme Court, they are creating rights, and they should be left up to the people to decide. You shouldn’t create constitutional rights when states do dumb things. Let the people decide if the states are doing dumb things get rid of the legislature and replace them as opposed to creating constitutional laws that have consequences that were before them."

Wow, he wants to alienate LGBT people and women.
Who's left to vote for Frothy now, except delusional wingnuts?

Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center For Lesbian Rights, on the Iowa Caucuses:
"In the repellent race to the bottom (no pun intended) it should be no surprise that Santorum did so well in the Iowa caucuses. Mitt Romney is in a major stall, and in a field of class clowns Rick Santorum stands out as particularly cartoonish....Santorum's win is not a referendum on who he is as a man (inhumane and ignorant), or who he is as a candidate (pandering and mean). It is simply the gasping statement of a thankfully dying breed of Americans--those who fear, loathe or hate anyone different from themselves, who mistrust or reject the idea that government can and should be a force for good, and who detest even the slightest exposure to information or ideas that challenge their world view."

Word.

Ken Hutcherson, anti-gay "pastor", on the coming of a marriage equality bill to Washington state:
"As long as the Bible says it's wrong, I'm going to fight against it like it's the last thing I can do. It's no different than any other sin. If someone walked around and said 'We want to be a minority because we are divorcees,' I would fight that just as much. It's going to infringe upon my freedom of religion. Every place this has become the law of the land, you are muzzled about what you can say about the issue of homosexuality."


The Bible says eating shrimp is wrong, too.
So is shaving, or cutting your hair.
Can't pick'n'choose which parts to believe in "pastor" because that would make you a moron.
Oh...............never mind.

Lucky Number Seven??

This woman ain't messin' around; and she ain't mincing words either.
Washington state governor, Chris Gregoire, announced yesterday that she is going to put forth legislation to legalize marriage for gay and lesbian couples. And her proposal will be introduced in the legislative session that starts next Monday. 
Like I said.....she ain't playin'.

Chris Gregoire: 

"Today, I'm announcing my support for a law that gives same-sex couples in our state the right to receive a marriage license in Washington--the same right given our heterosexual couples. It is time, it is the right thing to do, and I will introduce the bill to make it happen."

And Gregoire isn't some long-time LGBT advocate, or even a marriage equality advocate. She explained during her announcement what she sees as the moral and legal reasons for making marriage legal for everyone, as well as her own evolution on the issue.
Gregoire is Catholic--and we know I've had my issues with the Catholics--and says she has battled what her religion taught her and what she sees as legal issues: "I came to realize the religions can decide what they want to do, but it is not OK for the state to discriminate."
Forward thinker, say what? She can still be Catholic and yet not allow her religion to influence legislation? Well separate my church and state!
Gregoire has supported giving gay and lesbian partners the same rights that married couples--the "everything but marriage" laws--but has never endorsed same-sex marriage publicly.
Currently, gay marriage is legal in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Iowa and the District of Columbia; Washington could very well become  the seventh state to legalize gay marriage.
And if anyone can do it, I think Chris Gregoire can.
Like I said, she ain't playin'.


via the Seattle Times