I Didn't Say It .... A Day Later

Sierra DeMulder, finalist in the 2013 Women of the World Poetry Slam, blasting Michele Bachmann:

“Your husband owns a clinic that offers to cure homosexuality for up to $10,000 a year. So when you, Representative Bachmann, refused to acknowledge the bullying of gay students in your district, this must have been strictly business.

When another gay teenager commits suicide in Minnesota, you consider this free advertising. You buy a new necklace for every hanging, a bottle of Merlot for each overdose, your husband sends 'thank you' cards to their funeral, hand-signed, all referrals welcomed.

How could we expect you to take a stand against bullying when it helps pay for your mortgage, when it puts food in your children's belly? One day, your youngest daughter will ask you why her school supplies feel like they belong to someone else, her pencils write names that are not hers, Samantha, Nick, Aaron, Kevin.

Tell her the truth Michele, that blood money is not a metaphor, that your wallet is heavy with those who have untied themselves. Tell your daughter that God is the bully with the biggest fist and you can only hope that he is on your side!”

Slam.

Poetry slam.

Harrison Ford—who plays Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey in the new film 42—on Jackie Robinson's struggle and the current one for marriage equality:

“I think there’s a metaphor you can reach for, according to your own interests and your own understanding and your own issues. ... Certainly the marriage issue conveniently falls into that category. [T]hings do change quickly at a tipping point, as it builds and it builds and it builds until there’s a moment where the balance of opinion, the weight of experience and the understanding comes to a point where the scales tip in the other direction. We’re getting there, we’re getting there. You know, you would hope that it would have happened with less resistance. You would have hoped that everyone would get the point at the same time, but life’s not like that.”

That’s why it’s called a struggle and a fight, but the win will make it all worth it.

Rick Santorum, once again talking about The Gays—he does seem kinda infatuated with us, doesn’t he?—and marriage equality and how there would be less children born:

“Yeah, I believe we would. And because we'd be saying that marriage isn't about children. Isn't about having children. Isn't about raising children. And when we say that, then of course, the consequences are you're probably going to have less children. It's happening as we see it. It's already happening in America. Before this whole gay marriage debate, we really have seen a change in what marriage is in America."

Um, except for the 60s when we saw marriage evolve from marrying inside your race only—because it was a crime to marry outside your race—to marriage being interracial.

And the idea of marriage being solely the institution for creating children is asinine and an insult to very married couple who chooses not to have a child or cannot have a child.

Pete Visclosky, Indiana Representative, announcing his support for marriage equality:

“I support marriage equality for all couples and believe that every single American should be able to marry the person they love. I believe that it is unfair that, under current law, same-sex couples are legally prohibited from taking advantage of the federal laws that provide financial and legal benefits to married couples. I believe that we can no longer allow the states to discriminate against same-sex marriages. Rather, I believe that the federal government should ensure that all consenting adults, no matter who they are or who they love, have the exact same marriage rights."

And, one by one, and sometimes two by two, they keep coming.

At least the Democrats do; the GOP has once again thrown its support behind inequality.

Sir Ian McKellan, on the death of Margaret Thatcher:

"Lest we forget, this nasty, brutish and short measure of the third Thatcher administration, was designed to slander homosexuality, by prohibiting state schools from discussing positively gay people and our 'pretended family relations.' Opposition to Section 28 galvanised a new generation of activists who joined with long-time campaigners for equality. Stonewall UK was founded to repeal Section 28 and pluck older rotten anti-gay legislation from the constitutional tree. This has taken two decades to achieve. … Pathetically, in her dotage, Baroness Thatcher was led by her supporters into the House of Lords to vote against Section 28's repeal: her final contribution to UK politics. She dies too early to oppose Parliament's inevitable acceptance of same–gender marriage. Thatcher misjudged the future when, according to her deputy chief whip, she 'threw a piece of red meat (Section 28) to her right-wing wolves.' Some of these beasts survive her, albeit de-fanged. When, to take a recent example, a disgraced cardinal delivers anti-gay diatribes, the spirit of social Thatcherism is revealed as barren, hypocritical and now pointless."

Too bad Thatcher didn’t live to see England embrace marriage equality.

But others who goose-stepped along with her will see it happen.

Ron Kind, Wisconsin Representative, announcing his support for marriage equality and the repeal of DOMA:

"My 18-year marriage to Tawni has taught me that we’re both stronger because we love and support each other. I support marriage equality because if two people want to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for one another, then the government shouldn't stand in the way. As the Supreme Court deliberates the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8, I’m reminded that throughout history, discrimination has never worked. I have never voted for discrimination, and I look forward to supporting legislation like the Respect for Marriage Act that will help committed same-sex couples gain the same rights as everyone else."

Another one, and another. More folks, especially on the liberal side of the country—wherever that may find you—are realizing that same-sex marriage won’t harm anyone, but denying it harms a great many.

Jonathan Knight, on Perez Hilton’s efforts to force him to come out: 

"Perez tried to out me many times and I hate that guy for doing that. I was already gay and living a gay lifestyle but he wanted me to talk about it. Why? My brother and the rest of the guys don’t go on interviews saying ‘I’m straight' etc. so why do I need to just because I’m gay? People like him want me to talk about it to make themselves feel better. They think ‘I’m gay so I want to make sure everybody knows I’m not the only one out there.’ I hate that.”

First off, Jonathan, it’s not a lifestyle, it’s a life, so let’s be clear, and queer, on that.

Secondly, coming out is an individual process and an individual choice, but your brothers and bandmates don’t declare their heterosexuality in interviews because they don’t have to; they aren’t being bashed and beaten and taunted and ridiculed for their sexual orientation and so they didn’t need to hide and live in some form of shame or another.

But gay kids do; and, if maybe, you’d chosen to come out and loudly declare that you are gay, maybe a young gay boy might have had the chance to do that himself. Maybe he wouldn’t have felt differently about himself, less than.

I don’t like Perez Hilton, and I don’t like his outing of people, but you coming out would have, could have, might have, made one person feel better about themselves. And that’s not a bad thing.

It sounds to me like you still live in the closet; oh, the door is open, nut you really don’t wanna come out.

Maurice Williamson, New Zealand MP, speaking at his country’s marriage equality debate this week:

"I've had a reverend in my local electorate say the 'gay onslaught will start the day this law is passed'. So, we are struggling to know what the gay onslaught will look like. We don't know if it will come down the Pakaranga highway as a series of troops or whether it will be a gas that flows over the electorate and blocks us all in.

I also had a Catholic priest tell me that I was supporting an unnatural act. I found that interesting coming from someone who has taken an oath of celibacy for his whole life."

I also had a leader tell me I would burn in the fires of hell for eternity and that was a bad mistake because I've got a degree in physics. I used the thermodynamic laws of physics. I put in my body weight and my humidity and so on. I assumed the furnace to be at 5000 degrees and I will last for just on 2.1 seconds."

One of the messages I’d had was that this bill was the cause of our drought. This bill was the cause of our drought. Well if any of you follow my Twitter account, In the Pakuranga electorate this morning, it was pouring with rain, we had the most enormous big gay rainbow across my electorate. It has to be a sign."

You gotta love that.

Simple logic stands yup strong against hateful, ridiculous rhetoric.

I Didn't Say It....

Eugene Delgaudio, on Harry Reid's attempt to reform Senate filibuster rules:

"Harry Reid is dangerously close to the 51 votes he needs to pass literally anything he wants through the Senate. That would virtually nullify the gains Republicans made in November! And Joe, the sad fact is that without this rule, the Homosexual Lobby would have already rammed through every last bit of their anti-family legislation: The Homosexual Classrooms Act, the Gay Bill of Special Rights, the Entry for Homosexual Aliens Act, and Nationwide Mandatory Homosexual Marriage. I shudder at the thought. And that's why I need you to take action immediately."

Wow, Eugene, you're giving us, and perhaps, Harry Reid, far too much power.
If only it was that simple and easy for the Homosexual Lobby to take over the world, well, it would have been done already.
But I do love your use of fear-mongering names to drive home your bigotry and intolerance.
Gay Bill of Special Rights?
Nationwide Mandatory Homosexual Marriage?
Look, asshat, call it what it is: equality.
And then shut up.

Daily Mail columnist, Melanie Phillips, defending her column that said gay people are out to destroy "normal sexual behavior":

"I have nothing against gay people and would always defend them against true prejudice – as I did in my article, and as I often do when considering the threat posed to them by radical Islamism. What does concern me, however, is the ‘gay rights’ political agenda which, as activists have often made clear, aims to change the basic moral framework of society."

With 'friends' like Phillips, who needs enemies.
She loves us gays, but feels we are hell-bent on destroying the moral framework of society.
I think Phillips needs to double-check the meaning on bigotry, intolerance, discrimination, and, well, hate.

Alan Cumming, on gay actors playing straight: 

“It’s not about your work… It’s about how you exist as a person in the world, and the idea that your work is more important than you as a person is a horrible, horrible message. I always think about a little gay boy in Wisconsin or a little lesbian in Arkansas seeing someone like me, and if I cannot be open in my life, how on earth can they? Anyway, it’s an academic question: how can you know [that coming out affects your career]? Some people get less work than others, and it has nothing to do with sexuality.”

Nice of Alan to think of someone other than his career, and how, by being out--and he means all of us--we help that little gay kid, or that grown gay person, accept themselves.

All it takes is two little words--"I'm gay."--and the world would be a much better, more open, more tolerant, place.

Jonathan Knight, on being 'outed' by Tiffany:

"I have never been outed by anyone but myself! I did so almost twenty years ago. I never knew that I would have to do it all over again publicly just because I reunited with NKOTB! I have lived my life very openly and have never hidden the fact that I am gay! Apparently the pre-requiste to being a gay public figure is to appear on the cover of a magazine with the caption "I am gay". I apologize for not doing so if this is what was expected! My belief is that you live your life by example, and not by a caption on a magazine! If there ever has been any confusion about my sexuality, then you are someone that doesn't even know me! I love living my life being open and honest, but at this time I choose not to discuss my private life any further! My fellow band members don't discuss their private lives with their loved ones and I don't feel that just because I am gay, I should have to discuss mine!"

You don't have to discuss your private life, but think of how many young kids you could help, maybe save from an attempted suicide, by discussing being gay.
I say it all the time, we all need to come out, live openly and honestly as gay men and women, and then the fear and bigotry that the homophobes spread will have no power.

Rear Admiral Alan M. Steinman, USPHS/USCG [Retired], the highest-ranking U.S. military officer to identify himself as gay, on DADT:

"During that entire period I remained 'in the closet': I did not reveal my sexual orientation to anyone in the Coast Guard, nor even to my relatives. In order to serve my country, I had to sacrifice my personal life."

We ask our members of the military to sacrifice almost everything when they volunteer to serve this country, to protect our freedoms.
And then we ask our gay military men and women to hide themselves away in shame.
The hypocrisy should not be lost on anyone.
DADT is over, and it must stay over.

Terry McMillan, Tweets on the exploitation of Willow and Jaden Smith by their parents:

"The Smith children already act like child stars. There's an arrogance in their demeanor and behavior. I find it incredibly sad."....."It feels like the Smith children are being pimped and exploited. Or, they're already hungry for fame. What about 4th grade?"....."A lot of A-list movie stars shielded their children from the Hollywood-world until they were old enough to decide. Look at those who didn't."....."Look at Lindsay. Phoenix. To name but a few. They miss out on childhood. It's more important than fame."....."These kids don't already know what they "love". Total bullshit. They're not prodigies. They think Hollywood is real."....."Why don't they do a remake of The Little Rascals and call it a day? Or, come up with an original film with some ethnic pride. Come on."....."Okay. I've said enough about the Smith children. I'm not debating about them. It's just my opinion. People can justify anything, though."

Well, I think Terry said it all.
Will and Jada are so interested in education, but I wonder if they are ignoring the education of their children at the expense of making them stars.

Manhattan Declaration co-author "Pastor" Jim Garlow, rewriting Obama's State Of The Union Address, as a Marxist Kenyan friend-to-sodomites:

"I have tragically hastened to destroy the No. 1 preserver of all that is good in society – the family, consisting of a mother and a father. In my need to be politically correct, and my desire to garner more votes from the nuclear family attackers, I was drawn in to their errors and sins of redefining the family. I am ashamed of this. I am sorry. I ask for forgiveness. I have helped to demoralize the military that defends us. I ran roughshod over 59% of the US Marines when I forced my social experimentation upon them, coercing them to accept lifestyles as normative, with no thought of troop readiness and cohesion. I was drawn in to the errors, lies and sins of political correctness, at the expense of truth. I am ashamed of this. I am sorry. I ask for forgiveness."

Oh, "Pastor", you should ask for forgiveness, for yourself.
The hate, and the lies, that you spread in the name of your so-called god?
Believe me, sir, god is listening to you, and she's as disgusted by you as am I.

Catholic League president, wingnut, and goosestepper, Bill Donohue, complaining that "those" Jews at the New York Times are exploiting the Smithsonian censorship scandal:

"The man who made the vile video died of AIDS. Had he followed the teachings of the Catholic Church on sexuality, he would be alive today. Instead, he blamed the Church. ...... It was not the Catholic Church that killed the artist, David Wojnarowicz: it was gay activists, many of whom are in the artistic community. They were the ones who demanded that the bathhouses be kept open, even as their brothers were dying left and right. To exploit this tragedy any longer is sick. Catholicism is the answer, not the problem."

Catholicism is the answer? No, it's more of a question.
Catholicism hides child rapists?
Catholicism denies the AIDS crisis in Africa?
Catholicism  lets people die rather than educate them about HIV and AIDS protection, and condoms?
Catholicism blames the Jews for everything?
If Catholicism is the question, the answer should be No.

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, responding to the murder of LGBT activist David Kato with a renewed call for Uganda to decriminalize homosexuality:

"David Kato was a man that fought for the rights of people to live freely regardless of their sexual orientation in Uganda. David Kato suffered a violent death and I send my condolences to his family. I call for the perpetrators of this crime to be brought to justice. He was a remarkable human rights defender. I regret that Uganda is a country where homosexuality is still considered a criminal act. David Kato's battle was to improve tolerance and encourage tolerance of divergent views of sexuality and defend the rights for lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender persons and protect vulnerable minorities."

And for working toward equality, he paid for it with his life.
I don't care who you are, or what you believe, I find it nearly impossible that anyone actually believes he deserved to die because he was gay.
I find it nearly impossible to believe that anyone could be that heartless.

Imam Abdallah Adhami, the newly-hired senior adviser for the Muslim Community Center proposed to be built in Lower Manhattan:

"An enormously, overwhelming percentage of people struggle with homosexual feeling because of some form of violent emotional or sexual abuse at some point in their life. Again, not necessarily in their childhood. A small, tiny percentage of people are born with a natural inclination they cannot explain. You find this in the animal kingdom on some level as well."

Yes, let's trot out that old chestnut that all gay people turned gay because of some childhood molestation or trauma or violent attack.
Let's not just say that people are born gay.
I mean, some of you are born straight, right?
Or, did you, at some point, make a conscious effort to choose heterosexuality.
People are born gay.