Posts with the tag gay

Civil & Equal Rights in the Obama-Biden Administration

Freethinker — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:13:54 EST

As you will see, both equal rights and civil rights are of great importance to the Obama-Biden Administration and to the Democratic Party, as opposed to the George W. Bush eight year long Administration from hell, full of hate, bigotry, holier-than-thouism, discrimination, intolerance, dogma, doctrine, ignorance and "tradition". - Freethinker

Three Facts about Barack Obama and Civil Rights

Barack Obama will combat employment discrimination:
Obama and Biden will work to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails women’s and racial minorities' ability to challenge pay discrimination. They will also pass the Fair Pay Act to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
Strengthen civil rights enforcement:
Obama and Biden will reverse the politicization that has occurred in the Bush Administration's Department of Justice. They will put an end to the ideological litmus tests used to fill positions within the Civil Rights Division.
Expand hate crime statutes:
Obama and Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.

In this Section

Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement
Combat Employment Discrimination
Expand Hate Crimes Statutes
End Deceptive Voting Practices
End Racial Profiling
Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Support
Eliminate Sentencing Disparities
Expand Use of Drug Courts

Equal Rights for GLBTQ (gay) and atheist (agnostics, humanists, naturalists, Brights, etc,

Freethinker — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:23:25 EST

Candidate and President Barack Obama is the first leader of the free world to champion equal rights regardless of sexual orientation or belief (or absence thereof). In future posts, I hope to explore the progress (or lack thereof) of these issues, along with whatever comes up as you read and respond to my writings and comments of others. - Freethinker

Obama: Gay and Civil Rights; The State shouldn't discriminate,,u r free to choose your religion

Unknown user — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:51:40 EDT

Maybe Obama will win another Nobel Prize based on Civil Rights too.

Gay and Civil Rights; The State shouldn't discriminate and as for religion, you're free to choose your religion.

Turk Gay Club

Nikopol — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 07:18:19 EDT

Peach at U.S.A Peach at World.

The 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama took center stage tonight to a cheering crowd estimated to be over 125,000 where he addressed America. Indeed a historical speech which made many reminisce Martin Luther King’s speech before the day he was assassinated.

In what is a day that will go down in the history books, Barack Obama said, “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place that all thing are possible who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time who still questions t he power of our democracy tonight is your answer.”

In a humble speech Obama went on to say, “it’s been a long time coming but tonight because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment change has come to America.”

In regards to his opponent, Obama called him a brave and selfless leader. He also congratulated Governor Palin and looked forward to working with them.

Obama thanked his partner Vice President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama who he called the “love of my life.” In regards to his grandmother Obama said, “I know my grandmother is watching along with a family who made me who I am and I miss them tonight, I know my debt to them is beyond measure.” Obama lightheartedly told his daughters that they would have a new puppy to join them in the White House.

The crowds full of emotion and tears included Oprah and Reverend Jesse Jackson. In regards to the challenges he will face Obama said, “the road ahead will be long, lour climb will be steep we might not get there in one year or in one term but America I will never been hopeful, I promise you we as a people will get there.” Giving America a chance to hope for a better future…

To a crowd cheering, “Yes We Can” Obama stated, ”Let us remember that if this financial crises taught us anything we can’t have a thriving wall street while main street suffers.” To those Americans who didn’t vote for him he had a message, “I will be your president too.”

In a comforting speech that will go down in history, President Obama brought hope and invited all of America to join him. What are your thoughts?

Turk Gay Club

Turk LGBT Community.

Since 2006 istanbul/Turkey

turkgayclub.com

turkgayclub.net

turkgayclub.org

Obama has declared war on gays and lesbians

TMan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:45:16 EDT

I am devastated to see Obama defending policies comparing gays to incest, Changing positions on Don't Ask Don't Tell, and doing nothing to help us.

The Rick Warren fiasco was a tip off. This man has no plan for us. He is with the religous right. I feel lied to.

I will note vote for Obama again.

OBAMA OUTRAGE

TOM from Saint Petersburg, FL — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:08:57 EDT

After donating more than s few hundred dollars to Obama because of his staunch support for gay rights, I am outraged over the brief filed by Obama's justice department against same sex marriage. The cause has been compared to incest and pedophilia by his attorneys. I am so disappointed I am almost speechless. Add this to not repealing DON'T ASK DON'T TELL and then having the audacity to declare his administration a supporter of gay rights, perhaps the right wing nuts aren't all wrong!

Withhold Contributions Until Obama Comes Through on His Promise

A Private Person — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:34:30 EDT

I would expect that very many gay or gay-friendly people contributed many millions of dollars to Obama's presidential campaign.

Those of us who did are currently being asked to continue to support the President's work through "Organizing for America" (and perhaps other groups).

Even Nancy Pelosi has stated that it is "not the right time" to address same-sex marriage at the federal level.

I suggest that we all respond to such solicitations for financial support with something along these lines:

=============
If you want my continued financial support, you're going to have to honor your campaign promise to grant all 1,138 federal rights of marriage to same-sex couples.

Not a penny until that's done. You don't get to choose "when the time is right" for equal protection under the law.
=============

Barack Obama vs. Bush

Obama Lover — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:13:33 EDT

7 Reasons I love Obama:

1) His lucious black skin shines brightly even in the darkest of economic times.

2) He can actually speak english. (unlike Bush)

3) He is not from Texas

4) He is against the war that Bush started.

5) He did not need to cheat to get elected president.

6) He helps the poor by giving health care to everybody.

7) My friend Will also loves Obama, and I want to be just like Will.

A comment regarding Maggie Gallagher and other agents provocateur of intolerance and hatred

k_michael — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:54:19 EDT

Contrary to the claims of Maggie Gallagher, polygamy is not about "an attempt to secure stable mother-father families for children" - it is for the *production* of children, but beyond that, what it is primarily attempting to do has little else to do with children, and everything to do with the desires of the adults and, more specifically, their sectarian culture. Religious sects always emphasizes the *production* of children - but once those children are produced, the main focus of religion becomes, not safety, not security, not self-fulfillment or personal growth, but *obedience* to the patriarchy.

As for "traditional" marriage: If a relatively tiny proportion of the population can in *ANY* way "destroy" it, then the fact of the matter is that "traditional" marriage was/is already on its death-bed and cannot be resuscitated by Gallagher's hysterics about "making babies to preserve the culture" (which sounds to me like "code" for *white* society, since her speeches imply she is not in favor of adopting Asian, African, or Middle-Eastern children...).

Further more, if marriage is, as Gallagher and her acolytes claim, ALL (i.e., only) about *producing* children, then the inevitable extension of that is: once those children reach the "traditional" age of adulthood, these marriages should be dissolved - as should any childless marriage; and *any* people unable to have children should be prohibited from getting married. This would of course include such "lifestyles" as Genetic Mosaicism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_mosaicism) and Intersexuality (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex) - which, given Gallagher's sectarian so-called "logic", must, contrary to any and all known biological science, also be "a lifestyle choice" because "God does not make junk".

Like other obsessive paranoid narcissists, however, Gallagher is incapable of following through to the consequences of her, and her followers', own so-called "reasoning". Given that men still generally have shorter lifespans than women, one wonders what she and her cabal plan to do about "single people in nursing homes" - perhaps follow the ancient "tradition" of "send the wife into the afterlife along with her husband"?

If "traditional" marriage is "in danger", it is because

1) too many people are pressured to marry at too young and age;

2) absurd romanticized pap about "white knights" and "riding off into the sunset" continue to supercede real and practical information about things like how to budget, how to share finances, and how to maintain one's own personhood within a relationship;

3) women are still too often treated as subservient to the husband, and too many "traditional" marriages are not any different at all from the Koranic implication that a woman is worth 1/2 of a man;

4) there are still far too many loveless marriages;

5) and several other well-documented stresses within "traditional" marriage that lead to things like the 50%+ divorce rate, sd well as battered spouses and children.

It is NOT "under threat" because a rather small minority of people wish to practice their civil Constitutional right to enter into the contract known as marriage. Just as it is not "under threat" because, in addition to priests, pastors, rabbis, and so on, *the State* also grants people such as Justices of the Peace, in some rare cases Notary Publics, and so on, to pronounce closure of the contract - which must also be registered with City Hall in order to be considered legal. This is why even a religious representative says: "By the power invested in me by the state of [insert state name], I now pronounce you..." In other words, marriage is a legal contract, and the Constitution grants equal rights to all citizens under the law - most especially concerning contract law. Again, Gallagher and her ilk invoke the Constitution in the same selective way that they invoke the Bible: when it suits *their own* purposes - meaning, their own egocentrism.

The things that are wrong in "traditional" marriage will NOT simply disappear even if the agents provocateur of intolerance and hatred *did* manage to prevent gay marriage (or fulfill their end-goal of wiping out all GLBT people...) If anything, that sort of obsessive narcissism, funneled into hatred of anyone and anything that is not an exact clone of the narcissist, and leading to a compulsion to control others to force them to be "appropriately" compliant, *is* one of the problems in "traditional" marriage. Were this not the case, Gallagher and her ilk would spend more time addressing the psychoemotional, physical, and even sexual abuse that, distressingly to the rest of us, is not all that uncommon in the much-vaunted and supposedly-perfect "traditional" marriage and family. At elast some of those who have endured, and survived, such abuse consider this deliberate oversight to be, at best, disgusting and serving nothing but their own narrow-minded obsession.

Relgious interests need to stay out of politics

Thinkingman.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:32:10 EST

Everyone should see this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnHyy8gkNEE&fmt=18

The constitution of the United States clearly separates politics from religion. Therefore, all religions need to stay out of Hawaii—and national—politics. I would never think to enforce the lifestyle I lead engendered by my beliefs on you or your family. Therefore, I find it offensive when any church—and these days, although many of my friends are Mormons, I’m specifically talking about the Mormons—tries to tell me how I have to live.

More after the jump…

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Donald — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:05:16 EST

I am excited to hear that Barack is possibly going to get rid of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

Hope he does this. As a gay man, that would mean a lot to me. We gays love America just as much as everyone else.

It is because I love America, that I voted for Barack Obama.

Why it is Time to Organize a Demo At the Inauguration!

Keith — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:40:22 EST

I'm already feeling a change and it isn't the one I wanted. I'm hearing and reading from others how they're already beginning to feel disillusioned with Barack Obama because of his decision to elevate hate at the upcoming inauguration. I say no way, no how will this victory be stolen from those of us who are looking to this new President to lead this country back to the course we must be on to fulfill our obligations to each other and the world. But just like Obama told us, we can't rely on just his rhetoric, his appointments, and his decisions. We must also participate in the change and with that in mind, I'm looking for like-minded individuals who want to find an organized way to express our outrage during the inauguration about the decision to include hatemonger Rick Warren.

I am very disappointed with the Rick Warren invitation, but I am not ready to write Obama off -- far from it. Instead I want to essentially follow his repeated calls to get more fully engaged. Had this been a policy decision I would not have been as surprised. After all, Obama ran opposed to gay marriage. Instead, and most perplexing, Obama chose to do this -- offend gay Americans and their friends and family -- over a strictly symbolic matter and sometimes symbols can be exceedingly important. This is one of those times. The man was elected because enough voters were swayed by his argument that the time for divisiveness was over. The very survival of the nation being at stake -- so we had to set aside things like the culture wars and deal with the fundamentals of national security, economics and environment. I totally agree with that premise.

However, elevating a hatemonger to deliver a prayer on the stage at the nation's big day is a symbol of exactly the opposite: that we're not really setting aside those culture wars. Instead we're lending them more credibility. Just as I would not have expected Obama to select Gene Robinson (the openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church Diocese of New Hampshire) to deliver this prayer, so I would have assumed his choice would have been any number of clergy who have a far less public profile of the culture war issues such as gay marriage, abortion rights and stem cell research (all actively opposed by Rick Warren).

While I hope the invitation will somehow be rescinded, having already made my plans to attend the swearing in, I and many other like-minded citizens need to prepare now for an organized action while the whole world is watching. Rarely will gay activists and their supporters have such an incredible stage to show ourselves and discuss our issues. For those of you who believe that doing anything like this on the occasion of the swearing in of our nation's first bi-racial President could be a PR disaster for us, I disagree. We can be forceful and respectful, especially if we plan this in advance. Those who agree that hatemongers should not be elevated in our society in this way need to have a way to express themselves right then, right there during the ceremony.

Having made my own personal case for organizing, I'd like to hear from others and especially get some ideas on what could be done in Washington at the Mall during the ceremony and/or the parade that follows. I'm sure many of you will write about how wrong this is as a strategy, but this blog is about taking a pro-active stand to speak out at the inauguration, not about debating whether we should be silent. As they once shouted in the Reagan years at ACT UP demo's, "Silence equals death." And this queen is silent no more!

Rick Warren a big mistake

Larry A. from Los Angeles, CA — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:08:13 EST

The self-promoting Southern Baptist pastor, Rick Warren, has not only insulted gays and compared abortion to the holocaust, but especially hates people like me, who identify as Humanist and atheist.

In interviews with Newsweek and BeliefNet, Warren responds like a bigot when conversing with opposing views. Sam Harris gives thoughtful reasons, which Rick Warren blows off. He is a slippery snake.

I think a key to understanding Warren is his view of religion as marketing. In the book, "Ideas that Stick", Warren's approach is described. He tells his staff to think of a Saddleback Church person -- of a particular income and education level. His church is then tailored to market to that person.

Warren is sometimes praised for promoting environmental causes for Christians. But he appears to thoughlessly blow off other issues, like abortion and gay rights. Was it really so easy? Or did he run it past a marketing poll for which issues to modernize? Enough people hate gays that he doesn't have to love them either?

Please, Barack, ditch this guy.

LAT

United States & Muslim Countries Sexually Compatible

Al Pao in San Francisco — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:38:35 EST

UNITED NATIONS – Alone among major Western nations, the United States has refused to sign a declaration presented Thursday at the United Nations calling for worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality.
In all, 66 of the U.N.'s 192 member countries signed the nonbinding declaration — which backers called a historic step to push the General Assembly to deal more forthrightly with any-gay discrimination. More than 70 U.N. members outlaw homosexuality, and in several of them homosexual acts can be punished by execution.
Co-sponsored by France and the Netherlands, the declaration was signed by all 27 European Union members, as well as Japan, Australia, Mexico and three dozen other countries. There was broad opposition from Muslim nations, and the United States refused to sign.
See http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081219/ap_on_re_us/un_gay_rights

Finally, there is common ground: gay sex! And I was predicting the coming of Armageddon. It's huge blow to my ego, to be sure.

Poor Choice in MegaRick Warren for Inauguration

ProgressiveRadioCat — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:06:34 EST

Let me say this up front - I am not gay. I have been happily married for over 20 years now.

I make a point of saying that I am not gay because I do not want what I have to say here being dismissed as coming from 'just' another gay person infuriated over the choice of MegaRick to speak at Mr. Obama's inaugural. It is not only gay-folk that are outraged but also straight folk who oppose giving hate-mongers and extremists like Warren the limelight at what is shaping up to be one of the biggest media events ever.

Even though some pundits are saying that the context of inviting Mr. Warren to speak has allowed Mr. Obama to issue his strongest and highest profile statement yet in support of both abortion rights and civil unions - both of which Warren vehemently opposes - I say that you do not have to sit down with dogs to say that you are against fleas.

I can well understand Mr. Obama wanting to expand the Democratic base into the evangelical community and to show the world that he is a uniter rather than a divider - however he appears to be in the process of forgetting that the support of the liberal/progressive wing of the Democratic Party that worked so hard and passionately to get him elected is not to be taken for granted.

What I am beginning to be concerned about is that Mr. Obama is essentially saying to gays/lesbians and social progressives is that he would rather alienate a bird in hand than risk not reaching out to two in the bush.

We have also yet to see a gay/lesbian appointed to a high profile position in his administration. That would go a long way, in my opinion, towards Mr. Obama showing through actions and not just words that gay folk are truly part of his A-team and not just another constituancy to be held at arms length and supported only through certain issues.

Obama himself is a powerful symbol of change/hope based upon content of character vs. color of skin. He has the chance to make one of many qualified openly gay/lesbian leaders in our country a powerful symbol of change as well on the national level through their appointment to a high profile position in his government. Such a historic appointment won't apparently be at the cabinet level, but there are other chances to do the right thing down the line.

But getting back to the main point of this post. Mr. Obama needs to have the courage to admit that he made a mistake in choosing Warren and then withdraw the invitation. We have had far too many years recently where refusing to admit that one has made a mistake and then refusing to withdraw has ended up costing this nation dearly.

Why Rick Warren is a disgrace

Scott — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:44:00 EST

First of all, I'm a gay man and I gave Obama more money than I've given any candidate. More importantly I worked hard on the ground for him. I campaigned in three states (NY, PA & FL). In the weeks before the election, I took two weeks of vacation to work on his GOTV campaign in Florida. Markos Moulitsas' words rang in my ears those weeks, "leave it all on the road." I was exhausted and elated when he won.

And my initial, visceral reaction to the news of Rick Warren's great moment of honor, was to feel sick to my stomach. Didn't we beat Sarah Palin? I was shocked, bewildered. I thought we were done with the Christian Taliban calling the shots?

Excuses, excuses
I've heard many people describe Obama's endorsement of Warren as a "reaching out." Newsflash people, "we" won! We aren't obliged to reach out to the far-right, they are obliged to reach out to us. Do you apologists all have Stockholm Syndrome? Is this the change we asked for?

Let's see: the far-right gets their way, the left hands it to them on a silver platter and both side agree to call it a compromise. This is feeling very, very familiar and not like much of a change at all. Did Bush pick a progressive minister to deliver his invocation to heal that ugly divide in 2000? Did he "compromise?" Has any conservative?

G&LBT Disgrace

David from Renfrew, PA — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:51:35 EST

Now that Obama and Biden have ridden to a victory partially on the back of the GAY and LESBIAN community, he has chosen to kick all of us in the teeth before he is even president by having "Trick Warren" (disgraceful homophobe) give the invocation at the INAUGURATION?

Barack, C HOW U R ? You give us a MARCHING BAND for our work for the Party?

This is a good place for human beings affected by Obama's monstrous injustice to unite and share ideas on how to provide feedback to King Barack, the last. Something to share with his magnificent, all-hetero family over the holidays and in the months to come.

As I listened to his droning monotone, DEFENDING HIS BIGOTY CHOICE, I thought, O God, 4 or 8 years of this? This is why we united once more behind the Dems just to be slapped down?

WHO WANTS TO REGISTER INDEPENDENT WITH ME TODAY? Let's hear from you.

Funny Star Studded Musical video on Proposition 8

Marc - "It's a New Day" — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:33:32 EST

Funny Star Studded Musical video on Proposition 8 - Jack Black and many more

Hosted on Funny or Die

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones

DOesn't anyone think a church spending 40 million to Ban rights is WRONG

Ed from Fort Lauderdale, FL — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:47:40 EST

Why isn't anyone questioning the spending of 40 million dollars by the MORMON church to ban gay marriage. The IRS has established laws against this and here they are: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rr-07-41.pdf Second: Why is a church spending 40 million dollars to ban gay marriage when the money could have been used to feed the poor, help the homeless, pay mortgages for members losing there homes, pay or help in someones medical bills and the countless other ways to help people. Why is not a member of this congregation even questioning the use of 40 million dollars in this manner. As a Catholic, if my church spent 40 million dollars to ban gay marriage they would never see a dime from me FOREVER yet these people who give their church money are happy with the way it is being spent. IS this what following the bible is all about and YOU PEOPLE THINK it is ok for a church to be using its donations for this purpose? This is proof that these people are stupid ignorant brainwashed people who cannot think for themselves and this church's motives are political and NOT charitable and thus should lose their non-profit status immediately. LETS hit where it hurts in the pocketbook since the morons who belong to this church seem to be incapable of thinking rationally for themselves. WHERE ARE THE LAWYERS AND PROSECUTORS on this..THEY BROKE THE LAW

If you believe all humans are equal

Ed from Fort Lauderdale, FL — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:54:32 EST

Friday November 14 at 6 pm in every city in the US anyone who feels that all humans have the same rights and are equal, should march with us... friends family anyone you know... please turn out at either you city hall or gay community ...this is a grass roots call to anyone who feel discrimination is unfair... Barack said: "there are no first class citizens there are no second class citizens there are only American citizens" If you believe this then help us have the same rights as everyone in America.....
PLEaSE email... blog.... call..... text or whatever this to anyone you can think of.... If you have a conscious even if u do not understand, we are people too

7 hours to vote

Paul — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 07:47:40 EST

Here in Akron Ohio, My Partner and I waited 7 hours to vote, It wasn't even election day and we waited this Long.

To everyone who thinks America is not biggoted

Ed from Fort Lauderdale, FL — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:20:27 EST

The first amendment"all men are created equal"

So to all those who think bigotry is over let me remind you, that if you voted in CA,FL or AZ and voted against gay rights YOU NEED TO CHECK YOUR CONSCIOUS....

Especially after watching the people crying on TV saying I cant believe this finally happened about Barack being elected...HOW DID YOU VOTE IN CA OR FL... I guess gay people are not considered people to you.....

Religion is not part of the constitution and after 200 years of waiting for a black president its mind boggling how so many of you had no problem discriminating against another minority..

We are NOT one......yet .... as Barack has hoped .... it is truly staggering to me how one minority can discriminate against another as the vote showed in CA and FL..... when the black vote was 70-30 to take away gay rights on the props....

yep .... how soon people forget what they are voting for ..i guess they cant even remember after they voted for the president, in the election booth....

For all of you who feel gays are not people according to the first amendment....remember how you feel when you are discriminated against and the thoughts that ran through your own minds on why you weren't considered as good as anyone else....

Im white... alot of my friends are white and we all voted for Barack and never even considered race..... but after the election it really became evident amidst all the hoopla on TV that these same people I watched crying in happiness had no problem taking away the rights of another minority....

Its truly amazing....listening to all the people on TV so happy when there is another minority who was thrown under the bus without a second thought...

A bitter sweet day

Douglas from Seattle, WA — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:26:35 EST

It was exciting to see President Obama (I love to write that) win in a landslide, along with Democratic Congressman and Senators. I had to celebrate! Oh, but wait, that very night we had dscrimination written into the California Constitution with Proposition 8, which prohibits gays from getting married.

The religious right spent well over $25 million to convince the good people of California to vote against the civil rights of one group. They successfully convinced voters that gays are somehow a threat to society. No hard facts here, just a lot of scare tactics.

The hard facts are that gays and lesbian are also Americans. They pay taxes, have children, mothers, fathers, relatives and friends. They want love and stability and they even want the same rights as other Americans. So many even participated in President Obama's election. Somehow, we have made them villains.

It is ironic that voters that have been the most oppressed in our society's history (African Americans) were also the strongest supporters of Prop 8. The oppressed took no time to become the oppressors. Gays and Lesbians have been active civil rights supporters. They get it! Discrimination is NOT AN AMERICAN VALUE!

I am hoping that President Obama means leadership. We need a leader who will educate the American people to not single out a minority group for discrimination. A leader who can bring us together so that all will benefit.

With the excitement President Obama and new Dems in office, I am optomistic. I only hope that we can come together and give all American their due civil rights

Black Voters, Gay Voters - The Bait and Switch

Jarrett in Florida — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:44:53 EST

Yet Another Glass Ceiling With Many Cracks...

I write this blog post in a moment of bittersweet victory. Having campaigned my heart out for Barack Obama over the last 3 months, I am overjoyed at our victory and feel that real change is finally coming to Washington and Main Street.

On election night, I partied in the street on the West side of Fort Lauderdale - a gay white boy surrounded by black people, most of whom were probably heterosexual. It could not have made a difference at the time, because we were all so optimistic and excited. The following morning was a different experience entirely... My friends and I were informed that Amendment 2 had passed and that not only would gay marriage now be outlawed but also civil unions and commonlaw marriages would be denied legal status.

So drops the other shoe.

The most disappointing part of the experience was the media coverage. Every news station was telling us that Black People were to blame... That all of the blacks who came out in droves to vote for Barack Obama had not listened to his supportive speeches and had voted specifically and willfully against my rights... The media maintained that Black people had not returned the "favor" of equality.

I'm not buying it. Here's something that the media is not telling us:

According to the same exit polls from CNN which indicate that Blacks voted for Prop 8 & Amendment 2 at higher percentages than whites, there is a key bit of information that needs to be explored - The total number of black voters for the anti-gay amendments is still not even 1/3 the total number of white, Evangelical voters who voted for the Amendments in the rural areas of the state... In fact, most black voters did not vote on Amendment 2 at all...

It is unfair, unreasonable and devisive for the mainstream media to pit blacks and gays against eachother at a time when we should all be celebrating eachother's diversity... As a white, gay male who supported and voted for Barack Obama with all my energy, I can honestly say that I have not experienced the slightest amount of homophobia from anyone in the Campaign For Change. I have never really felt any exceptional homophobia from the Black community at large, either...

Furthermore, it was not black people who put this Amendment on the ballot in the first place. Once again, this hateful bit of legislation has been brought to you by those "true Americans" who live in the remote grassy knolls that you drive by on your way to better places.

I think it's time to stop blaming races and sexual orientations for problems which are largely brought to us by Republicans. That's the other missing statistic here... Those who voted for John McCain also voted 91% in favor of Amendment 2.

It's time for Black people and Gay people alike to stand up for ourselves and refuse to let Republicans and the mainstream media continue to assail us in the name of "divide and conquer"...

God Bless all of you who helped on this campaign and remember to keep your cool and love your neighbors... even the bigoted ones. We shall overcome.

Promises made

pridevoter — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:37:44 EST

just a reminder and I sent off a letter to our new president. A campain promise was made and further reinforced by VP Biden on equaltiy of same sex couples as it relates to over 1,00 federal legal rights. The excerpt from the pledge: Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: Barack Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples equal legal rights and privileges as married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.

With more and more states changing their constitutions to define rights to only married couples consisting of a man and a woman. We need the backing and federal protection for our civil unions and partnerships to obtain the same equal rights as any other partnered couple. We supported and gave now lets see some federal action.

Close the Deal! How??

Moiko — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:38:24 EDT

It is a one step process.

It has to be symbolic of everything Senator Obama has talked about from the beginning to the end of this fascinating campaign.

Starting immediately, we need to have the maps across America that shows blue states, changed to Red, White & blue.

Senator Obama has said, we are NOT red America, we are NOT Blue America, we are the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

So, change the blue to red, white & blue!

Who would want to vote any other way?

im gay

Aaron from Kimberling City, MO — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:45:53 EDT

i love to be gay

LGBT and Barack Obama Do you think?

ChicagoMusicPromotions.Com — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:38:17 EDT

By Matthew Nalett
ChicagoMusicPromotions.Com

Hopefully after Obama is in office he could address a few of these things for the better. Sure i know not everything can happen over night but it would sure be great. My Prayers go out to Barack Obama's Family at this time, i hope she feels better and everything is okay.

In todays society of starbucks, on demand tv, hybred cars, Internet, Internet Radio and other social mental stimulators.

you have a downside to society one of hate, racisim, neglect, abuse, shootings, stabbings, discrimination and other social violent things, how are we to stop all this and be a nice happy society? Possibly i can shed some light and possibly you can understand my point of view.

For Gays and Lesbians for Legal Marriage

So you got 2 guys or 2 girls who want to get married and share equal rights, not really a big deal its not like they are effecting you in any aspect most gays and lesbians own business(s), run business(s), are corporate managers, movie stars, musicians, poets, house designers, clothing designers, police officers, fire department personel and parents, the list can go on and on. Now alot of the gays and lesbians you would not know right off the bat some of your Best Friends could be gay or lesbian and you would never even know unless it came to that part of a conversation and or if they felt confortable telling you about it.

The Right Wing's and also Church Interest Groups have twisted gays and lesbians to be a "bad" thing however back in the roman Empire days you should see some of the photos and other literature that shows alot of same sex things, It was very open back then why cant it be now? Sure you have adam and eve, but i do belive IF adam and eve were suppost to be a certain way or whatever i dont belive they would have ate the apple, or done other things to defy god and do "worldly" things, Otherwise we would all be butt naked living in tents and fighting with rocks. But since thats really not how things turned out, its called human nature everyone has a right, there own mental train of thought and can decide for themselfs what they want to do or be.

Did you know most highschool teens are bisexuals and also as well its a "socially" accepted thing in most bigger highschools around the united states, as for the boys well its a bit more difficult for them to come out to the general peers due to gangs, violence, shootings, stabbings and just getting your butt kicked in general, cant people be free?

Discrimination Against Gays and Lesbians to Adopt Kids

Okay this subject is very interesting to me, alot of states i have noticed have banned or dis-allowed gays and lesbians to adopt kids and or teenagers, i feel thats a stupid and retarted approch, especially when IF they can provide the kid or teen a confortable home, a good school to attend and possibly make it in society instead of being in a foster home and or shelter for most of their childhood life and not having a childhood its a bum deal. The Government and other agencys bitch about how many kids and teens are in shelters or need adopted yet they do have people who want to adopt and dont care if the kid is a diffrent race or culture they might just be a Gay or Lesbian Couple who wants to adopt them, not really a big issue. IF you personally were in a group home or shelter would it really bother you to go to a nice home and environment and be in a normal society and be able to live a real life? If it was me and if i was a kid or teen i would not care who the adopted parents were i would just want to get out of a shelter or government ran environment its like Jail for kids or teens. I have seen some of these group homes and i must admit it makes me sad since they got say 5 beds in 1 bedroom possibly 3 dressers not really any privacy and or nothing its very sad.

The War In Iraq and Other Countries

No telling how many other countries the united states has their hands dipped into and is low profile about it but as for the war on iraq i belive that should be a done deal, the people over there have been fighting for centuries and also as well it will never end and with us being there its only making a sore issue alot more painfull since its not our country and we dont really have any business being over there. Sure when Bush first went to Iraq and said we are going to find Weapons of Mass Destruction everyone was Gun Ho since the 911 attacks had just happend so everyone wanted to go to war and go stomp boots on some iraqies, however now that we have sufficiently made parking for other countries by blowing everything up and removing all sorts of buildings, people and landscaping i belive we should just let the iraqie government handle their own problems and possibly they might be able to get thru it some day.

HIV & Aids and other STD's

This is not a situation that is directed to 1 gender, race or lifestyle this is a global issue, it bugs me sometimes that people think that Oww that person is gay they must be dying soon of aids or some other sexually transmitted disease.. Yall need to wake up. Lets see here from what i hear this person from africa had sex with a monkey came to the states had sex with both a guy and a girl, transmitted the disease and it exploded from there, i think they were both prostitutes so thats why it spred so dramatically. There is many diffrent ways you can get that situation, Needle Sharing, un-protected sex, blood transfers, fluid transfers (if you have a open cut), Some people have gotten hiv and aids due to blood transfusions where the blood was not screened or tested before it was issued to the person who needed it and well they survived from one issue just to be diagnosed with another issue, some people shared needles with someone who was infected either a male or female and they had got into contact with the disease due to blood contact transfer, some people got it thru un protected sex. The odd thing about aids and std's are back a long time ago it was called the "skinny" disease it was very abundant in the gay and lesbian community so the social standards just marked it as a Gay or Lesbian Disease and that was pretty much it.

However if it was just a gay and lesbian thing how is it all the straight people have it as well? IF someone did not have sex with someone who was infected by it? Good question, Human nature is hell when it comes to sex and well If a person is lacking in that department they will have sex with the other gender to fullfill a need in their life. So its not just a gay and lesbian situation its a global situation where people just need to be more aware and take procaution on who they do business with and or share drugs with. Or make sure the blood you are getting from hospitals have been tested and or screened before you get it.

Your welcome to express your opinion or thoughts.

Matthew Nalett
New Music Promote
newmusicpromote.com

Chicago Music Promotions
chicagomusicpromotions.com

Political Views on Society - Equal Rights and Discrimination

ChicagoMusicPromotions.Com — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:34:56 EDT

By Matthew Nalett
ChicagoMusicPromotions.Com

In todays society of starbucks, on demand tv, hybred cars, Internet, Internet Radio and other social mental stimulators.

For Immigration Deportation and Hate in General.

Yes the 911 attack is something no one can ever forget or forgive to some degree, however just because a person is a diffrent ethnic culture or background does not intitle them to being hated or people thinking they have a bomb strapped to themselfs and are going to blow up your local wallmart or some other institution. Did you know after the september 11th attacks alot of people got hurt just because they were a diffrent culture, i find it very odd that people can just think oww wait there is someone who is muslim lets go beat him up, send him to the hospital since he might be one of the terrorists or something else. Very Pathetic.

As for Immigration i do belive in some aspects its okay to send a few of them home we got enough headache of our own to take care of let alone take care of another countries problems, however when it comes to circumstances where they have a family here (kids born here) i belive there should be some lee-way especially if both parents have jobs, rent or have a home, pay taxes, and contribute to the way of life and the economy. To just go around and scoop everyone up i belive is a bit pathetic and sad since what happends to the kids and mother or whoever gets deported? Dont you think it would cause some social and mental impact on how they feel about the united states in general and also as well the mental stress the kid has to go thru since well the government just deported mommy and daddy but yet since you were born here you are now into a foster care unit and you will be adopted by some american person that is legally able to live here. Or you can go with your parents and hopefully wont get raped, or killed or sold in some child trafficking network to make ends meat.

Discrimination Against Gays and Lesbians to Adopt Kids

The War In Iraq and Other Countries

HIV & Aids and other STD's

Internet and Home Privacy

Well i really dont know how to approch this subject since there is alot of things going on with this subject and it sorta bug's me and sort of does not bug me, since i dont have anything to hide. However when it comes to internet privacy you know the government, ISP Providers and other agencys can actually jump into your internet connection and grab "packets" and see what you are doing on the internet, Yup thats right so say you are downloading some mp3s or movies off the net well the agencys who help the government track down certain headaches can track what you are doing at anytime, They use the whole patriot act or some other act to make it legal however its just a form of privacy breach. However when it comes to Preditors and other things on the internet i feel its great they have this thing available so they can lock into their computer and see what they are doing but as for normal people who are not doing anything wrong and or have any type of record i belive this thing should not even be around. The ISP's are required to give certain law enforcement departments a record of all packet transmissions and ip address(s) and user information every month i feel thats a issue as well.

Music and legal downloading and RIAA & Record Labels (My Special Point of View)

Back in the early 1990's the internet was just popping off and Dialup was just getting introduced to high speed (Yuppie), well all these websites came out for mp3 downloading and file downloading i felt that was a great concept since people from around the world could exchange music and files, something where you can send a photo of chicago and someone can send a photo of spain or whatever your pleasure was. As for the Music Scene that was also Awsome since people could trade and zap music back and fourth from talent they might not have ever heard before. Now i do understand that the RIAA was mostly attacking local colleges and major computer servers that held 100's or even 1000's of mp3s and files, yes i can see them shutting the systems down but as for putting Lawsuits against college kids and teenagers and some adults for hundreds or even thousands of dollars i belive that was a bogus deal.

Especially when alot of that music was first cycled out either by the Recording Studio or Label as a Promo Song to cycle it to the Club Djs and other people who drop songs and or mixes to get the talent some exposure and or build a Buzz. So the Producer sends out the mp3 to the Record Pools, The Record Pools send out the Music to the DJ's the DJ's sends out the mp3 to the Promoters the Promoters send the mp3 out to the people who are tastemakers and other affilates and the list goes on and on then it cycles down thru consumers who find the song either thru a contact or a friend who got the mp3 to start with and then they send it off to their friends and so fourth and so fourth. So now you got a song that is pretty much on every machine thats getting zapped out daily and so pretty much that song is done.

The Talent they make money on people attending shows and events, selling some cds and also as well company or corporate sponsors. However the Record Labels wanted a chunk out of this whole deal since they pay the Talent a "budget" and well the talent has to use that "budget" to fund their shows, events, radio or tv advertisements, cd covers, graphic's, websites, and a bunch of other things and the Artist technically the money the record label gives them is not theres technically it all has to be paid back in some aspect so who is really winning in the long run? Sure you see the artists with the fancy cars, jewelry and bling but thats a front they have to its a social standard where its expected of them. They might have a contract for the rest of their lives but its apart of the industry.

So my final thoughts on this subject i belive alot of music should be free it was technically free when they sent it out to promoters, record pools, tastemakers and other people to build or gain buzz or some type of publicity for that artist now i also do belive the talent should make money as well and the record labels and other agencys should not dip their hands in too far since technically the talent has made you rich in alot of aspects, sure you got him famous however he still made you rich since without that song or track you would not have anything. Also alot of record labels require the talent to have so much sales, buzz and other things even before they are signed so its sorta a double jepardy sure they will sign you and then once you have that contract your pretty much screwed so to speak.

Queers United Supports Obama/Biden '08

queerunity — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:54:28 EDT

Queers United stands firmly in support of Barack Obama for president because of his principles of fairness and equality for all citizens.

Barack Obama's Stance:

-Supports civil unions

-Supports the repeal of (Defense of Marriage Act)

-Supports repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy

-Supports expanding federal hate crimes to include sexual orientation/gender identity

-Supports Employment Non-discrimination Act

-Supports adoption rights by LGBT families

-Committed to fighting HIV/AIDS on a global level

-Opposed to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage

Barack Obama, Marilyn Monroe, The United States Of America & The American Dream

Mark from Los Angeles, CA — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:39:01 EDT

Barack Obama & Marilyn Monroe, The United States Of America & The American Dream By Mark from Los Angeles, CA - Sep 5th, 2008 at 9:17 pm EDT

To view this blog post with music and Barack Obama messages taped on his podcast in the past access this link

                                                            By Mark Bellinghaus


We at 'Our Marilyn' Blogcast & MARILYN MONROE PRODUCTIONS, LLC, WE SUPPORT Barack Obama, the truly gifted speaker and the most charismatic politician, since John F. Kennedy.

We encourage you to please consider to also cast your vote for Mr. Barack Obama.

Ladies & Gentlemen, the next, the 44th President of The United States:

Barack Hussein Obama II

Barack Obama Speech - 2008 DNC Denver: 8-28-08 Part 1

google.y={first:[]};window.setTimeout(function(){var xjs=document.createElement('script');xjs.src='/extern_js/f/CgJlbhICdXMrMAc4AiwrMBg4Aiw/tOvl6yWhIRk.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(xjs)},0)Barack Obama Speech - 2008 DNC Denver: 8-28-08 Part 2



Marilyn Monroe & Barack Obama ©2008 by Mark Bellinghaus

Because you know, that Marilyn Monroe would vote for Barack Obama if she was still alive.
Marilyn Monroe was fighting racism, and she was supporting the Democratic Party, she was fighting for women's rights, and she opened her own company. Since Mary Pickford, she was the first actress who would take her faith into her own hands.
She was considering to adopt a baby, in 1962, shortly before her untimely death and decades before it became almost 'fashionable' for Hollywood actresses to adopt kids.
Marilyn Monroe was her time ahead, always.

The close friendship between black & white in 1950's racist America!


Ella Fitzgerald & Marilyn Monroe, in 1955 (above) and in 1962, (below), the year Marilyn Monroe passed away. In 1955, when racism was still a big issue in the United States of America, Ella Fitzgerald became the first African-American to perform at the Mocambo, after Marilyn Monroe had lobbied the owner for the booking. The booking was instrumental in Fitzgerald's career. Marilyn would promise the owner that she would appear every night (and be on time), and this way also fill the house--and she did, she was there every night, and she filled the house and: she was always on time! Their close friendship lasted for many years and Ella would sing Marilyn Monroe's famous 'My Heart Belongs To Daddy'in honor of her wonderful friend Marilyn Monroe, who died almost 34 years before she passed on in 1996, at age 79.

       Marilyn & Ella
Please vote for Barack Obama!

Show the world that racism in the United States Of America is now a defeated chapter from the dark past of this country, where an organization such as the KKK is still existing.

Show the world that change is possible, that the future is here.
The future is now, and the future is in your own hands.

Vote for the right candidate and make your voice heard and be counted.

On November 4, 2008, please give your vote to the only person who can turn this sinking ship that is covered by greed and stupidity, by a President who is still denying GLOBAL WARMING, while the Asthma cases for children in the USA are on the sharp rise...this person has arrived. And he was making a sensational entrance four years ago, when he spoke at the Democratic Convention, where hopes were high for John Kerry. Barack Obama stands for the American dream, more than any politician, more than anyone who has been running for President.

PLEASE VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA, the President of Change, Hope, Progress and Charisma.


h1 = document.getElementById("title").getElementsByTagName("h1")[0];h1.innerHTML = widont(h1.innerHTML); Funny Quotes from Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama

By Daniel Kurtzman, About.com

"They say I need to be seasoned; they say I need to be stewed. They say, 'We need to boil all the hope out of him -- like us -- and then he'll be ready.'" (Watch video

********************************

"I have nothing to hide, I enjoy being myself. I'm not going to change who I am just because it's Halloween." –appearing as himself on Saturday Night Live as part of a skit that featured Hillary Clinton dressed as a witch at a Halloween party

                         *********************************

"It's like I was shot out of a cannon. I'm so overexposed that I make Paris Hilton look like a recluse."

                 ****************************

"Hillary is not the first politician in Washington to declare 'Mission Accomplished' a little too soon."

                  ****************************

On his Democratic Convention speech, in which he said that "we coach Little League in the blue states and we have some gay friends in the red states": "Well, here's an update. Since the election, that gay couple I knew in the red states? They've moved back to the blue states."

                *****************************

On excitement in his father's native Kenya that his election would mean the building of billions of dollars in new roads, bridges, hospitals, and schools in their country: "I've tried to explain how it works these days. First comes the invasion, and then billions in aid."

                    ***********************************

"It's been a great ride. But I know how quickly these fads can pass. You all remember the pet rock, the mood ring, Howard Dean."

                     ***********************************

"You notice that people who've been in Washington too long, they don't talk like ordinary folks,. We had this debate in Las Vegas, and somebody asked me, What are your weaknesses?' So I said, Well, you know, I don't keep track of paper that well, I'm always losing paper, my desk is a mess.' And then they asked the next two candidates. And one candidate says, Well, my biggest weakness is I'm just so passionate about helping poor people.' And then the other one says, I'm just so impatient to help the American people solve their problems.' So then I realize well, I wish I'd gone last and then I would have known.. I'm stupid that way, I thought that when they asked what your biggest weakness was, they asked what your biggest weakness was. And now I know that my biggest weakness is I like to help old ladies across the street."

                    ************************************

"That's what he talked about yesterday, 'I want to drill here. I want to drill now.' I don't know where he was standing. I think he was in a building somewhere." --on John McCain's energy plan

                    ************************************

It is finally time for the 'White House,' to turn black. With pride, unity, happiness and.....hope.

Please support, please vote for Barack Obama on November 4, 2008.

Thank you and blessings to all of you.

Mark Bellinghaus, Ernest W. Cunningham & Jennifer J. Dickinson

Los Angeles, CA, USA, August 31, 2008



                Marilyn would vote for Barack!

YES, WE CAN! - SI, SE PEUDE! JA, WIR KÖNNEN!

MARILYN MONROE PRODUCTIONS, LLC, left to right:
Ernest W. Cunningham, author of The Ultimate Marilyn & plaintiff of the Queen Mary Marilyn Monroe fraud class action lawsuit 2006 / 2007--pointing out and ultimately stopping the biggest exhibition fraud / hoax in history which would have traveled the world for the following twelve years.
Jennifer J. Dickinson, journalist & mother of two who for the past two years has fought for justice and against corruption and criminals who fabricated fake Marilyn Monroe and other entertainment memorabilia.
Mark Bellinghaus, actor, activist, collector, debunker, entrepreneur & expert witness in the Queen Mary Marilyn Monroe fraud class action lawsuit 2006 / 2007 - the case against the biggest exhibition fraud in history: 'Marilyn Monroe: the exhibit,' which could have created a minimum of $100 million within the twelve years this exhibition was scheduled to travel around the globe.

We contested many different criminal frauds and deceptions which would have damaged the public--you, some way or another, we were able to expose and ultimately close down exhibitions, based on fraudulent memorabilia on display or for sale.
We contested hoaxes frauds and criminal pranks, which after our exposure were ultimately shut down, due to our proof based exposure.
We never wrongly accused anyone of being a criminal fraud, if the people were actually innocent.
We never failed - our accuracy is still at 100% for three years now.
WE SUPPORT BARACK OBAMA
Marilyn Monroe definitely would have voted for Barack Obama.
Please support Mr. Obama in his run for President.
Please support Barack to become the 44th President of The United States of America.

Credit for the 'YES WE CAN' Video:
Song & video, featuring a star cast, by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas. Inspired by Barack Obama's 'Yes We Can' speech.

----------------------------------------
08/28/08 Note: Congratulations to the the official Democratic Party nominee and the next President of the United States, Barack Obama!!

Official song site:
http://www.yeswecansong.com

Obama Campaign Site:
http://www.barackobama.com/

Yes we can what?:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

Is it true that he....?:
http://factcheck.barackobama.com/

Be a part of the video at:
http://www.hopeactchange.com

-Lyrics-

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.

Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can.
Celebrities featured include: Jesse Dylan, Will.i.am, Common, Scarlett Johansson, Tatyana Ali, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriquez, Kelly Hu, Amber Valetta, Eric Balfour, Aisha Tyler, Nicole Scherzinger and Nick Cannon

Also check out this other great song and video inspired by Barack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJ72i...

Life is all about signs...seeing the signs....understanding the signs...acting upon the signs

--Mark Bellinghaus

About:
'OUR MARILYN' BLOGCAST
&
MARILYN MONROE PRODUCTIONS, LLC The Mark Bellinghaus Marilyn Monroe CollectionAbout me
Mark Bellinghaus, CEO, MARILYN MONROE PRODUCTIONS, LLCLos Angeles, California, United StatesMark Bellinghaus owns the biggest, most comprehensive, and 100% authentic Marilyn Monroe memorabilia collection in existence. Part of his collection is an original copy of Marilyn Monroe’s last will and testament, including many important documents, which he shared in 2006 with the lawyers of three famous Marilyn Monroe photographers estates which were suing Anna Strasberg and CMG Worldwide (Mark Roesler) for several years. The documents that Mark Bellinghaus delivered served literally as the key to this groundbreaking success for the defense and the savior of the legacy of Marilyn Monroe. In 2006, Mark Bellinghaus closed down the biggest exhibition fraud in history: a $100 million project was exposed with his first blog on ‘blogcritics,’ and he also stopped a $15 million movie project, exposed Mary Jane Popp and June Alpino aka “DiMaggio’s” book as nonsense. He also exposed Dolores Hope Masi, Bebe Goddard, Robert Otto, Jeanne Carmen, etc. The list goes on and on.
In Oct. 2007, he successfully exposed, together with journalist Jennifer J. Dickinson another exhibit, this time in Great Britain (the ‘lost’ Marilyn Monroe William Travilla costume collection) as a complete hoax. Mark Bellinghaus owns a real & authentic Monroe worn Travilla costume.

Marilyn Monroe William Travilla Costume 'Prototypes' Hoax in ... May 26, 2008 ... MARILYN MONROE NEWS ENTERTAINMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Marilyn Monroe William Travilla...
www.pr-inside.com/marilyn-monroe-william-travilla-costume-r607845.htm - 23k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this Costume 'Prototypes' Hoax in Bexleyheath,

Trademark ™ and Copyright © 2005 - 2008 by Mark Bellinghaus & MARILYN MONROE PRODUCTIONS, LLC All rights reserved. Do not copy or redistribute in any form.

Barack Obama For President!

MARILYN MONROE NEWS ENTERTAINMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Marilyn Monroe would have voted for Barack Obama

Marilyn Monroe and Senator Barack Obama Photo compilation ©2008 by Mark Bellinghaus 2008-10-07 00:00:19 - By Mark Bellinghaus, CEO, MARILYN MONROE PRODUCTIONS, LLC

Opinion & Support

Because you know, that Marilyn Monroe would vote for Barack Obama if she was still alive.
Marilyn Monroe was fighting racism, and she was supporting the Democratic Party, she was fighting for women's rights, and she opened her own company. Since Mary Pickford, she was the first actress who would take her faith into her own hands.
She was considering to adopt a baby, in 1962, shortly before her untimely death and decades before it became almost 'fashionable' for Hollywood actresses to adopt kids.
Marilyn Monroe was her time ahead, always.

The close friendship between black & white (Ella Fitzgerald & Marilyn Monroe) in 1950's racist America!

Extract & Photo caption/description posted on OUR MARILYN BLOG - you can find the entire blog article here:
blog.ourmarilyn.com/2008/08/31/marilyn-monroe-would-have-voted-f ..
and also here:
my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/markbellinghaus/gG5W75
Ella Fitzgerald & Marilyn Monroe, in 1955 (above) and in 1962, (below), the year Marilyn Monroe passed away. In 1955, when racism was still a big issue in the United States of America, Ella Fitzgerald became the first African-American to perform at the Mocambo, after Marilyn Monroe had lobbied the owner for the booking. The booking was instrumental in Fitzgerald's career. Marilyn would promise the owner that she would appear every night (and be on time), and this way also fill the house--and she did, she was there every night, and she filled the house and: she was always on time! Their close friendship lasted for many years and Ella would sing Marilyn Monroe's famous 'My Heart Belongs To Daddy' in honor of her wonderful friend Marilyn Monroe, who died almost 34 years before she passed on in 1996, at age 79.

Barack Obama Quotes:

'They say I need to be seasoned; they say I need to be stewed. They say, 'We need to boil all the hope out of him -- like us -- and then he'll be ready.'

'I have nothing to hide, I enjoy being myself. I'm not going to change who I am just because it's Halloween." -appearing as himself on Saturday Night Live as part of a skit that featured Hillary Clinton dressed as a witch at a Halloween party

*

'It's like I was shot out of a cannon. I'm so overexposed that I make Paris Hilton look like a recluse.'

'Hillary is not the first politician in Washington to declare 'Mission Accomplished' a little too soon.'

Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy, who was a Democrat

Marriage Equality & this Election

Jake Goad — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:19:56 EDT

I've done a few things relating to LGBT equality, like co-founding an annual drag conest charity event at NCSU, and interning with the Jim Neal (an openly gay Chapel Hill business man) for Senate campaign for about half a year, but I've decided to try and step things up recently in as much as I can while working and going to school.

HRC + LCR = GOP, Not GLBT

Vanessa Edwards from Houston, TX — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:11:32 EDT

http://transpolitical.blogspot.com/2008/09/hrc-lcr-gop-not-glbt.html

reprint from TransPolitical blog: 9/9/08

“I don't know about the rest of you, but I am absolutely furious about this. Not only is this inequitable, it's fuckin dismissive and disrespectful.” — Steven Driscoll, National Stonewall Democrats Board Co-Chair

Can anybody tell me why HRC had such prominence with the Obama Campaign once Hillary was officially out of the race? They even proffered their own handpicked trans person, a relative unknown to the trans community itself that they brought onto the business council, to be the campaign’s transgender steering committee member. And this for what support they’ve shown?

As Andrew Sullivan noted at the time Hillary dropped out, HRC’s own board of directors had given to the following presidential candidates’ campaigns:

That’s right, zero to Barack Obama’s campaign by the time Hillary Clinton had suspended her campaign. Immediately after, Obama graciously allowed HRC’s current and former executive director, and one of their board doing the speaking on a campaign conference call to the LGBT community (including, though rarely mentioning, the plethora of trans leaders who long worked the campaign). HRC even played petulant, suggesting it would take time for their ranks to come around and pleading for “patience” from the campaign until they decided to engage.

Grace In Victory For Obama, Sowing Sour Grapes For LesBiGay Leaders

Vanessa Edwards from Houston, TX — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:54:56 EDT

“Well I'll be damned, here comes your ghost again.But that's not unusualIt's just that the moon is full and you happened to callAnd here I sit, hand on the telephone,Hearing a voice I'd known a couple of light years agoHeading straight for a fall” — Diamonds And Rust, Joan Baez

“They were fast-moving opportunists encased in cynicism and proud of it.” — journalist, Jay Carr

For some reason, it seemed like a lot was going on while we were convened in Texas’ Democratic Convention last weekend. The economy tanked. Hillary Clinton suspended her campaign. And for trans supporters, Barack Obama held a conference call with the LGBT community. (No, I don’t get invitations to those things … I just volunteer on the campaign, organize, get others involved in volunteering and win a delegate slot to Denver instead. That’s plenty on the plate, I reckon.)

The Obama Campaign LGBT conference call focused on bringing in (of all people) HRC leaders, as in Human Rights Campaign or Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters – however you want to slice it. Indeed during the conference call, there was apparently some issue with the HRC (the group) focus and how “99% of the issues voiced” were gay or lesbian, while transgender was mostly never heard. For those in Trans America, we know we’re not Johnny-come-latelys and had long ago thrown our support to Obama (knowing Clinton’s gay/lesbian-only propensity).

Some of the trans participants in the conference call expressed surprise, hurt or “dismay” (as Donna Rose noted in her blog) at the focus of the subject matter due to HRC’s prominence in the call. For those who’ve been at this since the 90’s, especially old-line NTAC folk like me, having transgender being an equal part of something HRC-focused would’ve been the surprise. This opportunism and self-focus was classic HRC. If anything, how the conference call played out should serve to remind trans leaders that HRC is still HRC, and is still (as always) gay and lesbian. Period.

Biden States Equality for All; Palin Sidesteps the Issue

Scott A. Giordano — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:18:52 EDT

The differences were clear in the VP debate, as it relates to civil rights for GLBT people and their families.

EVERY VOTE DOES COUNT! LIFE VS. CHOICE and GAY RIGHTS

Davina Prill — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:20:12 EDT

EVERY VOTE DOES COUNT!

OK, so in the past I wasnt very active in politics and/or voting but, I deffinately believe whole heartedly that NOW IS the time for change...here is the scoop, on me...what I strongly believe as a person, I am not a member of ANY political party BUT, I do believe I HAVE the right to write this email JUST AS MUCH as YOU HAVE the RIGHt to disregard it...this election is HIGHLY crucial...PLEASE, VOTE FOR OBAMA!

While, many,..political parties seem to be the answer...here are a few things I perosnally have considered in my own tactic of voting...I believe WE ARE the vote that counts...so, please, KNOW the facts and dont vote for MCCAIN simply because he is 'PRO-LIFE' (First off thats just what he is 'trained' to say as a Republican it doesnt necissarily reflect his own personal and private view of pro life vs pro choice)...that is just a Republican tactic to get your vote...

Abortion?)

It seems Republicans could care less if the girl dies in an illegal abortion in an alley...or if hundreds of thousands of unwanted children are brought into this world and deprived of an opportunity at 'LIFE' simply because they were born to unwed mothers who had no REAL means of supporting their children and therefore are FORCED to rely on state aid such as welfare...this IS NOT something ALL of them WANT to do...it is simply ALL they knew to do in their paticular situations....some may do it for the simpleness of 'using the system' but, the sad sad truth of it is that MOST of them do it because of dead beat parents, poor education in the family planning and sex ed department...and because they were raised to belive that abortion was undoubtedly and undeniably WRONG...I myself would NOT give up being who I am with the children I have, yet I see the mistakes in society for what they truly are....FAMILY PLANNING and SEX ED SHOULD be an enforced education curriculum...as well as many other things that may or may not prevent early or unwanted pregnancies such as...SELF ESTEEM workshops that are REQUIRED...(Of course no one WANTS to admit they need help in this area...but a large portion...if not ALL of the young teens and women who have EARLY Intercourse that leads to Early and Unwanted Pregnancies HAVE LOW SELF ESTEEM due to various reasons ...the most common being various abuse/s as a child and lack of education for the less fortunate and battered children of todays society that not always but, commonly leads to the addiction of NEEDING to feel loved and/or believing that we HAVE to be in a relationship to be 'WHOLE' another commonly pronounced view society has placed on us...)

Also, while I am on the fence about abortion laws...I personally do not belive that persons who have been raped...especially by family members should have to mentally deal with the fact that they had a child of incest inside them...much less that they should have to deal with the fact that they brought a child of incest into this already clearly disfunctional world...Think about it in terms of yoursefl or your sibling...think...what if...I had been raped by a father or brother and was pregnant with my brother and my son or my nephew and my son...would I REALLY WANT to have that child? That answer is up to you personally as it is a CHOICE...and should be if not always...atleast in certain surcumstances...thats my own peronal opinion....

GAY RIGHTS)

Whether you are straight or gay...whether you agree with homosexuality or not - on a personal level...maybe it is time to think...on a RIGHTS level...

I personally, do not expect everyone or many, of the peoplewho read this ...to agree with me in part or whole...what I do hope for and expect is for them to respect MY RIGHT as an American to be open about my own beliefs and opinions...I do however...and let me make this clear TOTALLY RESPECT THAT YOU TOO HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR OWN PERSONAL OPINION...and I can whole heartedly and non judgementally agree to disagree...with that said...I will continue on my personal belief...lol

I believe that the gay community should have LEGAL RIGHTS...I can budge with the religious community and give on the word 'marriage...go ahead and have that...even if the majority of the gay community disagrees with that...what I CANNOT agree with is that they should not have the RIGHT to a LEGAL UNION...even f that is what it is decided it should be technically called to satisfy the religious community...I can give that much...really I can...but, the fact remains, whether or not you agree with homosexuality in any form...the Gay community will as always and increasingly so...continue to live their lives as they have the RIGHT to do...'BANNING' Gay Marriage or a 'LEGAL UNION' WILL NOT STOP the gay community from being gay...NOTHING EVER WILL...so, as human beings and Americans...why can we not embrace the idea that the Gay community ALSO has RIGHTS...just like the hetrosexual community...For example say you have been in a relationship a yr or two and decide to get married...hetrosexuals...In most areas of the US...LEGALLY by law are entitled to split half of everything aquired during their marriage (technically A LEGAL UNION) and or in the event there is a death of a spouse the living spouse is entitled to everything...My, point is this...If hetrosexuals have this right then the Gay community should also have this RIGHT...to a LEGAL UNION... and in closing i would just like to say that if we are 'A FREE COUNTRY' why is it that so many of our freedoms have been and are currently being taken from us?.....Once again, ...this may not be something you agree with or WANT to hear...but its deffinately something to think about and maybe it will get you to thinking....

I also support pretty much all of the issues Obama supports ... except one or two maybe but, for the most part, I support democratic style politics...even though i am still an individual who claims NO political party.

PEACE and HAPPINESS to us ALL, Davina

'There has never been anything false about hope'
Barack Obama '08

A Quick Fix?

Mike Jordan Jr. — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:42:21 EDT

Dear Fellow Americans,

Just short time ago Sarah Palin 44, a social conservative, former union member and mother of five has been governor for two years joins the GOP presidential ticket as John McCain’s running mate. This is JUST what McCain needs--so he says.

She is young, fresh, bright and attempts to paint McCain as the not so usual Washington puppet as we have ourselves done so in the past.

But really now, what do we know about Palin?

Please join us

Jill and Andrew — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:50:24 EDT

The Scottsdale for Obama Group will be hosting a meet and greet Wednesday, 9/17/2008 at Coffee Plantation Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85260. We will discuss everything from canvassing, to recruiting and everything in between. If you are unavailable to meet us please feel free to post any ideas you may have to promote events and get voters support.
-Jill
"We are the change we've been waiting for"

This is not the time.....

Shannah — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:44:48 EDT

This is not the time to have a Republican president in the white house. The elite Republican party is out of touch with mainstream America along with their supporters. It is self serving to want to elect a Republican president in 2008.

A lot of Republicans want to put John McCain in the white house because they don't want their taxes to go up. They want to hoard all of the wealth and let the rest of America pay for their lap of luxury. When Senator Barack Obama speaks about helping keep the middle class stable because we are the backbone of the American society and providing health care for all who want to have it, the Republicans feel, "that's not my problem, I have enough wealth for my kids and grandchildren to live good lives, even if they work for a job that has no healthcare." Just pass the greed and wealth along to your offspring why don't ya. Forget about the rest of us.

A lot of the Republican party want to put John McCain into the white house because they don't want the taxes of big business to go up. It may cause jobs to move oversees. It may cause these same businesses to evade paying taxes and layoff workers. "Something that is not already happening under the Republican administration, I might add." If their big tax cuts did not cause companies to keep jobs in America and not layoff American workers after 8 years, why would more tax cuts work? Am I missing something here? Any reasonable person would try something different like providing tax cuts to companies who keep the work in America! Try that for a new concept Republican party.

Also to say that raising taxes for big companies will cause these companies and individuals to evade taxes is the risk that we need to take because those people need to be put out of business if that is their option. Also that is an unpatriotic thing to do. Stop giving excuses for those who have no morals.

A lot of the Republican party do not want to tax big oil companies because the oil companies need that money to invest in alternative energy research. So we need to give them more tax cuts. Well what about the tax cuts we gave them all those many years? What did they do with that money, pocket it in dividends? The big oil companies need to pull from that reserve of cash and start doing some research. We would have been further along if they were not self serving, incompetent, and shady businessmen who did what they were suppose to do in the first place.

A lot of Republicans want to put McCain into office because he shares their values of no abortion under any circumstances, guns, and no gay marriage. Let's face it, they have nothing else to worry about because they are already rich and/or ignorant. Well what about the values of the rest of Americans which include more than abortion, guns, and gay marriage. To the narrow minded Republicans, there are other concerns in our society to vote about...hmmm let's see... civil liberties, war, economy, government to name just a few because there are so much more.

I believe in capitalism but I don't believe in policies that suppress the majority and look out for the few, who in most cases, don't deserve it.

Take care my good people!

Yes President Obama, WE CAN !!!

David Lee Frater — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:02:06 EDT

This is my web video contribution to the Obama/Biden ticket for the Presidency of These United States. As a Gay Activist, and out and about freelance photo/video journalist/reporter/writer, I am doing everything I CAN to win over the people of both of my communities, to vote Obama/Biden. When I say both of my communities, what I mean is, being Gay, I belong to the GLBTQA community, which is diverse, and does have some population centers in the city, such as West Hollywood, but many are widely spread all over the city in widely different locations, this is why the internet is an ideal way to contact the GLNTQA community, who largely, are not concentrated in a specific locale. My second community, is of course, the actual physical locale in which I live, the Westlake/McArthur park area of Loa Angeles, which is mostly Spanish speaking newly arrived immigrants. These are MY PEOPLE too, so, I belong to two communities, one which has a physical location, and one which does not.

Please use the following link, to view my video commentary, on why I, as a gay man, a gay parent, a gay family person, am voting Obama/Biden, and my effort, to convince the other members of the GLBTQA community to vote with us. (FYI, GLBTQA = Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Accepting Persons, it is the anacronym commonly adopted by most of us to describe ourselves.)

And Also, I need some assistance as to how, I can link this video into the Obama web sites, so it gets a greater viewing audiance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0Xtj7n9cLQ

Thank you all...

Love First, Love Always, Love ONLY

David Lee Frater

Introduction

Valerie from Charlotte, TN — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:42:30 EDT

Hi everyone,

I am posting here for the first time so thought I'd introduce myself. I am a blogger/podcaster/youtube video producer and I just got back from Denver. It was electric and I am fired up to do what I can to help Barack win. I've just signed up on this site, I plan to contact my election office Monday to see about being a poll watcher and I intend to be an active member in the GLBT Tennessee group here. I invite you to check out my regular blog (http://avalonfarmblog.wordpress.com) for posts from the DNC. I had a guest blogger in Denver: Marisa Richmond, Tennessee's first African-American transgender delegate. She posted daily from the convention floor at the Pepsi Center and Mile High Stadium. I was blogging from The Big Tent along with several hundred other bloggers. There were several exciting glbt events we covered including the HRC premier show with Melissa Ethridge, Cyndi Lauper and others. Cheers to all and let's go take our country back!

Peace & Love,

Val

A rant about the gay marriage/civil union debate.

RyanButler — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:37:11 EDT

Marriage between two same-sex people will NEVER harm a straight marriage! I would like someone to explain in REAL terms what they think this will do to traditional marriage. All I ever hear is this rhetoric about it being tradition. Well, slavery was tradition, so was the way women were treated pre-women's rights and how about our schools pre-Brown vs. the Board of Education? Segregation is another "tradition" that has gone by the way side, and for good reason. Traditions change, society evolves.

The next time I hear someone say we need a Constitutional Amendment banning gay-marriage because marriage is sacred I am going to scream. If marriage is such a sacred thing, then in addition to gay marriage, I want an amendment to ban all divorces, annulments, living together and having children out of wedlock. Is that not the argument? That we need an Amendment to protect families? That families need a mother and a father? Well, we need all of the Amendments I just proposed to insure that!

I recently read some comments by a US Rep that said in effect if not verbatim, "Marriage's sole purpose is to produce children." Um, uh, isn't love supposed to be in there somewhere?!?

My family consists of myself, my wife, and my dog. We are not a traditional marriage. My wife is the main bread-winner. I am a house-husband. We have no children and are not planning on having children. Should we not have been allowed to wed?

It would seem to me that with two wars, countless scandals and all the other political bickering, that we would all find other more deserving subjects to debate.

Lets get excited

Ken B — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:06:42 EDT

For 35 years I have waited for a candadete that was in touch with the poeple of this county. As a seven year US Army Veteran and A single Gay man, I have always felt no one in Washington cares about me. Barack Obama cares about me and you. Barack Obama cares about Verterans, Gay and Lesbians, Women, Men, Latinos, Afrincan Americans......The list goes on and on but there is a way to sum it up, Barack Obama cares about Americans. Barack belives in the the american dream because he is the american dream. I have never been so touched by a politician in my life before. Senator Obama will be the next President Of the United States

"Dont ask Dont Tell"

Jordan from Pittsburgh, PA — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:27:14 EDT

I have been searching the web for about a half an hour trying to figure out where obama stands on this issue. Yet I've noticed that when it comes to this issue or any other gay rights issue the information i am getting back is either extremely vague or non existant.

I am a 24 year old man from Pennsylvania, I am a libertarian, I love my country, and I would fight for it in a new york minute. However, I refuse to pretend that I am something or someone other than who I am. The fact that gays cant serve in the US military openly is completely rediculous. I mean if its ok with the queen of fucking England why should it not be ok in this "free" land that we live in. We state that we are a free country yet everywhere you look people are in chains.

Obama needs to be clear on issues like this as well as issues in general. As much as I know we can not take four more years of republican policy I also can not imagine an "obama-nation" either. I think alot of people out there are ready to write their own name in sit back and watch the world burn. Change, Change, Change??? change what!? Help me understand please.

Florida Amendment 2...Banning Gay Marriage

Chris Burns — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:02:34 EDT

Unalienable Union

The gay and lesbian marriage debate in this country will continue to rage and once again be on display during a Presidential election. Neither party has approached the issue in a way that values the people of this country or the rights given to us in the Constitution yet at the same time the political lines have been drawn in the dirt.

Republicans believe that marriage is only between a man and a woman. They feel that legislating this as a Constitutional Amendment will do more than what the current state laws do by making it nearly impossible for judges to overturn the law on a case by case basis. The hypocrisy in a party that believes in less government legislating personal freedom is stunning, yet they do have a valid point of view. The word “marriage” has a deep rooted Biblical meaning that goes hand in hand with the belief that being gay is a sin. The party line is so closely woven with religious connotations that it plays to the Republican base but at the same time castigates the gay community; the perfect political storm.

The Democrats have followed the Republican lead on this in a sense by being against gay marriage while being for civil unions. A civil union is a legally recognized union, similar to marriage, established by law in many developed countries and in some states. A civil union is meant to provide same-sex couples with rights, benefits, and responsibilities similar to opposite-sex civil marriage. This may be the political safe road but with neither party standing for gay marriage the gay community is left without a voice in the game.

Now we come to the 2008 election and, lo and behold, banning gay marriage is once again on the ballot in a swing state, Florida. The cynic in me thinks that the Republicans are hoping the same thing will happen, as it did in 2004. In Ohio, one of the biggest swing states in that election, gay marriage found itself in the cross-hairs of a Presidential vote. The amendment banning gay marriage brought social conservatives out in droves to vote for their religious belief and while they were there they most likely voted for George W. Bush. This November the great state of Florida, with all of its “electile-dysfunction” (2000 General Election, 2008 Democratic Primary), is in play again and could potentially become the 28th state to pass an amendment banning gay marriage. The amendment reads: "Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized."

Yes2Marriage, led by State Chairman John Stemberger, is the main supporter of this amendment. They have a strong stance that, “Since the beginning of time, the institution of marriage has been the cornerstone of every society and civilization. And yet, a handful of homosexual activists and unrestrained, activist judges are trying to redefine marriage and force that new definition onto the rest of society. We believe that our children’s future is too important to let this attack on the American family and on Florida go unanswered.” Yes2Marriage has everything to do with citizen action stopping the government from redefining marriage against their will.

Florida Red and Blue, the opposition voice in the fight argues, “Florida voters will be asked to vote on an amendment that would take away the ability to visit loved ones in the hospital, harm our seniors, eliminate insurance benefits for non-married couples, and require government to take an even larger role in all our lives.” Although the amendment does not state any of this, Florida Red and Blue believes that because of the language in the amendment, “no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized," the end result would lead to these afore mentioned consequences, all of which would be extremely hard to reverse.

I find it interesting that on an issue like this the Democratic and Republican Party’s stance seems to contradict their typical party philosophy. Republicans, who are historically for small government, want to add legislation and the Democrats do not want the government to take this kind of role in our lives. I quickly find myself siding with the Florida Red and Blue and the Democrats on this issue strictly because of the language in the amendment. The language makes it impossible for, not just gay marriage, but a civil union to be recognized. This has less to do with government and everything to do with a war on personal freedom. I understand the frustration on the Republican side. They want marriage to be between and man and a woman. I agree with that, but once you infringe on other people’s rights, a stance must be taken on what freedom in this country really means. If as a country we truly believe that, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”, then we must allow that freedom to exist. Does the act of a homosexual couple’s marriage take rights away or infringe upon heterosexual couples in anyway other than semantics? Does it deface the power of what marriage means? As a Christian I believe that marriage is between a man, a woman, and God. Yet I do not feel the need to have this written in any other law other than the law and word of God. One of the many amazing aspects of America is the freedom of religion. I can look at our currency and read, “In God We Trust” and believe to my core that it means Jesus Christ. However the man behind the counter handing me my change may believe in a different God, and in America, he can. I feel the same goes for gay marriage. In America, you can absolutely detest that gay couples are getting married. You can also raise your children to believe that being gay is a sin and that it is not in God’s plan. You have that right. But as an American you do not have the right to deprive someone else of their “Pursuit of Happiness” simply because your theology and faith does not agree. In the very same breath you tell your children that marriage is only between a man and a woman, you can also tell them that they live in such a free country that no one can ever tell them who they can and cannot marry.

So what does this all mean? We may look back in on this time in history when in 2004, a Republican-controlled Congress tried to pass the first Constitutional Amendment that would take rights away from an American. Or maybe we’d see that in 2004 and 2006 voters in more than 20 states approved measures to ban gay marriage. We may equate this debate to the civil rights movement of the 1960’s or posterity may show that the root of it all was a religious belief that became an American ideal. Perhaps the hypocrisy of the anti-gay marriage crowd will be remembered for advocating a strong family unit and the sanctity of marriage, while 4 out of 10 first marriage heterosexual couples end in divorce. Yet recent studies have shown that although America remains plagued by a divorce epidemic, the national per capita divorce rate has declined steadily since its peak in 1981 and is now at its lowest level since 1970.

For centuries the conventional wisdom regarding gays has been that being gay is a lifestyle choice. In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association’s Board of Trustees removed homosexuality from its official diagnostic manual, yet the debate over whether or not it is a choice continues. It is this unresolved debate that fuels people’s fire on this topic. You either believe it is inborn into people and a condition over which they have no control or it is a choice of deliberate perversity. Recently the public has begun to reach the conclusion that being homosexual is genetic and regard issues such as gay marriage similar to those of civil rights.

I feel for both sides but I do not believe that an amendment will do much of anything, other than alienate the “unalienable rights” of Americans. In the end, I see it as a sensitive game of social linguistics. What if we let marriage be defined as a union only between a man and woman, and let the gay community come up with another word for their “marriage”. The gay community may not believe a choice like this to be fair, but do they really want to use the word marriage to describe their bond? A word that has such a strong Biblical meaning, forever connecting their lifestyle to sin? I feel that as Americans we need to lead on issues like these and show the rest of the world how free we truly are. Individuals that believe the fabric of our great country will slowly come unraveled because of gay marriage need to have more faith in their own family. No matter how others live their lives it does not have to affect how they choose to live theirs. At the same time, the gay community must have the same respect for the lifestyle of heterosexual couples and understand the religious history involved with the word marriage.

OBAMA/BIDEN OUR BEST CHANCE AT RENEWAL AN OPEN LETTER TO POTENTIAL VOTERS:

Mark E from San Francisco, CA — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:12:15 EDT

I received and email last week where I was invited to submit my resume and references to work in red states by the Obama campaign. I am considering if I have the 5 weeks to do this. But here is a concern and my thoughts which I think all Democrats need to hear especially the most passive and confidant ones. I hope you will consider posting it on your blog as I was saddened to hear in the post Denver conversations how many Democrats think this is now sewn up. That attitude lost us many elections and put us here right now. In the last 24 hours I have heard 8 Democrats across the country sit down and say well we won that. As if to say it's over, we are on top!

I don't care what you think about the war, abortion, my gay friends and brothers, your wallet, your right to carry guns or our crime in the streets. How can anyone honestly look at the end of the Clinton years and all the good work he did and now look now at the approaching end of the Bush years and actually think in any possible way we are better off?

Forget party lines, forget all the negative advertising, forget color and military records. Look at these two men side by side, Obama and McCain, both good men but dramatically different politics and belief structures, then ask yourself who you want at the helm for the next four years.

If McCain is elected our Constitution will be worth less than the paper it's inked on. We will be bankrupt morally and financially and our global reputation will be so tarnished that no party will be able to repair it. We are nearly there now. But you can bet Iraq will be richer than they are now! And we will be less secure at home and abroad.

When it comes time to vote, historically Republicans decide in the pews on Sunday, many Democrats decide much the same way in this country. But historically Republicans also go out and vote and Democrats more typically than not sit at home wondering why they lost. if you do not think this is true go look at the last election. If you want it changed, get out and change it. If you want more of the same, then sleep in on election day and let McCain sweep this thing. I know in this forum I am speaking to the engaged and the enraged. But, we live in a deep political pocket here in California, I live half in San Francisco and half in Los Angeles and because I am a Director/Producer/Creative Director, I am often in Texas, Kansas, Missouri, New York and North Carolina...I scout and shoot in Wyoming, Montana and Utah as well as Nevada. And folks, you can all be really proud of our speeches and be energized but only one moment counts in this election and that is when you and those YOU are able to convince to vote, go out and actually pull the trigger for Obama/Biden on election day. And at that moment, the speeches, the hope and the knot in all our stomachs will not matter if they are not elected.

In the last election they spent millions on the "Rock the Vote" registration campaign...for all the newly registered 'young' and 'first-time' voters they registered, especially Democrats, on election day they determined that despite spending millions that the actual youth vote in this country barely increased from the 4 years prior. Youth could care less, they don't think it matters or that they can really influence true change. They do not care. We need to get them to care, we need to help them understand that it does matter and that it matters for reasons important to them.

So if Democrats want to count on our newly energized youth vote....I say, "Good luck with that". Unless....unless we can convince them to act, to show up on election day and make the right decision.

We each count as one, and only one in November. Personally I am voting for Obama/Biden, I am sure you are as well. I am sad to call myself an American when I leave this country right now. Frankly, I am scared to even leave the country right now because Bush and this administration has created such hatred around the world towards America, and you know what? We deserve much of it!

So forget party, forget color and forget all the noise you are being fed, and vote for real change because we cannot survive four more years of this crap! But most importantly, get off the couch because we cannot as a party or as believers make noise now and think that effort will sustain us on election day. As Democrats we have made that mistake too many times.

I'm in. Tell me what else to do. Post and Blog on your Facebook, MySpace, Linked-in pages. Put up window and yard signs, speak out in public and at dinner. Speak to those who do not believe. And speak with facts, passion and truth. Not anger!!!! Barack gave the speech of his life in Denver, he stood up, articulated what he intends to do and went after McCain for the right reasons in the right way. Echo that...embrace that and each of you build an army of 1000. In that way and in that way alone we will win this.

My best to all of you and my hope that I will meet you during this historic battle. I have not felt like this since I first heard Bill Clinton speak, I knew then that we had a politician who was able to make real change in Washington. This is the start of the next 8 and hopefully a much longer Democratic run in America!

But please don't stop the fight and don't think this is over until we have voted!

Mark E. Sackett
President/Creative Director/Executive Producer
Reflectur/Articulation Films/Republic of Sound/Stage 24 Productions

McCain's "Victor/Victoria" Strategy: More of the Same

jude jones — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:16:31 EDT

If like me you're old enough to remember the movie "Victor/Victoria" (a 1982 Blake Edwards gem), you might be feeling a strange resonance between the film and the current campaign season, and yet be a little unclear about what that resonance is. Today, that resonance became much clearer to me with John McCain's astonishing selection of Sarah Palin as VP.

Victor/Victoria Go to Washinton

To refresh memories, "Victor/Victoria" was a musical comedy about a struggling singer named Victoria Grant (played by Julie Andrews) who teams up with a gay nightclub singer named Toddy (Robert Preston, RIP) to pull a fast one on the Paris cabaret circuit and make a boatload of money. When he watches Victoria--hair slicked back after a bath--break his ex-lover's nose (long story), Toddy has an epiphany and hatches the plan: Victoria will pretend to be a female impersonator, and Toddy will manage her as they perpetrate the associated lie that they are lovers. Victoria will become "Count Victor Grezhinski" and Paris will go wild! Victoria objects to the preposterousness of the idea. "A woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman--it's absurd--they'll know he's a phony!" Toddy replies, "That's right--they'll know HE'S a phony." Under Toddy's sparkling-eyed persuasion, Julie Andrews becomes Victor/Victoria.

Often over the past several years I've found that exchange rattling around in my mind as a description of Bush/Cheney politics. I realized that the preposterousness of the behavior of the Bush administration was calling into my suspicions the sense that a gigantic charade was being perpetrated on us. The strategy of Bush/Cheney has been to do or say the most outrageous things, and count on people's gullibility to not think too hard about the picture before their eyes because to suspect the extent of the lie represented in our government would ruin the entertainment of thinking we are a democracy, as well as ruining the usual entertainments of everyday life. They have made a lot of money and power for a handful of people while we in the audience watched and wonder what on earth we were watching, but hoping in the end it was all for our gratification.

McCain's 'Preposterous' Lies

More recently, I've found myself thinking about the Victor/Victoria deception as McCain has morphed into someone unrecognizable to those of us democrats who used to consider voting for him one day. But it never quite fit.....sure, there were preposterous claims, like "Obama wants us to lose in Iraq", which part of the willing public would eat up because a certain portion of that public thinks Obama is in league with dangerous Arabs (!). "Obama wants to raise your taxes" which is utterly false for 95% of the public, but seems believable enough to a public weaned on the myth of the tax and spend democrat during this era of tax-hating but fanatical spending republican administrations. Surely the public would see through all this? But no, the entertainment was too engaging and the charade just far enough on the other side of preposterous as to appear true. Still, tho, the "Victor/Victoria" fit felt imperfect.

Gender-Bending Takes Shape in McCain Nation

Today, however, the fit took shape. By announcing Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain has stepped out on the other side of preposterousness in full gender-obscuring Victor/Victoria form. Playing the consummate "Toddy," McCain rolled out his "feminist" running mate designed to capture the attention and the allegiance of disaffected Hillary voters. She walked up to the microphone with her hockey-mom narrative all in place (a narrative which, unlike Victor/Victoria's, has been getting crafted over several months as an official self-descriptor for the governor-of- Alaska-qua-potential-VP), and made her pitch to all those women who still had glass in their hair from putting all those cracks in "highest, hardest glass ceiling" as she called it. That Mrs. Palin enunciated "highest. hardest" with a male sexual suggestiveness complete with fist pump was not even the worst of the gender lie taking shape. It was the utter charade of this Vice Presidential pick being trotted out as entertainment for an over-stimulated media (un)fresh from the Democratic Convention and for the for-profit duping of women who dream of one day having the role they so deserve in the Executive branch.

Sarah Palin is woman, pretending to be a "woman" pretending to be a feminist. No real feminist would stand with the policy agenda of George Bush, much less the policy agenda of PAT BUCHANAN, for whom Palin was a member of the cozily-named "Pitchfork Brigade" in the late 90's as he sought to kick American culture back into the 1940's. This policy agenda, now ensconced wholesale in the platform of John McCain, has eviscerated the dreams of millions of American families, taken the lives of the children of 4000+ sets of parents whose kids never came home from Iraq, and made sure that national health care would remain a mere distant rumor in our lifetime. This before we even consider the issues of reproductive rights about which McCain has just served ultra-right-wing notice. Hillary feminists and countless women of honor are being asked to believe that this "female runningmate"--the "woman" on the ticket--represents their dreams' fulfillment, when in fact it represents the reinforcing of the glass ceiling they have spent so much energy cracking for so many years. Women are being asked to accept that a certain configuration of secondary sex characteristics is all we care about as we consider our sacred votes. Last I checked, that was more what certain men--especially misogynists like John McCain--care about.

The Cynical Betrayal of Women With a "Woman"

But breasts and a vagina and a near six-pack of children no more guarantee a defender of the needs and interests of Hillary women than Victor's overdone frilly skirts meant that the successful lounge-singer was a woman, or even a man pretending to be a woman.

This appointment is a cynical plot hatched in the awareness that a preposterous lie fed to an entertainment-hungry audience just might work. Unlike the delightful ruse of Victoria and Toddy, this is an obscene instance of a woman being used by a man (or team of men) to pull the wool over the eyes of women everywhere, and to use them in turn as as stepping-stones to power and more wealth for the team of men and rich women who are in charge of the charade.

John McCain should stop running a cross-dressing campaign and figure out who he is, before he uses someone else to confuse the rest of us women about who we are. Shame on you, John McCain. And Sarah--wake up. You are no more second in command here than Dan Quayle was in 88. You should stay home and be the honorable mother of your new son and the governor of your beautiful state rather than being the tool of misogyny and a preposterous lie. Stay Victoria, rather than getting tangled up in the fictional Victor's fictional life.

Obama speaks out on GLBT equality: from HRC

Helping Heroes — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:31:24 EDT

When I am President of the United States, gays and lesbians will have somebody who will fight for equal rights for them, somebody who opposes Don't Ask, Don't Tell, somebody who's fought to make sure that gays and lesbians aren't discriminated against on the job or hospital visitation. Because they are our brothers and sisters, and I don't mind anyone knowing where I stand. Barack Obama, 2007

That last part is my favorite: "I don't mind anyone knowing where I stand." For Barack Obama, standing up for GLBT rights isn't something he does behind closed doors, away from TV cameras. He does it with pride and resolve, without hesitation.

We've never had a President who's spoken like this. But we can – yes, we can – if we all pitch in.

John McCain's negative attacks are working. McCain is ahead by 5% in one poll this week. Make a donation to the Obama campaign through HRC and send a powerful message: people who care about GLBT equality are counting on Obama to stay strong.

Contribute to Sen. Obama's campaign in the next 48 hours and move us one step closer to a pro-equality White House.

The deadline to make your gift is Thursday night, when Sen. Obama accepts the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States in Denver. That's your last chance to have your gift count towards the donation limits that are set for the primary season – and the best way to send Obama into the general election season with the strength to beat John McCain.

Thursday night's speech comes 45 years to the day after Martin Luther King spoke of his dream on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Sen. Obama has made it clear that he believes the struggle for GLBT civil rights is an extension of the historic movement led by Dr. King – equally consistent with America's founding principles, equally urgent as a moral imperative.

Barack has promised to work for "an America that lives up to our founding promise of equality for all – a promise that extends to our gay brothers and sisters."

Donate before Sen. Obama accepts the nomination on Thursday and help break the anti-gay stranglehold on the presidency.

But it doesn't start and end with the presidency. You can make sure a President Obama has the strong allies and leaders he needs in Congress when you support these courageous pro-equality candidates:

Congressman Mark Udall, who has earned a 100% on HRC's scorecard and whose opponent for the U.S. Senate, former Rep. Bob Shaffer, earned flat 0% ratings in Congress;
New Hampshire's former Governor Jeanne Shaheen, who signed a repeal of the state's ban on gay adoption, enacted a law to ban workplace discrimination, and supports her state's new civil union law;
Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who has clearly and publicly opposed Arizona's discriminatory marriage ballot measures, in 2006 and again this year. She faces a tough reelection campaign against the state senator who cast the final and deciding vote that put the marriage amendment on the ballot this year;
Iraq War veteran and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" opponent Ashwin Madia, who is running for a hotly contested seat in the battleground state of Minnesota;
Comedian, writer, radio talk show host, and outspoken supporter of the GLBT community, Al Franken, who will be running against the Minnesota incumbent, Senator Norm Coleman;
Mark Begich, who is running against the corruption-mired Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens. The race is an opportunity to replace a senator who's repeatedly cast votes against the GLBT community--voting for the Federal Marriage Amendment and against the Matthew Shepard Act--with a true GLBT advocate;
Congressman Tom Udall, who supports key HRC legislation such as the fully-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act and strong hate crimes prevention legislation, and will be running for the open Senate seat in the battleground state of New Mexico.

All these candidates, Sen. Obama included, are in tight races. The winners will be the ones whose supporters tried the hardest, dug the deepest, and gave the most.

Give by Thursday night and help them win.

There's so much at stake. There's never been an election like this one. Believe me, Michelle, you're going to want to be a part of this.

Warmly,
Joe Solmonese
President

"I had not heard that phrase before": two vignettes

Kevin Baker — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:05:32 EDT

This story is from last year, but it sums up so much about what a McCain presidency would mean for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender folks that I think it’s worth telling over and over:

Another student asked McCain what he would do on “LGBT” issues and on “workers’ rights?”
McCain, paused, confused by the question. Someone in the crowd shouted out “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.” “I had not heard that phrase before,” McCain said of LGBT. (It’s a mark of the different planets the candidates from the two parties live on that McCain said this. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards have long lists of “LGBT” supporters they’ve sent to reporters across the country).
McCain then explained that while he opposed discrimination, he also felt marriage was between a man and a woman and noted he supported the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on gays in the military.The student, a junior named William Sleaster, then persisted, asking the candidate if he supported gay marriage or civil unions. McCain said “I do not.” The student, standing at microphone across from the stage where McCain was speaking then declared “I came here to see a good leader. I do not.”

Here’s a rather different story, from a September 9th article in the Advocate based on interviews with Sen. Obama’s gay and lesbian friends and colleagues:

Kevin Thompson tells the story of a U.S. Senate campaign fund-raiser at the gay bar Cocktail in Chicago. After Obama finished speaking, he walked to the edge of the crowd and asked a gay guy, “Could I please bum a cigarette?”
Today, Thompson says, that guy can’t stop recounting the exchange to his friends. Of all the anecdotes Obama’s friends repeat about the time he’s spent with gay people, this is the most mundane. As such, it is also a powerful testament to the candidate’s humanity, atavistic and futuristic, both at once. Thompson laughs, quoting his friend’s boast, a string of words that add up to something truly new under the sun: “ ‘I can’t believe that the future president of the United States and I smoked a cigarette together in a gay bar.’ ”

Pick me, pick me, pick me

Robert Drake — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:43:22 EDT

I hope to get more involved in hate crime legislation, and t.b.i. care through this campaign. Those are the issues on which I feel I may directly comment on, with personal authority.

the "Compromise" Platform -- W-T-F???

A Private Person — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:33:17 EDT

Not a SINGLE mention of equal rights for same-sex couples. Not a SINGLE WORD.

Maybe I need to ask for my $2,000+ in campaign contributions back.

An Endorsement: Jared Polis For Congress

Dr. Bob — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:18:07 EDT

An Endorsement from Dr. Bob Vitaletti
I first became familiar with Jared Polis when I marched beside the group he sponsored at the AIDS Walk Colorado in September 2007. I was with less than a handful of Obama supporters and the Obama banner that we held high and silently, as we walked the long march to honor those who had passed, and to hope for those who still struggle with HIV. And of course to donate our funds along with our time. I stood back and watched and wondered as I discovered that this youthful community leader, Jared Polis, whom I had heard of from others for a few years now, was running for congress.
Much time and many events passed and one day in April 2008 I received a request on a MyBO group I administer, Obama Precinct Captains Colorado, for a new member, it was Jared. Soon afterwards another request, to be my "friend" on my MyBO web page along with an unambiguous, (and at that time for a candidate in a primary contest, a somewhat courageous), endorsement of Barack Obama for President of the United States, from Jared. I accepted his request, corresponded a bit, and since then we have shared only a few emails, hello's and fleeting conversations at various Obama events.
These things not only impressed me in a way that brought me to respect and remember Jared, but also were an excellent example of Jared's courage to take the lead early on difficult issues. These simple actions also displayed his fortitude which any representative in congress needs not just to support safe or popular political positions, but to advocate for real people. They stand as examples of something I have heard a great deal about him since, which is his generosity in helping others, quietly, meant only to bring benefit to those who need the help and not to just bring publicity to himself. This reflects compassion as an individual, and genuineness as a new type of leader, and certainly, not as a typical politician. His refusal to take PAC money, and his often behind the scenes assistance to many non-profit organizations, such as the well respected Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, speaks to his sincerity of motives in serving the community in which he lives.
Politically, Jared has maintained a very positive approach as is reflected on his website, http://www.polisforcongress.com/ which I suggest that you review closely, and even compare to that of his major opponent. It can be seen clearly here that Jared Polis has resisted the negative campaign style of old-time politicians, and refused to engage in the ugly, yet all too familiar, politics of personal destruction. I have learned that Jared Polis is a man and candidate of great integrity.
Finally, (and certainly not least), in being an openly gay man, as I am, I know that Jared understands the struggle of equality under the law from the inside out, and often on the outside, in his public positions, he has had to have the guts to back it up. His depth of understanding of the need for equal rights and fair treatment in our society for all goes to the bone.
Given all of this, along with his resume of impressive public experience and insightful perspectives on issues vital to the residents of Colorado, from real family values for good education to his long-standing commitment to protect our environment, and a quick end to the war in Iraq, I, unsolicited and without permission, offer my rock solid and wholehearted endorsement to Jared Polis for United States Congress. Thank you. Dr. Bob Vitaletti
This endorsement is solely my own as an individual and does not imply an endorsement by any MyBO group or group members, or the Barack Obama Campaign.

Platform Meeting

A Private Person — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:51:08 EDT

I attended a Democratic Party Platform gathering yesterday here in Dallas. It was a very interesting gathering, but I must say that it was quite a bit different from what I thought it would be, in that we did not address issues in an organized manner, and there was no effort at identifying actual proposed language (other than the interesting suggestion to tie everything to the "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" line in the Declaration of Independence). The discussion was much more of a disorganized, free-ranging series of individual opinions and stories, pretty much absent of give and take on any substantive issues.

However, this morning I was surprised to see an email from the organizer with written language on the many topics broached, because as a group we never got into wordsmithing. The list of planks proposed was apparently penned by a single individual taking great license, and so I don't think it should be presented as a consensus statement from the meeting.

My Support!

Jim — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:55:32 EDT

I remember when I was just a young man at The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN. An election was going to be held and it had Bill Clinton on the ticket. I remember walking around campus and seeing the College Replublicans and their booths, but nothing for Clinton. I went to the admin. office and asked only to find out that the college Democrats had not had any affiliation in years. I started researching, and slowly started this going. I went to local Democratic offices to get bumper stickers and pins (only to find out I would have to pay for them in advance). I was upset b/c I didn't have money. I took a small class and learned how to register people to vote. I kept going to the local Democratic office and showed them overything I had done. They then loaned me stickers and pins with the promise I would pay them around 80% back. We sold a lot of merchandise; but even better, we registered over 3,000 students within several months. My biggest memories was meeting Hillary Clinton twice. She was so kind! I also met Tipper Gore, Al Gore (2x) and then got to see Bill Clinton because someone had sent my name in and I got an offical invitation to the inauguration. As a college student, like I said, I didn't have any money. However, I got a friend of mine and we drove to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration! It was SOOOOOO cold! We saw the concert on the plaza with James Earl Jones, Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Diana Ross, etc. etc. etc. Then the day I got to see Bill accept being the President of the United States was huge for me. I remember crying. That was a long time ago! George W. stole an election and we have all had to pay for it for 8 years now! I will do EVERYTHING that I can possibly do to see Barack become our next President! When I saw him speak at the convention 4 years ago, I knew he was a man of power! I am a middle aged white male that has more respect, commitment and compassion for Barack Obama than any other candidate that I have ever known! I'm here to help! Let me know what I can do!!!!!

Pride Charlotte, Obama style

Scott Testerman — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:20:53 EDT

If you haven't attended Pride Charlotte, this year will be a great year to start. One reason: it's an official Obama Campaign for Change Pride event, and your help is needed.

Revisiting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Chinni — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:53:32 EDT

Revisiting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

By JOHN CLOUD - Wednesday, Jul. 23, 2008

.."Don't ask, don't tell" was itself a misnomer, a media-friendly term that did not accurately describe the 1993 law passed by a Democratic Congress and signed by President Clinton. The law did not actually prevent the Pentagon from "asking" any service member or potential service member whether he or she is gay. The Pentagon did agree to stop asking about sexuality in recruitment forms and interviews, but it never agreed to stop investigating whether those serving in the military are gay. That's why discharges of gays did not substantially decrease after the law was enacted..

Marriage Equality - a documentary film coming soon!

David Rothmiller — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:52:51 EDT

Senator Obama is to be lauded for his declaration to strike down D.O.M.A. - and end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", two divisive Republican ploys that discriminate against Americans for the sake of Religious zealots and the politicians who love them.

Coming soon is a documentary film on the importance of Marriage Equality called "for my wife..."

Please see the trailer at:

www.formywife.info

It will premiere in Seattle in October and around the country in time for the coming election.

hello from the uws of new york city

Benji Rutledge — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:30:51 EDT

My name is Benji Rutledge, you can call me Benji. I live on the UWS of Manhattan, in New York City. Um, I will be 25 years old tomorrow, July 15th so that is cool, I think... We'll see won't we? I am a much more dedicated blogger on my normal internet outlet and website, on MySpace. The web address is http://www.myspace.com/benjirutledge come meet me there.

The Family Interview

Dwayne420 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:08:40 EDT

OK - I am still learning Obamas position on the issues (especially GLBT issues)...not easy to find. What sealed the deal for me was the interview with his family...you can tell everything about someone through their eyes and the eyes of their family...genuine to the core!! Was it right to do the interview? ABSOUTELY 1000%...keep it real and be real Obama and you will win!

Dear Obama

Tejun — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:07:19 EDT

Dear Obama

My letter is because I am growing weary of watching videos of arrogant leaders sneering and jeering at us, the people. When I sleep I can see them on leather couches drinking bourbon and scotch toasting their financial achievements. Laughing at what they have gotten away with and what they will continue to get away with. They parade around as if violating our constitution was nothing, something they determined was necessary in a stressful time, so they will not be held accountable. Look into their eyes next time they are on the news. They really think that we cannot and will not do anything about this. I hope to change that look on their faces.
I urge Obama to pursue the prosecution of several members of the Administration, some senior members of Congress and certain talking heads in the press. Everyone of these people should be charged with lying to the American people and causing a war.
I remember the apologies, heartfelt, tearful and yet the war still goes on. They have all admitted we were duped, the wiretaps were unconstitutional, but nothing is happening! Prison sentences should be passed out, and The Death Penalty is even in order for a select few. These criminals need to start acting like criminals. They need to fear the arm of the law and the constitution they defecated on! Until that happens, until this nation proves no man, in no position can tread on her, then she is nothing. The world will see this, the people will see this and soon everything will crumble.
I humbly request you pursue this course of action or at least mention it in highly covered event, get the people stirring, get the news buzzing. You will find there is more support for this than you ever imagined.

Tejun Fowler

Why Obama?

Molly W. — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:58:22 EDT

Many people are neutral on the upcoming election. And they all ask why Obama? Why someone with so little experience to which I say; first off experience has nothing to do with it. Kennedy became our president when he had just over the experience Obama has. He is known as one of the best presidents this country ever had.

Secondly John McCain goes up there and supports George W. Bush. The man who drove this country into the ground. And those of you who believe he didn't I will say this, 7.7 trillion dollars(in DEBT). No the figure isn't even in the billions anymore it's now in the trillions. I didn't even know that trillion was an actual number because when it gets that high it's hard to tell which ones are actual numbers and which ones preschoolers made up for emphasis. On top of that he supports the war in Iraq. And when he gives us updates on the war he so blindly supports, he smiles. He can't even fake depression that we are in this war or he doesn't know what he's saying and that is pretty scary. Lastly, I still can't get over the fact that when told the towers were going down on September 11th, he stayed with the toddlers reading picture books. Don't believe me? There's VIDEOS of him sitting there being told and staying there after being told. And McCain still supports him and wants to keep Bush's morals at heart.

Next off, the war in Iraq. I read somewhere that the war has a 19% support rate. People are constantly protesting, and yet McCain goes up there with every intention to keep the war going in his own words and I quote, "make it 100 years", "that's fine with me." FINE. He didn't say that sounds logical, or practical, no that's fine. I'm sorry that just bugs me, it sounds like he was saying "cheese on my burger sounds just FINE thanks." Like he's just going with the flow and the fate of this country wouldn't be in his hands if he won.

Faith can't be used as a wedge nor patriotism a bludgeon in the words of Obama himself at the second rally in MN to which I attended. Faith cannot be used to deny the right of scientists to develop in their research. Nor can it be used to discriminate against gay people, and deny them the right to marry and get the same rights as others. Because that my friend is prejudice and when you are prejudice that means you are willing to go to cruel lengths to be sure that the chosen group doesn't get their rights.

Last but not least I would like to say that to anyone who has a problem with Obama swearing in on the Koran(though he did not and it was a rumor)go out and learn some respect for other religions, because people with other religions can in fact be trusted.

And for all the Obama supporters who can vote but aren't registered, please register. Go out and make a difference in the world( as Obama would say: I'm not asking you just to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about change in Washington...I'm asking you to believe in yours.)But on this note I would like to sign off with one of my favorite quotes and then I will say bye.
Quote:
"I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war".

Bye everyone (:

I've had enough....

Nia "Hussein" J. — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:20:48 EDT

In our own passionate support for what we think is right often their are times we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. In light of what's going on currently with the campaign there has been alot of talk that supposedly Obama is moving away from his grass roots, Not so if you look at his Comprehensive Blue Print For Change" Which puts things in perspective I challange everyone to re-read it and like what i had to do, realize that it's not just about me and what i want. it's about us and our future. lets stay on message. To pull this all together I came across a blog posting the other day that pretty much says what I'm feeling right now. Please read and head the message:

by Granny Doc Mon Jun 30, 2008 at 06:31:18 PM PDT

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/30/202916/781/721/544385

This is going to be hard to write...and, I suspect, even harder to read. Having survived the Purity Wars that destroyed all of the movement toward Progressive politics in a blood bath of self-referential pettiness in the late 1960's, having laughed along with many others at the jokes about "circular firing squads", having grimaced at the constant smug observations that "this is the Democrat's to lose, and they always find a way", I see the same foolish tendencies growing daily in this community.One of the things that has given me hope during the past, dark days of Gingrich/Rovian politics is that they would destroy themselves. In a Constitutional democracy no individual, or small groups of individuals, demanding ideological purity, can long survive. People come to their senses. They break out of the head lock of fear, and hate, and narrow self interests to emerge wiser and less vulnerable to the tactics that captured them. It has certainly taken longer than I hoped, but it is happeing. Now we are in danger of falling into the same traps that we have so often decried in the Republican Base.We are becoming the enemy, Pogo...We are becoming ideological purists. We are each trying to define those specific elements of our personal Progressive Policy beyond which we refuse to accept a candidate's decisions. We mutter that, "We'll vote for him but, our enthusiasm is gone". We righteously search for key issues and huff and puff about our indignation when our personal standards are not meet by the candidate. We draw lines in the sand. We will not compromise. We "expected" more, we moan. This is not the way it's supposed to be, we pant, in diary/blogs and comment, interminably. We have a lot of new folks these days. Some of them have been long time readers who decided to join the fun. Many are gentle and intelligent souls, given to thoughtful and insightful commentary. But, some are not. Some are classic crap disturbers. They try to throw down the gauntlet creating dissension in the ranks of Kossack's by prying apart those disagreements and fanning the flames of discontent. They egg us on. They work our disapprovals and create the same kind of divisive unrest that destroyed the Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-War Movement, and the Democratic Party for a generation back in the 1960's.We have a rare and historic opportunity facing us in the next 4 months. We can create a Democratic sweep. We can reclaim the White House. We can change the direction of this country.But not if you are so hell bent on standing up for your particular version of Progressive Values that you weaken your candidate, your party and your hopes for the future, in a flame out of righteous indignation.Barack Obama offered a "New Kind of Politics". He did not promise a new kind of purity. A new kind of electoral self-immolation, or a sacrifice on the alter of a population groping towards sanity after 8 years in Bedlam. He is a politician who MUST GET ELECTED before any of your fondest dreams can be realized. He must walk a tight rope to overcome the racism, fear, and years of indoctrination that have pervaded out politics. He must compromise!Compromise is the most difficult thing for the ideological purist to accept. They always cast compromise as a betrayal. But earning the right to govern a country with such disparate views, a country divided by misinformation, bad information and no information, requires working the room. It requires compromise. If you are unable to understand and accept this, you are not sufficiently sophisticated to play in this arena.Will you please consider what I have offered before you allow yourself to be drawn into the baiting by the trolls who have emerged in the past few weeks to stir the pot? Will you consider the impact of parading your purity before the world (and your diaries, and comments are widely read) when you unintentionally parade your discontent with our candidate? Can we form a united front and, just this once, not destroy ourselves in factional politics, based on individual demands that our candidate comply with our personal analysis of world affairs, BushCo criminality, and the Righteous Truth?Republicans manage to line up behind their candidates. Can we, Democrats, try doing the same, just this one time? It has the potential to deliver the prize that so often has eluded us...

First Blog EVER! And i mean EVER! Bloggings for... nevermind

Eric from San Jose, CA — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:03:11 EDT

So, I'm a 29 year old white male who works for a public utility in the heart of the Bay area. Darn my life suxxors! My wife and I both work and its still hard to make the 4,200 dollar payment on our 1,000 square foot house. The dog just had spine surgery, and YAY now we get to have a medical cost that insurance does not cover on top of that. Three bad things, I think we are done for the year!

WAH WAH CRY CRY! What can i do about it? Nothing! What can I hope the future does for it? Well thats a topic for debate...

With Obama, I hope that one day the employee free choice act will get passed and mabey just mabey my union company will have to worry about losing people, because other places are paying the same wages. It might even make then think we are worth keeping for once. WOW that would be a freaking amazing change in the mind set of management.

With Obama, mabey one day i can see something on the news about something I give a flying rats @33 about. Like gas, My house, My job, and my future. Rather then petty bickering about Gays, borders, and trail building at camp David. Give it a rest really, I just dont get it, Here I'll solve it for you.

Gays= Who cares if they wanna marry, do you think there divorce rate will be worse then man vs. women? WRONG! and I say wrong in the nice way, Meaning I'm really smart and I'm Right and YOUR WRONG!

Border= Who cares, My lawn looks amazing! Guess how many people I asked to help me dig my sprinklers before I got a day laborer? TO FREAKING MANY! P.S. I dont want that job. They do. case solved!

Trail building= OMG does the freaking PRESIDENT of the USA need to cut a new trail! Trust me the Secret Service went there first it's not like he's freaking Marco polo!

With Obama, <I can only DREAM!> mabey just mabey we will get some "stuff" (thats in quotes cause i dont wanna swear) DONE for once in this place we call the land of the free.

So I urge you Vote Obama, tell your freinds! Anyone you know thats not gonna vote Obama, tell them that a bill passed and we are voteing December 4th.

Thanks,

Just a Phone guy who's fed up with the *&^% ^%$# (I Typed that but it must have been changed=)

Eric L

My first and only Obama blog post

David Lauri — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:34:14 EDT

I'm voting for Obama, I donated some money to his campaign, but I'm not all gung ho about him. I really have no viable alternative. McCain is horrible on gay rights. Obama, whether for reasons of personal conviction or of political expediency, supports separate but equal, i.e., civil unions but not marriage for gay people. Separate but equal wasn't good enough for African Americans, and it's not good enough for me. But McCain will make horrible Supreme Court appointments, while Obama should make tolerable ones.

I don't intend to post regularly here. If you want to learn more about me, my real blog is at www.davidlauri.com (not that I post there all that often).

Gay Pride and Obama

Steve Charing — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:59:11 EDT

Obama More than Historic

The Democratic Party and its voters served this nation well when Sen. Barack Obama emerged as the presumptive nominee. While it is too soon to predict the ultimate results, I am proud that for the first time in our history an African-American will represent the party in the fall. We will not exactly know how much racism will play a part in the campaign and the election to determine how far we have come as a people. But the fact that Obama is there and will be, at the very least, extremely competitive with Sen. John McCain, speaks volumes.

For the LGBT community, it goes beyond the historic significance. With Barack Obama we will have for the very first time a candidate and hopefully a president, who will do his best to end the discrimination that still exists.

In an open letter to the gay community Obama asserted, "As president I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and pass a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity."

"I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans," Obama wrote in the letter. "But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary."

He added, "As your president, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws."

Obama reiterated his pledge to do what it takes to end the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" military policy against gays and lesbians and supports the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Steve Hildebrand, Obama’s deputy campaign manager and who himself is gay, said lesbian musician Melissa Etheridge would serve as co-chair of the campaign’s 50-state voter registration program. The campaign is hiring other lgbt individuals to join the cause as well.

Obama’s historic run and his commitment to LGBT equality offer another reason to be proud.

Gay couples rush to get married in California

Joe from San Antonio, TX — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:58:16 EDT

SAN FRANCISCO - County clerk offices opened their doors Tuesday to hundreds of gay and lesbian couples with appointments to secure marriage licenses and exchange vows on the first full day same-sex nuptials were legal throughout California.

From San Diego to Eureka, couples readied their formal wear, local licensing clerks expanded their staffs and conservative groups warned of a backlash as the nation's most populous state prepared to join Massachusetts in sanctioning gay unions.

In San Francisco, a gay men's chorus was singing on the front steps, where a party atmosphere was lit up by rainbow flags and supporters handing out cupcakes to happy couples.

Helen Zia and Lea Shigemura sang "The Chapel of Love" as they walked to the city attorney's office to get married. The couple, clad in beige jackets and slacks, exchanged vows with Zia's mother by their side.

"This is the most meaningful day of my life. I've always wanted to get married," Shigemura said. "I just never thought it'd be possible."

Unlike Massachusetts, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2004, California has no residency requirement for marriage licenses. Many couples are expected to head west to wed.

The May 15 California Supreme Court ruling that overturned the state's bans on same-sex marriage became final at 5:01 p.m. Monday, and clerks in at least five counties extended their hours to mark the occasion.

Already, dozens of same-sex couples have seized the opportunity to make their relationships official in the eyes of the law. They included actor and gay rights activist George Takei, who arrived with his longtime partner, Brad Altman, at West Hollywood City Hall on Tuesday morning to get their marriage license.

"Today we are all here to give flesh and blood reality to that ruling. We are going to make history," said Takei, who played Sulu in the 1960s "Star Trek" television series. "Congratulations to all of us and may equality live long and prosper."

Every county was required to start issuing new gender-neutral marriage licenses Tuesday with spaces for "Party A" and "Party B" where "bride" and "groom" used to be.

As couples prepared to marry at the Contra Costa County clerk's office Tuesday morning, three opponents of gay marriage from the Westboro Baptist Church picketed outside, carrying signs with sayings such as "God is your enemy."

Members of the sect are most often seen at military funerals in demonstrations claiming U.S. combat deaths are God's punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

The protesters were easily outnumbered by about three dozen supporters of gay marriage, who held signs that read "Hate is not a family value" and "My marriage is not threatened by theirs, why is yours?" Police vehicles lined up near the demonstrators.

On Monday, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who helped start the series of lawsuits that led the court to strike down California's one-man-one-woman marriage laws, presided at the wedding of Del Martin, 87, and Phyllis Lyon, 83.

Newsom picked the couple for the only ceremony Monday in City Hall to recognize their 55-year relationship and their status as pioneers of the gay rights movement. More than 650 same-sex couples have made appointments to get marriage licenses in San Francisco before the end of the month.

Newsom called officiating the wedding "this extraordinary and humbling gift." After the mayor pronounced Martin and Lyon "spouses for life," the couple kissed, then emerged to a crowd of well-wishers who showered them with rose petals.

The celebrations are tempered by the reality that in a few months, Californians will go to the ballot box to vote on an initiative that would overturn the high court ruling and again ban gay marriage.

On Monday, three lawmakers and a small group of other same-sex opponents gathered outside the Capitol to criticize the Supreme Court decision. They urged voters to approve the ballot measure.

"This is an opportunity to take back a little bit of dignity ... for kids, for all of us in California," Republican Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa said. "It really disturbs me that the will of the people was overridden by four members of the Supreme Court."

In both San Francisco and Beverly Hills, where two women became the first same-sex couple in Los Angeles County to marry legally, small groups of protesters waved signs with sayings like "Repent or Perish," but they were outnumbered by supporters waving rainbow-striped flags.

Groups that oppose same-sex marriage have pursued several legal avenues to stop the weddings. On Monday, just hours before the ruling went into effect, a conservative legal group asked a Sacramento court to order the California agency that oversees marriages to stop issuing gender-neutral marriage licenses.

A hearing was set for Tuesday.

A UCLA study issued last week estimated that half of California's more than 100,000 same-sex couples will get married over the next three years, and 68,000 out-of-state couples will travel here to exchange vows.

___

Associated Press writers Laura E. Davis in Los Angeles, Michelle Locke in Oakland, Evelyn Nieves in Santa Rosa, Steve Lawrence in Sacramento and Samantha J. Young in Woodland contributed to this report.

Why it Matters!

DMC — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:22:12 EDT

I have been listening to all of the news pundits about the election this year and sometimes I get sad at the struggle we have to face in every election. They talk about Obama's vetting team and any people he may be associated with as if it matters. I am a college student on disability struggling to make ends meet. Why should I care about who is picking his Vice-Presidential candidate when I face real issues of paying my bills, getting loans to pay for school, and whether or not I can afford the medication I have to take every day to stay alive. For me this is a life or death situation where I can have options on where I want to work and how I want to live my life. I have to worry about if the job provides health insurance if I want to get off disability and if they screen for pre-existing conditions. I almost died in 1995 and I don't want to get back to the point where my body was breaking down and I was fighting to live.

I am also trying to make a future for myself and I wonder what am I going to do when I get through with college and I have all this debt to repay. Will I be able to get a job that can pay my bills and my college loans? If I fall in love with someone, will I be able to get married or will they say that married does not apply to me because I am gay. I have watched friends die and even partners and understand that without the legal rights under marriage, I will not have any rights to property or visitation for the person I am with if something were to happen. The Declaration of Independence says we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But in this day and age my life is depended on having health insurance to afford the expensive medication I have to take every day to stay alive. My liberty is up for debate with the Patriot Act and the loss of freedoms we have endured under President Bush. And the pursuit of happiness, they might as well say if you are gay and black, you need not apply.

This election matters not because of the superficial issues but because of the bread and butter issues we need to survive in this world. I have been thinking a lot about the instability in our country with the floods, fires, hurricanes and tornados. I ended up moving out of the city that I love, New York City, because of the number of terror alerts and number of military personnel with machine guns in our subway. The Bush administration scared me enough to move to the other side of the country.

Obama's LGBT rights policies

Sharon Tamm — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:34:56 EDT

I couldn't find anything about these policies on the website so emailed my questions. Here is my response to the reply I received in which Obama supports human rights, access to civil unions, end to hate crimes and "don't ask, don't tell".

Thank you for your email response regarding your support for LGBT rights, especially civil unions, ending hate cirmes and "don't ask, don't tell." If these policies are really important to you please include them on your published FAQ's on your website instead of only tucking them into a private email. Also start talking about them in public not as a lump but specifically.

Ending "don't ask, don't tell" immediately should be a stated priority in your speeches. It is both a human rights and national security issue much more strongly advocated by Hillary than you. Please step up to publically committing to handling this one "on day one".

I am a believer

Charlie from New York, NY — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:35:53 EDT

Hi All,

I am very proud about the change that Barack Obama will bring to our country.

Senator Obama has named David Noble as LGBT director of his campaign.

As a homosexual Latino man, I feel that Mr. Obama is listening to my people and taking in to consideration our concerns and our desperate hunger for change in this country.

Senator McCain on the other hand has opposed voting on bills that would benefit or protect gays and lesbians and he insists that if he becomes president he will maintain the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Senator Obama you have made me a believer in the change you want to bring to our country.

Thank you for listening to us.

Obama Pride

Kaci (girl on the left) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:55:04 EDT

So the gay community was out pretty hard for Obama on Sunday. We went to the gay pride parade in WEHO and found some extended Obama family marching along..."WE WANT CHANGE, WE WANT IT NOW"..."O, O, O, OBAMA! O, O, O, 08!"..."YES WE CAN, YES WE CAN!" There was even an Obama-mobile!

It was a rowdy parade and we loved seeing the Obama suppoters passing out Obama Pride stickers and registering voters. Everywhere we turned folks had on Obama stickers in the crowd and Obama signs. Who said the gays were for Hillary??? Vivvy came along with her "Barack the Vote" doggie tee and an Obama Pride sticker. She was an instant hit.

In case you're wondering why we were at the gay pride festival...we were actually trying to promote our wedding planning...lol...but the Obama enthusiasm was a pleassant surprise. LGBT 4 OBAMA!!!

The Guns Have Come Out of Hiding.

Kevin — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:51:52 EDT

Now that the Democratic Primary has ended, the camo has come off the big Republican guns and the Karl Rove machine and others like him have cranked up their rhetoric and their dirty tricks. Did you think it would be otherwise? While Barack raised millions and millions of dollars ethically and withought PAC and Lobbyist dollars, and while John McCain played wounded dove not able to raise money, the smoke clears and the DEATHSTAR is fully functional.

They were not cowering and quaking. They were planning and scheming, as they always do, planning a whole new crop and campaign of "LOOK OVER THERE" bombs and scares. Friends, let's be clear. This election is about ending 8 years of the most treacherous years that the United States Constitution has ever faced. Since 2001, America has turned into a near fascist state, wrapped in the American Flag and plastered with yellow "Support the Troop" ribbons printed in China. It wasn't until the Country band, the Dixie Chicks pointed the finger and said "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" that it seems people were able to see the smoke and mirrors of the most corrupt, evil administration in American History. His Accidency, George Walker Bush and his minions have had a field day in dismantling our Foreign Policy, credibility among other nations, and "interpreting" our constitution with dark glasses.

Let us not be swayed or distracted by side or wedge issues. The issues in this election are not gasoline prices, gay marriage, abortion rights or social security, although, these will continue to be important issues, they are not the the prime issues of this election. The prime issue is CHANGE. As Barack says, "Change We Can Believe In". I say believe in, because as you know, we surely cannot believe anything we have been told in the last 8 years. Let's throw in the last three years of the Clinton Administration as well. We have lost our place of esteem and self-respect in the world, and we are hated and mistrusted by enemies and allies alike. The Clinton & Bush Administration's refusal to face global warming has and will have dire consequences if we don't act now. Fortunately, Gas prices may have a silver lining. They in themselves seem to have brought about a sea change.

We must reach out to Hillary Clinton's supporters. I know because I had intended to be one before I was convinced Barack Obama was our ticket out of our National morass. Please help convince any person that supported Hillary that our votes must not be squandered on John McCain, who will perpetuate 4 or 8 more years of the same thing. John McCain does not realize or care (I am not sure which) that our country has changed, and our direction must change. A recent poll recognizes that the majority of American Citizens WANT dialogue with IRAN and CUBA and rogue South American nations. Do you seriously believe CUBA is a threat to the United States of America in the year 2008? America has dialog with Communist China, and it buys most of it's goods there and has moved so many jobs there, but we continue an idiotic ban on travel to Cuba. Travel which would help rebuild that nation.

Do not be fooled by Roveian attempts to distract you from the cause at hand. We must seize the control of this nation from sad, angry old men and return it to the people.

Florida GLBT Supporters: The Opportunity is Now

Scott A. Giordano — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:14:44 EDT

An update from Florida GLBT Supporters on what you can do today ...

Gay Marriage

Russell Parker — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:42:36 EDT

Here is a take on this that I came up with during dinner last night and that I do not think I have heard elsewhere. Admittedly this is not really a topic that I have spent a lot of time thinking or reading about. I do not understand why two consenting adults should not be able to do whatever they want to.

A quick search of the Web indicates that 80%+ of weddings happen in a Church, Synagogue, Mosque, or other similar type place of worship - referred to hereafter as a Church. So. An event (a wedding) happens in a Church that results in a legal change in status for the two primary participants. A LEGAL status change. The way in which those two people interact with the State has now changed - Taxes, Debts, Liabilities, etc...

What struck me is that would seem to be a massive breach of the separation between Church and State. Why should Marriage even have a Legal existence? Expunge it from the legal code and replace all instances of it with a "Civil Union" or some other similar contract. I am not saying that people should not have weddings and get married. But why is that of interest to the State. It should be a purely Social event.

If two people (or 3 or 4 or 5, etc...) want to enter into a contractual relationship that has a bearing on their legal status then that is great. And up to them. Man & Woman. Man & Man. Woman & Woman. Man & House Plant. What does it matter? Oh. Except that last. Since the House Plant cannot legally enter into a contract the man would need to settle for marriage.

A side benefit of this sort of a situation would be some of the ugliness that has happened with young girls being married off to much older men. Fine. Get married. However since she cannot enter into a binding contract until the age of majority the laws about statutory rape still apply. Keep your hands off of her until then, married or not.

It seems the obvious (not to mention Constitutional) answer though. Where is the whole in my logic? I am sure that the separation of Church & State has not been applied to marriage since it is essentially "grandfathered" in, but would this not be a path worth looking at?

Joined...

marcoandres — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:19:19 EDT

After procrastinating for a while, decided that now was the time to join the campaign. Yes, I realize that Barack Obama will be the nominee and it will take a bit longer for that milestone to pass. I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated with the current "stalemate" in which progress is measured in single delegates The fiasco of Saturday - with Clinton supports apparently unwilling to compromise and Barack Obama's supporters being more than accommodating - forced me to make my choice. I can no longer remain on the sidelines and let others wage this campaign

I wish that Barack Obama could acknowledge that asking for equality for all his brothers and sisters is within his grasp and that he can confront the homophobia within the Latino and African-American and "white" community by preaching tolerance and allowing gay people everywhere the right to enjoy the privileges and responsibilities of marriage. This is a civil rights issue.

The African-American community wasted needless years venting its own homophobia instead of confronting the "down low" problem that allowed hiv to spread among the African American community until they have become the most infected of all the enthnic communities -- infecting straight women and straight men in the process, all because they viewed hiv as a "white" problem, that did not impact their community.

The AA community is now paying the price for this negligence. It is time for the AA community to demand equality in marriage for all their brothers and sisters and tell their powerful churches that being gay or lesbian is not a sin, any more than being straight is a sin.

June is coming up, and with it, pride festivals in cities across the country.

Danielle Clarke USA Vietnam Vet — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:38:41 EDT

June is coming up, and with it, pride festivals in cities across the country.

http://pride.barackobama.com/pridemonth

As a member of Obama Pride, you can use these events to help make a big difference for Barack.

The LGBT community will be an essential part of our strategy as we prepare to challenge John McCain in all 50 states, and there's no better opportunity to reach out and organize than at your local pride festival.

There are organizing events scheduled all across the country, so come join in the excitement and make a difference for Barack at the pride festival near you:

http://pride.barackobama.com/pridemonth

This campaign has always been about everyday people reaching out to one another, talking to friends and neighbors about our common vision for changing this country.

Pride Month is a perfect opportunity to make this happen by spreading the word about Barack's positions on LGBT issues and letting everyone know why we're a part of this movement.

We'll march and show our support for Barack -- then we'll talk to voters, register new people to vote, and sign up volunteers to help us win in November!

Learn more about how you can make a difference for Barack at your pride parade:

http://pride.barackobama.com/pridemonth

Thank you,

Jamie

Jamie Citron
LGBT Outreach Coordinator
Obama for America

Abolish All Marriage - Gay or Straight

Ali A. Rizvi — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:31:36 EDT

On June 14 this year, California will become the second state after Massachusetts to start issuing marriage certificates to same-sex couples. The state's Supreme Court overturned the ban on same-sex marriage last week, reigniting the same old nationwide debate (distraction?) that (not so) mysteriously surfaces every election year and arguably cost John Kerry the 2004 presidency, which came down to Ohio's electors and a little over 3 million votes. This year, though, the differences between the candidates aren't as stark as those between Kerry and Bush in 2004, and the issue may not have the impact it did then.

Nonetheless, the position supporting all-out, across-the-board abolition of marriage, once thought to be extreme, is beginning to gain momentum, and seems like a pretty reasonable compromise.

It states that the government should stop recognizing marriage in any form and acknowledge civil unions only, leaving marriage to churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious authorities.

A Hurting Nation

Azziem The Dream "Azziem Hassan Underwood" — Sun, 18 May 2008 02:25:14 EDT

We must come together as a nation to solve these crises and take back America from those thieves that done nothing but help make the rich richer and the poor poorer. We must stop giving tax cuts that help the riches of rich and corporations. We must give back to the people. Under the Bush Administration our nation has been taken hostage by the Bush policies and damaged of our standing in the word, diminished of our economic stability, lowered of our quality of life, robbed us of our sons and daughters who fought and died in a senseless Iraq war that should have never been waged. We have been under attack for the past eight years under the Bush Administration and failed policies. We have lost the political battles but we will not lose the war that has been waged on the American people. We will take back our country. We will elect Barack Obama as the next President of the United States of America. Enough is enough. The American people are rising up against the injustices. Our economy is in a downward spiral. Our job is being outsourced to other countries, our seniors and children continue to suffer due to insufficient healthcare. We can’t afford to put food on our tables of gas in our automobile. In the meanwhile oil companies are making record profits and the mortgage banks and brokers are being bailed out by our president and the Republicans in Washington. We continue to look towards the hill whence cometh our help but, the republicans on “Capitol Hill” are sending the American people blank checks and demanding that we write one with guaranteed funds. We have an opportunity turn our Nation around and head it back in the right direction. We have an opportunity to unite our country on issues that are important to Unions and the American workers. We have an opportunity to write the next page of America’s history by electing Barack Obama as the next President of the United States of America. Barack Obama can heal a hurting nation. So I ask you; are you better off today than you were before George Bush Hijacked our country? I think not! Support Barack Obama as the next President of the United States of America. My name is Azziem Underwood and I approve this message. “Azziem The Dream”

Obama in Greenville NC

DeMon — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:30:06 EDT

I'm so super psyched! I had the honor to meet Senator Obama today at his campaign rally for North Carolina. I volunteered to register voters and work at the Obama for President office here in Greenville. I love politics, and I really believe that this incredible man is going to change this country, and restore every one's faith in our government and our elected officials. I felt like it was my civic duty as an American to help out in any way I could. We're witnessing history in the making right now, and I want to be able to tell my children and future grandchildren, that I was a part of getting the first black president elected. The staff and volunteers arrived at the colosseum around 12pm. I got assigned the job of helping the handicapped and elderly through a specific area to be searched and wheeled in ahead of everyone. The venue had a max capacity of 9,000 people. The doors didn't open till 4pm, and Obama was scheduled to take the stage around 6pm. Greenville is a pretty small city compared to Raleigh or Charlotte, so I honestly thought that everyone would get in. . . WRONG! They reached capasity and had to put about 1200 people in a special "overflow" area where they could watch the speach on closed caption tv. When I arrived, I was in complete awe. The lines were extremely long, and more people kept coming to lengthen the already over burdened line. There were people at the front of the line that arrived with blankets and backpacks at 8 am to make sure they got a good seat. I can't describe the positive and overwhelmingly joyus feeling I got just...

THE REST OF THIS BLOG ENTRY CAN BE READ BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW. YOU WILL BE REDIRECTED TO MY "OFFICIAL" BLOG AT http://blog.demonspencer.com

One Voter's Thoughts on The Advocate Interview

Greg in Madtown — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:51:10 EDT

If the internet is a race, I should've posted this a few days ago. Maybe that only matters if you're blogging for money. I'm not, which is why I didn't post this a few days ago when, well, I was working for money.

But yeah, there was this interview. I realize most of you weren't sitting around like I was, waiting for this interview to be published. I certainly wasn't alone in my anticipation, though. The Advocate's opening question asked Obama to address what had become a growing criticism of his making us wait so long for an interview with what many consider to be the flagship news magazine of the LGBT press.

To continue reading this post on my blog, please click here.

Lesbian politics: Is a lesbian's vote for Senator Obama gender traitorism?

Julz — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:12:25 EDT

I wish I had a nickel for every person who's told me how deeply I've betrayed my gender by endorsing Obama. Does everyone here know what a "granfalloon" is?

Obama and Clinton to speak on "compassion" at anti-gay college this weekend

Julz — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:29:46 EDT

Speaking of Compassion

Jacob Reitan, Huffington Post

This Sunday, Senators Clinton and Obama will be taking part in something called the 'Compassion Forum' at Messiah College in Pennsylvania. Ironically, Messiah College has a severe lack of compassion towards its LGBT students. The school's community covenant prohibits "homosexual behavior" and effectively bans LGBT students who are open and self affirming from attending Messiah.

Gay Media Fuming At Obama

harobamason — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:09:58 EDT

Gay Paper: Obama Refuses To Talk With Gay Media

The Huffington Post | April 5, 2008 10:15 AM

This headline going around is very misleading. It isn't "the gay media." It's Mark Segal, a guy who owns one gay newspaper in Philadelphia. Mark Segal has been involved in groups endorsing Republican candidates in the past, and has his own share of controversies including fundraisers for Aids in which the funds never quite made it to the groups supposed to be benefitted.

Many suspected that all the "gay" chaos in the 2000 and 2004 elections was driven by Karl Rove and a few of his log cabin republican friends. So this is not surprising republicans stirring up trouble in the Democratic party. First, tell gays that the Democrats don't like them. Second, tell the Republicans, and the blue collar Democrats and then that the Democratic party has been taken over by gays.

Disappointingly we can not blame Hillary for this one. The narcissism that is identity politics strikes again.

Now is as good a time as any to reflect on the Clintons' gay history since the subject as been brought up. In 1992, the Clintons promised to protect the civil rights of gay Americans. In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed into the first federal anti-gay law ever enacted, "Don't Ask Don't Tell. In 1996 before the bill had been written, Bill Clinton announced his support for the misnamed Defense of Marriage Act,, DOMA.

There is a vast gap between what the Clintons promised to gay organizations in private in 1992 and what they actually promoted as public policy in 1993 and 1996. As recently as the Logos Debates Hillary condescended to tell gay voters that DOMA actually protected them.

But nothing better exposes how the Clintons pander to gay voters (we feel your pain) than an incident in which George Stephanopoulos visited Chicago's gay bar, Sidetrack, during the 1996 Democrat Convention. Here are the words of bar owner Art Johnston quoted in the Nov 29"Dec 5, 2007, issue of Time Out, a mainstream Chicago entertainment guide: "During the 1996 convention, [Clinton advisor] George Stephanopoulos visited. Being a young attractive guy, the administration was sending him around to meet gay people. The campaign told us we couldn"t take any pictures of him in a gay bar. Needless to say that didn"t stop anybody. It was an interesting moment because, frankly, the political community was always weary about having anyone connected to a gay bar." It was a Faustian bargin. The gay community was complicit in giving the Clintons cover. The Clintons won the gay vote -- and then proceeded to deliver absolutely nothing. Sen. Obama may only be making promises, but unlike the Clintons, Sen. Obama has no history of promising one thing but delivering the opposite in public policy. The Clintons didn't even have the decency of allowing these insulting bits of legislation pass into law without Bill's signature, as the Constitution allows. Clinton signed and supported both. No pro-gay legislation was promoted or signed into law during the Clinton Administration.

"Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, we won't be fooled again "--George W. Bush

If you listen to Obama and grasp his level of emotional intelligence which is unmatched among the other candidates, and you judge his actions in full context, you can see that he speaks to and respects the individual more than any other candidate, and that includes the LGBT community, which has my respect for their own special kind of courage.

Obama's campaign is not allowing itself to be waylaid by the specific wedge agendas of individual special interest groups, no matter how vocal. Thus he may seem to embrace contradictions, but that is what emotional intelligence is. You have to embrace seemingly disparate points of view in the interest of finding common ground, and withstand each proponent's emotionalism without being governed by it.

To unify our country, then this is what it looks like. We respect our differences, we respect the individual including our own individuality, we own our differences ourselves, and don't have to have them pandered to in a special forum.

This Huffington Post headline is garbage and the article circulating this story is inaccurate. Given anything Mark Segal says or does and his Republican connections,you should not be hood-winked. And besides, do you really think one Philly paper's oped constitutes as gay Media?

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?p=r&user=BarackObamadotcom&page=1

Winston-Salem GLBT for OBAMA

Wade Boyles — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:11:31 EDT

Please help spread the word to your GLBT friends! Barack Obama is in favor of repealing all of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) while Hillary Clinton only favors repeal of section 3. Barack Obama is the clear candidate for the GLBT community and a GLBT for OBAMA group is now organizing in Winston-Salem. Please e-mail ws-glbt@ncobama.com for more information and to join the group.

Gay Community in Pittsburgh

Christopher from Pittsburgh, PA — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:56:58 EDT

I am truly astounded that anyone in the gay community could be a supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Yet there they are, signs for HIllary on the front of many Pittsburgh Gay Bars.

Hillary supporters have argued to me that her experience in the Bill Clinton administration qualifies her somehow for elected office. I don't necessarily believe that, but if I accept it for a moment, we have to remember their track record in the gay community. Was this not the administration that campaigned in 1992 with a promise to end discrimination of gays in the military then gave us Dont Ask / Dont Tell? Was this also not the administration that signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act which not only denies rights, but has created a procedure that will extend the fight for equality for decades to come? Was this the administration that failed to pass a strong hate crimes legislation in the wake of the death of Matthew Shepherd? This was the president who told us in no uncertain terms "I did not have sexual relations with that woman". Now we have Hillary and her exaggerations about her role in the Northern Ireland Peace process, tales of Bosnian sniper attacking her and her daughter, and her sometimes support / sometimes hatred of NAFTA. Can anyone trust anything that comes out of the Clinton's mouths?

The Philosopher George Santayana once said "Those who cannont learn from their history are doomed to repeat it". I think it needs to be said... Bill Clinton was NOT a friend of the Gays and neither will Hillary. As a gay man in Pittsburgh, I have put my personal and financial support behind the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. I have read his incredible words in The Audacity of Hope, listened to those who have worked along side him in Chicago, the Illinois legislature, and the US Senate. I truly believe that Obama has the judgement, strength of character, and passion for change that this country so desperately needs. This is not a race about "the most experience" - if it were, we would have simply found the oldest Democrat in the senate and put him up as the nominee without casting a single vote. This election is about vision. Who will lead us through difficult issues such as immigration? Who will bridge the divide between far left and far right when it comes to healthcare? Who will call together an administration that practices diplomacy over warmongering? Who has rejected the money of the lobbying class to produce a candidacy of, for, and by the people? It is clear why Barack Obama has captured more victories, more votes, and more delegates throughout this campaign.

Please, Pennsylvania, we can end the two-family grip that has been in American Presidential Politics since 1980.

Yes, we can.

My True Story...

Ted — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:35:38 EDT

Yesterday, as Barack was giving his speech I took a break at work so I could watch. I knew then that it was historic... I knew then that he was so much more than a politician... I knew then he was a visionary.

My day went on as usual, finishing work... I came home, changed clothes and went to workout. I wore, as I often do one of my five Obama t-shirts. So I finish working out and it was a tough workout. I was exhausted, sweaty, nasty and just wanted to go home, shower and relax. But I had to get gas and I am so glad I did.

I pull in and it was windy as could be and start pumping my gas. Then this huge blue truck with a guy in his forties, beard, rough looking actually gets out. I notice he's staring at me and I'm thinking "ok this is it, I'm gonna get my ass beat right here for being a white Obama supporter from Kentucky."

With a deep southern drawl, he say's: "I like him."

"Who? I think"

"The man's got it... He's smart... He's real... (insert cursing, anti-Hillary remarks here) and he's got my vote."

"That great" I say, not only cause he's supporting Barack but because it looks like my life has just been spared!!!

Then I asked him if he saw the speech.

"Yup, that's why I'm voting for him... if he can change my mind and let me see the error of my ways... he can sure as hell change this country."

"Wow" I'm thinking. Then I remember I had an extra Obama, "yes we can" bracelet in my pocket. I reach in, pull it out and toss it to him, telling him what it is and pointing to the one on my wrist. You would have thought I had just given him a million bucks. Then he does something I will never forget as long as I live. He goes to the back of his truck and slowly peels off a confederate flag bumper sticker, "the south will rise again" right next to a "sportsmen for Bush" bumper sticker and tosses it in the garbage.

Barack Obama is our next great President, just ask the gun waving, redneck, that turned out to be one of the kindest people I've ever met, kinda guy who he's voting for.

Pass this along as you wish and thanks for reading!!!
We can change the world
~ted

reaction to advocate article: obama dominating LGBT endorsements

jonathan | cvg — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:12:01 EDT

there is not doubt that obama offers the honest, CONSISTENT, more progressive record of leadership as well as policy toward LGBT issues. in fact, i have three blogs saying so!

what i doubt is no targeted activity or reinforcement of prior messaging to capture LGBT votes in ohio, considering the dense population in franklin county. clinton, technically weaker on the issues, acted quickly in a targeted message which is one of the stark differences in support of obama. (point #2 of my last blog)

late january, clinton distributed an open letter and it was quickly disseminated among individual voters via social networks and email distribution lists.

lead like sheep into the slaughter house. in turn, i published my rebuttal in blog form on february 6, and then scripted an abridged version which i sent to my personal contacts and OHIO HQ.

however, i did not see an open letter from OBAMA FOR AMERICA until just before the ohio/texas primaries. yes, obama has given many speeches and made better proposals... but this time, somehow, clinton was beating obama via peer contact and new media. how can this be... or more importantly, why are lesbians and homos quick to fall in line under clinton? it's a misitake by gays, and i am only human to speculate that a significant percentage of lesbians are also feminists and that a significant percentage of homos are associate with a mother-figure.

holy freudian slip-up batman! but, before anyone sends me hate mail, let it be known i've heard many rebuttals in favor of clinton resorting to her gender and the idea of wanting a woman in office... all logic be damned.

fortunately, obama won franklin county... home of columbus (dense LGBT population). yet, i am not convinced he won the gay vote. obama faired well in each metropolitan area, winning three of ohio's largest counties such as franklin.

furthermore, i'm pretty disappointed in the official obama LGBT myspace. there's been no activity since before super tuesday. no one has approved comments or circulated the open letter among the thousands of people listed with the site. tragic oversight. that's how clinton set off a domino effect among gay-friendly ears.

i get it. bigger fish to fry? but alas, perhaps this advocate article signifies better targeting in the future.

~ j

OBAMA is stronger on LGBT issues

jonathan | cvg — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:57:48 EDT

i sent this summary of my earlier blog to OHIO HQ and my contacts in february:

CLINTON = political calculation to meet the popular opinion
OBAMA = moral calculation to meet the consistent greater good

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

presumably, you sympathize with equal rights, punishable hate crimes, and no discrimination.

barack obama is your candidate!

1 . . . Defense of Marriage Act was signed by bill clinton and supported by the first lady. today, obama and clinton oppose federally sanctioned "gay marriage" but both support federally sanctioned "civil unions" providing identical rights. in fact, only obama attends a christian denomination that recognizes gay marriages!

DOMA stands as the most significant legislative obstacle to achieving marriage equality. hillary still defends most of DOMA with a "states' rights" argument, allowing state discrimination.

hillary clinton is on record for only supporting repeal of section 3 of DOMA. however, barack obama has been a leader in civil rights and fully supports a complete repeal of the DOMA.

2 . . . obama speaks about civil rights and equality for the LGBT community in many highly visible speeches. these include obama's first presidential speech as well as the eloquent speech to thousands at ebenezer church on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

hillary has not brought LGBT issues to the forefront, waiting for gay-friendly ears.

3 . . . it's true clinton co-sponsored bills like Early Treatment of HIV Act and increased funding for Ryan White Care Act. but, it's also true that obama lead on these and many others hillary could list.

4 . . . hillary counts 8yrs as first lady towards "experience." she cherry-picks/disassociates with compromises or positions not popular today. they leveraged LGBT compromises to build christian support.

5 . . . obama wants to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." while clinton now agrees with obama, she supported it when her husband signed the law.

hillary still asserts it was progress. bill clinton sanctioned as long as we are in the closet, we can serve. thus, bill and hillary's promises proved empty during the 90s.

like barack says, it's important to be right on day one.

6 . . . when hillary speaks of marching in gay pride parades, let's remember that obama has marched in his fair share also. after all, his state is home of "boys town."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

barack obama is clearly honest, CONSISTENT, and more progressive with the change he proposes for us.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

trust the below list of LGBT organizations and leaders who endorsed barack obama even before super tuesday!

* Eric Stern, former political adviser to the John Edwards for President campaign, former National Stonewall Democrats executive director, former director of LGBT outreach for the Democratic National Committee (California)
* David Mixner, writer, Democratic Party activist (New York)
* Gloria Nieto, Former Vice Chair of DNC LGBT Caucus
* Linda Elliott, member of the board of directors for the Human Rights Campaign (Arizona)
* Evan Low, council member for the city of Campbell, Calif.
* David Garrity, vice chair of the Maine Democratic Party; former DNC Member
* Andy Szekeres, former Colorado Stonewall Democrats cochair, former Wisconsin LGBT field director, Kerry-Edwards (Colorado)
* Kyle Bailey, former board member, National Stonewall Democrats, LGBT Caucus vice chair of Young Democrats of America, Chair of Atlanta Stonewall Democrats (Georgia)
* Pam Cooke, National Stonewall Democrats board member; past president, Stonewall Democratic Club of Los Angeles (California)
* Bill Hedrick, president of Central Ohio Stonewall Democrats
* David Mariner, former Out for Howard Dean cochair (Maryland)
* Jason Lansdale, past president of Central Ohio Stonewall Democrats
* Daniel Hinkley, Nevada Stonewall Democratic Caucus president
* Misty York, communications director for the Kentucky Fairness Alliance
* Christopher Prevatt, chair of Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club (Orange County, Calif. )
* Jim Maynard, president of Memphis Stonewall Democrats (Tennessee)
* Daniel Graney, past president of Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio (Texas)
* Arthur Nunn, former Missouri for Edwards volunteer organizer and founder of LGBT for Edwards MySpace Group
* Brad Reichard, public pelations executive (Massachusetts)
* Michael Shannon, national security expert (D. C. )
* Les Krambeal, board member for the National Stonewall Democrats, cochair, Southern Arizona Stonewall Democrats
* Robert D. Horvath Jr. , member of the board of directors for the Mautner Project (D. C. )
* Patrick J. Lyden, LGBT community activist (D. C. )
* Jeff Prang,West Hollywood City Council
* Tom Ammiano, San Fran board of Supervisors
* Rich Tafel, Formerly of National Log Cabin Republicans
* Jeff Soukup, Board Member of Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, former President and COO, PlanetOut Inc. , and former Co-Chair National Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
* Jeff Anderson, former Co-Chair of John Kerry for President National LGBT Finance Committee
* Bill Rosendahl, LA City Council
* Susan Belinda Christian, Co-Chair of Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
* Patrick Shepherd, former President of Cleveland Stonewall Democrats; Board Member for the National Stonewall Democrats
* Joseph LaMonica, former board member of the San Antonio Stonewall Democrats.
* Brian Polejes,Vice President For Organizing Pride At Work

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Urgent, Clear Choice For Gay Voters: Obama
Andrew Sullivan
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"An interesting moment came when he was asked a question about LGBT
rights and delivered an answer that seemed to suit the questioner,
listing the various attributes -- race, gender, etc. -- that shouldn't
trigger discrimination, to successive cheers. When he came to saying
that gays and lesbians deserve equality, though, the crowd fell
silent."

So he took a different tack: "Now I'm a Christian, and I praise Jesus
every Sunday," he said, to a sudden wave of noisy applause and cheers.

"I hear people saying things that I don't think are very Christian
with respect to people who are gay and lesbian," he said, and the
crowd seemed to come along with him this time.

To hear someone defend gay and lesbian dignity and equality from a
Christian perspective and to do so in the context of a largely
African-American crowd, is much, much more than any candidate for the
presidency has ever done. It's a break through. If it were just words,
it would be one thing. But he has now done this repeatedly in front of
black crowds, when he didn't have to. And he has put his specific
commitments in writing in an open letter.

It's time to be candid about this - because gay voters, in my
judgment, could make the difference in Ohio and Texas and Vermont and
Rhode Island. There are very large gay communities in Texas' cities,
and Ohio has the sixth largest gay community in the country. A plea:
Do not sleep-walk into that voting booth with vague good feelings
about the Clintons. Walk into that booth with eyes open and see what
gay people have in front of them.

Now you may have many reasons not to vote for Obama, and no gay voter
should vote on one issue. But solely with respect to gay matters,
there is simply no choice here. Obama's positions, candor, courage,
generation and religious embrace of us are dispositive.

What Obama is doing on the gay issue has the potential transform it
and help us as a society to move past it. No, he's not a savior. No,
we shouldn't expect miracles. No, we should never delegate the work of
our equality to anyone else. We, after all, are the ones we've been
waiting for. But within the Democratic contest, the case for backing
Obama at this point in time is, to my mind, urgent, vital, historic.

Gay Americans must not throw this chance away.

Why the Hussein Stuff Really Bugs Me

Naomi — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 10:57:09 EDT

So, I'm a school principal. I deal all the time with kids calling each other names: Stupid, Idiot, Moron and some others I won't reproduce here!

The one that bugs me the most, the one that makes me really uneasy in dealing with it, is "Gay." Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think it's OK for kids to call each other that as an insult, but fundamentally I have a conflict. Because fundamentally, my answer to a kid calling another kid gay is, "So what if he is?"

My solution to this, such as it is, is to say that anything can become an insult if it's used that way. I usually use the example of saying, with great disdain in one's voice, "You have brown hair!" Yes, that's true. And yes, who cares? But it's still an insult because it is used as one.

Which brings me around to the point of this post (and I do have one), the use of Barack Hussein Obama's middle name.

The Bilerico Project

mikeinME — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:18:11 EST

I have cut and pasted the following from The Bilerico Project. It was from reading the blog entry that was the pivital point that convinced me that Barack Obama was the candidate that I will trust to produce the changes to bring integrity back to government. Peace

Open Letter from Barack Obama to the LGBT Community

Filed by Guest Blogger

February 28, 2008 9:30 AM [Editor's note:] The following letter was released by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to GLBT Americans. This letter follows the announcement that the Obama campaign will be taking out full page ads in GLBT newspapers in Ohio and Texas beginning Friday. Read Obama's previous Bilerico guest post A Call for Full Equality.

I’m running for President to build an America that lives up to our founding promise of equality for all – a promise that extends to our gay brothers and sisters. It’s wrong to have millions of Americans living as second-class citizens in this nation. And I ask for your support in this election so that together we can bring about real change for all LGBT Americans.

Equality is a moral imperative. That’s why throughout my career, I have fought to eliminate discrimination against LGBT Americans. In Illinois, I co-sponsored a fully inclusive bill that prohibited discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, extending protection to the workplace, housing, and places of public accommodation. In the U.S. Senate, I have co-sponsored bills that would equalize tax treatment for same-sex couples and provide benefits to domestic partners of federal employees. And as president, I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage. Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.

The next president must also address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. When it comes to prevention, we do not have to choose between values and science. While abstinence education should be part of any strategy, we also need to use common sense. We should have age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception. We should pass the JUSTICE Act to combat infection within our prison population. And we should lift the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. In addition, local governments can protect public health by distributing contraceptives.

We also need a president who’s willing to confront the stigma – too often tied to homophobia – that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. I confronted this stigma directly in a speech to evangelicals at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, and will continue to speak out as president. That is where I stand on the major issues of the day. But having the right positions on the issues is only half the battle. The other half is to win broad support for those positions. And winning broad support will require stepping outside our comfort zone. If we want to repeal DOMA, repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and implement fully inclusive laws outlawing hate crimes and discrimination in the workplace, we need to bring the message of LGBT equality to skeptical audiences as well as friendly ones – and that’s what I’ve done throughout my career. I brought this message of inclusiveness to all of America in my keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention. I talked about the need to fight homophobia when I announced my candidacy for President, and I have been talking about LGBT equality to a number of groups during this campaign – from local LGBT activists to rural farmers to parishioners at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. Martin
Luther King once preached.

Just as important, I have been listening to what all Americans have to say. I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary.

Americans are yearning for leadership that can empower us to reach for what we know is possible. I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country. To do that, we need leadership that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. Join with me, and I will provide that leadership. Together, we will achieve real equality for all Americans, gay and straight alike.

OutPOCPAC Supports Obama for President

Doug From OutPOCPAC ** New York — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:34:05 EST

Below is the press release from Out People of Color Political Action Club (OutPOCPAC):

New York, NY/Feb. 28, 2008--The Out People of Color Political Action Club (OutPOCPAC) unanimously endorsed Barack Obama's bid for President of the United States.

“We are confident that Senator Obama will lead this country in a new and needed direction," said Doug Robinson, OutPOCPAC co-president. "The Bush administration's policies have failed us, with millions of Americans without healthcare, a disastrous war in Iraq, and the gap between rich and poor growing larger every day. We strongly believe that Senator Obama will unite this country bringing gay & straight, black & white, old & young, Republican, Independent & Democrats, disabled & able-bodied, and all other communities together to rebuild our great country.”

OutPOCPAC has pledged its resources to help bring an Obama administration to the White House in January of 2009. OutPOCPAC is reaching out to club members and their families to make individual contributions to this important presidential campaign. We will also be organizing efforts to mobilize volunteers in remaining primary states, including Pennsylvania.

The Out People of Color Political Action Club is a New York City-based non-partisan political club of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and two-spirit (LGBTTS) people of color. For more information about OutPOCPAC, please contact info@outpocpac.org or call (917) 804-9579.

Apartheid in America

tiggerhans — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:32:00 EST

Why is it so important that Obama will be chosen?

Why is it so important that Asians and Latino's line up behind Obama? Well, here in the Netherlands we always look with strange eyes at the USA. While people like Oprah Winfrey are daily in the picture, the comon man in the street, especially imigrants and afro-americans are STILL treated with disrespect in many ways. And though many don't want to make this a 'race' issue, in some way it is.

ONLY the day America chooses a woman, an afro/american, an asian or latino as president, it will proof to the world that it REALLY is a democracy and doesn't discriminate.

However as long as in the USA only two parties seem to rule the nation, it is far from democratic like in other countries. It is the choice between french fries or potatoes, or potatoes and french fries.

But that is a different discussion.

So why not choose Hillary Clinton? Choosing a woman is also a big change for the USA. True, in many ways she does have experience, but she comes from the same stable as her husband, and obviously she needs him to get in the picture, since he is doing more talking than she does. And she is still from that old establishment that goes with the flow "we do the things like we always do them" following the same old train.

Choosing Obama, with or without experience, is a must, although I encourage mr. Obama to talk more about the issues and less about "change". THAT is something we already know he stands for, now it is time to show the American people WHAT that change will be. A good health insurance for all, freedom for gays and lesbians, respect for the international community, and so on. Let the wind flow freely!

Obama in VIctory Speech: Gay People Are Not Scapegoats

Scott A. Giordano — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:26:16 EST

Continuing his inclusive tradition. Sen. Barack Obama mentioned gay people yet again in his latest victory speech.

Just another Obamacan

Tim — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:48:28 EST

Stereotypes. We all fit into one. Are we the jock? Cheerleader? Empty Nester? Baby Boomer? Gay? Straight? Married? Republican? Democrat? What happens when we no longer want to fit in the mold?

I grew up my entire life in a Republican Conservative Family, listening to Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Jerry Falwell, and all kinds of other Evangelical Leaders. I was taught Republicans are right, Democrats are wrong. Republicans want small government, Democrats want big government.

I have always idealogically voted Republican. I believe that the governement should Serve & Protect. Not Provide. But what happens when our parties no longer stick to what they believe? What happens when religion (not morals) start to be the founding basis for all of our policies & laws? What happens when we are no longer Democrats or Republicans?

That is where I am now. I'm neither. I'm an Obamacan. Fiscally, I still believe government should not "Provide" (long term) for it's citizens. We are America. We have hopes & dreams. When we were children, we didn't grow up dreaming about a Welfare Check or food stamps as an ideal life. We grew up dreaming of making it big, being the president of the United States, being a superstar. Curing Cancer. We had dreams. Then somewhere along the line, we lost sight of those dreams. We started leaning on the government, and it just became easier to let them hold us up. Life in America isn't easy. It's hard work to be successful. I dont mean Bill Gates successful. I mean being happy & healthy, and having everything you work hard for. You dont have to be a millionaire.

I am tired of some silver spoon fed person leading our country. They have lost touch w/ reality w/ their Millions & Millions in the bank. They dont know what it is like to struggle from one day to the next. I know it sounds like I am contradicting myself, but I'm not. People want to believe that they earn something for the hard work they put in. We have long ago started losing jobs overseas b/c of cheaper labor. We need to bring those jobs back, or penalize companies that send the jobs overseas.

We have a failed international image & relationships w/ other countries around the globe. We need a President who can unite us, and bring other countries to the table to find a common ground. We are all different. We have different religions. That is why we are here in the US, b/c our founding fathers wanted to be free to express themselves however they wanted. Now we believe that we are here so we could express Christianity. Not so. We are FREE to be whoever we want. Sure, I believe in the golden rule. But we take that rule too far. We try and apply biblical reasoning to back our discrimination. We choose to discriminate against gays, b/c they dont deserve the same life we have b/c they are gay - hey, thats what the Bible tells us to do, right?

Judge not, lest you be judged....

We need hope. We need change. We need someone who doesn't owe the rest of the world a favor, but offers the rest of the world hope. That offers a chance for our Children to live in a better US then you or I did. We were once ranked the best of everything. Now we are mediocre, or bottom feeders in most measureable statistics.

We need a President that can take us back to Greatness & Goodness.

We need Barack.

Obama - the Perfect Bush Antidote

brokenwhole — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:17:44 EST

I've been blogging for well over a year now, on my own blog at brokenwholeblog.blogspot.com, and I find it strange that I've never written an overtly political blog entry during that time. I'm an avid political junkie, and my daily diet has consisted of the New York Times consumed over breakfast. My boyfriend Ben and I have a morning routine of having a slow breakfast, sharing tit-bits from our respective newspapers. (Before we met he only subscribed to the LA Times, but now reads the NY Times once I'm through - I always get first dibs - and I don't return the favor by reading the LA Times. My admittedly parochial view is that if it's not in the NY Times it didn't happen.)

I go on at length about the NY Times only because I was dismayed last week when they endorsed Clinton. I think they made a fundamental error which they'll come to regret. They chose Clinton for the wrong reasons: reasons that are not as important as what I'll discuss below. (It's a funny coincidence to find out that in the few minutes since I published this blog entry I found out that the LA Times is endorsing Obama.)

Don't get me wrong. I think Hilary is an incredible candidate. Anybody who saw the Democratic debate last night couldn't help but think that we have an embarrassment of riches: two such amazing candidates. And think of the people who've already dropped out. Joe Biden springs to mind. Old white guy, you're right, but I'd put him up head-to-head any day with the lame-brain, tired old republicans and their shop-worn, timid ideas.

More congressional co-sponsors needed to repeal military ban

Lance Gayhart — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:21:09 EST

Lobby Day is in six weeks! Have you registered yet?

Every day that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" continues to be the law of the land, the Pentagon is forced to fire an average of two more capable, well-trained service members just because they're gay. Congress has to repeal this wasteful, heartless, and unnecessary law. Congress needs to hear from you!

Join SLDN on Capitol Hill on Friday March 7, and help us visit all 535 Congressional offices and rally on the National Mall to lift the ban! For an even more high-powered experience, join us as a Captain and get started on Thursday March 6 with in-depth training and additional Congressional advocacy. Whether you join us for one day or two, make your plans to attend now!

Register for Lobby Day today.

Last year, as a direct result of Lobby Day four new Members of Congress signed on as cosponsors of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the bill to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This year our impact will be even stronger! Plan today to join us at Lobby Day.

Thank you for everything you do in this fight to lift the ban!

Sincerely,

Jill Raney
Grassroots Organizer

PS: Following Lobby Day on Saturday March 8 is SLDN's 16th annual National Dinner. Extend your trip to Washington to join us at this gala event!

Gay and Lesbian

Lance Gayhart — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:11:59 EST

Support Barack, and run for future public seats of office.

http://www.victoryfund.org/run_for_office

A bad exchange

DaveNY1979 — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:19:04 EST

Took part in a visibility event at 8th and 14th yesterday with some GREAT fellow volunteers. It was definitely a tougher crowd than on Sunday in the West Village -- as we all know, New Yorkers trying to get home during rush hour are not the most outgoing folks! But we still had a lot of fun and got a LOT of campaign literature out there.

Not everything went smoothly though...

Let's not get too excited just yet...

Bob Sutton — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 19:23:18 EST

Hey Everybody !

Yes, I'm very excited & ENCOURAGED by the win in Iowa.

This is the first time that someone that I have supported has actually shown that the rest of this country is not asleep at the switch.

Speaking of metaphors, this is NOT "The Big Game", an Olympic competition (Gold, Silver, Bronze, & LESS !), or a Baseball game.

This is a very serious ELECTION BY DEMOCRATIC PROCESS to elect our Chief Executive- One person to represent us (U.S.) in our domestic & international relations with the world, and to manage (not rule) our military, government, and inspirations.

The "Age of Aquarius" is only possible with action. Let's all get personal with productive action- not just well deserved insults to those who want to oppose this inevitable move towards sanity.

If you, or yours disagree, please respond. The only reason not to do so just doesn't make any sense, because if you think something is right or wrong, you should say so.

By the way, back it up with some money (sorry, but that's the way it works at this time).

Thanks for your time-

Bob

Marriage: The Most Loaded Word In America (It is still just a word, right?)

Holly for Obama (from Morgan Hill, CA) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:30:09 EST

Of all the politicians I've seen, Obama has presented the most reasonable compromise in the Civil Unions vs. Gay Marriage vs. Ignore Them Debates (so to speak).

However, I have an alternative option. In our country, we believe in the seperation of the church and state, for the most part. Marriage, however, intricately intwines the two. Wouldn't it be easier, then, to have civil unions for everyone, and allow each individual or church to decide on their own about the word "marriage"? I understand the need for laws, especially those pertaining to healthcare, death, and children, to be in place when two people join together in a relationship like a marriage.

Obviously, however, the word marriage is simply too loaded, because it has a religious connotation. If we used some different word, we could avoid that without singling out gays. Because I'm here to tell you, I know gay married folk. Those who had a ceremony in a church, before the eyes of God, their family, and their friends, just like everyone else. So the only system refusing to accept this marriage is the state. The state is enforcing a religious definition of a word, not the church. That seems a little backwards.

First thoughts.

Nathan from Attleboro, MA — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:18:59 EST

First off, I'll introduce myself.

My name is Nate, I'm 17 years old (18 in July), I'm from southeastern massachusetts, and I'm gay :).

I have to admit, I started off in these presidential campaigns supporting Clinton without any objection (nor much knowlege, either) to Senator Obama and his ideals. However, after going through his ideas and voting records on the web site ontheissues.org, I quickly felt that he was the right candidate for me.

Although not the absolute perfect candidate (but who is?), he seemed to click with me. Actually, one of my only objections is the fact that he isn't 100% for gay marriage nationally. Sure, he isn't as experienced as some of the other candidates on capitol hill, but isn't that fresh mentality something we as Americans need? The last thing we need is someone who has had their spirit broken by seeing bills they supported denied passage for years and years. We need someone who still has that "we can do it" spirit. Also, the fact that he is a newer senator means that although not as experienced in some subjects, he also hasn't been tainted by decades of politics in office.

In short, although his support of the gay community isn't perfect in my eyes, he's very cordial and more supportive than many of the other candidates I've seen. His stand against DOMA and Don't Ask, Don't Tell are enough to view him with a sense of respect and honor that I haven't felt towards other presidential candidates.

I have to say, I'd enjoy very much to get the chance to have a chat and meet with him someday. I'd like to ask him how he feels about the fact that giving the gay community civil unions, but not marriage, is very similar in theory to the separate but equal doctrine of the United States in the mid 20th century. Allowing the states to decide for themselves on the issue is a step in the right direction, but state sanctioned civil unions and marriages don't qualify the couples in question to full federal rights and benefits that heterosexual marriage allows. In short, this makes the unions nothing but a spiffy title while outside of the home state.

If a couple that is recognized as married, or in a civil union is out of state on vacation and one is injured, unless the state they are vacationing in recognizes their union, they don't qualify for medical or visitation benefits.

If they must move for business or work, the state they move into could simply say that they don't recognize their marriage, forcing them to spend thousands more annually in taxes and medical insurance.

In conclusion, how are civil unions and state sanctioned marriages equal, or even close to equal, when they aren't recognized and supported throughout the nation? Why should a couple who lives outside of New England have to move across the country simply to live in a place that they can be considered married? More importantly, why is the country that supposedly runs with "separation of church and state" continually blocked in the attempt to federalize gay marriage by evangelists and Christian politicians? Their views may affect their thinking, yes, but if they feel gay marriage is wrong in the eyes of their God, why don't they simply not apply for one, and urge those in their church not to apply for one as well? A piece of paper, a title, and a tax break aren't going to break up marriages. This is easily seen in countries that allow civil unions and marriages! The United States has one of the highest divorce rates in the world and, if polled, I wonder how many of those divorces were cited as being carried out due to the fact that gays can marry?

Sanctity of marriage, my ass.