I am the proud father of a gay son. In his honor, I will not be attending the CFP committee meeting in Indy this week. #EmbraceDiversity
— Pat Haden (@ADHadenUSC) March 31, 2015
“I want to commend Governor Mike Pence for his support of religious freedom, especially in the face of fierce opposition. There was a time, not too long ago, when defending religious liberty enjoyed strong bipartisan support. Alas, today we are facing a concerted assault on the First Amendment, on the right of every American to seek out and worship God according to the dictates of his or her conscience. Governor Pence is holding the line to protect religious liberty in the Hoosier State. Indiana is giving voice to millions of courageous conservatives across this country who are deeply concerned about the ongoing attacks upon our personal liberties. I’m proud to stand with Mike, and I urge Americans to do the same.”
I abhor discrimination. I believe in the Golden Rule that you should “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If I saw a restaurant owner refuse to serve a gay couple, I wouldn’t eat there anymore. As governor of Indiana, if I were presented a bill that legalized discrimination against any person or group, I would veto it. Indiana’s new law contains no reference to sexual orientation.This is from his op-ed in WSJ. Read it here
"What is the problem they're trying to solve?" McCrory asked during Monday's broadcast of WFAE's Charlotte Talks program.
Large parts of the program focused on situations where McCrory had differences with conservative Republicans at the state legislature, particularly in the state Senate.
Senators have already passed a bill that would allow magistrates opt out of performing weddings if they have a "sincere religious objection" to performing particular ceremonies. The measure, which is now making its way through the House, is seen as a way to shield magistrates who do not want to perform same-sex marriages.
North Carolina's constitutional amendment and a related law blocking same-sex marriages was overturned by a federal court last year.
"At this time, I would not sign it the way it's written because ... I don't think you should have an exemption or a carve-out when you swore an oath to the constitution of North Carolina or to the Constitution of the United States of America," McCrory said.
With the passage of Indiana’s SB 101 (and more “religious freedom" laws pending elsewhere in the U.S.), discrimination against all kinds of people has never been so simple.
Full of condemnation, but low on creativity? Print, post, and share these handy pre-made signs!Check them out
“I support religious liberty, and I support this law. But we are in discussions with legislative leaders this weekend to see if there’s a way to clarify the intent of the law.”Hmm, so it's possible the bill could change a bit. But, would it be better to drop it? Just get rid of the stupid bill! His actions have already tarnished his legacy, he could savage some of it and drop it!
"The state of Indiana has stepped up to the plate in defending marriage and religious freedom. If you remember, a federal judge recently struck down Indiana's state marriage amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. That decision will be subject to whatever Supreme Court ruling is issued this summer. But the marriage champions in the Hoosier state wouldn't sit back and wait. They acted to defend marriage and religious liberty by passing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act this week by overwhelming majorities in the state House and Senate. Governor Pence just signed the bill yesterday. The new legislation protects individuals who wish to live their lives and run their businesses in keeping with their sincere and deeply held religious beliefs. I'd like to thank Governor Pence and the brave legislators of the state of Indiana for being pro-active in defending marriage and religious liberty, and urge every state in the union to follow their lead in passing similar legislation."I can't with him today
Graig Lubsen, a spokesman for the Indiana Office of Technology, issued the following statement:This drama in Indiana is getting good.
"The IN.gov website is currently experiencing a high volume of traffic. Users may experience slow page load times or intermittent outages.
"Indiana, like many other states, has been targeted with a denial of service interruption. From March 16 to March 27, a group, has targeted approximately 34 state, local, tribal, and territorial government websites in 21 states.
"The website was not hacked. A denial of service attack consists of sending many traffic requests at the same time in order to overwhelm a website and have it not be able to load.
"The denial of service interruption began at approximately 2:00, but the site has not been continuously down."
"H.B. 1228 in Arkansas opens the door to a hateful past that some had thought this country had left behind. This legislation cloaks discrimination in the guise of religion--and it will mark people of color, LGBT Arkansans, religious minorities and women as second class citizens. Governor Hutchinson has a duty and a moral obligation to veto this legislation or the ghosts of the past will haunt his legacy."You tell, em!
With great power, comes great irresponsibility. #deadpool #officialsuit @deadpoolmovie pic.twitter.com/MPM89bYz1B
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 27, 2015
"If you say you love this country for its freedoms, but want to deny gays the same freedoms you enjoy, you sound like a hypocrite..."
— James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) March 27, 2015And - just to clarify - "freedom" is the right to live how you choose. It's not the right to choose how everyone else lives."
— James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) March 27, 2015Also - I remember Jesus saying "Don't judge..." & "Love your neighbor as yourself." I don't recall him saying it was cool to discriminate.
— James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) March 27, 2015
“Victory has been thinking about this, certainly before me, and I think I am a manifestation of the forward-thinking of the organization, and that’s a great legacy to be able to build upon,” she said. “I was impressed that they, as a … not really diverse group — there are only like a handful of women and everyone there is white, so they’re not a very diverse group — how they came to it themselves that they need to do something different and that they needed to think much longer into the future — a 20-year plan — and that this 20-year plan needs to reach people that they’ve never reached before.”
Moodie-Mills has been a constant presence in the LGBT conversation in DC through her work at CAP and in other venues. She described herself as “a federal political girl” before her local LGBT activism began, focused on political fund-raising for the Congressional Black Caucus PAC and through her own consulting firm.I had the pleasure of meeting Aisha 3 years ago. I know she will do well and take the Victory Fund to the next level.
“[T]hat’s … all that I ever knew — before I fell in love with this lovely girl named Danielle, and the politics became very personal to me.” The two are now married.
As the new president of Victory Fund and its educational arm, Victory Institute, she said her focus will be on time-consuming, grassroots work in places where there are no or very few out LGBT elected officials, specifically pointing to “the South and the plains states” and other areas lacking out LGBT representation, from city councils to statehouses.
I signed SEA 101 today to ensure religious liberty is fully protected under IN law http://t.co/vCOASZBZnH pic.twitter.com/CMFJh6aLDx
— Governor Mike Pence (@GovPenceIN) March 26, 2015
"Today I signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, because I support the freedom of religion for every Hoosier of every faith. The Constitution of the United States and the Indiana Constitution both provide strong recognition of the freedom of religion but today, many people of faith feel their religious liberty is under attack by government action."Whatever, this gives businesses the right to discriminate against the LGBT community through religious means. It's nothing but discrimination cloaked in 'God's Love'.
“Honestly, if I were gay, I would have had no problem saying it from day one. I would have nothing to hide if that were the case. People have speculated, have wanted to speculate –whatever, fine. I’m not gay, but if I were, I don’t review it as a bad thing.”source
Details of Brockington’s passing and any plans for memorials are not yet known. qnotes will provide updates as they become available.
Brockington’s death was confirmed and announced publicly Tuesday morning by Time Out Youth Center, a local LGBT youth services agency where Brockington received support.
The center is working today to ensure other youth and staff receive needed support. Executive Director Rodney Tucker says youth members and clients have been at their center since 9 a.m. this morning. A counselor will be on hand to speak with staff and is available to youth and clients throughout the day.
Brockington’s death is the second such local incident in recent weeks.
"As Attorney General of California, it is my sworn duty to uphold the California and United States Constitutions and to protect the rights of all Californians. This proposal not only threatens public safety, it is patently unconstitutional, utterly reprehensible, and has no place in a civil society. Today, I am filing an action for declaratory relief with the Court seeking judicial authorization for relief from the duty to prepare and issue the title and summary for the 'Sodomite Suppression Act.' If the Court does not grant this relief, my office will be forced to issue a title and summary for a proposal that seeks to legalize discrimination and vigilantism."More to come.
Laws’ proposal cleverly mirrors and skewers the Sodomite Suppression Act, explaining that the “abominable crime known as prejudice against sexual orientation” is “a destructive view that society commands us to suppress.” Thus:Charlotte is a former politician and community activist in Los Angeles. If you get the chance, check her out.
c) Any person, herein known as an "Intolerant Jackass," who brings forth a ballot measure that suggests the killing of gays and/or lesbians, whether this measure is called the Sodomite Suppression Act or is known by some other name, shall be required to attend sensitivity training for at least three (3) hours per month for twelve (12) consecutive months. In addition, the offender or "Intolerant Jackass" must donate $5000 to a pro-gay or pro-lesbian organization.
I spoke to Laws about her initiative—which, she readily acknowledges, is not necessarily designed to become law.
“I’m fighting fire with fire,” she told me. “The only way to counter [the Sodomite Suppression Act] is … to let people know that most people in California don’t agree with something as incendiary and hateful as what this one attorney proposed.” Laws recognizes the merit of having a content-neutral initiative system, but she believes “we have a very open-minded state and country. This is one guy, and there are millions of us who do not agree with this.”
"William Barret Travis from Conecuh County, Alabama, came to draw a line in the sand at the Alamo. He took a stand in the face of an enemy that was far more numerous, but he knew that he had to make a statement for the people of Texas and that he would give his life. I hope I don’t give my life, but I’m going to tell you this is a very serious matter. There’s today another threat not only in Texas and Alabama, but across our country where state and federal court judges have overruled constitutional amendments passed by the people of those states, and people have just sat by and watched it out of fear of the federal government. But nothing in the Constitution of the United States, nothing in the laws or precedence of the federal courts give federal courts any authority over domestic policy of family and marriage in the state of Texas, in the state of Alabama, or anywhere else."He hopes his battle against us, won't kill him
I'm running for President and I hope to earn your support! pic.twitter.com/0UTqaIoytP
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 23, 2015
BREAKING: #PuertoRico's government will no longer be defending the marriage ban there
— freedomtomarry (@freedomtomarry) March 20, 2015
#PuertoRican Secretary of Justice announced today that defending the #marriage ban can't be justified any longer
— freedomtomarry (@freedomtomarry) March 20, 2015
The announcement coincides with a brief Gov. Alejandro GarcÃa Padilla’s administration will file with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which is hearing a lawsuit against the island’s same-sex marriage ban.Moving onward and forward
GarcÃa had previously defended the gay nuptials prohibition.
“The government of Puerto Rico finally recognizes that denying marriage to LGBTT people is discriminatory and cannot be justified,” said Omar González-Pagan of Lambda Legal, which is representing the five same-sex couples in the lawsuit against the U.S. commonwealth’s same-sex marriage ban. “Same-sex partners, LGBTT people and their families are part of the rich Puerto Rican culture and society. The actions taken on this day complete the constitutional promises of justices and equality for LGBTT people in Puerto Rico.”
“I started a business for myself, and everything is great. I did my first job … I got it and literally almost was in tears. I called my dad and said, ‘I feel like I’ve just been paroled. This is where I should have been.’”
The federal investigation is focused on at least three questions, according to people familiar with the inquiry, including the mileage reimbursements, travel that was paid for by donors and in-kind contributions from donors that were not reported.Now, let me express that I'm not grinning in glee over his demise. I know most gay guys have this love/hate/wannaf*ck him thing about him, but I don't. To me, he's just another entitled man lost in his own fantasy world. I will follow his story, but in some sense, I almost don't care.
The FBI is delivering subpoenas in Washington and Illinois, according to two people familiar with the investigation.
Investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS are pursuing various parts of the Schock investigation, according to law enforcement sources.
The state Supreme Court has the power to keep measures off the ballot if they violate the California Constitution. It has exercised that power to disqualify measures that cover more than one subject, broadly defined, and to block last year’s attempt by legislative Democrats to seek a statewide advisory vote on a U.S. constitutional amendment that would limit corporate spending in federal elections. Presumably the justices could locate a state constitutional provision that would discourage shooting people in the head.
But McLaughlin’s measure is currently before Harris, whose options appear to be limited. Once the sponsor has paid the required fee, state law directs the attorney general to prepare a title and a maximum 100-word summary of the initiative and forward it to the secretary of state for a 90-day period of public signature-gathering. The secretary of state’s website says Harris is scheduled to take those actions by about May 4.
Does she have the power to refuse if the measure is patently unconstitutional? Harris isn’t saying; her office did not return repeated phone calls. But some veteran practitioners of election law said they don’t think so.
“The statute is clear: that the office has to prepare a summary provided the proponents have paid $200 and followed the right procedures,” said attorney Robert Stern, author of the state’s 1974 Political Reform Act. He said he’s never heard of a case in which the attorney general refused to issue a title and summary.
According to the HRC survey, which was conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, 63 percent of LGBT Americans surveyed say they've experienced discrimination. Forty-seven percent have faced discrimination in the workplace, 19 percent in accessing public spaces, 14 percent in housing and 8 percent in the education system.Nice to know that their life after marriage.
In 2013, the Department of Housing and Urban Development conducted the first-ever study examining housing discrimination against same-sex couples at the national level. It found that they were "significantly less likely than heterosexual couples to get favorable responses to e-mail inquiries about electronically advertised rental housing." In fact, heterosexual couples were favored over gay male couples in 15.9 percent of the tests, and over lesbian couples in 15.6 percent.
"This data again demonstrates that most Americans are shocked to discover that many LGBT Americans can be denied a job, a room in a hotel, a seat at a restaurant, a place in school, equal access to credit, or housing because they still lack explicit federal protections from discrimination -- and that once people learn that, they overwhelmingly support the basic idea that LGBT Americans should be judged only on their merits, just like everyone else. It's time to act," said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).
"I made this piece because I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t crazy. I couldn’t be the only gay black man who white dates have said insane things to, so I ventured to find others who shared my experiences. What I discovered is that my story isn’t uncommon, it’s just untold... I hope that my work will help to broaden the discussions of what it looks like to be a gay man in 2015, and give people insight into worlds they haven’t understood. Also, seriously never say any of these things to black men again."
I believe racism in the porn industry is reflective of racism in society. The industry is notably more challenging for black and Asian male models. Furthermore, distinguishing between racism and preference is difficult, and many producers find themselves wrestling with diversity vis-Ã -vis profits. It's difficult to politicize sexuality, e.g. sexual desires and preferences, but I believe producers can do more to remedy racism by not being so afraid to challenge the status quo. We need to see more of that. I believe a lot of our sexual preferences have to do with social conditioning, and carrying on the status quo only perpetuates racism.source
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The final approval by a majority of the church’s 171 regional bodies, known as presbyteries, enshrines a change recommended last year by the church’s General Assembly. The vote amends the church’s constitution to broaden marriage from being between “a man and a woman” to “two people, traditionally a man and a woman.”Nice, I mean, I never would've seen this coming.
The Presbytery of the Palisades, meeting in Fair Lawn, N.J., put the ratification count over the top on Tuesday on a voice vote. With many presbyteries still left to vote, the tally late Tuesday stood at 87 presbyteries in favor, 41 against and one tied.
“Finally, the church in its constitutional documents fully recognizes that the love of gays and lesbian couples is worth celebrating in the faith community,” said the Rev. Brian D. Ellison, executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, which advocates gay inclusion in the church. “There is still disagreement, and I don’t mean to minimize that, but I think we are learning that we can disagree and still be church together.”
“Today, I am announcing my resignation as a Member of the United States House of Representatives effective March 31,” Schock said in a statement. “I do this with a heavy heart. Serving the people of the 18th District is the highest and greatest honor I have had in my life. I thank them for their faith in electing me and letting me represent their interests in Washington. I have given them my all over the last six years. I have traveled to all corners of the District to meet with the people I’ve been fortunate to be able to call my friends and neighbors.”Lord, now watch as more truths come out (All Tea, All Shade)
"I've done nothing more than any other college kids. Because of who I am, it gets blown out of proportion. Since then I've got in a closer walk with the Lord. Whatever anyone says about me, it doesn't bother me. The people who know me and know what's true can really see what's going on here and see through critics of my dad."Well, I guess he hasn't been walking close enough with thee, because he's still making these bad choices. Oh well.
