Lots of goings on today ....

From the local front, two letters to the editor in the Post-Gazette.

David Schelbe, co-chair of PFLAG Pittsburgh, asks the crucial question -- how will amending the Pennsylvani constitution protect marriage?

Amy Beisel of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference opines that a one man/one woman marriage is unique and special, as well as fundamental to the well-being of children.  Same old drivel dressed up pretty to defend marriage from a nameless threat.  And I'm sure the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania families that don't meet the one man/one woman threshold love being shoved into second class citizenship along with us homos.  Very Christian of you Ms. Beisel ... good to know you are working hard so your future husband can make decisions in your best interest.  :-)

Ms Beisel -- can you please spell out how ... HOW ... gay marriage will impact your marriage (or future marriage)? 

Sue

The American Family Association of Pennsylvania has some problems with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.  They claim that Chairman Stephen Glassman is using his position as a "bully pulpit" to promote the homosexual agenda. 

Mr. Glassman's sins include meeting with homosexual groups to discuss the anti-marriage amendment and working with local municipalities to add sexual orientation and gender identity to their non-discrimination policies.  Glassman was appointed to the HRC by a Republican (Schweiker) Governor in 2002, nominated as chair by Governor Rendell in 2003 and is currently the highest ranking openly gay appointed official in Pennsylvania. 

Imagine the Human Relations Commission advocating that all people be protected from discrimination!  What a horrible abuse of power! 

The AFA-PA wants proof that homos are being discriminated against in housing, employment and public accomodations.  They should visit the HRC website which includes statistics on bias complaints. 

Other critical concerns the AFA has about the homosexual agenda in Pennsylvania:

1.  Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission "desecrates" Independence Hall with a gay historical marker.

2.  Homosexual activists in Allentown used threats and intimidation to acquire signatures on a petition to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the human relations ordinance.

3.  In Allentown, men can wear dresses and shower with women in the workplace. 

So the AFA-PA wants Governor Rendell to reign in Glassman and make him concentrate only on legally protected classes, as sexual orientation and gender identity are not included in these classes.  My question is what the AFA-PA is doing to ensure that good Christian family members who fall into those included classes are being protected?  Are they ensuring that churches across the Commonwealth are fully accessible to the disabled?  Perhaps holding bake sales so churches with limited resources can afford to remodel in order to be fully welcoming of ALL peoples?  I'm guessing that their all-consuming obsession with homosexuality does not allow for these minor distractions.

Furthermore, the AFA does not seem to be doing much of anything for ANY people who fall into the following classes - race, color, familial status, religious creed, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, disability, use of guide or support animals because of the blindness, deafness or physical handicap of the user or because the use is a handler or trainer of support or guide animals.

Are they on the forefront protecting pagans from religious discrimiation?  Nope.  How about helping older adults pay for medicine AND food?  Nada.  Any action to assist immigrant farm workes in the middle of Pennsylvania?  No. 

While Pennsylvania families struggle to find decent jobs, put food on their table, pay for health insurance, keep up with property taxes and a myriad of other daily challengers, the AFA-PA has defined homosexuals as the biggest threat to family welfare.  Headed up by Stephen Glassman who tricked a Republican into appointing him so he could spread his homo agenda willy nilly throughout the Commonwealth. 

You can join the AFA-PA email list webdesigner@afaofpa.org to stay abreast of the latest.

Some random notes...Rep. Randy Cunningham's loot came on the auction block last week. You remember Randy? The gentleman who ranted about the evils of gay people but then accepted bribes. The last time I checked, stealing was a big one in the ten commandments, but, uh...being gay ...WAS NOT.

Also, some observations about who might vote to take away gay folks right to marry. The pigeon sniper. The man who was seen walking on the roofs with an air rifle that looked like an assault rifle? Shooting piegeons. The person who locked down Pittsburgh for several hours and then, incredibly, tottered back to Fayette County. He can marry. He can breed. And they say gay people are a threat to society?

Finally, I attended the ACLU's annual meeting on Sunday and heard Randy Forrester speak. Seems among urban gays there's still a complacency about gay rights. A belief that being gay is becoming routine. Accepted. Let me say this, and not as eloquently as Mr. Forrester. The religious right, the self-righteous hypocrites that they may be, are coming after you. They don't like you. They want to establish a theocracy and, guess what? It won't include you. So wise up and get your head out of the sand.

Finally, I am also amused about the religious right's collective panties in a knot about the Afghanistan Christian that the Afghanistan government wants to execute. Bush came into that country and a "democratically" elected government was established. And this same government wants to execute this man. Not that I agree, but what did they expect? There also going after women and...gay people but you don't hear the focus on the family squawking about that, do you?

Rick's smile couldn't be more fake if Hillary were behind him.

I found this on the Trib web site

Oakland

Pitt sponsors human rights conference

The University of Pittsburgh is sponsoring the Conference on Human Rights and the Security Continuum from noon to 6 p.m. March 31 and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. April 1 at Posvar Hall, third floor, 230 S. Bouquet St., Oakland.

The conference, "Transcending Boundaries: Human Rights and the Security Continuum," aims to connect differing opinions by suggesting that they exist in a continuum.

Clifford Bob, assistant professor of political science at Duquesne University, will deliver the keynote luncheon address, and Julie Mertus, associate professor and co-director of the master's program in Ethics, Peace and Global Affairs at American University, will speak on organizing for gay and lesbian rights. For more information, call 412-624-4238 or visit www.pitt.edu/~sorc/agora.

In a stunning human rights travesty, Gay City News reports that gays and lesbians are being systematically kidnapped, beaten and murdered on a daily basis by Iraqui death squads.

Following a death-to-gays fatwa issued last October by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, death squads of the Badr Corps have been systematically targeting gay Iraqis for persecution and execution, gay Iraqis say. But when they ask for help and protection from U.S. occupying authorities in the Green Zone, the secure area officialdom has carved out within Baghdad, gays Iraqis are met with indifference and derision.

 Under the Iraqi Constitution-virtually written by the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, and his associates-Sharia law, which mandates death for homosexuals, is the foundation of all Iraqi law.

---

And, to add insult to injury, mainstream American media will completely disregard this report. 

A poll released Wednesday from the Pew Research Center for the People and Press shows that opposition to gay marriage has dropped from 63% to 51% since February 2004.  (365gay.com)

More good news. 

The number of people who say they strongly oppose gay marriage has dropped from 42 percent in early 2004 to 28 percent now. Strong opposition has dropped sharply among senior citizens and Republicans.

People are now evenly split on allowing adoptions by gay couples and six in 10 now favor allowing gays to serve openly in the military.

Another California survey found similar results. 

Americans are becoming increasingly comfortable with homosexuals and support is growing for non-marriage issues .... adoption, military service, anti-discrimination policies, even civil unions. 

2 Political Junkies has the scoop on Bush's upcoming trip to support his man Rick Santorum. 

WHAT: Candlelight Antiwar/Peace Rally
WHEN: Friday, March 24, 2006, 7:00 PM
WHERE: The corner of Beaver and Broad in Sewickley at the Gazebo

I was unable to attend this year b/c of another unbreakable commitment.  I was there last year.  God willing, I won't have to be there next year. 

For more photos from the rally, click here

For PG coverage, go here     For Tribune Review Coverage, go here

According to an article in the Wednesday (March 15) Post-Gazette, several state legislators have decided to attempt to ban a notorius gay basher--Fred Phelps--from protesting at the funerals of fallen soldiers. Putting aside for a minute the First Amendment issues this ban would involve, I find this incredibly hypocritical. As perhaps some of you may know, Fred Phelps and his merry band of bigots has been protesting at funerals for aids victims, homosexuals, and several years ago, even paid a visit to Pittsburgh to protest at the funeral of--Fred Rogers-- of all people.  And, apparently that did not offend the sensibilities of Senators John Pippy, Bob Regola and Jennifer Mann, the sponsors of this proposed legislation. I have a suggestion. Instead of banning Fred Phelps' free speech rights, however despicable his speech may be, how about if these senators do something constructive and GASP Christian. How about Senators Pippy, Regola and Mann make a statement that everyone--regardless of who they are--deserves to be remembered and mourned in a respectful and reverant manner.