The thing that really gets me is when homo-bigots are not content to just hate us for ourselves, but have to take the extra step of connecting us with something vile ... like pedophilia, bestiality or white supremacy. From the New York City St. Patric's Day Parade comes this gem.
In an interview with the Irish Times published on Friday Hibernian chair John Dunleavy said, "If an Israeli group wants to march in New York, do you allow Neo-Nazis into their parade? If African Americans are marching in Harlem, do they have to let the Ku Klux Klan into their parade?"
Dunleavy went on to tell the paper that "People have rights. If we let the ILGO in, is it the Irish Prostitute Association next?"
For the past 16 years, the NYC parade organizers have kept the queer contingent from marching as an identified group as permitted by a court ruling on religious freedom. Apparently, they are not content to simply disallow homos but have to take it one step further.
And guess who marches in spite of these hate laced comments? Senator Hillary Clinton. Are you stunned that she'd sell us out for a good PR moment?
The March 18 anti-war march from East Liberty to Oakland has gained a new queer contingent. And the weekend?s activities -- which mark the beginning of the Iraq War?s fourth year -- has spawned concerts and opened a Greensburg front this year as well.
In addition to the usual groups, headed up by march sponsor The Thomas Merton Center in Garfield, the March 18 demonstration will include the new Steel Queer N?at queer artists collective.
The group was formed in November, says member Cole Lea of Wilkinsburg. ?We haven?t had as much visibility as straight white men who are good speakers,? Lea says. ?Political activism is crucial to our survival as queer artists. This is an extension of our day-to-day lives.?
Here's more on the queer group -- SteelQueer N'At BlowOUT on 3/24!!!!!
Friday, March 24th at the Pittsburgh Eagle (1740 Eckert St in the N. Side, 412.766.7222). Doors open at 8:30 p.m., show begins at 9:00 p.m (on time!). 21 and over.
Immerse yourself in a world of fly, fresh queer artists. SteelQueer N'At is bringing you eclectic artsits, performers and musicians. Look out--we've got quarterly queer cabaret blowouts to showcase the best talent Pittsburgh has to offer. Everything from soulful singers to sensual burlesque acts. We've got what you want and what you didn't even know you need. We're connecting creative queer folks in the Burgh! Come enjoy our show--we'll make you dance, laugh, and we guarantee you'll be back for more! See you there! Tickets available from the Big Idea Bookstore (504 S. Millvale in Bloomfield) or A Pleasant Present (2301 Murray Ave in Squirrel Hill) - $5 in advance, $8 at the door, but we expect this show to SELL OUT!
SHAME! Part III. Clear Channel won't run anti-Gerlach billboard.March 16, 2006Speaking of limiting democracy, Clear Channel won't let supporters of Lois Murphy (D) to advertise on their billboards in the 6th CD. Clear Channel, which owns most of the billboards in the district, says they won't run a billboard (see above) that links incumbent Jim Gerlach (R) to Tom DeLay and asks Gerlach to return the money DeLay gave to Gerlach's campaign. Clear Channel, according to the Murphy campaign, refuses to run the billboards because the billboards "might make Jim Gerlach mad.?
"He feels that we can still win this battle, BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO PUT A HUMAN FACE ON THIS AMENDMENT! State legislators and state senators need to meet people, both GLBT and straight, who oppose this amendment. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to set up district office visits to speak with them about how this amendment impacts you, your family, your friends. The ACLU Community Organizers, working with the Women's Law Project, will be helping people set up these meetings and working with them on how to speak to elected officials."
We are trying to up an appointment with our state representative, Mike Diven. You need to do the same thing. You being gay and straight people. Married, unmarried and in between. Here's the links for the ACLU and for the Women's Law Project.
Here's the latest from our friend Dan Frankel .........
"This amendment would put at risk vital legal protections for thousands of unmarried same-sex and opposite-sex couples in Pennsylvania, including many senior citizens. Rushing this amendment through would jeopardize their inheritance rights and their rights to make medical decisions for each other."
And our homohating foe Darryl Metcalfe (shown with his traditional family)
?The definition of marriage as ?the union of one man and one woman? that we offer in this legislation is the traditional definition of marriage that has been recognized and accepted throughout history and throughout the world,? Metcalfe said. ?I encourage all Pennsylvanians who value traditional marriage, and who want to see it protected to sign the petition and contact their state legislators to urge them to support House Bill 2381.?
Excuse me while I go vomit. I'd blame the Chinese food I ate, but I'm sure I'm choking on hypocrisy. If you visit Metcalfe's site, you'll feel the same. What a pretentious oaf.
Listen up, Butler County residents! This idiot has swindled you into believing that gay marriage is such a threat to your family that it demands his immediate attention even though, EVEN THOUGH, it is currently illegal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. You are PAYING this guy to amend your constitution instead of attracting jobs to Butler County, keeping your health insurance functioning and making sure your property taxes don't overwhelm your family. Those are FAMILY issues.
Stay tuned for the Value All Families Coalition press release ...
The amendment is still active. So far, there has been a motion to table the amendment for two weeks so there could be a public hearing on the amendment. We LOST this motion on a tie vote, 14-14. The committee has now recessed so that the legislators can go into session. The committee will resume its discussions on the amendment later today.
The Value All Families Coalition will be issuing a press release later today.
For today, while the committee is dealing with the amendment, it is not necessary to call your representatives. The Value All Families Coalition will update everyone within the next day on next steps.
State Senator Jane Orie is putting her time and energy behind persecuting homosexuals (and the 250,000 unmarried heterosexual couples in Pennsylvania). (412) 630-9466
Western PA Senate sponsors of Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania, providing for marriage.
Yes, Pennsylvania. These are the folks spending YOUR tax dollars to tackle critical issues threating the welfare of your family. You'll be extra safe from us queers while you lose your jobs, lose your healthcare, lose your home to property taxes and lose any chance your children have for a healthy future.
On March 15th, the Pennsylvania House of Representative's State Government Committee will be voting on HB 2381, the anti-LGBT, anti-family constitutional amendment that would prohibit recognition of same-sex marriage and all unmarried relationships in the Commonwealth.
We need your help to stop anti-LGBT activists from writing discrimination into the Pennsylvania Constitution. Pennsylvania state legislators are attempting to amend the Pennsylvania state constitution to deny gay, lesbian and unmarried families legal recognition.
We need you to call your state Representative immediately and ask them to oppose HB 2381, known as the "Pennsylvania Marriage Protection Amendment."
The amendment's text states, "Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this Commonwealth, and neither the Commonwealth nor any of its political subdivisions shall create or recognize a legal status identical or substantially equivalent to that of marriage for unmarried individuals."
Ask your legislators to protect all of Pennsylvania's families and not harm some by writing discrimination into Pennsylvania's constitution. Pennsylvania law already stops gay and lesbian couples from marrying, and this amendment is not necessary.
So-called marriage protection amendments affect all families in our state, not just same-sex families. While supporters in other states have said these amendments are only about gay marriage, this is not true. In Ohio, courts have ruled that unmarried people, including unmarried heterosexual couples, may not seek protection from abuse orders. In Michigan, groups are challenging domestic partner benefits for employees. Virginia's recently enhanced amendment is so broad that it may interfere with the rights of all Virginians to create wills, medical directives, powers of attorney, child custody and property arrangements, and even joint bank accounts!
Thank you for your support. Please forward this information to friends, family, and other people in Pennsylvania who believe in civil rights and equality for all Pennsylvanians.
The Value All Families Coalition is sponsoring buses from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley for the March 14th Anti-Amendment rally in Harrisburg. If you are interested in taking a bus from: Philadelphia contact the Center at 215-731-1447 ext. 10 or c4crinfo@center4civilrights.org; Pittsburgh contact Dana at 412-858-3057 or equalitynow@msn.com; or the Lehigh Valley contact PA-GALA at 610-863-4961 or smblack@epix.net. The following organizations are sponsoring the buses: Human Rights Campaign, Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, Philadelphia Family Pride, Mountain Meadow, PA-GALA, GLOW at PP&L, MCC of the Lehigh Valley and Lehigh Valley PFLAG, among others.
The Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights is coordinating the rally opposing the anti-family state constitutional amendments. The rally will occur in the Capitol Rotunda at 2:00. Lobby training will be held a block away from the Capitol building at 11:00 at St. Michael Lutheran Church,118 State St., Harrisburg. The coalition encourages people to visit legislators that day in Harrisburg from 12:00 to 1:45.
According to a federal discrimination suit filed yesterday, Welch West Virginia Sheriff Robert K. Bowman physically prevented a bystander from performing CPR on Claude Green, Jr. who was suffering a heart atack. Green died at the hospital.
Sheriff Bowman acted because he thought Green was HIV positive. Did he have any factual knowledge? No, he reached this conclusion that b/c Green was gay he MUST be HIV positive. And, thus, not deserving of CPR for fear of spreading the disease.
Paging Rick Santorum and the Catholic and Presbyterian Church --- this is the other end of that slippery slope of discrimination YOU create with your intolerance and ignorance. When you send a message that gays are second class citizens, idiots like this Sheriff pay attention and jump to conclusions that are FATAL.
Claude Green died because of the fear, ignorance and hate lying just beneath the veneer of civility on current LGBT discussions.
What if Rob Traynham or Mary Cheney were traveling around Welch, West Virginia?
