Peduto endorses Joe Hoeffel.
?Joe Hoeffel is a progressive leader who will fight for Pennsylvania,? Peduto said. ?I am supporting Joe, because he understands the challenges facing communities like Pittsburgh, and he isn?t afraid to make the tough decisions to change the direction of our economy for the benefit of working families. He has a record in support of reforming state government to make it more transparent and accountable to the people. He knows how to balance the tough financial issues that Pennsylvania faces with a progressive agenda to build a 21st Century economy.?
It is very sad to hear my fellow queers say things like "We have to be realistic" about a primary. In January. Did you learn nothing from Natalia Rudiak's election? Seriously people ... that was a year ago.
Joe Hoeffel's County has offered domestic partner benefits since 2001. He offers them to his campaign staff. His campaign staff, for God's sake.
Joe Hoeffel likes gay people. He thinks we deserve jobs, housing, health insurance and marriage equality. He includes us fully in his vision for Pennsylvania, not just to the extent permitted by the Pope.
Really. It is January. Senator-elect Brown has not wiped the progressive slate clean. Calm down and realize that nothing is inevitable in January.
The Trib runs a piece on the Prop 8 Trial.
Too bad for the GOP that its base won't allow that emphasis on individual liberty and the pursuit of equality -- the ultimate crux of the Republican Party of Lincoln and Reagan -- to be a road map for a party looking to gain ground in this year's midterm elections and position itself to retake the White House in 2012.
Olson rightly points out that "society suffers no benefit" from outlawing same-sex marriage. There isn't any "real basis," he says, for the belief that legalizing such relationships would invite the deterioration of heterosexual marriage or encourage polygamy.
Nor does his case compel Christianity -- or any other religion with conflicting tenets -- to recognize gay marriage.
Ah, but Daniel Haggerty of Chippewa begs to disagree (yes, I had to look up where Chippewa falls in PA).
Americans truly do not believe that homosexuality is dignified or decent. We are disgusted at any thought of what it means and pray that our kids will be spared from this very difficult lifestyle. As parents, we will do whatever it takes to avoid any positive presentation of homosexuality, not because of discrimination but because we know instinctively it is wrong and unnatural.
At least he has the cahones to lay it out there. We are not decent human beings. We deserve second class status lest we spread our indecency to other people's children. Daniel Haggerty isn't inching along to thinking we deserve a few rights. He doesn't give a flying fig what conservatism means. His a faith-based hatred fueled by half-truths and misunderstandings.
Finally, as religious people, we know that when the federal government gets involved, you either play ball or you go out of business. That's why the Diocese of Boston no longer facilitates adoption; it refused to place children with homosexual couples, as required by Massachusetts law, and its adoption program was shut down. Does anyone really think the church will be given a pass when it comes to marrying gay couples?
Adoption is not a religious process. The Diocese of Boston Catholic Charities was contracted by the state to provide this service to children in the community. The law said that those children deserved homes based on certain criteria. Sexual orientation of the adopters is not a legal reason to deny a child a home. The Diocese opted not to participate in a civil process that violated their religious beliefs. Someone else picked up that contract. There's no "right to run an adoption program" that I'm aware of.
But you can't get around it. If you think LGBTQ folks are indecent, any weapon is fine.
But, heck, Bill Gates isn't worried that Uganda wants to make homosexuality punishable by death. Why should I worry about a little indecent slur?
