Politico ran a piece yesterday penned by leaders from three of our allies’ militaries, all of which allow gays and lesbians to serve openly. Maj. Peter Kees Hamstra of the Royal Dutch Army, Leif Ohlson of the Swedish Armed Forces, and Lt. Com. Craig Jones, retired from the Royal Navy of Britain, all have a similar message for the US, which is essentially, “Get over it.” What really impresses me about their piece is that, coming from nations in which the sky has not fallen in the wake of openly gay soldiers, is their perspective and their framing, as it truly shows how stupid the opposition to DADT repeal really is. For instance:
We are aware of colleagues in our own militaries who don’t like it that gays and lesbians serve openly. However, despite considerable fears before we enacted these policies, such attitudes are rare.
In no cases, in fact, have negative private opinions about gay people undermined our ability to work with one another. Our service members are professionals who care, first and foremost, about the ability to do the job.
Moral opposition to homosexuality, while real, is just not allowed to undercut our militaries’ missions.
Nor do we think it will have any impact on yours after you repeal “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Got that? They don’t let the bigotry of a few of their members affect their missions or unit cohesion. Because, let’s get clear: since we all know that “gay” is just something you are, and decidedly and laughably not, as the Religious Right likes to say, a “behavior,” it is not incumbent on gays and lesbians to baby the bigots, any more than it’s incumbent upon Jewish servicemembers to baby the fundamentalist Christians they serve with*, or for black soldiers and airmen to baby any racists around them.
Also, there’s this:
We are confident that, despite the unique nature of each culture and military, you will have a similar experience to ours — which is that ending discrimination against gay troops was a giant nothing.
As per usual when gay people get closer to having equal rights.
The policy puts you in the company of Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China and Yemen. Is that the kind of company you want to keep?
No, we do not! The Religious Right is more comfortable supporting policies that are the ideological equivalent of theocratical Islam, but the other 75% of Americans would like “Land of the free, home of the brave” to mean something, please.
The compromise isn’t great, but it’s a step in the right direction, and I feel more comfortable with it with Patrick Murphy leading the way. Before the interview, Rachel points out how stupid and disingenuous it is that extremist right-wingers keep framing DADT repeal as something fringe or liberal, considering the fact that 75% of Americans support it. The 25% who still support DADT are, perhaps not coincidentally, also the 25% of Americans who would most benefit from protective helmets.
(Reprobate Republicans Mark Sanford, Will Folks and Nikki Haley pose for picture. Or was it really a 3-way?)
The New York Times reports today that State Representative Nikki Haley, who is running for governor, was accused of an “inappropriate physical relationship” with a conservative blogger and political consultant.
The adultery charges were made by the blogger Will Folks merely two weeks before the Republican primary. Haley had become the front-runner after she was enthusiastically endorsed by Sarah Palin. The latest revelations come on the heels of former governor Mark Sanford’s affair with a voluptuous South American mistress. He famously said when confronted with the charges that he was walking the Appalachian Trail.
The South Carolina GOP is supposedly the party of family values in a super conservative state. Once again, it shows that social conservatives are nothing but shameless, pathetic hypocrites who can’t practice what they preach.
They unconscionably built a political empire by pretending to be morally superior to everyone else and that they had the right to snoop and scold others. Now the awful truth reveals that their behavior, values and ethics are actually far inferior to those whom they had berated.
Isn’t it time that Republican politicians get back to focusing on real issues and get out of our bedrooms? How many affairs will it take until conservative Republicans end the despicable family values charade?
Finally, if someone says they are a Republican from South Carolina – hide your spouse.
The war over gay rights in America and other modern nations has been largely won. Too many people have come out of the closet and will never go back in for the clock to be turned back. Most of these out individuals have loyal friends and family members who offer unequivocal love and unqualified support. We have reached a tipping point where LGBT people are even coming out in traditionally conservative bastions where the issue has long been seen as taboo.
For example, in England, 6’3″, 225-pound rugby star Gareth Thomas recently came out. He was featured in a major Sports Illustrated spread detailing his life as the first openly gay male athlete in team sports. While no comparable male star has come out in America, Thomas’ brave journey sets the stage for this breakthrough to occur.
Gospel singers Ray Boltz and Tonex have acknowledged their sexual orientation, blazing a trail in a very homophobic environment. Country music crooner Chely Wright (pictured), who will be working with the LGBT organization Faith in America to combat religion-based bigotry, courageously came out this month.
While Ricky Martin’ announcement that he is gay did not seem to shock many people, it still had a significant impact in the Hispanic community and reverberated across Latin America. And, the recent support of marriage equality by Cindy McCain and Laura Bush gave fair-minded Republican women across this nation a green light to openly embrace their gay friends.
Daily advances suggest that the LGBT community is about fifteen years away from full equality. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday indicates that 78 percent of the public supports allowing openly gay people to serve in the military, with only one in five opposed.
“Support is widespread, even among Republicans. Nearly six in ten Republicans favor allowing openly gay individuals to serve in the military,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “There is a gender gap, with 85 percent of women and 71 percent of men favoring the change, but support remains high among both groups.”
A new Gallup poll released Monday showed that while the number of Americans opposed to marriage equality continues to outnumber those in support of it, the number opposed has dropped to tie Gallup’ all-time low for the number. According to the poll, 53% of Americans oppose marriage equality compared to 44% who support it. The 53% number is tied with 2007′ 53% for the lowest opposition to gay marriage among Americans that Gallup has recorded.
In the next decade or so, a more supportive demographic will fully come of age and replace voters who hail from more conservative generations. During this period, we will witness an increasingly bitter and divisive culture war, as opponents sense defeat and grow desperate. There is no alternative to fighting these battles if we expect to win.
Often, I am asked the question: Why do you spend so much time focusing on religious extremists?
I spotlight these zealots because the only way we can now lose is if America is overthrown by a theo-fascist regime that obliterates the separation of church and state. Let me state clearly that it is highly unlikely that such a takeover will occur.
However, such a nightmare can only take place if we do not pay attention to our opponents. There is no shortage of Americans who desire an intolerant “Christian Nation” that excludes non-fundamentalists from first-class citizenship. I have traveled to rabidly right wing conferences, witnessed their radical vision for America and have seen the determination in their eyes. We should never underestimate their will or doubt their commitment to turn this country into the Christian version of Iran.
The one genuine concern I have is the enthusiastic embrace of fringe anti-gay activists by respectable members of the Republican Party. Strong ideological divisions combined with a weak economy and high unemployment could place in power Republicans beholden to fanatical elements. This could potentially create a dire situation where our opponents have the raw power to reverse the LGBT community’ notable gains.
If you don’t think they can do it, consider that the extreme right took over the Texas School Board and rewrote the history books. These same people would have no qualms about writing LGBT people out of America’ future.
Minnesota is a troubling example of GOP leaders in bed with extremists. According to the Minnesota Monitor, a radical anti-gay ministry, You Can Run But You Cannot Hide (YCR), has solidified ties to the Republican Party of this state. The group is linked to Rep. Michele Bachmann and gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer.
YCR recently said on its radio show that Muslim countries that use the death penalty for gays and lesbians are “more moral than even the American Christians”. While this has caused Emmer to tiptoe away from YCR, the question remains, why is the GOP cavorting with crazies?
As we approach the finish line for equality, we must always keep one eye on the prize and the other on the awful surprise our theocratic foes desperately want to inflict on America. If they win, we lose. That is a lesson we don’t have the luxury of forgetting.
(Example in video of the crazy people we must face)
Minnesota Republican candidate for governor Tom Emmer apparently violated campaign finance laws when his campaign donated twice the legal limit to a Christian punk-rock group which teaches public-school students that it’s “moral” to kill homosexuals.
The Minnesota Independent made the disclosure in twostories today.
Like Exodus International, this band — named You Can Run But You Cannot Hide Intl., and led by self-styled minister Bradlee Dean — claims to be bringing the “message of Christ” to youth: In this case, a message of righteous murder. According to the Independent:
“Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America,” Dean said on YCR’ May 15 radio show on AM 1280 the Patriot. “This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination.”
Dean endorses efforts by foreign antigay terrorists to attack the United States if the nation does not voluntarily adopt antigay genocide laws:
“If America won’t enforce the laws, God will raise up a foreign enemy to do just that,” Dean continued. “That is what you are seeing in America.”
Rep. Tom Emmer has appeared on the kill-the-gays rock band’s talk show, posed for pictures, visited Dean’s home, and attended a non-profit band fund-raiser. Fellow Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann has twice endorsed the murderous band.
Despite protests by the Minnesota Log Cabin Republicans, the state party has become more cozy with the band, not less. Emmer has refused to comment on the band’s appeals for antigay bloodshed. Instead, Emmer’s campaign released a statement to the Independent saying “Tom’ position on social issues has been very clear and consistent. He is a supporter of traditional marriage, and he strongly opposes any kind of violence or unfair discrimination against any group.” Unless, apparently, the violence is politically and musically expedient or the discrimination is “fair.”
As for the tax-free, non-profit group’s partisan political activity, watchdogs said they’ve seen worse.
Abby Levine of the Alliance for Justice wouldn’t comment on the specifics of YCR’ involvement in Republican politics, but did offer general guidelines for nonprofit organizations.
“A 501(c)3 can’t support or oppose a candidate. They can’t indicate support for candidates,” said Levine. “If it looks like an organization is supporting a candidate, that would be problematic.”
She added, “There could be legitimate reasons for a nonprofit organization to attend events like you’ve described.”
Donald Tobin, a professor of election law at Ohio State University’ Moritz College of Law, said, “In light of how blatant some nonprofits have been, this seems like it’ the lesser of the blatant.”
Can these people go five seconds without using fellatio imagery? Fundamentalist men really do seem to have it on the brain:
Dear Concerned American,
Once again, an unpopular piece of legislation is on the verge of being forced down the throats of the American people.
And the American people still have their gag reflex!
Also, unpopular? Okay, I know the American Family Association lives in a la-la land of its own imagination, but 78% of Americans support DADT repeal. 78! I also know that Fundamentalists think they’re the only real Americans, but we all know that’s a load of crap and they’re just pissed because their worldview is dying off with them.
President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi are again using arm-twisting and backdoor deals in order to force open their laboratory for trendy experiments in the social engineering of our military.
Trendy experiments! Like the ones that all the other good militaries in the world conducted years ago! They were a success! Yay! Why does the AFA think our military is weaker than Israel’s? I mean, what the hell, you guys? I thought you dumb hicks were the “real ‘Murkans” and that “‘Murka can do no wrong.” But apparently, in your eyes, our military is full of a bunch of pansies who can’t handle being around gay people. (We, of course, know this is not true, because most of the military is already quite aware that they serve with gay people, and most of them don’t care. I guess they’re just not as scared of their shadows as the average leader of the American Family Association.)
Blah blah blah, more words, and then this:
This Thursday, Speaker Pelosi will attempt to circumvent the will of the people by ramming through an amendment to the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” straight from the floor of the House of Representatives!
Mon dieu! Repealing a law?! In Congress?! What kind of precedent does this set?!
Allowing open homosexuals to serve in the military will decimate military morale and unit cohesion, introduce sexual tensions into same-gender accommodations and damage rather than enhance military readiness. Read our detailed report here.
Like it did in Israel. It’s sad that the Israeli military is so lonely and emo now, due to gays, and that they’re no longer equipped to drop bombs on Palestinian territories and Lebanon, again, due to gays, and…oh wait, excuse me, yes, the Israeli military is still one of the fiercest fighting forces in the world. So I think we’ll skip the AFA’s idiot ass report, and instead continue to read the reports put together by grown-ups who aren’t relying on their own bigoted interpretations of religious dogma to provide a cover for their intense fear of everything in this world that can’t be fit into their little tiny flaccid white boxes.
(This e-mail alert from the AFA was, of course, reprinted on the blog of St. Peter LaBarbera, patron saint of leathersex, so hat tip where hat tip is due. He had his own commentary about it, which can be summed up thusly: “Chicago-style, San Francisco valyews, jew-day-oh-kris-chin valyews, Obama lied when he promised to be a moderate Demon-crat, even though DADT repeal was one of his campaign promises, beep beep beep, honk honk, goodbye.”)
Since Exodus International continues to deny prior knowledge of Scott Lively’s Holocaust revisionism and his plans for antigay genocide in Uganda, we pause for a moment to take a quick look back. Over the past four years, Exodus and NARTH have been reminded several times of their ties to Lively — and both organizations responded by deleting the evidence of their ties from their respective web sites.
Wayne Besen noted in passing: “Another major NARTH contributor is Holocaust revisionist Scott Lively, co-author of The Pink Swastika, a book that partially blamed gay people for the Holocaust.” NARTH subsequently deleted the linked page.
XGW devoted an entire article to the ongoing connections between Scott Lively and NARTH, the American Family Association, and JONAH (the Christian Right’s front group for Jewish “ex-gays”). After the article was written, NARTH and the AFA deleted the pages on their respective web sites which documented their ties to Lively. XGW had previously, in August of that year, published an article tying JONAH to another notorious Holocaust revisionist, Paul Cameron — and in February, XGW demonstrated that JONAH’s purpose is not to support largely non-existent Jewish ex-gays, but to convert Jews to politically conservative evangelical Christianity.
Exodus deleted that article from its web site shortly thereafter.
This brief list is not comprehensive.
For the past half-decade, TWO, Ex-Gay Watch, and Box Turtle Bulletin have written numerous articles about Scott Lively — as have our friends at Right Wing Watch and the Southern Poverty Law Center. We know from blog comments and site logs that Exodus staffers monitor these sites. We know that they deleted incriminating articles after we spotlighted them.
And we observe that, even after the past year in which Lively has publicly used his endorsements from Exodus, NARTH, and AFA to fuel his campaign for African genocide, Exodus International still has expressed neither regret nor retraction of its endorsements.
Scott Lively made his career by perpetuating the revisionist lie that the Third Reich was a homosexual movement, claiming that only burly macho male homosexuals were capable of committing the heinous genocide of the Holocaust. Last year he went to Uganda and told that audience that not only was the Holocaust perpetuated by homosexuals, but that the Rwandan genocide was also likely the work of male homosexuals. For these and many other reasons, most any group affiliated with Scott Lively in any way has earned a spot on the SPLC’s list of anti-gay hate groups. Perhaps the American Family Association is angling for such a designation itself. I can’t imagine why, since they surely know, privately, that virtually no one under 35 in this country supports people like them. This is why they’re all pathetically trying to “reach out to millenials,” a group which is blessedly out of their grasp, for the most part, as a voting bloc. But as long as they allow Bryan Fischer to speak, we can only deduce that the AFA has completely jumped the shark into full-on Fred Phelps/Scott Lively territory, and that they should be addressed as such.
So Hitler himself was an active homosexual. And some people wonder, didn’t the Germans, didn’t the Nazis, persecute homosexuals? And it is true they did; they persecuted effeminate homosexuals. But Hitler recruited around him homosexuals to make up his Stormtroopers, they were his enforcers, they were his thugs. And Hitler discovered that he could not get straight soldiers to be savage and brutal and vicious enough to carry out his orders, but that homosexual solders basically had no limits and the savagery and brutality they were willing to inflict on whomever Hitler sent them after. So he surrounded himself, virtually all of the Stormtroopers, the Browshirts, were male homosexuals.
He doesn’t specifically cite Scott Lively, but again, we know where that particular lie came from, so Lively’s work is obviously informing Bryan Fischer. The problem here is this: Scott Lively is completely fringe and respected by very few people in the United States, and instead has to run off to foreign lands to spread his bile, places where people might not Google him quite so quickly. Fred Phelps has no credibility with anyone, anywhere. But there are still many Evangelical churches where the American Family Association is considered just a normal, run-of-the-mill Christian organization like any other. We who have been paying attention to their radicalization know otherwise.
In my opinion, this should earn the AFA a hate group designation on two fronts: Both as an anti-gay group and as an anti-Semitic group. It is my strongly held belief that anyone who seeks to obfuscate or revise ANY part of the well documented history of the Holocaust for their own purposes is engaging in fierce anti-Semitism. This should not be a surprise coming from a Fundamentalist Christian source, as I explained fully here. To use that very real event and scare-monger people into believing that the perpetrators of the greatest genocide in recent memory were such monsters due to their alleged homosexuality is beyond the pale, and it’s nothing short of a modern-day blood libel. (Again, not surprising coming from a fundamentalist strain of Christendom, since Christendom frickin’ created the blood libel. And I don’t want to hear any fundamentalist Evangelicals giving me any crap about how that was Catholics, because a fundamentalist is a fundamentalist. I don’t care what strain of that virus you’re infected by, because the behaviors and the end result tend to be the same.)
The South Africa Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (SA GLAAD) has drafted a protest e-mail regarding Malawi’s arrest, remand, conviction, sentencing and incarceration of Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, Amnesty International’s prisoners of conscience.
Please consider writing your own messages to the following officials, using the following bullet points to craft a brief message in your own words.
To: justice@malawi.gov.mw, sg-justice@sdnp.org.mw, lawcom@lawcom.mw, lawcom@sdnp.org.mw, highcommalai@telkomsa.net, distms@malawi.gov.mw, infopol@africa-online.net, chadzapg@malawi.gov.mw,
Subject: Free Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza now
Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza were disingenuously convicted of a supposed indecent act: Daring to hold a symbolic marriage ceremony.
The law under which they were convicted is a remnant from the Western colonial era.
The pair has been adopted as “prisoners of conscience” by Amnesty International. The governments of Great Britain and the United States of America, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, have vocally opposed the conviction. The UNHCR said that protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a fundamental human right that cannot be overruled on cultural grounds.
The sentence is inhumane. The refusal of bail and the remand of Steven and Tiwonge are abhorrent.
It is time for Malawi to rid itself from the defunct colonial codified discriminations and human rights oppressions.
On these bases, Malawi has no ethical or cultural justification for continuing to incarcerate these men and others like them.
For example, in England, 6’3″, 225-pound rugby star Gareth Thomas recently came out. He was featured in a major
While Ricky Martin’ announcement that he is gay did not seem to shock many people, it still had a significant impact in the Hispanic community and reverberated across Latin America. And, the recent support of marriage equality by Cindy McCain and Laura Bush gave fair-minded Republican women across this nation a green light to openly embrace their gay friends.
Minnesota Republican candidate for governor Tom Emmer apparently violated campaign finance laws when his campaign donated twice the legal limit to a Christian punk-rock group which teaches public-school students that it’s “moral” to kill homosexuals.
