Joe Sudbay is right about this one: Pawlenty is working extra hard to burnish his anti-gay credentials so that he can run for president.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed a bill Saturday that would have given same-sex partners the right to decide what to do with the body of their loved ones, should they die.
Pawlenty had said he would veto the bill, calling it unnecessary because partners can draw up a living will. But advocates argue that married couples do not have to do that and that legal documents often cost money to draft.
There is absolutely no reason to oppose such a bill, besides the sheer self-centered meanness that seems to be a prerequisite for being a member of the modern teabagging GOP. It’s also pretty revelatory of the modern state of conservative Christianity. Pawlenty feels the need to kick gay people for no reason in order to impress the people who claim to love Jesus the hardest.
Pathetic.
‘Conservative Christianity’ is an oxymoron!
Are we getting it? It’s TIME to make America a collection of Red States and Blue States! It’s time, my people, to make our moving plans and consolidate in States where we are welcomed. Of course, it’s hard to leave “home”. But are we truly home or just living uninvited in States and cities we’re not wanted? Don’t use your job as an excuse. We are the most talented and gifted people in the world. We create our own families and our own careers. We have no “good old boy” system because they HATE us. California, Oregon, Washington, New England, New Mexico… why choose to live in Texas where gay marriage will NEVER be ratified? Why live in Florida and waste our votes, waste so much life and love we could be enjoying in places which have their arms open wide, begging us for our talent? It’s painful watching us get slapped in the face day-after-day and run back for more. We truly need a mass exodus. We truly need to get our ACT UP together. Move On…indeed. The Pentagon didn’t suddenly start thinking, “Oh, let’s be nice to the gays because we’re feeling guilty.” NO! They nearly lost two major conflicts because their anti-gay policy almost sunk the missions! Our people are the best and brightest at computers and languages…and they fired us during the conflicts…then had to hire contractors at twice the price. It’s a matter of economics and we have the power!!
Moving is not a solution I accept, Merrell.
I want all of my people to be free (not just those of us who can afford to move) – and I want our oppressors to be free from their prejudices and illusions of superiority too. I’m staying right where I am (one of the worst places in the US) and trying to make change.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
I’ll bet many slaves in our country never thought they’d see slavery end, but the abolitionists (of all colors) worked to change that.
I’ll bet many women never thought they’d be more than men’s chattel (thankfully a committed group of women and men changed that too).
It’s up to us to change things too.
In my short lifetime so far, our status has changed significantly – LGB folks are no longer considered mentally ill (1973) or criminals (2003).
We’ve got work to do – I feel like I owe it to those who paved the way for us to make this place better for the next generation.
Wow! Let’s not forget that Al Franken won a Minnesota senate race by about 300 votes, was it? Good thing those 300 people didn’t move to California or New York! The democrats won with a 50 state strategy, taking back Colorado, North Carolina, and a number of other states in 2008. Let freedom ring–everywhere.
I would consider staying and fighting but I have been fighting for 30 years now. My spouse and I are seriously considering moving to Canada, where we married. I won’t have to worry that some Xianist busybody will find a way to keep my spouse from being with me at the end.
Arizona is simply a place I pray devoutly not to be at the end. I am sick to death of the pernicious influence of religion in some parts of this state. All the states are great, but we still don’t have full federal marriage rights.
I figured he would veto the bill, but it still hurts to see that so many are still so hateful. I guess I can hope that the legislature can override his veto. What an Xianist POS.
If every GLBT person considered moving someplace where we feel accepted then these Xian busybodies will have won! This is what they want us to do…this is their intention: To make or pass bills that are so odious to us that we have no other option than to move somewhere else.
Some of the rhetoric that comes from that side of the aisle is so shocking. “If you don’t like what this town/state/country is doing for gays and lesbians then why don’t you queers go get your own island and see how long you live on it!” Don’t pretend that you have never heard them say this behind our backs or even to our faces. Do you really want to give them the satisfaction of knowing that they won over us? I sure as hell don’t!