It’s nice to know that there are still one or two sane Republicans in Washington. Joe has a statement from Freedom to Marry, announcing that Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) has signed on to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA:

Today, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen announced that she would be the first Republican member of Congress to cosponsor the Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 1116), sponsored by Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. “Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s support for this important bill confirms that equal respect for all marriages is a bipartisan, mainstream value,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide. “Working with Representatives Ros-Lehtinen and Nadler, and the Respect for Marriage Act’s 124 co-sponsors, Freedom to Marry will continue to make the case to Republican and Democratic members of Congress that it’s time to return the federal government to its proper role of honoring all marriages legal in the states — without a gay exception.”

Ros-Lehtinen has always been pro-gay, so this isn’t really that surprising, but again, it’s nice to see anyone with an “R” next to her name standing up for equality.

Or even shorter Peter LaBarbera: “WAAAAAAAAAAH!”

So, apparently some Republican politicians, like John Cornyn and Pete Sessions, are going to be helping the Log Cabin Republicans out with a few things. Marc Ambinder explains:

Suddenly, it’s becoming less of a stigma for bigwigs to associate with gays in the Republican Party. Not only has former RNC chairman Ken Mehlman’s 9/22 fundraiser for gay marriage rights attracted numerous high-octane Republican donors and activists, but Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and Rep. Pete Sessions, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee will help the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay GOP group, raise money for its political action committee.

[...]

The LCR national dinner, which follows the private fundraiser, will include Sessions, Rep. Judy Biggert, Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform. The Daily Caller’s Tucker Carlson will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Even Tucker Carlson! Anyway, it’s good to see that certain corners of the Republican party are starting to move into the realm of sanity on gay issues. But like I said, Peter LaBarbera does not like this, not one bit:

The liberal media just eat it up when a sin movement (in this case, organized homosexuality) officially goes “bipartisan.” Check out this excerpt from (the giddy) The Atlantic. I suspect that The Atlantic’s (and CBS News’) Marc Ambinder — while sympathetic to the Stupid Republican Party’s current pro-homosexuality tack — wouldn’t agree with our description of homosexuality as sinful. Just a hunch, though.

When he says “sin movement,” I imagine some moralistic prude in the 1960′s going on and on about Kids These Days, what with the way they do the Frug and the Watusi, without shame. And no, Marc Ambinder probably doesn’t agree with you that homosexuality is “sinful,” as that is an asinine, unprovable notion put forth by bigots and accepted as “truth” by an ever dwindling and bodily deteriorating segment of the population.

Anyway, so that is what The Peter had to say about that.

TAKE ACTION NOW

Truth Wins Out today urged Congress to deny financial aid to Uganda if the country passes a draconian bill that would trample the fundamental rights of the nation’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 threatens sexual minorities with cruel and usual punishment for simply existing.

On Friday, four members of Congress wrote a powerful letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to express alarm over the proposed law.

“This egregious bill represents one of the most extreme anti-equality measures ever proposed in any country and would create a legal pretext for depriving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Ugandans of their liberty, and even their lives,” said the bipartisan letter, signed by Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc., Pictured), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.). “Particularly given the United States’ substantial contribution to Uganda through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), we believe swift action is necessary to ensure Ugandan leaders understand this bill is wholly unacceptable and antithetical to democratic values.”

Please THANK Rep. Tammy Baldwin for her support and urge her office to continue fighting against The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 by e-mailing Amber Shipley

Amber.Shipley@mail.house.gov

Please THANK Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for her support via phone call or letter and urge her to continue using her position in the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs to hold Uganda accountable.

2470 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515-0918
Telephone: 202-225-3931

Please contact the Ugandan Embassy and express your disapproval of the anti-gay bill:

His Excellency Professor Perezi K. Kamunanwire
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Tel: (202) 726 4758
pkamunanwire@ugandaembassyus.org
(Read More)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Nov. 2, 2009

Contact: Wayne Besen
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org

American Evangelicals Have a Moral Duty to Speak Out Against Witch Hunt, Says TWO

NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out today urged Congress to deny financial aid to Uganda if the country passes a draconian bill that would trample on the fundamental rights of the nation’ gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 threatens sexual minorities with cruel and usual punishment for simply existing, says TWO.

“The United States should have no part in funding a government that promotes cruelty, while opposing basic freedoms and human rights,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out, a New York-based GLBT organization. “We thank the members of Congress who have spoken out and strongly urge other lawmakers to follow their lead before it is too late.”

On Friday, four members of Congress wrote a powerful letter (full text below) to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to express alarm over the proposed law.

“This egregious bill represents one of the most extreme anti-equality measures ever proposed in any country and would create a legal pretext for depriving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Ugandans of their liberty, and even their lives,” said the bipartisan letter, signed by Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla., pictured). “Particularly given the United States’ substantial contribution to Uganda through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), we believe swift action is necessary to ensure Ugandan leaders understand this bill is wholly unacceptable and antithetical to democratic values.” (Read More)