University City, Missouri, is a historic suburb of St. Louis, and as heartland suburbs go, it’s a fairly liberal enclave, so it’s perhaps not surprising that they were the first St. Louis suburb to create a domestic partner ordinance:

This community known for its diversity and progressive ways became on Monday the first municipality in St. Louis County to adopt a domestic partnership ordinance giving same-sex partners and other couples who live together the same rights as spouses in many situations.

The City Council approved the measure 6-1. The vote brought a standing ovation from many in the crowd that packed the council chambers, and some in the audience had tears. Many credited Councilman Terry Crow, who has been active in gay causes and proposed the ordinance.

[...]

Crow, Councilman Steven Kraft and Mayor Shelley Welsch said they hoped University City’s measure would encourage other governments, including St. Louis County, to adopt similar ordinances.

Of course, there was opposition, though I find it funny that those quoted in the article are not University City residents. Here’s one:

Those on the other side included former state Rep. Cynthia Davis, of O’Fallon, who is St. Charles County’s Republican Party chairwoman. She vehemently urged the council to vote down the measure.

“I want to encourage you to keep your community family friendly” and make sure University City “has the right kind of culture you’ll be proud of,” Davis told the council.

Yeah, St. Charles County is all the way to the west, across the river. There are many wingnuts there. So when Ms. Davis encourages a city she does not live in to keep their community “family friendly,” with the “right kind of culture,” I would suggest that they already have, which is why Ms. Davis does not live there. Here’s another outsider, with an opinion:

Joan Schneider of Ballwin also urged the council not to pass the ordinance. “I don’t think University City wants to be the only city to legislate sin in the United States,” she said.

Oh, Joan. Lots of cities have done this. They tend to be places with high property values.  Because, as we all know, the wages of sin are pricing wingnuts out of the neighborhood.

Anyway, congratulations to University City for being the first, and here’s hoping that the rest of St. Louis Count follows their lead.

[h/t Memphis Loves Gays]

This is what we mean when we say that anti-gay bigotry is no longer socially acceptable in nice places:

Focus St. Louis and the Clayton Chamber of Commerce said today that they are canceling a planned presentation by Dan Cathy, president and COO of Chick-fil-A, following complaints that Cathy and his company are involved with anti-gay organizations.

Chick-fil-A, which is known for promoting a company vision of Christian values, was enmeshed in a controversy earlier this year involving an independent Chick-fil-A operator in Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Family Institute, which is affiliated with the Family Resource Institute. The latter institute was recently designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center because of its anti-gay positions.

The decision to cancel Cathy’s March 18 presentation here was made after PROMO, a statewide organization that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, protested his appearance and asked Focus and the Chamber of Commerce to reconsider.

Ellen Gale, the head of the chamber, said today that when the groups agreed to co-sponsor Cathy’s appearance, they had no idea he held controversial views.

Sometimes all you have to do is bring it to their attention. I’m always very cautious when protesting things like this planned speech, because very often, what you have is not a matter of discriminatory beliefs or activities, but rather oversight. In this case, once the Clayton Chamber knew what kind of unsavory activities Cathy and the Chick-Fil-A corporate team have been involved in, they said “No thanks.”

Clayton, which is just outside the city of St. Louis, is one of the loveliest towns in the United States, for the record.

[h/t Joe]

Phyllis Schlafly, the woman who has spent her life campaigning against the existence of healthy, happy women, said some Christmassy words about gays the other day:

Many social conservatives, such as Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly of Ladue, refuse to believe that a majority of Americans would support gay marriage.

Always remember that “many social conservatives” also believe that the earth is 6,000 years old.  Cf. Phyllis’s mindnumbingly stupid spawn.

Obama’s shifting position [on marriage equality], she said, “is the story of politics: An aggressive well-funded pressure group can achieve goals contrary to what the majority of people want. I think same-sex marriage would be a terrible mistake. I don’t think there are any good arguments for it.”

As to the first part, it seems to me like the Religious Right falls more squarely into the category of “aggressive well-funded pressure groups achieving goals contrary, etc.” Meanwhile, the tide is turning toward full acceptance for LGBT people, and has been for years. As to the second part, Phyllis’s contention that she “doesn’t think” there are any good arguments for marriage equality, when squared with her lifelong crusade against women’s rights, suggest to me that perhaps she should be spending more time in her kitchen in Ladue and less time talking about grown-up stuff with strong, liberated men AND women. Don’t like that construction? Can’t have it both ways, Phyl.

Gays, she said, are already free to live together. “Nobody’s stopping them from shacking up,” she said. “The problem is they are trying to make us respect them, and that’s an interference with what we believe.”

Actually, no, you old bat, gays don’t give a damn whether or not you respect us. It’s a question of whether or not you respect the fact that you live in a society which is more secular than you will ever understand, in a nation that, despite your son’s functionally illiterate barking to the contrary, has been officially secular since its founding.

Deal with it.

Also, Schlafly lives in Ladue?  If you’re not familiar with St. Louis, Ladue isn’t exactly a “socially conservative” area.  I mean, it’s perfect for fundamentalist demagogues who have somehow managed to rack up millions of dollars over the years fighting for a transmogrified bastardization of Jesus and stuff [Ladue is expensive, you see], but it’s also next to Clayton, which is gay gay gay gay gay [and also expensive].  How does old Phyl manage to go out in public, surrounded as she is by reality in all four directions?  And really, what would Phyllis Schlafly think of a woman making the kind of money Phyllis Schlafly has made?  It’s almost like she’s a hypocritical old crank living out her golden years, watching the world regard her life’s work, laugh, and move on, never to return.

Yesterday I noted that the Westboro Baptist clan was on its way to protest a little bit of everything in St. Louis, including the Lady Gaga concert, which was attended by more than a few of my friends.  A little earlier tonight, I tweeted, as a reminder, “Remember, if you’re in St. Louis on your way to Gaga, stop and make out in front of the Westboro Baptist protesters. They love that.” I hope a few people did so. Lady Gaga seems to have noticed the Westboro people as well, and had this to say about it a minute ago:

I like her.

I got an e-mail last night from Show Me No Hate – St. Louis, inviting people to come out this Saturday and help to counter the messages of hate spread by the Westboro Baptist Church at various locations around the city.  You see, when Westboro goes on tour, they have a schedule!

They will be at the Staenberg Family Jewish Community Center (2 Millstone Campus Drive St. Louis, MO 63146) from 2-2:30pm, then at Busch Stadum protesting the Cardinals vs. Dodgers game from 6:15pm-7pm, and finally at Scottrade Center protesting the Lady Gaga concert from 7:10pm-8pm.

Jews and baseball and Gaga, OH MY!

Why are they protesting baseball?  Is it because God hates America, baseball is America’s pastime, ergo God hates baseball?

Those Westboro kids just get funnier and funnier.

Anyway, if you’re in St. Louis (or if you are going to St. Louis for the Lady Gaga concert, homosexuals that I know, ahem!), consider taking a minute, making up some fun signs and going to spread a message of love with the Show Me No Hate folks.  Here’s the event page Show Me No Hate has set up for the occasion, with all the pertinent info.