The Boy Scouts of America...Teaching Homophobia To Your Children

Denise Steele and her family.
FAMILY.

I was never a Boy Scout, but I was a Cub Scout. Oh, not because I liked camping or making knots, but because i looked cute in a kerchief and cap. I mean, who doesn't, right? But I am not fond of the Boy Scouts because of their homophobia, and now I have even more reason to find them reprehensible.

Denise Steele is a mom who has been part of her son's Boy Scout troop for the past six years. She began as a den mother for her son, Jackson, because no other parent would step up and take on being a Cub Scout troop leader.

No other parent.

And she was good, too. Jackson's troop excelled at everything, including accomplishing badges and winning the Blue and Gold Award all five years, one of the highest awards for Boy Scouts. Did she do it for the Scouts? No; she did it for her son, and those other boys, to make sure they had a good time, and because no other parent wanted the job.

No other parent.

But last June other parents did step up, and now Denise Steele’s chances to further bond with her son through scouting were dashed.

See, she was removed, removed, from her position after an assistant scoutmasters discovered that Denise Steele is a lesbian, and in a nineteen year domestic partnership with Jackie Funk. The couple lives in Potomac Falls with their two children, Jackson and Jaden, and Denise Steele’s nephew Will.

Still, Denise Steele’s homosexuality was never an issue in the past, with regards to leading her son’s Boy Scout troop. In fact, according to Denise's partner, Jackie, it may have actually opened some eyes to gay parents and gay parenting: “Some of the guys would come down and ask her advice. Being a woman, forget about the gay part, it didn’t matter. They respected her for her commitment and what she offered and how much she put into it. They respected her.”

As did the boys, all of whom stayed in Steel's troop the entire five years; except for two boys, who moved away. But that doesn't matter. it doesn't matter that she was the only parent to step up. it doesn't matter that her troop excelled. it doesn't matter that the boys loved her. What matters, according to Phil Holliday, the executive pastor at Christian Fellowship Church, and Esther Schaeffer, the charter organization representative, is "the rules".

When a chartered partner, like Christian Fellowship Church, agrees to sponsor a scouting unit, an annual charter agreement is signed. In that contract, they agree to provide a place for a meeting, select volunteer leaders and follow the policies and guidelines established by the Boy Scouts of America. Which doesn't allow homosexuals to be Scouts or leaders or involved in any way, even if they are the only way to keep a troop together.

The Boy Scouts of America organization says it believes that “open homosexuality is inconsistent with the values” and recommends that scout parents and sponsors share this belief.

Parents. Like all those parents who didn't step up when Denise Steele did. She even finished the year-long training to become an assistant scout leader in just three weeks because she wanted to do this for her sons. And she even went to the scoutmaster, Mike Tucker, and told him she was gay, and in a nearly twenty years, and he said it wasn't a problem.

Until this past June when Steele took her troop on a camping trip to Assateague Island. Since the trip lasted from a Saturday to a Monday, and Steele needed to work Monday, she asked Jackie Funk, her partner, to pick her up from the campsite.

After she left one asshatted busybody, assistant scoutmasters, Skip Inabinett, began asking questions about the woman who'd come to take Denise Steele to work.And after discovering that Denise and Jackie were a couple, asshatted busybody, assistant scoutmaster Skip Inabinett decided she should be removed as an assistant scoutmaster.

Asshatted busybody, assistant scoutmaster, Skip, Skippy, Skipper, Inabinett, sent an email to a close friend of Denise Steele's, whose son was also in the troop, saying, “If what you said about Denise Steele being an active sexual is true, do you feel comfortable talking with her about stepping down/resigning as an ASM … as her friend, this may be an opportunity for you to share with her about Christ’s love and the need to believe that as sinners we cannot get to heaven on our own and that we need a savior.”

The conversations centered around how Inabinett thought Steele’s lifestyle choice was a sin. In fact, asshatted busybody, assistant scoutmaster Skip Inabinett actually began speaking to Denise Steele about her, um, lifestyle choice, in what Jackie Funk described as an episode of bullying: "[T]his guy, who’s demonstrated very much a bullying behavior, if boys bullied other boys or girls bullied other girls to get what they wanted the way this guy has bullied her in today’s school system you’d probably get kicked out of school.”

And there is a chain of command that people follow in the Boy Scouts, but asshatted busybody, assistant scoutmaster Skip Inabinett went straight to the Boy Scouts of America with his complaint to get her removed as an assistant scoutmaster.

And it worked.

Denise Steele: “He didn’t go through those steps. He skipped over the scoutmaster, he skipped over the committee, he skipped over the district. He went straight to the highest level because that’s where he would get his answer. He went to the highest point to get me removed.”

And yet, Deron Smith, the director of public relations for the Boy Scouts of America, says Steele wasn’t removed from the national council , but that it may have been a troop decision.

How so? I mean, if asshatted busybody, assistant scoutmaster Skip Inabinett went all the way to the top, utterly ignoring the troop aspect of the process, then how is that possible that the troop, who apparently adored her, wanted her gone?

And now asshatted busybody, assistant scoutmaster Skip Inabinett is not talking. I mean, his work is done. The lesbian is gone.

I wonder if another parent will step up.
I wonder if another parent will work as hard as Denise Steele.
I wounder if the boys in that troop will learn from Denise Steele how to live ones life, or if they will get their example from asshatted busybody, assistant scoutmaster Skip Inabinett.
I wonder if the Boy Scouts will ever realize that being gay isn't a bad thing, or even a good thing, it's just a thing.

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DANGER!! Aaron Pace Looks Gay

Aaron Pace understands that he looks and acts effeminately, and realizes that some people think this means he's gay. He says he isn't, but it was his looks, character and behavior--just his looks, character and behavior--that prompted an Indiana blood donation center to reject him when he tried to donate blood recently because they assumed he was homosexual.

And Aaron isn't happy about this. He had gone to Bio-Blood Components Inc. in Gary, which pays for blood and plasma donations, but during the interview process he was told he could not be a blood donor there because he “appears to be a homosexual.”


Donation centers like Bio-Blood Components, and even the American Red Cross, still cite a nearly 30-year-old federal policy to turn away gay men from donating. The Food and Drug Administration policy, which was implemented in 1983, states that men who have had sex--even one time--with another man since 1977, cannot donate blood.

Because we all have The AIDS, you know.

The policy was sparked by concerns that HIV would taint the blood supply, and, back in those days, screening tests to identify HIV-positive blood had not yet been developed.  But today, all donated blood is tested for HIV, as well as for hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases, before it can be released to hospitals. And gay activists, blood centers including the American Red Cross, and even some lawmakers are now demanding that the lifetime ban is “medically and scientifically unwarranted.”

Curt Ellis, former director of The Aliveness Project of Northwest Indiana, an agency that’s been educating the public about HIV-related issues: “It is unfair, outrageous and just plain stupid. The policy is based on the stigma associated with HIV that existed early on, [and it] seems like some stigmas will just never die.”

But, while the Indiana State Department of Health doesn’t have a policy regarding the collection of blood and its criteria, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last year voted again not to recommend a change to the FDA’s policy of a lifetime deferral for men who have sex with other men.

“I was humiliated and embarrassed,” Aaron Pace says. “It’s not right that homeless people can give blood but homosexuals can’t. And I’m not even a homosexual.”

He just looks like "one".

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A Kiss Is Just A Kiss

Unless it's planted on the cheek of a homophobic preacher protesting Gay Pride. Which it did.......
See, up in Salisbury, North Carolina, on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Day, Joan Parker, a 74-year-old female gay rights supporter, kissed a preacher, and is now being charged with simple assault. Parker is due back in court in September, where simple assault is a misdemeanor and could bring a sentence of up to 30 days of community service for a first-time offender.

For.Kissing.A.Preacher. What would Jesus do?

Parker says the preacher man "was just waving his arms and has a Bible in one hand, up and down, and screaming at the top of his lungs, `sodomites' and `you're going to hell. I thought he needed a hug. So I gave him a hug."

And it was during that hug that the preacher, so offended at being hugged by a woman, yelled to a nearby man with a camera to photograph the "assault". That was when Parker actually assaulted him, by placing her lips on his cheek.

Of course, the perverted preacher claimed she kissed him full on the lips.
"He claims I kissed him on the lips, and he's a damned liar," said Parker, who attended the Pride event with her husband to show support. "I believe I did kiss him on his cheek."
The preacher, one James Edward Belcher of Taylorsville, said he never claimed Parker kissed him on the lips, but that's only because he turned his face as she came toward him. "If I hadn't turned my head, I'd have gotten it right on my mouth."

In.Your.Dreams. 

Belcher says it all went down like this: "She ran her arms all the way around me and pulled me toward her." Belcher then raised his Bible high in the air and turned toward a police officer to show him the attack. he says the kiss "was just one of many attempts to silence the preaching to those in need of salvation who practice a death style that they call a lifestyle."

Oh, honey, if a kiss was enough to shut you up, I'd do it, too. And then dash off to a local hospital for a Silkwood scrubdown. God only knows where your lips have been.
 
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Our Lady of the Rosary Gay Bashes A Dead Man

Our Lady of the Rosary

John Sanfilippo was a devout Catholic, attending services at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Little Italy in San Diego for decades.

John Sanfilippo died last week, losing his battle with emphysema, and he'd hoped to have his funeral mass held at Our Lady of the Rosary, but her was denied.

John Sanfilippo was a gay man, and that's why, even though he attended mass regularly, and even left some money to the church in his will, that his funeral mass was canceled. Over the weekend, Sanfilippo's partner of 28 years, along with his family, were notified that the church canceled the funeral because Sanfilippo was gay.

Friends, family, and neighbors were furious with the decision by the church, and took to the streets in front of the church to protest, and, as soon as the story broke on TV and the Internet, suddenly the church had a change of heart. The church, however, has not communicated the decision change to either the family of the deceased man or the media.

In an email, Rodrigo Valdivia, the chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, said: "The Diocesan office was notified about this situation earlier today... Diocesan Authorities have concluded that the funeral as scheduled at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish may take place. Plans for the ritual are yet to be made."

At the cocktail lounge that Sanfilippo owned for 28 years, Neil Thomas was not buying it: "All of a sudden, they change their mind and say, 'Well, you know, we may still allow the funeral to be here.' Why? Because they got caught in the process of denying equal rights to people?"

Yes, because they got caught being the homophobic hate-mongers that they are.

But Sanfilippo's partner and family may have the last word. They have already found another Catholic church for the funeral because they do not feel comfortable going back to Our Lady of the Rosary after being denied a funeral mass.

Even though this happened in death, this should spur Catholics on. If you are a member of a church who would allow a man to attend mass for decades, take his money into the collection plate for decades, be included monetarily in his will, and then denounce his homosexuality and deny him a  funeral, maybe you ought to rethink where you worship.


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Father Unni Stands Up To Catholic Bigotry

It seems that the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, responding to criticism that it was actually sanctioning a Gay Pride celebration, has announced that it had ordered a South End church to cancel a Mass scheduled for next weekend that was themed, “All are Welcome."

And perhaps subtitle it, *"Unless You're Queer."

Well, the LGBT community is not amused. 

It seems that St. Cecilia Parish in Boston had planned a “liturgy to commemorate Boston Pride 2011" and, in a church bulletin, announced: “The Rainbow Ministry of St. Cecilia Parish invites all friends and supporters of the LGBT community to a Mass in celebration of Boston’s Pride Month. The theme of the liturgy, ‘All Are Welcome,’ honors Christ’s message of hope and salvation to all people. We will also celebrate the diverse community that finds its home at St. Cecilia."

What a lovely message, and one that was obviously culled form the Book of God Is Love. But then the conservative members of the Church, got their collars and shrouds and granny pants in a twist, and demanded that the archdiocese intervene.

And they trotted out their spokesbigot, Terrence Donilon, who is rereading the Book Of God Hates Fags, to say: “The wording and placement of a bulletin notice announcing that the St. Cecilia Rainbow Ministry will be joining the parish at a Mass on June 19 may have given the unintended impression that the Mass is in support of Gay Pride Week; it is not."

Father Unni, the pastor of St. Cecilia's has not commented, but Donilon said that he spoke for the parish and that the decision was made by senior officials at the archdiocese.

Foot stomp. Head snap.

Donilon, of course, took no questions about the apparent contradiction of the church’s bulletin and his statement, but did say that there would be a Mass sometime in the future to welcome the community, though not specifically the LGBT community.

It is written in The Book Of God Hates Fags, you know.

But then, just as the conservative Catholics railed about homosexuality and sin and pride, and how they loved the sinner but hate the sin, except if the sin is hate, Father Unni had something to say, and, upon finishing his sermon, received an actual standing ovation from his parishioners.

Father Unni:. “You are welcome here, gay or straight, rich or poor, young or old, black or white. Here, you all can say, ‘I can worship the God who made me as I am. [G]ood love always requires sacrifice. We are being called to do not what is easy, but what is holy.’’

“We are not this renegade, crazy, liberal church. We’re just Christians trying to live the gospel."

And preach the word of The Book Of God Is Love.

Canceled Mass Outrages Gays
Priest Says All Are Welcome In His Church

What Do Lesbian Comics Know About Homophobia?

Dawn Whitwell is a Canadian comedian. I know, sounds like an oxymoron to me, too, but I digress.

Dawn was invited by a teacher at the Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School to do her routine, in which she addresses the issue of homophobia, at the school's anti-homophobia event.

Let's digest that for a moment. A Catholic school hosting an anti-homophobia day? Talk about your oxymoron.

But the school was having it, and Whitwell was asked to attend and perform, until......Dawn Whitwell is a lesbian. Invitation rescinded.

The teacher told her not to come. Apparently, one of the members of the school board Googled Whitwell, and not in the way lesbians google themselves, and discovered that she is ::::gasp:::: married to a ::::bigger gasp:::: woman!

Holy Mother Of God!

Whitwell was then told that she would not be allowed to perform because she has an "affiliation to gay marriage." Whitwell, a recovering Catholic schoolgirl, herself, found the phrase hysterical.

"I was telling people about it, because it was funny," she said. "Then I was getting angry that they can still do this kind of thing. Not so much for me performing there, but you've got to be kidding me — I thought the tide was turning in '87."

Emmy Szekeres Milne, a spokesbigot for the Toronto Catholic District School Board, said the school was planning an event to focus on anti-bullying strategies, not anti-homophobia, and that Whitwell had been considered as a possible speaker, but was never officially slated to attend. She added that "[s]taff who were organizing the event reviewed the individual's online information, and felt that because of the serious nature of the topics being discussed, this person would not be a good fit for their program."

Hmmm, let me get this queer. The school is having an anti-bullying event, which may, or may not, focus on homophobia, and they invited a comedian, a lesbian comedian, who talks about homophobia in her act, then asked her not to come because she's married to a woman.

Oooooooh, so they were using her as an example of homophobia and bullying. You know, invite the dyke to perform then tell her she can't because she married another dyke.

Lesson learned.

Whitwell, who likes to keep the funny, does not take the snub personally, and thinks she might actually use the experience in her act; you know, the one where she talks about homophobia. One thing she does not plan to do is pursue any legal action against the school board.

"What action could I take?" She asked. "To make them let me perform there to a captive audience? There's nothing for me to do other than to support the larger issue at hand."

Go get 'em, Dawn. And keep it funny!

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Some Thoughts On Tracy

I've never been a Tracy Morgan fan. I don't know why, I just don't care for him. I never thought him homophobic, and I've never thought him funny. Turns out I was wrong on that first one, and right on the second.

Now, to be fair, I loves me some shock comics. Lisa Lampanelli? Not many more shocking than her, but she's funny because you know it's all about the joke. Some might find her offensive, I find her offensively funny.

But, back to Tracy Morgan. It seems that he recently gave a stand-up performance in Tennessee that was basically a homophobic rant, without any of the humor. I mean, I tell fag jokes at work. If I do something idiotic--and, yes, it's been known to happen--I'll usually utter something like, "Fags are dumb."

But, um, one thing you won't ever hear me say is that I would stab someone if they were gay. Tracy Morgan said that about his own son. He said if his son was gay, he better come home and talk to him like a man or he would pull out a knife and stab that little N_____. 
"Fags are dumb" coming from a raging homosexual is kinda funny. Stabbing your gay son, somehow misses that mark.

He called anti-bullying campaigns a bunch of bull shiz, and said gay people need to stop being pussies and whining about insignificant stuff like being taunted, teased and bullied to the point of suicide. Yeah, I know; not so funny.

Now, back to me, and some funny. After my bout with the shingles, I returned to work with one last pussy-scabby thing on my forehead that I'd covered with a BandAid. When someone asked what happened to my head, I said I was gay bashed by a Girl Scout because I only bought one box of thin mints. That's kinds funny, right. Maybe I should send that one to Tracy.

But his jokes about gay bashing, and bullying, coming on the heels of so many recent suicides of young LGBTQ youth, wasn't just untimely, it was sickening.

Tracy called being gay a choice, because "God" don't make mistakes. Well, he's half-right. God doesn't make mistakes, but I was born this way. And when you start sputtering about god and gay and choosing that "lifestyle" in a state like Tennessee, which is rapidly becoming the seat of homophobia in this country, you've crossed a line.

And the Tracy Morgan apparently ended his little comedy routine with a line about how, if gays can take a dick up their asses, then they can take a fucking joke.

Oh, Tracy, honey, we can take a joke, but you are not funny.
Mean-spirited isn't funny.
Hate isn't funny.
Bullying isn't funny.
Murder isn't funny.
That you should have learned in Comedy 101.

And, now, of course, all sorts of folks are coming out on Tracy's side, and against Tracy.

Openly gay NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt had this to say:
"I speak for NBC and myself personally when I say we do not condone hate or violence of any kind and I am pleased to see Tracy Morgan apologizing for recent homophobic remarks in his standup appearance. We will always recognize an artist's freedom to express him or herself, but not when reckless things are said no matter what the context. Unfortunately, Tracy's comments reflect negatively on both "30 Rock" and NBC - two very all-inclusive and diverse organizations - and we have made it clear to him that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated."

Kind of a weak slap on the wrist to one of the co-stars of a hot show. I kind of think that if Tracy Morgan were on a show that was not doing so well, Greenblatt's reprimand would have been more harsh.

And Chris Rock, initially, defended Tracy Morgan, tweeting:
“I dont know about you, but I dont want to live in world where Tracy Morgan cant say foul inappropriate s—.”

Apparently Chris Rock's supportive Tweet came before he actually knew what Morgan had said because he then changed his stance a little:
"Tracy morgan is a tad off we all know that so when tracy says something i usually don’t take it anymore serious than i would a statement from gary busey or flavor flav. when i first heard the statement i thought it was offensive but it also reminded me of my father saying ill kill you if you ever bring home a white girl but after reading everything tracy said. wow i get it that s— wasn’t called for and i don’t support it at all. now can i please go to the tony awards without getting my ass kicked.”

You can go, Chris, but now maybe you've learned to find out what, and whom, you're supporting, before you open your mouth.

The Human Rights Campaign believes Morgan should do more than just apologize:
"Tracy Morgan exercised extremely poor judgment and he did the right thing by apologizing. But that’s just not enough. He’s a role model and Morgan now has a responsibility to make amends for his horribly hurtful and dangerous ‘comedy’ routine. He also needs to go further than his apology and correct the record: no one should feel ashamed because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and they should definitely not become a victim of violence. Words have consequences and Morgan should be held to a higher standard. Until he does something meaningful, his brand will remain tarnished.”

I'm kind of ambivalent here. I think sometimes an apology is enough. Doesn't mean I forget what he said, and won't be watching to make sure he doesn't go there again, but we need to learn to forgive a little. Not forget, forgive.

CNN's Roland Martin defended Morgan, claiming the comedy routine was just that - a routine:
"Say I’m wrong. Fine. Say I’m insensitive to gays and lesbians. Fine. I’ll wait for the usual bigots to say that I’m defending Tracy Morgan because he’s black. Fine. But think for a moment at all the times you’ve laughed at comedians based on the things they had to say. Then ask yourself: Did I laugh, and why? Sorry, if I’m being honest here and not focusing on political correctness. I just believe that many of you would be shocked and amazed that you laughed hysterically at some of the most sexist, homophobic, racist stuff imaginable by comedians of all shapes, sizes, ethnic backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations."

Oh, Roland, refer back to my comments on Lisa Lampanelli. I can, have, and will continue to, laugh at insensitive, rude, comics, but talking about killing someone, anyone, much less your own son, for being gay isn't funny.

Wanda Sykes, like me, wasn't amused:
"I fault the TN lawmakers. They've created an anti-gay environment. Don't believe Tracy would be so ignorant in LA. I do believe in free speech, but for a youth in TN or any other numerous place, Tracy just yelled, ‘Fire,’ in a crowded theater."

Then Wanda talked to Roland Martin:
"Ro, I love and respect you, so I feel that I can tell you that your column is some bullshit. We can do better. Tracy has the right to say whatever he wants to say, just like we have the right to say, not acceptable. and WE as a country. We used to picnic to watch public hangings, but WE figured out, that was some sick shit."

I think i fall on Team Wanda, and I'll explain in a bit.

GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios had this to say:
"While it is certainly a good thing that Morgan has started to take responsibility for the offensive content of his routine by apologizing publicly to his fans and the gay community, he must do more to balance the harm that his words have inflicted. He could take one profound step to show his sincerity by meeting with parents and young people who have been personally effected by anti-gay violence or family rejection. GLAAD has reached out to Tracy Morgan's publicist and offered to facilitate such a meeting. We implore him to take us up on this."

Again, let the man apologize. Let him take responsibility and let's see how he handles himself in the future before we decide to make him do an Apology Tour. I mean, why don't we just send him around the country, knocking on the door of every single LGBT person in this country and apologize in person?

Openly gay actor, Cheyenne Jackson, who periodically appears on '30 Rock' with Tracy Morgan:
"I am disgusted and appalled by Tracy Morgan's homophobic rant. The devastating repercussions of hate-filled language manifest in very real ways for today's LGBTQ youth. I've known Tracy for two years, spent many long hours with him on set, and I want to believe that this behavior is not at the core of who he is. I'm incredibly disappointed by his actions, and hope that his apology is sincere."

Now, here's an actual gay man with an actual responsible response to Tracy Morgan. No boycott. No firing. Just accept the apology and keep watching Morgan to make sure he meant it.


Tina Fey, Morgan's co-star and boss, didn't think it was funny either:
"The violent imagery of Tracy's rant was disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the GLBT Community. It also doesn't line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person. I hope for his sake that Tracy's apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian co-workers at '30 Rock', without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket."

I think we ought to listen to the people who know Tracy Morgan before we decide to demand that he be physically removed from our TV screens.

And we should listen to Tracy Morgan himself:
"I want to apologize to my fans and the gay & lesbian community for my choice of words at my recent stand-up act in Nashville. I’m not a hateful person and don’t condone any kind of violence against others. While I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context.”

Okay, so here's my take.

What do we do now? Do we get out our pink monogrammed stationary out and flood NBC with letters demanding Tracy be fired? Do we stop watching '30 Rock' altogether? Do we boycott and march and shout? Or do we take the high road, take his apology, accept it, move on, and hope  it never happens again?

See, what Tracy Morgan said was Free Speech. Hateful, oh, indeed, But free. Don't forget we live in a country where a church can protest at funerals with signs that say 'God Hates Fags' and 'Fags Must Die'.

It's Free Speech. It's wrong, what he said, but let's hope he learned his lesson, and let's hope that other folks who feel, or at least felt, as Tracy Morgan did, have also learned their lesson.

I've heard people say that this is like the Isaiah Washington incident, where he called one of his fellow actors a 'fag' during an argument. Washington was subsequently let go from his show. But Morgan's rant was different. His was intended....intended....to be funny. Washington's comment was a slur shouted in anger about a co-worker, and made the work environment, with him still there, intolerable. There is a subtle difference.

So, I hope there won't be this big call to fire Tracy Morgan or stop watching '30 Rock'--although I've never seen the show--or boycott NBC. I said before, referring to myself, and maybe some of you, that 'fags are dumb'. I just hope we aren't stupid. And unable to forgive.

Homophobes Are Stupid

FROTHY MIX IS NOT A HOMOPHOBE....GAYS JUST DON'T DESERVE EQUALITY 
Rick Santorum, AKA Frothy Mix--Google it and see what that means--who is running for presidential, which causes endless giggle fits around Casa Smallville, has come out--no, not like that--saying he supports a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Of course, this is the same Ric....Frothy Mix, that has said in the past that same-sex marriage is akin to having sex with dogs, and that it's "common sense" to keep gays from marrying and adopting children, who wants to reinstate the ban on gays in the military, and has said that gays shouldn't have the "privilege of government benefits" offered to heterosexual couples.

He says all that, and the says that he isn't a homophobe.

Oh, but'ch'are, Blanche, but'ch'are a homophobe.

As for his desire to federally ban marriage equality, he said

"I support a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. I believe that marriage should be a consistent thing across the country. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman...Once people realize the consequence to society of changing this definition...it's gonna have a profound impact on society, on faith, on education. And once people realize that, they say, you know what, we respect people's right to live the life they want to lead but don't try to fundamentally change how society functions by changing that definition."

Hey Frothy, look at the recent polls where support for marriage equality is on the rise. I don't think there will ever be a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage, but I am working on an amendment banning you from opening your ignorant yap.

TARGET ISN'T ANTI-GAY, THEY LOVE EVERYBODY

Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel said: "Our position at this particular time is that we are going to be neutral on that particular issue [marriage equality and Minnesota trying to ban it], as we would be on other social issues that have polarizing points of view...We're a retail store, we welcome everybody...We have a broad team-member base, every shape and size and color. And so we are a very inclusive organization...We're going to continue to monitor, we're going to continue to assess, and see how that develops."

Um, Greg, you douchenozzle. You don't welcome everyone if you donate to anti-gay causes. That little act makes you anti-gay.

See, simple.

Now, if I were to, say, ask anyone who believes that Target is a discriminatory company that seeks to deny the LGBT community their rights, and I ask people to support a ban on shopping at Target, that would make me anti-Target.

Which I am.

See, I can admit being anti-Target, you should admit to being anti-gay, since you have given all sorts of money to anti-gay groups, without trying to cover your tracks with corporate rhetoric about business and inclusiveness.

You're not that dumb, are you Greg?

Anita Bryant 2.0
During the Eagle Forum Collegians 2011 Summit with Phyllis Schlafly, Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler of Missouri told ll those strapping young conservatives why they should oppose marriage equality, by trotting out that old chestnut that legalizing gay marriage is akin to legalizing pedophilia, that legalizing gay marriage would be like legalizing incest.

That legalizing gay marriage is exactly like letting a three-year-old drive a car.

Portia de Rossi DeGeneres, she's an idiot.

But here's Anita, er, Vicky, in her won words: 

"Some people say, why does it matter to you as a government official? I care about someone else, I'm committed, I should be able to marry. Well, think about it. That starts you down the road to opening up licensure to basically meaning that the license would mean nothing if you let everybody with that standard. For instance, if you just care about somebody and you have a committed relationship, why not allow one man and two women, or three women to marry? ....Why not allow group marriage? .... Why not allow an uncle to marry his niece? Why not allow a 50-year-old man to marry a 12-year-old girl if they love each other and they’re committed? .... It's not a right of anybody--of a 3-year-old to be able to drive a car."

Well, you can imagine that these comments sent Little Miss Vicky into damage control, and when asked to clarify her remarks, or if they were taken out of context, she said that they were indeed misquotes.

She meant to say letting thirteen-year-olds drive cars, not three-year-olds.

Oh, well, then......carry on. Dumbass.

BRYAN FISCHER'S ILLOGICAL LOGIC

Bryan Fischer, Executive Bigot of the American Family Association believes that the repeal of DADT will actually lead to the LGBT community fighting for it's reinstatement.

Dan Choi, say what?

See, Bry, and he loves to be called Bry when he ALLEGEDLY snuggles with his non-sexual life partner, says the repeal of DADT will cause fewer gays to enlist because we only enlist so we can use being gay as an excuse to get out of the military, and because we don't really want to be soldiers anyway.

Which makes perfect sense. To morons.

Then he says that the repeal of DADT will cause straight men and women to stop enlisting because they don't want to serve with the gays.

But, Bry, you said the gays would stop enlisting with the repeal of DADT so why would the straights mind serving if there are no gays in the military anymore?

Oh, that's right, you're an idiot.

Don't ask, it makes no sense to me either.

Tennesotasconizonatah...or the WeHateGays States

Ten-ne-so-ta-scon-iz-o-na-tah: 
[ten-nuh-sew-tah-scon-iz-oh-nah-tah]
–noun
1. a mash-up of several state names--Tennessee, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Arizona, and Utah, for starters; states that have been in the news recently for being anti-gay and anti-immigrant, or anti-anything that isn't straight and white
2. The WeHateGays states. 

Painted on the house of a gay Tennessee couple.

Today, we'll focus on the Tennessee in Tennesotasconizonatah, because they have really gone full barrel in the Anti-Gay Legislative Sweepstakes of late.

See, it seems that the Tennessee state Senate has approved, by a vote of 20-10, a law that would forbid Tennessee public school teachers and students in grades kindergarten through eight from discussing the fact that some people are gay. Now, there is good news: the bill isn't likely to be taken up by the House before lawmakers adjourn this spring, but the sponsor, Stacey 'Homophobic Asshat" Campfield, says he wants to push it forward in 2012 when the General Assembly comes back for the second year of the session.

Don't Say Gay. It's bad. Why, apparently, the Tennessee Senate thinks just saying the word 'gay' will make people gay. Or make them tolerant, which is awful, you know.

Opponents of the Don't Say Gay, Goddammit Bill believe it unfairly targets the children of gay parents, or even children who identify as gay themselves, by keeping them separate and unmentioned in class.

Supporters say it is intended to give teachers clear guidance for dealing with younger children on a potentially explosive topic. See, it Tennessee, being gay is a potentially explosive topic.

Don't Say Gay, lest you turn one of the children into a raging fag.
Don't Say Gay, lest the heads of the homophobes explode.

Oh, Tennesotasconizonatah, look what you're doing. But wait, there's more.

Tennesotasconizonatah Governor, Bill Haslam, signed a new bill yesterday that overturns the city of Nashville's nondiscrimination ordinance.

It seems that Nashville isn't like the rest of Tennesotasconizonatah. They understand blatant homophobia and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and wanted to protect their citizens from being, oh, say, fired, or evicted or even beaten simply for being themselves.

But then the lawmakers of Tennesotasconizonatah got in on the act and decided they would simply overturn the ordinance, and the governor goosestepped along. An ordinance to ban discrimination.

Apparently that's a bad things in places like Tennesotasconizonatah.

Tennessee Senate OKs bill to ban teaching of homosexuality


Governor Overturns Nondiscrimination Ordinance

Wisconsin Doesn't Like the Gays

Up there in Wisconsin, which is slowly turning into Wisconsizona, wingnut Governor Scott Walker believes a new law that gives gay couples hospital visitation rights violates the state constitution. He has asked a judge to allow the state to stop defending it.

A law that allows people to visit their loved ones in the hospital is unconstitutional? Oh, not 'people,' but gay people.


Back in 2009, when Democrats controlled the Legislature, they changed the law so that same-sex couples could sign up for domestic partnership registries with county clerks to secure some--not all--of the rights afforded married couples.

Like being able to visit your partner in the hospital, like you'd visit any family member. But Scott Walker doesn't think gay couples are a family. he thinks, along with the homophobic, bigoted, Wisconsin Family Action, that the registries violate a 2006 amendment to the state constitution that bans gay marriage and any arrangement that is substantially similar.

See, gay folks and gay families and gay couples don't deserve to be treated equally in Wisconsizona. At least while Scott Walker is governor, which, hopefully, won't be more than one term.

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You Have Two Choices: It's Wrong, Or It's A Sin

Well, it seems that the Presbyterian Church wants to allow openly gay and lesbian pastors to begin serving congregations around the country, but South Carolina congregations are, naturally, pissed off about it.

At a national assembly of Presbyterians last year, they voted to change the church constitution to removed wording that required celibacy and fidelity in marriage when considering church leaders. The proposed changes needed approval by a majority of the denomination's 173 regional presbyteries and just last week a Minnesota presbytery cast the deciding 87th vote. The new policy now goes into effect in July.

Of course, because it's South Carolina, all five of my state's presbyteries voted against the change. Dr. Alan Arnold of the Trinity Presbytery, which oversees the majority of Midlands congregations, says that, while churches are now permitted to ordain homosexual clergy, local congregations retain control over that process and he does not expect to see any immediate major changes here.

Which means South Carolina can keep it's homophobia in tact.

Still, more annoying than the idea that these "Christians" are such intolerant bigots, is what our local Fox News channel--Wach Fox 57--did with the story. As news channels often do, they offered up a poll for people to vote on whether or not they agreed with the Presbyterian church welcoming gay church leaders. But they didn't phrase the question like that. It was like this:

Wow.
 
Either way you look at it, it's anti-gay , homophobic, bigoted intolerant nonsense. Thanks South Carolina, and Wach Fox 57, for keeping it real.
 
Real stupid.
 
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This Is How You Battle Homophobia In Sports

Here in America we have Kobe Bryant, adored by millions, calling a referee a 'fag' because he didn't like the call. And we have many basketball fans asking, 'What the big deal? The ref is a fag.'

We ought to try something new. Something like, say, they do in Brazil.

Santos and the team libero

In Brazil, volleyball player Michael Santos, a a middle blocker from Team Vôlei Futuro, was playing in s semifinal match between against Sada Cruzeiro when fans began chanting homophobic slurs towards him. They were screaming “Bicha! Bicha! Bicha!” which means “faggot” in English.

At the time, Santos called the incident very traumatic and feared the same thing might happen again. He said he tried pretending he couldn't hear the taunts, but he could.

And he could have shouted back, and called them names, but after the game, when his own teammates checked to make sure he was okay, Michael Santos decided shouting back and swearing at the fans wasn't what was needed.

Instead, he stared then straight in the face and admitted that, yes, he is a gay man. “I’m gay. Everyone knows who I am. My team fully respects my sexuality. I have been playing for 10 years and everyone has treated me well and fair. I do not feel the need to let everyone know about my sexuality.”

Fast forward to the next semi-final match, and see how quickly fans and Santos' teammates responded to the issue. His team wore pink warm-up shirts to show support, and the team’s libero--the team's defensive player--donned a rainbow jersey during the match.

Not to be outdone, the crowd unfurled a gigantic banner reading Vôlei Futuro Against Prejudice…

And then began waving pink thundersticks emblazoned with Michael’s name to turn the stadium pink.

In support of a gay player.
Not as a joke or an insult,
Kobe Bryant could learn a lesson.
Oh yeah, Michael Santos and Team Vôlei Futuro won that match.

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Paul Marcarelli: Can You Hear Me Now? I'm Gay!

Paul Marcarelli. The name may not seem familiar, but you all know him. He was the Verizon Guy, Mister "Can you hear me now?" for about nine years, until the company informed him they were taking their ads in a 'new direction'.

And he's gay.

Now, Verizon didn't change their ad campaign because Marcarelli is gay, they changed it because they can. That's not the story. The story is about homophobia in the US of A, and how, even in the 21st century, people have  a hard time coming out.

Now, to be fair, Verizon did keep Marcarelli on a short leash. His contract prohibited him from doing any other commercial work, and forbid him from disclosing anything about the Test Man campaign. In an article for Ad Age magazine, entitled “Verizon Keeps ‘Test Man’ on Short Leash”, it was made clear that Verizon “adamantly maintains … that the actor who plays [Test Man] should certainly not be ‘heard.’” In fact, you would have been hard-pressed to even get Marcarelli's name from Verizon, they were so secretive about his identity. He was to be the Test Man, and no one else, I guess.

In a new contract, however, Marcarelli was given permission to promote his own projects--like The Green, a film he recently wrote and co-produced, that tells the story of a small town that turns against a gay couple when one of the men, a schoolteacher, is involved in a scandal. But even with his leash loosened, Marcarelli felt he needed to keep his anonymity, to protect the character, and his income. 

But, as I said, Paul Marcarelli is gay, so this story isn't about Verizon, per se, or his character, or even his new movie. it's about keeping us closeted and living in fear, because coming out just might jeopardize everything we have.

See, Paul Marcarelli heard 'Can you hear me now?' everywhere he went; he even heard the words uttered at his grandmother's funeral as the coffin was being lowered into the ground. Kinda funny, if I do say so myself. Maybe not so funny if it was my grandmother.

What wasn't so funny, though, were the cars that would speed by his home in the middle of the night, and the teenagers who would scream, 'Can you hear me now?' Those chants soon gave way to the screaming of 'faggot' at all hours of the night. Marcarelli says the shouts grew even more profane as the years--yes, years--went by. One night, it happened again, and Marcarelli decided it was time to call the police. But the moment his call ended he regretted the situation. “I realized that in order for them to do anything about it, it would have to become a report that would go into a police log.” 

And a police log would list his name, and a search would verify that he was that guy. Marcarelli wondered what might happen to his lucrative gig--he used the money from his commercials to fund a theatrical workshop he and his friends created--if word got that the actor playing Test Man was gay.

Marcarelli declined to file a report. 

Now, he doesn't blame Verizon for his silence. Even Paul Marcarelli knows he chose to remain mum about his sexual orientation and say nothing about the nightly homophobic drive-bys. But why should he have had to stay quiet? What kind of world is it that he can't be himself, or even protect himself and his home, because he's a gay man?

I know the world is changing, but it's stories like these that make me want it to hurry up and change already. People shouldn't have to hide themselves away, and keep their mouths closed, out of fear of what may happen when the world finds out they're gay. We've learned not to hide many things about ourselves through the years; we can be open about religion and employment and income and family, and family secrets, but we still have that stigma of being gay, and what that secret, when spilled, may do to a person. We need to change our way of thinking.

Can you hear me now?

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Even Democrats Can Be Asshats

They say they grow 'em big down there in Texas, and sometimes they grow 'em big'n'stupid.
 

Case in point: Dan Ramos, the county chairperson of the Democratic Party in San Antonio, who, during an interview, likened The Gays to “termites” and said the Stonewall Democrats were akin to Nazis.
 
Oh, but he did.
 
And then he went further--from termites and Nazis--to declare that the LGBT-rights movement is a very "sinister movement” that is out of touch with San Antonio’s values. He also blames The Gays for both undermining his authority and for the poor election results in Bexar County in 2010, saying, “They are all connected to the gay Democratic Party, the so-called Stonewall Democrats. Just like termites they managed to get some of their people in key positions.”
 
Ramos is crying foul because the Democratic party is divided ever since he was elected to office --I wonder why?--and he lays the blame squarely at the feet of The Gays. I guess he thought "termites" and "Nazis" were terms of endearment. Which, however, does not explain why he actively sought the political endoresment of the Stonewall Democrats.
 
Ramos opposes homosexuality on religious grounds and feels gay-friendly Democrats like Stonewall do not reflect the values of Bexar County voters: “I liken them to the Tea Party — the Tea Party and the fucking Nazi Party — because they’re 90 percent white, blue-eyed, and Anglo, and I don’t give a fuck who knows that. Just like the blacks … they’re American, but you can’t get your way just because you’re black.”
 
Wow. And he wonders why people oppose him.
 
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Meanwhile, Back At The Hateful Side Of Religion

So, we have Reverend Greg Renstrom, risking being defrocked, because he wants to bless same-sex unions as he sees Jesus doing.

And then we have the Crystal Cathedral, out in California, where they are asking choir members to sign a covenant on them being heterosexual and Christian.

Indeed, the "Crystal Cathedral Worship Choir and Worship Team Covenant" states that members should commit to being Christians by following the Bible in every way.

They won't eat shellfish?
They won't get tattoos?
They won't clothing of mixed fabrics?
They won't cut their hair?

Oh, no, they're just going to pick and choose which parts of the Bible to which they should adhere. You know, that whole man shall not lie with man blibbety blah bay blue homophobia!

Sheila Schuller Coleman

Sheila Schuller Coleman, the senior pastor and senior homophobe of the Crystal Cathedral, says the Reform Church has consistently maintained that marriage must be between one man and one woman, and that the statement is just part of a covenant. But several members of the cathedral's choir are reluctant to sign.

Why?

Maybe they're gay and don't want to sign their name to something that says they cannot be who they are and love who they choose.

Maybe they're straight and think that God is love and she would never have anyone sign such a hateful statement.

Both old and new members of the choir are offended by a statement in the document that refers to homosexuality, and say that this is the first time they have seen the cathedral take a firm stand against homosexuality. The covenant states: 

"I understand that in an era where images of family relationship and personal sexuality are often confused, Crystal Cathedral Ministries believes that it is important to teach and model the biblical view. I understand that Crystal Cathedral Ministries teaches that sexual intimacy is intended by God to only be within the bonds of marriage, between one man and one woman."

Former member, Ann Moore Waltz, does not agree with the statement in the covenant: "If I were still in the choir and if that was presented to me, and if a gay person had walked out, I would have walked out with him or he. If you are a Christian group and people come to you, you should be a good servant, love them and shine the light of Jesus on them – regardless of who they are."

Sheila Schuller Coleman is now on damage control, saying the document is intended to "clarify expectations placed on them as ministry leaders." She adds: "It is true that our new choir covenant includes a definition of marriage and that may have contributed to the hurt. The definition is the one that our denomination, The Reformed Church in America, and the Crystal Cathedral adheres to, based on its understanding of the scriptures."

At least an understanding of the scriptures to which they want to follow. Those other ones, about shrimp and pigskin and tattoos, well, times have changed so let's just act as if those don't exist.

Here's my take on the Bible.

It's a history book, written by men about a time long ago.
It isn't a teaching book.
It isn't a moral guide.

If it was, people would be following every single rule in the Bible to the letter.
God is love, people, and you're starting to piss her off.

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