Gays and Mormons face off in SLC Kiss-In protests

Kiss-In protest by the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City

Have you heard about the Kiss-In protests in Salt Lake City? That's what I call a passionate protest...

By Kevin Lynch
Examiner.com

The Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has an image problem, and it's causing internal friction among church leadership and congregations.

Insiders say the church's support of Prop. 8 has bred dissent among members and left families divided. According to the AP, some members have quit or stopped attending services, while others have appealed to leadership to stay out of the same-sex marriage fight.

Today is the National Kiss-In, a protest of the church's handling of a gay couple on July 9th who kissed on a public-like plaza that happened to be the private property of the church. The couple was detained and arrested for trespassing, but the charges were later dropped.

However, that hasn't stopped the Kiss-In movement from spreading. First there were Kiss-Ins in Salt Lake City on the plaza where the couple was arrested. Now there are Kiss-Ins all over the country. The point of the Kiss-Ins is to show the Mormon church that it does not have the right or the power to prevent a loving same-sex couple from showing affection in public.

Observers say the church's heavy-handed intervention into California politics will linger and has left the faith's image tarnished.

Kate Kendall, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said, "What I hear from my community and from straight progressive individuals is that they now see the church as a force for evil and as an enemy of fairness and equality." Kendell grew up Mormon in Utah, and added, "To have the church's very deep and noble history telescoped down into this very nasty little image is as painful for me as for any faithful Mormon."

Church spokeswoman Kim Farah told reporters, "It's too easy for those whose agenda is to change societal standards to claim there are great difficulties inside the Church because of its decision to support traditional marriage. In reality the Church has received enormous support for its defense of marriage."

But many disagree with Farah. Lifetime Mormon Linda Stay, whose ancestors were early Mormon converts, said she was doubly transformed by Prop. 8. She and her husband, Steve, finally quit the church — along with 18 other family members and a few close friends — and became gay right activists.

With the gay rights fight far from over, some believe Prop. 8 could continue to frustrate the church's image for years to come, much like polygamy and keeping black men out of the priesthood did in the past.

Source: Examiner.com

Same-sex partners of fed workers to get benefits

Right: President Obama (Photo source unknown)

It's good news for gays.

President Barack Obama is extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.

Obama plans to make the announcement in the Oval Office Wednesday, a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Tuesday.

The decision is a political nod to a reliably Democratic voting bloc that in recent weeks has grown frustrated with the White House's slow movement on their priorities.

Several powerful gay fundraisers withdrew their support from a June 25 Democratic National Committee event where Vice President Joe Biden is expected to speak. Their exit came in response to a June 12 Justice Department brief that defended the Defense of Marriage Act, a prime target for gay and lesbian criticism. Justice lawyers argued that the law allowed states to reject marriages performed in other states or countries that defy their own standards.

The legal arguments, including citing incest and sex with minors, sparked rebellion among gay and lesbian activists who had been largely biting their tongues since Obama won election. They had objected to the Rev. Rick Warren's invitation to participate in the inauguration despite his support for repealing gay marriage in California.

Gays and lesbians later fretted as the White House declined to intervene in the cases of enlisted military members facing courts martial for defying the Clinton-era "don't ask, don't tell" policies. White House officials say they want Congress to repeal the policy as part of a "lasting and durable" solution, instead of intervening on individual cases.

In the meantime, the administration has tried to make small, quiet moves to extend benefits to gays and lesbians. The State Department has promised to give partners of gay and lesbian diplomats many benefits, such as diplomatic passports and language training.

Gay and lesbian activists had expected Obama to take action some time in June, which is gay pride month.

Sources: The Associated Press, Reuters
Copyright © 2009

Republican Senator admits to extramarital affair

I love it when a Republican falls from grace, not because I wish suffering on anybody but because right wingers tend to be on a bit (a bit?) on the self-righteous side, so I find it entertainingly ironic when their sins are exposed, especially if they think themselves to be "good" enough and "right" enough--vs. bad and wrong, like everyone else--to be presidential hopefuls.

Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, a leading Republican mentioned as a potential presidential candidate, admitted Tuesday he had an extramarital affair with a woman who was a member of his campaign staff, AP reported.

Uh, oh...

"Last year I had an affair. I violated the vows of my marriage," Ensign said at a brief news conference in his home state. "It is the worst thing I have ever done in my life. If there was ever anything in my life that I could take back, this would be it."

What he's likely really sorry about is getting caught, if you ask me.

The affair reportedly took place between December 2007 and August 2008 with a campaign staffer who was married to an employee in Ensign's Senate office. Neither has worked for the senator since May 2008, AP reported.

Ensign said he would not mention the name of the female campaign aide involved in the affair, describing her and her husband as good friends.

"Our families were close," he said. "That closeness put me into situations which led to my inappropriate behavior. We caused deep pain to both families and for that I am sorry."

You all know he didn't write a word of this, right? That's what staffers are for, among other duties...

Ensign made it clear he does not plan to resign.

Ensign's wife, Darlene, also released a statement about the affair.

"Since we found out last year we have worked through the situation and we have come to a reconciliation. This has been difficult on both families. With the help of our family and close friends our marriage has become stronger," Mrs. Ensign (staffers) said.

The Ensigns have three children.

Ensign was first elected to the Senate in 2000 and has been a rising star among conservatives. He's also a member of the men-only Christian ministry Promise Keepers.

This hypocrite blasted former Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, who served in Congress for 25 years, when he was arrested in an airport bathroom for *ahem* seeking some company there. Ensign stopped short of urging Craig to resign.

"I wouldn't put myself hopefully in that kind of position, but if I was in a position like that, that's what I would do," Ensign said at the time. "He's going to have to answer that for himself." In the end, Craig served out his term.

Self-righteous BS.

Ensign is the latest member of Congress who has acknowledged infidelity. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is rebounding from being linked with a prostitute by appealing to the populism in his state.

How does the saying go? Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones?

Source: The Associated Press, My Twisted Mind
Copyright © 2009

Trump to Miss Calilfornia: You're Fired!

I can just picture him: "You're beautiful, smart, but for now, Carrie, [hits desk, points finger] you're fired."

Yes, beauty queen Carrie Prejean has lost her crown.

Pageant officials said Wednesday the 22-year-old Miss California and Miss USA runner-up was fired because of continued breach of contract issues.

"This was a decision based solely on contract violations including Ms. Prejean's unwillingness to make appearances on behalf of the Miss California USA organization," executive director Keith Lewis said in a statement.

"After our press conference in New York we had hoped we would be able to forge a better working relationship. However, since that time it has become abundantly clear that Carrie is unwilling to fulfill her obligations under our contract and work together."

Miss USA co-owner Donald Trump--who saved the pro-"opposite sex" marriage, breast-bearing-citing-wardrobe-malfunction evangelical Christian from losing her crown last month after semi-nude photos of her made public--did not step in to save her this time.

"I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract with the Miss California USA Organization and I gave her the opportunity to do so," Trump said in the statement. "Unfortunately it just doesn't look like it is going to happen and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision. Carrie is a beautiful young woman and I wish her well as she pursues her other interests."

Not surprisingly, news of her firing had led to yet more controversy.

She reportedly missed several pageant events, received a warning and eventually promised to be a good girl. Those defending her claim that since "communication" was restored with the organization, she has been doing her job, meeting every obligation and attending every event for which she has been scheduled. Others are saying she publicly blasted the pageant folks during the speaking engagements. And there are those who claim that breach of contract is just an excuse to get rid of what turned out to be a rude and combative representative of the Miss USA organization.

"This is all kind of a big shock," Charles Limandri, Carrie's lawyer, said in a statement. "We've been working with Mr. Trump's office; she's been doing all the speaking engagements she's been asked to do. It is not true that she has not been cooperating....Something is going on," he said. "Truth is not being told. I don't understand where this is coming from, or why."

Miss California runner-up Tami Farrell will immediately take over the crown and Carrie's responsibilities as Miss California, the pageant organization said. The current Miss USA Kristen Dalton and Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza will also lend a hand in making appearances.

Carrie's answer to a question about same-sex marriage asked by celebrity gossip blogger and gay activist Perez Hilton, who served as one of the judges at the April 19 Miss USA pageant, sparked controversy and attracted tons of media coverage in the weeks after the pageant.

Initially, she was criticized for saying she lost the pageant because of her conservative views that marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman. Then, just when that controversy was dying down, her nipple made an appearance--and we know how Americans fear The Nipple.

The semi-nude pictures (I know, how original...I'm ready for a serial killer or gender-bending winner to be stripped of her crown) reportedly were shot for an ad campaign, and she claimed the photographer took advantage of her by shooting a few frames when the wind shifted her vest just enough to reveal a nipple.

This reminds me of Janet Jackson's infamous nipple, which made a surprise appearance because of yet another "wardrobe malfunction" (they denied it was planned...of course) during the halftime show of Super Bowl 2004 when she took the stage with singer Justin Timberlake, who at the end of a song ripped a piece of cloth off Jackson's right breast, revealing a partially covered nipple for nine sixteenths of a second. Wardrobe malfunction my ass. There was a public outcry and parents were traumatized because they didn't know what to tell their kids about The Nipple.

Nipplegate led to an immediate crackdownon indecency in broadcasting and to a record $550,000 fine levied by the FCC against CBS as well as an increase of the FCC fine per indecency violation from $27,500 to $325,000.

What I found interesting about Carrie's photos was not the nipple they showed but the underlying hypocrisy they revealed.

Isn't it two-faced to denounce same-sex marriage because of what the bible states about homosexuality but be OK with posing semi-nude for pictures whose only possible purpose is to arouse feelings of lust, which according to the bible is a sin?

The good news is that regardless of the controversy they generated, neither her views on marriage nor her nipple led to her dethroning. And I for one am glad about that.

(Dedicated to my #1--and likely only--fan: Walter. Hi Wally!)

Sources: ABC News, CNN, L.A. Times, TMZ, EW.com
Copyright © 2009

Stew of News - Gay marriage, death penalty, Jolie, Jonas Brothers, Craigslist

Gay marriage legal in New Hampshire

New Hampshire became the 6th state in the U.S. to allow gay marriage today when Gov. John Lynch signed the state's Sex Marriage Bill.

Maybe, by the time I reincarnate as a gay man not trapped in a woman's body it will be legal in, say, Texas. Ya think?

"Thumbs up" to the executioner

A convicted killer was executed Wednesday under Ohio's new "set to die" procedure. And what, you ask, is that? Well...after he received the initial dose of sedatives, the prison warden had to try to wake up him up by calling his name, shaking and pinching his shoulder to make sure he was unconscious and ready for the next round of lethal drugs--a paralytic and a heart-stopping drug. If not, a second dose of sedatives is injected. Executions had been on hold for several months in the U.S. while the Supreme Court considered whether lethal injection was cruel and unusual punishment because of a man who remained conscious after the sedatives, which means he would've felt the painful effects of the other two drugs.

This dude was sentenced to die for the 1991 murder of woman he locked in the trunk of her car and burned alive. So what's a little pain during execution? He's lucky he wasn't burned at the stake, if you ask me.

Now, this one wasn't "set to die"

A woman who had been arrested and placed in the back of a police cruiser, a Ford Crown Victoria, was fatally burned Wednesday when another car slammed into the parked cruiser, igniting both vehicles and another cruiser in front, authorities said Wednesday according to an AP report.

So while the Ohio dude drifted into dreamland on valium and who knows what else, this woman, who apparently was pulled over for some traffic infraction, gets burned at the stake. Interesting...

Jolie named most powerful celebrity by Forbes

In its annual Celebrity 100 list, Forbes magazine named Angelina Jolie as the most powerful celebrity in the world. The star, who earned $27 million last year, knocked Oprah Winfrey, who earned $275 million, of the top spot, which the talk show host has held for the past two years. Madonna came in third.

Could anyone please explain to me exactly how Angelina Jolie is powerful? How does this power manifest itself through her? The kids? The lips? What's the source of this power? The womb? Inquiring minds want to know.

Jonas Brothers' homemade chastity belt

So the mother of the Jonas Brothers admits her sons "have desires" in the July issue of Good Housekeeping. The heartthrobs are virgins, so she says, but that doesn't mean they don't look at women (or men...). "They are men. They have desires. They have testosterone," Denise says of Kevin, 21, Joe, 19 and Nick, 16. "If they make a mistake, I'm not going to hate them. I don't think they're above or beyond being seduced."

--This is wrong on so many levels...are you kidding me? Virgins? Good Housekeeping? Wouldn't hate them? If seduced? By whom? Nine-year-old girls? WTF is she smoking? I say this is a job for the Law & Order SVU detectives...

What else is Craigslist good for these days?

A North Carolina man is accused of arranging to have his wife raped through personal ads on the Web site Craigslist, police said Wednesday in a statement.

The 25-year-old genius, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, was arrested in connection with the incident that occurred at his home early Sunday, CNN reported.

Police responded to the home at about 2:45 a.m. after receiving a 911 call indicating a male armed with a knife appeared in the couple's bedroom and sexually assaulted the man's wife.

Investigators became suspicious when they noticed no sign of forced entry in the house, but on Tuesday they found that the man "had responded to at least two personal ads on craigslist trying to arrange for someone to come to his home and have sex with his wife using some type of scare tactic.

Well, I say we have a strong contender for Sick Fuck of the Week here.

Source: Me and as noted
Copyright © 2009

Factbox: gay marriage, civil unions in the U.S.

Photo source: flickr.com

Reuters published this factbox earlier this week after California upheld Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage. It's interesting info, plus I thought I might as well have it here for future reference.

The following is a look at laws on gay marriage and same-sex civil unions in the United States after California's supreme court backed a ban on gay marriage.

* The first-same sex marriages in America took place in Massachusetts in 2004, a year after the state's highest court ruled that a ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional.

* Connecticut became the second U.S. state to legalize gay marriage when its supreme court overturned a ban on same-sex marriage on October 10, 2008. Local authorities began issuing marriage licenses on November 12.

* California began marrying gay and lesbian couples in June 2008, a month after the state Supreme Court ruled that barring same-sex marriages was unconstitutional. But that was reversed on November 4 when Californians voted in support of a proposition to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

* Iowa became the third state to legalize same-sex marriage when its supreme court issued a unanimous ruling on April 3 that said a gay marriage ban violated the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples.

* Vermont followed suit on April 7 when lawmakers overrode a governor's veto of a gay-marriage bill, making the New England state the first in the country to legalize gay marriage with a legislature's vote.

* The District of Columbia city council voted on May 5 to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states where those unions are legal, although gay marriages cannot be conducted in the city itself.

* Maine's governor signed a bill on May 6 that cleared the way for the rugged state to become the sixth to legalize gay marriage. But the law could be delayed or even voided before it is due to take effect in September if opponents gather enough support for a statewide referendum on gay marriage.

* The New York State Assembly passed a bill on May 12 to legalize gay marriage but it faces an uncertain future in the state Senate, where Democrats hold a slim majority.

* A bill that would have made New Hampshire the sixth U.S. state to authorize gay marriage stalled unexpectedly on May 20 because of concessions to religious groups opposed to such unions. The bill has been sent to a committee where lawmakers from both chambers will try to resolve their differences.

* Forty-two U.S. states have laws explicitly prohibiting such marriages, including 29 with constitutional amendments restricting marriage to one man and one woman, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group.

* New Jersey permits same-sex civil unions that grant largely the same state rights as married couples -- from insurance coverage to tax benefits and hospital visiting rights -- but lack the full legal protections of marriage.

* Hawaii and Washington each offer gay couples some legal rights as partners.

* The patchwork of laws has caused some unusual complications. Rhode Island's top court, for example, ruled in December 2007 that a same-sex couple married in Massachusetts could not legally divorce in Rhode Island, saying the state's family court did not have authority over same-sex marriages.

* The U.S. Supreme Court has not taken a case on gay marriage, leaving states to decide the issue. But eight same-sex couples who married in Massachusetts and three gay widowers filed a lawsuit on March 3 seeking access to federal protections and programs granted to straight married couples.

(Compiled by Jason Szep in Boston; Editing by Bill Trott)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Bigotry triumphs in California

Photo: Los Angeles Times

I’m not gay, but I’m for equal rights–for EVERYONE.

Shame on California.

Shame on the close-minded, self-righteous, self-centered, pseudo-spiritual, arrogant, hypocritical so-called “Americans” who cite Freedom for their sins (and atrocities) while crushing the freedom of “The Others.”

Here's the thing: I don't care who anyone wants to marry. It's none of my business. And whom I choose to marry is none of anybody's business as far as I'm concerned. It's that simple. Those who claim it is their business...that the future of this country depends on gays not being allowed to get married...are, in my opinion, extremely insecure individuals who, evidently, need to force their views and opinions and lifestyles on others in order to justify theirs.

So what if I'm in love with a cactus and want to marry it? Mind your own business.

Copyright © 2009