Vote
I’m thrilled to have just returned from my polling place in NYC, where a win for Obama is virtually assured. The turnout there looked big, the line down the block. We vote the antique way, with a giant metal lever, and I have to say I’ve never been more satisfied to ring in a vote in my life.
As I mentioned yesterday, we’ll be live-blogging today from 2 pm EST on. Please send us tips, photos, links to video, and any interesting photos you take yourselves while out voting today. We’re also piping in the status updates and posts from all the friends of Towleroad Blog on Facebook. (If you’re not our friend yet, today’s a great day to add us. Search for “Towleroad Blog” on Facebook) or find it HERE: Also if you’re on Twitter or Friend Feed, we’ll be picking up comments if you include @tlrd or #tlrd in your message/tweet.
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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #385
SARAH PALIN: Already at war with Iran.
THE GAY: Rachel Maddow has a few words for Missouri Senator Kit Bond: “The gay” is not catching.
ADAM CHARLTON: The Brit flexer we featured a while back…is back.
BFFS: Ellen DeGeneres goes clubbing with Paris Hilton.
Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.
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Authorities Bust ‘Sex Parties’ in Malaysia, 70 Arrested
This seems to be a routine occurrence in Malaysia. The same thing happened in September, last May, and last November.
Malaysia’s The Star reports: “Police busted four male sex parties in progress on Saturday, rounding up more than 70 customers and male sex workers. Some of them could not put on their clothing in time when police stormed the various premises during the 5.30pm incident. Used condoms were found strewn all over the floor of the premises. Police also seized some pornography DVDs, gay magazines, lubrication jelly and boxes of condoms at the scene. A team from the anti-vice, gaming and secret societies division (D7) conducted the raids at four separate locations — two on the mainland as well as a traditional massage parlour and a fitness centre on the island. George Town Deputy OCPD Supt Gan Kong Meng said 28 local men and a man from China, in their 20s to 40s, were arrested at the scene. Some of the customers were from Europe and the United States.”
Seems like the same venue continues to be raided.
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A Line in the Sand – and a campaign based on lies – for Same-Sex Marriage Foes
While the battle over same-sex marriage has been all but invisible in the presidential race this year, it is raging like a wind-whipped wildfire in California.
Conservative religious leaders from across the country are pouring time, talent and millions of dollars into the state in support of Proposition 8, which would ban same-sex marriage. They are hoping to reverse a California Supreme Court ruling in May that gave same-sex couples permission to marry, resulting in thousands of exultant same-sex weddings.
Similar marriage amendments are on the ballot next month in Arizona and Florida. But religious conservatives have cast the campaign in California as the decisive last stand, warning in stunningly apocalyptic terms of dire consequences to the entire nation if Proposition 8 does not pass.
California, they say, sets cultural trends for the rest of the country and even the world. If same-sex marriage is allowed to become entrenched there, they warn, there will be no going back.
“This vote on whether we stop the gay-marriage juggernaut in California is Armageddon,” said Charles W. Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries and an eminent evangelical voice, speaking to pastors in a video promoting Proposition 8. “We lose this, we are going to lose in a lot of other ways, including freedom of religion.”
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian lobby based in Washington, said in an interview, “It’s more important than the presidential election.”
“We’ve picked bad presidents before, and we’ve survived as a nation,” said Mr. Perkins, who has made two trips to California in the last six weeks. “But we will not survive if we lose the institution of marriage.”
In television advertisements, rallies, highway billboards, sermons and phone banks, supporters of Proposition 8 are warning that if it does not pass, churches that refuse to marry same-sex couples will be sued and lose their tax-exempt status. Ministers will be jailed if they preach against homosexuality. Parents will have no right to prevent their children from being taught in school about same-sex marriage.
The “No on 8” forces, which include many liberal religious leaders, dismiss these claims as scare tactics and without basis in legal precedent.
“The idea that we would be forced as clergy to perform a marriage that was against our conscience, or that a church would lose its tax-exempt status, is ridiculous,” said the Rev. Karen Sapio, the minister of Claremont Presbyterian Church in Southern California. “If you look dispassionately at the record, there are a lot of churches with policies that are at odds with civil law.”
She continued, “I have not heard of a single Catholic church forced to marry someone who has been divorced, or a rabbi forced to perform an interfaith marriage or an evangelical church forced to marry a couple who has been living together.”
Nevertheless, the “Yes on 8” campaign has brought over from Sweden a pastor named Ake Green, who a few years ago was sentenced to a month in prison under Sweden’s law banning hate speech, because he gave a sermon denouncing homosexuality. Mr. Green’s testimony was featured in a 90-minute “Yes on 8” satellite simulcast that was recently downlinked to 170 churches throughout the state.
See California, a Line in the Sand for Same-Sex Marriage Foes
New York Times – United States
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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Obama Reiterates Position on Gay Marriage, Opposition to Prop 8
Barack Obama reiterated his opposition to Proposition 8 in an interview with MTV to be aired at 9am today on the network.
Said Obama to Sway in response to a question on the anti-gay ballot initiative: “I think it’s unnecessary. believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that’s not what America’s about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don’t contract them.”
Obama has said he is in favor of civil unions and leaving marriage matters to the states to decide.
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP…
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Sacha Baron-Cohen as Bruno Crashes Prop 8 Rally at L.A. City Hall
Sacha Baron Cohen, who as his gay Austrian reporter alter-ego Bruno crashed fashion shows earlier this year in Paris and Milan<, caused havoc at a cage fighting event in Arkansas, go-go danced in the middle of a Wichita airport terminal, and duped Ben Affleck as well as a former Israeli spy into doing serious interviews with him, crashed a “Yes on Proposition 8″ rally at L.A.’s City Hall yesterday:
“Cohen, in disguise in a blond wig and preppy outfit, marched with demonstrators who support Proposition 8 while being trailed by cameras in a rally across from City Hall. When photographers and reporters realized who he was and tried to approach the star, members of his film crew tried to shield him, and he was eventually whisked away in a van.”
Hopefully, Cohen’s support was ultimately an effort to mock the anti-gay bigots.
Read my latest updates on the battle against Proposition 8 here and here. I’ll have more soon.
The campaign urgently needs volunteers. Find out how you can help HERE.
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Cheney Comes Out of Hiding to Endorse McCain; Obama Congratulates
Dick Cheney left his undisclosed location to express his “delight” at endorsing John McCain in Wyoming.
Said Cheney: “I believe the right leader for this moment in history is Senator John McCain. […] I’m delighted to support John McCain and I’m pleased that he’s chosen a running mate with executive talent, toughness and common sense, our next vice president in Sarah Palin.”
Barack Obama congratulated McCain on the endorsement from Pueblo, Colorado:
“I’d like to congratulate Senator McCain on this endorsement because he really earned it. That endorsement didn’t come easy. Senator McCain had to vote 90 percent of the time with George Bush and Dick Cheney to get it. He served as Washington’s biggest cheerleader for going to war in Iraq, and supports economic policies that are no different from the last eight years. So Senator McCain worked hard to get Dick Cheney’s support…”
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP…
The Obama campaign has an ad out on the endorsement:
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A Line in the Sand – and a campaign based on lies – for Same-Sex Marriage Foes
While the battle over same-sex marriage has been all but invisible in the presidential race this year, it is raging like a wind-whipped wildfire in California.
Conservative religious leaders from across the country are pouring time, talent and millions of dollars into the state in support of Proposition 8, which would ban same-sex marriage. They are hoping to reverse a California Supreme Court ruling in May that gave same-sex couples permission to marry, resulting in thousands of exultant same-sex weddings.
Similar marriage amendments are on the ballot next month in Arizona and Florida. But religious conservatives have cast the campaign in California as the decisive last stand, warning in stunningly apocalyptic terms of dire consequences to the entire nation if Proposition 8 does not pass.
California, they say, sets cultural trends for the rest of the country and even the world. If same-sex marriage is allowed to become entrenched there, they warn, there will be no going back.
“This vote on whether we stop the gay-marriage juggernaut in California is Armageddon,” said Charles W. Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries and an eminent evangelical voice, speaking to pastors in a video promoting Proposition 8. “We lose this, we are going to lose in a lot of other ways, including freedom of religion.”
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian lobby based in Washington, said in an interview, “It’s more important than the presidential election.”
“We’ve picked bad presidents before, and we’ve survived as a nation,” said Mr. Perkins, who has made two trips to California in the last six weeks. “But we will not survive if we lose the institution of marriage.”
In television advertisements, rallies, highway billboards, sermons and phone banks, supporters of Proposition 8 are warning that if it does not pass, churches that refuse to marry same-sex couples will be sued and lose their tax-exempt status. Ministers will be jailed if they preach against homosexuality. Parents will have no right to prevent their children from being taught in school about same-sex marriage.
The “No on 8” forces, which include many liberal religious leaders, dismiss these claims as scare tactics and without basis in legal precedent.
“The idea that we would be forced as clergy to perform a marriage that was against our conscience, or that a church would lose its tax-exempt status, is ridiculous,” said the Rev. Karen Sapio, the minister of Claremont Presbyterian Church in Southern California. “If you look dispassionately at the record, there are a lot of churches with policies that are at odds with civil law.”
She continued, “I have not heard of a single Catholic church forced to marry someone who has been divorced, or a rabbi forced to perform an interfaith marriage or an evangelical church forced to marry a couple who has been living together.”
Nevertheless, the “Yes on 8” campaign has brought over from Sweden a pastor named Ake Green, who a few years ago was sentenced to a month in prison under Sweden’s law banning hate speech, because he gave a sermon denouncing homosexuality. Mr. Green’s testimony was featured in a 90-minute “Yes on 8” satellite simulcast that was recently downlinked to 170 churches throughout the state.
See California, a Line in the Sand for Same-Sex Marriage Foes
New York Times – United States
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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Celebrities come out in support of gay marriage
LOS ANGELES — For weeks, Hollywood had been criticized for not contributing enough to defeat a ballot initiative in California that would ban same-sex marriage. Now, members of the film and TV industries are sweeping in to preserve gays’ right to get hitched. Maybe they were planning for a Hollywood ending all along?
After news of Proposition 8’s supporters outraising its opponents spread and the measure gained support in public opinion polls, many Hollywood insiders have made declarations of support — financial and otherwise — against the ban. While the ‘‘No on 8’’ campaign hasn’t quite reached the buzziness of other celebrity causes du jour, momentum is growing.
‘‘The entertainment industry is obviously an important donor base,’’ said Chad Griffin, a political strategist for the campaign. ‘‘It’s an industry that’s often stood up against discrimination. This particular initiative writes discrimination into the constitution. I think it’s something most fair-minded people, celebrities or otherwise, are outraged about.’’
Leading the Hollywood outreach is Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen, who wed art consultant Gabriel Catone in a ceremony officiated by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in June. The ‘‘American Beauty’’ and ‘‘Pushing Daisies’’ producer dug deep into his contacts to ask for their support against the initiative. Cohen’s biggest get? Stephen Spielberg.
‘‘Stephen’s been an incredible supporter of me, both personally and professionally, so I called him and told him how much this has meant to me and Gabe,’’ said Cohen, who worked with the director on ‘‘The Color Purple’’ in 1985. ‘‘When he told me that he and Kate Capshaw were giving a $100,000 contribution, I was so moved and thankful.’’
Celebrities come out in support of gay marriage
Chicago Sun-Times, United States -
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Real-Life Witch Denies Halloween Candy to Kids of Obama Supporters
Meet Shirley Nagel, a real-life witch and McCain supporter from suburban Detroit.
Nagel refused to give out candy to trick-or-treaters who were children of Obama supporters.
As one YouTube commenter so aptly puts it, “Thank you SHIRLEY NAGEL for sharing your bitter ignorance with the world. You are the PERFECT reminder of the change we are voting for.”
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP…
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