MSNBC Anchors Erupt Over Miss California Press Conference: “Can I Vomit Right Now?”
MSNBC anchors David Shuster, Contessa Brewer, and Tamron Hall erupted in what the network characterized as a “feisty” discussion over Miss California Carrie Prejean Tuesday morning.
Shortly after pageant owner Donald Trump announced that Prejean would keep her crown despite the recent topless photos of her that have circulated around the internet, Shuster went off on the beauty queen.
“Can I vomit right now?” he asked. “Doesn’t this represent everything that is wrong with the superficial nature of these pageants?”
Shuster continued, taking Miss California runner-up Tami Farrell to task for her poor grammar in her appearance on the “Today” show Tuesday morning, where she said that Prejean was “binded,” and not “bound,” by her contract.
“This entire thing is a sham! It’s ridiculous!” he said.
See
MSNBC Anchors Erupt Over Miss California Press Conference: “Can I Vomit Right Now?”
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/msnbc-anchors…
Obama strong, but gay marriage, big gov’t could be tricky
While Barack Obama is flying high in public opinion polls, there could be trouble ahead on the issues of same sex marriage, big government, and party identification, according to Frank Newport, Editor in Chief of the Gallup Poll.
“The data actually show some areas of concern for the Democrats,” Newport said at a Monitor-sponsored breakfast with reporters on Tuesday. In addition to his role at Gallup, Newport is the incoming president of the American Association for Public Opinion, the nation’s largest association of public opinion and polling professionals.
Still mostly sunny
Of course, the possible trouble areas Newport outlines for Democrats have to be viewed against a political backdrop that is far from encouraging for Republicans. President Obama’s job approval rating is a robust 67 percent.
And as non-partisan political analyst Charlie Cook [no relation] says in his latest column, “Half a year past a second-consecutive devastating election for Republicans — in which they went further in the hole in the House and Senate and lost the presidency — are they any better off now? Are there any signs of a rebound? The short answer would appear to be ‘no’.”
A conservative retrenchment
But that does not mean the Obama administration has uniformly strong support on every issue. “I do not think the public has moved radically liberal on a lot of social and values issues,” Newport said. He noted that Gallup’s daily polling had found “a retrenchment to the more conservative on gun control as an example.”
“And there is some evidence even on abortion there may be somewhat of a retrenchment there.” he said.
Obama has been “very careful” on the issue of same sex marriage, Newport said, supporting civil unions but not marriage for gays. “Nevertheless I think that is an issue where the Republican Party might have an edge because the public remains conservative on social and value issues,” he said.
See Gallup: Obama strong, but gay marriage, big gov’t could be tricky
Christian Science Monitor – Boston,MA,USA
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Another lie from the far right: “All Violent Crimes Are ‘Hate Crimes”
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins is claiming “All Violent Crimes Are ‘Hate Crimes” after approval by the House Judiciary Committee of a proposed federal “hate crimes” bill, H.R. 1913.
We offer these two photos to rebut his fatuous claim.
In the upper photo see Sydney gay man Chen (Anthony) Liuas he looked before being set upon by gay bashers who killed him and left his body to decompose.
The lower photo shows what gay bashers do: it is an x-ray showing how they used a nail gun to kill this man. The decomposed body of 27 year old Mr Liu was discovered floating in the Georges River last November, the body been bound with electrical wire and wrapped in a rug. He had been shot in the head 30 times with a high powered nail gun. The nails embedded in his skull were up to 85mm long.
See how many nails they shot into his skull?
This is typical of a hate crime: a level of violence that far exceeds that of a robery or mugging.
Does Perkins get that? No: he claims “All violent crimes are hate crimes, and every victim is equally important. All of our citizens deserve equal justice under the law. Do we somehow care less about victims violently assaulted because of robberies or personal disputes than we do about those assaulted because they belong in a federally designated category?”
Any criminal act is hateful, but only some – those against people because of their color or orientation – are hate crimes. We can be sure that Perkins would be singing a different tune if those who followed his brand of “Christianity” were subject to the same level of hate crimes that LGBT people face every day.
It is un-American for Perkins and his ilk to use LGBT as cannon fodder in their effort to generate fund raising dollars and build political power.
But to mislead people about the need for hate crimes legislation to generate fund raising dollars and build political power is more of a ‘sin’ than anything two gay men can do to each other.
Shame on those seld-appointed “Christians” who pervert Christ’s teachings into a cover for the kind of homophobic violence that killed Mr. Liuas.
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/04/last-lie-from…
Church of Scotland magazine backs gay partnerships
A potential rift within the Church of Scotland over gay relationships emerged yesterday after the Church’s house magazine backed civil partnerships and openly gay ministers.
Accusing religious traditionalists of selectively quoting the Bible to support their attacks on homosexual relations, the editorial in Life And Work urged the Kirk to show strong leadership on an issue that has threatened to split the Church of England and could prove just as divisive in Scotland.
The article, which was written by the magazine’s editor, Muriel Armstrong, comes ahead of next month’s General Assembly in Edinburgh and has been timed to influence a key debate on whether openly homosexual ministers can be appointed to the Church.
Ms Armstrong rounds on the “selective literalists” who use parts of the Bible to bolster their own views but ignore other parts that undermine them. She says that these commentators “presumably no longer accept biblical teaching on sexual matters such as polygamy and sex with slaves” but are happy to quote Leviticus 18:22 on homosexuality: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”
The Church said yesterday that the magazine was editorially independent. “It is not the voice of the Church of Scotland, which is not trying to steer debate on this important issue,” the Rev Angus Morrison, convenor of the council of mission and discipleship said. He added that he had already received “a couple” of e-mails expressing concern that the magazine was interfering in the “due process” of the Church.
Senior figures within the Church fear that the issue of gay partnerships could prove as damaging for the Presbyterian ministry as the row that has split the Anglican Church.
A minority in the Presbytery of Aberdeen has already challenged the appointment of an openly gay minister, the Rev Scott Rennie, to Queen’s Cross Church in the city. They have appealed to the Commission of the General Assembly, with a final decision on the matter to be made next month.
In her editorial Ms Armstrong also champions the right of gay ministers to serve in the Church. She said said that two years ago the Church had effectively shelved its decision on the issue and that the moment had come to challenge those who use the “familiar arguments” of tradition, orthodoxy and the “plain meaning of scripture”.
“The question of the integrity of a relationship didn’t enter the \ argument. It has been suggested that if the Kirk stuck its neck out on this one it would upset other churches that are still in a reflective no man’s land on this issue. Isn’t it time for leadership?
“What is clear to the lay-person is that not everything Biblical is Christ-like. Every student of the Bible is a selective literalist. Those who swear by the anti-homosexual laws in the Book of Leviticus wouldn’t publicly advocate slavery or stoning women taken in adultery. They presumably no longer accept Biblical teaching on sexual matters such as polygamy and sex with slaves.
“And yet there are many who continue to be bound by a few Biblical verses — none of them in the Gospels — about homosexuality, nowadays understood as a matter of genetics rather than lifestyle.”
The debate on gays in the Church will involve members from every Presbytery, drawn from Scotland and overseas. It is likely to polarise opinion, just as it has in other Churches.
See Church of Scotland magazine backs gay partnerships Times Online
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/04/church-of-sco…
Logan Crane | If You Seek Amy Tufts Daily
As a heterosexual, I often take for granted the accessibility of hookups and matchmaking. I have a high regard for constituents of the queer community who live as minorities in our college hookup atmosphere. The Tufts social scene is a montage of frat parties and bars that encompass heterosexual norms. As I commonly joke with a gay friend that we should “man hunt” on Saturday nights, I have come to realize just how complicated that process can be. A queer in search of a relationship or sexual advice is often left with minimal resources.
The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Center is a great way to meet other queers. Their support groups make for a comfortable environment while providing a network outlet. The on-campus social scene lacks variety, as the options are Rainbow House or a queer-friendly house party. Those fortunate to own an ID are able to escape to a larger queer community within the Boston area. For gay men, Club Café is an extremely popular video bar. Paradise is for those interested in no more than a g-string and Velcro-seamed pants. For the lesbian ladies, Modern and Tribe are highly recommended to meet sexy singles. Midway Café is an excellent place for the transgender community. A themed night such as Queeraoke is bound to bring out your inner Sasha Fierce. An excellent suggestion from a fabulous queer friend is Guerrilla Queer Bar, which provides an alternative nightlife for the LGBT community. Finding a mate at Tufts comes with limited opportunities, but using social resources both at Tufts and in Boston can make the experience a little easier.
The resources available for sex and dating are more often than not geared to a heterosexual audience. It is rare to come across free dental dams, but there is always an abundant supply of cheap and uncomfortable condoms available. Finding resources about the intricacies of queer sex can be difficult. Although queer-themed TV has plenty of content flaws, shows like The L Word and Queer as Folk demonstrate ways to approach a sexual encounter. For someone new at queer sex, these shows might be helpful for getting started.
For those lesbians looking to explore sexual fantasies, Crashpadseries.com and Cyber-dyke.net are distributors of strictly lesbian porn, none of that bi-curious teasing that is labeled “lesbian” porn on other sites. All actresses involved are strictly interested in one thing — vagina.
Some feel uncomfortable diving into graphic cinema, so I suggest watching Annie Sprinkle’s Herstory of Porn. This documentary features the best and worst moments of queer porn. Because porn is not a sufficient instructor of sexual acts, the book Lesbian Kama Sutra is helpful and strictly for queer women. It provides more than your average scissor, so I encourage you to purchase this book for an increase in tongue teasers.
Gay porn is much easier to come by. Insertion of the words “gay sex” or “anal” will result in millions of Google pages on gay porn. But if you are looking for the specifics on sexually pleasing your partner, Gay-sex-positions.com provides written and visual description pertaining to the intricacies of anal and oral positions. Also, the LBGT Center on campus provides an excellent library of sex books and queer literature.
As the queer community on campus is incredibly small, these are some useful outlets to further your queer constituents and culture. As for sexual pleasure, one must never rely on the poor educational advice from health professionals and sex education teachers. Queer blogs, porn and Web sites are all useful means for sex tips. It’s important to recognize the avenues accessible to escape a social and sexual environment dominated by heterosexuals. The expansion of a social network and sexual lexis can be of great benefit.
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Logan Crane is a junior majoring in political science. She can be reached at Logan.Crane@tufts.edu.
See Logan Crane | If You Seek Amy
Tufts Daily
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Faith forms a bond for a lesbian priest and a Mormon father of three
Who could have foreseen what would happen between the Mormon filmmaker and the lesbian priest?
Not Douglas Hunter, even after he took a leap of faith and trained his camera on the Rev. Susan Russell.
And maybe not even Russell, who had undergone a remarkable transformation from one-time suburban soccer mom to priest and outspoken champion of gay rights.
But the friendship that took root when Hunter asked Russell to play the central role in his documentary about same-sex marriage and theology would lead two people from different worlds to a new understanding of themselves and their faiths.
“We’re all telling the same stories about God’s work in our lives,” said Hunter, 40, a father of three from Pasadena who discovered Russell on the Internet.
Technology may have provided the bridge, but it was an ancient religious calling that drew Hunter to Russell, a senior associate priest at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena.
Hunter felt a religious obligation to cross the same boundary Jesus is said to have traversed 2,000 years ago when he spoke of embracing the outsider.
No group was further outside Mormon circles, Hunter thought, than gays and lesbians. Mormonism, he knew, viewed homosexual acts as sins, and Mormons would become among the most generous supporters of California’s Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage that was approved by voters last fall.
See Faith forms a bond for a lesbian priest and a Mormon father of three
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/faith-forms-b…
Integrity Responds to Primates’ Communique from Alexandria
MOBILE, AL–Integrity USA is disappointed but not surprised that thecommunique issued by the primates of the Anglican Communion earlier todayrepeated the all-too-familiar call for moratoria on the election of bishops in same-gender unions, rites of blessing for same-sex unions, and cross-border interventions.
“There’s an American superstition that ‘bad things come in threes,’” said Integrity President Susan Russell speaking from the Episcopal Urban Caucus Annual Assembly in Mobile. “And accepting the lumping together of these three issues in one moratoria package would be a very bad thing for the Episcopal Church as a whole and its LGBT faithful in particular.”
“Calling a halt to actions that violate the polity and boundaries of the autonomous national churches that are constituent members of the Anglican Communion is preserving the historic unity of the church. Scapegoating a percentage of the baptized by excluding them from a percentage of the sacraments of the Body of Christ is participating in the appeasement of bigotry. They’re apples and oranges.”
Russell continued, “Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is absolutely correct in stating that moratoria are a matter for General Convention in Anaheim this summer. Resolutions have already been submitted that would move the Episcopal Church beyond the non-canonical restraints imposed by B033 and forward on marriage equality. Integrity USA believes that General Convention will reaffirm that all the sacraments are open to all the baptized. We will be working with our allies to achieve that gospel agenda item next July.”
“Integrity encourages all concerned Episcopalians to contact their bishops and General Convention deputies and dialogue with them on these issues as they prepare for Anaheim,” concluded Russell. “The question on the table is whether or not we mean it when we renew that Baptismal Covenant’s promise to respect the dignity of every human being. Integrity is counting on the Episcopal Church saying, “We will with God’s help.”
Visit www.integrityusa.org/all for more information.
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The Top 9 Drag Queens In The USA Bring The Drama, Outrageousness And Sheer Fabulosity As They Battle It Out To Become The Next RuPaul
RuPaul has pushed the boundaries of popular culture on an international level as a recording artist (“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” duet with Elton John, “Supermodel: You Better Work”), as a television talk-show host (“The RuPaul Show” on VH1) and as an actor (“The Brady Bunch,” “Too Wong Foo…” “Starrbooty”). As the first-ever spokesperson for M.A.C Cosmetics’ VIVA Glam Campaign, RuPaul contributed to raising millions of dollars to the M.A.C AIDS Fund. Now RuPaul is breaking new ground as the host, mentor and judge of this one-of-a-kind reality competition. Playing a dual role, RuPaul, in full glamazon drag, will reign supreme in all judging and eliminations, while the debonair Mr. RuPaul will help guide the contestants as they prepare for each challenge. Challenges will range from photo shoots, to fashion designing, to real woman makeovers, to performing with RuPaul in the first music video from RuPaul’s upcoming album, “Champion.”
“Tell Tyra that the Queen has returned, and while you’re at it have Heidi clear the runway. I’m going to pump some ‘realness’ into reality,” said RuPaul. “To be a winner on this show the contestants need to be a fashion designer, an American idol, and a top model all rolled up into one. And they definitely have to be smarter than a fifth grader.”
While “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will take a look at the outrageous world of drag, it will also reveal the courage, perseverance and humanity of 9 men who have overcome and endured the hardships of a masculine dominated society that mocks and makes fun of men who act like women. Not only will viewers get a bird’s eye view of what it takes for these chameleons to transform themselves but they will also take away the secrets of the artistry of drag.
The eight, one-hour episode series “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has gathered the next generation of outrageous, up-and-coming drag queens to fight for the title. Each cast member must embody the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent that made, RuPaul an international drag superstar. Each week, joining RuPaul on the judges panel are fashion journalist and best-selling author Merle Ginsberg and Project Runway breakout star and designer Santino Rice plus a bevy of celebrity guest judges including: Bob Mackie (Designer), Michelle Williams (Destiny’s Child), Lucy Lawless (actress), Maria Conchita Alonso (actress/singer), Robin Antin (creator of The Pussycat Dolls), Debra Wilson (Mad TV), Jenny Shimizu (model/actress), Tori Spelling (actress), Dean McDermott (actor), Howard Bragman (Author of, “Where’s My Fifteen Minutes?”) Frank Gatson (choreographer) and Gordon Espinet (M.A.C VP of Makeup Artistry.) The judges will determine the bottom two contestants of the week. Those contestants then compete in a show-stopping battle-royal “lip-synch for your life” performance that will determine if they will “shante” and stay or “sashay” away.
“RuPaul made history as drag’s first glamour superstar and will do so once again bringing together a group of exceptionally talented drag artists in the world’s first drag reality series,” said Brian Graden, President, MTV Networks Music Group Entertainment and President, Logo.
“RuPaul is back, and better than ever,” says Barbato. “RuPaul first took the world by storm when Clinton was in the White House. Now, in the new Obama era, the time is right for RuPaul to reign supreme once again.”
In the end, only one will have what it takes to win the coveted title of America’s next drag queen superstar, and a prize package that includes a nationally sponsored ABSOLUT(R) Vodka “Real Fruit” tour, a cash prize of $20,000 courtesy of ABSOLUT(R) Vodka and M.A.C Cosmetics, supply of M.A.C Cosmetics, a feature photo spread in Paper Magazine and a photo taken by renowned photographer Greg Gorman to be used in an l.a. Eyeworks legendary designer eyewear campaign.
Following are the 9 “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestants:
– Akashia — Cleveland, OH
– Bebe Zahara Benet — Minneapolis, MN
– Jade — Chicago, IL
– Nina Flowers — Denver, CO
– Ongina — Los Angeles, CA
– Rebecca Glasscock — Ft. Lauderdale, FL
– Shannel — Las Vegas, NV
– Tammie Brown — Los Angeles, CA
– Victoria Parker — Raleigh, NC
RuPaulsDragRace.com will stream the first episode simultaneous to the series on air premiere Monday, February 2, and will be home to exclusive video content throughout the season. Additionally, each episode will be available on RuPaulsDragRace.com every week following its on-air premiere.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” and its casting website demonstrate Logo’s commitment to reach new levels of engagement with its audience. Examples of this multi-platform approach to entertainment include the site for Logo’s hit animated series, “Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World” at HappiestGayCouple.com and the upcoming “NewNowNext Awards,” airing on-air, online and on mobile devices. Logo continues to be the number one aggregator of content for the LGBT audience with its growing library of online video on LOGOonline.com and its affiliated websites AfterEllen.com, AfterElton.com, Downelink.com and 365gay.com.* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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SURPRISE: Calif. AG: Overturn Proposition 8
SAN FRANCISCO — State Attorney General Jerry Brown, in a surprise turnabout, asked the California Supreme Court on Friday to overturn Proposition 8, saying the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage violates basic rights guaranteed in the state Constitution.
Brown, who is required to defend state laws unless he cannot find reasonable legal grounds to do so, said after Prop. 8 passed Nov. 4 that he would support the initiative before the state’s high court.
But in a lengthy filing late Friday, he argued that the constitutional amendment was “inconsistent with the guarantees of individual liberty” in California’s governing charter.
“Proposition 8 must be invalidated because the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification,” Brown said.
The authors of the state Constitution, he said, did not intend “to put a group’s right to enjoy liberty to a popular vote.”
Hours earlier, sponsors of Prop. 8 filed arguments asking the court to uphold the ballot measure, which passed with a 52 percent majority. Andrew Pugno, attorney for the Yes on 8 campaign, said he was disappointed by Brown’s stance.
“It’s unfortunate that the attorney general would not do his duty to defend the will of the voters,” Pugno said.
The position of the attorney general, the state’s top lawyer, ordinarily carries considerable weight with the court. Brown’s office was on the losing side, however, when the court overturned California’s previous ban on same-sex marriage in May.
Asked about his change of position, Brown said Friday evening that since his initial comments the day after the election, he and senior lawyers in his office had looked closely at the court’s precedents and at the recent marriage ruling and concluded they couldn’t defend Prop. 8.
“We have a conflict between the amendment power (through voter initiatives) and the duty of the Supreme Court to protect minorities and safeguard liberty,” Brown said.
Fundamental rights in the state Constitution, including the right to marry that the state’s high court has recognized, “become a dead letter if they can just be amended” by popular vote, Brown said.
The Yes on 8 forces’ brief was filed by Kenneth Starr, the former Whitewater special prosecutor and now dean of Pepperdine University law school. He argued that the court should preserve the people’s lawmaking powers by upholding the initiative and invalidating 18,000 same-sex weddings performed before the election.
Prop. 8 “does not broadly seek to diminish or eliminate the constitutional or civil rights of gays and lesbians,” but is simply “about restoring and maintaining the traditional definition of marriage,” Starr said. Decades of legal precedents, he said, require “judges – as servants of the people – to bow to the will of those whom they serve.”
The court ruled 4-3 on May 15 that California’s ban on same-sex marriage violated the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians to marry the partner of their choice and discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. Prop. 8 amended the state Constitution to overturn the ruling and declare that only marriage between a man and a woman is “valid or recognized in California.”
The court is reviewing lawsuits filed by gay and lesbian couples and by an array of local governments, led by San Francisco, that contend the ballot measure exceeded the legal limits on initiatives by destroying fundamental rights and stripping judges of their authority to protect a historically persecuted minority.
Such profound changes, the plaintiffs argue, amount to a constitutional revision – not merely an amendment – and require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to reach the ballot.
The justices could hear the cases as early as March and would be required to rule within 90 days. Other interested parties on both sides are scheduled to submit written arguments Jan. 15.
Starr argued Friday that Prop. 8 is a relatively modest measure and not the type of far-reaching change that qualifies as a constitutional revision.
“It simply reinstates the traditional definition of marriage without any impact on the foundational powers of government,” he wrote. Judges, Starr said, retain their power to interpret the law and have never held a “mandate to protect minority rights or ensure equality apart from the law.”
He also said Prop. 8′s language, declaring that only marriages between men and women are “valid or recognized,” invalidates all same-sex marriages conducted in California and bars the state from acknowledging those performed elsewhere. That intention was underscored by Yes on 8 ballot arguments declaring that only opposite-sex marriages would be recognized in the state “regardless of when or where performed,” Starr said.
Brown disagreed on that issue as well, saying in his brief that Prop. 8 did not explicitly state it would apply retroactively. If upheld, he said, the measure should be interpreted to apply only to marriages performed since it passed.
The attorney general agreed with Starr that the ballot measure is not a constitutional revision and does not weaken judicial powers. But Brown said Prop. 8 conflicts with the Declaration of Rights, the basic guarantees of liberty declared in the first sentences of California’s Constitution.
As the “chief law officer of the state,” Brown said in his brief, he is “duty bound to uphold the whole of the Constitution” and not merely the power of the people to change the laws by initiative.
The case is Strauss vs. Horton, S168047. E-mail Bob Egelko at begelko@sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/20/MN6514RNVU.DTL
This article appeared on page A – 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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Defrocked pastor promoting documentary about own gay sex scandal
(Washington) Disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard has agreed to help promote a new documentary following his life in exile after a 2006 gay sex scandal – no longer bound by an agreement with his former church that prohibited him from talking publicly about the events that led to his downfall.
“The …
