Calif. bill would create annual Ronald Reagan Day
The Associated Press had this item today:
(Sacramento, Calif.) AP – California is one step closer to establishing an annual day honoring Ronald Reagan, the former president, governor and actor.
The state Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill designating Feb. 6 as Ronald Reagan Day. It encourages schools to spend the day commemorating Reagan’s life and accomplishments.
The legislation, which heads to the Assembly, is one of three Reagan-themed bills Republican lawmakers hope to pass before Feb. 6, 2011. That would have been the 100th birthday of the conservative icon, who died in 2004.
Ronald Reagan Day would be the third special day of recognition in California dedicated to an individual.
The first honors conservationist John Muir. Last year, lawmakers honored Harvey Milk, a gay activist and former San Francisco supervisor who was gunned down at city hall in 1978.
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That’s what the AP had to say. This is from an old article up on SF Gate [1]:
A significant source of Reagan’s support came from the newly identified religious right and the Moral Majority, a political-action group founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell. AIDS became the tool, and gay men the target, for the politics of fear, hate and discrimination. Falwell said “AIDS is the wrath of God upon homosexuals.” Reagan’s communications director Pat Buchanan argued that AIDS is “nature’s revenge on gay men.”
With each passing month, death and suffering increased at a frightening rate. Scientists, researchers and health care professionals at every level expressed the need for funding. The response of the Reagan administration was indifference.
By Feb. 1, 1983, 1,025 AIDS cases were reported, and at least 394 had died in the United States. Reagan said nothing. On April 23, 1984, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced 4,177 reported cases in America and 1,807 deaths. In San Francisco, the health department reported more than 500 cases. Again, Reagan said nothing. That same year, 1984, the Democratic National Convention convened in San Francisco. Hoping to focus attention on the need for AIDS research, education and treatment, more than 100,000 sympathizers marched from the Castro to Moscone Center.
What do you think, readers? Should gay and lesbian Californinans be fighting this bill the way that others fought the Harvey Milk bill? Or was Reagan such an important president that it should stand?
[1] http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-06-08/opinion/17428849_1_aids-in-san-francisco-aids-research-education-cases
Gay Dems complain DNC cut off funding, drop support for Biden event
Theboard of directors of the National Stonewall Democrats are dropping their support for a June 25 DNC fundraiser with Vice President Joe Biden over, they wrote in an email obtained by POLITICO, a combination of policy slights and the claim that they’ve been cut off from traditional party funding.
In the email to Tom Petrillo, who runs the party’s substantial gay fundraising operation, the board members write:
[W]e are incredibly disappointed that the DNC has made a decision to withhold any financial support to National Stonewall Democrats this year but is in turn asking us to help raise money for the DNC in a difficult financial environment. The DNC has historically supported National Stonewall through sponsorship of the annual Capitol Champions event. This year, we did not receive any support. The DNC has traditionally provided materials for the many Pride parades and festivals around the country to help educate the LGBT community about why the Democratic Party is the Party for full LGBT equality. This year we were informed that we would not be receiving any materials or support for producing materials for the various nationwide Pride activities. These decisions were very disappointing.
We’d be remiss to also not mention that the recent legal brief of the Obama Administration defending DOMA is incredibly hurtful. The members of the Board and our membership put our hopes, our dollars and our time into ensuring the election of Barack Obama because we believed that he supported us. To now have his Administration refer to our relationships in the same terms used by our long time enemies such as Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and James Dobson hurts on so many levels. To have our committed and loving relationships referred to as the moral equivalent of incest and pedophilia is not something that any of us ever expected from this Administration considering how hard we worked to be seen and respected. For that reason alone, advocating for attendance at a fundraiser to support the Administration and the DNC, while they have not condemned this hurtful language, is not something our membership will receive positively.
The group says it’s not “boycotting” the June 25 fundraiser with Joe Biden; it just won’t encourage its members to attend.
Gay money is, historically, of outsized importance to the Democratic Party. Howard Dean, in particular, launched his presidential campaign in part on enthusiasm from gay donors about his support for civil unions, and maintained those relationships as chairman. For update see Gay Dems complain DNC cut off funding, drop support for Biden event
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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Dems too gay for Liberty U
(Richmond, Virginia) Liberty University – the Virginia college founded by the late televangelist Jerry Falwell – has stripped its fledgling College Democrats club of official recognition, saying the party stands against the conservative Christian school’s moral principles.
Vice president of student affairs Mark Hine said in an e-mail to club President …
Hannity criticized gay Episcopal bishop for “partisan hatred,” but called partisan Rev. Falwell a “very dear friend”
On the January 13 edition of Fox News’ Hannity, Sean Hannity claimed that Rev. Gene Robinson — the openly gay Episcopal bishop from New Hampshire whom President-elect Barack Obama has selected to deliver the invocation at his inauguration kickoff — “bashed President Bush” in a prayer published in GQ magazine. Hannity then stated: “You know, all along, I actually thought pastors were supposed to spread the love of God, not fan the flames of partisan hatred.” However, Hannity did not criticize his frequent guest, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell — whom Hannity called a “very dear friend”– despite Falwell’s history of inflammatory, partisan rhetoric directed at Democrats.
According to the Episcopal Church website, Robinson said he would use some of the prayers that he wrote for GQ — which do not mention Bush by name — in drafting his prayer for the inaugural event. In one prayer, titled “A Prayer for Barack Obama,” reproduced on Boston Globe religion reporter Michael Paulson’s Articles of Faith blog, Robinson wrote in part:
O God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.
Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership, FDR’s courageous boldness and vision, and JFK’s ability to enlist the best efforts of our people.
Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain for these times, not a fierce warrior who knee-jerk reacts to every real or perceived threat.
Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.
But while Hannity criticized Robinson for “partisan” remarks, he frequently hosted Falwell, founder of the conservative Moral Majority and frequent critic of Democrats and progressive positions. Falwell had a history of inflammatory statements about former President Bill and Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton. For example, Falwell publicized, co-financed, and distributed The Clinton Chronicles, a video that contained anti-Clinton allegations of drug trafficking and murder. On the October 22, 2003, episode of CNN’s Crossfire, Falwell said, “I think that we needed Bill Clinton, because we turned our backs on the lord and we needed a bad president to get our attention again.” Falwell also called Hillary Clinton “a bad person with a criminal mind,” and said during the lead-up to the Democratic presidential primary, “I think Hillary would be the worst thing that would ever happen to America.” Falwell also told the Associated Press, “I don’t think anybody doubts that the Republicans have a better record and a better commitment to national security than the Democrats do.”
Despite these and other partisan remarks by Falwell, Hannity devoted an entire broadcast of Hannity & Colmes to Falwell the day after his death, during which he referred to Falwell as “a very dear friend of mine” and said, “He may have misspoke once or twice. But he devoted his life, to his religion.” Before his death, Falwell was frequently a recipient of Hannity’s praise. On the January 24, 2007, broadcast, Hannity discussed filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi’s documentary about evangelical Christians with her and said, “I hope you also capture people like Franklin Graham and the Reverend Falwell. They spend millions of dollars a year to help people in a lot of very positive ways. Did you capture that?” Pelosi responded, “Listen to you. You’re just doing P.R. for them.” Also, during a discussion of children born into poverty on the July 2, 2006, edition of Hannity & Colmes, Hannity cited Falwell as an example of people who are “charitable” and said, “Jerry Falwell has a home for any girl who’s pregnant. He’ll send them to school. He’ll give them free health care if they have their baby.” Hannity also delivered the commencement address at Falwell’s Liberty University in May 2005.
As Media Matters for America noted, Hannity applied a double standard on the January 12 broadcast of his show when he said, “I don’t like the lyrics that refer to women as ‘B’s’ and ‘ho’s,’ and we’ve had many discussions about this,” despite the fact that he previously aired concert footage of rock musician and right-wing activist Ted Nugent calling Obama a “piece of shit” and referring to Hillary Clinton as a “worthless bitch.” After airing the clip, Hannity referred to Nugent as a “friend and frequent guest on the program.”
See Hannity criticized gay Episcopal bishop for “partisan hatred,” but …
Media Matters for America
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