I Didn't Say It .... A Day Later

Sierra DeMulder, finalist in the 2013 Women of the World Poetry Slam, blasting Michele Bachmann:

“Your husband owns a clinic that offers to cure homosexuality for up to $10,000 a year. So when you, Representative Bachmann, refused to acknowledge the bullying of gay students in your district, this must have been strictly business.

When another gay teenager commits suicide in Minnesota, you consider this free advertising. You buy a new necklace for every hanging, a bottle of Merlot for each overdose, your husband sends 'thank you' cards to their funeral, hand-signed, all referrals welcomed.

How could we expect you to take a stand against bullying when it helps pay for your mortgage, when it puts food in your children's belly? One day, your youngest daughter will ask you why her school supplies feel like they belong to someone else, her pencils write names that are not hers, Samantha, Nick, Aaron, Kevin.

Tell her the truth Michele, that blood money is not a metaphor, that your wallet is heavy with those who have untied themselves. Tell your daughter that God is the bully with the biggest fist and you can only hope that he is on your side!”

Slam.

Poetry slam.

Harrison Ford—who plays Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey in the new film 42—on Jackie Robinson's struggle and the current one for marriage equality:

“I think there’s a metaphor you can reach for, according to your own interests and your own understanding and your own issues. ... Certainly the marriage issue conveniently falls into that category. [T]hings do change quickly at a tipping point, as it builds and it builds and it builds until there’s a moment where the balance of opinion, the weight of experience and the understanding comes to a point where the scales tip in the other direction. We’re getting there, we’re getting there. You know, you would hope that it would have happened with less resistance. You would have hoped that everyone would get the point at the same time, but life’s not like that.”

That’s why it’s called a struggle and a fight, but the win will make it all worth it.

Rick Santorum, once again talking about The Gays—he does seem kinda infatuated with us, doesn’t he?—and marriage equality and how there would be less children born:

“Yeah, I believe we would. And because we'd be saying that marriage isn't about children. Isn't about having children. Isn't about raising children. And when we say that, then of course, the consequences are you're probably going to have less children. It's happening as we see it. It's already happening in America. Before this whole gay marriage debate, we really have seen a change in what marriage is in America."

Um, except for the 60s when we saw marriage evolve from marrying inside your race only—because it was a crime to marry outside your race—to marriage being interracial.

And the idea of marriage being solely the institution for creating children is asinine and an insult to very married couple who chooses not to have a child or cannot have a child.

Pete Visclosky, Indiana Representative, announcing his support for marriage equality:

“I support marriage equality for all couples and believe that every single American should be able to marry the person they love. I believe that it is unfair that, under current law, same-sex couples are legally prohibited from taking advantage of the federal laws that provide financial and legal benefits to married couples. I believe that we can no longer allow the states to discriminate against same-sex marriages. Rather, I believe that the federal government should ensure that all consenting adults, no matter who they are or who they love, have the exact same marriage rights."

And, one by one, and sometimes two by two, they keep coming.

At least the Democrats do; the GOP has once again thrown its support behind inequality.

Sir Ian McKellan, on the death of Margaret Thatcher:

"Lest we forget, this nasty, brutish and short measure of the third Thatcher administration, was designed to slander homosexuality, by prohibiting state schools from discussing positively gay people and our 'pretended family relations.' Opposition to Section 28 galvanised a new generation of activists who joined with long-time campaigners for equality. Stonewall UK was founded to repeal Section 28 and pluck older rotten anti-gay legislation from the constitutional tree. This has taken two decades to achieve. … Pathetically, in her dotage, Baroness Thatcher was led by her supporters into the House of Lords to vote against Section 28's repeal: her final contribution to UK politics. She dies too early to oppose Parliament's inevitable acceptance of same–gender marriage. Thatcher misjudged the future when, according to her deputy chief whip, she 'threw a piece of red meat (Section 28) to her right-wing wolves.' Some of these beasts survive her, albeit de-fanged. When, to take a recent example, a disgraced cardinal delivers anti-gay diatribes, the spirit of social Thatcherism is revealed as barren, hypocritical and now pointless."

Too bad Thatcher didn’t live to see England embrace marriage equality.

But others who goose-stepped along with her will see it happen.

Ron Kind, Wisconsin Representative, announcing his support for marriage equality and the repeal of DOMA:

"My 18-year marriage to Tawni has taught me that we’re both stronger because we love and support each other. I support marriage equality because if two people want to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for one another, then the government shouldn't stand in the way. As the Supreme Court deliberates the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8, I’m reminded that throughout history, discrimination has never worked. I have never voted for discrimination, and I look forward to supporting legislation like the Respect for Marriage Act that will help committed same-sex couples gain the same rights as everyone else."

Another one, and another. More folks, especially on the liberal side of the country—wherever that may find you—are realizing that same-sex marriage won’t harm anyone, but denying it harms a great many.

Jonathan Knight, on Perez Hilton’s efforts to force him to come out: 

"Perez tried to out me many times and I hate that guy for doing that. I was already gay and living a gay lifestyle but he wanted me to talk about it. Why? My brother and the rest of the guys don’t go on interviews saying ‘I’m straight' etc. so why do I need to just because I’m gay? People like him want me to talk about it to make themselves feel better. They think ‘I’m gay so I want to make sure everybody knows I’m not the only one out there.’ I hate that.”

First off, Jonathan, it’s not a lifestyle, it’s a life, so let’s be clear, and queer, on that.

Secondly, coming out is an individual process and an individual choice, but your brothers and bandmates don’t declare their heterosexuality in interviews because they don’t have to; they aren’t being bashed and beaten and taunted and ridiculed for their sexual orientation and so they didn’t need to hide and live in some form of shame or another.

But gay kids do; and, if maybe, you’d chosen to come out and loudly declare that you are gay, maybe a young gay boy might have had the chance to do that himself. Maybe he wouldn’t have felt differently about himself, less than.

I don’t like Perez Hilton, and I don’t like his outing of people, but you coming out would have, could have, might have, made one person feel better about themselves. And that’s not a bad thing.

It sounds to me like you still live in the closet; oh, the door is open, nut you really don’t wanna come out.

Maurice Williamson, New Zealand MP, speaking at his country’s marriage equality debate this week:

"I've had a reverend in my local electorate say the 'gay onslaught will start the day this law is passed'. So, we are struggling to know what the gay onslaught will look like. We don't know if it will come down the Pakaranga highway as a series of troops or whether it will be a gas that flows over the electorate and blocks us all in.

I also had a Catholic priest tell me that I was supporting an unnatural act. I found that interesting coming from someone who has taken an oath of celibacy for his whole life."

I also had a leader tell me I would burn in the fires of hell for eternity and that was a bad mistake because I've got a degree in physics. I used the thermodynamic laws of physics. I put in my body weight and my humidity and so on. I assumed the furnace to be at 5000 degrees and I will last for just on 2.1 seconds."

One of the messages I’d had was that this bill was the cause of our drought. This bill was the cause of our drought. Well if any of you follow my Twitter account, In the Pakuranga electorate this morning, it was pouring with rain, we had the most enormous big gay rainbow across my electorate. It has to be a sign."

You gotta love that.

Simple logic stands yup strong against hateful, ridiculous rhetoric.

Read More

I Didn't Say It ....

David Lammy, UK Labour MP, speaking before the House of Commons debate before they voted to approve marriage equality:
"Let me speak frankly.
Separate but equal” is a fraud. Separate but equal” is the language that tried to push Rosa Parks to the back of the bus. Separate but equal” is the motif that determined that black and white could not possibly drink from the same water fountain, eat at the same table or use the same toilets. “Separate but equal” are the words that justified sending black children to different schools from their white peers – schools that would fail them and condemn them to a life of poverty.
It is an excerpt from the phrasebook of the segregationists and the racists. It is the same statement, the same ideas and the same delusion that we borrowed in this country to say that women could vote – but not until they were 30. It is the same naivety that gave made my dad a citizen in 1956 but refused to condemn the landlords that proclaimed “no blacks, no Irish, no dogs”. It entrenched who we were, who our friends could be and what our lives could become.
This was not “Separate but equal” but “Separate AND discriminated”,
“Separate AND oppressed”.
“Separate AND browbeaten”.
“Separate AND subjugated”.
Separate is NOT equal, so let us be rid of it.
Because as long as there is one rule for us and another for them, we allow the barriers to acceptance to stand unchallenged. As long as our statute books suggest that the love between two men or two women is unworthy of being recognised through marriage, we allow the rot of homophobia to fester."

Not much else to say when someone puts it so succinctly, concisely, and eloquently.


President Obama, on whether or not the Boy Scouts of America should open their organization to gay members: 

"Yes. My attitude is that gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does, in every institution and walk of life. The Scouts are a great institution that are promoting young people and exposing them to opportunities and leadership that will serve people for the rest of their lives. And I think nobody should be barred from that."

Plain and simple: Yes.

Michael Musto, on former NYC mayor Ed Koch, who died last week:

"It's a shame the ex-NYC mayor never came out. It's tragic that he hid behind excuses like the fact that he was old and wasn't sexual at all anymore. Old people are still sexual--and if you're gay, you're still gay--and besides, he could have commented on his past. But Ed was so paranoid on the subject that when I interviewed him in the '90s, he propped up a tape recorder to tape me as I recorded him. It was a creepy double game of 'gotcha!' that led nowhere (though he was otherwise gruffly charming) .... The world is now an emptier place, but so is the celebrity closet."

Just another example of the closeted life some folks lead, and how, no matter how successful, how important, they still carry a sense of shame about being gay.

Gabby Giffords, at the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on gun violence:
"Thank you for inviting me here today. This is an important conversation for our children, for our communities, for Democrats and Republicans. Speaking is difficult, but I need to say something important. Violence is a big problem. Too many children are dying. Too many children. We must do something. It will be hard, but the time is now. You must act. Be bold, be courageous. Americans are counting on you. Thank you."

Out of the mouths of victims of gun violence ....

Hopefully we can fix this thing.

Chris Culliver, San Francisco 49er cornerback, on having gay players in the NFL:
"I don't do the gay guys man. I don't do that. No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do....Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can't be…in the locker room man. Nah."

Sounds to me like he obsesses a little too much about gay guys in the locker-room, but let me break it down for him like this:

He seems to think that a young gay kid will learn to play football, and become so good at it that he gets chosen to play for a good college. And then, at that college, where he excels in football, he is seen by NFL scouts and then picked to be part of a professional football team. And gay guys go through all of that so they can be in the locker-room with naked athletes?

Howsabout just joining a gym? Seems simpler.

Chris Culliver, apologizing, sort of:

"The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel. It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience."

Um, the thoughts in your head? They aren't how you feel?

So, it was a voice in your head that made you stupid?

Hopefully, one day, you'll be able to separate the intelligent thoughts in your head from the asinine thoughts in your head.

Brendon Ayanbadejo, Baltimore Raven, on Culliver's anti-gay remarks:
"You know, I think that in San Francisco, and being from the Bay Area myself, that's something that we really try to preach--love and acceptance of everybody. And so I couldn't really even say anything negative to the young man. It's just one of those things where you have to live and you have to learn. And I said earlier on--in the words of Martin Luther King, you can't fight hate with hate. You have to fight hate with love. We've all made our mistakes, we've all been there and done certain things, and we've hurt people regardless if we meant to do it or not. But more than anything it's an opportunity to have a learning experience….I've preached since day one to my teammates that there's certain words you can't say. And when they're around me they know -- if B.A.'s around, you can't say 'gay' in a derogatory manner, you can't say the three-letter 'f' word. And I tell them, I go, you can't say those things. And if people hear you say those things, regardless if you mean them or not, they're going to fry you. And if it's in a public arena your whole reputation's going to be roasted for it. So we've kind of seen it happen this time. So we just have to all learn from what happened, from this mistake. He apologized and hopefully he'll learn. And he's in the Bay Area, and it's really important there, it's pertinent there. So I think he's going to learn and he's going to grow to be a better person for it."

Maybe he needs a good long sit down with Brendon.

Couldn't hurt.

Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker, on the idea of a gay teammate: 
“On this team, with so many different personalities, we just accept people for who they are and we don’t really care too much about a player’s sexuality. To each their own. You know who you are, and we accept you for it.”

As it should be.

Beyoncé, on LipsyncGate:
"I am a perfectionist. I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra for a live television show and a very very important emotional show for me one of my proudest moments. I did not feel comfortable taking a risk. It was about the president and the inauguration and I wanted to make him and our country proud so I decided to sing along with my prerecorded track. I'm very proud of my performance."

She's a perfectionist who doesn't have time to rehearse? It was a very important and emotional performance but she didn’t have time to rehearse?

It was about the president but all she talks about is what the moment meant to her.

Be proud, Beyoncé. Kelly's proud, too, and she sang  live.

Bill Donohoe, Catholic wingnut, on the story of the ‘gay’ dog in Tennessee:

"This week in Tennessee a dog was rescued from being euthanized (one news outlet said he was being spared 'the Gas Chamber') because the condition driving the dog’s death was his alleged homosexuality (the owner was ticked when he saw his Fido hunch another male dog). For reasons that appear entirely reasonable, the gal who rescued the dog named him Elton. The place where Elton was dropped encourages dog adoption, but it also promotes dog euthanasia. Not, however, in Elton’s case: the shelter has no stomach for putting dogs down on the basis of sexual orientation. It must be said, though, that the shelter is not exactly inclusive in its policies. To wit: Had poor Elton not been identified as a homosexual, his heterosexuality would not have been enough to save his hide. The moral of the story is: Being gay is not only a bonus for humans these days, it is a definite plus for dogs as well. As for straights, the lonely and the disabled, that’s another story altogether."

Someone needs a nap if he thinks the dog was saved because he was gay.

The dog was saved because there was no legitimate reason to put him down.

Iain Dale, British columnist, on the marriage equality battle, and hypocrisy of the naysayers, in Great Britain:

"I’ve been looking at the Coalition for Equal Marriage’s website, and their list of MPs who intend to vote against allowing gay people to marry on Tuesday. I note with interest the names of several MPs who most people in the Westminster Village know to be closet case gays. And I note also the names of two supposedly straight MPs who I know to be conducting gay affairs at the moment. I don’t believe in ‘outing’ anyone, but because of the rank hypocrisy there will be others who will take a different view. How is it possible to be married yourself, and yet at the same time vote to deny that privilege to someone whose pants you have just pulled down?"

Ouch.

If I were one of those closeted MPs, I might watch my step in the next few weeks or I might find myself on the front page of a London tabloid with my hand in some cookie's jar.

Rick Santorum, on plans this week by the Boy Scouts to drop its ban on The Gays: 

"Scouting prepares boys and teenagers to be virtuous men in a world that desperately needs men who are brave enough to stand up for those principles, to live by the moral code of the Scout Oath and Law and hold themselves to that standard – whether at the schoolyard or in the boardroom. Scouting may not survive this transformation of American society, but for the sake of the average boy in America, I hope the board of the Scouts doesn’t have its fingerprints on the murder weapon."

Virtuous men cannot be gay, I guess, in Frothy's world.

Good thing even his own party finds him unworthy of recognition so he resorts to conservative blogs to Froth up his bigotry.

Read More