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21 Feb 2012 21:40

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Politics: Chris Christie’s gay friends are cool with him opposing their right to marry

  • My friends, whether they be homosexual or not, know me, and they know that I’m not bigoted.
  • Chris Christie • Regarding his recent veto of a bill that would have legalized gay marriage in New Jersey. Politicians who oppose marriage equality use this defense a lot, because hey, it’s easy to speak on behalf of your unnamed gay friends and say that they’re cool with your anti-gay marriage views. Any of Christie’s gay friends care to come forward and confirm this? source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Feb 2012 15:39

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Politics: Washington legalizes same-sex marriage…but there’s an asterisk

  • I’m proud that the children in our schools and neighborhoods will no longer have to wonder why their loving parents are considered somewhat different than other loving parents.
  • Washington Governor Chris Gregoire • Upon signing legislation today that legalized same-sex marriage in her state. The law is set to take place in June, but there’s a catch: If opponents of marriage equality succeed in putting a ballot initiative on the November ballot, the law won’t take effect until after the election returns in December. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Feb 2012 02:00

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Politics: “Judge Reinhardt wrote his opinion for an audience of one: Justice Kennedy”

  • Judge Reinhardt does not hold there is a right to same sex marriage, only that CA had no rational reason to take away the label of marriage for use by gay and lesbian couples after the state had had already given it. By crafting the argument in this way, and making the case that the only reason for passing Prop. 8 was anti-gay animus, Judge Reinhardt has given Justice Kennedy a way to decide the case without embracing a major holding recognizing a right to same sex marriage generally.
  • Rick Hansen • Regarding the nature of the 9th Circuit Court’s ruling on Proposition 8 earlier today. Hansen is suggesting that Judge Reinhardt cast the ruling in an intentionally narrow sense so as to make it easier for Justice Kennedy, the Supreme Court’s most notorious swing voter, to uphold it on appeal. The distinction we made earlier could thus affect the future of gay marriage in California. In short, court rulings often possess a strategic, as well as a legal, foundation. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jan 2012 10:13

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U.S.: Iowa judge favors married same-sex couple in birth certificate case

  • cause The Iowa Department of Public Health told a married same-sex couple they couldn’t put both their names on their child’s birth certificate.
  • reaction The couple sued, saying it went against a 2009 decision by the Iowa Supreme Court that legalized same-sex marriages.
  • result A district court judge ruled in favor of the couple, scolding officials for not interpreting older laws in light of the 2009 decision. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Jul 2011 22:53

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Culture: Massachusetts politicians cut “It Gets Better” clip

  • If you thought this was the last time you’d get to see United States lawmakers in an “It Gets Better” video, think again! John Kerry, who was absent from the previous effort, has made up for it by posting an IGB clip of his own, where he appears alongside a bunch of other Massachusetts politicians to help comfort LGBT youth. The gang’s all here—and by “gang,” we mean “Massachusetts congressional delegation”—except for Scott Brown, who’s afraid of getting primaried from the right in his re-election campaign busy focusing on jobs and the economy. Regardless, it’s nice to see more lawmakers stepping up to the plate here.  source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jul 2011 02:02

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World: Over one-third of human beings aren’t free

  • The tree-hugging hippies over at Freedom House have released their “Worst of the Worst” report, detailing the world’s most egregious violators of human rights, political expression, and other basic freedoms. The usual suspects are all there: North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea, Uzbekistan, Libya, Burma (Myanmar), and Tibet top the list, with China, Cuba, and several others not far behind. The organization concluded that 35% of the world’s population lives in “Not Free” states, while 45% of countries can be considered “Free,” a 14% increase from thirty years ago. The full report is well-worth the read. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Jun 2011 22:23

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Politics: Thirteen US Senators make “It Gets Better” video

  • And the ball continues to roll: Earlier this year, a spat of polls showed, for the first time, majority support for same-sex marriage. Last weekend, New York state passed the Marriage Equality Act, granting equal marriage rights to all New Yorkers. Now, thirteen US Senators have filmed an “It Gets Better” video. When you think about the political prospects for gay rights even five years ago, this is kind of astounding — these thirteen individuals (all Democrats; Republicans apparently weren’t asked to participate) are amongst the most powerful people in the most powerful country in the world. Much respect to Senator Chris Coons for posting this; Coons, you’ll recall, was the 2010 candidate everybody wrote off until the Republicans nominated Christine O’Donnell to run against him. So, in a weird way, we have O’Donnell to thank for this video. Thanks, Christine! (via gaywrites, thegayrepublican) source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

20 Apr 2011 23:19

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U.S.: A majority of Americans support same-sex marriage

  • YES polling indicates majority support for gay marriage
  • In 1988, 10% of Americans supported equal marriage rights. Now, after twenty-three years of rather intense political struggles, proponents of gay rights can plausibly claim a mandate. Polling over the last eight months strongly suggests that a majority of Americans—51% in the latest CNN poll—support same-sex marriage, and while public policy regrettably hasn’t caught up with public opinion yet, this is nonetheless a huge milestone for the gay rights movement, and civil rights as a whole. The aforementioned CNN poll was the fourth in eight months implying majority support.
  • 2009 two years ago, opponents of gay marriage outweighed supporters by 11%
  • 2012 in a year and a half, gay marriage advocates will outnumber opponents by 16% (if current trends continue)
  • 4% per-year increase in support for gay marriage since 2008; usually, it’s usually around 1-2% per year source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Mar 2011 23:59

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Politics: Peter King gets his comeuppance in the Senate

  • action A couple weeks ago, Rep. Peter King attracted controversy by launching a Congressional hearing titled “The Radicalization of American Muslims.”
  • reaction At the behest of Illinois Demcorat Dick Durbin, the Senate will be holding a hearing titled “Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims.” source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Feb 2011 21:58

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Politics: Haley Barbour remembered stuff that actually didn’t happen

  • memory Attempting to burnish his non-racist credentials, Haley Barbour recalled a 1962 Martin Luther King speech in his hometown of Yazoo. “He spoke out at the old fairground and it was full of people, black and white,” he said in December.
  • reality A heartening tale, but according to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Garrow, there’s no record of it actually happening. MLK only came to Yazoo once, in 1966, and didn’t hold a rally when he was there. Whoops!
  • candid According to Barbour’s comments, he “paid more attention to the girls than to [Martin Luther] King.” We don’t doubt that, if the speech had happened, this would have been the case, so at least he isn’t being 100% disingenuous. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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