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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

06 Dec 2011 15:41

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Politics: Rick Perry attacks Obama over support for LGBT human rights

  • Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t get any more out of touch with America’s values, AP reports his administration wants to make foreign aid decisions based on gay rights. …This administration’s war on traditional American values must stop.
  • A statement by Rick Perry • Criticizing President Obama over a memorandum he issued today, which stated broad support for advancing LGBT rights and protecting them from violence. It explicitly mentions the efforts of foreign governments to criminalize LGBT persons (the state of affairs in Uganda the last few years being one such galling example), and states that foreign aid will be directed to promote LGBT human rights. Rick Perry (clearly attempting to spark some momentum for his flat-lined bid for the GOP presidential nomination), decided to pounce, saying further: “Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many Americas of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong. President Obama has again mistaken America’s tolerance for different lifestyles with an endorsement of those lifestyles. I will not make that mistake.” source

01 Oct 2011 20:08

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Politics: Human Rights Campaign: No surprises from Obama, but a victory lap

  • There was no open support of gay marriage in tonight’s speech, but Obama did speak out in favor of more equality for gays. The president, fresh off his success with the full repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” continued pushing for his view on the Defense of Marriage Act — “It should join ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ in the history books,” he said — and emphasized the hard work that he’s done for the gay rights movement over the past three years. (He also, when bringing up his jobs bill, dropped a couple of government-related lines that will anger those on the right, such as “I believe in a big America”.) While Obama has yet to come out in support for gay marriage (perhaps his most puzzling view), he has done more for gay rights than any president, ever. Still, his view on gay marriage is one that was likely on the minds of many listening to Obama. Here’s how his views have changed on the still-controversial issue over the years:
  • 2004 While he was still in the Illinois State Senate and running for U.S. Senate, a former aide claims that Obama he supported gay marriage at the time.
  • 2008 When he ran for president, however, Obama made it clear that while he supported civil unions, he did not support gay marriage.
  • 2010 Obama’s views on gay marriage began evolving; as of 2011, the Obama administration no longer enforces the Defense of Marriage Act. source

21 Jun 2011 15:41

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Politics: Marine Sgt. Major speaks in support of gay rights in military

  • It says, ‘Raise an army.’ It says absolutely nothing about race, color, creed, sexual orientation. How dare we, then, exclude a group of people who want to do the same thing you do right now, something that is honorable and noble? Get over it… Let’s just move on, treat everybody with firmness, fairness, dignity, compassion and respect. Let’s be Marines.
  • Marine Corps. Sergeant Major Michael Barrett • Speaking to a group of Marines about the reversal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Barrett argues that, even to somebody who may harbor personal prejudice against homosexuals, is likely to strike a chord. Namely, the argument for a military free of discrimination that relies on the strength and valor of said military as the pitch. We’ve always thought this was an underplayed aspect of the DADT debate from last year — the mentality that our men and women in service couldn’t handle being around a homosexual soldier is not only an affront to our society’s standards of equality, but it seems to imply a pretty distasteful thing about the professionalism of our military forces. Having somebody in Barrett’s position say this is very important for a smooth transition to a more open military, so we thank him. source

19 Jun 2011 11:02

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Politics: Obama’s gay marriage views: Forward, then back again?

  • To this day, I don’t think Barack Obama has any issue with two people of the same gender getting married.
  • Former Obama aide Kevin Thompson • Regarding the issue of gay marriage, which he taught the then-Senate-candidate about in 2004. Obama’s current position on gay marriage is “evolving” (his words), but there’s evidence that he’s really supported it the whole time, avoiding taking an affirmative stance on the issue mostly for political reasons. Barney Frank, one of the country’s most prominent gay politicians, says that, based on his record, “he was probably inclined to think that same-sex marriage was legitimate, but as a candidate for president in 2008 that would have been an unwise thing to say.” Is it possible that he’s held out on a firm position because he knew it was a possible political landmine? You mean this didn’t seem obvious? source

10 Jun 2011 19:41

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Politics: GOProud chairman sticks by Herman Cain despite “sin” remark

  • The truth is that Herman Cain is running on a campaign centered on conservative policies that would improve the lives of all Americans – including gay Americans.
  • GOProud Board President Chris Barron • Responding to remarks made by Herman Cain, which we mentioned earlier. His defense is that though he disagrees with Cain on homosexuality, Cain supports things (such as the Fair Tax and repealing the Affordable Care Act) that he believes will benefit all Americans, homosexuals included. Here’s our issue with that: If you believe Cain was speaking honestly, and believes in the Bible unequivocally as he seems to suggest, he believes not only that homosexuals will literally burn in hell, suffering for eternity, but that this would be just — all God’s judgments must be rejoiced, after all. We don’t think he actually feels this way, nor do people just because they’re Christians. But condemning homosexuality as a “sin” is beyond the pale, and should be denounced in much stronger terms than Barron seems willing to. Focusing on real-world issues is fine, but it’s never good to soft-sell bigotry. source

09 Jun 2011 15:08

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Politics: Herman Cain believes homosexuality is both a sin and a choice

  • I believe homosexuality is a sin because I’m a Bible-believing Christian, I believe it’s a sin. But I know that some people make that choice. That’s their choice… I believe it is a choice.
  • GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain • Speaking to CBS News reporter Brian Montopoli in an interview yesterday. You know, we’ll admit we expected this sort of stuff out of Rick Santorum, but we’re pretty surprised Herman Cain has made casual bigotry such an element of his campaign (you may also recall that he refused to appoint any Muslims to his hypothetical cabinet). Cain is, despite the utterly absurd things he’s said the past few days, a man of undeniable charisma and energy, and frankly if he focused on promoting himself as a successful self-made man he could be a real player in this election. Of course, that’s the grisly nature of the GOP primary process; you have to swing hard right to get the gig, then hard back to the center to win a general election. In any event, Herman Cain in his own words is very rapidly removing himself from the ranks of politicians with independent or mainstream appeal. source
 

24 May 2011 13:12

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Culture: Good read of the day: NY Times’ ‘Coming Out’ interactive feature

  • Spend a few hours with this package, guys. The Times wrote three stories for the piece, but the readers submitted 32 of their own equally moving stories. It makes for a very powerful package — in a time where not every corner of society accepts homosexuality, the Times has stepped up to tell some of the stories that need to be told the most — from that of a young Christian girl, to another about a high school ROTC student. It’s a moving read that sends a positive message, too, one we’re all familiar with: It gets better. source

14 Apr 2011 13:33

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World: Ugandan anti-gay movement still in full swing

  • David Kato was the first one who taught me to protect my human right… If I live or die, I am gay, and if I am buried, bury me gay.
  • Transgender Ugandan man George Oundo • Privately recanting his claims during a demonstration, just an hour earlier, that gay men recruited him into homosexuality at age twelve. He appeared in service of the Reverend Martin Ssempa, a virulently anti-gay crusader who goes around whipping up the Ugandan citizenry into a homophobic fervor. His preachings both fostered the current political environment that saw the brutal murder of David Kato, one of Uganda’s few openly homosexual advocates, come and go with little fanfare; he also directly influenced MP David Bahati’s legislation prescribing the death penalty for “serial homosexuality.” Oundo recanted in privacy after the event, praising David Kato and explaining that he’d been offered $42 dollars for the appearance. “I’ve always been gay, I didn’t choose it.” source

13 Apr 2011 23:12

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Politics: Rick Santorum launches presidential bid; political world remains indifferent

  • yesIt’s official: Former Senator Rick Santorum has announced the launch an exploratory committee to run for President!
  • no He still isn’t being taken seriously by anyone; Intraders currently give him a .7% chance of winning the nomination. source
  • » Flashback: When asked about his feelings on homosexuality in 2003, Santorum replied, “I have no problem with homosexuality. I have a problem with homosexual acts.” He then insisted that the Constitution doesn’t grant people the right to privacy. We’re just sayin’ .