Super Awesome Blog

I was doing a search for “HRC” on Google… and surprisingly got a little rainbow flag under the search box.  A little research and I found out that the gay-friendly people at Google apparently put a little pride bar under certain search terms, like Drag Queen, Stonewall, Gay, Gay Marriage, and HRC!    Thanks Google!!

The short answer is yes. For a longer answer, read Lisa Neff’s article at 365GAY.com – it’s enlightening. Not only does the Salvation Army passively discriminate against gays but they also actively lobby Congress to fight equality for gays.

When you see that red kettle just keep on walking… why don’t you give money to a charity, local or national, that doesn’t discriminate? Here are some good options:

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Goodwill Industries

Lambda Legal

One Iowa

Check your local area and see if there are any causes worthy of your support. A little change can do a lot of good – just make sure you like where that change is going!

Over 100 different performances of the play The Laramie Project will be performed across the nation this week in remembrance of  Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was  savagely murdered 11 years ago.   The play was created shortly after Matthew’s murder and was based upon interviews of people who knew him or were involved in his murder investigation.  It’s pretty powerful stuff, so if you’re an easy crier bring some kleenex.

Often people who become symbols of a cause can seem a little less human – I think he’s remembered more for his death than his life.  Some things you might not know about Matthew’s life:

“Matthew Shepard was born in Casper, Wyoming to Judy Peck and Dennis Shepard. He attended Natrona public schools including Crest Hill Elementary School and Dean Morgan Junior High School. He later attended Natrona County High School from his freshman to sophomore year, before transferring to The American School in Switzerland. After graduating from high school in 1995, he attended Catawba College and Casper College before he relocated to Denver. Shepard then became a first-year political science major at the University of Wyoming and was chosen as the student representative for the Wyoming Environmental Council.

He was described by his parents as “an optimistic and accepting young man [who] had a special gift of relating to almost everyone. He was the type of person who was very approachable and always looked to new challenges. Matthew had a great passion for equality and always stood up for the acceptance of people’s differences.”

Because of his sexuality, Shepard faced physical and verbal abuse. In 1995, during a high school trip to Morocco, he was beaten and raped, causing him to withdraw and experience bouts of depression and panic attacks, according to his mother. One of Shepard’s friends feared his depression caused him to become involved with drugs during his time in college^.”

-Wikipedia

Critics have tried to draw the hate out from the crime, saying drugs had more to do with it than homophobia… which I personally doubt.  Even if drugs were involved it’s pretty clear homophobia was a factor.  Either way it tarnishes Shepard’s memory and that’s a shame.

It’s pretty clear history is going to proclaim him a martyr for gay rights.  Let’s not forgot that he was a real person as well.  A kind human being with thoughts and feelings, people he loved and people who loved him.

An employee at insurance mega-corp Aviva in Iowa has apparently been embezzling millions of dollars over the last few years.  It’s the biggest case of its kind in Iowa history according to the Des Moines Register, but that wasn’t what caught my eye when I read the story. Phyllis Stevens, the employee involved, has a female spouse and claims to be head of Marriage Equality USA’s Iowa division.

F-ing fantastic.

The last thing the gay movement needs are its leaders embezzling money and looking untrustworthy.  I literally rolled my eyes when I read it… and I can only imagine what conservatives in the state, and possibly even national scene, will make of it. When you read the story’s comment section at the Register you’ll get a good preview of what biggots out there have to think about it:

"The person commenting that the moral fiber of our country is coming apart at the seams is totally right on! Who can spell ACORN? This is ALL the result of throwing (by means of the courts) Godly Virtues out of the window. Whether or not you believe in God is of no matter when it comes to following Natural Law and until enough people in this country realize that we are headed down a path of moral destruction, these types of stories will become everyday occurrences. Fifty years ago, who would have thought we would have had homosexual marriage? Progress, I think not, just more evidence of the decay inherent in us when we don’t consult God!"

–CaliRefugee at the DM Register

After all, straight married people don’t commit crimes…    Sigh.

CNN reports that “Miss California,” or Carrie Prejean by her mortal name, will star in an upcoming National Organization for Marriage (NOM) ad against gay marriage.  If you didn’t hear, Prejean said the following in response to a question from Perez Hilton regarding wether every state should legalize gay marrage:

“I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anyone out there but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be between a man and a woman.”

Perez later roasted her on her own site, and you can imagine why.  Her statement falsely assumes that people choose to be gay or not, and the phrase “opposite marriage” is refreshing in its stupidity.  Aren’t Miss America contestants supposed to be inspiring little kids everywhere? Can’t she say something about land mines or the poor or the starving children in wherever… and not drag herself and the pagent into a worn out and tired battle against civil rights for gay people?

MSNBC reports that a recent (4/30/09) poll shows that 49% of Americans support marriage than oppose it (46%), soaring from 32 % in 2004.  Even more surprisingly 53% of those polled think their state should recognize gay marriages from other states!

Sorry “Miss California”… but you and the rest of the social conservatives are on the way out. Enjoy that crown while it lasts (especially with news that Prejean’s breasts may have been ill gotten… funded by the paegent itself!)

365Gay reported today that the New Hampshire Senate has voted to allow same-sex marriage in New Hampshire.   It sounds like New York might be next!  It’s an exciting time to be gay… although I look forward to the day when it’s not even an issue.

Fore more information, Wikipedia (as usual) has a helpful list of nations and states that have same-sex marriage.

365Gay reported today that Amazon has started listing a lot of gay content as “adult” and removing rankings for existing gay content.   The move doesn’t just include actual adult content, but works like Brokeback Mountain and the Celluloid Closet (of which an excellent documentary of the same name was based.)

The move will take many gay books off their best sellers lists and search results.   AfterElton.com has pushed for a comment, still no word.  Amazon: We’re waiting.

Advocate recently featured this awesome spoof of the National Organization for (straight only) Marriage’s anti-gay marriage ad, made by ArchNoble.   I laughed.  Enjoy!

This TV ad is about to be aired in several states, most likely including Iowa where the State Supreme Court recently ruled that banning same sex marriage is unconstitutional.  It’s full of people that look like they just smelled someone who passed gas talking about how scared they are that gay people exist.  As a gay man and an atheist, I’m continually perplexed at the "fear" people profess toward gay marriage, and homosexuality in general.

The ad is from the National Organization For Marriage, or NOM,  an anti-gay group that recently helped in the passing of proposition 8 in California.   The text of the ad is as follows (with footnotes provided by me).

"There’s a storm gathering…
the clouds are dark and the winds are strong…
and I am afraid. "

Have these people ever met a gay person? Or are they only getting their impression of them from those crazy Chick Cartoon pamphlets fundies hand out ? The Gays are some of the happiest people around, they absconded the word "gay" for a reason!  I don’t really imagine Mordor style cloud fronts coming when I think about the gay agenda.

"Some who advocate for same sex marriage have taken the issue far beyond
same sex couples.  They want to bring the issue into my life."

What a cryptic statement.  First, starting out any statement with the phrase "some who say…" lets you say pretty much anything.  What do they mean taking the issue far beyond same sex couples? Marrying our pets and so on? Arguing ad absurdum seems to be that anti-gay marriage crowd’s fall back position, one that they resort to suprisingly quickly in any argument.

"My freedom will be taken away"

The only freedom taken away by passing laws ensuring a couple’s right to be recognized as being in a civil marriage is the freedom to hate.  It sounds soooo ugly and opponents of same-sex marriage and gay rights opponents in general will say that it is about god’s will and the nature of society and lots of other flowery, laced arguments. When it comes right down to it though they find it "icky" and they think the fact that an old book mired in contradictions lends them credible justification. It doesn’t. It’s hate. That’s all.

"I’m a California doctor who must choose between my faith and my job."

The video includes a helpful disclaimer at the start that reads "The stories these actors are telling are based on real incidents." It goes on to say that you can find out more at their website.  I looked all over their site, and couldn’t find what events these actors were purporting to be inspired by.  The only time I can imagine a doctor facing a moral conundrum regarding gay marriage and homosexuality in general would be in the feild of psychology, where any kind of repression of one’s sexuality has been shown to be extremely destructive and unhealthy. If some doctor was telling someone that who they are is unhealthy and to repress their sexuality, you’re damned right they should probably be fired.

"I’m part of a New Jersey church group punished by the government because we can’t support same sex marriage…"

I’m not sure how a New Jersey church group could be punished by the government. Perhaps they fired someone for being gay? Maybe they had their charitable orginization status pulled for being bigoted? Who knows, but the free ride church’s get for being charities is pretty dispicable, especially when so many other charities have such trouble getting charitable status.

"I’m a Massachusetts parent helplessly watching public schools teach my son that gay marriage is OK."

This one made me feel particularly sad.  The implication here is that schools even talking about being gay is bad.  Growing up I had no idea what being gay even was.  All I saw around me was heterosexual pairing.  From my parents, from my school, even in movies, being straight was the only imaginable way of feeling.  As I grew up and saw other people become interested in the opposite sex I felt confused and lost for not feeling the way they did.  "What is wrong with me?" I would ask myself.

I’ve heard this from so many of my friends and peers.  Gay kids growing up have it pretty rough most of the time, and when they’re not even told that being gay is ok they feel miserable. The "icky" factor comes up again -- images of kids watching guys getting it on pops into people’s heads and… Eww!  Grow up. Kids need to know what’s happening in the world and with their own development.  Denying them information is child abuse -- simple as that.

"But some who advocate for same sex marriage have not been content with same sex couples living as they wish…"

Another "Some who say…" opening, but an even more cryptic one.  "Living as they wish" to NOM probably means being gay in the bedroom, but pretending in public life that you’re "like everyone else."  In that sense, no, "we" are not content with that. I demand the right to be who and what I am.

"Those advocates want to change the way I live…"

Again I have trouble understanding the concept of one person getting married to another person effecting the quality or structure of another person’s marriage, or the institution of marriage itself.  I see people in shitty marriages all over -- explain why they can be married and not change the nature of marriage but gay people can’t.

"I will have no choice…"

There are no rainbow mobiles coming around forcing you to be gay.  What exactly does this ad mean to imply that you will have no choice about?  The choice to hate?  Apparently.   Scary hyperbole does make for an attention grabber though.

"The storm is coming…"

Speaking of hyperbole…

"But we have hope, a rainbow coalition of people of every creed and color are coming together
in love to protect marriage…"

It does hurt when I see other minorities being used in ads to discriminate against other minorities… it feels to me like they’re being used.  It hurts even more when someone belonging to a minority actually says something themselves about sexual minorities being less of people than they are.  It’s all so ugly.  I had to laugh when they used the term"rainbow coalition" though.

If you want a laugh, check out these actual auditions for this commercial.  Originally thought to be a parody, it seems that these are legit.  Sad, but funny.

I’ve heard a lot of people telling me how happy they are that “I got the right to get married” when the State Supreme Court here ruled that denying gay people the right to marry was unconstitutional. I maintain that I have always had the right to marry whoever I want, male or female. It is my fundamental right as a human being to choose who I want to love. Now the state of Iowa recognizes it. Good.

Don’t let this latest move convince you that Iowa is a progressive state full of forward thinking open minded people. There are plenty of social conservatives here that find the idea abominable, I overhears several just while I was shopping the other day.

The social conservatives are losing, and that’s a good thing. But we can’t get comfortable with the status quo, we have to keep soldiering on or we could very well end up with our very own Prop 8.