I Didn't Say It........

Paul Rudnick, playwright, on remaining unmarried after 18 years with his partner despite "feeling the New York nudge:
""Gays are beginning to experience what a lot of long-running straight couples go through. A lot of straight people find marriage dull or a government inroad into their private life. I think marriage should be available to everyone, but I don't think it's right for everyone....I'm a little in the Rachel Maddow camp. I'm 100 percent for the legalization of gay marriage, but I'm not so sure I'll take a sip."


Which is just fine.
We should have the right to be legally married and have our unions recognized.
Or......not.

Alex Morse, the new 22-year-old openly gay mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, on a CBS News story that failed to mention he was gay:

"It didn't matter to me. I've always been open and honest about my sexuality. CBS News - I don't think they intentionally left it out...It didn't come up. At the end of the day, voters don't care if I'm gay or straight. We had to overcome questions of my age more than questions of my sexuality. I always thought that I would have to overcome my age more so..."

I may be in the minority here, but what difference does it make if he's gay? Sure, some gay folks can feel proud, and young gay kids might feel less afraid, but at the end of the day he wasn't running for Gay Mayor, he was running for mayor.

Had it have been mentioned, that would have been cool; not mentioning it, says, to me at least, that his sexual orientation should play no role in his politics.

Dylan McDermott, on not being bothered that guys hit on him:
"I’ve never been uncomfortable with sexuality. That goes back to my growing up in New York in the ’70s, which was a very sexual time. I was sort of a club kid, and I’d go to places like the Mudd Club and Max’s Kansas City. Being a part of that whole world, sexuality always seemed very normal to me....Honestly, I’m cool with everyone, and people pick up on that. I’d say, 'I’m not gay, but it’s all good.' It’s kind of like going to Paris when you don’t know the language; some Americans get into trouble over there, but I’m just like, 'Sorry, I don’t speak French.'"


Well, good to know, because if I ever meet Mr. McD, I'm gonna hit on him.
And speak French.

Rick Santorum, on how he should be president because he hates fags more than anyone, well, except god:
"If you want to see the contrast, the contrast is there. I'm a solid conservative who fought for the federal marriage amendment as opposed to Mitt Romney, who issued gay marriage licenses and actually violated the constitution of Massachusetts to institute gay marriage in his state. One of the reasons I do talk about the past is because I have the best record in the field."


You gotta give Frothy credit for standing his ground, shaky as it is, douchenozzle-y as it is.
Plus, isn't it fun to poke him, and watch him get all Frothy? Especially knowing that there isn't a chance in hell that he'll ever be elected president. Of anything.

Mike Gronstal, Iowa state Senate Democratic Majority Leader, reiterating his position on fighting for, and maintaining, marriage equality in Iowa:

"People's rights should not be put to a popular vote.  If I can put, if you can put my rights to a popular vote of the people then I can put your rights to a popular vote of the people and eventually, and eventually--well, we didn’t put slavery to a vote of the people in Iowa, we didn't put the right to go to a school in your neighborhood to a vote of the people of Iowa, we didn't put public accommodations law to a vote of the people in Iowa.  The Supreme Court said certain inalienable rights....when you say the Pledge of Allegiance, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all, you don't say for all except for gay people, you don't say that.  That is what this is about and you don't put ... you don't put that up to a vote of the people ..."

I think he says it all in that first sentence.

You cannot let The People vote on the rights of 'other' people because, well, one day, those 'other' people might have all the cards and then may want to vote on your rights.

Equality is equal. That's the only way it works.

Newt Gingrich, serial adulterer, on using children to clean schools:

"You say to somebody, you shouldn’t go to work before you’re what, 14, 16 years of age, fine. You’re totally poor. You’re in a school that is failing with a teacher that is failing...Most of these schools ought to get rid of the unionized janitors, have one master janitor and pay local students to take care of the school. The kids would actually do work, they would have cash, they would have pride in the schools, they’d begin the process of rising.”

Seriously.

How mind-fuckingly dumb is this asshat.

So, take all the janitors jobs away in this economy.

Cut jobs so kids can clean schools and, then what?

Become corporate CEO's to rob from the poor and give to the rich.

Typical GOP back-asswards logic.

If You're Gay, The Iowa GOP Says You Don't Deserve Equality

It looks like the GOP played their cards in the Iowa House of Representatives yesterday, by voting 62-37 to pass an amendment that would deny any form of legal recognition for gay couples. yes, you readthat right: the Iowa GOP, and, obviously, the national GOP, wish we didn't exist, so let's not try to pretend otherwise. This Hate Amendment is designed to prohibit not only the freedom to marry for gay couples, but also civil unions or domestic partnerships.

No rights, no way.


It sickens me that anyone, even members of the GOP, can actually vote FOR discrimination, but that's what they've done. And that's the bad news; the good news is that the bill now moves to the Iowa Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal has vowed to fight attempts to pass it. And since the Senate is Democratically controlled, hopefully, cooler, more sane and intelligent heads will prevail, and homophobia won't become law.

Should the bill, however, pass both houses, in two consecutive General Assemblies, the issue could be on the ballot in 2013, where the people of Iowa would get to vote on the rights of the LGBT community.

One Iowa Executive Director Carolyn Jenison: “The proposed amendment devalues families and divides Iowans. The Constitution is meant to protect the freedoms and liberties of all Iowans. It is inappropriate to use the political process to single out and deny a group of Iowans of their constitutional protections.”

Protection for ALL Iowans, unless, if the GOP has their way, you happen to be a gay Iowan. Now, I get all pissy and angry and bitchy about this, but then I hear someone else speak, and they put it much more eloquently than I could ever hope:



source: OneIowa

Mike Gronstal Standing Tall, And Firm, In Iowa

Even with the flood of Republicans sweeping into office in Iowa, not to mention the removal of those "activist" judges who interpreted "equality for all" to mean equality for all, one Democratic senator promises to thwart efforts to allow Iowans to vote on gay marriage.

See, Senate majority Leader, Mike Gronstal, is one of the few politicians in Iowa that realizes it is unconstitutional to allow the majority to vote on the rights of the minority.

According to Secretary of the Senate, Mike Marshall, "There's no mechanism whereby senators, even a majority of senators, can override the majority leader."

Deal with that, Repugs.

Still, in their desire to ignore any and all issues that face Iowans, like, um, oh, the economy, Senate Republicans intend to try various maneuvers to force a vote, even though they know such efforts will not succeed. 

Hmmm, sweeping change, or still the Party of No?

Senate Minority Leader, and Republican asshat, Paul McKinley thinks pressure from the public might force Gronstal to allow a vote, but Gronstal says that will never happen.

It's simple, really, Mike Gronstal believes the right thing means protecting the civil rights of gays and lesbians, and he is reaffirming his vow that he will not bow to pressure, no matter how nasty it gets: "The easy political thing for me to do years ago would have been to say, 'Oh, let's let this thing go. It's just too political and too messy.' What's ugly is giving up what you believe in, that everybody has the same rights. Giving up on that? That's ugly."

Yes, it is, Mike, and I could just kiss you for saying that!

source

This Is Why I Support Candidates And NOT The DNC

Once again, from Iowa, we have news on the marriage equality battle.

Now, it seems that four Democratic state senators--Dennis Black, Keith Kreiman, Rich Olive and Joe Seng--have broken with their party and joined with another Democrat, Tom Hannock, to sign a Republican petition to force a vote on same-sex marriage. 

The good news is that last week was the deadline for bills to clear committee in order to stay eligible for consideration this year, so the ban on marriage equality is officially dead.

Also last week, the Republicans attempted to use a procedural move, called a discharge petition, to pull Senate Joint Resolution 2001 out of committee and put it before the full Senate for debate and a vote. Senate Joint Resolution 2001 would begin the process of amending the Iowa constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Naturally, all Senate Republicans, and Tom Hannock, signed the petition. A similar attempt was made in the House, but it also failed to find enough votes to bring a gay marriage ban up for a vote.

With the addition of party turncoats, Black, Kreiman, Olive and Seng, it brings the total to 23 votes, just three shy of the majority needed to force a vote on a constitutional ban on gay marriage; twenty-eight Democratic Senators refused to sign on.

Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Mike Gronstal, has repeatedly vowed to block any effort to bring a ban on same-sex marriage up for discussion, telling The Iowa Independent before the legislative session began that he would “block that at every opportunity. There will be no vote on the constitutional amendment.”

Gronstal deserves our dollars and our support, for, as an elected official, he is not only doing the right thing to guarantee that all citizens of Iowa are equal under the law, but he is listening to the people of Iowa. A recently conducted Des Moines Register Poll found 62 percent of Iowans felt lawmakers have more important things to worry about than same-sex marriage.

So, to the Republicans of Iowa: listen to your people, the ones who elected you to office, and the ones who cane remove you from same. And to those five Democrats who now side with discrimination, be ready to fight to keep your seats.

Tell the turncoats how you feel:

Dennis Dlack

Senate Switchboard: 515-281-3371 Mailing address:

State Senator Dennis Black

Iowa Statehouse

Des Moines, IA 50319 E-mail:Dennis.Black@legis.state.ia.us Phone: 515-975-8608 Mailing address:

State Senator Dennis Black

Box 1271

Newton, IA 50208 E-mail:dblack@black4senate.com

Keith Kreiman

E-mail: keith.kreiman@legis.state.ia.us

Home Address:

406 Parkview Dr.,

Bloomfield, IA, 52537

Home Telephone: 641-664-2811

Rich Olive

E-mail: rich.olive@legis.state.ia.us

Home Address:

PO Box 273,

Story City, IA, 50248

Home Telephone: 515-733-2427

Joe Seng

Senate Switchboard: 515-281-3371 Mailing address:

State Senator Joe Seng

Iowa Statehouse

Des Moines, IA 50319 E-mail:Joe.Seng@legis.state.ia.us Phone: (563) 391-1627 Mailing address:

State Senator Joe Seng

4804 NW Blvd

Davenport, IA 52806 E-mail:josephmseng@gmail.com

And while you're at it, tell Mike Gronstal you appreciate the work he's doing for the LGBT community and equality in Iowa.

Mike Gronstal

E-mail: mike.gronstal@legis.state.ia.us

Home Address:

220 Bennett Ave,

Council Bluffs, IA, 51503

Home Telephone: 712-328-2808 Business Telephone: 515-281-4610

Business Fax: 515-281-3361

Battleground: Iowa

Iowa Family Policy Center, a conservative group thatbelieves their values are the only values, is calling on Iowa legislators to pass an amendment to the state’s constitution banning same-sex marriage. This is the first step toward allowing the public to vote on the ban in 2012, and if it doesn't pass pass the legislature in 2010, the earliest it could be on the ballot is 2014.

But with a strongly Democratic legislature, most conservatives agree--while stomping their feet and whining about immorality and morality--that there is no chance a gay-marriage amendment will pass the legislature in 2010.

From the moment the Iowa Supreme Court issued its decision to make marriage legal for all Iowans last April, Republicans have threatened to pass an amendment overturning it. In the closing days of the 2009 legislative session, both House and Senate Republicans attempted numerous procedural moves to force a vote on the amendment, including attaching it to a tax proposal and the state’s Health and Human Services budget.

Democrats successfully blocked the efforts. And just last week, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal upped the ante by declaring in an interview with The Iowa Independent that not only will he oppose an amendment, he won’t even let it come up for a vote. And since the Democrats have a commanding 32-18 majority in the Senate, Republicans don’t have a lot of options to prove him wrong.

“As long as Mike Gronstal is the de facto governor of Iowa, there’s not going to be a marriage amendment, barring direct intervention in that man’s heart by God himself,” said Steve Deace, host of a Christian radio show. “Beyond that, like the Pharaoh of old Mr. Gronstal’s heart is hardened towards righteousness and morality, and it’s clear that promotion of homosexuality is something he’s serious about. He’s not budging, and the few of his fellow Democrats who might otherwise share the views of folks like me are too intimidated by him to stick their necks out for what’s right.”

Yes, let's call God into this, Steve Deace, and let's have God talk to you about righteousness and morality, and marriage. Let's ask God how he feels about some people trying to put down others. That isn't God, Mr. Deace, and it isn't Christ-like.

The last time an amendment banning marriage equality came to a vote in Iowa was in 2004, but, that year, 21 Democrats were joined by four Republicans to defeat it. Since then, the Senate has either been evenly divided or dominated by Democrats, a fact that has killed any momentum for passing a ban.

So, for those God-fearing people who wish to use their religion to legislate, the only way an amendment will ever pass is if Democrats are voted out of office. Kevin Hall, a conservative blogger and Republican strategist from Des Moines, says those who oppose marriage equality should be working to get Republicans elected in November.

“Republican leaders have already promised to make it a key issue in 2010,” Hall said. “Gay marriage is the key issue with the Iowa GOP’s social conservative base.”

Maybe so, maybe not. in recent polls, Iowans are almost evenly split on a gay marriage ban, with 41% supporting a ban and 40% opposing it. And while 43 percent say they oppose the Supreme Court’s ruling, a whopping 63 percent say other issues are more important going into the fall election.

And most telling of all, is that 92% of those polled say that marriage equality has brought no real change to their lives.

That's right. Ninety-two percent say life in Iowa hasn't changed since The Gays started getting married. The crops aren't failing, there have be no reports of locusts; the sky didn't fall and Satan didn't rise up from the depths of Hell.

Listen up, America, in Iowa they say gay marriage doesn't bother them.

In. Iowa.

Iowa? I love you.

I Love Him, Too

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal puts it all so simply and plainly, what we are fighting for and why we are fighting for it. This man is an ally, and when that day comes, when the day that all Americans have the same rights and freedoms, he needs to be remembered for it.