YASSSSSS, Virginia, LGBT Kids Should Be Treated Equal!

Last year, Andrea Lafferty, the president of those Hate Groups with the sweet names—this one being the Traditional Values Coalition—and a student identified as “Jack Doe,” filed a lawsuit against the Fairfax County School District after the school board voted to add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to its non-discrimination policy.

Clearly, Lafferty and “Doe” are not fans of non-discrimination; they argued that the policy is unlawful because such protections aren't included in state law.

Well, last week the Virginia Supreme Court basically told Andrea and “Jack” to take a seat, because the court upheld a lower court ruling dismissing the lawsuit. The Supreme Court said Lafferty and “Jack Doe” lacked standing to bring the challenge, saying the student's "general distress" over the non-discrimination policy isn't enough to allow him to bring a lawsuit against the school.

In the Age of _____, the age of people who are different, either in orientation or gender identity, being treated as “less than” this is a big win.

Equality; acceptance; understanding.

Andrea Lafferty’s little Hate Club was represented by the Hate Group, Liberty Counsel, and it’s Bigot-In-Chief, Mat Staver, who whined in a statement:

“While the Fairfax Country School Board temporarily dodged the issue, new developments in the application of this unlawful policy may result in a new suit. There is no doubt the school board intends to enforce this policy. Liberty Counsel is not finished fighting for the safety of Jack Doe and public school students in Fairfax County. We are exploring all possible avenues to further challenge these policies and are confident that we will prevail when the courts reach the merits of these challenges.”

Take a seat, Mat, and chalk this loss alongside the Kim Davis fiasco.

You are not going to take us back to Hate no matter how hard you try.

We are not going back.

US News

The BSA Threatens to Kick Out Pack 442 For Supporting Gay Scouts .... The Pack Blinks .... Followed By An UPDATE

The Boy Scouts are all about building character; the kind of character that says if you’re gay you don’t count, you don’t fit in, you don’t matter. The kind of character that says if you want to practice tolerance, teach tolerance, even be tolerant, you cannot be part of the Boy Scouts of America.

In Washington DC, the Boy Scouts council in charge of overseeing scout programs is threatening to kick out a Maryland troop for posting a statement on its website declaring it won't discriminate against gay scouts. That’s character. You are open and accepting of The Gays? Get out. And, um, stay out.

Last September, the families of Pack 442, in Cloverly, Maryland, anonymously voted and overwhelmingly approved to adopt a non-discrimination statement. Non-discrimination; that's a good thing, or so I thought, but then I am not a Boy Scout.

According to Theresa Phillips, committee chair of Pack 442, the pack wanted approved the statement to show the Boy Scouts of America that they “will not stand for the discrimination of homosexual minors or adults whatsoever."

But after the statement was posted, the National Capital Area Council [NCAC] demanded the pack strike it from their website. Theresa Phillips says, “At first they [said] they would "allow" us to leave it up based on our right to freedom of speech. Now they are doing a 180 and basically asking us to either conform to BSA's discriminatory policy or get out."

Building character. And they don’t care who knows it. Les Baron, CEO and Scout Executive of NCAC, says that if Pack 442 doesn’t erase the declaration, "they will not be recognized as an organization, although that's our last resort."

Um, but that appears to be their only resort as none of the parties involve say any other offer or request was put forth. And, if Pack 442 doesn’t conform to BSA Intolerance and Hate, the troop will lose access to member insurance, rank badges, and scout camps.

For being open and accepting of gay scouts.

As the BSA sees more and more corporate sponsors withdrawing support of the group, and sees more and more grass-roots, non-discriminatory alterna-scout troops forming, I hope they’ll see that their policy is disgusting, hateful, wrong, and definitely not a character trait worthy of anyone in the 21^st century.

I had hoped that Pack 442 would follow in the footsteps of scouts in Sebastopol, California, who lost their charter for refusing to drop a similar statement, but as of this past Saturday, Pack 442 dropped the statement from their website and has gone back to goose-stepping along with hatred.

UPDATE ….

According to NBC News this morning, the Boy Scouts of America [BSA] is actively considering an end to its decades-long policy of banning gay scouts or scout leaders. If adopted by the BSA board of directors, it would represent a profound change on an issue that has been highly controversial.

The new policy would eliminate the ban from the national organization’s rules, leaving local sponsoring organizations free to decide for themselves whether to admit gay scouts. Deron Smith, a spokesman for the BSA, says, “The chartered organizations that oversee and deliver scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with their organization’s mission, principles or religious beliefs [but individual sponsors and parents] would be able to choose a local unit which best meets the needs of their families.”

Sounds good, though my guess is that the BSA hopes their individual groups maintain their anti-gay policies.

Still, maybe now Pack 442 could restate their intent to be a gay-friendly troop on their website, and maybe others will follow suit, and maybe, after decades the BSA will actually be able to say they are teaching real character.

source
BSA Close To Ending Ban

Random Musings

GOProud, that Gay conservative group which has never officially backed marriage equality, did so last week.

GOProud.

Always late to the party.

Vicco, a small Appalachian town in Kentucky, has just become the smallest municipality in the entire country to approve an LGBT nondiscrimination law.

Vicco city attorney Eric Ashley: "Vicco is a community that believes all folks should be treated fairly. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Fairness is a Kentucky value, a Vicco value, and one of our most American values."

All of Vicco's 334 residents will be protected under the fairness ordinance, which prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Vicco becomes Kentucky's fourth municipality to pass such an ordinance, following Lexington, Louisville, and Covington, but, again, it's the smallest municipality in the United States of America to do so.

Small town, big pride.

So, we'd made plans to go see Lincoln on Monday, but then that whole inauguration thing came along and I was glued to the set watching history repeat itself.

And listening to Carlos' take on pop culture, about which he knows nothing.

For example: As Kelly Clarkson was introduced--she sang a gorgeous rendition of 'My Country Tis Of Thee'--Carlos looked at her and asked, "Lindsay Lohan?"

"Yes," I said, "Lindsay Lohan, drug addict, drunk, and jewel thief awaiting trials on both coasts has been asked to sing at the inauguration."

::::sigh::::

Out New Mexico way, state representative Brian Egolf has introduced a bill to put in place a constitutional amendment to legalize same-sex marriage on an upcoming public ballot. 

Brian Egolf:

“It’s time to recognize all the families in New Mexico who are headed by same-sex couples.”

To be fair, and honest, his proposal probably won’t have an easy time in the Legislature. Lawmakers in New Mexico can't even agree on passage of legislation calling for state-recognized domestic partnership agreements. 

Still, Egolf’s resolution, which says: “The issuance of a marriage license shall not be denied on the basis that the sex of both applicants is the same. No church or religious institution shall be required to perform a marriage ceremony or recognize a marriage for religious purposes that conflicts with the church’s or religious institution’s beliefs,” will first be heard in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee.

Baby steps. It's worked elsewhere and it may well work in New Mexico.
Given time.

So, Beyoncé may have lip-synched the National Anthem at the inauguration on Monday.

Am I surprised? Not one bit, I think Beyoncé's Goal #1 is to make Beyoncé look as good as possible and sound as good as possible.
Kelly sang live; James Taylor, too. But Beyoncé wanted it to be perfect, in the perfect gown, with the perfect hair and just the right amount of wind in the hair.
So, again, I don't care if she lip-synched, but I am sickened by her Diana Ross-esque arm flailing at the end.
That was too much.

On the other side of equality, Terry Lee, owner of Terry Lee Forensics, a Cedar City, Utah digital forensics company, has fired two employees because they supported President Barack Obama.

Oh, but he did, and he's quite happy about it.

Terry Lee: “They were Obama supporters. We just knew they were."

Lee first mentioned the firings in the comments section of another story in the Tribune about a Vernal, Utah, smoothie shop owner charging "liberals" a higher price than "conservatives" for drinks. That shop owner said "liberal programs" are costing his business more, so it’s only fair that left-leaning customers should pay more.

Lee showed his support for the tactic by writing: "Love it. We had to let two employees go to cover new Obongocare [sic] costs and increased taxes. Found two Obongo supporters and gave them the news yesterday. They wanted the idiot in the Whitehouse [sic], they reap the benefits.”

The comment was later deleted by the author possibly because Terry Lee doesn't know how to spell 'White House.'

Way back in the gay Dark Ages, in 1972 to be exact, Mary Ellen Cunha and Peggy Forster opened the Twin Peaks Tavern in San Francisco, at the corner of Castro and Market Streets. And, in addition to opening the doors, the two women also uncovered the windows at the bar so that the people inside could see out, and, more importantly, people outside could see in.

Twin Peaks Tavern is believed to be the first gay bar in the nation to feature full-length, open plate glass windows that let its patrons look out and the public look in. The lesbian friends, known to most regulars as "the girls," opened the bar to the world at a time when many gays still feared losing their jobs or being socially ostracized if their sexual orientation was revealed.

It has survived for 40 years as one of the Castro district's most memorable and welcoming establishments and, just last week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to give it landmark status. Twin Peaks becomes the second bar in San Francisco to have that designation; Sam Jordan's bar, named for its founder--the first African American man to run for city mayor--was the first.

This is Good News mixed in with Bad News.

The Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses—which has been in the news for denying membership to the lesbian wife of an Army officer stationed at Fort Bragg—has decided to offer that spouse, Ashley Broadway, a "guest membership" in the group.

Not a member, mind you, like she was married to a man or something, but she can be considered a guest, even though she's the legal spouse of a military member.

Less than. Back of the bus.

In a letter from the Fort Bragg spouses group's president, Mary Ring, to Broadway, Ring wrote that the guest membership was being extended "[w]hile our bylaws are being reviewed."

Uh huh.

How about just changing the by-laws and making this spouse feel just like any other spouse, and not a guest?

So, I've already poked fun at Carlos for his complete ignorance about pop culture, so let's have another go at him, shall we?

One day last week I was watching a Food Network show, with Giada De Laurentiis and Carlos came in to watch, too. But, he was less interested in what she was making and more interested in commenting on how her cleavage seemed to be the star of her show.

Yes. Carlos couldn't stop looking at her cleavage.

Later on that same day, I found him watching some TV show about girls in bikinis and a water slide.

Hmmmmm.

Then, in the car the other day Patti Labelle's 'Lady Marmalade' came on the radio and I cranked the volume and began "Mocca chocolata ya ya-ing" all over the place. I asked Carlos to sing along and he said...he said......he said.....

"I've never heard this song before."

I.Know.

Then I began thinking....never a good sign....you know all those women who marry men and then find out their husbands are gay? Maybe.....maybe.....my Carlos is.......straight?

Tweet Of The Week:

Missoula, Montana Doing The Right Thing

Very early yesterday morning, the Missoula City Council adopted the first equality ordinance in all of Montana that protects people from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

First steps.

"Most of us can't remember civil rights in action," said Councilwoman Stacy Rye, an ordinance sponsor. "This is it for us. This is our lifetimes."

After a nearly seven hour meeting, the ordinance, which protects Missoula residents from housing and employment discrimination based on "actual or perceived ... sexual orientation, gender identity or expression" passed by a vote of 10-2.

"Hopefully our actions tonight will ripple through Montana from Libby to Billings, from Dillon to Wolf Point, and eventually to the capital in Helena," said Councilman Dave Strohmaier, another sponsor of the ordinance.

Apparently, oddly enough, anti-discrimination ordinances are a contentious issue in Missoula. Mayor John Engen even warned people in attendance that he would recess the meeting if the audience clapped for anyone--for or against the proposal. But when the final vote was taken, the pent-up applause erupted and many supporters offered the council a standing ovation.
And they deserved They've set the standard for the rest of Montana, and for another other town which doesn't protect it's citizens from discrimination.

Good job, Missoula!

Virginia Is For Asshats

Yesterday, up in the Virginia statehouse, a delegate subcommittee, killed legislation aimed at banning job discrimination against gay state employees. See, those asshats that the asshats of Virginia elected to represent their asshat state in its asshattedness, want to discriminate against gay people; they want it.

The nondiscrimination bill, sponsored, of course, by a Democratic senator, Donald McEachin, was proposed after new asshat Republican governor Bob McDonnell issued an executive order than banned job discrimination based on a variety of characteristics.

Except sexual orientation.

McDonnell believes you can't discriminate against people for their race, gender, age, religion, shoe size, IQ, lack of fashion sense, height, weight, hair color, but you can discriminate against people because of who they love. McDonnell said that was a matter for the legislature, even though the two previous administrations had protected gays against bias in state employment.

So, he changed the rules, because he's a Republican, a wingnut, a conservative and an asshat.

And while the senate had passed the all-inclusive non-discrimination bill, the house subcommittee rejected it in an unrecorded show-of-hands vote.

Unrecorded. That way they can keep their hate for the gay community hidden. It's like wearing a white hood; they hate, but you can't see their faces.

Virginia? Eff off.

Lutherans Move Forward

What's this? A gay-friendly, non-discriminatory church that isn't Episcopalian? 'Tis true, my friends, 'tis true.

The nation's largest Lutheran denomination is considering lifting its ban on gay and lesbian members of the clergy who are in lifelong, monogamous relationships. At its convention, more than than 1,000 delegates will debate church policy at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) biennial General Assembly in Minneapolis.

Now, don't expect it to be all flowers and kisses at the debate. no, it'll most likely be reminiscent of, oh I don't know, say a Town Hall meeting on health care. All shouting and shoving. See, they won't be deliberating on whether gays and lesbians can be ordained--they already can be, as long as they remain celibate. Now the talks will be whether or not the ordained gay men and lesbians can be in committed relationships as well and still be allowed to preach. Partnered gay clergy are technically prohibited, though some congregations break the rule without punishment.

Like most mainline Protestant churches, the Lutheran church has been deeply divided over homosexuality and how to interpret what the Bible says about it. The church even formed a task force to study the matter in depth, and make policy recommendations that would be put to a churchwide vote.

This month, those proposals will come before the voting members in Minneapolis for their consideration. Among the proposals are a 30-page social statement that defines the church's position on sexuality...I'll refrain from a top or bottom joke...and a four-step plan to lift the ban on partnered gay ministers.

The four step plan is:

• The ECLA is committed to allowing congregations and synods to recognize and support "lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships."
• The ELCA is committed to finding a way for people in such relationships to serve as clergy in the church.
• The ELCA agrees to respect the consciences of churchmembers who disagree on the issue.
• The ELCA agrees to remove the blanket ban on partnered gay clergy.

If adopted by the assembly, the plan would remove the ban on non-celibate gay and lesbian clergy and empower local congregations and governing bodies to make their own decisions on whether to allow them. The plan requires a simple majority vote to pass.

To ease concerns, the resolutions stipulate that congregations do not have to hire ministers in same-sex unions and congregations would be allowed to keep their openly gay pastor without fear of repercussions.

It's nice to see yet another church realize that God does not discriminate. Man does. And if the church wants to spread the word of God, they should be open and willing to talk to anyone, and have anyone talk to them.

Another Step

Procter & Gamble, the world's largest consumer products maker, has amended its anti-discrimination policy to include gender identity and expression. The policy was recently amended to read:

"We at P&G recognize the power that comes from people of diverse backgrounds and experiences coming together around a common goal. Our policy forbids any discrimination, harassment or intimidation because of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability or other non-job-related personal characteristic. Employees are encouraged to bring questions or concerns in this area to their management. Strict disciplinary action for violations of this policy will be taken, including termination of employment."

Procter & Gamble, which makes such brands as Bounty, Crest and Pampers, earned an 85 in the Human Rights Campaign's 2008 Buyer's Guide, which assigns scores to companies based on their support for the LGBT community.

Good for you, Procter & Gamble. Set the standard for non-discrimination.

Are you listening WalMart?