Today is the 5th anniversary of marriage equality in Massachusetts. I will never forget the joyous scene in front of the Cambridge city hall as thousands of well-wishers (and the Phelps Klan, of course...) waited to greet the first newlyweds just moments after midnight - the first possible moment it was legal.
This anniversary continues to serve as a beacon to those of us in states still reaching for equality. Tomorrow, my own governor here in Washington will sign the legislation making domestic partnerships virtually equal to civil marriages. It is a huge and important step, but the fact of the Massachusetts anniversary today is a poignant reminder that while we've made great strides, we have a lot farther to go.
Onward!
1. Uruguay has lifted its ban against gays serving in the military.
What think you all- will THIS be discussed by the White House or has the shown "tried and true" silence approach employed over the past month become the modus operandi?
h/t to Victor Maldonado.
2. BBC 2's Jonathan Ross back in the hot seat for homophobic comments.
Ross told listeners to the program me: "If your son asks for a Hannah Montana MP3 player, you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption before he brings his... erm... partner home."
WOW- if you suspect your son is gay, you should chuck him out of your house. And somehow Ross maintains that he is "mortified" over claims he is homophobic? Go figure...
h/t to Tavdy79
3. This one is no surprise. As expected, Moscow police detained scores at a gay pride rally.
Last week the following statement came out of the Moscow mayor's office:
The city government has repeatedly denied their permit requests. Police in the past have stood aside while ultranationalist skinheads beat gay activists bloody -- then arrested the activists, not the skinheads. (Skinheads, unlike gays, have been permitted to march in Moscow.)This year, the government seemed particularly incensed. Eurovision should have been a proud moment for the Russian authorities, a lighthearted celebration badly needed after bitter conflict with Europe over the war in Georgia and natural gas shut-offs.
"The Moscow government is declaring that no gay parades have been or will be held in Moscow," Sergei Tsoi, the mayor's spokesman, told journalists last week.
Gay activists threaten "not only to destroy the moral pillars of our society but also to deliberately provoke disorder, which would threaten the lives and security of Muscovites and guests of the city," Tsoi said.
Seems to be a battle Moscow and Russia have been waging for hundreds of years...
Below the fold, one more story that illustrates the truth of an old adage. Truly a dish "best served cold"... oh yum; it is scrumptuous!
Awhile ago, SnookyOokums posted a diary listing of those denied access to Jolly Olde England, including WBC's Fred Phelps and radio talk jock bigot Michael Savage.
Well, Mike isn't taking the news of his limitations very well and has in fact protested the ban, citing First Amendment violations.
Michael Savage, host of "The Savage Nation," joins us now by phone from his office in San Francisco. And nice to have you today on TALK OF THE NATION.Mr. MICHAEL SAVAGE (Host, "The Savage Nation"): Well, thanks, Neal. So, what should we talk about? How about the First Amendment?
CONAN: Well, I was going to ask you, first of all, though, how you found out about this. Were you - did you arrive at Heathrow Airport and were you turned away?
Mr. SAVAGE: Well, no. I woke up, turned "The Drudge Report." And when I saw it this morning, my first thought was, darn, there goes the summer trip where I planned to have my dental work done. The second thought was, there goes my visit to the restaurants of England for the great cuisine.
But then when I thought about the list, I said, where's Kim Jong-Il, who allegedly starve d a million of his countrymen to death? And why am I on the same list as a Hamas terrorist who smashed a Jewish child's head in with a rifle butt? How in the world could this be happening in the land of the Magna Carta, I wondered. Has the nation of England now become the land of the mini carta?
CONAN: Well, presumably, they've listened to some of the things that you said or somebody complained about them or something. Have you found out how you got on this list?
Mr. SAVAGE: I don't' know. How did I get on this secret list in the land of free speech? Neal, whatever happened to the liberal statement, I may disagree with you but I would fight to the death your right to say it? Where did that go?
CONAN: Well, in that context, would you agree that Britain has the right and, some would say, the obligation to keep some people out of the country?
Mr. SAVAGE: Well, Neal, it sounds as though you agree wree with them.
CONAN: ...What I was going to say is do they have a right to keep people like him out of their country?
Mr. SAVAGE: I don't know, but I know that we have a First Amendment in America, and as you well know, you're protected by it.
CONAN: Indeed.
Mr. SAVAGE: And the whole point of the First Amendment was to protect offensive speech, not polite speech.
CONAN: That is an important point. John Peter Zenger, the celebrated case in Colonial American times was not a polite man.
Mr. SAVAGE: Oh, he was trying to fight the British who were oppressing the colonists. And the First Amendment was written after the Revolutionary War, when we had our First Amendment and our Bill of Rights, to protect speech that authorities would find to be threatening.
CONAN: And as you considered this list, are you taking any actions about it?
Mr. SAVAGE: Well, I've consulted with some very liberal First Amendment attorneys who are friends of mine. They don't agree with my politics, but they understand what happens to a nation that starts banning speech.
I'm gonna let the incomparable KO tell ya the rest:
Savage has the aduacity to beg Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for help with his little problem.
The same Hillary Clinton he accused of using "Hitler dialogue" a few years ago.
Do you think it is even slightly likely that he is actually going to HEAR from her?? Yeah, me neither.
But here's a thought- since when does the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA'S First Amendment apply to other nations?
Let's review... again...
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Gee , I see NADA about it being applicable for all of thw world's countries and people, do you?
Honestly, people who evoke the damned thing as often as they do (cough! Prejean, Palin, Limbaugh, Savage, etcetera...) really should take the time to READ and MEMORIZE it already, as to save themselves from displaying their ignorance time and time again...
What goes around comes around, Mike.
Deal with it- it couldn't happen to a more deserving person.
Here is the accompanying presser which reads in part:
359 people from 48 countries take part in massive global web video project to mark the IDAHO 200905.17.2009 - A global project to create a public awareness video for the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHO) on May 17 has attracted the participation of 359 people from 48 countries across six continents around the world. The groundbreaking project is a joint undertaking of the Paris-based IDAHO Committee and the social network Gays.com, attracting 50,000 people to its website within a month.
In April, members of the global LGBT community were invited to step out in front of the camera and in their own language introduce themselves, state where they are from and how proud they are to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The result is a video that sends the powerful message that LGBT individuals are present in every country, every society and every corner of the world. Participants submitted videos in all of the world's key languages, including Afrikaans, Arabic, Cantonese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tamil and even American Sign Language.
Love this video and amazed at the incredibly simple, effective and positive message consistant throughout the clip: "I Am Proud To Be Gay."
I am proud to be an ally and share this here today.
The resolution condemns a recent hate crime in Seaside (note: article includes images that may be distressing). Two young men, visiting the Oregon coast on vacation from Washington state, were assaulted simply because of their sexual orientation. Thanks to the leadership of Seaside police, the case was immediately classified as a hate crime.
Although Oregon law prohibits hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, it is imperative to stand together as a community and detand together as a community and denounce hate crimes whenever and wherever they occur.
It also calls upon Congress and the President to pass the Matthew Shepard Act, which would ban anti-LGBT hate crimes nationwide. Although Oregon is fortunate to have a strong hate crimes law, many states aren't so lucky. The Matthew Shepard Act would make it clear that hate crimes against anyone, anywhere, at any time, are always unacceptable in the United States.
HJM 22 now heads to the House floor for a full vote by all 60 representatives. It will need lots of grassroots support to pass. Help us condemn hate crimes and pass the Matthew Shepard Act. Write your Representative TODAY!
Want more information? Read the full text of HJM 22 here.
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