Ron Paul: “Government Has No Business in Private Lives”

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Jacob Flores

Ron Paul, Republican Presidential hopeful, recently gave an interview to Iowa State Daily, where the topics of gay rights and gays in the military came up.

When asked about gay rights, Paul had this to say:

You know I just, I don’t think of people in little groups like that. I don’t think of people as ‘gay’ here and ‘black people’ there, or ‘women’ over here…Everybody is an individual person and everybody has the same rights as anyone else. The government has no business in your private life, you know, so if one person is allowed to do something so should everyone else. The whole gay marriage issue is a private affair and the federal government has no say.”

It’s nice to hear a Presidential candidate (even if he’s not the most popular) go on record stating that all people, including homosexuals, have the right to do what they please in their private lives. Paul is keenly aware that an individual’s private life should not be subject to federal government scrutiny or legislation. Labels based on sexuality, race, and gender have no meaning when it comes to governmental rule.

Amen!

When asked about how he would address gays in the military if he became president, Paul thoughtfully made the following reply:

Well, like I said, everybody has the same rights as everybody else, so homosexuals in the military isn’t a problem. It’s only if they’re doing things they shouldn’t be, if they’re disruptive. But there’s … men and women getting into trouble with each other too. And there’s a lot more heterosexuals in the military, so logically they’re causing more trouble than gays. So yes, you just have the same rules for everybody and treat them all the same.”

Once again, Paul sees the situation for what it is. Gay service members make up a fraction of the military; homosexuals are a minority, after all. Therefore, the problems in the military can’t be squarely blamed on a DADT repeal. It’s just as ridiculous to say that gay marriage threatens traditional marriage when heterosexuals alone have caused the divorce rate to skyrocket.

Unlike Santorum, who continues to spout crap, crap, and more crap or Cain who’s also known for making some idiotic claims, Paul’s words show that his decisions are not based on prejudice or hate. That’s the kind of individual who should be leading the nation because he will govern for every citizen, not just those who are the most like him.

via Towleroad

Santorum: No Consensual Sexual Activity Allowed

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Jacob Flores

Once again, Rick Santorum opens his mouth and crap comes spewing out. His toilet must be jealous of the waste it’s not collecting!

ThinkProgress reports that in an interview on a conservative radio show Santorum said, “he still opposes the Supreme Court’s landmark 2003 Lawrence decision, which struck down … legislation” that criminalized sodomy.

He continued to add more steaming hot pies to his pile, when he said, “We can’t do this, we can’t have a constitutional right to consensual sexual activity, no matter what it is.”

Are you kidding me? Does he even know what he’s saying?

He is basically spouting that there should be no rights to consensual sex. Does that mean all sex between two consenting adults should be criminalized? Will straight people getting their freak on now be in danger of being sent to prison in Santorum’s America? After all, there’s no right “to consensual sexual activity.”

Obviously, this man makes no sense, and he wants to be President? Please!

This man needs to just stop talking and go away.

In NH: House Bill Passes to Repeal Marriage Equality

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Jacob Flores

ThinkProgress reports sad news for gay marriage. The House Judiciary Committee in New Hampshire voted today (11-6) to repeal marriage equality in the state. This vote comes in complete surprise since the majority of the state’s residents favor marriage equality by 60%. Click here to read more about the vote.

Even Craig Stowell, a Republican who is also co-chair of Standing Up for New Hampshire Families says that “There is no reason to overturn New Hampshire’s popular marriage law that simply protects all families and treats all loving couples equally. This isn’t a so-called compromise and it completely ignores voters’ wishes to leave this issue alone and get back to the real business of the state.”

Still, hope remains on the horizon. “The vote didn’t pass with even the majority necessary to override the governor’s veto, meaning this effort to undermine New Hampshire families lacks momentum as Republicans and Democrats are united in bipartisan opposition,” according to local reports.

The bill heads to a full vote in January, so we can only hope that the people of New Hampshire will make their voices heard to stop marriage equality from being destroyed in their state.

“Family” Groups: Suicide Helplines Promote Homosexuality

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Jacob Flores

The Trevor Project is a national organization providing crisis intervention for gay youth. At a time when more and more young Americans are ending their lives in part due to their sexuality, such an organization should be finding supporters from every corner of the country. After all, no child should contemplate ending his or her life even before it has a chance to truly begin. No parent wants that, whether they are pro- or anti-gay supporters.

Apparently, two family groups–The American Family Association and the Florida Family Association–disagree. As reported by ThinkProgress, the AFA and the FFA believe “that the Trevor Project is ‘recruiting teens and children to become gay’ through its suicide prevention hotline.”

Can you believe this?

The Trevor Project’s sole purpose is to provide a lifeline for the youth who are contemplating killing themselves. This organization and its volunteers have no hidden agenda other than preventing needless deaths. They offer a sympathetic ear for troubled teens. They aren’t looking to fulfill some recruitment quota like armed forces recruiters.

Still, the FFA is incensed that an advertisement for The Trevor Project is aired during a Teen Nick program called “Degrassi,” which features a transgendered teen, and they are angry at Target for sponsoring the ad.

Since the show’s focus group are teens, it makes sense for the ad to appear during this slot. The ad doesn’t advocate homosexuality; it offers hope to a struggling teen who might be watching the show and who might be contemplating suicide. And Target shouldn’t be boycotted for this, as the FFA is calling for in its form letter.

Target should be on the receiving end of praise not criticism.

Trying to prevent a child from ending his or her life should be the primary focus here, but once again, hate and ignorance reign supreme.

Gay Marriage in Hawaii?

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Jacob Flores

The Advocate reports “A near majority of voters in Hawaii, the first state to enter the marriage equality fray in the 1990s, now support full marriage rights for gays and lesbians, according to a recent poll.”

Based on the numbers, 49% of Hawaii residents support legalizing gay marriage in the state. If so, Hawaii would join Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Iowa, and Vermont (and Washington D.C.), where it is also legal for homosexual couples to get married.

Hawaii is already a great vacation spot for homosexuals. What other state can beat those beaches and the weather? Add gay marriage to the mix and there are sure to be many celebrations held on those magical beaches.

If Hawaii did join the other 6 states and legalize marriage, I forecast Hawaii’s tourism income to increase exponentially. After all, homosexual couples have more expendable income and are always looking for a good reason to vacation somewhere gay friendly.

In fact, if gay marriage was legal throughout the nation, the country would benefit greatly from the wedding registry purchases, extensive floral arrangements, and the many themed weddings. That would be one way to stimulate the economy!

NOM Looking to Derail Same Sex Marriage in Iowa

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Jacob Flores

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has spent approximately $15,000 in the Iowa state election to help stop same sex marriages, as reported by ThinkProgress. NOM’s goal is to oust Democrat Liz Mathis by channeling funds into Republican Cindy Golding’s campaign. If they can “eliminat[e] the Democratic majority in the Iowa Senate, the state will have the support necessary to ban same-sex marriage in Iowa’s constitution.”

Thousands of homosexual couples have been married in Iowa since same sex marriage was made legal in 2009, and the state hasn’t suffered drought, famine, or pestilence. In fact, no heterosexual marriages or families have been threatened by Adam and Steve saying “I Do.”

Still, NOM President Brian Brown stated:

“This is a pivotal election contest in our battle to allowing the people of Iowa the opportunity to vote to restore marriage. A proposed constitutional amendment on defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman enjoys broad-based, bi-partisan legislative and voter support, but is being prevented from coming to the floor of the Senate by Majority Leader Mike Gronstal. If Ms. Golding is successful in her election, we are hopeful that Senators will finally have the opportunity to vote on the marriage amendment, and we expect it to pass handily.

I find it frightening that this group channels funds into state elections in order to advance their national agendas. They are willing to utilize all their resources to make sure that loving couples are denied basic civil rights simply because they don’t agree. Is this really any different than the KKK rousing support and funds to make sure civil rights were continually denied for African American citizens?

I think not.

Civil Rights should be guaranteed for every American, no matter their age, race, religion, or sexual orientation. This isn’t a country where we can pick and choose who gets what freedom, yet this seems to be the type of country NOM is fighting for.

In NY and CT: Methodists Support Same Sex Marriage

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Jacob Flores

As reported on Towleroad, Methodist clergy in New York and Connecticut will ignore their church’s stand on same sex marriage and begin performing marriage ceremonies for homosexual couples. The clergy have the backing of many of their congregation, who also stand “in defiance of the denomination’s ban, to support same-sex marriage.”

These individuals defend their stand, as stated on their website Methodists In New Directions (MIND), by quoting from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,”Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

King’s astute observations about racial inequality stand true today for inequality for homosexuals, and MIND wholeheartedly agrees:

Yet injustice continues to threaten us, in the United States and in the United Methodist Church. The recognition of the full humanity, sacred worth, and equal rights of gay and lesbian people is crucial to the civil rights struggle of our time. Gay, lesbian, and straight United Methodist laity and clergy are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. The continuing denial of full access to all the rights and privileges of church membership in the United Methodist Church is causing deep spiritual harm to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and is a threat to us all.

To prove their dedication to true equality, members of MIND made the following declaration:

Pastoral care and the sacraments and rituals of the church are means of grace by which the lives of all Christians are blessed by God. Therefore we, as congregations and as individual laypersons and clergy, declare our commitment to offer such means of grace to all persons on an equal basis. We refuse to discriminate against any of God’s children and pledge to make marriage equality a lived reality within the New York Annual Conference, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression.

Afterwards, they then asked all the clergy and laity, who support this pledge to sign the document. To view the full list of signers, click here. (The list is pleasantly long.)

To see such proclamations by church leaders fills me with hope. It’s nice to read that there are church officials who recognize the inequality endorsed by many churches and who are willing to make a stand against prejudice and ignorance, even if it means opposing their own leaders.

People in New York and Connecticut should be proud of their Methodist Church leaders.

Dan Savage to Cain: Some Proof Being Gay Isn’t a Choice

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Jacob Flores

As you no doubt already know, Herman Cain, Republican Presidential hopeful, believes homosexuality is a choice as well as a sin.

Well, Dan Savage, author, journalist, and editor, wants to provide Cain with scientific evidence that being gay isn’t a choice. I think his experiment is genius and will solve the argument once and for all.

Dan Savage posted the following on The Slog:

Dear Herman,

If being gay is a choice, show us the proof. Choose it. Choose to be gay yourself. Show America how that’s done, Herman, show us how a man can choose to be gay. Suck my dick, Herman. Name the time and the place and I’ll bring my dick and a camera crew and you can suck me off and win the argument.

Very sincerely yours,

Dan Savage

If Cain is able to oblige Savage’s request, then homosexuality can certainly be a choice. However, no straight man, who truly loves lady parts, is going to stop petting his favorite kitty in order to walk someone else’s dog.

Savage knows that, I know that, you know that. Hopefully, when Cain reads this, he will know it too!

Students in TN Allowed to Wear GSA Shirts

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Jacob Flores

You may remember I posted about Sequoyah HS in Tennessee, where a student was assaulted by his principal for wearing a GSA shirt. (Click here to see the post).

According to Towleroad, students at Sequoyah HS will now be allowed to wear shirts in support of a Gay Straight Alliance.

The ACLU released the following statement: “The Monroe County Board of Education agreed yesterday to allow students to wear T-shirts in support of the formation of a gay-straight alliance (GSA) at the school. The board will also review its dress code to ensure that students’ rights to free speech are protected.”

Chris Sigler, the student who was assaulted, had this to say about the school board’s decision:

“A lot of kids get harassed at our school because they’re gay or they have gay friends, and we just want a space where we can all support each other and do something creative. We still want the GSA to be recognized as a club, but at least now the school won’t punish us for peacefully expressing our opinions.”

I’m glad to see that some progress is being made here. Still, even though the school administration can’t officially do anything to these students, I worry how the students will be treated overall. The vitriol the principal expressed at the GSA didn’t just go away; he simply lost his fight against the shirts. No word yet has been received whether or not a GSA will be formed at Sequoyah HS, but in light of recent events, I’d say one is definitely needed.

Herman Cain: Homosexuality Washes Off

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Jacob Flores

ThinkProgress reported that in an interview with Piers Morgan on CNN Presidential Republican front runner Herman Cain still believes that homosexuality is both a sin and a choice. In fact, during the interview Cain once again reiterated that he has seen no science to disprove his belief, despite the fact that the American Psychological Association says that it is not. They have many studies (AKA science) to back them up.

In fact, “when Morgan pushed him that race and sexual orientation were comparable, Cain explained that race is different because it ‘doesn’t wash off.'”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve taken many showers and not once have I emerged as a heterosexual (even when I tried to force it before coming out). Cain continues to reside quite happily in his ignorance and prejudice and is unwilling to accept the many documented studies by an august medical association, such as the APA. To claim that a section of the American public, whom he wants to govern, can simply change their sexual orientation by showering is preposterous.

Just as taking a shower won’t cleanse Cain of his prejudice, a good scrub won’t make me (or any other gay individual) straight.

Here’s the interview if you want to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkRWKAdGuk4