The Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Hein calls Pam's House Blend: "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy."
He is "praying that Pam Spaulding will "turn away from her wicked and sinful promotion of homosexual behavior."
(CCLM's web site, 10/15/07)
Ex-gay "Christian" activist James Hartline on Pam:
"I have been mocked over and over again by ungodly and unprincipled anti-christian lesbians."
(from "Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline," 9/4/2006, written from the "homosexual stronghold" of Hillcrest in San Diego).
"Pam is a 'twisted lesbian sister' and an 'embittered lesbian' of the 'self-imposed gutteral experiences of the gay ghetto.'" -- 9/5/2008
Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality heartily endorses the Blend, calling Pam:
A "vicious anti-Christian lesbian activist." (Concerned Women for America's radio show [9:15], 1/25/07)
"A nutty lesbian blogger." (MassResistance radio show [16:25], 2/3/07)
Pam's House Blend always seems to find these sick f*cks. The area of the country she is in? The home state of her wife? I know, they are everywhere. Pam just does such a great job of bringing them out into the light.
--Impeach Bush
who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted.
On February 6, 2003, there's no doubt I lived one the most significant days in my life.
On that day, I showed up at my job as a work-study at the San Diego Veterans Administration Patient Health Library. It was the first day in my life that I publicly lived as Autumn, so February 6th, 2003 was my "coming out" day.
To the right is a photo taken at the Patient Health Library on that first day as Autumn. I'd say now that it's not a very pretty picture of me, but it is a photo that has a lot of meaning for me. I still even have that outfit in my closet; however, both the blouse and the skirt are way too big on me now.
So began my diary marking this same anniversary last year. Now seven years ago today, the anniversary of having lived my first public day as Autumn. In a very real way, February 6th, 2003 was the day I came out of my closet to begin living my female gender truth. It was one of the most meaningful days of my life.
I have no regret to transitioning. I'm probably in the most centered place in my life due to in large part to living of my gender truth in a way that works for me.
So if you drink a cup of coffee today, tip the cup, and share warm thoughts of living your own truth -- On this day I remember the hope and joy I feel on most days since beginning to live my gender truth seven years ago today.
As usual, I'll be drinking a decaf double-shot hammerhead.
Baltimore/BWI has already hit 24" and should easily erase the previous record storm of 28" from back in 2003. In fact, the largest snow season total record from 1995/6 is only 5" away and should fall as well.
A Statewide Day of Action is being held tomorrow, February 6th across California. Volunteers at over 20 locations all across the state will come together in an attempt to collect over 100,000 signatures to repeal Prop 8 in a single day. For a list of a location near you click here.
Restore Equality 2010's (RE2010) campaign to repeal Proposition 8 is gaining momentum. Our netroots are taking off and we are building coalitions. This week we were joined by groups representing over 280,000 members on Facebook alone.
And Celebrities are lining up to do what is right, announcing their support for the grassroots campaign in 2010. Including Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Patty Duke, Emmy Award winner Bruce Vilanch, Emmy Award winner Carol Kane, actress Suzanne Whang (host of House Hunters, the #1 rated show on the Home & Garden Television Network), award winning recording artist Deborah (Debbie) Gibson, just to name a few.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Re...
We will be rolling out even more aggressive statewide field programs next week. But we can't do this alone. We need your help. Please stand with us in making history and taking back Equality by making a contribution today.
By standing and working together we will Restore Equality in 2010.
-- "The time is always right to do what is right."--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
All things cost money, even the implementation of new rules that would repeal the outdated and completely unfair Don't Ask, Don't Tell(DADT) policy that prevents gays and lesbians from servicing openly in the military.
One of the President's jobs is to present a budget to Congress every year. President Obama's budget was submitted this week, and much to the LGBT community's surprise, the costs for the State of the Union promised repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell were not included.
I asked the White House to explain the omission and this is what I was told.
John Boehner is now Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mitch McConnell is now Senate Majority Leader.
The first piece of legislation introduced in each house in the new Congress is the following proposal for a constitutional amendment:
Section 1. No governmental or private entity in the United States shall, in any form, recognize as a marriage any union other than one consisting of one man and one woman.
Section. 2. No governmental or private entity in the United States shall, in any form, afford any legal recognition to any union of any two or more individuals which in any way equals or approximates marriage.
Section 3. Any union prohibited by sections 1 or 2 which may have been recognized publicly or privately prior to the ratification of this Amendment shall, upon ratification, cease to be so recognized.
Section 4. For purposes of this Amendment and all subordinate law, a man is an adult male human being who possesses at least one inherited Y chromosome, and a woman is an adult female human being who does not possess an inherited Y chromosome.
Section 5. Any public act, record, or administrative or judicial proceeding, from within this nation or any other jurisdiction, whenever enacted or promulgated, that contradicts the intent of this section shall become, upon ratification of this Amendment, void and unenforceable.
Section 6. The Congress, the legislatures of the several states and all other legislative bodies shall have the authority to enforce this Amendment, civilly and criminally, and shall have the authority to conduct any investigation necessary to effectuate the intent of this Amendment.
Section 7. Any ambiguity or other question of law or fact arising under this Amendment shall be resolved in favor of the perpetuation of the traditional, heterosexual family as the sole form of family recognizable within the United States, and shall be resolved in favor of the perpetuation of revealed, biology-based sex roles.
The sponsor of a bill that would bar discrimination against LGBT students in schools across the country envisions passage of the legislation as part of an upcoming education budget bill.
Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), a gay lawmaker, told DC Agenda last week he's planning to push for inclusion of his legislation as a component of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act authorization bill this year or early next year.
"I think that we will look to get it included in the ESEA reauthorization, which is the main education bill," he said. "I'm optimistic that we'll be able to include some protections for gay and lesbian students in the bill."
A member of the House Education & Labor Committee, Polis said the panel could take up discussion on his legislation this year when hearings begin on the ESEA reauthorization.
Polis introduced last week standalone legislation known as the Student Non-Discrimination Act, or H.R. 4530. The bill would bar discrimination against LGBT students in elementary and secondary schools. Additionally, the legislation would bar discrimination against students for associating with an LGBT person.
The new measure is based on Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender in education programs or activities receiving federal funds.
Polis said the legislation would give schools across the country tools to fight against discrimination that includes "everything from exclusion from prom, to banning clubs, to lack of actions addressing bullying situations."
"Every day innocent students fall victim to relentless harassment and discrimination from teachers, staff, and fellow students based on their sexual orientation," said Polis.
"These actions not only hurt our students and our schools but, left unchecked, can also lead to life-threatening violence. Like Title VI for minorities in the 60s and Title IX for women in the 70s, my legislation puts LGBT students on an equal footing with their peers, so they can attend school and get a quality education, free from fear."
"Hatred has no place in the classroom," said Polis. "Every student has the right to an education free from harassment and violence. This bill will protect the individual freedoms of our students and enshrine the values of equality and opportunity in our classrooms."
The SNDA is has broad support from over 15 civil rights and education organizations, including: The American Association of University Women, American Civil Liberties Union, American Counseling Association, Gay-Straight Alliance Network, GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders), GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund, National Women's Law Center, School Social Work Association of America, and Transgender Law Center.
H/T Herb x 10
Last month, the anti-equality New Hampshire legislator Rep. David Bates (R-Rockingham) introduced bills to strip the Granite State of marriage equality. HB 1590 would repeal the recently-passed marriage equality law, and Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution (CACR) 28 proposes an anti-gay amendment to the New Hampshire constitution.
Considering that the legislature just passed the marriage equality law in June of 2009, neither of these bills is expected to pass. This is especially true of CACR 28, which requires support of three-fifths of both legislative chambers, and then approval by two-thirds of state voters. Similar amendments were defeated in 2006 under Republican leadership and in 2007 under Democratic leadership.
Enter town meetings. In an effort to pressure pro-equality legislators to vote for his bills, Bates has orchestrated a campaign of getting non-binding resolutions in support of his bills on the Spring ballot in dozens of New Hampshire's towns. The is done** via something called a warrant article. Warrant articles are sort of like town-level bills, and they may be submitted for consideration by the town meeting by simply gathering 25 or so signatures in support. In other words, the bar is really low. Anti-gay warrants have been filed in about three dozen towns. The warrant language reads
The citizens of New Hampshire should be allowed to vote on an amendment to the New Hampshire Constitution that defines "marriage"
By now you all know I'm a gay man. You may not be aware that I'm also a veteran, who served for about five and a half years as an active duty infantryman. I have a DD214 that certifies my honorable discharge. And I was discharged under DADT.
There have been a number of discussions about the effect that DADT has on national security (e.g. the loss of 59 Arabic linguists, including an infantry platoon leader and West Point grad with combat experience in Iraq-gee, ya think it might be valuable having a guy with boots on the ground who can talk to the freaking locals?). You can also, as the President did in the State of the Union, frame this as a civil rights issue, and so assert that the repeal is a moral imperative.
I'd like to approach this from the point of view of a gay soldier serving under DADT. This will draw heavily on my own personal experience and so at best is merely anecdotal evidence. But I think it's worth looking at the direct effect DADT had on my life.
First of all, I'm no longer in the Army. I left in October of 2000, which in hindsight made my mother very happy. With an honorable discharge, I took full advantage of the GI Bill, attended university, and am now firmly ensconced in civilian life. Hard to imagine that at one point, I considered putting in my 20 years and retiring from the Army (I'd be three quarters of the way there at this point, probably a platoon sergeant, assuming I hadn't been injured or killed in Iraq or Afghanistan). So losses and gains there: a good education and employment in the civilian world, but loss of a potential career, including about 6 years worth of work that will never be of much use for retirement purposes (unless I end up working for the federal government in some other capacity).
But to have a bar to reenlistment on your record, especially in the wake of 9/11, was a very depressing thing. At a time when many Americans wanted to do their part to serve the country, I was forbidden to join my friends. It made me fell as if my contributions were worthless and as if I'd abandoned my friends on the battlefield.
Remember Bryan Fisher? The director of Issue Analysis for Government and Public Policy at American Family Association? His biography states that for the American Family Association (AFA), "he provides expertise on a range of public policy topics." The fabulous individual who has personally referred to me by male pronouns?
Well, Mr. Fischer now is onto lamenting on all the good things that would have happened if homosexuality had not been rendered legal by the Supreme Court Of The United States (SCOTUS) in his piece If homosexuality were against the law:
...This raises the question, then, as to whether sodomy laws should be, or legitimately have been, repealed just because they are rarely enforced.
The answer to this is a clear and unequivocal "No."
Think for a moment of the current social controversies that could potentially be avoided if homosexual conduct was still against the law:
He then goes onto list these...
• Gays in the military
• Gay marriage
• Gay indoctrination in the schools
• Hate crimes laws
• Special rights for homosexuals in the workplace
...with short write-ups of exactly how these issues wouldn't be issues if homosexuality was still illegal. He then goes on to conclude his piece this way:
...This list could actually be extended, but you get the point. Laws not only curb dangerous and risky behavior, they keep such behavior from being normalized, sanctioned and endorsed by the rest of society, and as such render an enormous benefit to a healthy culture.
The promos for the old movie "American Graffiti" asked the question, "Where were you in '62?" If the same question were asked about the United States, we'd have to answer: in a much better, saner and healthier place when it comes to criminal sexual conduct.
The reference to 1962 was to a point from in the third paragraph in his piece, where he asserted (without reference) that "Sodomy was a felony offense in all 50 states as recently as 1962."
In a separate blog entry, he wrote about taking issue with an AFA radio listener who disagreed with his idea "that it is appropriate to impose legal sanctions on those who engage in homosexual behavior." In the blog entry, Bryan Fischer wrote:
It might be worth noting that what I actually suggested is that we impose the same sanctions on those who engage in homosexual behavior as we do on those who engage in intravenous drug abuse, since both pose the same kind of risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. I'd be curious to know what you think should be done with IV drug abusers, because whatever it is, I think the same response should be made to those who engage in homosexual behavior.
If you believe that what drug abusers need is to go into an effective detox program, then we should likewise put active homosexuals through an effective reparative therapy program.
"[E]ffective reparative therapy program": Now there's an oxymoronic phrase. The American Psychological Association (APA) stated in a press release entitled Insufficient Evidence That Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Work, Says APA that "mental health professionals should avoid telling clients that they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or other treatments." And, when the APA adopted this policy statement in August of 2009, the resolution was adopted by a 125-4 vote.
Bryan Fisher, the director of Issue Analysis for Government and Public Policy at the American Family Association, laments that if homosexuality was still against the law we wouldn't have the current social issues because "homosexual behavior" wouldn't be "normalized," wants to see sanctions against lesbian, gay, and bisexual people who engage in "homosexual behavior," and he wants to require lesbian, gay, and bisexual people attend "effective reparative therapy program[s]." Because of his position at the AFA, and because he wrote his commentary on an AFA site, and made statements to the same effect on an AFA produced radio broadcast, we can reasonably make the assumption that he is speaking the policy positions of the AFA.
Which puts the American Family Association in the same league as the Family Research Council. As you may recall, Peter Sprigg (the President of the FRC) recently stated that he supports 'criminal sanctions' against the LGBT community.
And too, of course, there are obvious comparisons to other social justice movements that one could make to Mr. Fischer's basic premise. If women had not through suffrage been given the right to vote, if Jim Crow laws had not repealed, if civil rights laws of the '60's had not been passed by congress, would we have no social issues percolating in society now involving sex and race? So, if "homosexual behavior" was still unlawful in all 50 states, would we have no social issues involving lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people? I believe Bryan Fischer's basic premise is flawed -- he's engaging in nothing but some pretty horrid wishful thinking.
What we're seeing is conservative "Christian" organizations speaking in pretty bold terms about our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. They are literally speaking in terms of recriminalization; they are literally talking in terms of forced reparative therapy.
We need to inform our legislators about exactly what these organizations' spokespeople are saying, and remind these legislators how out of the mainstream these viewpoints of these conservative "Christian" organizations are.
Bonus Announcement: March 3 (Wednesday) is Iowa's Student Day At The Capitol. Click here to register.
From the mailbag comes a disturbing press release:
HOUSE REPUBLICANS SEEK TO
BULLY GAY STUDENTS Reps. Shultz & Windschitl Introduce H.F. 2291 to Exclude Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Students from Safe Schools Law
Des Moines, IA - February 4 - House Representatives Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig and Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, co-sponsored legislation introduced today which seeks to exclude LGBT students from the 2007 Iowa Safe Schools Law.
The law protects ALL students from harassment and bullying in Iowa's schools.
"When our state is facing record budget deficits and unemployment, House Republicans feel their time is best spent picking on Iowa's LGBT youth," said Ryan Roemerman, Executive Director of Iowa Pride Network.
"There is no better example as to why we have this law, so youth in Iowa don't grow up to be like these bigots."
H.F. 2291 has been referred to the House Education Committee. Iowa Pride Network will continue to monitor this legislation to ensure all of Iowa's students are safe and protected from harassment and bullying.
Iowa Pride Network empowers students to fight homophobia and transphobia in high schools and colleges by supporting gay-straight alliance (GSA) clubs and providing leadership opportunities and organizing projects centered on social justice. For more information call Iowa Pride Network at 515-471-8062 or by visiting Iowa Pride Network.
I suppose quiet solitude to count the cash from your speaking gig as Tea Party Convention keynote speaker($100k), the "Going Rogue" book deal ($7-11 million, reports vary), the FauxNews contributor gig (???$- easily 7 plus figures with unlimited perks! Private plane, anyone?), etc. helps- but ya gotta pay those pesky property taxes...
One would have thought that as Governor of Alaska, you should have known that!
Sarah Palin first made history on December 4, 2006 when she was sworn in as the first female governor of Alaska. In August 2008, Senator John McCain tapped Palin to serve as his vice-presidential running mate in his presidential campaign, making her the first woman to run on the Republican Party's presidential ticket.
In Alaska, her top priorities included fiscal restraint, limiting the size of government, resource development, education, equitable oil valuation as well as transportation and infrastructure development. Palin fought for ethics reform and transparency in government.
Palin has a long record of achievement and experience in public office. Prior to her election as Governor, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council and two terms as the mayor of Wasilla. During her tenure, she reduced property tax levels while increasing services and made Wasilla a business-friendly environment, drawing in new industry.
During Governor Palin's first year in office, three of her administration's major proposed pieces of legislation passed-an overhaul of the state's ethics laws, a competitive process to construct a natural gas pipeline and a restructuring of Alaska's oil valuation formula.
Ethics and Sarah Palin in the same sentence... oh, those Teabaggers are FUNNY!!!
In the span of less than a week, we have witnessed a meltdown of religious right talking heads against the lgbt community.
First there was the Family Research Council's Peter Sprigg who said on Hardball earlier this week that he supports "criminalizing homosexual behavior."
Around the same time came the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer who published an ugly screed saying that homosexuality should be against the law. He compounded this nastiness when he tried to backtrack explaining that he "merely" said that "homosexual behavior" should be treated the same as intravenous drug abuse
After the People for the American Way destroyed his argument, he seemed to say "to hell with pretending to clarify" when he voiced the following opinion:
Think for a moment of the current social controversies that could potentially be avoided if homosexual conduct was still against the law.
Gays in the military: problem solved. We shouldn't make a place for habitual felons in the armed forces. End of discussion, end of controversy. If someone objects, ask them which other felonies the military ought to overlook in screening recruits.
Gay marriage: problem solved. We should never legalize unions between any two people when the union is forged specifically to engage in felony behavior. Would we sanction, for instance, the formation of a corporation whose stated purpose was to import illegal drugs?
Gay indoctrination in the schools: problem solved. We don't want to raise a generation of schoolchildren to believe that felony behavior is perfectly appropriate. That's why we spend so much money warning students about the danger of drugs.
Hate crimes laws: problem solved. We wouldn't throw a pastor in jail for saying that illegal behavior is not only illegal but also immoral. For instance, he's free to say that murder is not only contrary to man's law but also to God's law. End of the threat to freedom of religion and speech.
Special rights for homosexuals in the workplace: problem solved. No employer should be forced to hire admitted felons to work for him. End of the threat to freedom of religion and freedom of association in the marketplace.
U.S. Senate rivals Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio both said today they oppose abolishing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy affecting gays and lesbians in the military.
..."We are a nation at war. The governor believes the current policy has worked, and there is no need to make changes," Crist campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said.
The comments there are a rip-roaring laff-fest...apparently there's no moderation:
Charlie is gay but opposes any anti-gay measures...shocker. What a hypocrite. OUT HIM, MARCO...plenty of boys running around with his stench on them.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Chuckles, you make it too easy on me!
What's your boy Fasano and your old friends at the Green Iguana going to say about this?
Didn't the Chuckles of 2007 order the RPOF under Fatboy to stop funding the marriage petition campaign? Didn't the Chuckles of 2007 come out and say he favors civil unions? Why the sudden shift to the homophobic right, Chuckles??
You are such a pathetic panderer. If only today's "GOP Primary Campaign Chuckles" had been around in 2007, you wouldn't have the problems you're having now, you spray tanned little creep!
YOU CANT FOOL US!
You think he might enlist?
rist opposing a measure that helps out gay people. What a shocker:
That is the theme of "OUTRAGE".
Be sure to catch it on HBO
Its obvious why Chuck opposes this... he doesn't want anyone to ask, and certainly doesn't want to tell anyone about his sexual proclivity... which by the way is equally as obvious, regardless of the pretend wife thing.
Does don't ask,don't tell, apply to Governor's too?????
THE ONLY people opposed to gays serving in the military -- or in fact, being treated equally in any and all situations -- are THEMSELVES HOMOSEXUAL and afraid to come out of their closets! self-loathing and denial are painful symptoms of a deeper dis-ease
Crist is as gay as they come. Can't wait for Rubio to expose this closeted idiot during the campaign. Floridians don't want a queeny wuss running our State any more. Bye queer Crist.
This is one of the problems I have with Crist. First off, I do not have a problem with anyone being gay. That being said, Crist needs to be true to himself and admit what everyone already knows. Clothes are for closets, come out of the closet Charlie. If he can not finally admit being gay, how can he be trusted with other more important issues.
Is Charlie's alleged gayness something new? Seriously? Hasn't there been news stories about his gayness for years now? Did that stop you from voting for him before? Why is it an issue now...oh its just like how racism works, since people don't want to tell the truth about their bigoted or prejudicial feelings instead they point to some trivial issue, that cannot be challenged in terms of its authenticity.
Posted by: republicanblack | February 04, 2010 at 08:55 PM
GILLIBRAND, BALDWIN TO SEC. CLINTON:
SAVE LGBT REFUGEES
LGBT Individuals Tortured and Killed in Iraq in 2009
No Proper Investigations, No Arrests for Crimes Against LGBT Individuals in Iraq
Take Action to Enforce Human Rights Laws to Protect Members of the LGBT Community in Countries Where Their Rights Are Abused.
Washington, D.C. - With hundreds of LGBT individuals being beaten, persecuted and even killed in Iraq, Iran and other countries, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), joined by 11 of their Senate colleagues and 31 of their House colleagues, today wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her to work with U.S. Ambassadors, the United Nations and NGOs across the globe to enforce human rights laws that protect LGBT individuals in the countries where they are under threat. Where safe conditions are not possible, the U.S. and the UN must work with refugee and human rights groups to expedite refugees' flight to safety.
According to Human Rights Watch, there is no official number of deaths since the killing of LGBT individuals began in Iraq, but the U.N. has provided rough estimates range in the hundreds in 2009 alone. Not one murder of an LGBT individual in Iraq has led to an arrest, according to Human Rights Watch.
"It is time for us in Congress to take a strong stand against all hate crimes and persecution - wherever they occur," Senator Gillibrand said.
"People in this world should not have to suffer or fear for their lives because of who they are or what they believe in. It is wrong and it must end. If Iraq, Iran and other countries are not providing the legal protections that members of their LGBT communities are entitled to, it is our duty to join with our partners in the international community, enforce the human rights laws that protect us all, and free LGBT individuals from persecution.
While the ultimate goal is safe conditions in these countries, until that happens, the U.S., UN and the international community must ensure that LGBT refugees can reach safety in countries where they won't face persecution."
"The lives of LGBT individuals in Iran and Iraq, as well as those LGBT refugees who have fled persecution, are in grave danger," said Congresswoman Baldwin, Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus.
"I know Secretary of State Clinton shares our concerns for human rights and I hope she will use the full force of her office to respond to the plight of Iraqi and Iranian LGBT refugees and urge the UNHRC to do the same," Congresswoman Baldwin said.
"Senator Gillibrand's letter highlights the difficulty that foreign lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) refugees face when their home countries, and their countries of first asylum, permit or condone discrimination and brutal attacks based on sexual orientation or gender identity," said HRC President Joe Solmonese.
"Secretary Clinton has said that LGBT rights are human rights and we agree. We look forward to working with the State Department and Senator Gillibrand to ensure that U.S. foreign policy strongly supports protecting the human rights of LGBT individuals abroad."
"Today, these Members of Congress have presented a comprehensive set of recommendations that will help ensure the protection of individuals who flee persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity only to face further persecution and violence in the countries they have fled to in search of safe refuge," said Human Rights First's Eleanor Acer.
"We praise their leadership on this issue, and urge the administration to implement these measures including a fast-track resettlement process for individuals facing serious protection risks."
Gideon Aronoff, President & CEO of HIAS said,
"Refugees who have fled persecution on the basis of their sexuality are among the most vulnerable in the world, as persecution often follows them across borders from one country to the next.
Additionally, in some parts of the world the LGBT population is at special risk because of strong cultural mores that reject and demonize all but traditional male/female relationships.
For some, resettlement to the U. S. or another free country is the only life-saving solution, but neither the U.S. Refugee Program nor the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is adequately prepared to give LGBT refugees the access to safety which they so desperately need.
The Congressional letter organized by Sen. Gillibrand to Secretary Clinton suggests sensible and concrete steps to save the lives of LGBT refugees, and we urge the Department of State to give these suggestions expeditious consideration."
Senator Gillibrand and Congresswoman Baldwin's letter to Secretary Clinton is below the fold.
Ugandan Anti-Gay Legislation Threatens Human Rights, Reverses Gains in HIV/AIDS Fight, Berman Says
Washington, DC - Howard L. Berman (D-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today introduced a bipartisan congressional resolution condemning anti-gay legislation now making its way through the parliament in Uganda.
"The proposed Ugandan bill not only threatens human rights, it also reverses so many of the gains that Uganda has made in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This issue has united leaders of different political and religious views in Uganda and worldwide in one common belief in the rights of all human beings regardless of sexual orientation."
More than three dozen members of Congress joined Berman in introducing the resolution (H. Res. 1064), including Committee Ranking Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA); Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Chair Donald Payne (D-NJ); Congressional Black Caucus Chair Barbara Lee (D-CA); and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus.
So if you drink a cup of coffee today, tip the cup, and share warm thoughts of living your own truth -- On this day I remember the hope and joy I feel on most days since beginning to live my gender truth seven years ago today.
Last month, the anti-equality New Hampshire legislator Rep. David Bates (R-Rockingham) 
Zoinks! Do I sense...projection?
Charlie is gay but opposes any anti-gay measures...shocker. What a hypocrite. OUT HIM, MARCO...plenty of boys running around with his stench on them.
THE ONLY people opposed to gays serving in the military -- or in fact, being treated equally in any and all situations -- are THEMSELVES HOMOSEXUAL and afraid to come out of their closets! self-loathing and denial are painful symptoms of a deeper dis-ease
