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.
Man, w-h-y is he doing this? I'm scratching my head on this. OK, so the march isn't his bag, why not simply say nothing rather than to continue tossing out the barbs? We already heard similar comments from him earlier in the week. (AP):
Rep. Barney Frank, an openly gay member of Congress, says he'd rather see gay rights supporters lobbying their elected officials than marching in Washington this weekend, calling the demonstration "a waste of time at best."
Frank said in an interview with The Associated Press that he considers such demonstrations to be "an emotional release" that does little to pressure Congress.
"The only thing they're going to be putting pressure on is the grass," the Massachusetts Democrat said Friday.
I don't get it, the continual need to do this sounds more like he keeps saying this stuff as if it will make the watch go away. It's not an either/or. I'd would love to see all of those people go and lobby their federal and state legislators, in fact I'd prefer that too, but it doesn't negate the value of this march, with Congress in session (it wasn't going to be originially) and now the President speaking at the HRC dinner.
Perhaps the Congressman from Massachusetts is concerned that there will be a media spotlight on the NEM because of the way things have worked out. The march will not be ignored and this may be an expression of the disdain for the netroots and grassroots interfering with business as usual in a very public and newsworthy way now. Who knows, but the continual public comments aren't becoming.
The House of Representatives today passed the Defense Authorization Act of 2010 (H.R. 2467), which includes the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act -- the federal hate crimes legislation.
From what I've been reading, it looks likely the bill will be passed by the Senate next week.
If you're looking for what the President is going to say at the HRC dinner this weekend, my guess that one item that's going to be included in his speech is how he's looking forward to signing federal hate crime protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people sometime in the next two weeks.
Below are excepts from the press releases of Representatives Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin. Select the images of the press releases to read their entire statements in PDF format.
On a personal note, after covering the Angie Zapata Hate Crime Murder Trial last April, I can't help but believe this is further Justice For Angie.
From Rep. Barney Frank:
The US House of Representatives today voted in favor of legislation containing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which extends the definition of violent hate crimes to include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.
The original bill, H.R. 1913, passed the House on April 29th of this year, mostly along partisan lines. The Senate attached its version of the Hate Crimes Bill to the Defense Authorization Act of 2010 (H.R. 2467), and after the bill passed the Senate, the language was maintained by the House/Senate Conference Committee. Today, the Defense Authorization Act conference report passed on a vote that broke largely on partisan lines, 281 to 146.
In response to Republican House members who argued against the Hate Crimes provision, Congressman Frank stated earlier this week:
"It is clear that there is an animus against those of us who are gay or lesbian, against people who are transgender, on the part of many in the House, and they are reflecting a strong political sentiment in the country. They are entitled to it. I do not lament the loss of their friendship and affection; I can live without it. But it should not lead them to deny protection to vulnerable people, and we are talking here about crimes, not just murder, but about assault and destruction of property which are too often ignored."
Under current law, the Hate Crimes protections cover violent crimes perpetrated because of the victim's race, color, religion or national origin. The new legislation would include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability, and would effectively cover transgender individuals.
The Hate Crimes provision in the legislation passed today will allow the federal government to assist local and state law enforcement authorities, which prosecute the overwhelming majority of Hate Crimes cases. It permits the federal government to share resources and enforcement tools. It also authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to make grants to state and local law enforcement authorities which have incurred especially high expenses in connection with the investigation and prosecution of these crimes.
From Rep. Tammy Baldwin:
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin today lauded the final passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, also known as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. The measure was included in the conference report to the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647) that passed the House today. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure early next week, and it will then go to the President for his signature.
"This measure is long overdue and I am pleased that Congress has voted to do what's right," said Congresswoman Baldwin. "Martin Luther King, Jr. often said that 'the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.' We see that beautifully illustrated here today," said Baldwin who is Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and a longtime champion of this legislation.
The Hate Crimes provision included in the conference report adds the categories of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability to existing protections for bias crimes based on race, color, religion, and national origin. "We passed this bill not to provide a group of people with special protections, but because of a history of heinous, violent crimes intended to terrorize individuals who share these characteristics," Baldwin explained...
"The Speech" that the President is going to deliver at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner in Washington, D.C. is generating a lot of speculation and calls for certain actions to be taken. Only folks privy to what he's going to say know whether or not it's going to be a...
1) "feel good and wait for your rights" speech;
2) "isn't passing Hate Crimes wonderful, that is your bone, people" speech; or
3) "I'm dropping a bomb and going to get behind ___ as a priority" speech.
Many people have weighed in in one manner or another, but I thought I'd kick off with this reaction by Barney Frank about the march, where the folks who don't have dinner tickets will gather on Sunday (he was on Mike Signorile's show yesterday).:
>Barney Frank believes the march this weekend and rally on the mall are "useless" and don't put pressure on the White House. "I literally don't understand how this will do anything," he said. "People are kidding themselves. I don't want people patting themselves on the back for doing something that is useless." Besides, he says, "Barack Obama does not need pressure." He says we should model ourselves as lobbyists on "the National Rifle Association." He says people should not come to Washington and should stay home and lobby their members of Congress. "Nobody in Congress even knows they're there, he says, and he is not attending the March: He is going to California to raise money for himself and other Democrats.
Don't put pressure on the WH? Isn't the President the one who said to hold him accountable? Hmmm. Click over to hear his comments about DOMA repeal, ENDA and Hate Crimes. I'm just baffled trying to understand in what universe did he think that statement accomplished anything positive. He doesn't have to endorse the march, but he certainly doesn't need to denigrate people who choose to attend.
About the dinner, SLDN has just called for Obama to announce he will move with Congress on DADT repeal.
One of those patriots is Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, a Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) active-duty client who is set to be discharged under the law. "The President told me in June, 'We'll get this done,'" says Fehrenbach, referring to the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." "I hope to hear from him this weekend about timing-specifically when the President plans on working with Congress to reverse the law."
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) deserves a heaping helping of praise for furnishing a primetime platform for Obama to impart his message. But, the President and HRC must realize that the stakes are even higher than the price of the steaks served in the ballroom of the black-tie affair. While no one will likely yell, "you lie" in the middle of his remarks, there will be a collective sigh if all we get is a pretty speech.
...At a bare minimum, the president should vow to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) by the end of the year, which would prohibit hiring and firing on the basis of sexual orientation. Currently, it is legal to fire a person if he or she is gay in the majority of states. The President should forcefully condemn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prohibits married gay couples from receiving federal benefits. It would be wise, as well, for Obama to use this opportunity to make a compelling case, as only he can, for scrapping the disastrous Don't Ask/Don't Tell policy, which humiliates gay service members and harms military readiness.
And activist David Mixner makes no bones about it either:
We must hear concrete action from the president beyond that he might sign hate crimes legislation shortly or even before the dinner. It is inconceivable to me that the hosts would allow him to attend the dinner without a solid commitment that he will oppose the hate filled initiative in Maine. That would be unacceptable. How exciting would it be at the HRC National Dinner to have the president in a timely and unequivocal way put the power of the Presidency behind our the historic and epic struggle in Maine?
If he doesn't at least invoke Maine on top of hate crimes and maybe an ambassadorship it will be extremely disappointing. People are already voting by absentee in Maine. Now is the time. The president and HRC should be clear: the LGBT community expects nothing less or else why bother attending? You can't marry with symbolism. You need a license.
In a knock on Barney Frank's door, David says: "For those of you upset that we are keeping the pressure on Obama before he speaks at the HRC Dinner, do you really think he is responding because of a lack of pressure?"
Momentum is building for Congress to pass the first major civil rights act protecting gays and transsexuals, supporters say, and one of the stars in the debate is a barrier-breaking transgender staffer on Capitol Hill.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, would prohibit workplace discrimination -- including decisions about hiring, firing and wages -- based on sexual orientation or gender identity. It would exempt religious organizations, the military and businesses with less than 15 workers.
The driving force behind the bill has been Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the longest-serving of the three openly gay members of Congress. He expects hearings on the measure to be held this fall...
The transgender staffer is Diego Sanchez, Rep. Barney Frank's Legislative aide...
...Diego Sanchez is the first transgender person hired for a senior congressional staff position on Capitol Hill...
More of us are contacting our congressmembers; and we're letting them know when we call that we want a fully inclusive ENDA. That President Obama has indicated he'll sign a fully inclusive ENDA too, and that doesn't hurt either.
And probably as importantly, everyone remembers how the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activist community rose in anger in 2007 when ENDA became less than fully inclusive of the entire LGBT community. My sources have told me how Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was personally unsettled that trans people and their allies protested outside her office round-the-clock in 2007 because ENDA wasn't fully inclusive.
It would be a guess on my part, but my guess would be that Diego Sanchez was hired by Rep. Frank, and Allyson Robinson was hired by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) because of the 2007 ENDA revolt. Whether my guess is accurate or not, I can't say I'm displeased with trans identified staffers now being visibly included in places they weren't visible before. I'm definitely not displeased about the good that Mr. Sanchez in not only doing for trans people, but for the broader LGBT community as well.
That's the editor of Salon praising the Massachusetts Congressman for being one of the precious few to figure out that these crazies at the town halls showing up and babbling nonsense about death panels, internment camps should be called on the carpet, not avoided, for being out of touch with reality. In Frank's case it was a woman declaring health care reform a product of a Nazi President Obama.
God bless Barney Frank. His outburst at a "town hell" protester who accused him and Obama of supporting "Nazi policy" spread virally around the Web early Wednesday and expressed a lot of liberals' head-splitting frustration. "On what planet do you spend most of your time?" he countered, to lots of applause. Frank called it "a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated," and closed by saying: "Ma'am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it."
On "Hardball" today, Politico's Ken Vogel suggested Frank's outburst might help the right, but I said I saw the opposite: That Frank's frank talk might embolden liberals to counter lies with truth: The idea that some delusional young woman in Massachussetts (reportedly a Lyndon LaRouche supporter) can accuse a gay Jewish congressman of supporting Nazi policies is reprehensible ignorance, and Frank responded with perfect pitch. Here's our Hardball discussion:
In related news: The dumbest statement of the day didn't come from Frank's town hall critic in Massachusetts; it came from the White House, where an unnamed "senior White House advisor" told the Washington Post that the administration just doesn't understand the passion for the public option among liberals. "I don't understand why the left of the left has decided that this is their Waterloo," said the clueless senior White House adviser. "We've gotten to this point where health care on the left is determined by the breadth of the public option. I don't understand how that has become the measure of whether what we achieve is health-care reform."
I wasn't aware that supporting the public option was the sole obsession of "the left of the left." After all, Obama himself has been touting it as the best way to reduce costs and increase competition in the health care arena.
So it's abandon ship over at the "clueless White House" even though candidate Obama has know for way too long that public option is not some idea that the "left of the left" only favors. When described to the average person, a majority of Americans favor the concept. They know this. What they don't want to admit publicly is that the deal crafted behind closed doors with the entities with the most to lose - insurance companies, Big Pharma, etc. -- is something we aren't privy to.
If he caves to the insurance industry and kills it in order to get something, anything passed – as clearly, many of his advisors think he ought to -- taxpayers will be left holding the bag for a wildly wasteful expansion of private insurance coverage, and Democrats will ultimately pay.
Welcome, progressives, to the world of "wait" and "compromise". Unfortunately the LGBT community didn't receive a welcome wagon greeting either. We have an IOU.
UPDATE (Lurleen): I've added a transcript below the video.
I have to put this late post in because I want to give kudos to U.S. Representative Barney Frank for doing what many should have done at these town hall meetings:
Transcript
Wingnut: Why do you continue to support a Nazi policy, as Obama has expressly supported this policy, why are you supporting it?
The Honorable Barney Frank: When you ask me that question, I am gonna revert to my ethnic heritage, and answer your question with a question. On what planet do you spend most of your time?...You want me to answer the question? As you stand there with a picture of the president defaced to look like Hitler, and compare the effort to increase health care to the Nazis, my answer to you is as I said before, it is a tribute to the 1st Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated. Ma’am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table - I have no interest in doing it.
Some folks may not agree with his tone but he was right on. How can you have a coherent conversation with someone who so determined to paint President Obama as a Nazi?
Now watch how soon before Hannity and company attack Frank. How long will it be before One News Now and the rest of the religious right links his words to his lgbt sexual orientation?
While you're at it, count how many columns will be written at Town Hall attacking Frank for telling it like it is.
And lastly, if these things come to pass, note the strange dynamic of how some folks think it is alright to carry a loaded gun to an event where the President is speaking but somehow think that it's wrong to rightfully call someone out for being an idiot.
Surf over to Mike Signorile's blog to listen to the Massachusetts Congressman nearly go off the rails when Mike asks basic, obvious questions in a calm manner about the strong criticism of the DOMA brief by Howard Dean (Frank has defended the language in the brief). Let's just say the question caused the normally unflappable lawmaker to threaten to end the interview.
Barney became very unhappy with me and pretty heated when I played Howard Dean's comments on the DOMA brief, trying to stop me and saying he didn't come on for me to "play records."
He defended the brief, defended the President on LGBT rights, defended Democrats in the House (though he said we need to take on Democrats in the Senate) and defended the DNC fundraiser.
Barney and I have known each other for many years, agree on many things, disagree on others, and often when he comes on the show it can be a spirited discussion. This time I'd say he was a more angry about issues, particularly with how some of us who have criticized the Democrats and the White House.
Please go listen to the interview -- the question about DOMA came up at minute 8:00. When Mike goes to play the Dean clip, Frank really loses it; it's clear that he doesn't want to have his position juxtaposed against Dean's (pertinent Dean quote: "you cannot talk about gay Americans the way they were talked about in this brief."). At one point (around 15:07) Frank screams into the phone at Mike. It was pretty shocking.
FRANK TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE
ON THE EMPLOYEE NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT (ENDA)
WHERE: Room 2219, Rayburn House Office Building
WHEN: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 1:00 PM
WHO: Rep. Barney Frank, joined by Rep. George Miller, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, Rep. Jared Polis, Rep. Rob Andrews, Rep. Mike Castle, Rep. Todd Platts, Rep. Leonard Lance, and others. Also participating will be representatives of the Human Rights Campaign, the AFL-CIO, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
BACKGROUND: This week, Congressman Barney Frank will introduce the Employee Non-Discrimination Act. The legislation would extend federal employment laws, which currently prevent job discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, and disability, to also cover sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill covers both the public and private sectors.
Although some states have passed laws to prevent such discrimination, it is legal in 30 states to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, and legal in 38 states to discriminate on the basis of gender identity. According to research by the Williams Institute, there is an ongoing pattern of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity nationwide.
Over 100 co-sponsors, including members of both parties, have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill.
Imagine a conservative "Christian" organization using the other f-word to describe gay men. No "reputable" religious right organization would use that term to describe gay men these days -- they know the focus they would receive on using that kind of expressed hate speech would be blistering, and define their particular organization as pariah organization among the civil, political classes.
The most recent example of this organization -- the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) -- using the pejorative she-maleon their webpages comes their June 22nd piece by their Executive Director Andrea Lafferty, entitled It's Baaackkk: ENDA!. In her piece, Lafferty states the following about a fully inclusive ENDA -- calling Rep. Barney Frank's legislative aide Diego Sanchez by the pejorative (emphasis added):
What made the ENDA debate almost enjoyable during the last Congress was the major "drama-rama" over which version of ENDA to bring to the floor for a vote.
For months gays and transgender activists fought among themselves over whether or not to include "gender identity" in the bill. The drag queens and transsexuals wanted "gender identity," but Frank finally agreed to remove "gender identity" from the legislation in order to try to get it passed.
However, this is a new Congress and a new President who is a big supporter of all things LGBT. This new bill will include "gender identity," because Frank knows that Obama is cozy with the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) crowd and can be counted on to push the LGBT agenda.
Frank's senior policy advisor on ENDA is Diego Sanchez, who is described as a "transgender." Sanchez is a woman who either went through a sex change operation; or is living as a man, but hasn't had any surgery, or is a she-male who went through half of the operation. If this is the case, Diego had his breasts surgically removed, but still maintains female characteristics below the waist.
The article goes on to talk about bathroom use for folk like Mr. Sanchez.
So why aren't our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organizations in Washington calling out the TVC for their use of pejoratives -- while pointing out that the Republican's in Congress got their sexual orientations talking point for the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act from an organization that uses the dehumanizing, anti-transgender pejorative she-male on a regular basis? A term that transgender people consider at least as offensive as the other f-word?
I don't know. One of our DC based LGBT new or legacy media sources should be asking our LGBT civil rights organizations that.
~~~~~
Further reading:
* Traditional Values Coalition keyword search: she-male * Jenn Q. Public: Conservatives, Meet Google (Article on the conservative "Christian" and Republican use of "30 Sexual Orientations" meme)
The DNC is now telling its donors to expect protesters next week at the posh $1,000 a head gay fundraiser this coming Thursday at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Washington, DC. And, oddly, the DNC is trying to spin the protests as something fun that the donors can join in on.
Good luck with that.
And the DNC's treasurer, openly gay Andrew Tobias, sent out another e-blast today that features Jared Polis and Kirsten Gillibrand in future gay fundraising activities (UPDATE: correction received from Gillibrand's campaign re her involvement: The fundraiser Andy was promoting is not for the DNC, it's for Kirsten's Senate election. The reason Tobias mentioned it in that email is that he is one of the hosts of the event). Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis are still hosting the event. Look at the upcoming events shared in Tobias's email to donors:
From: "Andrew Tobias"
To: "'Andrew Tobias'"
Cc: "'Tom Petrillo'"
Subject: quick one - for New Yorkers
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009
Ah, the opportunities:
TOMORROW:
Meet our great Jared Polis tomorrow from 7pm to 9pm, along with his Congressional baseball buddy from NY s 25th district, Congressman Dan Maffei. Hope to see you there (150 Central Park South #2104). Click here to contribute ($250 / $100 young professional) and RSVP to andrew@polisforcongress.com.
THURSDAY:
Whether you come with a sign . . . (STOP FIRING ARAB TRANSLATORS!) (CIVIL MARRIAGE = CIVIL RIGHT!) (EQUALITY NOW!) . . . or come to help fund the tools we need to help move the President s agenda, which includes +our+ agenda . . . board the Acela and come to dinner with the Vice President of the United States. Click here. (Or here if you can t come but want to chip in.) Or how s THIS for a strategy? Contribute -- but stand outside with a sign! We ll keep a plate warm for you and buy you a drink afterward, when the cameras are gone. We are, after all, all on the same team.
NEXT SATURDAY:
A +very+ small lunch in the Pines with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Email me.
SATURDAY, JULY 11:
WATER VOLLEYBALL WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE, Barney Frank. Click here. (You can just watch and drink if you don t want to play.)
Enjoy the summer -- and enjoy the progress. We re winning.
Andy
We get crumbs to ostensibly placate us (as opposed to any substantive action or plan on the President's own promises to the community) while people pay to play with the insiders in support of the DNC. The pressure needs to be kept up and those participating in these gAyTM events need to know all eyes are on the DNC -- literally; the Washington Blade will photograph those attending the gala at the Mandarin Oriental, where guests can nosh and mingle at the 10,400-square-foot spa. After all, the reason for all the WH consternation is because of this pressure you've placed on the DNC fundraiser -- admin officials admitted it on the record to the NYT.
BZZZZZT. Wrong answer from one of our official gays on the Hill, Rep. Barney Frank, where the DNC Kool-Aid is strong. He wants to salvage that DNC fundraiser he's hosting, where he and gay donors can hobnob in the 10,400-square-foot spa with Joe Biden and pretend no one is watching. (Boston Herald):
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, one of the nation's leading gay rights champions, blasted President Obama yesterday over a controversial anti-gay marriage court filing and is calling on the commander in chief to explain himself.
"I think the administration made a big mistake. The wording they used was inappropriate," Frank (D-Newton) said of a brief filed by Obama's Department of Justice that supported the Defense of Marriage Act.
...Frank said he understands the rage but vowed that the fund-raiser - one of the gay community's biggest of the year - will go on.
"There are a lot of people who aren't boycotting," he said. "I think it's a mistake to deny money to the DNC."
Sorry, Barney, this is a massive FAIL this time. With that brief, the administration took a big dump on the civil rights of the LGBT community. He, the gay-queasy leadership on the Hill and the DNC enablers have to pay. No more $$$. No delay, No excuses. Our community should not pay for continued oppression -- defended oppression, done so in the most vile way imaginable.
"If this debacle of a brief represented the President's views, I'd boycott too," Tobias, who is organizing the fundraiser and has been one of the White House's most vocal gay defenders, said in an email. "[I] [t]otally understand all the hurt and anger, thought Joe Solmonese['s] letter to the President was spot on. Still personally totally believe in the President. His Pride Proclamation, and his call to repeal DOMA, are genuine."
Organizers, I'm told, are scrambling to get visible White House action on gay issues in advance of the June 25 dinner to prevent it from becoming a protest stage.
So far, with a disgusting DOMA defense brief filed by the Obama Department of Justice and an unacceptable silence and dismissive attitude about LGBT rights now that the man in the big chair is sitting comfortably at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, we've heard zero from our official, normally vocal, out Congresspeeps in the House, Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and freshman Jared Polis (who also head up the equally silent Equality Caucus). Chris @ Law Dork notes the silence is costing credibility:
Also, Obama's lack of action on LGBT issues has led friend-of-Bill and big Dem donor David Mixner, as well as blogger extraordinaire Andy Towle, to pull their support from the DNC's Stonewall celebration fund-raiser.
If you want to know what kind of shindig this is and how out of touch the professional gay set is with you -- the ones lacking the resources to overcome the lack of civil rights -- look at this recent eager letter (passed on to me by a trusted source) sent by Andrew Tobias to LGBT donors. Ostensibly it's to grease the wheels by telling them how exciting it will be to give to a party that's moving at light speed regarding civil rights. And that they can hobnob with those in power at the Mandarin Oriental's 10,400-square-foot spa.
This is how business as usual works "on your behalf" in D.C. Read the letter below the fold.
I don't even know why there's hand-wringing over this. There's a divide on whether it's tactically sound to send hate crimes legislation through the Senate as a stand-alone bill for a vote versus dumping it in with a defense authorization bill. The jellyfish in the Senate are floating the latter again. (Wash Blade):
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the longest-serving openly gay member of Congress, said in an interview Friday with the Blade that supporters of hate crimes legislation in the Senate are considering attaching the measure as an amendment to the 2010 defense authorization bill, but House lawmakers are trying to convince the Senate to pass the legislation as a standalone measure.
The bill passed the House on April 29, 249-175, as a standalone bill. The legislation would allow the U.S. Justice Department to assist in the prosecution of hate crimes committed against LGBT people that result in death or serious injury.
In 2007, it was tacked onto the defense bill and because anti-war folks and conservatives opposed the bill for their own reasons, the leadership in Congress stripped the hate crimes provision out. With the different composition of the Senate this time around, the thinking is tactically it could work this time around.
Frank said the Senate is considering passing hate crimes legislation in the same way this year because "they think they'll have a hard time passing it because of Senate rules." While it takes 60 votes in the Senate to end debate on legislation, amending a bill sometimes takes only a majority vote.
But while Frank said "there's been some talk" about putting a hate crimes provision in the defense bill, House lawmakers are "trying to talk them out of it."
Honestly, IMHO, let the House and Senate vote on this outright, let's see who opposes this bill straight out. In particular, I want to see the roll call of Dems who vote against it. The polls are with us, purportedly the votes are there -- it's time for some legislative responsibility and ownership on civil rights matters.
So, 1) do you think a standalone bill weakens its chance of passage, and 2) which strategy will be used in the Senate?
There's an interesting interview with Barney Frank over at 365gay. He's asked about DADT, anti-discrimination legislation, the hate crimes bill, and the real takeaway soundbite is his comment about the recent challenge to the federal DOMA filed by Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD). He believes that the suit has merit, but that he wouldn't want it coming before the Supreme Court as long as Antonin Scalia is on the bench -- Frank flat out calls him a homophobe.
It's great to see the quite marvelous Diego Sanchez, Barney Frank's new legislative assistant, get some ink in a profile over at The Hill.
Appearance matters to Diego Sanchez, whose black blazer, blue jeans and gold-striped tie are worn confidently. A neatly manicured goatee, mustache and close-cropped silver hair frame the 51-year-olds smile. T
he newest addition to Rep. Barney Franks (D-Mass.) staff, Sanchez also boasts an impeccable résumé. Named one of the 100 most powerful Latinos in corporate America by Hispanic Business magazine, Sanchez carries 29 years of experience in corporate public relations, diversity management and healthcare policy work.
But what the new legislative aides Capitol colleagues may not know is that Sanchez was born a female. Sanchez is the only University of Georgia letterman known to have earned the letter on the womens tennis team. From an early age, Sanchez wasnt comfortable being a girl. I spent lots of years feeling like I had just feasted on that Thanksgiving meal and then was told that it was time for the family bathing-suit fashion show, Sanchez said. And its not that you look huge, its that you feel like you look huge. I looked like a very not-good-looking woman; I was not a pretty girl, and I felt like I was a man.
How's that for an opening? A lot of Capitol Hill eyes are going to get a good look at what it's like to be transgender, as the profile is quite long and Diego is very forthcoming with personal insights, and the piece covers the political groundbreaking as well. It also looks like Diego's already part of the DC Crackberry crowd.
Sanchez carries two cell phones, a BlackBerry and a personal phone that has had the same number since the advent of cell phones. The aide says the cell number will remain the same because people in the LGBT community give it out to those in trouble - whether they're homeless because they've just disclosed themselves to their families or whether they've just lost their job because of disclosing themselves. Sanchez never plans to stop taking the calls.
"Every day when I come through the metal detectors and put the cell phones in the bin I thank God because I know so many people like me who do not get to go to work every day," Sanchez said.
"It's not something that I make up. I know people who have lost their jobs the minute they disclosed they were either transitioning or were transgender."
I was very surprised to hear the news that my friend Diego Sanchez is going to by Rep. Barney Frank's (D-MA) new Legislative Assistant -- a senior policy advisor to the congressman. Mr. Sanchez is going to be taking over for Joe Racalto at Rep. Frank's Washington DC Congressional office -- Sanchez's new workplace is going to be a congressional office in Washington DC's Labor Building.
As Rep. Frank's Legislative Assistant, Sanchez will be responsible for tracking LGBT, healthcare, veterans, and labor issues, as well as issues regarding the 2010 census. The confluence of LGBT issues and the 2010 census will be if or how LGBT couples are counted -- is the federal government going to count how many same sex couples' have formed domestic partnerships, civil unions, or marriages within states that recognize these unions? Are they going to count the children of these relationships in a way that reflects these children's legal parentage? Sanchez will be the one tracking this particular concern for Rep. Frank and our LGBT community, and working to see that our LGBT families are counted in a manner that accurately counts our families.
Just looking at his LinkedIn profile, there is just no doubt that Sanchez's 30-years of experience in Healthcare, HIV/AIDS, press relations, communications, and LGBT issues, as well as his experience as being on the DNC Platform Committee and an At-Large Delegate at last year's Democratic National Convention, shows that he's extremely well qualified for his new position.
So why report on this new hire in Rep. Frank's Office? Well, not only is Diego Sanchez a well-qualified candidate applying for a congressional job, but Sanchez is also Latino; Sanchez is also a transman. As a transman, he'll be the first out trans person to ever work as a senior staffer in a DC congressional office.
And, Diego Sanchez's hire by Rep. Frank not only breaks the DC congressional office barrier for trans people, but he breaks that barrier for trans people of color:
As a Latino, formerly as a Latina woman, and now as a transman, I've been a lot of 'firsts' but it doesn't make me token. It makes me first to get a chance and it usually feels tardy, for me and many others who are capable but don't get a shot.
--Diego Sanchez
Perhaps surprisingly, Sanchez isn't the first trans person to ever work as senior staff for a congressperson. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has employed SusanKimberly as his Chief of Staff in his home district office.
O'Reilly looks like he's about to have an aneurysm as he tries to pin the mortgage meltdown on Barney Frank. A snippet of the insanity:
O'REILLY: You said it's not the best right now, but going forward this is going to be solid.
FRANK: Right...
O'REILLY: People lost millions.
FRANK: I didn't say solid, I didn't say swell. You distort consistently. And you think ranting and raving...
O'REILLY: All right.
FRANK: ...you don't want to talk about 1994, like no history is relevant. The fact is that you had a problem with an administration - conservative.
(CROSSTALK)
O'REILLY: I know, it's all the conservatives, it's all the Republicans and not you.
FRANK: Oh, come on.
O'REILLY: None on you. That's a joke.
FRANK: You won't have a rational discussion.
O'REILLY: That's a joke.
FRANK: The joke is to think I could have a rational discussion with you. You're ranting.
Day three of the Democratic National Convention began with Autumn and Pam joining me and my sister* Karri for breakfast at a restaurant down the block from the Big Tent. We were quite impressed with the coffee...
We left Pam at the Big Tent, for she had to give her presentation on being a straight ally. Autumn had a number of transgender activists she wanted to interview and I hustled along to be her videographer. It was a little weird that of all the panels a scheduling conflict would keep me away from, it was the one on being a straight ally.
I asked Pam's permission to post this on the front page. This isn't a piece that reflects Pam's opinion -- I'm taking full ownership of this piece as my personal opinion. Frankly, I'm just borrowing Pam's PHB front page to vent.
So, this is my opinion piece, and isn't a necessarily a reflection of the opinions of anyone else who posts at
Pam's House Blend. Take it for the angry rant it is.
~~Autumn~~ Sometimes, I just want to be a good little tranny and just shut up. I've learned through experience that good trannies aren't supposed to talk about LGB behavior perceived as anti-transgender -- Think HRC and ENDA, version 2007. If we keep pointing out bad behavior, we're seen as engaging in gay-bashing...HRC bashing.
Specifically, to be a good member of the broader LGBT community, a good tranny can rail against oppression of transgender people by non-LGBT people, but that same good tranny needs to leave their LGB counterparts that engage in "bad," anti-transgender behavior alone. That's because other transgender activists ("trannies") will have to work these folk later to pass fully inclusive (as in sexual orientation and gender identity and expression inclusive) civil rights legislation, so good trannies can't anger LGB people who engage in "bad." anti-transgender behavior.
Well, today I'm going to be a bad tranny, and not stay in my quiet place. I'm really pissed off that Rep. Barney Frank is apparently ready to rewrite his part in what happened with ENDA in 2007, and I'm not going to buy into the bullsh*t rewrite of my community's history with this gay congressman. Nor am I going to let his bullsh*t attempt to rewrite his part in ENDA 2007 history pass by unnoticed. I'm calling foul.
In the May 2nd issue of Just Out, Representative Barney Frank made some comments about transinclusion in ENDA (among a few other subjects). The Just Out article is tellingly sub-headed U.S. Rep. Barney Frank totrans community: Get your own train. One of his "stir the pot" comments in the Q&A, interview piece was:
Part of the problem, I have to say, is this: I've never seen a worse job of lobbying done by the transgender community. They seem to think that all they had to do was to get the gay and lesbian community to say "OK." I think they thought that this was a train, and that they were a car on the train. I said to them, "You've got to work this, you've got to lobby people." They did a terrible job of lobbying, and so we didn't have the votes.
I've talked to my transgender peers and other activists over the past year, and no activist has ever reported that Rep. Frank gave any such warning -- the only ones I'm aware of who sounded any alarm to the transgender community regarding ENDA/hate crimes legislation was the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC). They heard that rumors had been floating around the Beltway since April, 2007 that gender identity and expression was going to be dropped from the main ENDA/hate crimes legislation bills during the NTAC Transgender Lobby Days of May, 2007. NTAC in turn mentioned that possibility to some transgender community e-groups that same month.
But that was it for even for a semi-public comment.
And, my trans friends in NTAC have told me that their source wasn't Rep. Frank, or anyone in his office -- their sources were in other congressional/senatorial offices. The line allegedly delivered to (a) transgender activsist(s) of "You've got to work this, you've got to lobby people." apparently was never delivered to any transgender activist(s) by Rep. Frank.
And, this wasn't the only stir the pot comment in Just Out piece that rewrote history.
[Rep. Frank: "The overwhelming majority of opinion in the gay and lesbian community was supportive of what we did." after the fold.]
"I think what really happened," says Foreman of Congress' handling of employment discrimination protections for LGBT people, "is [Speaker Nancy Pelosi's] people said 'Look, Congress has a terrible reputation right now, they're not delivering for any progressive causes... What do we have to do to deliver to our progressive allies?' That means labor and health and environment and gays. And, so, I mean, I don't know this for a fact, but I would bet my life that this is what happened: They went to Barney Frank and said 'What do we need to pass ENDA?'"
"Representative Frank," continues Foreman, "who has always been pretty squeamish on the trans issue, and I guess I can say these things because I am leaving my job..."
"That's what we hoped you'd do," Signorile says to Foreman.
Foreman goes on: "...You know, said 'Look the best way to pass ENDA, and the easiest way is to -- let's take out gender identity,' and I don't think the Speaker's people thought this through--didn't think it through--and then they said 'OK, let's do it'."
Well that didn't go over well with the Massachusetts congressman, so he will appear on Mike's show this afternoon at 3:30 (free 3-day trial access here) to address Foreman's comments, which his office said are "absurd."
Rep. Barney Frank, an openly gay member of Congress, says he'd rather see gay rights supporters lobbying their elected officials than marching in Washington this weekend, calling the demonstration "a waste of time at best."
Wayne Besen, in "
And activist 
So far, with a disgusting DOMA defense brief filed by the Obama Department of Justice and an unacceptable silence and dismissive attitude about LGBT rights now that the man in the big chair is sitting comfortably at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, we've heard zero from our official, normally vocal, out Congresspeeps in the House, 
It's great to see the quite marvelous Diego Sanchez, Barney Frank's new legislative assistant, get some ink in a profile over at 
