The Mad Professah Lectures

Happy Birthday to Cherry Jones

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:45:00 +0000

Greg in Hollywood alerted me that today is the 53rd birthday of Cherry Jones, the Emmy-winning award best supporting actress of Fox's 24 television series (she plays the President of the United States).

Jones is also one of the most prominent openly lesbian actresses working in Hollywood, and Greg repeats the news that she is newly single, having recently broken up with actress Sarah Paulson.

Evangelical Christians Attack Marriage Equality

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:24:00 +0000

Here we go again! Religious-based heterosexual supremacists are continuing their millenia-long subjugation of LGBT people. The Manhattan Declaration has been released, courtesy of Good As You. Here is an excerpt:

No one has a civil right to have a non-marital relationship treated as a marriage. Marriage is an objective reality—a covenantal union of husband and wife—that it is the duty of the law to recognize and support for the sake of justice and the common good. If it fails to do so, genuine social harms follow. First, the religious liberty of those for whom this is a matter of conscience is jeopardized. Second, the rights of parents are abused as family life and sex education programs in schools are used to teach children that an enlightened understanding recognizes as “marriages” sexual partnerships that many parents believe are intrinsically non-marital and immoral. Third, the common good of civil society is damaged when the law itself, in its critical pedagogical function, becomes a tool for eroding a sound understanding of marriage on which the flourishing of the marriage culture in any society vitally depends. Sadly, we are today far from having a thriving marriage culture. But if we are to begin the critically important process of reforming our laws and mores to rebuild such a culture, the last thing we can afford to do is to re-define marriage in such a way as to embody in our laws a false proclamation about what marriage is.

It's fascinating how they sustain the fiction of religious liberty being jeopardized by civil marriage laws being changed! I think the source of this intellectual disconnect is a profound misunderstanding of what the notion of a civil, pluralistic society is. In a civil pluralistic society, different people can hold diametrically opposed views but the government provides rights and responsibilities equally to all.

The second argument is simply stupid. Are they going to call for no public education programs to teach about partnerships that parents feel are "intrinsically non-marital or immoral"? Will they call for legislation to that effect? I thought we got past the "no promo homo" language in the early 1990s. Have they not heard of the first Amendment? The government doesn't get to favor one view over another. So, either kids will learn nothing about sexuality and adult relationships (which is probably what these evangelicals would prefer) or they have to learn about all.

The third argument is simply a lamentation that they are losing the argument in the Courts.

Greatest Quotes From 'The Wire'

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:25:00 +0000

Celebrity Friday: Chaz Bono

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:43:00 +0000

Chaz Bono, born as the daughter of singer-actress (and gay icon) Cher, is now Cher's son, an FTM transsexual. He says "gender is in your head, not between your legs."

Marriage Update: New York and New Jersey

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:55:00 +0000

Interesting developments in the fight for marriage equality in New York and New Jersey in the last few days.

First, yesterday the New York Court of Appeals (the state's highest court) ruled unanimously to reject a legal challenge to the policy that New York same-sex couples married out of state must have those marriages recognized in the state.

In their majority ruling, four of the seven members of the court said they were making their decision on narrow grounds involving the specifics of each case, and not settling the broader question of whether same-sex marriages performed in other states should be recognized. Judge Eugene F. Pigott Jr., writing for the majority, expressed “hope that the Legislature will address this controversy.”

But in a concurring decision, three of the justices said that the court should have addressed the wider issue because New York law already allows for the recognition of marriages that are considered legal elsewhere.

Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick, who wrote the concurring decision, said “that the orders under review should be affirmed on the ground that same-sex marriages, valid where performed, are entitled to full legal recognition in New York under our state’s longstanding marriage recognition rule.”

The New York State Senate is expected to vote on a marriage equality bill before the end of the year.

And in New Jersey, a poll was released showing that a plurality support marriage equality, and a slim majority would support a bill, if the legislature legalized the practice.

The poll, conducted between Nov. 6 and 10, found 46 percent of adult residents want to extend the right to gay couples while 42 percent oppose it. Still undecided were 12 percent of respondents.
[...]
If lawmakers pass the bill legalizing gay marriage, 52 percent would accept the new law, while 40 percent would support a constitutional amendment banning it, the poll said.

Go New York and New Jersey!

2010 Absolutists Select Repeal Prop 8 Language

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:19:00 +0000

The cadre of activists who are determined to force the people California to vote on restoring marriage equality ("whether they like it or not!") have selected which of the five approved ballot measures they will circulate in order to collect approximately one million signatures in 150 days. It's 09-0042, the fifth one.

Here is the full text:

This amendment would amend an existing section of the California
Constitution. Existing language proposed to be deleted is printed in
~~strikeout type~~. Language proposed to be added is printed in underlined
type.

Section 1. To protect religious freedom, no court shall interpret
this measure to require any priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other
person authorized to perform marriages by any religious denomination,
church, or other non-profit religious institution to perform any
marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. The refusal to
perform a marriage under this provision shall not be the basis for
lawsuit or liability, and shall not affect the tax-exempt status of
any religious denomination, church or other religious institution.

Section 2. To provide for fairness in the government’s issuance of
marriage licenses, Section 7.5 of Article I of the California
Constitution is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 7.5. Only
marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in
California. Marriage is between only two persons and shall not be
restricted on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender,
sexual orientation, or religion.

I will not be signing the petition, and I urge you not to sign it either! Although I am a strong supporter of marriage equality, this measure is very unlikely to be successful, and when it fails it will have a detrimental effect on more organized and well-thought out strategies to win back marriage equality in such a way that the win is permanent.

Caster Semenya Will Keep Gold Medal

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:47:00 +0000

Caster Semenya will keep her gold medal, according to several published reports, including in The New York Times:

In a statement posted on the Web, the South African Sports Ministry said that it had reached this deal with the International Association of Athletics Federations, or I.A.A.F.:

Because Caster has been found to be innocent of any wrong, she will then –
• Retain her gold medal
• Retain her title of 800m World Champions
• Retain her prize money.

We have also agreed with the I.A.A.F. that whatever scientific tests were conducted legally within the I.A.A.F. regulations will be treated as a confidential matter between patient and doctor. As such there will be no public announcement of what the panel of scientists has found. We urge all South Africans and other people to respect this professional ethical and moral way of doing things.

The implications of the scientific findings on Caster’s health and life going forward will be analyzed by Caster and she will make her own decision on her future.
Reuters reported that “The I.A.A.F. said it could not confirm the details in the statement but said it had accepted the resignation of Athletics South Africa (A.S.A.) President Leonard Chuene from the I.A.A.F. Council and had opened a formal investigation into the handling of the Semenya affair by Chuene and A.S.A.”

The Times goes on to discuss the more interesting question of sex/gender and genetic rarities in sports, publishing this insightful comment:

Last month, The Times published an article by Alice Dreger, a professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, in which she looked at some of the issues involved. Ms. Dreger wrote:

The current policies of the International Association of Athletics Federations are vague, incomplete and contradictory. For example, one states that some women with some male-typical aspects (including, in some cases, a Y chromosome and testes) can play as women, but it doesn’t specify which combinations disqualify an athlete. This means a woman like Semenya can’t really know for sure, in advance of competition, if she should show up.

The I.A.A.F. requires that transsexual women have their hormone levels kept female-typical through removal of the testes and ingestion of female-typical hormones.

Fair enough. But it allows born-females with adrenal tumors to compete as women, even though their bodies may have higher levels of testosterone than the average male. Not too consistent.

Update | 12:53 p.m. A reader named Kahla writes with this comment:

This “controversy” illuminates a double standard with respect to sex/gender as against other genetic rarities in sports. In one case, a female athlete, who may (or may not — as it remains unconfirmed) have male attributes due to a genetic rarity, could be denied the ability to compete in future matches because of the perceived unfair advantage that follows from it. Yet, where rare genetic traits do not implicate concerns over the proper gender assignment of the sports participant, such disqualifications are not contemplated, much less fathomable. A rare genetic trait (Marfan’s Syndrome) gives swimmer Michael Phelps a competitive edge and he is revered as the greatest swimmer of all time rather than investigated and subjected to genetic testing. Moreover, no discussion of disqualification from future matches ensues. Understandably, “gender testing” is unlikely to disappear from sports (and perhaps shouldn’t for numerous reasons not relevant here). But, these two cases illustrate that our fastidious adherence to rigid categorical distinctions between the sexes lends to disparities in the treatment of individuals whose genetics do not match with these predefined, and some would argue socially constructed, sex/gender categories.

Fascinating!

Federal DP benefits Bill Passes House Committee

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:41:00 +0000

The White House Media Affairs Office just sent out a press release featuring John Berry, the openly gay head of the Office of Personnel Management, lauding the movement of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act:

OPM Director John Berry lauds passage of Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act through House Committee on Oversight and Government Management

Bill provides essential recruitment tool for the Federal government

Washington, DC – Earlier today, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Management approved H.R. 2517, the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009, sponsored by Representative Tammy Baldwin. The measure extends benefits to the domestic partners of Federal employees, including participation in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, retirement and survivor benefits, relocation reimbursements and other benefits currently offered to spouses of Federal employees. The Committee also adopted an amendment offered by Chairman Edolphus Towns that made changes to the legislation to ensure proper implementation.

“I want to commend the Committee for approving the Domestic Partnership Benefits Act,” said U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry. “This is an essential recruitment tool as we seek the best and the brightest to tackle the many challenges America faces.”

Berry also said: “This is a positive step that helps the federal government to better compete with other employers for top talent. President Obama has stated clearly that this is an issue of equality. But just as important, youth today, LGBT or not, see this benefit as a litmus test for determining high quality employers. The Administration looks forward to continuing its work with lawmakers as the House and the Senate move toward enactment of this bill.”

OPM oversees human resources and benefits policies for over 1.9 million Federal civil servants and 2.5 million retirees and survivor annuitants.

But I guess nothing positive is happening on LGBT rights in this Administration so we might as well as boycott them. Not.

VIDEO: Stephen Colbert Comments On Recent Gay Controversies

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:41:00 +0000

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

The Word - Skeletons in the Closet

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

U.S. Speedskating

2010 Absolutists File Five Initiatives To Repeal Prop 8

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:27:00 +0000

TowleRoad is reporting that the Attorney General has released its title and summary of five nearly identical ballot measures filed by what I call "2010 absolutists" that would repeal Proposition 8 in 2010, if the measure qualifies for the ballot (694,354 valid signatures collected in 150 days--April 12) and passed by voters on November 4, 2010.

Here is what they look like (pdf):

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponents and to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponents and to county elections officials, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the first measure is as follows:
REINSTATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Repeals the current provision in California’s Constitution that states only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Provides that marriage is between only two persons and shall not be restricted on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. Clarifies that the initiative shall not be interpreted to require any priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other person to perform a marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Over the long run, this measure would likely have little fiscal impact on state and local governments. (09-0036.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1385 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 09-0036.

The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the second measure is as follows:
REINSTATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Repeals the current provision in California’s Constitution that states only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Provides that marriage is between only two persons and shall not be restricted on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. Clarifies that the initiative shall not be interpreted to require any clergy person to perform a marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Over the long run, this measure would likely have little fiscal impact on state and local governments. (09-0039.)
The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1387 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 09-0039.

The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the third measure is as follows:

REINSTATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Repeals the current provision in California’s Constitution that states only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Clarifies that the initiative shall not be interpreted to require any priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other person authorized to perform marriages by any religious organization to perform a marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Over the long run, this measure would likely have little fiscal impact on state and local governments. (09-0040.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1388 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 09-0040.

The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the fourth measure is as follows:

REINSTATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Repeals the current provision in California’s Constitution that states only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Clarifies that the initiative shall not be interpreted to require any clergy person to perform a marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Over the long run, this measure would likely have little fiscal impact on state and local governments. (09-0041.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1389 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 09-0041.

The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the fifth measure is as follows:

REINSTATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Repeals the current provision in California’s Constitution that states only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Provides that marriage is between only two persons and shall not be restricted on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. Clarifies that the initiative shall not be interpreted to require any priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other person to perform a marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Over the long run, this measure would likely have little fiscal impact on state and local governments. (09-0042.)
The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1390 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 09-0042.

The proponents for the ballot measures are LGBT (and ally) activists: John Henning, Jordan Krueger, Raphael Farrow, Andrew Klayman, Jo Hoenninger, Peter Nguyen, Thomas Watson, Edwin Rivera, Angie-Marie Hancock and Fredy Ceja.

MOVIE REVIEW: Where The Wild Things Are

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:51:00 +0000

The Other Half and MadProfessah decided to go see Where The Wild Things Are in the theaters last weekend before it disappears to a television, computer screen or DVD. The film is directed by Spike Jonze well-known for his trippy, unique filmic vision song apparent in Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002) and several genre-defining music videos (Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," Björk's "It's So Quiet" to name a few).

Both Being John Malkovich and Adaptation were written by the even trippier Charlie Kaufman but the adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved children book was written by Jonze and Dave Eggers (who wrote the screenplay for Away We Go released earlier this summer directed by Mr. Kate Winslet, Sam Mendes--see MadProfessah's B/B+ review).

The movie got both rave reviews and indifferent responses but there was general consensus (rottentomatoes.com score of 70%) that it was a visually arresting, if emotionally harrowing and dark vision of the imaginary world of an 8-year-old named Max.

The Other Half liked the movie more than I did. I enjoyed trying to figure out who was playing the voices of the Wild Things. "Hey, is that Claire from Six Feet Under? I really think KW is the red-headed actress from HBO." I was correct that KW is voiced by Lauren Ambrose but did not figure out that James Gandolfini played the lead Wild Thing named Carol and Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine), Chris Cooper, Forrest Whitaker and Catherine O'Hara are in the amazing cast.

The film does look amazing, and there are some very fun visually uplifting sequences, but in the end the overall impact of the experience is somewhat emotionally draining because it is basically a depiction of the many ways adults use speech and emotional non-verbal communication to attempt to hurt and manipulate others. There is a lot of talking in this movie, and a lot of unrepressed rage displayed by little creatures and big creatures alike.

Running Time: 1 hour, 41 minutes. MPAA Rating: Rated PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language.

Plot: C-.
Acting: A-.
Visuals: A-.
Impact: B-.

Overall Grade: B/B-.

Homophobes Worried Next Mayor Of Houston May Be Lesbian

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Annise Parker, the City Controller of Houston,is the current frontrunner to become the next Mayor of Houston. She finished first in a crowded field of candidates on November 3rd and is in a runoff election with African American City Treasurer Gene Locke scheduled to be held December 15. She is also openly gay. She's been elected citywide five times in the last dozen years or so.

Now there comes reports of a concerted effort being made by conservatives to scuttle her chances of making history as the first openly-LGBT elected mayor of a major American city (with apologies to Portland, Oregon's Sam Adams).

TowleRoad quotes from the Houston Chronicle

"The group is motivated by concerns about a 'gay takeover' of City Hall, given that two other candidates in the five remaining City Council races are also openly gay, as well as national interest driven by the possibility that Houston could become the first major U.S. city to elect an openly gay woman. Another primary concern is that Parker or other elected officials would seek to overturn a 2001 city charter amendment that prohibits the city from providing benefits to the domestic partners of gay and lesbian employees. 'The bottom line is that we didn't pick the battle, she did, when she made her agenda and sexual preference a central part of her campaign,' said Dave Welch, executive director of the Houston Area Pastor Council, numbering more than 200 senior pastors in the Greater Houston area. 'National gay and lesbian activists see this as a historic opportunity. The reality is that's because they're promoting an agenda which we believe to be contrary to the concerns of the community and destructive to the family.'"
Parker, however, has not made these issues a central part of her campaign: "Parker has tread carefully in her candidacy for mayor, stressing frequently that she is running not as a gay candidate but as a qualified city official who's won election six times. In a televised debate last month, she voiced 'no current plans' to revisit the city charter amendment if elected, although she said the city will need to offer benefits to the same-sex partners of its employees 'at some point.'"

Oh, and it turns out that Parker's rival for the Mayoralty of Houston is Black.

So, here we go again: Black versus Gays! This race will almost definitely get more coverage as the end of the year approaches. See the CNN profile on Annise Parker from earlier this year.

Eye Candy: JC Sibala

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:04:00 +0000

I was flitting around the web looking for smoking hot models and ran into these pictures of Filipino hottie JC Sibala in a sea of hot white boys (not there's anything wrong with that!) at Gay Body Blog. Is it just me, or is it difficult to find pictures of pulchritudinous people of color online? If you have any tips for sources of Eye Candy of a darker flava, drop them in the comments.

Paris Masters: Djokovic Defeats Monfils in 3-set Thriller

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:41:00 +0000

Novak Djokovic won his second consecutive title on Sunday and his first ATP Masters Series crown of 2009 by defeating Gael Monfils of France 6-2 5-7 7-6(3) in front of a hometown crowd in Paris. Last week, Djokovic beat Roger Federer in 3 sets in the 3-time defending champion's hometown of Basel, Swizerland to win the Davidoff Swiss Indoor Championships.

Monfils lost the first set in about 30 minutes but came back to win the second, and despite being down a break in the third set never gave up and unfortunately double-faulted on match point in the deciding tie-breaker.

Djokovic will be defending his ATP World Tour championship from 2008 in London in two weeks, with a field that will include Federer, Rafael Nadal (who Djokovic beat in Paris), Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, Andy Roddick, Fernando Verdasco and Nikolay Davydenko.

WATCH: Maine NO ON 1 Documentary

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:43:00 +0000

PART ONE:

PART 2:

POLL: President Obama Approval at 52%

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:36:00 +0000

Today is Approved Referendum 71 Day in Seattle!

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:05:00 +0000

This is pretty cool. The City of Seattle is declaring today, November 14, 2009, Approved Referendum 71 day. [Note the change in tense from Approve to Approved]

Whereas, civil rights and liberties have long been values of the City of Seattle; and

Whereas, the council recognized the importance of the extended domestic partnership law by endorsing the Approve Referendum 71 Campaign; and

Whereas, equality for all Seattleites is important and has a lasting effect on the city; and

Whereas, the LGBT community is an important and integral part of what makes the City of Seattle a great place to live, work, and go to school; and

Whereas, the historic vote to approve Referendum 71 in Washington State sends a message to the rest of the country that the rights and responsibilities afforded to heterosexual married couples are now available to same-sex domestic partners registered with Washington State, and provides important protections to all Washington families; and

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED THAT THE SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL DECLARES NOVEMBER 14, 2009 TO BE VICTORY, REFERENDUM 71 APPROVED DAY IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE.

Paris Masters Semifinals: Nadal v Djokovic, Monfils v Stepanek

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:14:00 +0000

Gael Monfils will face Radek Stepanek in one semifinal while Novak Djokovic will face Rafael Nadal in the other to see who makes the final of the Paris Indoor Masters tournament.

I think I'll take Monfils over Stepanek, and Nadal over Djokovic, since the World #2 is playing on borrowed time after not one but two narrow escapes earlier in the week against Nicolas Almagro (saving 5 match points) and Tommy Robredo, although he had a good win over defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the previous round. Djokovic keeps on mentioning how tired he is, carrying the record of the most wins on tour for the year of any competitor, and starting off tired against a determined Nadal is not bode well for a good result.

Celebrity Friday: President Obama In Alaska

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:16:00 +0000

President Obama is on a trip to Asia. On his way he stopped by a military base in Alaska and met the troops. Have a good weekend, MadProfessah is on a business trip in Washington, DC until Tuesday so blogging may be a bit erratic.

Catholic Church Threatens DC Council Over Marriage Equality

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:01:00 +0000

The Catholic Church issued an ultimatum to the District of Columbia City Council over that body's intention to end the ban on civil marriage for same-sex couples in the federal district: Allow Us To Discriminate Against Gays Or We Won't Feed Or Shelter The Homeless.

The Washington Post reports:

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.

Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.

[...]

Catholic Charities, the church's social services arm, is one of dozens of nonprofit organizations that partner with the District. It serves 68,000 people in the city, including the one-third of Washington's homeless people who go to city-owned shelters managed by the church. City leaders said the church is not the dominant provider of any particular social service, but the church pointed out that it supplements funding for city programs with $10 million from its own coffers.

Adam Bink of OpenLeft.com responds

The city has anti-discrimination laws on the books. Their claim- that they might be forced to place kids with same-sex parents, for example- is already true under existing law. Catholic Charities, the social services arm of the Church, has lived under those laws for years and received millions from city coffers, and is trying to erode them using scare tactics.
This has nothing to do with the marriage equality legislation. It is a red herring. The legislation provides for exemptions for religious organizations to, for example, not allow same-sex couples to use their religious building for a wedding. The amendment that did not pass on Tuesday relates to individuals' rights, and as Chairman Mendelson said in the WaPo piece, the problem with individual exemption is that anybody can use their religious beliefs to discriminate- back in the 50s and 60s, people said the separation of the races was ordained by God.
Catholic Charities receives DC taxpayer money to fund its services. If they aren't interested in abiding under already-existing DC public laws using our public money, then don't take it. City leaders themselves have pointed out that Catholic Charities is not an indispensible component of city services. I'm no expert on the non-profit world, but I can't imagine there aren't other groups who can use the money to take their place. And I'm not really down with my money going to religious organizations anyway.
In Boston, Catholic Charities shut down its adoption services over the same issue. But before they did so, they had been placing kids in same-sex households to comply with the law until the Boston Globe exposed it and the hierarchy told them to stop. It is plainly nauseating to me that the need to discriminate so overrides the Church's commitment to feed the hungry and clothe the naked that they would take this stand.

Other bloggers like Digby and others have also responded.

Check out the Black Youth Project!

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Checkout this new innovative new website to increase the diversity of voices in the blogosphere and online: The Black Youth Project.

From the website's about us page:

The Black Youth Project’s website is a cyber-resource center for black youth
and all those who are committed to enriching the lives of black youth. Within
the pages of this website, visitors can access research summaries, read blogs
about and by black youth, search an extensive rap database, access black youth
social justice organizations, and download social justice curricula to teach.
Arguably more than any other subgroup of Americans, African American youth
reflect the challenges of inclusion and empowerment in the post–civil rights
period as well as the challenges of web access and digital spaces to call their
own. Therefore, the intended purpose of this website is to generate new media
information, blogs, art, conversations, webinars, and data that will expand the
human and social capital of young African Americans, facilitating their geneal
empowerment through highlighting their voices and experiences.

The project is funded by the Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Chicago.

Portugal Plans To Enact Marriage Equality Soon

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:58:00 +0000

The newly re-elected prime minister of Portugal, José Sócrates, ran on a promise to legalize marriage for same-sex couples.

Gay couples in Portugal are waiting to see whether their re-elected prime minister will follow through with his campaign promise for gay
marriage.

José Sócrates and his Socialist Party government were returned
to power last weekend but without a parliamentary majority.

However, the left wing occupies a majority of the seats, with all left wing parties agreeing with gay marriage.

Portugal, which has a large Roman Catholic population, has seen all previous efforts to instigate same-sex marriage hit by heavy resistance from the country's religious groups and conservative politicians.

This year, a lesbian couple tried to challenge the gay marriage ban as unconstitutional.

Teresa Pires and Helena Paixao, two divorced mothers in their 30s who have been together since 2003, challenged the country's law when they were turned away from a registry office in Lisbon in 2006 after trying to wed.

The registry office rejected their attempt to marry on the grounds that the law states that marriage is between people of different genders.

In July, the Portuguese constitutional court upheld the ban on same-sex marriage.

Sunday's voting also saw an openly gay politician elected in Portugal for the first time.

Miguel Vale de Almeida is an independent MP for the Socialist Party.
Hat/tip PinkNews

Paris Masters: Nadal Saves 5 Match Points To Beat Almagro; Federer Upset

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:05:00 +0000

At the Paris Masters, World #2 Rafael Nadal of Spain saved 5 match points in the twelth game of the second set at 3-6, 5-6 to win the match 3-6, 7-6(2) 7-5 against compatriot Nicolas Almagro.

World #1 Roger Federer lost to local fave Julien Benneteau 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4. World #3 Andy Murray had 21 aces to defeat American James Blake 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4).

Black, gay, invisible (and British)

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:54:00 +0000

There's an interesting recent article about the plight of people who happen to be racial and sexual minorities by Topher Campbell of rukus!, a British Black lgbt organization, called "Black, gay,... and invisible." Campbell does an excellent job of detailing the parameters of the problems that Black gay people have in both Britain and in the United States. Here's an excerpt (with especially poignant points bolded by MadProfessah):

Black people need to stop treating homosexuality as if it's a white man's disease. We need to embrace the vibrant presence of gays and lesbians in our community and stop siding with bigots and racists.

Over the past few weeks the homophobic murder of Ian Baynham in Trafalgar Square and the assault on PC James Parkes in Liverpool have shocked the gay community. Every anti-gay opinion adds strength to their attackers and supports other gay bashers.

Whenever the subject of homosexuality is raised in the black community there is hysteria and denial. We who are black and lesbian or gay are considered at best a joke and at worst just plain wrong, weird or dirty. Many think we are somehow infected with a western decadent ifestyle and are undermining our race.

This thinking is fuelled by a combination of ignorance, fear, hatred, Christian and Islamic-based homophobic religious beliefs, and perversely racial pride. This deadly combination of prejudice forces us to be invisible in our own communities. Being black and lesbian or gay makes it harder for many of us to come out. The fear of losing our families in a racist society, and therefore our connection with our culture, is very real. Also having to negotiate through a white gay scene makes it doubly difficult to forge an identity or gain support from our peers.

The knee-jerk reaction of many African or African Caribbean parents is to either throw their lesbian and gay children out of the house at 16 or 17 or disown them. The wider community is hostile, too. I know of one teenager who was chased out of his school in East London by a group of 40 armed youths with dogs.

An alternative to coming out for many young people and even adults is to live invisible lives. Through disguise and deceit many black lesbians and gay men establish friendships, networks and lovers and never tell their families. The stress on themselves and their relationships can be unbearable.

The underlying problem we are faced with is to choose between our sexual identity and our race. The reality is that we cannot choose because both are intrinsic to us.
One cannot be hidden while the other cannot be denied. Sadly, in today's world, for black people who are "flamboyant" whether gay or straight or just more bookish or more sensitive or even academic (or for girls more sporty) we cannot escape the "accusation" that we are gay.

Homosexuality is as natural as eyesight. It is not a choice. It cannot be denied or made subject to one's race no more than you can change your place of birth.

You should go to The Guardian's website and read the rest of the article and leave a comment there, or I'd also like to hear what my readers have to say in the comments of my blog.

Mormons Support Salt Lake City Gay Rights Orginance

madprofessah@gmail.com (Mad Professah) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:40:00 +0000

As Wonder Man says, "It's Ice Cold In Hell." The LDS Church not only did not oppose a proposed ordinance in Salt Lake Cty to extend civil rights protections in emloyment to the categories of sexual orientation and gender identity, but actively supported it. The ordinance passed unanimously, the Salt Lake Tribune reports:

Hours after the LDS Church announced its support Tuesday night of proposed Salt
Lake City ordinances aimed at protecting gay and transgender residents from
discrimination in housing and employment, the City Council unanimously approved
the measures.
"The church supports these ordinances," spokesman Michael
Otterson told the council, "because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage."
They also are consistent with Mormon teachings, he said. "I believe in a church that believes in human dignity, in treating people with respect even when we disagree -- in fact, especially when we disagree."

[...]

The LDS Church's endorsement was hailed by leaders of Utah's
gay community -- some of them stunned -- who called it a historic night they
hope will set the stage for statewide legislation.

"This is a great step," said Will Carlson, director of public policy for the advocacy group Equality Utah. But, he noted, four out of five gay Utahns live outside the capital and should be afforded protection as well. "Equality Utah will continue to work for that."

The ordinance contains much more extensive language granting exceptions to the discrimination protections for religious-based organizations and practices. It will be interesting to see if the Governor of Utah, Gary Hebert, who earlier this year revealed his utter ignorance and misunderstanding of the concept of civil rights, will change his position on statewide legislation now that even the Mormons are saying that LGBT rights laws (trans-inclusive!) are "fair and reasonable."

Here's the full text of the official statement from the LDS Church on the Salt Lake City ordinance:

Good evening.

My name is Michael Otterson, and I am here tonight
officially representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The nondiscrimination ordinances being reviewed by the city council concern
important questions for the people of this community.

Like most of America, our community in Salt Lake City is comprised of citizens of different faiths and values, different races and cultures, different political views and divergent demographics. Across America and around the world, diverse communities such as ours are wrestling with complex social and moral questions.

People often feel strongly about such issues. Sometimes they feel so strongly that the ways in which they relate to one another seem to strain the fabric of our society,
especially where the interests of one group seem to collide with the interests
of another.

The issues before you tonight are the right of people to have a roof over their heads and the right to work without being discriminated against.

But, importantly, the ordinances also attempt to balance vital issues of
religious freedom. In essence, the Church agrees with the approach which Mayor
Becker is taking on this matter.

In drafting these ordinances, the city has granted common-sense rights that should be available to everyone, while safeguarding the crucial rights of religious organizations, for example, in their hiring of people whose lives are in harmony with their tenets, or when providing housing for their university students and others that preserve religious requirements.

The Church supports these ordinances because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage. They are also entirely consistent with the Church’s prior position on these matters. The Church remains unequivocally committed to defending the bedrock foundation of marriage between a man and a woman.

I represent a church that believes in human dignity, in treating others with
respect even when we disagree – in fact, especially when we disagree. The
Church’s past statements are on the public record for all to see. In these
comments and in our actions, we try to follow what Jesus Christ taught. Our
language will always be respectful and acknowledge those who differ, but will
also be clear on matters that we feel are of great consequence to our society.

Thank you.