John McCain has demonstrated with this insane decision that he is unfit to be president of the United States. This was an act of near-criminal negligence. If he can behave this recklessly and impulsively with this decision, the idea of allowing him to become president of the United States is only a smidgen less terrifying than thinking of Palin in that position.

Read more and help at LGBTforObama.com.

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Over one third of Illinois students stated in a 2006 survey that sexual orientation and gender identity are the most common reasons for bullying and harassment in schools. 75 percent of the students surveyed said they heard anti-gay remarks from other students on a regular basis and more than 80 percnet have heard students make comments such as “that’s so gay” or “you’re gay.”

Although I appreciate the efforts of the Chicago Public School System to provide safe learning environments, I feel strongly it would be better if we didn’t have to separate our students. This reminds me of the days of segregation in the old south. Perhaps the Republicans are getting their way after all.

Read more at windycitymediagroup.com.

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1) She vetoed HB 4001 on the grounds that it violated the constitution. HB 4001 would have prohibited the Commissioner of Administration from implementing the regulations that would extend same-sex partner benefits. 

2) She let a resolution stand that urged the court to delay implementation of same-sex partner benefits. The court did not grant the delay.

3) In the most detrimental move for the LGBT community, she signed into law HB 4002, calling for a statewide advisory vote on the provision of same-sex partner employment benefits. 

That advisory vote occurred on April 3, 2007 at the cost of $1.2 million to the State of Alaska.

Read the rest of this at bentalaska.com.

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According to the article;

A few days ago, a couple articles written by the bestselling Card were forwarded to me, and they demand a response from all clear-thinking Americans. Why? What’s the big deal? Oh, nothing. just that Card is advocating a violent overthrow of the American government if it decides to support gay marriage.

He writes:

“Regardless of law, marriage has only one definition, and any government that attempts to change it is my mortal enemy. I will act to destroy that government and bring it down, so it can be replaced with a government that will respect and support marriage, and help me raise my children in a society where they will expect to marry in their turn. Only when the marriage of heterosexuals has the support of the whole society can we have our best hope of raising each new generation to aspire to continue our civilization..”

He then goes onto say;

“In the first place,” he writes, “no law in any state in the United States now or ever has forbidden homosexuals to marry. Any homosexual man who can persuade a woman to take him as her husband can avail himself of all the rights of husbandhood under the law. Ditto with lesbian women. To get those civil rights, all homosexuals have to do is find someone of the opposite sex willing to join them in marriage.”

And yet there is more;

“However emotionally bonded a pair of homosexual lovers may feel themselves to be, what they are doing is not marriage. they are not turning their relationship into what my wife and I have created, because no court has the power to change what their relationship actually is. They steal from me what I treasure most, and gain for themselves nothing at all. They won’t be married. They’ll just be playing dress-up in their parents’ clothes.”

Please go to populistamerica.com and read this.  It is the alarm, and it IS TIME TO WAKE UP!

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I have to admit, I was somewhat surprised by Sen. John McCain’s choice to select Gov. Sarah Palin as the vice presidential nominee.

I mean, I like to think of myself as a bit of a news junkie, and nowhere did I see any mention of her name in speculation articles on who McCain might pick.

Names being tossed around included Sen. Joe Lieberman and Pennsylvania’s Gov. Tom Ridge. Even former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romnny was a consideration. But Sarah Palin?

Even from a conservative standpoint, I have to ask: What was McCain thinking? This is a woman whose laundry list of disclosures this week, puts McCain’s entire vetting process in question.

* She has hired a private attorney to aid her in a legislative ethics investigation into whether she abused her power in firing Alaska’s public safety commissioner.

* Her husband was a member of the Alaska Independence Party, which sought to
bring the state’s secession to a vote.

* Her 17-year-old, unmarried daughter is pregnant.

But the interesting question that has erupted in the blogosphere in the past week or so is: Is Palin anti-gay? The Republican spin machine jumps into action. And depending on who you ask, the answer varies.

Log Cabin Republicans — supporters of the Republican Party who advocate for gay and lesbian rights — hailed the selection of Palin and offered this statement on their Web site last week:

“Alaska Governor Sarah Palin can help Sen. McCain win this election by
appealing to independent and young voters. She’s a mainstream Republican who
will unite the Party and serve John McCain well as Vice President. Gov.
Palin is an inclusive Republican who will help Sen. McCain appeal to gay and
lesbian voters.”

An inclusive Republican?

It’s an odd description of the woman who favored a ban on same-sex marriage
that defined marriage as only that between a man and a woman in Alaska in
1998.

Interestingly, she did veto — the only veto in her time as state governor —
legislation in 2006 that would have banned the state from giving same-sex
partner benefits to state workers.

The move at the time was lauded by many.  But it fails to recognize one fact: She vetoed the bill because it was unconstitutional — not because she supported offering same-sex benefits to partners of state workers. She told the Anchorage Daily News in 2006 that she can’t defy the court when it comes to how rights are applied. Not that she didn’t try.

In April 2007, she spent between $750,000 and 1.2 million on a ballot measure that would repeal her own veto, according to equalitygiving.com, a site that seeks to extend legal protections to the GLBT community. She said at the time;

“I believe that honoring the family structure is important.”

While Palin readily admits she has gay friends, it’s clear she does not support treating them equally.  In fact, her state has very few laws that prevent discrimination against the
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

* Alaska does not provide hate crime protection for GLBT people.
* Alaska does not protect members of the GLBT community from discrimination
in employment, housing or extension of credit.
* Alaska does not have any anti-bullying protections for GLBT youth.

That’s a record that even a Log Cabin Republican should have a hard time standing behind.
Despite numerous attempt to contact Log Cabin Republicans, none responded to defend their position.
Scott Tucker, communications director for the Log Cabin Republicans, sent this statement:

“Gov. Palin’s record on gay and lesbian issues is largely unclear. Some news
reports have shown encouraging signs, but it’s too soon to tell. The top of
the ticket is the one that matters and Sen. John McCain is an inclusive
Republican who stood with us on the most important issue gay and lesbian
Americans faced in the last decade —the federal marriage amendment. He took
a political risk by bucking his own party and the president on that issue
and twice voting against it.”

Is that really enough?

Ruth Schneider is somewhat appalled she shares a gender with Sarah Palin.
Contact her at rschneider@theolympian.com or call 360-704-6873.

You can also read more from Ruth Schneider at theolympian.com.

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The number of gay men in the Chinese capital who have HIV is much larger than previously thought.

New figures from the Beijing Centres of Disease Control and Prevention indicate that ignorance upt o 5% of gay men in Beijing have HIV.

Difficulty in getting the message about safe sex across to closeted gay men are contributing factors.

Read more at pinknews.co.uk.

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According to one of my favorite websites, Peacelovelunges.com, here are some great tips for reaching that goal so many have simply though is unreachable.

But remember, if it were easy, everyone would do it.

Let me be as clear as possible: exercise isn’t enough. To get a washboard in the shortest time possible, you need to really focus on your diet. And when I say focus, I mean with “laser-like” intention. If you really want a washboard, that means absolutely NO cheating and little, if any, room for error.

Find out the rest at peacelovelunges.com.

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Asked if she would support a Constitutional amendment to overturn the Alaska Supreme Court decision mandating public employers to provide benefits equivalent to same-sex couples, Sarah Palin responded “yes.”

And this is just the tip of the Alaskan Iceberg.

Read the rest at dekerivers.wordpress.com.

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Schmidt opened by claiming a personal connection to LGBT issues because his sister is a lesbian. Schmidt did not take the time to talk about McCain’s opposition to gay rights and was extremely cautious in expressing any support for the GLBT Community. He did state; “over time” more equality for gays “will be reached”.

I’m not sure what the “gay republicans” are thinking, but the McCain campaign has and does adamantly opposes the Log Cabin Republican’s platform, which includes “equality for gay and lesbian people.” McCain kept no secrets about why he couldn’t pick Michael Bloomberg as VP, mainly because Bloomberg is “pro-gay rights.” McCain opposes gay adoption of orphans, supports Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and opposes gay marriage and civil unions.

On the note of Sarah Palin, the LCR don’t have her support either. When she was running for governor of Alaska, not only did she opposed gay marriage, but even civil unions. “I believe that honoring the family structure is that important,” Palin said during her 2006 campaign.

Check out his, not so convincing talk where he also calls Sarah Palin’s speech “one of the great speeches of political conventions”. Did he actually see her speak?

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