Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyPosts for 2009
May 6th, 2009
The House voted, 178-167, to accept a Senate-approved compromise (HB 436) that would let gays and lesbians marry next Jan. 1.
If Lynch agreed, New Hampshire would become the sixth state where gays could marry.
Governor Lynch has not said whether he will sign, veto, or let the legislation go into effect without signature. I think that if he is forward thinking, he will not want this veto as part of his legacy.
May 6th, 2009
Governor Balducci signed the marriage bill.
From the San Jose Mercury News (who, for some reason reported the story first)
Gov. John Baldacci has signed a bill making Maine the fifth state to allow gay marriage.
Earlier in the day, the Maine Legislature gave final approval to gay marriage and sent the bill to Baldacci, who had been undecided on the issue.
What Happens Next
If this were a bill without opposition, it would come into effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session. However Michael Heath, executive director of the Maine Family Policy Council, has already announced that he will seek a “people’s veto” of the legislation.
A people’s veto works like this: After the end of the legislative session (probably some time in June), Heath can begin collecting signatures. He needs 10% of the last gubernatorial vote, or 55,087 valid signatures. If Heath gets enough signatures, the bill will not go into effect until it has been presented on the November ballot for an up or down vote. Yes means keep the bill, No means veto it.
Although Heath will have 90 days to collect signatures, he must present the signatures no later than 60 days before the vote, around September 3rd. Thus, may be a strange window in which signatures can be collected but in which they will not count towards forcing a vote.
Which raises a question. Were Heath to present signatures on, say, September 5 and were that day within 90 days of the end of the legislative session, would that place a stay on the enactment of the bill until the following election in the spring of 2010? While that might be a “dirty trick” that could momentarily work in Heath’s favor, it may in the long run prove to be detrimental. As time goes by, it is increasingly likely that attitudes in Maine will favor equality. This will be especially true as no dire consequences result in Vermont, Connecticut, or Massachusetts. Heath’s window of possible success may close.
As it is, Heath may have a rough go. Attitudes seem fairly even in Maine but Heath has a rather bad reputation in the state dating from his attempts to identify and out gay legislators. His requests for “tips, rumors, speculation and facts” resulted in a temporary ouster from the Christian Civic League (a previous name of the Maine Family Policy Council) and a significant amount of bad press.
Heath may well be an advantage for us. He tends towards extremism and outrageous hyperbole. Additionally, it looks as though Peter LaBarbera may be a part of the effort.
May 5th, 2009
Green = marriage; Yellow = needs Governor signature
With marriage equality issues changing so very quickly, here’s where the current status stands (my apologies for any inaccuracies):
California – the State Supreme Court has until June 6 to announce whether Proposition 8 is constitutional and, if so, what impact it has on the 18,000 same-sex couples who married between June and November 2008. There are mixed opinions on what the court will decide.
Colorado – The legislature passed a Designated Beneficiary Agreement Act, which has been signed by the Governor.
Illinois – a bill has been introduced to enact Civil Unions. The bill is currently waiting for a House vote.
Maine – The House and the Senate have both passed a marriage bill. Tomorrow it goes before the Senate for final approval and then to Gov. John Baldacci, who is “keeping an open mind”. Anti-Gays will immediately seek a “People’s Veto”, a process by which an enacted bill can be placed before the voters for an up or down vote. They would need about 55,000 valid signatures by the first of September. It would be led by Michael Heath who has established his reputation in Maine as an extremist and a homophobe.
Nevada – The Senate passed a bill to provide Domestic Partnerships with all the rights and obligations of marriage. It will go before the Assembly Judiciary on Friday. The Governor has promised to veto the bill but some sources say that there will be a compromise crafted before the legislature disbands in a month.
New Hampshire – The House and Senate have both passed a marriage bill. The Senate version had specific religious protections that were not in the House bill. The House Judiciary has approved the changes and they will go before a House vote tomorrow. The Governor has stated that he is opposed to gay marriage in the past but has not addresses this specific bill.
New York – A marriage bill has been introduced in the house. Log Cabin Republicans announced that they have found additional Republican support in the House for marriage. Senate Majority Leader Smith will not bring marriage to a vote in the Senate until adequate votes will assure its passage, which probably means that four to six Republicans will need to be convinced. Empire State Pride is doing polling in Republican districts and seeking to give them assurance that a vote for equality will not result in an election defeat.
Washington – a bill to upgrade the state\’s Domestic Partnerships to provide all the rights and obligations of marriage has passed the Senate and House with large margins and will be signed by the Governor. A petition has been filed to put it to the voters.
District of Columbia – the Council voted to recognize out of state marriages. This bill will be signed by the Mayor and then Congress has 30 days to review and possibly overturn it by a majority vote in both houses and the signature of the President. A same-sex marriage bill is expected later this year.
May 5th, 2009
Last week the Washington State legislature passed a bill providing Domestic Partnerships with all the rights, priveleges, and obligations of marriage. Now, per the Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
Referendum 71 was filed by Monday Larry Stickney, president of the Washington Values Alliance. Supporters need to get more than 120,500 valid voter signatures by July 25 in order to qualify for the Nov. 3 ballot.
A “yes” vote on the referendum would be to sustain the measure; a “no” vote would overturn the law.
The filing will temporarily suspend the new legislation, which was to take effect July 25 . Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign the bill soon.
May 5th, 2009
The Courage Campaign, currently the most vocal activists seeking to organize an overturn of Proposition 8 in either 2020 2010 or 2012, say that things will be different this time around. The parties who spearheaded the opposition to Prop 8 will not be involved in the effort.
The two main differences may be
1. in deflating the spurious claims of NOM and other anti-gay activists
To address voter concerns about the impact that state-sanctioned gay marriage could have on religious institutions, the Courage Campaign is considering possible ballot language that would guarantee the right of any two unrelated consenting adults to marry, while simultaneously stating that churches have a right to decide for themselves whom to marry.
“In order to win, we have to remove fear because that’s all the other side has left,” Jacobs said.
2. showing the face of gay marriage
Jacobs is convinced that the “No on Prop. 8” campaign erred by not showing gays or lesbians in any of its ads.
“There were no pictures of gay people. The ads were all about fairness,” Jacobs said. “This time, we’re going to make it clear you’re talking about real people.”
The campaign will also seek to make inroads into the African American community and other communities that were not adequately targeted last year.
May 5th, 2009
In the first week of April the Council of Washington, D.C. unanimously voted to recognize same-sex marriages conducted in such as as where they are legal. Today, with a required second vote, they again passed the bill recognizing marriage by a 12 – 1 vote.
The sole dissent was Marion Barry, the one-time mayor who has been married four times, busted by the FBI for crack cocaine possession and use, indicted for tax evasion, and jailed for six months, who claimed that he was a “moral leader” by opposing marriage recognition. Barry said that black residents of the nation’s capital would not allow marriage to be recognized.
“All hell is going to break lose,” Barry said while speaking to reporters. “We may have a civil war. The black community is just adamant against this.”
The bill will now advance to the mayor, a marriage supporter (NY Times)
The bill, which was approved by a 12-1 vote after an emotional debate, must first be signed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, a step that is considered a formality since he has already said he supports the measure. Then the committees in the House and Senate that oversee the District of Columbia would have 30 session days to review the law.
To overturn it, the House and Senate would have to send a joint resolution to President Obama for his signature. If Congress chooses not to take action within those 30 days, however, the law would automatically go into effect.
May 5th, 2009
See Updates Below
Carrie Prejean, Miss California, has issued a statement seeking to deflect criticism about presenting herself as a model of Christian virtue in the light of top-less pictures that have begun to hit the internet.
I am a Christian, and I am a model. Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos. Recently, photos taken of me as a teenager have been released surreptitiously to a tabloid Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith. I am not perfect, and I will never claim to be. But these attacks on me and others who speak in defense of traditional marriage are intolerant and offensive. While we may not agree on every issue, we should show respect for others’ opinions and not try to silence them through vicious and mean-spirited attacks.
I wondered at this particular explanation. Whoever wrote this for Carrie (clearly not Carrie herself) made a point of saying the nudie pics were taken when she was a teenager. But Prejean is only 21. So the pics are, asuming they aren’t kiddie porn, two to three years old.
But those who have seen the unrevealed pictures say they appear to be after her quite recent breast enhancement. If it turns out that these are more recent pictures, then what remaining shreds of dignity that Prejean has managed to hold onto will dissipate entirely.
UPDATE
The PR firms statement that Carrie’s pictures were “as a teenager” may possibly have something to do with the contract she entered into with the Miss California USA Pageant. A/P reports:
Pageant spokesman Roger Neal said Tuesday it appears the 21-year-old Prejean has run afoul of several sections of the 12-page contract prospective contestants were required to sign before competing in the state contest.
The contract contains a clause asking participants whether they have conducted themselves “in accordance with the highest ethical and moral standards” and if they’ve ever been photographed nude or partially nude.
Access Holywood has more:
On Monday, photos surfaced on TheDirty.com showing a topless Carrie Prejean posing provocatively. However, Carrie quickly responded to the photos, claiming she was only 17 years old when the pictures were taken.
But was Carrie\’s claim a strategic move since many media outlets would not likely air underage nudity?
Today, Access Hollywood uncovered evidence, which may put her age at over 18 when the photos were taken.
The Miss California USA organization told Access they were “shocked” by the photo and said they believe the images were shot between the time of now-21-year-old Carrie\’s breast augmentation and the Miss USA Pageant, which would be roughly 10 weeks ago.
For “a Christian”, Prejean seems to have a shocking disregard for honesty and for someone so very concerned about marriage, she seems to have a rather cavalier attitude about contracts.
UPDATE 2:
TMZ has a handwritten note from Carrie claiming that they were taken before she turned 18. They don’t think that she appears in these images to be the same age as she does in pictures taken when she was Miss Teen California prior to her 18th birthday.
May 5th, 2009
Per the Washington Blade:
A House committee endorsed a proposal Tuesday that’s already been approved in the Senate. The bill comes up for a vote in the House on Wednesday. It distinguishes between civil and religious marriage and says any two individuals have a right to a civil marriage. The proposal leaves it up to each religion whether to recognize and officiate over same-sex marriages.
May 5th, 2009
The Maine House of Representatives has approved a bill providing for same-sex marriage by a vote of 89–58. This follows last week’s approval in the state Senate. The bill now goes to Governor John Baldacci (D), who hasn’t said publicly whether he will sign it or not. He has indicated privately however that he may be open to signing it.
May 5th, 2009
Today the Maine House will vote on whether to allow same-sex couples to marry. As the House is about two thirds Democrat and because over a thrid of House members have signed on as sponsors of the bill, supporters are “cautiously optimistic” of its passage.
Then the bill will go to Governor Baldacci for signature. Although he has opposed same-sex marriage in the past, he has also made recent statements that are encouraging that he may sign the bill.
It is possible that before you go to sleep tonight that Maine will decide to become the fifth state in which same-sex couples may marry.
Update I: You can watch the live debate and vote here.
Update II: The Maine House approved the measure.
May 4th, 2009
The situation in Uganda shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. The Uganda press continues to play up the time-honored gays-as-child-predators slander, with the claim that the only reason for repeated generations of gay people is that they must “recruit” the next generation.
While that’s going on, Uganda’s Parliament appears poised to consider strengthening its already draconian law against homosexual acts. That action has the backing of Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni. Current law already provides a maximum lifetime sentence for conviction of participating in same-sex relations. This latest efforts appear aimed at making the condition of homosexuality itself illegal.
We now have media reports of one gay couple arrested in Mbale. It is believed others have been arrested and sentenced as well. We also have reported blackmail attempts, in which anti-gay activists demand money in exchange for not publicly denouncing the individual as gay.
One person at the center of the blackmail allegations is Uganda’s “ex-gay” star, George Oundo, who continues to play a prominent role in the national outing campaign of private citizens. He has also made some very splashy allegations against well-known public figures as well. Those allegations have appeared in print, and on radio and television.
One such appearance was on Uganda’s NTV television on March 29. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has obtained video of that broadcast:
The video features Oundo describing his “recruiting” efforts in Uganda’s schools. Strangely, his open admission of engaging in sexual acts with underage children has not led to calls for his arrest.
Red Pepper headlines in 2007. Click to enlarge.
The television report intersperses brief shots of a pro-gay press conference held on August 16, 2007, which called on the Uganda government to allow LGBT people to live in peace. Many LGBT people attending that conference wore masks to shied their identity. That “Live In Peace” meeting led to that year’s public anti-gay vigilante campaign, with the tabloid Red Pepper playing a major role in that year’s campaigns.
As we reported earlier, Oundo got his first taste of public notoriety last September when he appeared on the pages of the hated Red Pepper seeking to embarrass the Ugandan LGBT community in a blatant bid for money. With that effort having come up dry, he appears now to be casting his lot with Stephen Langa’s Family Life Network
Langa’s Family Live Network began this latest round of anti-gay vigilantism with an anti-gay conference Kampala on March 3-5. That conference featured Exodus board president Don Schmierer, Holocaust revisionist Scott Lively, and purported raiser-of-the-dead and Richard Cohen protegé Caleb Lee Brundidge. Exodus International “applauded” Schmierer’s role at the conference, while Exodus President Alan Chambers tried to wash his hands of responsibility for the aftermath of Schmierer’s actions.
Click here to see BTB\’s complete coverage of recent anti-gay developments in Uganda.
This commentary is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other authors at Box Turtle Bulletin
May 4th, 2009
Matt Herman, the leader of Chi Alpha, has provided more detail about the change in relationship between the organization and Chris Donohoe. I think it adds some useful perspective.
From Explaining a Complex Relationship
Over the last five semesters Chris and I met on almost a weekly basis to talk about life, spirituality, academics, sexuality and Chi Alpha. There is nothing we have avoided in our conversations. Recently, we agreed that our conversations have been some of the most in-depth and meaningful since we both arrived at Cornell. In addition to meeting over lunch, I have been to Chris\’ diving meets, traveled in and out of the United States on service projects with him and for a very brief period of time Chris lived with Tracy and me as he was waiting for a summer internship to begin. My point in sharing this with you is that you come to understand one thing about our relationship with Chris: we are friends. I realize that this is hard for some to believe, but even through our conversations this month Chris reaffirmed to me, “I love you both dearly, and it was incredibly hard for me to drag all of this out into the open knowing that it would cause you pain.” His intention: “is not to punish Chi Alpha, but to work through a very complex issue alongside the group.”
In regards to Chris\’ position of leadership in Chi Alpha, the process and decision was slow and deeply discussed. Before last summer, Chris sat down with Tracy, another student leader and myself to discuss some interpersonal issues, his changing view toward the Bible concerning homosexuality and his newly developing relationship with another male on campus. It was during this meeting when we communicated Chi Alpha\’s nationally held belief that homosexual behavior is a sin and, as with any sin, those who insist and promote sinful behavior should not hold leadership positions. This point is key, so I will reiterate it. The issue is not that Chris feels same-sex attraction. The issue is that he now celebrates what the Bible calls sin. This is inappropriate for a Christian leader.
When the summer ended I had a long conversation with Chris in which he affirmed his decision to live an openly gay life and stated that he now completely disagrees with Chi Alpha\’s theological understanding of the issue. It was at this point that Chris was asked to step out of his leadership position in accordance with our previous conversation. As we talked over the phone, we agreed that we did not want our friendship to change and clarified that he was not being asked to leave Chi Alpha.
Over the next few days Tracy and I contacted those leaders within Chi Alpha who had previous knowledge of Chris\’ homosexuality and they affirmed the decision to have him removed from leadership, thus solidifying the decision by those leaders with prior involvement. Upon Chris\’ request, we did not bring this to the Chi Alpha community at large and kept true to our commitment to keep the decision private until he began sharing the information with others.
I continue to assure religious organizations that gay people, gay couples, gay marriages, and gay lives are no threat to their religious freedom. I invite all of you to join me in making that true.
May 4th, 2009
We’ve all suspected it was coming. We got a little taste of Carrie’s “come do me on the beach” look from the pages of B!isss Magazine. And now the first topless pic is on the web.
From theDirty.com
[This image has been removed]
Yep. Everything about that pic says “Biblical correctness”.
And if rumor is correct, there are more to come; some which might require pixilating.
May 4th, 2009
I don\’t object to National Organization for Marriage\’s Maggie Gallagher having any view she wishes to endorse. Nor do I oppose her opining wherever she gets the chance.
But Gallagher is not entitled to make claims that are contrary to the facts.
On Larry King Live (with Joy Behar sitting in as guest host), Gallagher said the following:
After Prop 8 … we had a waitress who gave $100 to support marriage and people were calling for her job, they wanted her to lose her job because she supported marriage as a man and a woman.
That, of course, was a reference to the response when gay Angelenos found out that Margie Christoffersen contributed to Proposition 8. Margie was not “a waitress”.
Margie is the “face” of El Coyote Mexican Restaurant, the family member selected to represent the family owned establishment to their customers. She is the daughter of the titular owner and the wife of the business manager for the company; they operate the restaurant together.
When gay patrons of the restaurant, most of whom had been customers for decades, found out that Margie had smiled at them one day and gave money to remove their rights the next, they demanded a meeting. In that meeting Margie was completely dismissive of their concerns.
Christoffersen has never been a waitress. Gallagher knows the facts of this story, she’s written on it before. This was nothing but a false attempt to elicit sympathy for a powerless woman who feared for her next paycheck, a woman who does not exist.
May 4th, 2009
Vis-Ã -vis the discussion on here about the student at Cornell who was dismissed from a leadership position at Chia Alpha Christian fellowship for being openly gay. The student government, which had temporarily suspended funding for the organization, reinstated it. Now one of our readers, who is also a student at Cornell, has written a short piece about this, which I think brings up an interesting point: Is it right to view this as a religion-sexuality conflict? I’d be interested to hear what our readers think.
I was greatly disappointed to read that the Student Assembly has decided to reinstate funding to Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship following the discriminatory acts committed against one of its own members. The rationale for this decision is alluded to in the text of the Student Assembly Financial Committee\’s decision:
[I]n a case where religious pursuits conflict with sexual orientation, it is not clear which of the two categories should take priority.
The identification of the problem as being one between “religion” and “sexuality” was inappropriate and resulted in the SAFC\’s inability to act on behalf of its constituency. Had the SAFC seen the problem as one between a “student” who had been discriminated against by a “student group,” perhaps they would been better able to evaluate the case for potential recourse against Chi Alpha. Their task in this case should have been to evaluate a discriminatory act by a student group and take appropriate action, not to attempt to reconcile years of umbrage between religion and sexuality.
Had the SAFC not burdened themselves with the weight of attempting to cure major social issues (perhaps swine flu on next week\’s agenda?), they would have seen that revoking Chi Alpha\’s funds was the most appropriate course of action.
The Executive Committee is reported as having recognized that, “it was unclear whether Chi Alpha violated the goals of the Cornell University [Commitment to] Diversity.” Having glanced at the University\’s Commitment to Diversity, I see no ambiguity. Three of the four goals laid out in that document have clearly been violated by the Chi Alpha organization. Namely, “to ensure that the composition of …leadership reflects the composition of the broader society,” “to ensure that our community embraces and supports individuals from all… sexual orientation… groups in their chosen pursuits,” and “to ensure that individuals from all backgrounds achieve to their full potential.”
There is no question these tenets were violated by removing Chris Donohoe \’09 from his leadership position based solely on his sexual orientation. This further suggests that the SAFC has misidentified the issue at hand, and, in turn, their subsequent role in resolving the problem. It is clear from the University\’s diversity statement that acts of discrimination and intolerance are not welcome on campus and offer the SAFC a solid basis for revoking Chi Sigma\’s funding. Instead, we are currently faced with the reprehensible situation in which Chris continues to pay a student activity fee that funds an organization to which he is not allowed to contribute as a full and equal member. In an act of cowardice, the Student Assembly has failed to take action. The SAFC should revoke funding for Chi Alpha and send a clear message that our student activity fees will not be used to fund organizations that discriminate against members of the Cornell community whom they purport to serve.
— Patrick Ayscue
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