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
April 7th, 2009
Today definitely is Gay Couple Day.
From the Baltimore Sun:
The Senate voted 28-19 Tuesday to approve a bill that would add same-sex domestic partners to the list of family members who can inherit homes without paying taxes on that property. The exemption would only apply to the couple’s primary residence and the property must be jointly owned to get the tax break.
There is no state inheritance tax on property passing to spouses, children, parents, grandparents, stepchildren or stepparents and siblings under current Maryland law. Others pay a 10 percent tax on the property’s value.
Oh c’mon now Maryland. Wouldn’t it just be easier and quicker to legalize marriage and not have to take the incremental approach?
April 7th, 2009
This has been a good week for Americans who value equality and social stability. More gay couples have been incorporated into the fabric of society and endowed with both the blessings and the expectations of their neighbors.
Here is how same-sex couples fare (after the relevant commencement dates of Iowa, Vermont, and D.C.):
UPDATE:
The above breakout has been amended to show that Washington D.C. does currently recognize Domestic Partnerships and offer limited benefits.
April 7th, 2009
Today the District of Columbia voted to recognize those same-sex marriages that are performed where legal. (WJLA)
An amendment that would recognize same-sex marriages performed outside of the District of Columbia has been unanimously approved by the D.C. Council, the office of At-Large Councilman David Catania confirmed to ABC 7 News Tuesday.
Although this bill does not allow for the recognition of marriages within the District, Catania plans a bill for later this spring or summer.
The D.C. Council does not have full authority over the laws of the nation’s capital. Congress can, and often does, interfere and block legislation that would impact the residents of Washington. The reaction to the decision made by the Council may well give us a predictor about the success of future efforts to overturn DOMA.
April 7th, 2009
The District of Columbia voted today to recognize same-sex marriage performed in other states. The unanimous 12-0 vote, coming on the same day that Vermont enacted same-sex marriage, means that the nation’s capital will recognize couples who were married out of state as married couples. Several council members hailed today’s vote as an important step towards full marriage equality in the District.
April 7th, 2009
Conservative columnist Cal Thomas is most definitely against same-sex marriage, and more broadly he has little good to say about the gay rights movement (“They have taken advantage of a morally exhausted nation…”). He is pretty sure that the court decision in Iowa will “dismantle the foundations of our nation” and open the floodgates to polygamy. But with all that, he knows when the party’s over:
To those on the political and religious right who are intent on continuing the battle to preserve “traditional marriage” in a nation that is rapidly discarding its traditions, I would ask this question: What poses a greater threat to our remaining moral underpinnings? Is it two homosexuals living together, or is it the number of heterosexuals who are divorcing and the increasing number of children born to unmarried women, now at nearly 40 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?
…The battle over same-sex marriage is on the way to being lost. For conservatives who still have faith in the political system to reverse the momentum, you are—to recall Harold Hill—”closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge.”
April 7th, 2009
The Vermont House just voted to override the Gov. Jim Douglas\’s (R) veto of the marriage bill, by a vote of 100-49. This vote, along with the Vermont Senate’s 23-5 override vote earlier this morning, means that same-sex marriage has been approved by the duly elected members of both chambers of Vermont’s legislature.
Full marriage equality has arrived in Vermont.
April 7th, 2009
The Vermont Senate just voted 23-5 to override Gov. Jim Douglas\’s (R) veto of the marriage bill which would allow for same-sex marriage. The vote now goes to the House, where the override vote is expected to be very close. You can hear the live-stream of the House debate and vote here. A two-thirds vote of those present and voting is needed to override a veto.
Queerty has an excellent rundown on the five people in the Vermont House who will decide which way Vermont will go.
April 7th, 2009
Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren appeared on Larry King last night and claimed that he had never endorsed California’s Prop 8 during the campaign, and that he had never compared same-sex marriage to incest, polygamy or child molestation — despite the fact that both statements what he claimed to have never made are widely available on the Internet.
Concerning Warren’s “non-endorsement” of Prop 8, Rick Warren told Larry King:
Yes, you know, Larry, there was a story within a story that never got told. In the first place, I am not an anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist. I never have been, never will be. During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never — never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop 8 was going.
The week before the — the vote, somebody in my church said, Pastor Rick, what — what do you think about this? And I sent a note to my own members that said, I actually believe that marriage is — really should be defined, that that definition should be — say between a man and a woman. And then all of a sudden out of it, they made me, you know, something that I really wasn’t.
After a commercial break, Warren was asked again about his role in Prop 8. He replied:
I never campaigned for it. I never — I’m not an anti-gay activist — never have been. Never participated in a single event. I just simply made a note in a newsletter. And, of course, everything I write it’s — it’s (INAUDIBLE).
But before the election, Rick Warren sent his little note to his members in the form of a professionally-produced video on the World Wide Web for all the World Wide to see.
Warren also told King that he had never compared gay relationships to incest, polygamy or child molestation:
There were some things said that — you know, everybody should have 10 percent grace when they say public statements. And I was asked a question that made it sound like I equated gay marriage with pedophilia or incest, which I absolutely do not believe.
But as we reported in December when he made those comments, this is what he said:
Rick Warren: But the issue to me is, I\’m not opposed to that as much as I\’m opposed to the redefinition of a 5,000-year definition of marriage. I\’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I\’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I\’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage.
Steven Waldman: Do you think, though, that they are equivalent to having gays getting married?
Rick Warren: Oh I do.
He then went on about his “many gay friends” — whose relationships are in the same league as incest, child molestation and polygamy — and he did so again on Larry King last night:
Rick Warren: All of the criticism came from people that didn’t know me.
Larry King: Well…
Rick Warren: Not a single criticism came from any gay leader who knows me and knows that for years, we’ve been working together on AIDS issues and all these other things.
We are still waiting to hear from Rick Warren’s “many gay friends” or from a gay leader who knows him. Ill-informed entertainers don’t count.
April 6th, 2009
Juan Alberto Ovalle, a heterosexual recruiter for Focus On the Family, wearing an interesting shade of orange.
A staffer at Focus On the Family was busted for soliciting a 15-year-old girl:
Do you like older guys?” a 42-year-old Colorado Springs man who listed his employer as evangelical ministry Focus on the Family asked 11 minutes after initiating contact in an Internet chat room with a girl he believed to be younger than 15, according to an arrest affidavit released Monday by the Jefferson County District Attorney\’s Office.
Turns out the “teenager” was really an investigator with the district attorney\’s office, as Juan Alberto Ovalle discovered the next afternoon when he was arrested on two felony counts in Lakewood after arranging to meet the girl for sex, according to the affidavit.
..Ovalle told the girl to describe what she liked to do when she had sex and then wrote, “I like all my face to get wet.”
Does that pick-up line work for heterosexuals these days? Sheesh!
We’re trying to keep tabs on them here and in our report, “The Heterosexual Agenda: Exposing the Myths.” It’s not easy, nor is it for the feint of heart. But somebody’s got to do it.
[Hat tip: Pam Spaulding]
April 6th, 2009
Iowa State Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal is already on record as saying that as long as he’s Majority Leader, there will be no vote on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. He reiterated that stance today, in no uncertain terms.
“‘You guys don’t understand. You’ve already lost.’ … No, Senator McKinley, I will not co-sponsor a leadership bill with you.”
April 6th, 2009
The head of the Mormon Church, President Thomas S. Monson, isn’t at all happy that his church has been exposed as the principal financier and organizer of Proposition 8. He didn’t like the backlash at all.
This past weekend was the 179th Annual Conference:
President Monson also made an apparent reference to the recent battle in California over Proposition 8 banning gay marriage. The L.D.S. Church was part of a coalition that helped pass the ban. In the days and weeks that followed passage last fall, gay rights advocates vented their anger in protests outside L.D.S. temples and in calls for boycotts of some businesses owned by members of the L.D.S. Church. President Monson said, “The moral footings of society continue to slip, while those who attempt to safeguard those footings are often ridiculed and, at times, picketed and persecuted.”
Monson was not alone in feeling all picked-on and victimized.
In a speech on self-sacrifice, Apostle Dallin H. Oaks praised Mormon opposition to same-sex marriage.
“In recent elections, Latter-day Saints have united with other like-minded persons in defense of marriage efforts,” Oaks said. “For some, that service has involved great sacrifice and continuing personal pain.”
Oh the pain, the pain, of having your callousness, inhumanity, and arrogant assumption of privelege shown for what it is. And oh the sacrifice, the great sacrifice, made in the name of denying others what you insist upon for yourself.
Poor, poor Mormon leadership. You’d almost think that someone had spent tens of millions of dollars and told endless lies about them all in the name of taking away one of their fundamental rights.
April 6th, 2009
Governor Jim Douglas has, as expected, vetoed SB 101, the marriage bill.
This legislation does not address the inequalities espoused by proponents. Regardless of whether the term marriage is applied, federal benefits will still be denied to same sex couples in Vermont. And states that do not recognize same sex marriage or civil unions will also deny state rights and responsibilities to same sex couples married in Vermont. This bill will not change that fact.
Vermont’s civil union law has afforded the same state rights, responsibilities and benefits of marriage to same sex couples. Our civil union law serves Vermont well and I would support congressional action to extend those benefits at the federal level to states that recognize same sex unions. But I believe that marriage should remain between a man and a woman.
Douglas’ message does contain a bit of good news
On such an intensely personal issue as this, all members must do as their individual conscience dictates, with the best interest of their districts in mind. It is for those reasons that I have not sought to lobby members of my own party, or asked opponents to sustain my veto.
I am annoyed with Douglas to no end for his action. But this veto message is perhaps the best we could hope for; it nearly invites the legislature to overturn his veto and makes promises of future support.
Now let’s hope that we can corral the votes needed in the House to reinstate Marriage.
April 6th, 2009
The news of the boycott against Jamaica has reached the island. Naturally, being Jamaican media, the reporter placed the boycott as solely San Franciscan in extent, questioned the “specific figures on the size of the movement”, defended the targets, and dismissed the concerns as “a perceived rise in attacks”.
Today the Jamaica Gleaner printed a letter to the editor. Needless to say, it was not one expressing condemnation of the violence or a concern about the economic impact of harboring murdering homophobes. Rather, it was the usual arrogant defense of homophobia and hatred that we have come to expect from Jamaicans.
This is Jamaica and we are against homosexuals.
There is no if, but or maybe about it. Why are they forcing us to accept them? We do not have to. We are a Christian country and homosexuality is contrary to our practices, so why should we drop all our morals, values and religious standards just to please their forbidden choice?
And as for civil protections, well there are none to be expected in the Caribbean’s pit of bigotry.
Instead of simply attacking us and trying to force us to protect and accept you, how about accepting our laws and abiding by them? You are not changing your minds and becoming heterosexuals, and we reluctantly accept that. Likewise, we are not changing our minds, or our laws to please you, so accept this. In the end, if you want to boycott our country, we don’t mind.
Thanks. I believe I will.
April 6th, 2009
Nate Silver of Five Thirty Eight has become a bit of a hero to those who turn to pundits and prognosticators. His accuracy at predicting voter results has made him an instant legend.
Silver has now reviewed 30 constitutional amendments and come up with a formula for predicting the results of votes to ban gay marriage. And it requires only three variables:
1. The year in which the amendment was voted upon;
2. The percentage of adults in 2008 Gallup tracking surveys who said that religion was an important part of their daily lives;
3. The percentage of white evangelicals in the state.
Silver sees a trend in which anti-gay bans lose about 2% support each year. And he projects the date at which such a ban could not be passed in each state (for example, California’s Proposition 8 would have failed in 2010).
Now, more than half of the US several states have already banned gay marriage. And there is a difference between defeating an anti-marriage amendment and supporting a pro-marriage amendment. But it is reasonable to assume that the date on which an anti-gay marriage amendment would fail and that on which a pro-gay marriage amendment would pass are not separated by too many years.
And he predicts that support for marriage bans will quite soon be limited to the states where one most expects it.
By 2016, only a handful of states in the Deep South would vote to ban gay marriage, with Mississippi being the last one to come around in 2024.
Time is on our side.
April 6th, 2009
The recent flare-up of anti-gay activity in Uganda has taken on a very dangerous turn lately, with two tabloids providing “tips” on how to spot gays and lesbians. These “tips” are based on common misinformed stereotypes, some of which were promulgated from the recent series of anti-gay gatherings taking place in the aftermath of a conference earlier this month featuring three American anti-gay activists.
Uganda’s Weekly Observer’s “tips” is in the form of person-on-the-street interviews, in which random Ugandans offer their suggestions on how to spot gays and lesbians, like this one:
Sarah Nakiwolo, 22, Student
What I know is that men who are gay tend to like all the fancy things that are normally appreciated by women. For example they will want to always treat their hair, apply make-up and act like women by pulling at their blouses (shirts) and jeans, which are normally tight. They also tend to gesture around like women by folding their hands, you know. Then for women, they will behave like men. They wear men’s clothes a lot and would rather cut their hair to appear like men and do not fuss about make up. God made sex for man and woman, period. It will be hard to stop gay acts unless government comes out with a strict law.
Of the nine interviews, only one cautioned that “it would not be wise to stereotype.” There were no counterbalancing interviews of gay people or experts, legitimate or otherwise.
The second, more disturbing element is that the Red Pepper is beginning to get involved. The latest issue featured this story:
Researchers told us last night that over three million Ugandans have engaged in homosexual activities knowingly or unknowingly…. Last week Sunday Pepper talked in confidence to some people who had ever been cornered into homosexual acts and below we give you their chilling confessions.
Those researchers are unnamed. What follows is two “confessions.” One was subtitled, “I survived being bum-drilled by a senior journalist,” and the other, “I became a lesbo unknowingly.”
Ugandan newspaper headlines in 2007. Click to enlarge.
The Red Pepper’s entry into the latest round of anti-gay grandstanding was expected, but it’s disturbing nonetheless. In previous anti-gay campaigns, the Red Pepper became notorious for printing first names and identifying details of those it alleged were gay.
The Red Pepper’s “confessions” article isn’t the only recent story the tabloid has run recently. The Red Pepper also ran this story, which carried lurid allegations against named individuals who are members of an opposition political party. Stories like these are common means of discrediting legitimate opposition in Uganda, and the Red Pepper’s accounts are typically the most intentionally outrageous:
Monster whopper wielding homosexual activists last year reportedly grabbed and attempted to drill the tiny bums of Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) members, Red Pepper exclusively reveals. UYD is a vibrant youth wing of the opposition Democratic Party.
The chilling story is that late last year, UYD boss, Fred Mukasa Mbidde ferried 40 UYD members by bus to attend a conference on African Democracy at Victoria Hotel, Nakuru in Kenya. Sources that attended the workshop say it was organized and financed by AUF, a Norwegian based political party well known for bankrolling bum shafting and gay activities worldwide.
The organization which was represented by a bummy lady identified as Anja Riiser, has been secretly securing visas for bum-bonking experts and gay stars to countries like Spain, Norway, Italy and Canada.
The article goes on to names of several “UYD boys whose bums survived being cracked by bazungu’s [sic] monster whoppers.”
Exodus board member Don Schmierer (left) and Holocaust revisionist Scott Lively (right)
The recent anti-gay conferences led by Stephen Langa featuring Exodus board member Don Schmierer, Holocaust revisionist Scott Lively, and Richard Cohen Protegé Caleb Lee Brundidge gave a legitimizing gloss on the image of “predatory homosexuals,” an image which has been the main component of past anti-gay vigilante and extrajudicial campaigns. Both Schmierer and Lively, cited as American “experts” on homosexuality, pointed to child sexual abuse as a means for “recruiting” youth into homosexuality.
Schmierer, in particular, used his credentials as an ex-gay “expert” to push the “molestation” theme as a pathway to homosexuality. In his book, An Ounce of Prevention: Preventing the Homosexual Condition in Today’s Youth, Schmierer writes, “Sexual abuse, including molestation and/or rape is a key factor in homosexuality. We will return to this repeatedly because it is so significant.” And indeed he does, repeatedly. As do the extremists who are whipping up dangerous levels of vitriol in Ugandan newspapers, radio and television — backed by the “expertise” of Exodus and Lively.
Click here to see BTB’s complete coverage of recent anti-gay developments in Uganda.
Featured Reports
In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.
When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.
In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.
On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.
Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"
At last, the truth can now be told.
Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!
And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.
Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.
Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.
Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.
The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
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