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 lobbyJuly 20th, 2011
TODAY’S AGENDA:
First Ever Senate Hearings On DOMA Repeal: Washington, DC. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, will convene the Senate’s first-ever hearing on the proposed Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act.” Scheduled to testify is 77-year-old veteran Ron Wallen, who married Tom Carollo, his partner of 55 years. Carollo died in March, and Wallen is bared from receiving his spouse’s Social Security survivor benefit. Due to the loss of income, he is being forced to sell the home the couple shared in Indo, CA. Anti-gay activists Tom Minnery of the Family “Research” Council Focus On the Family and David Austin R. Nimocks of the Alliance Defense Fund will explain why Wallen should be denied the same benefits every other faithful (and unfaithful) heterosexually married couple enjoy and, as a result, lose his home. The hearings will take place beginning at 9:45 EDT at the Hart Senate Office Building, Room 216. The hearings willl be streamed live according to the committee’s web site.
Pride Celebrations This Weekend: Burlington, VT; Detroit, MI (Black Pride); Ft. Wayne, IN; Halifax, NS; and Tampere, Finland.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
Rep. Gerry Studds Censured: 1983. On this date in history, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to censure Reps. Gerry Studds (D-MA) and Daniel Crane (R-IL), who admitted to having sexual affairs with pages. Crane admitted to having sex with a 17-year-old female page three years earlier, while Studds acknowledged a relationship with a 17-year-old male page ten years earlier. Both Studds and the page described the relationship as consensual and not intimidating. When Studds returned home to his district following his censure, he was met with standing ovations at his first town meeting. He would continue to be re-elected to Congress until his retirement in 1997, where he fought for AIDS funding, gays in the military, and marriage equality. When Studds died in 2006, his legally married spouse was denied Studd’s pension, which is provided to all other surviving spouses of former members of Congress.
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JohnAGJ
July 20th, 2011
Both Crane and Studds should have been charged with statuatory rape. Crane at least had the decency to resign and was defeated when he ran for his seat again. Studds received a standing ovation and was reelected. Swell.
Jim Burroway
July 20th, 2011
Actually, no laws were broken and no statuatory rape took place. Tthe pages were both above the age of consent.
justme
July 20th, 2011
“When Studds died in 2006, his legally married spouse was denied Studd’s pension, which is provided to all other surviving spouses of former members of Congress.”
Words fail me.
It should also be noted that, while the sex in both cases was legally consensual, Crane was a conservative Repubican who was committing adultery. Studds was a non-married Democrat. I don’t applaud Congressmen having sex with pages, but if it was one page, legal, and you’re not being a hypocrite, it can be forgiven.
Gerry Studds wasn’t perfect, but he was absolutely a hero to our community.
JohnAGJ
July 21st, 2011
Jim: Yes, I gathered that since neither were arrested. But I’m not in mind to be lenient with men in their 40s sexually preying upon teenage interns that work for them. Studds was just as much a cretin for what he did as Crane.
Mark F.
July 21st, 2011
Did the young man Studds had the affair with complain about it? If there was no coercion or sexual harassment involved, I’m not sure what justme’s complaint is. Perhaps it’s unprofessional for a Congressman to have sex with an employee or something?
justme
August 3rd, 2011
I’m not aware that I had a complaint. Praising someone is complaining?
Yes of course there was coercion involved in both cases, because of the imbalance of age and power. And of course it’s unprofessional for a Congressman to have sex with a subordinate (I’m not sure if pages are technically employees or not). And of course Crane was a hypocrite commiting adultery and Studds was not. Those aren’t complaints, either, just facts.
I’m glad this was linked back to today in another column because I’d love to know what it was I was supposed to be complaining about.
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