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 Tagged As: California
October 11th, 2008
Our friend Jeremy Hooper at Good-As-You is having his engagement party tonight. Jeremy and his husband-to-be, Andrew Shulman, wish to marry in California in April.
We appreciate Jeremy’s talents and his contributions to equality. He approaches the fight with humor and patience and has achieved the oddest of accomplishments: an ongoing communication with the Phelps family. For all he’s given us, consider a gift to him.
I’m sure they would be most appreciative of an early wedding gift in the form of a contribution in their name to No on 8. Let’s honor Jeremy and Andrew’s choice of venue and keep marriage legal in California.
October 11th, 2008
Following the lead of La Opinión, bilingual newspaper La Prensa has recommended a “No” vote on Proposition 8. La Prensa is a weekly newspaper out of San Diego with circulation of 40,000 and estimated readership of 180,000 weekly. Printing in English and Spanish, it targets a demographic, latino voters, that the anti-gay supporters of Proposition 8 are hoping will support their cause.
This proposition is nothing more than one group trying to impose their moral standards on another. Fortunately, the world is made up of many different people and you simple can’t contain all people in a single box. Instead we should celebrate our differences and work together to make our world a better place for all to live in happiness and in love.
We believe that if two people are in love and they want to get married, we as a State should not legislate against the happiness of these people. We Urge a No Vote on Prop. 8
Newspapers opposing Proposition 8
(hat tip Andres)
October 9th, 2008
The John and Ken Show is a Los Angeles radio talkshow on KFI 640 AM. Wikipedia says
The program is the most listened to local talk radio program in the United States: in the peak hour of their daily broadcasts, they draw an audience of one million listeners.
Perhaps best described as populist conservatives, the duo taps into the things that annoy and frustrate the common guy and are quick to attack perceived hypocrisy in politicians of either party or those who hide behind, as they call them, “spokes-holes”. Politically, they are very law-and-order, oppose tax increases, and lead the charge against illegal immigration. But they have little patience for religion-driven social conservatives who get their undies in a bunch over their gay neighbors.
The show has now posted THE JOHN AND KEN VOTER GUIDE! on their website.
Proposition 8. Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry: NO
October 9th, 2008
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has set up a website to provide inspiration to their members in their efforts to change the California State Constitution – through Proposition 8 – to be more in alignment with Mormon theology. Because Mormons have a unique understanding of The Divine Institution, their talking points are different than those for, say, an evangelical Christian or a Catholic.
At preservingmarriage.org, you can read a letter from the Prophet, check out an interview with Elders, listen to an Elder threaten young Mormons with a “decreasingly tolerant environment” from gays who “push at the edges of what is legally allowable”, read about the Divine Instition of Marriage and how the “course charted by Church leaders” is “the only course of safety for the Church and for the nation”.
The primary purpose of the site, though, is to provide young Mormons with a video to download to their personal websites or networking sites. It’s full of young faces repeating endlessly that they support Proposition 8 (though not much substance as to why).
What’s missing, however, is any reference to this being a Mormon video or that the pretty young people are all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Nor do they admit that their support for the amendment is based in their church’s theology and unique beliefs about the nature of marriage. As apostle M. Russell Ballard said in a church broadcast this week:
We know that it is not without controversy, yet let me be clear that at the heart of this issue is the central doctrine of eternal marriage and it’s place in our Father’s plan.
Nope, they just slap this on their MySpace without explanation.
How very sad that a church has to specialize in secrecy and deception in order to try and influence the voters of California. I’ve lost a lot of respect for that denomination for their dishonesty in this campaign.
October 9th, 2008
The new ad from No on 8 confronts the blatant lies that the supporters of the proposition have been stating. Check out the new ad and while you are there make a contribution so that we can get our message out.
October 9th, 2008
The LA Times reports
Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, Los Angeles Board of Education President Monica Garcia and state Assembly candidate John Perez opened the Cesar Chavez Avenue storefront office for the “No on 8” campaign, which will communicate with Latino voters across the state.
Perez, the cousin of LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, is gay.
October 9th, 2008
The nation’s largest Spanish language newspaper, La Opinión, is recommending a “NO” vote on Proposition 8.
The true threats to marriage are lack of communication, infidelity, domestic abuse, and economic pressures.
The driving force behind the measure comes from Evangelical, Catholic, Mormon, Baptist, Orthodox Jewish, and Adventist congregations, with money, sermons, prayers, fasting, and very respectable and respected opinions.
But that does not mean it is acceptable to impose these beliefs on all of society, and much less, change the State Constitution.
We recommend voting NO on Proposition 8.
Or, as most of their audience will read it:
Estamos con el NO a la Proposición 8.
See list of newspapers opposing the amendment here.
October 9th, 2008
In one of the most famous American defenses of religious freedom, Thomas Jefferson wrote: “[I]t does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”
We must say the same thing about same-sex marriage.
Growing up at the tip of the great Central Valley in Northern California, our local news source was The Redding Record-Searchlight. Much of my awareness of the world outside our community was from their pages.
Redding is a small city on the border of an agricultural valley and the Cascade foothills. With an economy tied to farming, lumber and tourism and a high level of retirees, the culture is a mix of liberals and conservatives with both groups leaning towards a ‘live and let live’ mentality. Highly religious, this is an area where residents are unlikely to favor same-sex marriages, but also often likely to ‘not notice’ that their neighbors are a long term same-sex couple.
There are no gay community services that I’m aware of but the population tends to support about two gay bars at any given time.
There is also a lack of organized anti-gay efforts. Perhaps the best known situation was in 1999 when two white supremacist brothers torched an abortion clinic and synagogues in Sacramento (two hours away) and shot to death a gay couple, neighbors of my father.
The Record Searchlight has now joined the growing list of newspapers, urban and rural, Northern and Southern, conservative and liberal, English and Spanish who agree that Proposition 8 is unnecessary, cruel and intrusive. They just don’t buy that scare tactics and outlandish claims of anti-gay activists.
October 9th, 2008
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Californians Against Hate have come to terms with Bolthouse Farms and have agreed to call off their boycott of the juice maker.
The “Don’t Buy Bolthouse” campaign ended because the company’s chief executive “has provided us with a compelling perspective which clearly demonstrates the separation between Bolthouse Farms and . . . its founder, William Bolthouse,” Californians Against Hate said Wednesday in a written statement.
That perspective, the statement continued, “provides us with confidence that Bolthouse Farms is committed to working productively with the [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community.”
The boycott had been originated because the company’s founder – who, though he sold the company still leases his land to them – had significantly financed the signature gathering for Proposition 8.
October 9th, 2008
Newspapers Endorsing Proposition 8
Newspapers Neutral on Proposition 8
Newspapers Opposing Proposition 8
and second editorial criticizing Yes on 8’s advertising
and second editorial criticizing Yes on 8’s advertising
and second editorial criticizing Yes on 8’s advertising
October 8th, 2008
In their first television ad, supporters of anti-marriage amendement Proposition 8 trumpeted their spokesman as “Professor Richard Petersen, Pepperdine University School of Law”. This did not sit well with the school which then demanded that their name be removed from the commercial.
Yes on 8 got around to removing the reference to Pepperdine on the ads running on television programs though they left the school’s name on the ad on their site.
Now they have a new ad; one released well after Pepperdine requested that they not insinuate the school’s support. And guess what – it too quotes “Professor Richard Petersen, Pepperdine University School of Law”.
But what do you expect?
Answering the call of his Prophet is far more important to Peterson than honoring the request of his employer. And the Yes on 8 campaign has long since decided that winning is more important than having integrity.
October 8th, 2008
The Salt Lake Tribune reports on increased organized efforts to get students at Brigham Young to influence the vote in California.
But during a special satellite broadcast from Salt Lake City tonight to LDS chapels in Utah County as well as in California, LDS authorities are expected to ask Brigham Young University students and other Californians living in Utah to participate in phone trees in support of Proposition 8, which would define marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman.
A supporter of the initiative made a statement that reveals not only that this amendment is an attempt by the Mormon Church to influence elections but also that it seeks to do so deceptively.
“This is going to set a precedent,” said Kuder, who is in favor of the initiative. “The church has not been involved with politics in this way for a very long time. The church doesn’t want to make a statement in favor of Prop 8 but it wants members to be in favor.”
October 7th, 2008
Mormons for Proposition 8 have analyzed the donations to Yes on 8 over $1,000 and found that the largest contributing group is members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
In other words, at least 57% of individual donations greater that $1,000 are from members of one denomination.
Yes on 8 has also selected as the face of the campaign one Richard Petersen, a Mormon law professor teaching at Pepperdine University.
(hat tip to Utah Reader and johnson)
October 7th, 2008
Internal polling prepared for the No on 8 campaign shows that this proposition is neck and neck, perhaps even ahead. The anti-gay advertising is flooding the airwaves and their lies are working.
“We have the messages, our advertising is compelling, but polling tells us that it is not being seen or heard as much as the Yes side, and that needs to change,” Lake says in the memo.
Geoff Kors concluded: “The proponents will continue to mislead the public, and we can’t let their lies stick. And if we can’t get the resources into this campaign – both in dollars and volunteer hours – we will lose. Right now the fundraising gap is $6million. That’s the challenge, but I believe once the community understands how tight this race is, they will dig deep and give to our efforts. I’m comfortable that our best fundraising weeks are those ahead of us. We need everyone to pitch in right now.”
I believe that the Box Turtle Bulletin reader is not complacent. I believe that you are neither selfish nor lazy. I believe that you care enough to pull out your wallet, volunteer your time (if Californian), and make a difference.
October 7th, 2008
After same-sex marriage became legal in June, California revised the form to read “Party A” and “Party B” instead of “Bride” and “Groom”.
Anti-gay activists immediately leaped on the change as evidence of harm to heterosexuals. Which is nonsense.
But it appears that some folks missed being called a bride or groom on the form and so the state will revise the form to allow each party to tick a box for bride or groom if they so choose.
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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