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 lobbySeptember 12th, 2008
In the early part of the 20th century before radio was king and phonographs were still a novelty in American parlors, every decent middle-class home had an upright piano. And because people in those days had to make their own entertainment, a popular activity was to gather around a piano and sing the latest hit songs from sheet music purchased at the local department store. In those days, the hit parade was not determined by the popularity of records or radio airplay, but by sheet music sales. Hot sheet music titles were snapped up as quickly then as the latest Amy Winehouse track is downloaded from iTunes today.
I don’t think this one was a best seller, but our friends from Russia came across an interesting example from 1925: Masculine Women! Feminine Men! (Music by James V. Monaco, lyrics by Edgar Leslie).
The lyrics provide a good view of the Roaring Twenties, an interesting era which has as much of a right to brag about the invention of the sexual revolution as the 1960’s. These lyrics describe the novelty of blurred gender roles — but without the allusion to homosexuality, which was still very much unseen in those days.
Songwriter James Monaco didn’t score a big hit with this one, but it was recorded several times in England. Monaco was more famous for “You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want to Do It!),” which was a huge hit for Al Jolson on the Vaudeville circuit in 1913. Four of Monaco’s songs received academy award nominations for Best Song between 1940 and 1945, the last one being a posthumous nomination very shortly after his death.
Lyricist Edgar Leslie had quite a number of Tin Pan Alley hits, including “Lonesome,” “Moon Over Miami,” and “For Me and My Gal.” He also wrote a number of novelty tunes, including “All the Quakers Are Shoulder Shakers,” “Oogie Oogie Wa Wa,” and “Tain’t No Sin (to Take Off Your Skin, and Dance Around in Your Bones).”
This is what the song sounded like in a recording by the Savoy Havana Band from 1927:
[audio:http://boxturtlebulletin.com/podcasts/MasculineWomenFeminineMen.mp3]Click here to read the lyrics of Masculine Women! Feminine Men!
September 11th, 2008
My favorite part — besides the sword prop — is when he says, “I’ll just leave you with that” at the 2:31 mark, and then goes on to repeat himself over and over for another three whole minutes.
The United Unified Belief: I suspect this is what homophobia on pot looks like.
September 10th, 2008
As expected, the top six Episcopal Bishops in California announced their opposition to Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage amendment.
The bishops argued that preserving the right of gays and lesbians to marry would enhance the “Christian values” of monogamy, love and commitment.
“We believe that continued access to civil marriage for all, regardless of sexual orientation, is consistent with the best principles of our constitutional rights,” said the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.
September 10th, 2008
Here at Box Turtle Bulletin, one of our principal efforts is to debunk and clarify inaccurate claims, statistics, and rumors that are utilized in the efforts to discredit, minimize, dehumanize or otherwise harm gay people and their lives. While it would be nice if we had the luxury (i.e. time, staff, and finances) to expand our quest for accuracy to areas outside of our specialty, we do not.
Others, however, do fill in some of the gaps. Snopes.com addresses urban legends and FactCheck.org seeks to provide a source to verify political claims.
Recently, the internet has been ablaze with claims, rumors, and conjecture about the history and political positions of various political candidates. Sadly, some gay sites have been among those most eager to make declarations that have not been well verified. (It is my sincere hope that at BTB we have avoided that mistake).
We believe that candidates and politicians should be held responsible for the things that they have said and done. But not for the things which are based solely on myth and speculation. And if we seek to be credible and honorable, we are obliged to know the difference.
FactCheck.org, a non-partisan organization, provides clarification about the internet rumors and other political claims and commercials awashing us with (often inaccurate) information. I encourage our readers to be informed in their discussions both here and at other sites and check out the information they provide.
September 9th, 2008
The Miami Herald is reporting that a Florida judge has found the state’s ban on adoption by gay persons to be unconstitutional:
A Monroe Circuit Court judge has ruled Florida’s 31-year-old gay adoption ban ”unconstitutional” in an order that allows an openly gay Key West foster parent to adopt a teenage boy he has raised since 2001.
Declaring the adoption to be in the boy’s ”best interest,” Circuit Judge David J. Audlin Jr. said the Florida law forbidding gay people from adopting children is contrary to the state Constitution because it singles out a group for punishment.
Based on previous decisions, the decision may not withstand appeal.
September 9th, 2008
On Sunday the Palm Springs Desert Sun printed an editorial encouraging a “No” vote on anti-gay marriage amendment Proposition 8:
Same-sex marriage does not diminish marriage between a man and a woman. It’s a basic civil right that everyone – regardless of gender – should have. The time has come. Therefore, we oppose Proposition 8.
They join the LA Times and the San Jose Mercury News.
September 9th, 2008
The supporters of Proposition 8 have set up a website geared towards youth at iProtectMarriage.com. And perhaps they think that adults are too well informed because they reserve their really crazy homophobic slurs and lies for the kiddies.
It’s horrible.
And not just their goal, but their message and their methods. It’s sad and pathetic and completely condescending. You have to wonder if the designer of the site has ever met a young adult.
There is a “Decide for Yourself video quiz” that you can take in which your response triggers either a “you’re right” message or a lecture from a pop-up talking head. It’s about as subtle as a freight train.
And it is astonishing the number of obvious and blatant lies that these “people of faith” are willing to spout in the name of their religion, including:
While death, divorce, and other circumstances may prevent it in many cases, the best environment for raising children is traditional marriage. More than ten thousand studies document significant advantages kids experience when raised by committed and loving moms and dads.
If same-sex marriage remains legal, what will happen if a church or religious institution refuses to perform a marriage ceremony for individuals that runs contrary to its belief system? If it refuses, it may be accused of discrimination and be subject to a lawsuit. That is not freedom of religion.
Prop. 8 isn’t against something, it’s for marriage, of one man, one woman, for life.
If Prop. 8 does not pass, children as young as kindergarteners must be taught about same-sex marriage.
Simply put, traditional marriage is better for us, mentally, physically and psychologically. We’re not making it up; public health statistics confirm this.
What this means is that fewer of your tax dollars go to pay for social programs caused by unhealthy and unwise living.
Quick, name a major faith tradition that doesn’t support marriage between a man and a woman. Can’t? Neither can we.
Removing the definition of marriage means it’s open to whatever anyone thinks it is, and that includes extreme stuff like polygamy, man-boy love, and multiple partners.
Same-sex marriage separates marriage from parenthood. In Norway, where it has been accepted for a decade, marriage has nearly disappeared, and 70 percent of children are born out of wedlock.
But by far the most dishonest and cynical thing on their site is this doozie:
Q: Isn’t banning gay marriage just like banning interracial marriage?
A: It’s completely unrelated. Blacks who endured prejudice can’t wake up in the morning and not be black. None of us can be counseled out of our race or ethnicity. But homosexual behavior is a choice, and countless gays and lesbians have left the alternative lifestyle.
Is there really anyone out there that honestly believes that gay people can “wake up in the morning and not be” gay? That isn’t even the message coming from Exodus and other reorientation ministries.
And it isn’t very effective. Today’s youth know full well that no one wakes up a different orientation and they know that this site is lying to them. And the true bias and bigotry displayed here wouldn’t fool a closely-protected, secluded, home-schooled teenager.
But I guess the Prop 8 folks are so cynical that they think that bigotry and bald-faced lies are the way to go. I truly hope that whoever is in charge of the Proposition 8 campaign stays in charge. This sort of lunacy will only help the cause of those who are speaking honestly and in favor of equality.
September 9th, 2008
The AP is reporting that the authority of the Episcopal Church in California will be announcing their opposition to Proposition 8 tomorrow.
The Right Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Episcopal bishop of California, and the Right Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Episcopal bishop of Los Angeles, are scheduled to join other faith leaders and gay couples Wednesday in speaking out against Proposition 8.
Anti-gay Lifesite News expands:
All six bishops in the state will officially protest the traditional marriage amendment, according to the Sacramento Bee. The Right Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Episcopal Bishop of California, will hold a press conference at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral on Wednesday to represent the church’s position, “calling for compassion, love and equal protections” for homosexual couples.
The AP closed their article with a comment I found interesting:
Their work is designed to counter the huge organizational and financial push the amendment is receiving from leaders of the Roman Catholic and Mormon faiths.
It is my impression that Proposition 8 has taken on a peculiar image, one which its supporters would do well to avoid. There is a growing perception that the proposition is a joint endeavor by the Catholic Church and the Mormon Church and is opposed by other branches of Christianity. This may become even more pronounced as the public becomes aware of opposition by United Methodists and Episcopalians.
That percerption, I believe, will not be advantageous to the supporters of the proposition.
September 9th, 2008
SiriusQ’s Michelangelo Signorile caught up with OK Rep. Sally Kern at the RNC last week. You may remember Sally Kern as the Oklahoma legislator who said that homosexuality was worse than terrorism. She was also caught twice carrying a loaded gun into the Oklahoma state capital. In this first clip, Michael asked Kern about the Log Cabin’s endorsement of McCain (“I don’t have a problem with it. … I’m glad they did!”) and the “abomination” of homosexuality.
In the second clip we get to hear all about the difference between gluttony and homosexuality. She also gets her facts completely wrong on marriage in Norway.
September 9th, 2008
No on Prop 102, the grassroots group organized to defeat Arizona’s proposed anti-marriage amendment, has launched a blog, where you can keep up with the latest events, news and volunteer opportunities. Update your bookmarks and check in often.
September 9th, 2008
There are three anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment propositions on ballots in the upcoming election.
ARIZONA
Arizona has the distinct privilege of being the only state to date that has rejected efforts to instill anti-gay marriage discrimination into its constitution. Anti-gays have claimed that the only reason for their failure was because their last attempt in 2006 also sought to ban other forms of partner recognition and are now offering a “more benign” amendment that only bans same-sex marriage.
The Arizona battle is of tremendous importance.
If anti-gays win in Arizona, this will send a message that persistence pays off. And then future states (like Florida, if we win there) can expect that they will be back each election with an increasingly “nuanced” amendment until they win. But if Arizona rejects Proposition 102, the financial backers of anti-gay marriage amendments will be a bit more reluctant to throw their money into losing efforts.
This state has the unique opportunity to tell anti-gay organizers that “no” means “no” and not to come back for more.
CALIFORNIA
California is only one of two states which offer marriage certificates to same-sex couples. California is also by a significant margin the state with the largest population. And California is often considered a leader in social progress and a setter of trends.
Considering the sheer number of gay families impacted by Proposition 8, and the importance of the state as a leader, the California battle is of tremendous importance.
And this importance is not lost on anti-gays. As Donald Wildman, head of the American Family Association said,
If we lose California, if they defeat the marriage amendment, I’m afraid that the culture war is over and Christians have lost.
Hyperbole aside, this is the first time that voters have been voting specifically on marriage itself, rather than on the threat of possible marriage. If Californians vote to keep their same-sex marriages legal, it removes the claims by anti-gays that it is judicial activists and gerrymandered legislatures that are forcefully redefining marriage against the wishes of the populace.
According to the latest polls, voters seem to oppose the proposition and do not appear to be swayed by the efforts of the supporters. But the vote is very very close and no one can predict the outcome.
FLORIDA
The anti-marriage amendment in Florida appears – to me – to receive the least attention of the three, especially on this website. Part of that is because I live in California and Jim Burroway lives in Arizona and so these two states are the focus of our attentions.
Yet the Florida battle is of tremendous importance.
Of the three, only Florida’s amendment would ban civil unions and domestic partnerships. Florida’s Proposition 2 reads
In as much as a marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.
Those who oppose this amendment have an advantage; a constitutional amendment in Florida requires a 60% majority of those voting. Further, because Florida has a large retirement community and because this amendment would impact heterosexual senior citizens who use local domestic partnership arrangements to establish protections without endangering social security benefits, the opposition to this amendment has broader appeal.
The most recent polling shows that the proposition is favored by more than half of the voters (55%), but not by enough to pass. Additionally, it appears to be trending towards those who oppose the amendment. But again, this is far too close for comfort.
Florida is a swing state in the presidential election and turnout could depend on the direction and extent to which the state trends in the next two months. And while it is unlikely that either Obama or McCain will seek to tie their campaign to the success or failure of this amendment, it’s difficult to predict the impact of the election. A surge in either black voters or newly-energized evangelicals could provide those who oppose our lives with additional votes.
The Importance
Collectively, we have the opportunity to send a very strong message this year. Should we win in all three states we will be able to state that those who experience same-sex marriages within their communities have found them to be no threat, that anti-marriage efforts will not win you election in a swing state, and that coming back to a state that has rejected discrimination is a waste of time and money.
So here is a question for our readers: is this issue as important to you as a new pair of shoes? Does it matter as much as that luxury you may be allowing yourself, whether it’s a new car or just dinner out at McDonalds?
Most of us do have some expendable income and even those of us who live very close to the edge can often make sacrifices if the cause is important enough.
This is the most you will ever see me act like a political or religious fundraiser. But I’m willing to sound like Pat Robertson if it will encourage you to take the next step.
Please link below to the state of your choosing and make a contribution today.
September 8th, 2008
The Tucson Citizen yesterday published two editorials urging voters to vote no on Prop 102, the proposed constitutional amendment to further ban same-sex marriage. The first editorial, an op-ed by Arizona State Sen. Paula Aboud recounts the legislative debacle which led to Prop 102 appearing on the ballot, and concludes:
Opponents say, ‘Let the people vote.’ We did vote in 2006, they just didn’t like how the people voted. Don’t write discrimination into the Arizona Constitution. Vote no on Prop. 102 – again.
The Citizen’s editorial board backed Paula’s op-ed with an editorial of their own:
Constitutions historically have been altered to expand rights. Think of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which secured civil rights for former slaves. Or the 19th Amendment, which gave women the vote.
But, as Sen. Paula Aboud chronicles in a guest column below, a conservative fringe group bullied Arizona legislators into putting Prop. 102 on the ballot, even though it would imprint the state constitution with the language of intolerance.
We need to send a message to the rest of the U.S. that discrimination is not what Arizona is about. We need to send a message to legislators – think of it as dropping them a card – to stop monkeying with our constitution and to get to work on real issues facing the state.
With all of the attention being paid to the battle in California, we are facing a serious funding shortfall in Arizona. Supporters of Prop 102 have raised about $3 million. We are way behind. Please give TODAY, as generously as you can.
September 8th, 2008
Money is pouring in for Arizona’s backers of the proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage:
While many of the citizens initiatives on Arizona’s November ballot have been bankrolled by special interests, a measure to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman has received an influx of campaign contributions from individuals in recent weeks.
The Yes for Marriage campaign pulled in more than $2.3 million from 160 donors across the state since the secretary of state’s reporting period that ended Aug. 13. That brought the campaign’s total to about $3 million.
Most contributions have been between $10,000 and $25,000. But Jeff and Holly Whiteman of Mesa gave $100,000, as did Gary and Lori Wagner of Peoria and the Pete King Corp. of Phoenix.
We desparately need your support. The longer LGBT’s and allies sit on the sidelines, our 2006 victory will turn into a 2008 loss. Which means that Focus On the Family will be able to draw the conclusion that if they don’t like how voters decide one year, all they have to do is come back again the next time.
Please give TODAY, as generously as you can.
September 6th, 2008
He also wants to to protect the spotted owl and snails. But not gay people.
Michelangelo Signorile has been airing several interviews from the GOP convention lately, and this one of former Senator Rick Santorum is priceless. Here we have Santorum arguing against same-sex marriage:
I use the example of the environmental impact statement. You know, we have an ecology, we have an environment that is impacted by changes in the environment. We have a moral ecology in this country just like we have a physical ecology in this country. We have a set of values and traditions that define who we are as a society and have an impact throughout society. When I want to change the environment, I have to go out and prove that by building this structure or changing this place, that I’m not going to affect the ecology of the area, that I’m not going to adversely impact the box turtle, or the spotted owl, or the snail.
What would Santorum include in his environmental impact statement? He wants to misuse studies to claim that gays sexually abuse children at higher rates, and that gay relationships experience more domestic violence — even though the scientific evidence shows the exact opposite.
It’s a shame how those who claim the moral high ground hold the truth in such low regard.
September 4th, 2008
The Advocate is reporting that Steve Schmidt, the strategist who currently has “full operational control” of the McCain campaign, dropped in at a Log Cabin Republicans luncheon today,
“I just wanted to take a second to come by and pay my respect and the campaign’s respect to your organization and to your group,” said Schmidt, who many view as the new architect of the Republican Party. “Your organization is an important one in the fabric of our party.”
In his brief remarks, Schmidt weaved in a personal anecdote about his lesbian sister and her relationship to him, his wife, and his children. “On a personal level, my sister and her partner are an important part of my life and our children’s life,” he said. “I admire your group and your organization and I encourage you to keep fighting for what you believe in because the day is going to come.”
UPDATE:
Minnesota Public Radio reports that Frank Luntz, a Republican pollster and leading consultant, is advising against running a Culture War campaign:
But Luntz wasn’t shy about disagreeing with the Republican activists in the room. One asked why they don’t highlight McCain’s stance opposing gay marriage and abortion.
Luntz said McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin shouldn’t focus too much on those issues, because they could drive away undecided voters.
SECOND UPDATE:
CQ Politics has a profile on Steve Schmidt
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