Liz Cheney: Vote for me, I am one mean, nasty witch, the perfect candidate to hold a Republican Senate seat in Wyoming

So Liz Cheney flatly declared on Friday that she is “not pro-gay marriage.”  This, in spite of the fact that her younger sister, Mary, is openly gay and recently married to her longtime partner. And also in spite of the fact that even her nasty old pop has supported same-sex marriage as far back as 2000. 

Apparently, being in a tight race for Senate seats in red states like Wyoming means proving your credentials for being more vicious and more heartless than your opponent. And you know what? I gotta give it to her, coming out and declaring you are completely against your own sister having the same rights you have when it comes to marriage and the protections that come with it, is a pretty damn good way to announce to everyone what a mean, heartless woman you are. If that is what appeals to Republicans these days (and we know for sure it is what appeals to the Republican primary voters), then I have lost all hope for the GOP.

I gotta agree with Steve Benen on this one:

Liz Cheney is running on a platform of opposition to her own sister's marriage -- and even her legal right to get married. I've heard of politicians who struggle with "family values," but this is remarkable.

Remarkable indeed. Let's all hope that Wyoming voters don't taint the United States Senate with this heartless, nasty woman. Having absolutely no problem using her own sister's rights to happiness and dignity as bargaining chips to win the race should be a huge red flag to sane Wyoming residents: if Liz has no problem throwing her own sister under the bus without even batting an eye, she sure as hell will not have a problem doing it to them as well.

Update: Just read this over at JMG's. Mary Cheney responds:

"For the record, I love my sister, but she is dead wrong on the issue of marriage. Freedom means freedom for everyone. That means that all families — regardless of how they look or how they are made — all families are entitled to the same rights, privileges and protections as every other. It’s not something to be decided by a show of hands. Please like and share if you agree." - Mary Cheney (above right), writing today on her Facebook page.

Mary Cheney shows a lot more class and compassion than her sister, but then maybe she didn't get that gene for ruthlessness that her sister and daddy have.

Update #2: Liz Cheney on MSNBC, May 28, 2009:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg will officiate at a same-sex wedding in Washington DC tomorrow

  

This makes me happy on so many levels, not the least of which is imagining Antonin Scalia choking on his own bile when he gets wind of this news.

From the Washington Post:

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will become the first Supreme Court member to conduct a same-sex marriage ceremony Saturday when she officiates at the Washington wedding of Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser.

The gala wedding of Kaiser and economist John Roberts at the performing arts center brings together the nation’s highest court and the capital’s high society and will mark a new milepost in recognition of same-sex unions.

Such marriages were virtually unheard of a little more than a decade ago but now are legal in the nation’s capital, 13 states and in all or part of 17 other countries. After victories at the Supreme Court earlier this summer, a wave of litigation is challenging bans on same-sex marriages in states where they remain prohibited.

My what a difference a decade makes. And thank you right-wing crazies for making this happen. We could have done it without you, but your whack-job, over-the-top, foam-at-the-mouth homophobia most certainly expedited things.   Bless you.

Dear CBN, it is time to retire Pat Robertson

This feeble-minded old coot has gone waaaay too far this time. I am so aghast at what this horrible, horrible man just accused the San Francisco gay community en masse of doing that I believe you, CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network), have a legal and moral obligation to fire him and issue a sincere apology and retraction - immediately.

Smearing an entire group of people by accusing them of spreading HIV by shaking hands and purposely cutting people with a special ring tainted with the virus is so out of bounds that doing nothing is not an option. I know most people who read this blog do not watch CBN, but the people who do tend to be old, quite gullible and a captive audience, perfect victims for people like Pat Robertson. And it is no secret how much old vile Pat has enriched himself on the backs of these poor people, not to mention tainted their minds with an unending flow of vile rubbish. End the abuse CBN. Fire Pat Robertson now.

And for my readers, watch at your own risk. I am so angry I can hardly breathe. Just the sight of this putrid man makes me want to vomit.

Update: CBN took the most un-Christ-like way out. They yanked the clip from YouTube due to a "copyright claim" by the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Cowards!

Update#2: Found a working clip:

John Fugelsang: ‘Liberal’ is just another way of saying ‘prematurely mainstream’

I know I have been posting a lot of John Fugelsang lately, but we won't be seeing his show, Viewpoint, on Current T.V. anymore. The Al Jazeera Media Network acquired Current Media back in January of this year. It is planning on shutting down the Current TV channel, retaining its off-air staff and launching a new New York-based channel called Al Jazeera America using Current's distribution network.

John will still be around. He is a frequent guest on the Stephanie MillerTalk Radio Show, but I will sure miss him on Current. He is easy on the eyes, a treat to listen to, a fierce defender of those who cannot defend themselves, and a true genius at exposing the right-wing frauds who claim to be men of God for what they are. Something tells me that a man as talented as John will land on his feet somewhere, much to the chagrin of those he exposes.

Ugh Arizona - Really?

Went to visit my mom yesterday and in the span of the 20-25 minutes it took me to get there, I saw three cars with bumper stickers or magnets that just made me sigh.

How's this for a big F.U. to our founding fathers, who so wanted a separation of church and state?

And I have no idea what to say about this one, but I have been seeing it a lot and strangely enough, it is always in the town of Paradise Valley. I have no explanation for that:

And then there is this one. It definitely takes the prize for Arizona crazy, which I confess is hard to do. I happened to be in the parking lot of a Walgreens drugstore in Scottsdale when I saw it and I just could not help myself. I had to see who this classless, racist, and shameless person was. And believe me, I had to be a bit deranged myself for wanting to stand out there in the 115 degrees of heat and humidity. When the car's owner finally shuffled out, I felt a twinge of sadness and regret and my disgust and anger melted away (along with my makeup). The man had to be at least 90 years old, was quite disabled, and needed a walker to barely get around. I have no idea why my anger dissipated at the sight of this little old guy, but it did and I quietly got back into my car and went to visit my own beloved mom who taught me that racism and homophobia are truly retched behaviors.

Dear Father Richard Perozich of the Archdiocese of San Diego - Shame on you!

As the mother of a gay child I am horrified that you, a Catholic Priest, could defend someone like Scott Lively and praise him as "courteous, biblical, and loving".

I am curious, are you referring to the same man who has dedicated his life to fighting any rights, protections, or dignity for LGBT folks?  Are you referring to the same man who has been deeply involved in the extremely damaging ex-gay movement? Are you referring to the same man who is a member of several organizations that claim to be Christian and Conservative, but because of the harm they have inflicted on so many, have been officially labeled Hate Groups? Are you referring to the same man that has called for the criminalization of "the public advocacy of homosexuality" as far back as 2007 and is heavily involved in pending anti-gay legislation in Uganda, which is often referred to as the "Kill the Gays" bill because of death penalty and life imprisonment clauses? Is that the man you are praising as biblical and loving?

My God Father, who are you? And how could you have written this farcical piece crap making Scott Lively some kind of persecuted hero?:

"I personally have been in attendance where Dr. Scott Lively speaks on the issues of sexuality. He is courteous, biblical, and loving toward anyone who is not following chaste biblical living. He relates his many years of persecution by those who disagree with him. He tries to bring people to Christ for the salvation of their souls. He is once more a victim of an ideology which demands total submission to its agenda, this time in the form of the judiciary.

"In ancient Rome, rather than kneel before the false gods of the Romans, Christians were stripped of their power, their possessions, their freedom, and finally their lives. In the United States of the year 2013, Christians like Dr. Lively once again refuse to bow down to the false gods of lust and homosexuality and refuse to offer them the ignoble sacrifices of 'equality,' 'rights,' 'justice' and 'fairness' that they demand. In this 21st century of the end times,

"Dr. Lively shows fidelity to the Lordship of Jesus as the way to salvation, and he witnesses this through his martyrdom. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Christian faith. God bless you, Dr. Lively. We Christians stand with you."

Do you, Father Richard Perozich, honestly believe this bunch of hooey? Seriously? Or are you just setting the stage for another Christian martyr to be born now that a US judge ruled that Mr. Lively may be sued for opposition to homosexuality in Uganda? After all he did "travel to Uganda, speak out against homosexuality, link homosexuality to pornography and pedophilia, and assist government officials with the drafting of anti-homosexuality legislation" known as the Kill the Gays bill, all of which resulted in “widespread, systematic persecution of LGBTI people. Something most God-fearing people I know would probably agree constitutes a crime of some kind if not one against humanity.

I just cannot believe that anyone who knows Mr. Lively's dark and ugly history could ever use words like "courteous, biblical, and loving" nor can I believe that you expect people who have actually felt the repercussions of Mr. Lively's lifelong work to believe that Scott Lively is the one who is being persecuted.

Let me assure you Father, I am not crying any tears for Scott Lively. I can barely type his name without the bile rising up into my throat. There is nothing but evil and pure hatred that has resulted from Scott Lively's lifework and that is what he and those who worked with him intended. Executing gays and imprisoning family members who have gay loved ones they not do hand over to the authorities is exactly the outcome your oh-so-persecuted Scott Lively wanted in Uganda (and here in the U.S. if he could have accomplished it). And I guess by defending and praising this putrid man, Father, it is what you want as well.

So keep it up Father. I know the Catholic Church's numbers are dwindling here in the U.S. but growing in extremely homophobic third-world countries like Uganda. You keep writing drivel like the crap above and I can see a plum assignment in a Ugandan church in your future. And the good news is, you will be welcomed with open arms by packed pews of Ugandan homophobic lynch mobs hungry for your brand of "courteous, biblical, and loving" proselytizing. You will be a big hit there.

John Fugelsang: If you’re a Christian American who discriminates, you suck at being Christian…and American

Can't get enough of him:

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Darren Young comes out of the closet, admits he is gay, and the wrestling world yawns

From CBS Philly:

“I’m a WWE superstar and to be honest with you, I’ll tell you right now, I’m gay. And I’m happy, very happy,” Young said when asked what he would think of a WWE superstar being homosexual.

Vince McMahon, the longtime head of the WWE said on Twitter, “Congratulations to @DarrenYoungWWE for being the first openly gay WWE Superstar!”

NBA player Jason Collins came out earlier this year and became the first openly gay athlete in the four major sports in the US while he was still active. A difference here is that while Collins is toward the end of his career, Young is hopefully just entering the prime of his.

Reaction from all over the wrestling world has been extremely positive. No big earthquakes or hurricanes have been sent down by god. Just no big deal - except maybe in Religious Right world - but who cares about those homophobic haters?

Then there is this wonderful internet radio interview with Pro Wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin, who endorses same-sex marriage in a most colorfully hilarious way. So I will warn you now, there is profanity, but why would you expect anything less? Besides, true profanity for most of the people who read this blog is having to listen to some sanctimonious fat-ass preacher spewing anti-gay hate from his bully pulpit.

Listen and enjoy - you won't regret it:

I look under the hood before I give any company my business. Groupon you pass the test.

There was a time when I was just a consumer. Not anymore. For the last decade, my husband and I have made a concerted effort to give our business only to companies that share our progressive values. Sometimes that may not be possible, but I can assure you most of the time it is completely do-able.

If more of us shopped this way, I believe we could make a hell of an impact. Some of our prerequisites:

• Pays living wages and includes generous benefits for employees?
• Strives to improve the quality of life locally, nationally and internationally?
• Is a good neighbor to the community in which it is located?
• Finds a balance between progressive values and bottom line? 
• Is environmentally friendly?
• Is GLBT friendly? 
• Has a diversified work force?
• Treats and pays women the same as men?
• Etc., Etc.

That is why you will not catch me ever spending one bloody dime in Chick-fil-A restaurant (very anti-gay), but I'd think nothing of spending freely at a Costco (generous to their employees) or using anything Google (very gay friendly, lots of diversity in the workforce) or enjoying anything made by Ben & Jerry's (their mission statement is a progressive's dream).

It takes very little time to do a google search and the pay-off is more than worth it.

Thanks Groupon.

What an unexpected, touching surprise - and it's eastern Kentucky

Hey Rand, hey Mitch, what the heck is going on in your state? You'd better deal with this before Kentucky gets a reputation for tolerance and acceptance:

The Colbert Report
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Nobody is born a racist

Nor is anybody born a homophobe. That behavior is often learned in church. 

UPDATE: Jonathan Allen, the young opera singer who got thrown out by his parents for being gay returns to America's Got Talent to sing "Impossible Dream"

And something tells me his dream may not be all that impossible. This young man has talent and there is no doubt in my mind he will land on his feet, regardless of whether or not his parents accept him for who he is.


I have to confess my first post about Jonathan Allen has generated one of the largest responses I have ever gotten on this blog. And the emotion has been super-charged. I have gotten so many private emails both agreeing and thanking me for believing Jonathan's story and blasting me and attacking Jonathan for lying about his parents and his circumstances. So at the risk of getting smacked up the side of the head again by the naysayers, I stand by what I said in my original post. I believe Jonathan Allen. I have not seen or heard anything that would change my mind or make me believe Jonathan has not been truthful. Nor have I seen or heard anything that will make me change my opinion of Jonathan's parents. Sorry.

If Jonathan's parents kicked him to the curb because he is gay, and if they did it because of their religious beliefs, then I feel profound pity for them. Anyone who thinks they are staying on the good side of their god by throwing their child to the street like trash, needs to change their religion, grow a brain and start thinking for themselves. Jonathan is exactly who he is supposed to be. God does not make mistakes.

NO child would ever choose to be something that would cause him/her to be rejected by family and friends, reviled by certain religious communities, singled out and denied dignity and rights, and bullied or even killed.

Jonathan came out to his parents at a most critical time, right when he needed their love and emotional support the most. He had to know he was taking a huge chance they might reject him. But he told them the truth anyway -- and it cost him. And the saddest part of all is that Jonathan is truly an impressive and talented young man. He did not get to where he is alone. As a parent myself, I know his parents played a huge role in making him the person he is today.

I believe Jonathan will achieve his dream. It is tragic that he'll have to do it without his parents at his side, beaming with pride, and getting some of the credit they deserve for raising such a lovely young man.

Earlier posts about Jonathan Allen:

Dear parents of Jonathan Allen

I am getting some blow back


   

John Fugelsang: If you think gay marriage is ‘unnatural,’ let’s talk about monogamy

Don't got much today, so I will post a clip of one of my favorite religious experts. But seriously though, if you have never experienced John Fugelsang, you really do need to google clips of him discussing serious religious issues. He does it in a very listenable and entertaining way and you will most definitely walk away more educated on whatever issue he discusses. And his background is quite interesting as well. His father was a former priest, his mother a former nun. But that aside, I have honestly never seen anyone who can more ably and intelligently debate (and ultimately humiliate and expose) a bible-beating Christianist. So that elevates him to super-star in my book.



And yes, being a homophobe is a lifestyle choice. Being gay is not.

Update: Found this:

Oh how I wish there were more of these kind of pastors - the world would be a better place

Via JMG