They call themselves the Westboro Church but as you can see they are better known as the Westboro Hate group.  The UK Border Agency speaking of Fred Phelps and his daughter said “Both these individuals have engaged in unacceptable behavior by inciting hatred against a number of communities.”  They went on to say “The Government has made it clear it opposes extremism in all its forms. We will continue to stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country.”

Members of the Westboro Church had plans to protest The Laramie Project, which is a play about Matthew Shepard who died from being brutally beat to death in Wyoming.  It was hate that caused this death.

I am glad to see the UK take a stand and not allow such extremism in their country.  Free speech is one thing but to protest soldiers funerals and plays which try and teach love instead of hate then these people are nut bags that should not be allowed to leave the mental home for one thing.

I wonder if this means that the hate filled rhetoric which Sally Kerns is on this list as well?

Where is the love with all these big mouths anyway?  Do they not know how to love or is all they do obsess and hate other groups?  They need to get a life for one.  They don’t want you in the UK and we certainly do not want you in our towns so stay home you haters.

Yes, we love the UK!

As we look back on 2008, we can see a victory in the election of a new president, but many sorrows as well. Proposition 8 passed, leaving so many couples worried about the legalities of their marriages and many of us wondering about the possibilities in our states. What can the queer community expect or hope for in 2009? Is there anything we should prepare ourselves for in a negative context and what can we all do to reach for equality with a new president and government.

Marriage remains a big issue this year. New Hampshire and Maine will likely see marriage equality in 2009. New York, California, and New Jersey all have a good chance of truly equal marriages at the state level this year as well. See gayrights.change.org for a breakdown of the issue in each state and the chances of success.

During his campaign, Obama pledged his support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, hate crimes legislation, and a repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell legislation. Unfortunately, all of these require not just presidential authority, but also the support of the House and Senate. Democratic gains in these important races in the 2008 elections may make all the difference here as well.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act or ENDA was approved by the House in 2007, but died in the Senate. It is reasonable to expect that ENDA or a similar bill incorporating protections for sexual orientation and hopefully, gender identity, will be passed in 2009.

While the chances of a full repeal of DOMA in 2009 seem slim, a Repeal DOMA protest is planned for January 10, 2009 nationwide. More information is available at queersunited.blogspot.com.

An improved federal hate crimes law including sexual orientation and gender identity seems ripe for passage this year. The Matthew Shepard Act passed both the House and Senate in 2008 and was nearly sent onto the president as a part of a Department of Defense Reauthorization package. A threatened veto prevented the possible passage of this bill. The 2007 Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) includes protections and data collection for hate crimes based on sexual identity, gender identity and gender. Dailykos.com offers a thorough overview of this issue.

While repealing don’t ask, don’t tell remains a priority for this administration, experts do not expect action to be taken in 2009. After the clear failure of don’t ask, don’t tell as a means of correcting long term military policy towards gays and lesbians, it is likely that this issue will be a sensitive one.

What can you do? Write your congresspeople. Write your senators. Call them. If there is an opportunity in your state for a town hall meeting, take the chance to speak to them in person. If issues come up in your town, city or state, be aware and do what you can. Be a face and a voice for change.

Watch out for people such as Sally Kerns who will be out there saying the craziest of things to get attention and make sure crazy witches like her do not get re-elected.  We should start now and prepare ourselves for the governor races for next year in states such as California and Texas.  There is a lot to do!

Bill O’Reilly is THE biggest hypocrite on the planet. He wants to take away our privacy in some ways then when it comes down to protecting his sheltered and blinded people he wants to act like they are the innocent ones. For some unknown reason I was watching his show on Fox News and noticed some lady from Townhall.com who almost didn’t add anything to the discussion but accusing Google of doing wrong in this. They actually accused Google of being the bad guy of letting people map out who donated from what neighborhood to fund Proposition 8. How is this any different than any other map online to find out what your neighbors are doing.

The privacy thing online I will agree has gone too far. We should not be able to see what our neighbors are doing or have done. Even if they did something horrible they should still have a chance to be forgiven and not treated like the scarlet letter. This is certainly not Google’s fault this is happening. It is the fault of the jerks such as Bill O’Reilly who want all the doings of people be stated all over the place. They started this and now they don’t want to be the ones in the spotlight. They do not want their houses appearing as the jerk or pinhead or bad guy or soul less person.

Eightmaps.com is where you can find the proposition 8 supports and see if they live in your neighborhood. This is a fantastic idea given that EVERYTHING and anything else can be detected online these days. I guarantee these same pinheads that want to do away with everyone’s privacy will start wishing they had some privacy of their own. This is also a good idea because its good to be able to see what neighbor donated to Prop 8 and is fake to your face. Talk about “coming out” of the closet.

Bill O’Reilly discussed this on his show as if it would be used as a violent weapon. This is used not for violence but to find out who near them they know are against what they believe and find out who they can trust in their neighborhood. It will show people to think twice before they donate towards hate. Eightmaps showed great initiative in doing this and I applaud them.

After all would you rather live in a neighborhood where Sally Kerns lives or one of these freaky prop 8 supporters. Those people looked scary from the videos.. I mean how long since they have been laid or are they also coming up for the Child Molestation on the map pins as well? That would be like living on Freddy Kruger lane.

Who owns 8 maps?  This site is privately listed just like most of the sites on the internet so the hag from Townhall.com saying that the owners of the site are hiding out and are cowards has no idea what she’s talking about.  Although, I do think there needs to be more regulation on private domain names because I have had many people copy my site and end up having to try to find the owners for stealing my content.  Billoreilly.com is not even listed in his name Bill O’Reilly.  Hey, if the owner of 8 maps wants to contact me then please do so because I would love to advertise on your site and support it!

If you have not seen Rachel Maddow on cable news then you are watching the wrong channel.

MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow is finding her way into millions of American households and has improved the network’s ratings during the 9:00 PM hour. She’s insightful, liberal, politically savvy and openly gay. Maddow started her public media career on Air America with her own liberal talk radio show. Maddow’s radio show covers both headline news and the political analysis behind the headlines. She appeared on both CNN and MSNBC in 2005 and 2006, adding her voice to election coverage on CNN’s Paula Zahn Now. In January, 2008 she was named a political analyst for MSNBC, appearing on “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” and “Race for the White House”. The Rachel Maddow Show began on MSNBC on September 8, 2008, airing at 9:00 PM Eastern every weekday. She continues her Air America radio program nightly at 6:00 PM Eastern. Maddow’s show, along with Olbermann’s, provides MSNBC viewers with a full three hours of liberal commentary, debate and discussion weeknight.

Maddow is a former Rhodes Scholar with a P.h.D. in political science from Lincoln College at Oxford University. Prior to her work as a political commentator and television and radio host, she worked in both HIV/AIDS activism and prison reform, making these the subject of her doctoral dissertation. Her radio career began on stations in Massachusetts, eventually leaving for Air America’s Unfiltered and later her own show.

Rachel Maddow’s shows, both on radio and TV, offer a funny and quick moving look at the news of the day, politics and pop culture. Her radio show typically includes a look at the war and life in wartime in Iraq, “underbelly” which looks at the politics behind the news, and interviews with various political and pop culture icons. Her MSNBC show offers interviews with journalists and newsmakers of all sorts, a look at underreported news stories, and a regular segment called “Talk Me Down” about the day’s news.

She is open about her personal life, and was the first out gay or lesbian individual to become a Rhodes Scholar. Today, she splits her time between New York City and a home in rural Massachusetts with her partner, artist Susan Mikula. The couple has been together since 1999.

In 2008, Maddow topped Out Magazines “Out 100 List” of the most culture moving gay men and women in America. Whether you consider her a broadcaster, a news anchor or a political pundit, Rachel Maddow has brought a new face and a new voice to both a major news network. Maddow is an intelligent voice for liberal politics and a liberal agenda, but does it with class, grace and top notch debating skills.  She also received the cover of the Advocate magazine and named the “Smartest Woman on Television.”

Here are some quotes we have seen on blogs about Rachel Maddow’s success on MSNBC:

“It is so good to see a SMART woman who doesn’t have bleached blond hair with low cut dresses on as a host of a good “talking heads” show…and of course, I agree with her most of the time.  I sometimes catch her at 1 am and usually do not watch during prime time but guess I should record (I am often up at 1 am)” – Mary, Chicago

People overall seem to like Rachel because she is nice and smart without being as cocky as her male counterparts.  We still watch Keith Olbermann on Countdown but love the addition to MSNBC.  I have to at least watch his special comments and the Worst Persons in the World showdown.  I am mostly happy about her beating Sean Hannity and Colmes in some of the ratings because we deserve good, quality reporting and journalism instead of all the trash repeated all day on Fox News.  The funny thing about all of this is that I originally had a dream Rachel would get her own show on MSNBC then she started filling in for Keith and it all began.

Thousand upon thousands of gays united across the country today to say that we want equal rights now when it comes to marriage.  We are tired of paying taxes just like every other family but not being equal.  There were protests held from Utah, Oklahoma, Texas, and 130 cities overall.

Everyone I speak to in the gay community think that Proposition 8 in California was the best thing to ever happen to gay rights.  It not only opened up the floodgates for the LGBT community to be motivated to get out there and be active but it is really bringing us together.  I attended the rally in Houston today at city hall and took some great photos of the event.

This was a highly respectable event with people dressed nicely and showing up to support love instead of hate.  I was so impressed with the speakers and the performance from Jason and deMarco who sung in a Capella.

Two lesbians took stage who have been married and not sure their current marriage status in California gave the most emotional speech.  It was an enlightening event to bring the gay community together and see so many gay youth attending.  This was no gay pride parade, nightclub, or house party but a meeting at city halls across the nation that really showed we want and deserve marriage rights just like anyone else.  America was made to give rights to minorities not to be taken away from majorities.  It was great to see everyone out and about coming together for our futures.

We should all get together and find out where all this money came from to get Proposition 8 passsed in California and who funded the commercials in Florida.  If Churches are getting involved in politics THEY SHOULD get their TAX EXEMPT status taken away.  Hey, what better way to get our economy back in shape get some tax money from these Churches.

Churches seem to get the free ride when it comes to taxes and we all know they are dipping into politics way more than they should.  They should be taxed just like everyone else!  We at least need to make sure this is enforced.

We should have been undercover in the churches with small recording devices.  We damn well should have been doing this.

I think the best place to make a donation right now is lambdalegal.org to help get the ball running on this.  Marching and honking may make noise but the real noise is making phone calls and sending emails to people that can make a difference.

Here’s how you get it done:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the “Mormon” or LDS Church) has gone too far in promoting the 2008 California Proposition 8, which would claims to amend the California state constitution to define marriage as one man and one woman in order to supersede a state supreme court opinion issued earlier this year. [Whether the proposition was a lawful amendment or a revision that cannot legally be made by a voter initiative remains an open question.]

Section 501(c)(3) of US Code Title 26, which governs tax-exempt organizations, reads (emphasis added):

(3) Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.

(The “otherwise provided” clause does not apply, as the LDS Church, being a church, is a disqualified entity as described in subsection (h).)

The LDS church, through inciting its members to donate time and means to support Proposition 8 (resulting in millions of dollars of cash contributions from its members and countless volunteer hours), and in-kind campaign contributions to a group that supports Proposition 8, has now made a substantial part of its activities attempting to influence legislation.

You can help! Send the IRS an official complaint about the LDS Church’s activities, either by email, fax or US Mail.

1. Prepare a copy of the Official LDS Prop. 8 Letter read in all LDS churches in California on 29 June 2008.
2. Prepare one or more other articles of your choice (you can use these links, or do your own research) showing the LDS Church’s substantial activities attempting to influence this legislation.
3. Prepare this Pre-Filled IRS Form 13909 and add your personal information, or fill out a Blank IRS Form 13909 from scratch with the information in the pre-filled form (these links and an alternative filled form are copied below in RESOURCES.)
4. Don’t forget to date your referral at the top and include your submitter information. If you are a member of the Church, you may wish to check the box marked “I am concerned that I might face retaliation or retribution if my identity is disclosed.”
5. Send it to the IRS, either by:
   * Email: Prepare your documents as PDF’s or web links, and send your complaint form with supporting documentation to eoclass@irs.gov.
   * Fax: fax your documents to (214) 413-5415
   * Mail: mail your documents to
   IRS EO Classification
   Mail Code 4910DAL
   1100 Commerce Street
   Dallas TX 75242-1198

RESOURCES:
Official IRS Complaint Process for Tax-Exempt Organizations
US Code Title 26, Section 501
Official LDS Prop. 8 Letter
List of LDS Entities (Source of Tax ID Number)

Information required for IRS Form 13909:
Name of Referred Organization: The Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Street Address: 50 E. North Temple St., Salt Lake City UT 84150
Organization’s EIN: 23-7300405
For Section 4, see the Pre-Filled IRS Form 13909, or write your concerns in your own words. If your reader will not open that form, try the Alternative Pre-Filled 13909.

Thanks to a formerly faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (”the Church”) for the update to this for us to take action.

The Mormons managed to spend millions and use Karl-Rove type scare tactics in getting the word out that gays will be teaching your children about homosexuality at an early age in schools.  They did this because they are so scared of gays having a right to marry.  The Catholics were also part of the big circus against gays in Proposition 8 and most surprising were Black Churchgoers who were excited to bring in Obama as the first Black President.

Gays and Lesbians will now know that they can’t just go around thinking that a minority will care about the GLBT cause.  The “minorities” will look out for their selfish religious beliefs first.  It was sad to see so many blacks voting for Proposition 8 as if they forgot what being discriminated against was like and as if they forgot what it felt to be on this side of the fence.

Ellen Degeneres said on her blog today that:

This morning, when it was clear that Proposition 8 had passed in California, I can’t explain the feeling I had. I was saddened beyond belief. Here we just had a giant step toward equality and then on the very next day, we took a giant step away.

I believe one day a “ban on gay marriage” will sound totally ridiculous. In the meantime, I will continue to speak out for equality for all of us.

We can hope that a Democratic controlled congress and senate and president will change things for gay rights but I have my doubts.  They want to get re-elected in 2-4 years and how can they if they dare approve of such a thing as gay marriage, hate crime legislation, and putting more money into a real hiv cure.

GLBT lost a lot this election even worse off than we were 2 years ago.  Sally Kerns in Oklahoma got re-elected – you know the lady who calls Gays Terrorists.  Keith Olbermann has not made her a Worst Person in the World for some reason I sure wish he would.  This lady is the witch of witches.  I have a friend in her district of 86 in OKC and he could not believe she won again.

There was also Andrew Rice out of Oklahoma who got beat out.  Then there was Florida who voted to put more discrimination against gays in their constitution.  I could expect this attitude out of Arizona but why Florida and California.  How disappointing is that?

We can be proud of Massachetts who legalized marriage and pot but pretty much disguisted with the rest of the country right now!

Bottom Line:  We pay taxes just like everyone else.  Equal rights should be given to every tax-paying citizen.  Keep in mind these churches do not pay taxes but yet they seem to control every social issue in our government.

Peter Tatchell, writing in the Guardian (UK) recently, reported that despite the ‘improved’ security situation in war torn Iraq, Islamic death squads are engaged in a ‘homophobic killing spree. The Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa urging the killing of lesbians and gays “in the most severe way possible”’, Tatchell says.

David Grey, producer for the gay film company Village Film, recently made a short film entitled ‘Queer Fear – gay life, Gay death in Iraq.’ The movie charts the tragic stories of several Iraqi individuals who are gay; it is not an easy movie to watch. Since its release, it is said, the situation has not improved, and it may in fact have become worse for gay and lesbian people in Iraq.

The reality is that in today’s ‘liberated’ Iraq, being gay or lesbian has become a death sentence. (Just as it is for a woman to have sex outside of marriage.) Anyone who is deemed to be insufficiently devout and pure is at risk of assassination, particularly in areas such as Basra, a city that the British military have now abandoned. This is, in effect, sexual cleansing and the death squads are boasting that they have exterminated all “perverts and sodomites” in many of the country’s other main cities.

There is a covert gay rights movement in the country. We know this because several members of it have gone missing after documenting the abuse of rights and the killing of gay men and women, and getting the news to the outside world. Commentators believe that the situation in Iraq is now worse for lesbian, gay and transgender people than it was under the rule of Saddam Hussein.

But, in the true spirit of the free voice, Iraqi LGBT is bringing the news to the world at large and trying to make a difference. Their site, iraqilgbtuk.blogspot.com, based in the UK, is keeping a watch on international reportage while raising funds to help fight the cause. It was while browsing this site that I found more, yet similar, disturbing news:

“This morning, [25th September 2008, just after the Tatchell article was published] news came from Iraq that the coordinator of Iraqi LGBT in Baghdad, Bashar, aged 27, has been assassinated in a barber shop. Militias burst in and sprayed his body with bullets.”

What can the Iraqi people do about it? You may well ask. Sadly the answer is not a lot. Going to the police for protection is a non-starter as the police are infiltrated by fundamentalists, especially in the Badr militia. Pro-fundamentalist ministers in the Government are turning a blind eye to the killings and, if one’s government will not help, who else is there? There are organizations like Iraqi LGBT, doing what they can from a distance, and individuals too can add their voice and their views. Outrage, the direct action group formed in the UK to fight what they see as violations of human rights in the GLBT community, also accept donations and provide help to Iraq GLBT. And the media around the world is slowly picking up on the subject, I am thinking of recent articles in Newsweek and the UK gay paper, the Pink Paper, in particular here.

Your own views are your own of course and not everyone will read the above from the same viewpoint as those who report it. But the clear message is that, in this part of the world, a battle rages between the religion and rights, a battle that will going on for many years and may never end. Which means the killing of fellow LGBT people will never stop either. Unless those of us lucky enough to be born elsewhere try to make a difference.

NOTES:

Queer Fear,  the mentioned movie is available to stream at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uB7TcPGXlHY

Does Alaska Govenor Sarah Palin support gay rights?  Well according to an article in the Anchorage Daily News she sort of does.

Gov. Sarah Palin vetoed a bill Thursday that sought to block the state from giving public employee benefits such as health insurance to same-sex couples.

Sen. John McCain’s VP pick Sarah Palin was not exactly backing gay marriage with this veto.  Palin supported the 1998 constitutional amendment on gay marriage.

There are lots of things we do not know about her until the upcoming debates she will have with Joe Biden.  We will learn more then but it does not look like shes much of a gay rights advocate even though she supposedly “has good friends that are gay.”  She still has to keep her day job and I doubt she an keep that Republican name tag if she starts going up against the religious right.

How about this pic on the left of Sarah Palin.  Well actually its an entertainer at Charlie’s Chicago but it sure looks like the VP pick.  The fake Sarah Palin may be more gay rights friendly and be a true maverick.  And why is the VP pick called an Alaskan Maverick anyway? What exactly has she done that she has not flip flopped on – she even flip flopped on the bridge to nowhere!

Being young and queer is, regardless of family and school situations, hard. There is no way around this reality, and it is no surprise that suicide rates are horribly high among gay, queer and transgender youth. Coming out can be terrifying and remaining closeted is fundamentally no better. Having the right resources can help you sort out conflicting feelings, manage the challenges of being young and out, and can allow you to sort through the difficulties managing family, friends and relationships.

If you are still in school, bullying and basic physical safety may be a real concern. Gay and lesbian teens are much more apt to be bullied, and may not find the school administration to be helpful. Webmd.com offers more information on bullying and gay teens. Unfortunately, most of us are aware that bullying often leads to physical violence against GLBTQ teens. More and more schools are working to combat these issues and create a more welcoming environment. If your school has a Gay-Straight Alliance or participates in Day of Silence, dayofsilence.org, activities, these can be a good way to judge the overall environment of the school before coming out.

Coming out to family and friends can range from nerve wracking to devastating. While you should not underestimate the love of your family, assess what you know about their views before coming out. HRC.org offers some great information on coming out to family and friends. You might also consider providing your family with brochures and meeting times for PFLAG, or even just the website link community.pflag.org. If you believe that coming out puts your safety, shelter or emotional health at risk, waiting until you have moved out of your family’s home is valid and reasonable. While we all hope to be able to come out and be accepted, your physical well being may need to be a priority while you are young.

One of the serious issues facing our community is the rate of depression and suicide among gay youth. While it is not surprising that gay and lesbian teens struggle with bullying, acceptance and self acceptance, there is help available. If you have a local gay and lesbian center, they may offer a support group for teens or free confidential counseling. In many cases, if you need a ride or other assistance, they may be able to help. If you are suicidal or in crisis, call Trevor’s Hotline at 866-4-U-TREVOR or online at thetrevorproject.org. Trevor’s Hotline is staffed by trained volunteers and is a 24 hour hotline for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people.

Another issue that must be mentioned that effects all young people, but in today’s world of abstinence only sex ed is more critical than ever is just that. If you need honest, clear information about sex, and about sexual issues that impact queer youth, see scarleteen.com or goaskalice.columbia.edu.

Bullying is Still a Problem for Teens

Above you will find some resources for gay youth in time for the Fall school season.  London has many subway ads proclaiming that Being Gay is OK and not to bully.  More ads ran in the US might be useful in buses and subways.  It could be the smaller towns where we see it most and the more black prominent schools have always been worse with bullying even though they are considered a minority.

My solution to most bullying in highschool, middleschool, and elementary is to encourage a mandatory dress system giving students black and white clothes to choose from so you do not have brand bullying.  This would also include certain shoes since shoe brands are a big bullying problem.  Hair should not be mandatory and should be freedom of choice if someone wants to have a mohawk or have pink hair that should be their expression.