Who gets the last say in the abortion debate?

This has been on my mind, lately, but since the missus is talking about it with her brother via telephone, I figured I'd blog a little.

Here's the thing: I don't believe there are two sides to every argument. Sometimes one side is just right, and the other is just wrong. This is an older post by someone way more educated and better with words than I am.

A middle ground will tear you apart.

Link Vomit.

I know I haven't written a proper entry in a while, but I promise I've got one coming. For right now, here's some stuff.

- Proving they have absolutely no shame, Operation Rescue (you know, the one Dr. Tiller's murderer had ties to), might buy Tiller's recently closed clinic.

- Adam Lambert: "I'm gay." The world: "Duh."

- An 88-year old white supremacist opened fire at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday afternoon, killing a guard and further making the case that right-wing extremism needs to be taken seriously as terrorism.

- "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski is trying to stop an auction of his personal possessions, including diaries to pay the $15 million in restitution owed to his victims.

- This story from CNN highlights activist Betty Makoni, who has helped rescue 35,000 girls from sexual abuse in Zimbabwe, where it is widely believed that an HIV-positive man can be cured if he rapes a virgin.

- The Supreme Court refused to hear a legal challenge to Don't Ask Don't Tell on Monday, which, while not surprising, is still a bit disheartening.

- Chrysler and Fiat have finally merged.

- And on a lighter note, Obama will never be the same after visiting Denny's, via the Onion.


Obama Drastically Scales Back Goals For America After Visiting Denny's

LGBT Roundup.

(Or, as the missus said so eloquently moments ago, "Lasso those gays."

- New Hampshire approves same-sex marriage.

- KRXQ radio in Sacramento encourages violence against transgendered children. Here's the contact information for the studio and on-air personalities.
John Geary
Vice President & General Manager
KRXQ-FM
(916) 339-4209
jgeary@entercom.com

Arnie States
On-Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rad@robbiearnieanddawn.com

Rob Williams
On-Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rwilliams@entercom.com

- Rev. Art Cribbs of California protests his state's same-sex marriage ban. (CNN)


- Happy Gay Pride Month!

I need a fucking aspirin.

I'm a socialist, Obama is STILL dragging ass on Don't Ask Don't Tell, swine flu will only kill a few people, and the people in charge at Apple are enormous hypocrites.

The good news is, New York is closer to gay marriage.

Also, it's raining again, and I'm still in bed, curled up with the cats and the laptop. I'm going to go make some hot cocoa.
The missus and I went apartment hunting the other day and found a gorgeous one that we both fell in love with instantly. All I need to do is get back to work so we can afford it. Good thing our lease isn't up on this place until December.

Just a quick post, then I'm back to feeling like I'm going to die.

Taking a quick break from excruciating cramps to celebrate that Maine legalized same-sex marriage!

Also, same-sex marriages performed in other states will be recognized in Washington D.C..

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Hello, readers (and new follower!), this is to inform you that I may be taking a brief hiatus in order to, um, get my shit together.

Also, since my brain is currently malfunctioning aside from the obvious "Haha, funny man funny" in reference to the Eddie Izzard special I'm watching as I'm typing this, here are some links that you must click RIGHT NOW as I smoke.

- The Prez AND the Vice Prez like hamburgers too! I know, right?

- House passes hate crime legislation. (Question: does hate crime legislation limit freedom of speech? Short answer: no, and you're dumb.)



- Swine flu might put a damper on Cinco de Mayo celebrations because, uh... only Mexicans have it? What?

- I JUST realized that the dorky guy in all those movies I've seen and curled my lip at... is the Mac guy! (For the record, I like PC guy better and I am stupid.)

- Craigslist might drop their sex ads, which means you might want to hurry up.

And now this:

I take it back.

Here's the thing, Miss California: I don't mind if you're against gay marriage. Well, okay, I do, but I can deal with that. However, I have a HUGE problem with someone who uses their beliefs as an excuse to try to take away MY rights.

I defer to Feministing.

Dear Miss California,

While I disagree wholeheartedly with your stance on gay marriage, I am impressed that you held your convictions and did not sway to public scrutiny because it was the 'politically correct' thing to do. Many people in your position would not have had the will to do so in such a spotlight, and I believe it takes great courage to stand up for what you believe in, regardless of whether your opinion is that of your audience.

I do hope, however, that in time you will change your mind on this issue, as many people's lives and liberties are at stake in the current upheaval over marriage rights for those within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community. I also hope that you take the opportunity that Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, has offered and sit down with him and those he has invited to share with you. It would be great to see an open, honest dialogue between people with different beliefs.

Obviously I do wish to see you change your position, but on your terms, not those of the American populace. I hope that one day you will support the LGBTQ community fully, but until then, I do wish you the best of luck in life.

Congratulations on Miss USA runner-up,
Amanda Shirkey
Michigan

Good news!

Allen Andrade, the man that killed transgender teen Angie Zapata, was convicted today of first-degree murder and a hate crime. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. This is a huge breakthrough for transgender rights, as this is the first time that a state hate crime statute has been used to prosecute a transgender person's murder.

---

Emergency contraception will now be available without a perscription for those age 17 and older. Girls under 17 will still need a perscription to obtain it (which I disagree with, but I don't really feel like getting into that right now).

A Gay Storm is Coming...

Are you ready?

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch

(This is of course, in response to NOM's most recent homo-hating advertisement. God, they're getting desperate.)

...

My apologies for not posting anything on the Day of Silence last Friday--I hope those who participated made it through the day safely.

Exodus International's "Day of Truth" is upon us. Oh, no, folks, the truth--or rather, thinly veiled hate and open hostility toward the goddamned homosexuals. For those who fear for their safety on this day, there is also a page dedicated to "Facing Opposition," in which they describe instances where students were *gasp!* openly criticized for saying hateful things.

What a sad day it is when good-hearted people spreading love (read as: bigoted homophobes spreading anti-gay propaganda) are subject to criticism. It almost makes you forget about the harassment and violence aimed at LGBTQ individuals on a day-to-day basis. Tragic example here.

Note: Also, because of EI, I have found out exactly what the Gay Agenda is! I feel so enlightened.

Victory.

A spot of good news, today: less than 24 hours after the Afghan women's protest, President Karzai announced Afghanistan will repeal the law that legalized rape within marriage.
This came after a group of 300 to 500 women marched in the capital to protest the law yesterday, amidst a maelstrom of opposition from 600 to 700 men supporting the law.

This is a huge victory for women's rights in Afghanistan, especially after the initial blow the passage of the law caused in the first place. Hopefully, things will stay on this track.

One more thing:

New York governor David Paterson is pushing a bill through to legalize same-sex marriage within the state.
He: "I think it is--as some other states are showing--the only ethical way to treat the people who want to live together in peace under the civil law."

Let's hope the examples from Iowa and Vermont put enough pressure on conservatives to get this passed. It's about damn time.

Keep spreading this Gay Agenda I keep hearing so much about.

While privileged people across America claimed oppression...

Actual news happened! And guess what else! People who were ACTUALLY being oppressed had a protest, too!

The front page story: Whining Republicans don't want to pay their taxes. (What else is new?)

What should have made front page news: Afghan women protested the recently-passed law legalizing rape against women.
Some pictures from Afghanistan:

Everybody seems to be disappearing lately.

Literally. CNN.com has, at the time of this post, four separate headlines on their main page that include the words "missing" or "disappeared" or some variation of one of the two.

What gives? People disappear all the time, but it seems to be almost trendy, now--everyone has to be missing. It's completely over reported, which I suppose can be considered a good thing, but come on. One of the headlines is about a missing dog.

What about real news? I don't see one thing on the main page about Vermont's ruling for same-sex marriages in the state. I had to do a search about it, and for god's sake, it happened TODAY, less than a week after Iowa courts UNANIMOUSLY overturned the ban against marriage equality in that state. Check it.

And then do a little dance for equal rights and people who are finally getting them.

We're all out of airheadedness, but douchebaggery is still available.

Every time I hear someone say that I don't deserve the same rights as they do it's a punch to the gut. And don't think it's a once in a while sort of thing. It's every day and it's everywhere. Daily, I see bumper stickers that look like this on the backs of people's cars, and I want to vomit.


Even though it was four months ago that Prop 8 in California was passed, it doesn't mean it's over for the millions of people in this country that got royally screwed by not just strangers, but people we thought we trusted--friends, family, neighbors.

So everywhere we as the LGBTQ community turn we now have mistrust and disappointment toward people we meet and people we know. Every time I see someone with a bumper sticker or hear someone say something negative about the people in our community, I want to ask, "Why? Why do you hate us so much that you'd condemn us to second-class citizenship?"

A lot of people try to defend their actions, usually by either using the Bible as an excuse, or by saying, "Well, I have gay friends." Bullshit. Just because you know gay people does not mean you are friends with them. Let me define friendship for you.
The state of being friends; friendly relation, or attachment, to a person, or between persons; affection arising from mutual esteem and good will; friendliness; amity; good will.

When you tell a person through casting a ballot that they don't deserve the same rights as you do, you are not being a friend. You are being selfish, and insecure. You are being hateful, and hate breeds more hate. No wonder we're so bitter.

Click here.
And here.

I am so sad.

The California Supreme Court will most likely uphold Proposition 8, a ballot initiative which ended same-sex marriage in that state a few months after it was finally declared legal. This is just plain wrong. Proponents of Prop 8 claim it is the will of the people, majority rule, etc.

Historically, the majority of people have very seldom protected the rights of minorities. This is why we had slavery for 400 years.

The only upside is that the 18,000 some same-sex marriages performed during the period it was legal will likely remain valid, which is the least the Supreme Court could do.

For more information on this, click here.