Fun In Annapolis

Great mother-daughter bonding experience in Annapolis this morning! Decided to let the daughter (16) skip the first few periods of school to participate in the counter-protest of Westboro Baptist Church. We (the sane people) gathered across the street from the Circuit Court to demonstrate against Westboro Baptist and their hate-filled rants against gay marriage.
 

                   My daughter and I freezing in Annapolis this morning Here is a news item I found already from the Annapolis Patch You can see us in the front!

Marry-Land!

WAY TO GO MARRY-LAND!!!

My state got it right!

 “Until this election, gay marriage had been defeated more than 30 times when put to voters around the country. But Maryland bucked that trend, voting to allow gay and lesbian couples to obtain civil marriage licenses. The state legislature passed a bill making the change earlier this year, and Governor Martin O’Malley signed it. But opponents successfully petitioned to put the issue before voters, who offered their endorsement Tuesday.” (Washington Post)

Same Love

Inspirational.

Happy Chicken Pride Day!

For those of you who don't know, August 1 has been designated "Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day" by Mike Huckabee. To celebrate, those who endorse the "traditional" (that is, narrow minded and outdated) view of marriage as being between only one man and one woman are supposed to visit their local Chick-Fil-A to chow down on fried chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. This is to support Chick-Fil-A's  President, Dan Cathy, who plead "guilty as charged" to questions about his company's anti-gay agenda.

Although I did love their waffle fries, when I found out over a year ago about this company's contributions to anti-gay causes, I immediately stopped eating there. I believe that Mr. Cathy has a right to run his company in any idiotic way he pleases, but I will not spend another penny there. My hope is that his bigoted views help to run his business right into the ground. Money talks.

In the meantime, please have a laugh with Rainbow Randy:

Thanks to the Bitchy Waiter for sharing this video. Check out his post on Chick-Fil-A as well as his hilarious blog.

I Do!!!

According to Marriage Equality USA,  as of June 2011, 6 states and the District of Columbia recognized same-sex marriage; 4 states had civil unions for same-sex couples, and 6 states had registered domestic partnerships. 

In January of 2012, the Maryland legislature will consider a same-sex marriage bill.  Last year in Maryland, a marriage-equality bill stalled in the House of Delegates after passing the state Senate. Maryland Governor O'Malley, who supported marriage equality in 2011, is appearing in a new video supporting marriage equality.

While all of this political action is well and good, there is another tactic that may be even more effective in convincing those who are reluctant to see same-sex couples as essentially the same as Nancy and Joe Smith down the block. Put them on TV in a sitcom! Nothing makes people seem less threatening and more like someone Mr. or Mrs. Average American can identify with than making them part of a sitcom family. Look at the Cosbys or George Lopez.

In this spirit, do I have a show for you!

This is a hilarious webcom in which baseball player, Brady Kelly, and actor Cheeks wake up after a drunken Vegas fling to find themselves legally married thanks to a new law.  Unwilling to publicly undermine their newly won right, they determine to make a go of it and be HUSBANDS. There's even a ditzy friend!

New episodes appear on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and so far, I've been laughing myself silly. Check it out. A little humor may just be what the cause needs to speed it along!

Something Hinky About Hinkle

And the Hypocrite of the Week Award goes to...Indiana State Rep. Phillip Hinkle!!! Let's hear it for the blatant duplicity, self-righteousness, and deceitfulness of this Republican jackwagon who voted against gay marriage but was recently caught offering a young man $80 plus tip for a "really good time" at a hotel. Seems that it's not OK for gay couples to enjoy the right to have their unions formalized by marriage, but it's just fine for a married, 64 year-old state representative to solicit sex from a Craigslist posting for a "sugga daddy."

An abridged version of the story is as follows: Mr Hinkle allegedly responded to a posting from Kameryn Gibson in the m4m section of Craigslist, which stated, "I need a sugga daddy." Gibson claimed to be 18, although he is, in fact, 20. Portions of emails sent from Hinkle to Gibson read
"Cannot be a long time sugar daddy, but can for tonight. Would you be interested in keeping me company for a while tonight?" The email offers "to make it worth (your) while" in cash, and states "I am an in shape married professional, 5'8", fit 170 lbs, and love getting and staying naked." Gibson claims that they met at a hotel and that he became nervous after Hinkle told him that he was a politician. When he stated that he wished to leave, Hinkle allegedly grabbed his rear, tried to prevent him from leaving, and got naked. Gibson then called his sister from the bathroom, who arrived to take him home. At that point, Hinkle allegedly offered Gibson and his sister his iPad, Blackberry, and $100 not to call the police or media.

Now, personally, I really don't care whom Mr. Hinkle has sex with, as long as it's consensual. This incident is creepy for being coerced (no means no, Phil, even if it's a male prostitute), for being behind his wife's back (I assume), and for being initiated by someone who publicly condemns gay marriage but apparently engages in gay sex in private. This kind of hypocrisy has become so prevalent in politics it's hardly surprising any more. Talk of "family values" by politicians is virtually meaningless. Where are the values of respect, courage, and honesty?

What a Puckhead!

image source

A big hug and thanks to Fireblossom for alerting me to this latest instance of moronic behavior by some bigoted jackwagon who professes to just be expressing his "personal moral stance." I'm sure Hitler and Bin Laden thought they were just expressing personal moral stances as well. Yesterday's case involves hockey, of which I'm generally uninterested. However, I became interested in NHL player Sean Avery when I heard that he made a video stating his support for gay marriage. In this country, athletes are often considered role models for young men, and having a masculine guy from a tough sport endorse gay rights is no small matter. Kudos to Avery! 

Then there's hockey agent Todd Reynold's unsolicited reaction to Avery's video, which he posted on Twitter: "Very sad to read Sean Avery's misguided support of same-gender 'marriage'. Legal or not, it will always be wrong." Apparently, Mr. Reynolds received a flood of negative responses from his Tweet, so he decided to defend himself by adding "To clarify. This is not hatred or bigotry towards gays. It is not intolerance in any way shape or form. I believe we are all equal...But I believe in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. This is my personal viewpoint. I Do not hate anyone."

Oh, I see now. Mr. Reynolds is not intolerant or bigoted. He just believes that gay people should not have the same civil rights as heterosexuals. And that their basic human feelings are "wrong." But other than being denied some fairly important rights, such as adoption, power of attorney, medical powers, etc., gay people are equal to heterosexuals.  Now I get it. He's a dickhead.

It should be noted that Todd Reynolds is Vice-President of Uptown Sports Management, which "...represents Professional Hockey players such as Chris Neil, Cody McCormick and Mike Fisher." I wonder whether the President of Uptown Sports Management holds the same views on gay marriage as Reynolds, as Reynolds chose to post his opinions on the company's Twitter. I also wonder about their clients. Who will have the cajones to publicly denounce this outrageous blather? Anyone?

Yes, Mr. Reynolds does have the right to hold personal opinions about gay marriage and about homosexuality in general. He does not, however, have the right to force his opinions on the rest of society. Nor does anyone else. This issue is not about what Mr. Reynolds believes or even what a majority of the country believes. At one time, a majority of the country believed that blacks and white shouldn't be allowed to marry. Or Jews and Gentiles. Some still believe this, just ask my mother-in-law! This is about civil rights and in this country, everyone has them. If you believe differently, you're just wrong.