Court Refuses NJ Gov. Krispie Kreme’s Request to Block Gay Marriage

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Thursday, October 10, 2013

gov. fatso

Gov. Krispie Kreme Seen Here Struggling to Propel His Girth Out of Bed

The Associated Press reports a judge refused on Thursday to delay the start of same-sex marriage in New Jersey until a legal appeal can be settled, denying efforts by Gov. Krispie Kreme’s administration to deny same-sex marriages.

In New Jersey, as it stands, the state must grant marriage licenses for same-sex couples starting Oct. 21. But Kreme’s administration — a Republican who is considered a possible presidential candidate for 2016, is expected to appeal the denial of the stay to a higher court.

Judge Mary Jacobson wrote.

“Granting a stay would simply allow the state to continue to violate the equal protection rights of New Jersey same-sex couples, which can hardly be considered a public interest.”

Gov. Krispie Kreme’s administration has already asked the state Supreme Court to weigh in on an earlier ruling by Jacobson, who ruled then that the state had to allow gay marriage.

LGBT rights groups are pushing lawmakers to override Christie’s veto last year of a law that would have allowed same-sex marriage in New Jersey.

Posted in Chris Christie, Gov. Krispie Kreme, Homophobes, LGBT Rights, New Jersey, News, Same-Sex Marriage | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Cher Says “Nyet” to Open 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia

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September 16, 2013

cher

The Patron Saint of the LGBT community, Cher, turned down an offer to open the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

In an interview with Canadian magazine Maclean’s, Cher revealed that she recently turned down an offer to perform at the Sochi Olympic Games in protest to the government’s treatment of the LGBT community:

“I can’t name names,” but my friend called who is a big oligarch over there, asked me if I’d like to be an ambassador for the Olympics and open the show. I immediately said no. I want to know why all of this gay hate just exploded over there. He said the Russian people don’t feel the way the government does.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed into law a bill banning the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations,” thus opening a dark and violent Hitlerian chapter in the modern history of gay rights in Russia. The law caps an epoch of activities by the Russian government aimed at limiting the rights of the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people.

Posted in Cher, Gay and Lesbian, Gay Rights, Hate Speech, LGBT, Russia | 11 Comments

International Olympic Committee Forbids Athletes to Speak Against Russian Antigay Laws

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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

An anti-gay protester clashes with a gay rights activist during a Gay Pride event in St. Petersbur

If you thought the International Olympic Committee is on our side, think again.

From the Advocate:

The International Olympic Committee says it plans to stop any athlete from showing support of LGBT Russians at the Sochi Winter Games, reports Gay Star News.

However, the IOC claims this isn’t due to Russia’s recently passed antigay laws banning so-called “homosexual propaganda,” but an enforcement of the rules that govern the Olympics.

Rule 50 of the IOC’s charter states “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”   

“The IOC has a clear rule laid out in the Olympic Charter, which states that the venues of the Olympic Games are not a place for proactive political or religious demonstration,” an IOC spokeswoman told Gay Star News. “This rule has been in place for many years and applied when necessary.

According to the cited rule, athletes found in violation could face “disqualification or withdrawal of the accreditation of the person concerned.”

This means any athlete who is seen holding hands with a member of the same sex or wearing a rainbow pin at any point during the games in Sochi would not only face potential fines, jail time, and deportation under Russian law but also punishment from the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC spokeswoman also told Gay Star News that athletes who violated rule 50 of the Olympic charter by showing support for the LGBT community would be evaluated on an individual basis and “sensible approach” would be taken “depending on what was said or done.”

So there you have it, folks. The IOC found a wiggle clause to accommodate Russia’s violent antigay law. For me, I will boycott the 2014 Sochi Winter games.

Posted in Antigay, LGBT Rights, Olympics, Russia | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday Clears the Way for Same-Sex Marriage to Resume

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Friday, June 28, 2013

CAgay

BREAKING

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday lifted its stay on an injunction and cleared the way for same-sex marriages to resume in California.

State officials ordered California’s 58 counties to stop enforcing Proposition 8 and can now begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala D. Harris have pledged to block Proposition 8 across California, as the momentum for gay marriage is likely to hinder any further challenges.

County clerks who preside over marriages said they were ready for same-sex weddings. Marriage licenses already are gender-neutral in California and clerks began receiving calls on Wednesday from gay couples wanting to schedule appointments.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times

Posted in California, International News, LGBT Rights, News, Proposition 8, Same-Sex Marriage | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down DOMA

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

gayflagwaving

The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, a vile and cowardly relic from the Clinton years, was today struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

By a 5-4 vote, Justice Anthony Kennedy writing in the majority opinion said DOMA was unconstitutional:

“The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the State, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity. By seeking to displace this protection and treating those persons as living in marriages less respected than others, the federal statute is in violation of the Fifth Amendment.”

Justice Kennedy delivered the court’s majority opinion and was joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. As expected, the dissenters were Justices John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.

Today’s decision means that more than 100,000 gay and lesbian couples who are legally married will be able to take advantage of tax breaks, pension rights and some of the other 1,300 Federal benefits that are available to heterosexual married couples.

Posted in International News, LGBT Rights, News, Same-Sex Marriage, Supreme Court | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

Who Voted ‘YES’ and ‘NO’ on Manchin-Toomey Background Check Bill

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

The fact that 90% of Americans support sensible background checks to own a gun was lost on the U.S. Senate yesterday. The senate by a vote of 54-46, including five Democrats, voted to kill the Manchin-Toomey Background Check bill.

Manchin-Toomey Background Check sought to expand background checks at gun shows and internet sales.

The measure was in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre when Adam Lanza, 20, shot twenty elementary school children and six adult staff member in a mass murder that rocked the nation to its core.

After the vote, President Obama, in a rare display of anger, called out Republicans and the NRA who had “willfully lied” about the background check proposal.

Democrats who voted against the bill include Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (ND), Max Baucus (MT), Mark Begich (AK) and Mark Pryor (AR).

Social media immediately erupted in a flurry of anger targeting the five Democrats with people posting “you’re fired” and “don’t think the NRA can save your job now.”

gun-control-vote

Media courtesy of BosGuy.com

Posted in Corporate Greed, Democratic Scoundrels, Guns, International News, News, U.S. Senate | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Two More Southern California Gay Men Die from Bacterial Meningitis

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

socalmap
Map of Southern California showing counties with bacterial meningitis outbreak

Two more Southern California gay men have died from bacterial meningitis. The deaths follow the death a West Hollywood man who died last week.

Brett Shaad, 33, a West Hollywood attorney died Saturday night. Officials in West Hollywood quickly alerted the gay community to highly contagious and sometimes deadly infection.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation announced the of Rjay Spoon, 30, of downtown Los Angeles died on Dec. 16; and an unidentified 30-year-old San Diego State University student who lived in Chula Vista died on Dec. 10.

Adding to the fear of a potential outbreak is the fact that Shaad attended the White Party in Palm Springs, a dance party attracting thousands of gay men March 29 to April 1, the foundation said.

Casey Hayden, who was Rjay Spoon’s partner, said he woke up one night to find Spoon vomiting. Spoon’s symptoms puzzled doctors until it was too late, he said.

Hayden told reporters Tuesday:

“We went to the hospital and the first thing they said it was was a drug overdose. Then they said it was extremely advanced HIV, which was not the case. He was negative.”

The recent bacterial meningitis deaths in Southern California follow the deaths of at least seven New York City gay men who died from bacterial meningitis.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is offering free meningitis vaccines on Tuesday.

Bacterial meningitis is a preventable disease. There is no reason to die from this disease. The vaccine carries no live bacteria.

Posted in Bacterial Meningitis, Gay Men, News, Public Health, Southern California | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments