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In his opinion written to allow corporations to contribute as much money as they like to political candidates and campaigns, Justice Clarence "the Sphinx" Thomas dragged in our gay/lesbian fight for civil rights. 
 
It's true, according to Thomas:  Gay rights WILL be the downfall of civilization as we know it.
 
SNIP:  NOTE FROM JOHN: Shorter Clarence Thomas: It's okay if someone takes away your constitutional rights, but if you exercise your remaining constitutional rights and tell them they're wrong, you're a very bad person who needs to be stopped by any means necessary. Conservatives like Thomas think that the Constitution only applies to them, and that free speech means they get to speak and you get to shut up. But don't dare challenge a conservative, don't dare question their actions, don't dare respond to their political speech with political speech of your own, because then, well, then the Supreme Court needs to weigh in and stop you. Because any time you challenge a conservative, you're being intolerant of their intolerance.
 

Thanks to Rex Wockner for the link, indy journalist, google him.


http://gay.americablog.com/2010/01/clarence-thomas-dissented-on-disclosure.html
 
or  http://tinyurl.com/yd2zpob

Press release from National Stonewall Democrats

http://stonewalldemocrats.org/node/947

This list of affiliated GLBT organizations has joined to present a joint press release decrying the continued stalling on passing ENDA, Employment Non-Discrimination Act



LGBT AMERICANS OUTRAGED AT DELAY IN BASIC JOB RIGHTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2009

Media Contacts:
Calla Devlin Rongerude
NCLR
415.392.6257 x324
cdevlin@nclrights.org

Justin Tanis
NCTE
202.903.0112
jtanis@nctequality.org

Brad Luna
Human Rights Campaign
202-216-1514
brad.luna@hrc.org

Inga Sarda-Sorensen
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
646.358.1463
isorensen@theTaskForce.org

LGBT AMERICANS OUTRAGED AT DELAY IN BASIC JOB RIGHTS

In light of continuing delays in the House of Representatives, we must state clearly and unequivocally: Passing basic job protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people must happen now. At a time when our government is deeply focused on the critical issue of employment, it is inexcusable to delay action on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Each and every job lost to prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity needlessly compounds the unemployment challenges facing our nation. We call on Congress for the immediate passage of ENDA.

For decades now, we have called upon Congress to pass legislation to address the basic right of LGBT people to work free from discrimination at our jobs, and now Congress tells us we must wait another year. In 29 states, it remains legal to fire people based on sexual orientation and in 38 states, discrimination based on gender identity remains legal. In failing to take swift action to pass ENDA, our government allows unfettered bigotry to go unchecked, leading to the loss of jobs, fear in the workplace, economic instability, and personal hardship, while allowing employers to lose competent experienced workers. ENDA is urgently needed by our communities.

The majority of Americans consistently state their support for employment protections and voters have affirmed similar state and local measures. There is absolutely no reason for Congress to continue to delay this non-controversial bill or drop LGBT issues to the bottom of their agenda. We will not be denied basic rights any longer.  Nothing is more important than protecting peoples' jobs so ENDA must pass now. Further delays are absolutely unacceptable.

Matthew Coles & James Esseks, Co-Directors, American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Project
Terry Stone, Executive Director, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Toni Broaddus, Executive Director, Equality Federation
Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director, Family Equality Council
Lee Swislow, Executive Director, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders
Jarrett Tomás Barrios, President, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
Joe Solmonese, President, Human Rights Campaign
Rachel T. Niven, Executive Director, Immigration Equality
Earl Fowlkes, President/CEO, International Federation of Black Prides, Inc.
Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director, Lambda Legal
Christian Berle, Director of the Log Cabin Republicans National Office
Sharon J. Lettman, Executive Director/CEO, National Black Justice Coalition
Kate Kendell, Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality
Rebecca Fox, Executive Director, National Coalition for LGBT Health
Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund
Michael Mitchell, Executive Director, National Stonewall Democrats
Gregory Varnum, Executive Director, National Youth Advocacy Coalition
Selisse Berry, Founding Executive Director, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
Jody Huckaby, Executive Director, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National
Jo Kenny, Interim Director, Pride at Work AFL-CIO
Masen Davis, Executive Director, Transgender Law Center

Additional organizations may be added.

Calla Devlin Rongerude | Director of Communications

National Center for Lesbian Rights | www.nclrights.org
870 Market Street, Suite 370, San Francisco, CA 94102
415.365.1324 t / 415.205.2420 c / 415.392.8442 f
cdevlin@nclrights.org
 
The audacity to fight for justice. The perseverance to win.

[Russell said he thought about finding a way to pass his law while taking the money, but said it would be a compromise in the values of his bill. "I understand the state could use all the money it can get, but we can't compromise our values for some quick cash," Russell said.]

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/144059/oklahoma_lawmaker_considering_bill_to_opt_out_of_hate_crimes_act

Update If Oklahoma wants to refuse federal funds to fight hate crimes, it has the right to do so. However, Russell is trying to have it both ways -- accept the federal funds and refuse to apply them for their intended purpose:

When asked about whether the state of Oklahoma should reject the $5 million in federal funds that the federal government would give to law enforcement agencies to help prosecute hate crimes, Russell said he thought about finding a way to pass his law while taking the money, but said it would be a compromise in the values of his bill. "I understand the state could use all the money it can get, but we can't compromise our values for some quick cash," Russell said.

http://alternativetulsa.blogspot.com/2009/11/o-klahomas-conservative-politicians.html

DC Homo-hate rally fizzles with Oklahoma Haters Kern, hubby of Sally, and Blair Having to Zip....

their, um, lips.....

Their announced intention was to get charged and arrested for, in their words, violating the recently passed and signed, Shepard/Byrd Hate Crimes Law.  However, as the www..Gossp-boy.com  story points, with pictures, bullies petter out when they don't have their gang to back them up.

http://gossip-boy.com/DC_Hate_Rally.html

http://www.almcaffrey.com/blog?key=1929
McAffrey Adamantly Opposed to Russell's Proposed Legislation

http://gossip-boy.com/Sen_Steve_Russell.html

http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/oklahoma-lawmaker-wants-state-to-legislate-exemption-from-the-recentlypassed-federal-hate-crimes-bil.html

[‘Tenther’ Oklahoma Lawmaker Considering Bill To Opt Out Of Hate Crimes Act]

Oklahoma Senator Steve Russell

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/18/oklahoma-tenther-hate-crime/

‘Tenther’ Oklahoma Lawmaker Considering Bill To Opt Out Of Hate Crimes Act


EXCERPT:   A common right-wing objection to federal health care legislation is that it’s unconstitutional. So-called “tenthers” argue that the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution never explicitly gives the federal government the right to regulate health care, leaving that power exclusively in the hands of the states. To that end, officials in various states have raised the possibility of passing legislation to exempt their residents from federal health care reform if it passes.

Oklahoma state Sen. Steve Russell (R) is proposing to use the same argument and tactic to try to exempt his state from the recently-passed Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act — which extends hate crimes protections to gays and lesbians — because he claims it infringes on freedom of speech:

Russell said because the government has decided to intervene on issues of morality, he is worried that religious leaders who speak out against any lifestyle could be imprisoned for their speech.

“The law is very vague to begin with,” Russell said. “Sexual orientation is a very vague word that could be extended to extremes like necrophilia.” [...]

Russell said Oklahoma can opt out of the law on the basis of the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“The bill gives the federal government power that was not given to them in the Constitution,” Russell said. “I am aware of the supremacy of the federal government over state governments, but the federal requirements are vague enough for us to make actions. We just have to be very careful on how we proceed.”


Moderator's note:

Here is the link to Sen Russell's Oklahoma Senate webpage:
http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/russell_bio.html

If gays/lesbians can't MARRY we sure as hell can't BURY

Steven Colbert at his satirical best---

http://vodpod.com/watch/2524261-the-word-skeletons-in-the-closet


http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/256012/november-16-2009/the-word---skeletons-in-the-closet

Shorter URL: http://bit.ly/nuosF

Wisconsin Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge To Domestic Partnership Registry

Committed Couples Can Continue To Enjoy Limited Protections Offered By Registry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 4, 2009
CONTACT:
Chris Hampton, ACLU LGBT Project, 212-549-2673
Larry Dupuis, ACLU of Wisconsin, 414-272-4032, ext. 12

MADISON, WI - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to dismiss a challenge to the state's recently-enacted domestic partnership registry.  The Court also rejected a request from board members of Wisconsin Family Action that the registry be declared unconstitutional and put indefinitely on hold. The ACLU represents five same-sex couples who asked to be allowed to participate in the case.

"The registry certainly doesn't offer anywhere close to the protections that marriage would, but we're grateful that the couples we represented can at least hang onto the limited legal protections it gives them, such as the ability to visit each other in the hospital," said John Knight, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU LGBT Project.

Board members of Wisconsin Family Action had asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to strike down the domestic partner law as inconsistent with the amendment to the state constitution that bans same-sex couples from marriage.  The dismissal of the case by the Wisconsin Supreme Court means that these petitioners may not begin their case in the Wisconsin Supreme Court but may re-file their case in a circuit court (lower court), where both sides will be able to have a trial and present evidence to support their cases.

"The Wisconsin Supreme Court did the right thing rejecting this premature and ill-defined challenge.  If the petitioners want to deprive thousands of families of some very basic protections, they should not be allowed to short-circuit the legal process of proving their case to a trial judge," said Larry Dupuis, Legal Director of the ACLU of Wisconsin.  "We're certain that if we end up having to deal with these arguments in a trial, we'll be able to show how the limited protections offered by the domestic partnership registry in no way violate the marriage ban."

The five couples represented by the ACLU had asked the court to let them join the lawsuit so that they could help defend the law.  That motion was denied as moot, since the lawsuit was dismissed.  Fair Wisconsin, an LGBT advocacy organization whose members include same-sex couples who have registered as domestic partners under the new law, also sought to intervene in the lawsuit to help defend the law.

In addition to Dupuis and Knight, the legal team representing the couples includes Linda Hansen, David Froiland, Jason Plowman, Daniel Manna and David Goroff of Foley & Lardner, LLP.

Additional information about the ACLU's motion, including today's order, bios and photographs of the couples, the legal documents filed and a fact sheet containing some of the comments made by the anti-gay activists seeking to strike the law, is available at http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights/appling-v-doyle-case-profile .

###

ACLU LGBT and AIDS Project, 125 Broad St., 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004, (212) 549-2627