Some music (from younger days) …

… to listen to while reading this one …

A man undergoes the mutilative procedure known as “gender-reassignment surgery” and then wins the women’s division of golf’s premier long drive championship.

There was a time when a sexual identity crisis was thought a problem of adolescence and only discussed in psychology journals. But now our whole civilization is experiencing one, as we’ve gone from confusion about the roles of the sexes, to a battle of the sexes, to a battle about how significant the category of “sex” actually is, to subordinating it to “gender,” and finally to a battle of the “genders.”

Such a battle has just played out as 55-year-old Lana Lawless (an assumed name), a man who used to be a 245-pound SWAT cop for the city of Rialto, California, has just won the women’s division of the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship.

Allowing such individuals to compete in women’s athletic contests is nothing new. It dates back to 1977, when Renee Richards (formerly Dr. Richard Raskind) won a court battle that allowed him to compete on the women’s tennis circuit. Now, three decades later, many sporting organizations – including the International Olympic Committee – have rules in place allowing mutilated men to compete alongside women. In other words, we went from altar boys to altered boys in just a couple of generations.

The real problem, however, is that we have an altered society, one thoroughly confused about so many things, not the least of which is the nature of the sexes.

Personally, I don’t refer to any of these altered men as “she.” This is mainly because you cannot change your sex any more than you can your species, and I don’t subscribe to the concept of “gender.” Believe it or not, many altered-men activists agree with me; they will say that while “sex” is inborn, “gender” is chosen. Why do you think the preferred labels today are not “transsexual” and “sex-change operation” but “transgendered” and “gender-reassignment surgery? These terms are part of a social-engineering scheme to alter society’s thinking. They reflect the belief that people have gender (it originally referred only to words) and that it can be whatever your feelings dictate. This is why I won’t use the word gender when referring to people any more than “she” when referring to Lawless. When we use these elements of the lexicon of the left, we unwittingly acknowledge that the concepts they represent are valid.

In other words, there cannot be gender-reassignment surgery because unless “gender” is synonymous with “sex,” it’s not a quality people possess. And there cannot be a sex-change operation because one cannot change his sex. As soon as we deviate from this principle, the form of our argument negates its substance and we help legitimize that against which we fight.

Yet critics tell me I’m uneducated on the matter, that I just don’t understand the science. My response is that they don’t understand the philosophy, without which they can’t interpret the science.

What does it mean to be a man or a woman? Is it just a matter of superficial qualities? Well, good theology tells us that your sex is something existing in your very soul, but I don’t expect this to carry much Lose Weight Exercise with secularists. So instead of delving into what sex is, I’ll explore what it is not.

If a man loseWeight Exercises his genitalia in an accident, is he somehow less male? Or is he just a mutilated male? We know that a pre-pubescent boy has the same hormone balance (low estrogen levels) as a pre-pubescent girl and no male secondary sex characteristics. With his high voice and low muscle mass he is certainly less masculine than his father, but is he any less male than dad?

If that boy lost his genitalia in an accident and thus had none of the three attributes – male primary and secondary sex characteristics and an adult male hormone balance – would he be any less male? This is where critics may say that some elements of femaleness are still missing; for starters, external primary and secondary female sex characteristics would have to be created via surgery and estrogen treatments.

If this were done and the boy dressed and wore his hair like a girl, he’d certainly be able to masquerade as a female very effectively. This point is sometimes made by altered men’s advocates. But does it matter? A great imposter may be indistinguishable from the real thing, but he is no less an imposter.

I would point out that altered men still have an XY (male) chromosome configuration, and, while I won’t boil sex down to just genetics either, it’s certainly more significant than superficial qualities. After all, a boy only develops properly as one because his genes send messages for the release of testosterone in his body while in the womb.

This is where “gender” comes into play. Critics will say that the most significant factor of all is that you must feel like a member of a sex trapped in a body of the other; in other words, you may be physically male but your “gender” is female. The psychobabblers call this “gender dysphoria” – giving something an impressive medical name always lends credibility. And feelings are the ultimate arbiters of reality.

But now consider that the mental health profession has also “identified” a psychological disorder called “body dysmorphia.” Its most extreme manifestation is when a person strongly feels that a certain body part – an arm, leg, etc. – doesn’t belong on his body. He feels it’s alien to him and that he won’t be happy until it’s amputated. There are doctors willing to perform such an operation so that their patients can be “cured.” It’s a remedy prescribed after a brilliant diagnostic process: ascertain if the person truly feels that his body doesn’t conform to what he feels like on the inside. Remember, feelings are the ultimate arbiters of reality.

But here is reality: there may be a man in a psychiatric institution who feels he’s a wolf. He could have his body surgically altered so that he has fur, a tail, paws, fangs and a snout. He could then run about on all fours and howl at the moon, but he would not be a wolf. He would simply be what he is, a troubled man who needs not his body altered, but his mind.

Man Allowed in Women’s Athletic Event . . . and Wins It

No doubt — with the “Socialist Party” firmly back in power in this country — these folks will be meeting in the John … and making a great deal of noise.

~~~~~

Related …

The George Bush Society

Swinging With The Big Shot Women

Belated congratulations to a couple of over-the-hill sexagenarians. We’ll see about that wish of yours, Barbra … but, I’m already getting the feeling we were  “fooled” again …

News and views for Sunday, December 21st through Tuesday, December 23rd …

[CA, USA] Transgender art student Micha Cardenas recently spent 15 days in a virtual world: ” … the bigger surprise is how well Cardenas says she’s adapted to living almost entirely in a virtual world. Reality and unreality occasionally blur. Online interactions feel as immediate as those in the lab. This is a revelation since one of Cardenas’ project goals is answering the question of whether the requirement that transgender people spend one year living as the opposite sex before gender reassignment surgery could be supplanted with living for a year in a virtual world … The answer, though, isn’t quite so clear-cut. “The real life requirement is about dealing with the hardships, rejections and bias that transgender people experience.” In Second Life, Cardenas says social mores tend to be more tolerant: Everybody can be anybody.” — Online-world immersion probes ‘possibilities of transformation’

[MD, USA] Montgomery County’s transgender rights law barely avoided a ballot challenge last month: “Just one vote on the state’s highest court kept a challenge to Montgomery County’s new ban on discriminating against transgender individuals off the ballot on Election Day. Explaining its Sept. 9 order blocking the referendum attempt, the Court of Appeals on Friday revealed its vote had been 4 to 3. The majority said the law’s opponents had not gathered enough valid signatures to force a popular vote. The court also held the law’s backers had not waited too long to contest the Montgomery County Board of Elections’ decision to permit the referendum.  “It would have been nice [to have had it] 4-3 the other way,” said Kevin Karpinski, a partner at Karpinski, Colaresi & Karp P.A. in Baltimore, who represented the elections board before the court. The controversial law, which went into effect shortly after the court’s order, bans discrimination against the transgendered in employment, public accommodations, housing, cable television and taxicab service.” — Top court explains why it kept transgender-law challenge off ballot

[NV, USA] “It has been a bizarre year in golf … At the recent RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship here at Mesquite Regional Park, the year grew even stranger … it is odd but true that the new women’s world champion is a 55-year-old bartender who used to be a man. Although golf is a sport largely without controversy, the reign of long-drive queen Lana Lawless, who lives in Palm Springs, Calif., is expected to be neither tranquil nor uneventful. For starters, there is her startling honesty. “This is who I am. This is my life,” she said firmly. “That other person, that 245-pound SWAT cop I used to be, he’s gone. He’s not coming back.” — Long-drive champ shares her secret

[TX, USA] Jennifer Gale was honored at a memorial service Sunday in Austin: “A homeless advocate, perennial mayoral candidate and vivacious character to Austin was remembered Sunday. Jennifer Gale was found dead early Wednesday morning on an Austin street. Her cause of death has not yet been determined, but homeless advocates hope her death sheds light on those shivering in the shadows.” — Austin community remembers Jennifer Gale (Video), Memorial Service honors Austin original Jennifer Gale

[USA] “The Bush administration, in its final days, issued a federal rule Thursday, Dec. 18, reinforcing protections for doctors and other health care workers who refuse to participate in abortions and other procedures because of religious or moral objections … Transgender advocates say the new rule could have a huge impact on health care for transgender men and women. “Transgender people already experience tremendous hostility and discrimination in the health care setting,” said Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund Executive Director Michael Silverman said. “We oppose HHS’ new regulation and call upon President-elect Obama and the new administration to rescind this policy as soon as they take office.”” — Trans advocates protest Bush’s 11th-hour HHS rule change

[USA] “The vast majority of brutality against gays is carried out by young men, usually acting in groups, said Riki Wilchins, executive director of Gender Public Advocacy Coalition, a Washington nonprofit that works in schools to address discrimination. Their victims most often are other young men with feminine demeanors or transgender women, said Wilchins. “These assailants are looking to eradicate and exterminate something that enrages them, and that is what makes them hate crimes,” he said … Many of the incidents that have captured headlines this year — from the February shooting death of a gay teenager at his Southern California middle school to this month’s slaying of a Brooklyn man who was fatally beaten while walking arm-and-arm with his brother — fit Wilchins’ profile. Larry King, the 15-year-old shot by a classmate, wore feminine clothing and makeup. Jose Sucuzhanay, 31, was beaten with a baseball bat in Brooklyn and kicked by three men who jumped out of a car yelling anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs.” — Many suffered from anti-gay violence in 2008

[Netherlands] “A new investigation into the tangled sex lives of deep-sea squid has uncovered a range of bizarre mating techniques … The study also identified the first known transgender squid: Ancistrocheirus lesueurii. Some males of this species studied for the survey not only resembled the opposite sex in size and appearance but were found to have developed female sex glands. One possible explanation is that the males impersonate females to sneak undetected among potential mates, Hoving said. Alternatively, it may be that waterborne residues from human contraceptive pills or other “gender-bending” pollutants known to be affecting fish and amphibians are also harming the squid, Hoving said. Previous studies have suggested “contaminating chemicals are slowly getting into the deep-sea food web,” Hoving noted.” — Bizarre Squid Sex Techniques Revealed

[Netherlands] “Amsterdam hosted a Christmas celebration for its gay community on Sunday featuring a nativity tableau with a male Mary in drag that church organizations denounced as an affront to traditional values. Organizers said the event was meant to raise Amsterdam’s profile as a gay capital at a time when homosexuals feel threatened. Christians for Truth, an independent religious group, had asked the city council to cancel the “Pink Christmas,” event, saying it made a mockery of Christian tenets. The city did not comment. A male entertainer known as Wendy Mills posed as Mary in a blonde wig and high-heeled black boots and holding a plastic doll. Another man played Joseph in black leather trunks and a silver shawl … “By portraying Joseph and Mary as homosexuals, a twisted human fantasy is being added to the history of the Bible,” Christians for Truth said in a statement ahead of the event.” — Amsterdam’s gay Christmas features Mary in drag

[Vatican City] From Time, “”The celebration of the birth of the Lord is at our doorstep …” Thus began Pope Benedict XVI in his annual pre-Christmas address to top Vatican officials. But rather than a pro forma holiday wish of good tidings, the pontiff delivered his latest heavy-hitting discourse on everything from ecology to ecumenism, with carefully chosen citations from past Popes and even Friedrich Nietzsche. The topic that most grabbed press attention came about halfway through the 30-minute long address: transsexuals. Without actually using the word, Benedict took a subtle swipe at those who might undergo sex-change operations or otherwise attempt to alter their God-given gender. Defend “the nature of man against its manipulation,” Benedict told the priests, bishops and cardinals gathered Monday in the ornate Clementine hall. “The Church speaks of the human being as man and woman, and asks that this order is respected.” The Pope again denounced the contemporary idea that gender is a malleable definition. That path, he said, leads to a “self-emancipation of man from creation and the Creator.”" — The Pope’s Christmas Condemnation of Transsexuals

[UK] “Now … there is no word in the English language, that I am aware of, for the smegma-like mixture of dead skin cells, gynaecological lube, stale urine (gives it its distinctive smell) and sweat that is sometimes present as a white residue on the end of a dilation stent when a post-operative trans woman withdraws the stent after dilating her neovagina. I propose rectifying this linguistic oversight. I propose naming this mixture, “bindel”. All those in favour, say “Aye” (and better still, link to this post so that Google finds it).” — Coining Petty Neologisms for the Sisterhood

[South Africa] “South Africa hosted the first ever African Strategy Workshop for transgender activists last week … There is only one transgender organisation, Gender DynamiX, on the whole continent. The African Strategy Workshop was designed to help activists, “document human rights abuses against transgender people, derive best practices for human rights advocacy, and share information on gender identity, reassignment surgery and hormone treatment.” … Activists focused on the case of South African Daisy Dube, who was murdered in Johannesburg after requesting that she not be called istabane (a derogatory Zulu slang word, similar to faggot).” — Trans activists attend first pan-African meeting

From MSNBC’s Hardball guest host Mike Barnacle regarding the debate over Pastor Rick Warren giving the invocation at the upcoming Presidential inauguration:

Quoting Mike Barnacle from the segment:

[I]f you take Cambridge, the upper west side of Manhattan, Georgetown, Santa Monica, and San Francisco our of this debate, there is no debate. Do you agree with that?

Well, No. Not only no, but Hell No. I care about Pastor Warren speaking at President-elect Obama’s inauguration; I live in San Diego — and Pam who’s been writing about this a lot at PHB is from North Carolina. So Hey! We don’t live in the gay-five-cities, and we’re talking about this issue! Nice sterotyping of where LGBT people and our progressive allies live, MSNBC, Hardball, and Barnacle!

And getting back to Pastor Warren, it bothers me a lot that we all know that Obama wouldn’t invite an anti-Semite to give the invocation; he wouldn’t invite a Aryan church racist to give the invocation; he wouldn’t invite someone who compared veterans, disabled people, pregnant women or any other minority group or protected class members to pedophiles — or adults who engage in incestuous relationships — to give the invocation. So why did President-elect Obama invite a pastor who believes gays and lesbians to pedophiles and adults who engage in incestuous relationships?

What this tells me is that even the incoming President’s administration team sees lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as acceptably safe to berate as deviants within American society. President-elect Obama doesn’t berate LGBT people himself, but he finds it acceptable to give places of honor to those who do.

[Below the fold, what I asked in an email of MSNBC.]

Read the rest of this entry »

“I have always held the belief that all people, no matter race, religion or sexual orientation, are entitled to equal rights. As many know, I consider myself a devout and faithful Mormon. I prefer to keep the details around my contribution through my church a private matter. But I am profoundly sorry for the negative attention that my actions have drawn to Film Independent and for the hurt and pain that is being experienced in the GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender] community.”
–L.A. Film Festival director Richard Raddon

Filling in the background of that public statement, the Los Angeles Times is reporting the following in their article L.A. Film Festival director Richard Raddon resigns:

Richard Raddon, the director of the Los Angeles Film Festival who has been at the center of controversy ever since it was revealed almost two weeks ago that he had contributed $1,500 to the campaign to ban gay marriage in California, resigned from his post over the weekend.

The nonprofit arts organization Film Independent sponsors both the Los Angeles Film Festival, held in May, and the popular Independent Spirit awards. Raddon is a member of the Mormon Church, which actively called on its congregants to work for the passage of Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between a man and a woman.

…After Raddon’s contribution was made public online, Film Independent was swamped with criticism from “No on 8″ supporters both inside and outside the organization. Within days, Raddon offered to step down as festival director, but the board, which includes Don Cheadle, Forest Whitaker, Lionsgate President Tom Ortenberg and Fox Searchlight President Peter Rice, gave him a unanimous vote of confidence.

Yet, the anti-Raddon bile continued to bubble in the blogosphere, and according to one Film Independent board member, “No on 8″ supporters also berated Raddon personally via phone calls and e-mails. The recriminations ultimately proved too much, and when Raddon offered to resign again, this time the board accepted.

That $1,500.00 donation to the Yes On Prop 8 campaign has essentially cost him his career; it’s has cost him his ability to make a living in his chosen field.

They’re feeling this same lesson about how LGBT people vote with their wallets in Texas too, of all places. From the Austin American-Statesman‘s Prop. 8 backlash reaches to Texas; Austin Web site has ‘blacklist’ for businesses linked to money that supported gay marriage ban:

[Below the fold: Dell, Cinemark, wingnut Michelle Malkin, and reference to a 2001 survey by Harris Interactive/Witeck-Combs Communications.]

Read the rest of this entry »

News and views for Sunday, November 16th …

[NY, USA] Trans woman Teish Cannon was shot and killed Friday night in Syracuse, New York: “Moses “Teish” Cannon was openly gay, and his family said Saturday that is why he was shot and killed Friday night. His death should be treated as a hate crime, they said … [Cannon's mother Roxanne] Green talked lovingly about Moses Cannon and said she accepted who he was. “That’s the life he chose. That’s who he wanted to be,” Green said about her son … “Teish was loving, caring and compassionate,” said Rhonda Gary, Cannon’s aunt. “She carried herself with respect.” The family did not mince words. Cannon’s death, they said, was a hate crime. The family said the person who shot Moses Cannon deserves a sentence of life in prison without parole. “I feel the person who lured him there (to Seymour Street) should get the same,” Green said.” — Mother: Gay son targeted by killer

[NY, USA] Syracuse police have charged a suspect in the Cannon killing: “Dwight R. DeLee shot and killed Moses “Teish” Cannon with a .22-caliber rifle Friday night because he didn’t like that Cannon was openly gay, Syracuse police said … “There was no previous argument between these individuals, there was no previous fight, there was no bad blood,” [Police Chief Gary] Miguel said. “Our suspect took a rifle and shot and killed this person, also wounding his brother, for the sole reason he didn’t care for the sexual preference of our victim. Isn’t that sad? Isn’t that a sad situation that that’s the sole reason why? “I talk to you about this atmosphere of violence and that certain individuals believe that violence is the answer no matter what, and here’s just another example,” Miguel said. Cannon’s family said his death should be treated as a hate crime. Miguel said it’s up to the District Attorney’s office to decide if it’s a hate crime.” — Syracuse man was killed for being gay, police say

[TN, USA] “Gay, lesbian, bisexual, most of us are familiar with, maybe even comfortable with. But matters of gender identity — which are separate from sexual orientation — are less understood. Simply put, Johnson’s brain and soul did not match her genitalia. That was tough for Skinner to deal with. And it certainly didn’t line up with her religious beliefs. But — and here’s the lesson — Skinner respected that her daughter knew herself better than even a mother could. Her love for her child, God’s child, never waned, even if her understanding of what her daughter was going through wasn’t complete. Skinner wants people to know that Duanna was a good, loving person. “She was very smart, and that’s why I wanted her to get her life in order.” And order didn’t mean life as a male. “I don’t think she would have ever returned, because she said she could never be a man again.” Because in her heart, Duanna Johnson never was.” — Essence of person can belie physical

[TN, USA] “About 75 people marched through the Cooper-Young neighborhood on a cold Sunday night in memory of Duanna Johnson.” — Transgendered murder victim mourned at vigil

[TN, USA] “With candles in their hands and great sadness in their hearts, dozens of Mid-Southerners demanded justice Sunday, November 16, 2008 during a prayer vigil for Duanna Johnson. “We’re here to commemorate Duanna’s life,” says vigil participant Casey Lanham, “and to remember the sacrifice she unfortunately had to encounter.” “All citizens of Memphis,” says Amy Livingston of the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center, “should agree that all human life has dignity and should be respected and valued. Duanna was a beloved member of this community. And by community, I mean Memphis.” … “This is a stand for a human being,” says Will Bates, “who was killed because she was different than everyone else. This is a stand for humanity. This is a stand for all of us.” — Mid-Southerners Demand Justice for Duanna Johnson

[MA, USA] Gunner Scott of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition spoke at the Proposition 8 Protest in Boston yesterday [begins at 01:12 of the video] …

[NC, USA] Pam Spaulding attended the 2008 Equality NC Conference at Duke University in Durham on Saturday, and provided this video of NCTE’s Mara Keisling of the National Center for Transgender Equality talking about the HRC, the non-inclusive ENDA and transgender advocacy …

[USA] From Donna Rose, “I hope that some of the broader community outrage over denial of basic rights gets saved for ENDA. It’s a whole different thing being on the side getting your rights than being on the side denied. Many of those same people out marching this weekend will find a way to justify excluding others from getting theirs if and when they’re faced with those kinds of decisions. Many of those writing passionate letters about higher ideals will be ready to betray those ideals if they have the opportunity when ENDA rolls around again. They will have conveniently forgotten what it feels like to be on the outside.” – The Side Denied

[USA] From Becky Juro, “Unbelievably, it took the actual stripping of already existent marriage rights from gay and lesbian Californians to finally mobilize our community to loudly and proudly fight for our rights in significant numbers nationwide. At last, LGBT America has said “Enough!” and we’re taking to the streets in protest all across our country. It’s about damn time … For me, and I’d bet for many of you reading this, particularly if you are transgender, the parallels to the recent past are pretty obvious. When the transgender community was stripped from ENDA, we responded in much the same way, though on a much smaller scale. For the past year or so, there have been regular protests at Human Rights Campaign events nationwide, and while significantly smaller in size, they’ve been consistent and they’ve been active. Despite their small size, the message has gotten out, slowly but surely, not by force of numbers but by constantly being out there, constantly promoting the same clear message of equality and fairness, and by never, ever, backing down or giving up on what we know to be right. That’s how this battle will be won. Not by marching and protesting for a week or even a few weeks, but by being consistent and unrelenting, by making our voices heard wherever and whenever they need to be heard, over and over and over, until the message finally starts sinking in to the community, to those inclined to support us, and eventually to average fair-minded straight Americans. We’ve seen it happen with HRC and ENDA, and we’ll see it happen here, perhaps even more quickly because of the huge numbers involved.” — It’s The End Of The World As We Know It

[USA] “Over the summer, a wrangle between eminent psychiatrists that had been brewing for months erupted in print. Startled readers of Psychiatric News saw the spectacle unfold in the journal’s normally less-dramatic pages. The bone of contention: whether the next revision of America’s psychiatric bible, the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” should be done openly and transparently so mental health professionals and the public could follow along, or whether the debates should be held in secret.” — Wrangling over psychiatry’s bible

[UK] From Helen G at Bird of Paradox, “MPs call for Commons committee to consider representation of… well,
just about everyone but trans people, apparently.”

From the Los Angeles Times‘ Angrier response to Prop. 8 steps up:

Leaders of the campaign against Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California, raised nearly $40 million and ran a careful, disciplined campaign with messages tested by focus groups and with only a few people authorized to speak to the media.

They lost.

In the week since, California has seen an outpouring of demonstrations ranging from quiet vigils to noisy street protests against Proposition 8, including rallies outside churches and the Mormon temple in Westwood as well as boycotts of some businesses that contributed to the Yes on 8 campaign.

Many of those activities have been organized not by political professionals and established leaders in the gay community, but by young activists working independently on Facebook and MySpace.

The grass-roots activism is a tribute to political organizing in the digital age, in which it is possible to mobilize thousands of people with a few clicks of a mouse. It has generated national attention — and set up a series of Saturday demonstrations that organizers hope will attract tens of thousands of people to city halls throughout California…

I really recommend this entire article.

We’ve forgetten, apparenlty, that Stonewall began as mob justice in response to systematic, government injustice. The aftermath of the Prop 8 vote in California looks like its more a series of Stonewall style uprisings than a top-down, micro-managed/micro-messaged, LGBT Civil Rights organization led response.

Frankly, these marches and protest seem to be a further example of how the HRC doesn’t know or speak for the grassroots of the LGBT community; but it’s apparent now that other LGBT civil rights organizations — such as Equality California, The Gay and Lesbian Center of Los Angeles, the San Diego LGBT Center, NCLR, and the Gay and Lesbian Task Force to name a few — who were leaders in the No On Prop 8 Campaign didn’t and don’t speak particularly well for the grassroots of the LGBT community either.

If there ever is a time for the organizational reflection by LGBT civil rights organizations, I think winter of 2007 (remember ENDA?) is when it should have began, and it’s definitely way over due now. LGBT Civil Rights organizations are far behind the times on what the attitudes towards LGBT issues are, and their focus groups and marketing approach to messaging don’t speak at all to what the “mob” thinks about civil rights.

~~
A sorta related piece about this LGBT mob mentality would be in Edge Boston‘s Queer Anarchists Disrupt Church Service in Mich. Times are o’ changing.
.

Update: The Sacramento Bee reported that Scott Eckern stepped down from his posistion as the artistic director of the California Musical Theater. Whereas Marjorie Christoffersen, the owner of the El Coyote Cafe briefly mentioned as the L.A. restaurant owner below, chose not to apologize or express remorse for her donation to the Yes On Proposition 8 Campaign when she met with about 75 of her gay customers.
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Here’s an example of the real cost born by individuals for their financial support of Proposition 8. From the Sacramento Bee:

Scott Eckern, the California Musical Theater official embroiled in controversy following revelations of his donation to the Proposition 8 campaign, issued a statement Tuesday expressing shock over the backlash, saying “I had no idea this would be the reaction.”

Revelations over the weekend that Eckern, the company’s artistic director, had given $1,000 to the voter-approved ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage had drawn calls of an artistic and audience boycott Monday of the Sacramento theater company that produces the Music Circus and presents Broadway Sacramento.

He made a statement — From his statement:

I understand that my choice of supporting Proposition 8 has been the cause of many hurt feelings maybe even betrayal. It was not my intent. I honestly had no idea that this would be the reaction. I chose to act upon my belief that the traditional definition of marriage should be preserved. I support each individual to have rights and access and I understood that in California domestic partnerships come with the same rights that come with marriage.

I definitely do not support any message or treatment of others that is hateful or instills fear. This is a highly emotional issue. I have now had many conversations with friends and colleagues and I now have a better idea of what the discrimination issues are, how deeply felt these issues are and I am deeply saddened that my acting upon my religious convictions has been devastating to those I love and admire… I am deeply sorry for any harm or injury I have caused.

Basically, it’s pretty much a Not good enough! moment for supporters of the theater who were against Prop 8. One example of a significant voice:

Gay and lesbian artists called Monday for an artistic and audience boycott of California Musical Theatre after learning that its artistic director donated $1,000 to a campaign that backed banning gay marriage in California.

…California Musical Theatre is the capital’s oldest professional performing arts organization and California’s largest nonprofit musical theater company. It has 32 full-time employees and its budget for 2007 was $16.5 million.

…”Hairspray” composer Marc Shaiman called Eckern Thursday to discuss his donation. “Hairspray” closed this summer’s Music Circus season.

In a post on one Web site, Shaiman relayed what he told Eckern: “The idea that your donation came from a salary that for a short amount of time was drawn from profits from a show I wrote upsets me terribly and I would never allow anything I write to play there and will encourage my colleagues to consider doing the same.”

Want to see another example of individual awakening to the economic cost to supporting the Yes On Proposition 8 campaign? There’s an example of a Los Angeles restaurant owner’s surprise at the economic backlash for supporting Prop 8 here.

Want to know how scary the economic impact is to business owners who were already aware that LGBT consumers vote with their pocketbooks? Take a read at The Facts About Marriott and California’s Proposition 8:

As many of you may know I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some might conclude given my family’s membership in the Mormon Church that our company supported the recent ballot initiative to ban same sex marriage in California. This is simply untrue. Marriott International is a public company headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and is not controlled by any one individual or family. Neither I, nor the company, contributed to the campaign to pass Proposition 8.

The Bible that I love teaches me about honesty, integrity and unconditional love for all people. But beyond that, I am very careful about separating my personal faith and beliefs from how we run our business…

(Chino Blanco has a PHB diary on this Marriot statement here.)

If Prop 8 were put to a vote again in a year or two, I think the ProtectMarriage.com would have a lot of problems finding business owners and business executives who would donate to the campaign. There is a learning curve going on right now — these businesspeople are discovering that there is a real economic cost to their businesses if they don’t establish and publicize progressive policies towards LGBT people. And, their gods help their businesses if business owners and executives are perceived as being against progressive policies towards LGBT people to the point of supporting the withdrawal of fundamental civil rights of LGBT people.

As it’s been mentioned in our blog, here at PHB and Bilerico we’ve been discussing race and Prop 8, as well as faith and Prop 8. To illustrate that there’s a variety of post-mortems and stories on this from a really broad spectrum of perspectives, here’s a sampling of some of those from a wide variety of sources:

* Michele McGinty at BeliefNet: It looks like the black vote saved Prop. 8 – Quote:

Now, will criticism of the vote constitute racism?

Hey, at least they can’t blame the conservative Christian Republicans

* Fernando Espuelas at CNN: Commentary: Latinos should see gay marriage a civil right – Quote:

Once you start the process of taking away other peoples’ fundamental rights — like food and water in a jail cell, or the right to drive and listen to whatever music you like — you must ask yourself where to draw the line, and who will draw it? What — and whose — rights will be next on the chopping block?

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.” You’d think that as Latinos, proud and strong and willing to fight for our own rights,- we’d refuse to turn against the “punier kid,” wouldn’t you?

That we might in fact stand up for that kid, tell the bullies to back off, the same way we told the bullies of racism and “the real America” to take a hike — and in the process carried Obama to triumph.

* Media release from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento: Former Catholic Bishop of Salt Lake City Decries Religious Bigotry in Political Ad; Defends LDS Role in California Ballot Initiative Protecting Traditional Marriage – Quote:

“I call upon the supporters of same-sex marriage to live by their own words–and to refrain from discrimination against religion and to Lose Weight Exercise tolerance for those who differ from them. I call upon them to accept the will of the people of California in the passage of Proposition 8.”

* Focus On The Family: Success in California–Traditional Marriage Restored! – Quote:

[W]hat you helped achieve on Tuesday night goes far beyond upholding the sanctity of marriage in California. It also:

… helps protect millions of children from radical indoctrination in the homosexual lifestyle. In Massachusetts, legalized same-sex “marriage” quickly became the pretext for redefining marriage in the classroom, and it had already started in California, too.

… safeguards religious liberty in our most populous state. Wherever same-sex “marriage” has taken hold, religious freedom has begun to crumble. In Massachusetts, for example, Catholic Charities was forced to shut down its adoption agency because of their refusal to do gay adoptions.

I’m so pleased to be able to report to you the critical role that Focus on the Family played in securing this milestone victory. From the earliest strategic discussions … to the monumental task of gathering a million-plus signatures … to the campaign itself, Focus on the Family has been integrally involved.

* Jon Stewart at The Daily Show:

Read the rest of this entry »

Alex Blaze is doing “Rebel Girl” by Bikini Kill (which reminds me of this photo which I saved for I’m not sure what reason some time back) at Bilerico Project. Check it out there.

No, this is Otis Redding’s rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come” and the only really “queer” thing here is why it took so long …

The National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, The American Civil Liberties Union, and Equality California have issued a media release indicating the organizations are jointly challenging the legality of Proposition 8. Their position is that the initiative process cannot be used to undermine the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone:

The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a writ petition before the California Supreme Court today urging the court to invalidate Proposition 8 if it passes. The petition charges that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group – lesbian and gay Californians. Proposition 8 also improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities. According to the California Constitution, such radical changes to the organizing principles of state government cannot be made by simple majority vote through the initiative process, but instead must, at a minimum, go through the state legislature first.

The California Constitution itself sets out two ways to alter the document that sets the most basic rules about how state government works. Through the initiative process, voters can make relatively small changes to the constitution. But any measure that would change the underlying principles of the constitution must first be approved by the legislature before being submitted to the voters. That didn’t happen with Proposition 8, and that’s why it’s invalid.

Having lost my faith in the basic fairness and decency of the majority Californians around 3:00 AM PST this morning, I’m hoping this latest legal maneuver is sucessful.

Update: Another initative… Hamtramck repeals discrimination ban:

Hamtramck voters Tuesday repealed a controversial human rights ordinance that’s less than a year old by a wide margin.

The ordinance, first approved by the City Council in January, bans discrimination in areas such as housing, employment and city contracts. It includes protection for sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

Besides California, the city of Hamtramck, Michigan one other location in the US where LGBT people had gained fundamental civil rights, and then the rights were removed by their citizens.
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As I’m writing this diary, it’s been projected for hours that Senator Obama will soon be President Obama. Perhaps I should feel hopeful that in this president we’ll have the best chance for a fully inclusive ENDA, have the best chance for seeing a Matthew Sheppard Act, and the best chance for letting gay and lesbian servicemembers serve openly in our military.

Of course, such hopes are marred by the results of the state initiatives this past election day.

The LGBT related initiatives did poorly.

In Arizona, the same-sex marriage ban appears to be passing. With 99% of precincts reporting, the results were 56% to 44%. This initiative is currently projected to win; this is an initiative that needed 50% plus one vote pass — the state itself was called for Obama.

In Arkansas, the ban on gay and lesbian couples adopting children appears to be passing. With 96% of precincts reporting, the results were 57% to 43%. As of this moment, this initiative has been called; this was an initiative that needed 50% plus one vote pass — the state itself was called for McCain.

In Florida, the same-sex marriage ban appears to be passing. With 99% of precincts reporting, the results were 62% to 38%. As of this moment, this initiative has been called; this was a constitutional amendment that needed 60% of the votes to pass — the state itself was called for Obama.

And in California, we had Proposition 8. As of this moment, with 89% of precincts reporting, the constitutional amendment to the California State Constitution limiting marriage to one man and one woman is ahead 51.8% to 48.2%. The constitutional amendment hasn’t yet been called — but the amendment needs just 50% plus one vote pass — the state itself has been called for Obama.

Here in my odd world of California, there is a weird comparison of initiatives between California initiatives can be made between Propositions 2 and 8.

Proposition 2 is an initiative that was described in the initiative as follows:

The purpose of this Act is to prohibit the cruel confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs.

So in my mind, perhaps the saddest commentary on “liberal” Californians sense of equality and fairness is to say that in my home state where, to this point, 63.3% of its voters found the mistreatment of farm animals something worthy of being legislated against, and 52.8% of voters believed eliminating the fundamental right of gays and lesbians to marry worthy of a state constitutional amendment.

Whether or not Proposition 8 ends up being defeated or being approved by California voters, one way to look at the Prop 8 vote is in light of the Proposition 2 vote. And that is that a larger percentage of Californians are against mistreating farm animals in hoow these animals are caged than are against mistreating gay and lesbian human beings by eliminating their fundamental marriage rights. Put simply, If one evaluates by the votes cast and the percentages of the votes cast, the rights of farm animals appear to be more important to Californians than the rights of gay and lesbian human beings.

Prop 8 hasn’t been called as yet, but I’m too tired to stay up for the final votes to be counted to find out. But, I’m not hopeful that Prop 8 will be defeated, and the freedom of all Californians to marry whom they love looks to be in real jeopardy. And, the big picture is that even if Prop 8 ends up being defeated, when that initiative is coupled with the lost initiatives and constitutional amendments in Arizona, Arkansas, and Florida, gays and lesbians in the affected states lost big. With the possible exception of California, LGBT people lost big wherever their civil rights were directly voted upon. And in California, we may loseWeight Exercise small, but still loseWeight Exercise.

It dampens my hopes in what a Democratic Congress and Democratic President will do with a fully inclusive ENDA, a Matthew Sheppard Act, and with repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The tide just doesn’t seem to be flowing in the electoral direction of LGBT citizens.

A real nice oldie, and, no, it’s not dedicated to Sarah Palin …

There may be some tears
Through the coming years
Ooh, all the while
I know you’ll be smilin’
Your love will guide me
Though every mile ’cause

You’re the one that I long to kiss
Baby, you’re the one that I really miss
You’re the one that I’m dreaming of
Baby, you’re the one that I love

Why I will only reluctantly vote for Obama tomorrow — the principal and, frankly, only reason in this case … (not quite what Will Rogers said) “Republicans are the only reason to vote for Democrats.”

As Will Rogers said, “The Democrats and the Republicans are equally corrupt where money is concerned. It’s only in the amount where the Republicans excel.”

Sorry, what a sad, unappetizing plate I see presented in front of me — McCain, Palin, Obama, Biden.

And, while I’m at it, to quote Mark Twain, “We have the best government that money can buy.”

I cast my first presidential vote for the Happy Warrior, and have never wavered and voted for a Republican presidential candidate …

And won’t likely ever do so.

But, I won’t relish the poo poo plattter that I’m going to be served.

And, please, as I’ve most politely said to all the dedicated and devoted Obama volunteers who have called, it’s a bit premature for you to be invoking Lincoln and FDR.

Sorry, no apologies. I’m cranky. You’re all screwing me over.

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“All right, then, I’ll go to hell.” — Mark Twain

I’ve been reading quite a number of articles in news publications in the last couple of days (mostly today) that in some way touch on Sen. Obama, the election, and race. Here’s a listing of some of the articles I’ve been looking at:

* Mail & Guardian (UK): ‘He’s the other. It’s in the Bible’
* MSNBC: Southern view: Celebration and apprehension
* San Francisco Chronicle: ‘A Black President Is Not Magic’
* San Jose Mercury News: Blacks voice joy, worry, ahead of historic election
* The Straight Times (Malaysia): Obama, the race and his race
* Los Angeles Times: For some white voters, Obama’s race is seen as a ‘bonus’
* Resource Investor (St. Louis, MO): How Large Is The ‘Bradley Effect’ And Does It Matter For Obama?
* Boston Globe: ‘Tis the season for tricking voters
* Pittsburg Morning Sun: The race factor in the race for president in swing state Ohio
* Wall Street Journal: A Black Candidate Ends Democrats’ White Problem
* Houston Chronicle: What else makes this campaign unique; Election holds some rarities that go beyond race and gender
* New York Times: Obama-Inspired Black Voters Warm to Politics
* Dallas Morning News: Obama fills black family with hope for future
* Detroit Free Press: Obama’s rise reflects a dream realized for many Detroiters
* Belfast Telegraph: It is now time for the US to nail its colours to the mast
* Politico: Labor confronts race issue in blunt terms
* DiversityInc: AFL-CIO Leader Slams Racism Against Obama

From the amount of articles on Sen. Obama, the election, and race (and this list above is just a sampling), it hardly seems like America (and the world’s view of America) post-racial, does it?

I imagine the important thing though is that while race still appears to matter, when it comes to this election Sen. Obama’s race looks not to be the impediment to election.