The 2010 LGBT National Blogger and Citizen Journalist Initiative at Netroots Nation

by: Pam Spaulding

Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 23:26:55 PM EDT

I live-tweeted the day (hashtag #lgbtnn10), and blogger Zach Ford did a good writeup of today's activities.

The focus of our day was really about bridging gaps in the movement. How can the organizations and the bloggers work together to move forward? Even though as citizen journalists we have an obligation to hold our leaders (both political and activist) accountable, we do ultimately have the same goals of seeing equality where it's currently lacking. Everyone from HRC to GetEQUAL to Lambda Legal to GLAAD were on hand to talk about not just what they are doing, but how they can work with us to accentuate their efforts and spread their message.

As we discussed issues like immigration, marriage, employment nondiscrimination, and HIV/AIDS, it was inspiring that we didn't just talk about how to use new media, we made commitments to using it together. We said, "This is a good idea, and we are going to work together to employ it." It makes perfect sense for HRC and Pam Spaulding to cooperate on highlighting stories of people who have lost their jobs because they are gay. It makes perfect sense for Jeremy Hooper and I to work together on opposition research for anti-gay religious groups. It just takes us being in the room together and putting it out there and making the commitment. That's the Netroots in action.

HRC's Fred Sainz and Michael Cole discuss support of incumbents vs. challengers and endorsements/ viability.

Ron Buckmire (l) of Immigration Equality and Denis Dison of The Victory Fund (r) meet with my blogger table.

With Dan Choi before the ENDA discussion group began. He spent about 12 hrs in jail on Tuesday's direct action in Las Vegas; Robin McGehee 17 hrs.

Mike Rogers had these remarks at the close of today's event:

I'll still call him Lieutenant

by: Clarknt67

Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 11:47:52 AM EDT

If true, it's odd to me that Choi and his friends at GetEQUAL were so quiet on this development. Undersell is not usually their MO. And discharging the most recognizable face of the repeal movement certainly offered a fantastic opportunity to put the unjust reality of this policy back into the American public's face. 

Whatever the reason for the silence, the development is another sad and shameful chapter in this country's history. Choi has demonstrated smarts, courage and incredible leadership skills. There is no conceivable way this is a net plus for our national security. 

[See Update below: Choi says he never received paperwork. News of his discharge is now in question. Now sure where Gay City News is getting their information and they haven't update as of this posting.]

The Peter's pecking order of hate pimps at his Truth Academy

by: Pam Spaulding

Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 12:00:00 PM EDT

You probably recognize many if not all of these names - it goes without saying that Peter's BFF Matt "Bam Bam" Barber is a featured instructor. The level of batsh*t crazy at this conference threatens to make the earth open up and swallow these people.

Truth Academy Instructors:

• Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel ; Board Member, AFTAH
• Cliff Kincaid, America's Survival; Accuracy in Media
• Prof. Robert Gagnon, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, author, The Bible and Homosexual Practice
• Arthur Goldberg, Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH), author, Light in the Closet: Torah, Homosexuality, and the Power to Change
• Laurie Higgins, Illinois Family Institute
• Robert Knight, Coral Ridge Ministries; author, Radical Rulers: The White House Elites Who Are Pushing America Towards Socialism, keynote presenter
• Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality
• Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Liberty University School of Law
• Greg Quinlan, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX); Pro-Family Network
• Ryan Sorba, Young Conservatives of California

THURSDAY

Welcoming Remarks, Peter LaBarbera, President, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality: "From gay pride to gay tyranny"

10:10 - 11:10 - Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Liberty University School of Law: "History of modern 'gay' activism and the courts"

11:20-12:20 - Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel; Board Member, AFTAH: "Masculine Christianity: a non-defensive approach to the Culture War over homosexuality"

1:20-2:20 - Ryan Sorba, Young Conservatives of California: "The 'born gay hoax"

2:30 - 3:30 - Laurie Higgins, Illinois Family Institute: "Using reason and logic in answering pro-homosexuality arguments"

3:40-4:40 - Arthur Goldberg, JONAH (Jews Offering Healthy Alternatives to Homosexuality), author, Light in the Closet: Torah, Homosexuality, and the Power to Change: "Can gays change? Is gay parenting good for kids? Presenting the research on homosexuality"

4:50-6:00 - PANEL DISCUSSION and Q & A:

Theme: "Can the effort to 'mainstream' homosexuality in American culture be stopped?"

Panelists: Rena Lindevaldsen, Matt Barber, Laurie Higgins, Ryan Sorba, Arthur Goldberg, and Greg Quinlan, Cliff Kincaid; Moderator: Peter LaBarbera

7:45 - 9:15 - Greg Quinlan, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX); Pro-Family Network: "An Ex-Gay Christian Discusses Love, Truth and Homosexuality"

FRIDAY

9:00 - 10:00 - Prof. Robert Gagnon, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary: "From abomination to 'gay': answering 'queer theology' - Old Testament"

10:10 - 11:10 - Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Liberty University School of Law: "The zero-sum game: homosexuality-based 'rights' vs. religious and First Amendment freedoms"

11:20-12:20 - Laurie Higgins, Illinois Family Institute: "Corrupting children, politicizing schools: the homosexual youth agenda"

1:20-2:20 - Arthur Goldberg, JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality: "The gender confusion agenda: 'transgender rights'"

2:30 - 3:30 - Cliff Kincaid, America's Survival, Accuracy in Media: "The battle over blood: 'gay' health risks and public policy"

3:40-4:40 - Prof. Rena Lindevaldsen, Liberty U. School of Law: "The legal strategy to stop homosexual 'marriage': triumphs and pitfalls"

5:00-6:00 - PANEL DISCUSSION and Q & A:

Theme: "Returning the debate to behavior - getting off the 'GLBT' playing field"

Panelists: Rena Lindevaldsen, Matt Barber, Laurie Higgins, Ryan Sorba, Arthur Goldberg, Cliff Kincaid, Robert Knight, Robert Gagnon, Gregg Quinlan; Moderator: Peter LaBarbera

7:45 - 9:15 - Robert Knight, Coral Ridge Ministries; author, Radical Rulers: The White House Elites Who Are Pushing America Towards Socialism: "From destroying DOMA to homosexualizing the military: Obama's radical homosexual/transsexual agenda for America"

SATURDAY

9:00 - 10:00 - Prof. Robert Gagnon, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary: "'Jesus Never Said Anything about Homosexuality'"; Answering 'Queer Theology' - New Testament"

10:10 - 11:10 - Robert Knight, Coral Ridge Ministries: "Destructive legacy: Alfred Kinsey and the (Homo)Sexual Revolution"

11:20-12:20 - Greg Quinlan, PFOX, Pro-Family Network: "The big, pink plan for a lavender culture"/"How to lobby effectively"

1:20-2:20 - Cliff Kincaid, America's Survival; Accuracy in Media: "Combating pro-homosexual media bias, confronting pro-gay 'conservatives'"

2:30-3:40 - Prof. Robert Gagnon, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary: "Agreeing with God: a truly biblical approach toward 'out and proud' homosexuality"

3:50-4:50 - Ryan Sorba, Young Conservatives of California: "Confronting the zeitgeist: new strategies to turn around younger Americans on 'gay rights'"

5:00-6:00 - Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel, AFTAH Board Member: "Don't Ask, Don't Bleed: stopping Obama's campaign to homosexualize the U.S. military"

6:00-6:20 - Closing remarks, Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth

The military study you haven't seen - survey of service members prior to racial integration

by: Pam Spaulding

Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 11:33:36 AM EDT

At the time, the military - along with the overwhelming majority of the country - opposed integrating black servicemembers into the forces and preferred a 'separate but equal' approach that would have required the military to construct separate recreation spaces and facilities. One month before Truman's order, a Gallup poll showed that 63% of American adults endorsed the separation of Blacks and Whites in the military; only 26% supported integration.

These surveys show that the same attitude pervaded the military: 3/4 Air Force men favored separate training schools, combat, and ground crews and 85% of white soldiers thought it was a good idea to have separate service clubs in army camps.

While smaller, these racial polls share some common questions with the DADT survey. In fact, in some instances one can even replace "negro" for "gay" and end up with today's questionnaire. Both polls ask servicemembers if they objected to working alongside minorities, how they felt serving with minorities, how effective minorities are in combat and if their feelings have changed about the minority after serving with them. (Interestingly, 77% of respondents said they had more favorable opinion).

Truman integrated the forces despite the objections of the troops and it remains to be seen if Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen and President Obama (who have to sign off on the DOD study) are willing to do the same for Don't Ask, Don' Tell. So far, the Pentagon insists that it will.

Shirley Sherrod and post-racial America: 'snookered', and the third rail of race in Raleigh

by: Pam Spaulding

Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 08:58:16 AM EDT

I was sitting in the airport when writing my first post on the matter ("Woman overboard as USDA official gets the boot for racial remarks; claims she was forced to resign"), and when I landed in Vegas, the whole ground had shifted in this story.

Breitbart's current version of events - that he didn't edit the video and he presented what his source initially gave him of course doesn't wash journalistically, but the facts as presented in what was released, rightfully provoked alarm, negative reactions and ultimately cost Shirley Sherrod her job.

And she should get her job back. Better yet, a promotion.

The NAACP, which issued a harsh, but appropriate initial reaction given what Ben Jealous and Co. knew at the time, and given the intense 24-hour news cycle we live in. Why? It's the sensitivity toward the issue of racism and discrimination -- no matter the point of origin -- that is the focus of the organization. That it had been battling with Tea Party forces over race only made the matter worse. Sherrod''s remarks out of context were completely racist; in full it is a story of redemption after her own internal, emotional struggle to get beyond her personal views on race relations many years ago.

I think little has been said about the impact of 24-hour news and the pressure to react "now," explain later, that places spokespeople in professional jeopardy -- no reaction or comment for the media becomes an indictment of its own, so what seem like mandatory snap judgments can blow up in your face. And it did; certainly conclusions in my post reflected a disbelief at what Sherrod said, and she deserves an apology from me as well. But the NAACP stood up and took it in the chin and apologized and pointed the blame where it belongs - on the right wing spin machine, this time with the bullseye on Breitbart. (See below the fold for its latest statement).

However it's a different story for Tom Vilsack of the USDA and the White House (the latter now claims zero involvement, leaving Vilsack to take the fall). They are the ones with the power to fire/hire Sherrod, so they are the parties here that own this  -  they are the only ones able to resolve the wrong done to her. The Obama administration and its departments have to operate at a higher standard as an employer. Only after due diligence in investigating thoroughly what had become a personnel matter should it have put Sherrod on the chopping block. It handled it badly -- and publicly. I don't blame her if she doesn't want to deal with this administration again.

But this is not new for this admin. It has been an example of the wimp factor over and over, caving at the first sign Glenn Beck or any other stooge has soiled his/her diapers over an issue. It's sad to watch, and frustrating beyond belief. Now we all know that if there had not been a full video of Sherrod's speech, the Obama administration would not deny any involvement in tossing her overboard. We'll just leave it at that.

***

But this is not the only third rail of race being touched right now. It's hard to believe it's 2010 and we're dealing with this shite. From Facing South (Note: I'm a board member of its parent org, The Institute for Southern Studies):

The fight against school re-segregation heats up in North Carolina

A thousand people marched through the streets of North Carolina's capital yesterday to protest the local school board's dismantling of a lauded student assignment policy based on economic diversity in favor of neighborhood schools -- a move many fear will lead to de facto re-segregation.

Nineteen protesters were arrested, all for nonviolent infractions and most for disrupting the the school board meeting that followed the march by holding hands, chanting and refusing to leave the podium.

...The controversy began last year when elections were held for four of nine school board seats in Wake County, the state's largest school district. Conservative candidates backed by Republican politicians including former state Rep. Art Pope -- a businessman and director of the right-wing group Americans for Prosperity -- won all of those races, joining an ally already on the board to create a new conservative majority.

The districts where the elections were held were primarily white and suburban or rural. No seats were up in the four districts representing most of Raleigh, where the county's low-income and minority populations are concentrated, and where the board members support the diversity policy. The county's school board members are all elected from geographic districts, with no at-large representatives.

As promised, the new majority immediately set out to dismantle the diversity policy instituted in 2000. Rather than assigning students by race, which courts have rejected, the policy assigned them in part by economics, using the number of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches as a guide. The new board plans instead to divide the county into "neighborhood attendance zones" to be phased in over the next several years.

Because residential neighborhoods tend to be divided by income, there are well-founded fears that the new policy will inevitably end up limiting economic diversity. A research paper by the Wake Education Partnership -- a nonprofit launched by the local business community to support public schools -- found the plan would lead not only to concentrated poverty in some schools but also overcrowding.  

On average, students from high-poverty schools do not perform as well on assessments of reading and math, according to a recent analysis by the National Center for Education Statistics. They also have higher drop-out rates and are less likely to go on to college.

At the morning rally, speakers quoted Martin Luther King Jr., remembered the days of segregated water fountains and likened the current situation to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education battle. Rev. William Barber [head of NC's NAACP] talked about America's legacy of racial strife to galvanize the crowd.

"Too many prayers were prayed," Barber said. "Too many lives were sacrificed. Too much blood was shed. Too many tears were shed. We can't turn back now."

And the President could get back to basics and lead on this issue, but I've not seen evidence that he's willing to lead on this or a host of other issues if it involves any inkling that it will cost him politically.

Concerned Women for America outdoes itself with vile anti-gay campaign

by: Alvin McEwen

Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 08:16:28 AM EDT

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Concerned Women for America (CWA) values the sacrifice of the millions of men and women who serve in the armed forces. Those service men and women and their families deserve our complete support in carrying out their mission. But today, many senators and representatives in Washington, D.C., have lost this simple focus, opting to support policies that make their jobs harder and, in many cases, actually harm their efforts to succeed in keeping America safe. The purpose of CWA's S.H.O.T. campaign is to send a clear message to our policy makers to "Stop Harming Our Troops!" Let them focus. And let them win!

Below are some CWA resources that highlight some of the problems we are facing and give you some great talking points so you can call your senator and let your voice be heard.

Also, make sure you CLICK HERE to check out the t-shirts, coffee mugs, stickers and many other materials you can get with our S.H.O.T. logo. Make a splash at the next townhall or tea party meeting with these great items that make a BIG statement in a very simple way.

Liberals have spent decades targeting the United States military with their demands for radical social restructuring in favor of homosexuality. As it applies to the military, their social policy agenda trumps all other considerations: the goal is not a stronger or better-prepared military. This paper seeks to clear up the confusion which exists on this topic. It will summarize the issues at stake so you will be equipped to understand the ongoing policy debates

Obviously, God Hates Teh Homosexuals And/Or Colorful Parades

by: Autumn Sandeen

Wed Jul 21, 2010 at 08:00:00 AM EDT

Why would I say such a horrid thing about God either hating Teh Homosexuals, colorful parades, or both? Because James Hartline tells us God sent a swarm of bees to Lemon Grove, California (a city in San Diego County) for holding a gay event. No, I'm not making this up -- from his July 13, 2010 blog piece Queen Bees Are A Bitter Sting For Small San Diego Town: Lemon Grove Attacked By Massive Bee Swarms After Homosexuals March For Gay Pride Event:

A July 10th march and celebration for homosexuality in the small San Diego County town of Lemon Grove has been followed up by massive and catastrophic bee swarms that sent people living in Lemon Grove to the hospital today. In the past several hours, firefighters were going door to door to warn citizens in Lemon Grove to remain indoors.

Elderly couple attacked by bees in Lemon Grove By Karen Kucher, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 5:15 p.m.

Lemon Grove, which is a small town in eastern San Diego, has been the location of ever increasing homosexual activism.

From the San Diego Union-Tribune article that Hartline quotes:

LEMON GROVE - A couple in their 70s were taken to the hospital after being stung by bees Tuesday, and firefighters directed nearby residents to "shelter in place" to get away from the swarm.

A sheriff's spokesman said deputies shut down Mount Vernon Street between Bonita and Main streets after the swarm was reported around 1:15 p.m.

...The beehive was in a tree in the front yard of the couple's home and had been maintained by them for several years, Taff said.

Firefighters, wearing protective gear -- including bee hoods -- were protected from the bees, Taff said. "There was one firefighter who got stung a couple of times," he said.

Y'know, it's just as likely that swarms of bees could be sent from God just because he doesn't like colorful parades as much as it's likely that God doesn't like San Diego Pride. Even if one believes in the activist God of the Old Testament -- the one that visited ten plagues on -- it's highly unlikely that God is sending swarming bees to punish San Diegans because God doesn't care for either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people, or (my pet theory!) that God doesn't care for colorful parades.

But wait! Like a Ronco infomercial with more "Now, how much would YOU pay?" items, there's more in Hartline's connecting of bee swarms and San Diego Pride in the blog article Nature Responds With A Stinging Rebuke To Gay Pride: Mass Stingings In San Diego Coastal Waters And Recent Bee Stingings.

Nature responds with a stinging rebuke to gay pride: Mass stingings in San Diego coastal waters and recent bee stingings.

30 people stung by rays at La Jolla Shores
By Karen Kucher, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Susan Shroder, Union-Tribune Staff Writer
Originally published July 14, 2010 at 4:02 p.m.,
updated July 14, 2010 at 4:57 p.m.

Thirty people were stung by stingrays at La Jolla Shores and Blacks Beach Wednesday, officials said. One was taken to a hospital. Blacks Beach is a nudist beach in San Diego where homosexual activists engage in public sexual immorality. Today's dire event at the beaches coincides with yesterday's rash of bee stingings in the Lemon Grove area of San Diego where homosexual activists held a gay pride celebration at the local library. Yesterday, the San Diego City Council declared Gay Pride month in the city of San Diego and the opening of a gay pride history exhibit in the lobby of the San Diego city hall.

Holy cow, Batman! The killer bees on a mission from God are here!

Or, perhaps not.

But from the Prophet James Hartline, we learn God and he are going to win against Teh Homosexuals. From the blog article The dark & demonic warriors of Satan descended upon San Diego this weekend to promote the Gay Pride Parade & Festival: Why They Will Not Win This War!:

The dark and demonic warriors of Satan descended upon San Diego this weekend to promote the Gay Pride Parade and Festival. Despite having politicians and police officers, celebrities and gay marriage activists all marching for the Devil, the media reports that the forces of the radical gay agenda cannot complete their Sodomic takeover of San Diego. The San Diego Union Tribune reports, "Pride: Celebrating a battle still not won."

They cannot win this battle, nor shall they win the battle in the future. For I have been annointed by God to make my stand in the midst of this battle and this Gay Goliath can go no farther then the ground I relinquish to the enemy. And, with the help of God, I shall not relinquish one single inch of territory to the enemies of the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

Perhaps when The Prophet Hartline throws a staff on the floor and it turns into a snake, I'll 1.) appreciate the metaphor of the miracle, and 2.) I'll believe he's a real prophet who can foretell the outcome of culture war battles.

But wow, what an epic story James Hartline tells in true Biblical fashion, with all the flair (and flare!) of an Old Testament prophet. So, I say we add the story of the plague of swarming bees to the Bible's new book of Hartline, and insert that book between the books of Habakkuk and Zephaniah.

Garden State Equality v. N.O.M. in Trenton.

by: jay lassiter

Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 20:20:52 PM EDT

The good folks at Garden State Equality (I'm a member) did a great job of showing up our angry rivals, although I grudgingly concede the style points to their tricked-out Winnebago festooned with stock photos of faux families.

The real action was inside, where we had /real/ families!

NOM Strategist Louis J. Marinelli Declares Me Most Hateful Lesbian

by: ShamanOfHedon

Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 10:44:44 AM EDT

Crossposted on Musings From Hedon

To clarify, since I can only type so much in the title, he declared me, on his public blog, "One of the most hateful members of the homosexual community I've ever come across". Ew... bad mental picture.... ew ew ew....

Anyway, for those amonst you who, I'm very certain, are curious how mean and nasty I must have been to the poor little hatemonger to earn such a grandiose declaration, it begins with Twitter.

Louis you see, had retweeted a hateful tweet from fellow bigot nutcase Reverand David Mapes wherein Mapes tweeted "#inaintafraidtosay Homosexual Marriage is wrong!". Mapes and I have a history now of arguing Bible accuracy but Mapes is another story. So I took Louis to task for the retweeting suggesting it proves bigotry and pointing him to an abundance of proof that the anti-gay stuff in the Bible is not actually anti-gay but anti-rape and anti-woman, and NOT actually about homosexuality at all.

Louis tweeted back that his was NOT a religious or Christian organization so he had no idea what I was talking about. So I asked him if not religion based, then give me his reasons proving my lesbian marriage is causing him or society any harm.

Like the bullying homophobic coward he is, he sidestepped the question by claiming since I'm not married, he didn't have to discuss my non-existant marriage as it would be "antithetical".  I showed him my BC Canada legal marriage certificate in response.

To no one's surprise, he dismissed it as a worthless piece of paper that means nothing. (Which makes me wonder; if it's so worthless why do he and Maggie and Brian fight so hard to keep you USA queer folks from getting them like we Canuckleheads do?).

So I posted an entry on my blog showing his hateful tweets and pointing out how he had basically publicly revealed his bigotry, hatemongering and cowardice by showing his tweets and pointing out his refusal to answer simple honest questions, because to answer such questions honestly would, as the Prop 8 trial proved repeatedly, force him to admit gay marriage will do society good and no one will go to jail for saying they disagree.

Now poor poor victimized Louis felt that by only posting a couple of his tweets I was both misrepresenting him and making myself look like an angel, and so he dared me to post our entire Twitter exchange to my blog so people could, in his words, "see who the REAL hater is". I doubt he expected me to call his bluff though. Because you see, when I replied that I would be more than happy to do EXACTLY that if he just answered my honest question, I never heard from him again. He began to ignore me completely, as if I didn't exist.

Cut to Saturday, when Louis posted a blog entry about the Summer For Marriage Tour's stop in Albany New York. As Pam herself has pointed out on this very blog, attendance was abyssmal, showing how little support NOM really has. Of course, facts never stopped Louis from telling a good lie, so in this blog entry he posted pictures from the Albany event.

Not just any pictures though. No, these pictures were carefully taken from specific angles in ways designed to manipulate truth. His pictures both made the Supporter turnout look bigger than it was, and also attempted to make the pro-equality protesters look like big mean rude bullies.

Unfortunately for Louis, I happen to be a damned good photographer and something of an expert in Angle Manipulation, as my BCIT professor taught us SPECIFICALLY how to spot dishonest news photography designed to give a specific idea as to what the photo is showing.

So both in the comments on his blog and in an entry on my own blog, I deconstructed each of his pictures as they were shown on his blog to show EXACTLY how he used dishonest photography to distort the truth. And in so doing made Louis angry enough to completely unravel his lies by himself just to prove I was wrong about one detail.

He immediately posted another blog in which he posted more pictures to prove thata pair of elderly harmless black labs he had tried to claim were there to intimidate NOM supporters did in fact belong to some of the pro-gay protesters. Bravo Louis, I conced I was wrong about an assumption I made based on the photos YOU originally chose to use to fearmonger amonst your supporters.

However...

Blockbuster Disclosure: DOD Can't Protect DADT Survey From being "Freeped"

by: Clarknt67

Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 16:57:59 PM EDT

John Aravosis at AmericaBlog just posted a blockbuster disclosure regarding the Pentagon's survey of the troops attitudes on the possiblity of repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law.

So much for the Defense Department's super secret $4.5 million survey of the troops to ask them how they feel about repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." I, an avowed gay activist, just took the survey - three times in fact. Perhaps DOD should reconsider just how good and informative, and accurate, this survey is. (They also might want to get their money back.)

Woman overboard as USDA official gets the boot for racial remarks; claims she was forced to resign

by: Pam Spaulding

Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 14:36:12 PM EDT

Of course in light of Williams' public meltdown, this was red meat for the wingers. Sherrod told Harris that it was all taken out of context, and:

In the video, she explains that she took the farmer to a white lawyer, assuming "his own kind would take care of him." But the lawyer didn't help, Sherrod tells CNN, and the moral of the story was that "the issue is not about race. It's about those who have versus those who don't." She says she wound up befriending the farmer.

1) What Shirley Sherrod said, given the limited snippet of video that first emerged, really did sound like she was airing dirty laundry among "friends" -- it was purportedly an NAACP rally (can't trust Breitbart on that one), and it did appear to be a discussion about race-based discrimination and power she had over the situation. Abuse of power is what it is, and this is fodder for the right, and someone in her position should have never done such a thing -- but then to tell that tale in a public venue is judgment beyond idiotic.

2) Her "walk back" of the incident so far on multiple TV appearances - it was decades ago, not while she was in her current position, and that it was a tale about why race-based assessment in the incident was wrong doesn't really match up with the statements on video. That she later helped and befriended the white farmer's family says something, but it doesn't clean up the original mess Sherrod made.

Sherrod's reaction so far rivals Mark Williams's cluelessness about the third rail of race. And as you can see the shock from the third rail doesn't discriminate. And it results in knee-jerk reactions.

That is the most interesting aspect of this case. Look at how fast she was tossed overboard by everyone concerned without even wanting to hear her explanation. The USDA didn't want to hear it, and the Obama admin and the NAACP were quick to react because of the wingers, teabaggers and nutcases like Beck and Limbaugh, were ready to toss her overboard without any context, given the recent tea party dustup.

It also shows what a wimpy administration this is when it comes to the right - it has no problem blowing off progressives (and the LGBT community).

When Attorney General Eric Holder said we are nation of cowards when it comes to discussing race honestly and openly, he was right. People like Sherrod and Williams prove that when the masks come off through gaffes, we don't know what to do with it, and those connected to the voices cut the cords with lightning speed because they don't want those conversations opened up or attached to them.

It's also another lesson about media training and knowing what is prudent or even sane to say if you're not sure cameras are rolling.

Below the fold, the initial response of the NAACP.

Obama's new immigration reform allies call LGBT inclusion "a deal breaker"

by: Clarknt67

Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 11:57:42 AM EDT

Pictured: Olivier De Wulf of Belgium and Steve Boullianne of Los Angeles, with their two adopted boys and Uniting American Families Act lead sponsor Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY). They have few options open to them to remain together as a family, in Belgium or America. Their story is here.

But buried at the at the bottom is this gem:

Mr. Staver was one of six evangelical leaders, including two prominent black evangelicals, who issued a statement last month advocating a comprehensive new law. One, J. Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican candidate for Ohio governor in 2006 and now a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group, said he expected more evangelical leaders to come on board.

But Mr. Blackwell said the whole effort could implode if the final legislation extended family reunification provisions to same-sex couples where one spouse did not have legal status. For evangelicals, he said, "That would be a deal-breaker."

Cross-posted at Daily Kos. Rec if you got it please.

Judgment: Mississippi school to revise policy, pay damages to Constance McMillen over prom dust-up

by: Pam Spaulding

Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 11:54:04 AM EDT

The agreement ends a precedent-setting lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of 18-year-old Constance McMillen, who suffered humiliation and harassment after parents, students and school officials executed a cruel plan to put on a "decoy" prom for her while the rest of her classmates were at a private prom 30 miles away.

"I'm so glad this is all over. I won't ever get my prom back, but it's worth it if it changes things at my school," said McMillen, who was harassed so badly by students blaming her for the prom cancellation that she had to transfer to another high school to finish her senior year. "I hope this means that in the future students at my school will be treated fairly. I know there are students and teachers who want to start a gay-straight alliance club, and they should be able to do that without being treated like I was by the school."

As set forth in documents filed in court today, school officials agreed to implement a policy banning discrimination or harassment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, the first policy to do so at a public school in the state of Mississippi. The school also agreed to pay McMillen $35,000 in damages and pay for McMillen's attorneys' fees.

"Constance went through a great deal of harassment and humiliation simply for standing up for her rights, and she should be proud of what she has accomplished," said Christine P. Sun, senior counsel with the ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project. "Thanks to her bravery, we now not only have a federal court precedent that can be used to protect the rights of students all over the country to bring the date they want to their proms, but we also have the first school anti-discrimination policy of its kind in Mississippi."

In addition to today's legal judgment against the school, an earlier ruling in the case set an important precedent that will help prevent other students from suffering the kind of discrimination McMillen experienced. In March, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi issued a ruling in McMillen's case that school officials violated McMillen's First Amendment rights when it canceled the high school prom rather than let McMillen attend with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.

"We're pleased that the school district agreed to be held liable for violating Constance's rights. Now Constance can move on with her life and Itawamba school officials can show the world that they have learned a lesson about equal treatment for all students," said Kristy L. Bennett, co-counsel on McMillen's case. "This has been about much more than just the prom all along - it's about all of our young people deserving to be treated fairly by the schools we trust to take care of them."

My Rude Pundit post: 'The hot, throbbing same-sex military fantasies of Elaine Donnelly'

by: Pam Spaulding

Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 09:38:15 AM EDT

Since DADT has been big in the headlines, I decided to turn my attention to the perpetually professionally frustrated Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness to clue Rude Pundit readers on the "lobbyist" we have come to know and love (NOT). Just to entice you over, here's a snippet from my post:

Whew. Did anyone need a cigarette after that? Let's not use that word moist in reference to Donnelly again.

Damn, I love when @Pam_Spaulding does a guest post over at my place. She's so fun and nasty: http://bit.ly/9ajbFf

Tanya Domi on DADT: First a Tragedy, Now a Farce

by: Pam Spaulding

Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 09:00:00 AM EDT

Don't Ask Don't Tell: First a Tragedy, Now a Farce

By Tanya Domi

Seventeen years ago this week former President Bill Clinton announced he was supporting the compromise "Don't Ask Don't Tell" legislation he negotiated with Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Representative Barney Franks who served as a negotiating intermediary between the White House and the LGBT community.

Former Senator Sam Nunn, then chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, an a member of the president's party, served more as a bludgeoning tool for the anti-gay forces within the Congress and the Pentagon and handed Clinton a significant defeat in the first six months of his new administration.

While much has changed in the past 17 years, not much has changed in our national politics when it comes to LGBT rights. Even with Barack Obama as our President, change has eluded us, despite Obama's once convincing campaign, built on a groundswell of grassroots activism that prominently touted a promise to eliminate discrimination in the military against openly gay soldiers.

Once again, as political philosopher Karl Marx wrote "history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce."

Yes, the Obama Administration has engaged in a kabuki dance with the LGBT community in unconvincing political theater that is more farce than a force for change, despite Obama's ubiquitous campaign pledge which proclaimed "we are the change we have been waiting for".

Yet the American public's positive attitude toward gays serving openly in the military reflects a seismic change from similar polls taken in 1993. The most recent opinion survey conducted by CNN registered a whopping 79 percent approval toward open service by gays. Repealing DADT is not a vote that commands political courage.

In recent weeks Pentagon officials have made it known that DADT could be the policy for years to come, even if Congress repeals the law, the Pentagon Working Group will ultimately determine what is the best policy for military. Thus, the farce of another administration led by a President who appears to have misled many voters in his base, especially from the LGBT community.

For a reality check on just how little things have changed for gays serving in the military, review the attached Department of Defense memo on "Homosexuals in the Military" dated 4 February 1993. Now tell gay service members and all those who have been discharged why DADT isn't a farce?