No Money to the DNC

We cannot just keep feeding the people who hurt us. There are plenty of Democrats who are pro-equality and who deserve your support to the individual campaigns. But the Democratic National Committee should not get a dime of your money. Why? I responded in my column in the Advocate to a piece written by DNC Treasurer Andy Tobias in which he implored LGBT people to give to the Democratic National Committee this year:

Tobias’s screed cannot hide just how disappointing our “fierce advocate” and his toothless party have been for the past two years. A few drops have been wrung out into the glass, including passage of a long-overdue hate-crimes bill that had been kicked around in Congress since the 1990s and an uncertain compromise on repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” as gay men and lesbians continue to be ejected from the military.

Real progress? The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is dead in the water this session. The Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, a bill that would give gay federal workers spousal benefits, and which Congress has promised a vote on since June 2009, is no closer to the president’s pen. Meanwhile, the White House continues to aggressively defend the Defense of Marriage Act and is expected to appeal a July decision handed down by a Nixon-appointed federal judge who ruled that a critical portion of the federal ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional. President Barack Obama has said he opposes the law but by all accounts has not lifted a finger to push for the legislative repeal that he promised would be a priority if he were elected.

And then there was the president's pitiful response to the landmark Prop 8 decision. A spokesperson responded to The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld that ,"The President has spoken out in opposition to Proposition 8 because it is divisive and discriminatory," without any congratulations let alone elation of any kind. Then White House advisor David Axelrod headed onto TV to push the message that the president doesn't support marriage for gays and lesbians, reaching out to homophobes on a day when he should have been reaching out to us. It was yet another nasty slap in the face.

Read the whole piece and let me know your thoughts.

Today on the Signorile Show

We'll find out today whether gay and lesbian couples in California will be able to marry again, or if Judge Walker decided to keep the stay of his landmark decision in place while the Prop 8 proponents appeal.

Perhaps influenced by the reasoned and detailed decision by Judge Walker, and the media coverage that showed how well he'd done his job, a majority of Americans, 52%, for the first time believe that marriage should be a constitutional right for gays and lesbians. This could be a tipping point in public support and popular opinion.

Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, the highly decorated Air Force pilot, has filed suit to stop his discharge under "don't ask, don't tell,"a last ditch effort to save his career.


Guest: Jennifer Pizer from Lambda Legal joins us 3:30 ET to talk about Judge Walker's decision, whichever way it goes.

Prop 8 Stay Ruling Tomorrow

Looks like it will be another busy day on the show tomorrow: Judge Walker will be announcing his decision on whether the marriages of gay and lesbian couples begin immediately or if his decision is stayed pending appeal. The news will come down between noon and 3 ET, so either just before the show or during our first hour.

Today on the Signorile Show

Target's troubles with the LGBT community have taken a turn for the worse as The Awl revealed this week that the CEO and other top executives have been giving to antigay causes and candidates for quite some time.

There was some encouraging electoral success yesterday in primaries around the country, for LGBT candidates and also for the Democrats and Obama-backed candidates heading into the mid-term elections. And for Republicans, another tea party backed, anti-immigrant candidate. We'll get into it all.

As flight attendant Steven Slater continues to be heralded as an icon among stressed workers, we'll take more of your calls on his actions, the airline, the passenger, and what should happen to him.

Guest / 3:30pm EST - Sam Kashner, journalist and co-author of Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century, joins us this afternoon to talk about the legendary romance between the two and the access he and co-author Nancy Schoenberger had to the couples personal materials.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - Yesterday, the NOM Summer of Marriage Tour continued, making a stop in Raleigh, NC. In attendance on the other side of the "ten's of NOM supporters," Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend. She joins us today to talk about the protest and what she's calling NOM's "Fail-O-Rama."

Florida attorney general Bill McCollum, running for governor, now says he doesn't have "a recollection" of what he said when he said gays should not be allowed to adopt because "“I really do not think that we should have homosexuals guiding our children." We'll get into it.

These stories and so much more, today on The Michelangelo Signorile Show!

And, don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today on the Signorile Show

In an ugly -- and pretty stupid -- tirade White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has attacked the "professional left" for criticizing the president. Lots of anger and bafflement about it among progressives, including LGBT activists, and much to talk about.

Antigay, nasty right-wing talk show host Greg Gutfeld says he wants to open a gay bar next to the mosque at ground zero. So, he hates Muslims more than gays and will be pro-gay for a moment just to provoke? Is that it? We'll open this one up for discussion and get your thoughts.

An interesting story about Bradley Manning, the whistleblower in the Wikileaks case who is now charged with a crime for leaking the information. The New York Times reports about his struggles with being gay and how that made him feel isolated. How does that affect this case and your thinking on it? We'll go over it today.

Guest / 3:30pm EST - A lot has been said about the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution as of late. Leaders in the GOP want to repeal the birthright parts of it as a way to combat illegal immigration. Prop8 was found to be unconstitutional because of it. Joining us to help understand a little more about the 14th Amendment, Elizabeth Wydra, Constitutional Accountability Center's Chief Counsel.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - West Point Cadet Katherine Miller is a junior at the prestigious military academy. She is ninth in her class. She is also a lesbian. Because of that, she has submitted a letter of resignation from West Point because she is "unwilling to suppress an entire portion of [her] identity any longer because it has taken a significant personal, mental, and social toll on [her] and detrimentally affected [her] professional development." She joins us this afternoon to talk about her resignation.

FL attorney general and GOP candidate for governor Bill McCollum: "I really do not think that we should have homosexuals guiding our children." The latest smear from the man who brought George "rentboy" Rekers in as an expert witness against gay adoption.

And Levi Johnston is running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. Surely that is a stepping stone to run for the vice presidency. And it's all part of a reality show, lucky us!

And, don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

The Moment

It was an exhilarating day last Wednesday, waiting for the Prop 8 decision to come down and then reporting it all live on the show at around 4:30 ET. That hour,which encompassed a few minutes before and a while after Judge Walker's ruling -- and that moment we got it confirmed -- was pretty exciting for me and for many listeners. It really was privilege to do it all live on the show. I've shortened it down to this 8 minute or so clip. Check it out.

How Media Smeared Judge Walker

This is a piece I meant to post yesterday (actually did link to it in the show rundown) which I wrote on Huffington Post:

The way that the sexual orientation of Judge Vaughn Walker -- the federal judge who overturned Proposition 8 last week -- has been targeted and exploited by proponents of Prop 8 is not only an example of the ugly smear tactics of the theocratic thugs who call themselves Christians; it's a testament to how easily the media is manipulated by the right into doing things about which editors and reporters claim to be staunchly opposed.

Check out the full piece and let me know your thoughts.

On Today's Signorile Show

Why did Judge Walker get outed but right-wing antigay homophobes get protection from the media?

Ted Olson wipes the floor with Chris Wallace debating Prop 8.

David Boies wipes the floor with Tony Perkins debating Prop 8.

Guest / 3:30pm EST - We are slowly approaching the midterms this November. Today, Florida Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson joins us to talk about the issues that are currently at the forefront and what to expect from the elections this November.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - Can the proponents of Prop 8 appeal Judge Walkers decision? We'll speak to New York Law School professor Arthur Leonard this afternoon.

More mosque projects are facing objections across the country. What is going on? We'll take your calls.

The non-story over Michelle Obama's trip to Spain. How the right whipped up supposed outrage, right out of the anti-Clinton playbook.

And, don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Pastor Terry Jones: Why I'm Burning Qu'rans on 9/11

Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center first gained notoriety when he held "No Homo Mayor" protests (and had another one last week) in Gainesville, FL, battling against the election of Craig Lowe who became that city's first openly gay mayor this year.

Now he has announced "International Burn a Qu'ran Day" in which he and his followers will be burning the holy book of Islam on the ninth anniversary of 9/11. I brought him on the show on Friday to discuss Islam, Christianity and homosexuality. Watch the video as he gets tripped up about the Old Testament:

Signorile: The bigger threats in this country are from Christians who want to see the Bible enacted as the law of the land...There are people who would like to see this country enact a Christianity that is very violent. If you read the Bible it has many things that are in the Koran. It has, you know, that people should be stoned, and people should be killed.

Jones: You’re taking about Old Testament and we no longer adhere to that because of Jesus…

Signorile: What do you think about what Muslims think about homosexuality?

Jones: I do not agree that homosexuals should be stoned. I believe that homosexuality is a sin that leads to hell and they need to repent.

Signorile: Now why do you believe that?

Jones: Because we believe it is very clear in the Bible.

Signorile: Where?

Jones: It’s in Romans, it’s in the Old Testament.

Signorile: I thought we don’t use the Old Testament.

Jones: Well, we…um.

Signorile: No, we only [use it] when it’s about homosexuality.

Saturday Back Talk

Here are a bunch of listener survey comments, some of which I read on the show this week. If you're listener to the show and haven't taken the survey please scroll down and click through on the right. Thanks!


Parachute, CO (Sirius)
Living in rural America limits the news that I have access to. The information that Mr Signorile offers is super and a necessity to really understand what is going on the in the nation and the world. Thank you for being a big part of my day.

Royal Oak, MI (Sirius)
I would like to hear less of this show. While I tend to agree with most of what Michelangelo says, the way he says it makes me want to go all Republican. It feels like he sensationalizes things, he takes things out of context, blows things up. We need to fight gay rights, but we aren't going to get anywhere by alienating and demonizing the opposition.

Palm Springs, CA (XM)
I was pleasantly surprised by Jack in Arizona's apology for not supporting gay rights in the past. He is an honorable person. I enjoy your show! Thank you!

Portsmouth, RI (Sirius)
I was driven to complete the survey today primarily to plead with you: Please, please, please no more 'debates.' I admire your skills as an interviewer and value the careful questions you pose and the thoughtful responses they elicit. I changed the station three times today during the discussion of the Manchester Hyatt boycott, and each time that I tried to resume listening, I heard antagonistic, hostile exchanges. If I want to listen to people shriek at one another and accuse the other of 'whoring themselves out' there are plenty of shows taking that approach to the news. (None of which I watch.) By all means, engage various viewpoints. But please continue to play to your own strengths and do it one-on-one.

Vancouver, WA (XM)
Surprise Me. There are many Transsexuals who do not see themselves as Transgenders. Please try to find guests the have that view. One person that I would recommend is Susan (Suzy) Cook. She is a long time Post OP woman born TS, who was also a early feminist.

Indianapolis, IN (XM)
Mike, I wish you weren't so dismissive of callers who disagree with you. You always go out of your way to prove that you are fair, but even the way you argue with those who call you dismissive is dismissive. In fact, you're probably already formulating a way to dismiss this feedback right now! The way we can tell is if trying to be "balanced" you'll say someone else's view is their opinion while implying that they are wrong, but your opposing opinion is not presented as 'opinion' but fact. To color all of this, let me say that it's not so much the words you actually say, but more so the tonality which does in fact communicate how you are looking down upon anyone who disagrees with you. You're welcome in advance (since honest feedback is a gift!)

Las Vegas, NV (Sirius)
I love your show. Being from Nevada,I thought it was funny when I visited your website there was a pro Sharon Angle ad! (adsbygoogle) Keep up the good work. You are always a joy to listen to.

Flagstaff, AZ (Sirius)
Michael, you are such a bleeding heart liberal. Nothing wrong with liberal, but you don't have to bleed all over the microphone.We live in a time/place where we as a country need to be more selective about who we allow to enter the country. Time was that folks who emigrated here WANTED to embrace America. Nowadays, they want to set up an enclave where they can practice their language/culture/practices from their home country. They aren't interested in assimilating into American culture. To this I say, "stay home". You also have a way of cutting off callers who don't agree with you. By the way, I think you're HOT. :)

Hartford, CT (Sirius)
What some of the people are saying in the survey is accurate: David can be a real bitch when he answers the phone. I don't know if working at a gay station has rubbed off on him but the queeny bitchy attitude he has at times when answering the phone is frustrating. I have actually stopped calling because of his attitude. I can understand and forgive him when he may need to be short with people but I can't excuse bitchiness. He can be sarcastic at times when answering the phone. If I wanted attitude like that I would just go to the local store and get it from one of the working high school kids. Love the show, hate the call screener ;-(

Wichita, KS (Sirius)
I like the show, but often people complain about not being able to get through. Maybe you could take something from Frank's show, and have a segment of about 20 minutes, where you let anyone call in about ANY topic. For the call, you might find a new topic that you hadn't thought of talking about, and those callers that get through, would be able to say, that they weren't SCREENED out of making a call to talk to you. It could happen once a week, or even once a month. Otherwise, love the show, and yes DAVID does a great job.

Naples, FL (Sirius)
I've been listening to your show for a year and it's the only political information I listen to. I don't get into political debates, but if I'm at a social event and someone is getting on my nerve because they don't know what the hell they're talking about, I just say "Michaelangelo Signorile said such an such". OMG! I become everyone's hero. I love using your information to make me sound smart. I would also like to thank David for convincing me to tell my story on air. It was the first time I have ever called any talk show and he was so caring and made me feel very comfortable (although I was a hot mess).

Carpinteria, CA (Sirius)
You could cut down on the monologues a little. If anyone thinks Obama is supportive of the gay community they need to get back to reality. Repeal of don't ask don't tell will not occur under his watch. The Pentagon is laying the ground work to show that it can't be done this is being orchestrated by Sec. Gates and the "good old boys" at the top.

Owensboro, KY (Sirius)
I have to admit I didn't really like the show at first but my ex convinced me to try again. I don"t always agree with your views but do find you very informative. I am an older lesbian and grew up in a small town and therefore am not as comfortable about outing people although you do give convincing arguments on why we should.

Grand Island, NE (Sirius)
I love the show so much. I couldn't make the listener meet-up in DC but can't wait until you have another one. I would love to meet you and some of the iconic callers like 'Jay in New Haven'. Thank you so much for what you do.

Today on the Signorile Show

John McCain had a tantrum again, in what looks to be the first shot fired in the Republican war on "don't ask, don't tell" repeal as the Defense Authorization Bill comes up for a vote. LGBT groups are warning people to be ready for a big fight. On the heels of the euphoria over the Prop 8 win, it's time to focus on the battle over DADT. We'll get into it today.


So much more to look at the Prop 8 ruling, including those now determined to smear Judge Walker as a biased gay judge. And why did the media so easily claim that he is gay -- without his saying it himself -- while they claim to be against outing? Lots of hypocrisy to expose here.

Ann Coulter will headline an event for the gay Republican group GoProud. Who next? Anita Bryant? Phyllis Schlafly?

Guest / 3:30pm EST - We've been talking a lot about the boycott of the chain retailer Target. Target says that while they did send out money to those campaigns, their support for the LGBT community is "unwavering." But has the company's support always been unwavering? Abe Sauer of The Awl joins me to talk about Target's past donations and how they tie into Prop 8.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - Pastor Terry Jones of the Evangelical Dove World Outreach Center joins us this afternoon to talk of his plans for September 11th, by holding a "Burn The Koran Day." We'll also speak with him about his "No Homo Mayor" campaign against the openly gay mayoral candidate of Gainesville, Florida, Craig Lowe.

Did you know there's a mosque at the Pentagon --inside the building? Yes, and it was opened shortly after 9/11! Why haven't conservatives ever complained about it as they're now doing with regard to the "ground zero" mosque?

Amid reports of a deal between Google and Verizon we'll discuss the future of net neutrality, how it will affect you what will happen if the FCC doesn't step in.

Larry Kramer has unleashed on Barbra Streisand...again. What about this time? We'll talk.

We'll go through some listener surveys this afternoon!

And who will be your Angel, Turkey, Gassie and Climax of the Week?

All these stories and so much more, today on The Michelangelo Signorile Show!

And, don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!
Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

John McCain Foams at the Mouth

John McCain erupted in an antigay tirade on the floor of the Senate yesterday threatening to block "don't ask, don't tell" from being passed in the Defense Authorization Bill.

More from Netroots Nation

At Netroots Nation in Las Vegas I interviewed bloggers and good friends (of mine, and of the show) Pam Spaulding of PamsHouseBlend and Joe Sudbay of Americablog.

I spoke with both of them, in separate interviews, about the LGBT organizing at Netroots. But mostly, we discussed the Democrats, the mid-term elections and the Obama administration on LGBT rights and the anger and disappointment in the community. The interviews are particularly relevant today as the Prop 8 decision comes down and we once again wait to see if the president responds. Listen in.

Interview with Pam Spaulding



Interview with Joe Sudbay (two segments)

Prop 8 Decision Today

The much anticipated decision from federal judge Vaughn Walker on the challenge to Proposition 8 will be announced today. The decision is expected between 1 and 3 Pacific Time (between 4 and 6 Eastern Time), and we will be live on the air when the decision is announced. So listen in and please call in with your thoughts toll-free, 866 305 6887, and join the discussion. Also, give me your thoughts here as well and on the Facebook fan group page and we will be reading them live on air.

Rallies are being planned all across the country, a response from the grass roots no matter what the decision is. It's a big day, and lots to talk about.