Wow, music I never even knew existed

Someone just tweeted this. Never even knew this song existed.

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Gay group pushes new DADT repeal plan

Servicemembers United issued a detailed road map today on how to proceed with the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell this year. It parallels closely the compromise Joe and I presented last week.

From Kerry Eleveld:

Servicemembers United is proposing what it calls [pdf] a "Set End Date/Delayed Implementation" (SEDI) Model \that would unfold over an 18-month time frame, locking in a date for full repeal while still allowing the Pentagon working group to proceed with the implementation review process initiated by Department of Defense secretary Robert Gates.

Nicholson said his group decided to make a public push for the strategy because they do not believe the current House bill, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (MREA), could garner the necessary support since it allows only 90 days for DOD to set forth new regulations upon passage.

“A lot of different elements within the LGBT and progressive communities had been holding out for full and immediate repeal which has been embodied in the Military Readiness Enhancement Act,” said Nicholson. “We have been arguing throughout 2009 that that is not attainable right now – that you're not going to get repeal until you get Pentagon support and you’re not going to get Pentagon support until you delay implementation.”

This is good, and I think having one of the lead groups presenting this, especially a group that knows how the military thinks and talks, gives us an opportunity to build on the momentum of the last two weeks. It's important to note that HRC has already said they'd be fine with this approach, and SLDN has also been pushing for a vote this year. Read More...

Rick Santorum is lecturing us about tolerance

There's that poker "tell" again. Rick Santorum, one of the most bigoted, hateful, opinionated members of Congress, has the nerve to lecture anyone about tolerance.

Conservatives love to accuse liberals of things conservatives are already doing and liberals have never done. In this case, the folks who ripped marriage away from tens of thousands, if not more, gay couples in California are actually the oppressed. And the list of those who are oppressed, according to Santorum, extends to the Mormons who have been on a two decade long jihad to force gay Americans (all Americans, really) to live under their strict and unique religious code.

It's must be really tough being in the majority, ripping away people's civil rights every day of the week, and then, horror of horrors, someone stands up to you and says 'no.' Why can't we live in a world where Ricky is free to hate with impunity? When will America stop being so intolerant of intolerance?

Conservatives, and the religious right in particular, think that free speech means they get to talk and you have to listen in silence.
If you dare stand up to the bullies, they try to shout you back down by accusing you of being intolerant (it's the Hannity approach, just yell the other guy down if he starts making a good point). Sorry, Rick, that trick may work on the FOX News, but it doesn't work in the free world.

What is interesting is that this is the second screed against the judge in the Prop 8 case in as many days. Clearly the religious right has decided that they need to publicly demonize the judge. The question is why? Maybe Rick is still upset about that #1 result when you Google his name :-) Read More...

A laser like focus on DADT

From Colbert King:

[In 1993], I, along with other journalists, joined in pounding out editorials and columns backing repeal. But we couldn't vote in Congress then. We can't today. Lifting the ban requires a laser-like focus on Capitol Hill. That's where Clinton made his mistake. It's a lesson, let us hope, Obama and supporters of DADT repeal have learned.

The laser isn't as blinding as we'd like yet. Read More...

New poll: 'By a solid margin, American voters say go ahead and allow gays to openly serve in the military'

From the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute comes another poll shows strong support for the repeal of DADT. The numbers are good and here's the analysis:

"By a solid margin, American voters say go ahead and allow gays to openly serve in the military," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Voters think 2-1 that keeping gays from serving is discrimination. But they are much more mixed on exactly how the transformation of the military will occur and how the Pentagon should adjust to the needs of gay soldiers, sailors and Marines."

"Perhaps surprisingly, there is little difference among age groups on allowing gays to serve openly: 57 percent of those 18 to 34 years old support open service, along with 59 percent of voters 35 to 54 years old and 54 percent of those 55 or older," said Brown.

Yesterday, Nate Silver took a look at 25 issues to see whether the American people supported President Obama's position or the Republican view. For the most part, Americans sided with Obama. Here's Nate's analysis of DADT:

Gays in the Military. Four organizations -- FOX, Gallup, Quinnipiac, and CNN -- have released polls on Don't Ask Don't Tell since Obama's inauguration. They show an average of 58 percent saying that Don't Ask Don't Tell should be repealed and that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military, and 35 percent opposed. No votes have yet occurred on DADT in either the House or the Senate, although the House's repeal legislation has just one Republican co-sponsor.

This new poll from Quinnipaic shows pretty much the same result. This one is a no-brainer. And, we're all waiting for the White House and Senate to figure that out and actually push the repeal. Remember, Obama can include the repeal language in the budget recommendations he sends to Congress. He hasn't yet, but he can. Read More...

Signorile on the Catholic Church: 'the institution is still a few centuries behind'

Earlier this week, we learned the news Anne Hathaway and her family left the Catholic Church over its blatant homophobia. Her brother is gay.

Last night, Mike Signorile was on the Joy Behar Show to discuss Hathaway's move -- and the Catholic Church.
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