Why You Must Vote

Still off from the show, back live on Monday just in time for the election. In recent weeks I've heard some of you call in and say you're not voting, sitting this one out because you're unhappy with the White House or Congress. Others have said they'll vote for a lesser candidate, pretty much giving their vote to a Republican in a close election. But I have said on the show for quite a while now, no matter how angry you are at President Obama or disappointed with the Democratic leadership -- and I've been one of the biggest critics around -- it is imperative that you get out and vote for the Democrats and against the tea party-backed Republicans.

The Republican Party would like nothing better than to see the discontent in the Democratic base help them install truly the most extreme lot of candidates we have seen in many years. We've exposed the tea party as nothing more than a reconfiguration of all the religious zealots, moral crusaders, racists and bigots who've been around for years. Do not attempt to punish the President or the Democrats by punishing yourself. This country has been in a very precarious state for a long time, in which the political winds can usher in something radical and extreme very quickly. Bad economic times are always an opportunity for those who seek to do that. We have demanded and will demand full accountability by the Democrats and president -- who is not on the ballot until 2012 -- but don't do it by giving power to your enemies. As David Mixner says -- and please go read it -- vote as if your life depends on it, because it does. See you all on the show on Monday!

Lizz Winstead Guest Hosting

Am off for a few days but the show goes on! The one and only Lizz Winstead is guest-hosting today and tomorrow. I'll be back next week in time to deal with all the election news. Enjoy Lizz, as usual!

Barney Frank: Obama Should Drop DADT Appeal

Facing his hardest reelection effort next week, openly gay Congressman Barney Frank came on the show this afternoon (full audio below).

He said President Obama "hasn't handled this well," and that he's "been disappointed," referring to the "don't ask, don't tell" debacle. He said he urged the president at a campaign stop in Massachusetts last week not to appeal Judge Virginia Phillips' ruling and injunction ending DADT, arguing that this is a different case than most laws which the administration must defend. Frank believes the president should drop the appeal, especially if Obama does not get a vote in the Senate in the lame duck session of Congress.

On the Employment Non-Discrimination ACT (ENDA), which activists have been promised a vote on for over a year, Frank said the health care bill took up time, then DADT came up, and added also that "the transgender issue is a very difficult issue."

On his own reelection, he said it is the "toughest" challenge he's faced, largely because of the economy and the tea party surge (Scott Brown took his district in the Senate race) and "I need money to win."

On the gay Republican group GoProud, which has launched ads attacking him and backing his Republican opponent (who is opposed to repealing DADT and opposed to marriage equality), he said: "Exactly what is it they are proud of? These are Republicans who think being Republican is more important than LGBT equality...I think there's a truth in advertising problem when they say G-O-P proud. People think that that means they have pride in being gay or lesbian and obviously they don't."

Today on the Signorile Show

The New York Times says that the GOP is poised to take the House, and whether or not these reports are overblown it's true that the tea party is surging while many constituencies are demoralized. The Associated press claims that angry gay voters could turn the election against the Democrats. This sounds like a "blame the gays" scenario a bit, but we'll put the question to you: Are you going to vote for Democrats next week? Won't you be helping the tea party if you don't?

Should a New Hampshire newspaper be required to print same-sex marriage announcements in a state where marriage is legal for gays and lesbians? The New Hampshire Union Leader says no. We'll take your calls.

Guest / 2:30pm EST - Openly Gay, Democratic Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank joins us this afternoon to talk about what we can expect to see in the repeal process of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and the recent comments made by his opponent, Sean Bielat, saying that gays don't have a right to serve, just like short people.

Guest / 3:30pm EST - How has society and religion changed over the past 50 years? How does religion divide us and how does it unite us? Robert Putnam, co-author of American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us, joins us today to talk about it.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - Dr. Alan Downs, author of The Velvet Rage: Overcoming The Pain of Growing Up Gay In A Straight Man's World, joins us today to talk about the developmental issues gay men face and how they can overcome emotions of shame.

Another major release by Wikileaks of documents shows the brutality of the war, including many more civilian deaths than believed, and the press in the U.S. once again

"Heroes" and Star Trek star Zachary Quinto won't say if he's gay, even though he supports gay causes and is now putting his efforts toward anti-bullying and suicide prevention. But wouldn't the best thing be for him to simply say what he is? Now he's playing a gay man in Angels in America off-Broadway. Does that make it more relevant? Well take calls.

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.

A Gay Paladino Supporter Calls In

My producer David Guggenheim and I were wondering out loud just who are these 26% (according to the Sienna Poll) of New Yorkers who are voting for tea party-backed Republican gubanatorial candidate Carl Paladino. Sure enough, a gay (yes!) Paladino supporter from Buffalo called in.

Saturday Back Talk

These are a bunch of the listener survey comments I read over the past few weeks on the show, some of which we had some interesting or funny discussions about. If you're a listener to the show and haven't taken the survey please do so by scrolling down clicking through on the right, or just go right here. Thanks!


West Babylon, NY (XM)
I thought I’d finally take the survey and comment. Especially considering how important today is. My youngest brother recently came out. We actually had to ask him. A family friend had asked us if “he was gay?” We had no idea, totally clueless. It turns out that he struggled with his sexuality for most of his life; he kept it from the family for fear of rejection. He told us that he knew that he was gay since he was 12, he is now 30. He was always angry and depressed. We tried to talk or get him to talk with someone. He would have no part of it. We were always fearful that he would do something (suicide). When he told us it was almost a relief. Since he has come out, he is such a different person. He is happy and in love with a wonderful man. We are so happy for him and his partner. We love them both unconditionally. Thanks for letting me share. I love your show, keep fighting the good fight.

Macomb, IL (Sirius)
Idea! When you have a guest in the first hour include it in the replay instead of the fourth hour. As for those always wanting less serious topics, they can listen to the rest of the schedule. Thanks. Listener from end of November 2003.

Las Vegas, NV (Sirius)
Great show, and a I listen every day! I especially like listening to your guest hosts when you are away. Keep up the good work.

Durango, CO (XM)
I find that I will turn your program off because of the tone you take with the callers. There was an occasion when you read a listener comment and accented certain words ( in a condescending tone, when the opinion seems to be across the board.) Treat people as you would like to be treated, even if you disagree with there position. It's the golden rule. Thank you for your time.

Spokane, WA (Sirius)
Great show. I try to listen as often as possible during the day at my office. I especially enjoy Friday's show and the awards of the week. Keep up the great work!

Marietta, GA (XM)
I have been an avid listener for several years now, and I have really respected your opinion on "gay groups" such as GLAAD and HRC. I have come to see them as more just "fund raiser" type groups than actually getting anything done politically. Can you recommend another group that you support that someone like myself could support either through volunteering and/or financial?

Las Vegas, NV (XM)
I called in Friday night to discuss the topic of the word "gay" being used in a movie from Vince Vaughn. While waiting on hold to discuss this with you i was met with a VERY rude individual who apparently wouldn't let me speak my mind unless I agreed with you.Which I find weird because even though you cut everyone off when they don't agree with you, the majority of people who call in tend to NOT agree with you. Maybe you had filled your quota of the day that day, but to have your phone answerer argue against me, even though I still believe in my point, and then HANG UP on me, is ludicrous.

Boyertown, PA (Sirius)
Hey Mike. Right on with your chastisement of James in Louisiana. You were dead-on when you said that he called because he felt guilty and wanted you to convince him that he wasn't "one of them". You did what needed to be done and perhaps now he will think about where his own beliefs are and what they might be doing to others around them. Mike, so many Christians are blissfully unaware of the pain their beliefs cause to those around them. Most of their anti-gay sentiment is passive-aggressive, but that is exactly what fosters anti-gay violence and bullying and harassment, which in turn leads to depression, substance abuse, and suicide among LGBT youth. I really hope that you shook this caller to his very foundations, Mike.

San Francisco, CA (Sirius)
Michelangelo, when I hear people like James in Louisiana I want to rip my hair from my head, but then you are there to provide the voice of sanity, reason and logic all in a very soothing voice. Please never change. Please continue to get in people's face when they are wrong. We need more of that and you are one of the few talk show hosts willing to do that. Keep up the fight. Keep up the good work.

Chillicothe, OH (XM)
I love to listen to your show. Your direct, no-nonsense style is something that I enjoy. I especially appreciate that yours is not the only opinion that matters which is very different from most commentators. Love your show!

Georgetown, KY (Sirius)
I am grateful for the thoughtful, professional approach of Mr. Signorile in all aspects of his program and I'd Love to be a guest on his show anytime.

Marietta, OH (XM)
I also listen to the OutQ show on Saturday--Focus Group. (Did not see on your list.) Really like the channel and you should be on in drive time for the east coast. People need to hear what you have to say. I think there should split the channel into 2. One with serious smart shows and one just for entertaining dirty talk. I understand there is room for everything, it just seems to weird to go from Frank and Doria to you and then Derek and Romaine.

Loylsville, PA (Sirius)
You will stand befor a holy God who sent his son JESUS CHRIST to die for our sins you are deceived and will pearish in your sin if you dont repent you may not give a dam about the BIBLE now but beleave me one day very soon you will and you will meet the one you so dont beleave his word your an advocate for the devil and i pray your eyes get opened befor its to late the antichrist is about to apear on the world secene.

San Francisco, (Sirius)
If anyone says something is "Wicked" and they're not talking about the musical please hang up on them. You don't have to do a Derek Hartley hangup (Click dialtone) but you can do your ever polite "Thank you for your call" Thanks for being out there for those of us stuck at a desk all day.

Boston, MA (Sirius)
I love your show, it is always so current with our times and your voice is SO important. I listen to you every day on my way home from work and I respect and admire how wonderful your thoughts and ideas are. Please keep at it and never let anyone tell you that your thoughts and ideas are not important!! One thing I am big on is the relevance of TG issues as well, many of my friends are also trans and having a voice is always important!

Escondido, CA XM
Thank you for doing what you do. I lost my political apathy during the 2000 presidential campaign. Now I participate and you are my anchor. Because of you and Derek, I can't keep my mouth shut when I see injustice.

Houston, TX (Sirius)
Like most talk/interview shows, when a discussion gets heated, both "sides" tend to talk over each other to the point you can't understand either. I usually "tune out" when this occurs, as do most of my friends who try to listen. Other than that annoying issue, I love your show. Just remember, not all Texans are uneducated rednecks.

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, Blackberry or Android apps. 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.

Valerie Jarrett's Lies

Yesterday on CNN the Obama administration's p.r. disaster was in full view, as the White House sent Valerie Jarrett out to battle Dan Choi on "don't ask, don't tell." Not a good move. Dan forcefully and eloquently pointed to the administration's hypocrisy and to Jarrett's earlier CNN hit where she arrogantly claimed that the critics in the gay community don't understand the process. Wolf Blitzer actually made Jarrett sit through Dan's take-down, in which he rightly stated, "We don't need a lecture from Valerie Jarrett." How dare she try to divide us and claim she knows the smarter gays who back the president's plan, particularly after her "lifestyle choice" comment? Are those smarter gays the ones who told her that phrase was ok? Sorry, if that's the case she's not hanging with the right gays.

Listening to Dan Choi, Jarrett was squirming in her seat, and then completely running from Blizter's questions, including not giving any answer to whether the president will push for a vote in the lame duck session or not. Same old bullshit.

Valerie Jarrett, who I met back at Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh, is someone I thought was a voice on our side in the White House, but I'm really coming to dislike her and realize she's another smug hack, a complete phony. She outright lied several times on CNN yesterday, claiming the president has called DADT unconstitutional -- he has not -- and also claiming the administration must appeal Judge Virgina Phillips' injunction. The emerging consensus of constitutional and military legal experts -- including former Bush Solicitor General Ted Olson -- is in fact that Obama does not, and should not appeal the ruling and injunction if he wants to end DADT. It just means having some guts and doing the right thing rather than continuing to pass the buck.

One of those respected constitutional military legal experts who's been quoted in the press in recent days is Diane Mazur, a former Air Force officer who is a law professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. In an interview on the show on Wednesday, Mazur told me that President Obama is on much more solid ground in not appealing this decision than even Bill Clinton was when he decided that the ban on people with HIV in the military was unconstitutional and refused to defend it. In Mazur's legal analysis, not appealing is neither risky nor out of the ordinary. As Ted Olson said, it's actually "appropriate." We also talked about how the president could end the discharges now and the options he has had all along. Listen in to the audio clip, and also watch Dan Choi and Valerie Jarrett on CNN.

Today on the Signorile Show

"Don't ask, don't tell" has been brought back from the dead, thanks to the Obama administration expected appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for a stay of federal Judge Virginia Phillips' ruling. But the stay, interestingly, is temporary, pending the court's decision on whether or not it should be extended throughout the appeals process, into next year. We'll go through the details.

Olson vs. Jarrett: White House adviser Valerie Jarrett, meanwhile, claims people "don't understand" the process and that the administration must appeal the DADT ruling, but Ted Olson, former Bush solicitor general begs to differ, saying it "would be appropriate" for Obama to decline to appeal.

Efforts to prosecute Blackwater are collapsing.

Guest / 3:30pm EST - Last week, we were introduced to Joel Burns, councilman from Fort Worth, Texas, who shared his story of growing up and coming out during a public meeting in the wake of the teen suicides that had happened across the country. He joins us this afternoon to talk about the reaction he's received from his version of an "It's Get Better" video.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - Gideon Rose, author of How Wars End: Why We Always Fight The Last Battle, A History of American Intervention From WWI to Afghanistan, that when a president and his generals plan for a war, they never plan for a stable postwar environment, which then ends up costing more in lives and funding. He joins us this afternoon to talk about his new book.

NPR has fired Juan Williams because of bigoted remarks he made about Muslims while on Fox News. We'll take your calls. Should he have been given the boot?

Yet another ugly cave-in to the right: The White House has rejected an openly gay judicial nominee because he preferred "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas!"

Fivethirtyeight's Nate Silver is giving the Republicans a chilling 75% chance of taking the house this fall, as we discuss the realities of a House controlled by the GOP and warn you that you'd better get out and vote.

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.

HRC's Solmonese: DADT "in President's Hands"

Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign came on the program yesterday to talk about "don't ask, don't tell" repeal, the injunction and the DOJ appeal. He said that if there is not a vote in lame duck session on DADT, and the appeal to Judge Phillips rulng is the final action, then ending DADT is "in the president's hands." Of course, it's always been in the president's hands, and if you're a listener to the show you heard me giving my reaction and perspective after the interview to that and other points made by Solmonese. We also talked about some other issues as well as we head into the mid-term elections, and whether or not this year will be deemed a complete failure on LGBT issues. Listen in.

Today on the Signorile Show

Yet another tea party candidate has gone on an antigay tirade, defining what the tea party really is, and how the religious zealots are very much a part of it. We'll go through the latest comments from Republican Colorado Senate candidate Ken Buck.

Meanwhile, the gay-bashing doesn't seem to be working for another tea-party-backed candidate, GOPer Carl Paladino running for governor in New York, who now has an 11% approval rating.

And, the tea party madness continues with Alaska's Joe Miller now accused of having his henchmen handcuff a reporter because he was asking questions Miller didn't like.

An article on Politico backs up what many of us have been saying for a while: Obama's plan on "don't ask, don't tell" has pretty much backfired because they went too slow.

Guest/2:30 EST Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, joins us to talk about President Obama's decision to appeal the injunction on "don't ask, don't tell" as a federal judge decides on the administration stay request, and how likely a vote on repeal in the Senate after the elections reall is.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - Did you know that the average American throws away roughly 200 pounds of food a year? That means that collectively, we throw away enough food each year to feed 1.7 billion starving people. Jonathan Bloom, author of American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half Of Its Food (And What We Can Do About It) joins us this afternoon to talk about the relationship American's have with food from the grocery store to garbage.

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.