Merry Fucking Christmas

A thousand midwest factory workers were abducted from their jobs and held for deportation while their children were in school or daycare, ONE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS! Here's your "christian values" at work in government. This is the republican, "christian moral values" bunch displaying their real values. Think of all those little kids, eagerly awaiting Christmas - the presents and festivity and cheerfulness of the holiday. This is the biggest day of the year for kids. Instead, their families are torn apart, they're left in fear without knowing what's going to happen to them and their parents. Their lives are thrown into chaos.

This action, even if it was necessary, could have been undertaken at any other time of the year...but ONE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS! It's just a continuation of the brutality of this Bush bunch including illegal abductions of American citizens, torture and unending war. Venal, heartless, uncivilized monsters wrapped in "god."

U.S. Troops Comfortable With Gays

A new Zogby poll shows that 73% of U.S. Military personnel are comfortable serving with gays and lesbians. Which is not surprising considering 85% of them are gay. Aren't they?

Pro-Gay Marriage Demonstrator Beaten Up

A young woman counterdemonstrating at an anti-gay marriage rally in Massachusetts was jumped and beaten up by the leader of a group called "Catholic Citizenship." The leader was at the podium, finishing up leading the mob in the "Pledge of Allegiance" when he rushed to tackle Sarah Loy, smashing her head to the pavement while yelling, "You need to get out of here." Wasn't it compassionate of him to consider her needs like that while he was busy smashing her head?

I think the timing of this assault is interesting...right after reciting the "Pledge". Religion and government, mixed together, translated directly into violence.

Faces To Remember In The MN Legislature

Reps. Holberg, Sviggum and Serverson. Holberg and Severson have both been sponsors of the anti-gay marriage amendment in the House. Sviggum, the former (ha ha ha ha) Speaker, is just a major anti-gay bigot with power, although he'll have a lot less of it when the House changes to DFL hands in January.

Just wanted to show you who the enemies of you and your family are in your state government. There are plenty more, but these are the worst in the House, in my opinion. Michele Bachmann's bigotry has been rewarded by the voters of the 6th Congressional District with federal office, but it also gets her out of our hair. We'll find out next session if someone in the state senate inherits Bachmann's anti-gay reputation.

Trashed Gay Pride Display

This kiosk featuring a GLBT Pride Month display, located in downtown Robbinsdale Minnesota was vandalized in 2004. As an openly gay member of the Robbinsdale Human Rights Commission, I created it at the direction of the Commission.

The City's first response to the vandalism was not to condemn the hate crime but to pass new regulations on the size color of the font to be used for displays in the kiosk.

After some months, the city council finally passed a resolution condemning the vandalism after I wrote the resolution myself and pushed it through the Human Rights Commission to be passed on to the City Council. Better late than never, eh?

Incidentally, the vandalism was reported to local media but nothing was ever published on the incident.

Marriage Issue Is Finally Put To Rest...in Canada

The Canadian Parliment voted 175-123 to not revisit the law that brought marriage equality to gay and lesbian Canadians. Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister who promised his Conservative Party that the issue of gay marriage would be resurected in Parliment has conceded defeat, saying the fight against same sex marriage is over for good.

Canadian Vote May Come Early

The debate over reopening the same sex marriage issue in the Canadian Parliment is expected to be brief with even some conservatives favoring an early vote to "get it over with." The motion to reopen the issue, introduced by conservatives, is expected to fail by a substantial margin in a vote that could come as early as Thursday.

Minnesota Human Rights Conference Demonstration

First, I want to acknowledge World Aids Day and the importance of this annual observance. I remember those who have passed from my life.

It is also Human Rights Day in Minnesota which presented an opportunity to bring an equal marriage message to those in this state that are concerned with human rights. So, I bundled up this morning and unfurled my cold, crackly shower curtain at the parking ramp entrance of the River Center in St. Paul. The annual Human Rights Conference is taking place there with speakers such as Arne Carlson and Dr. Mary Frances Berry. I got set up in time to catch the attendees streaming into the parking ramp for the 8:oo AM registration.

My goal was to convey a message to those who shape the human rights world in this state that the need for people to be able marry their same sex life partner and have that marriage treated with equality and respect by the government is also a human right. The response was generally positive, except for that one guy.

Sorry about the sound quality.