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Just to let everyone know.. having major computer issues right now. I’ll be back soon! -Eric

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Gay Marriage Survives In New Hampshire

NH Rep Al Baldasaro (R) Says homosexuals can change their preference any time.

Concord NH – Supporters of the state’s new same sex marriage law in New Hampshire came out victorious over opponents who attempted to repeal the human-rights law this week. The NH legislature voted this week on a bill to amend the state constitution and to redefine  marriage back as only between a man and a woman.

Extremist Republicans in the house were sorely disappointed after only a half-hour of debate their bill was defeated, but that doesn’t mean they held back any punches. Virtually every previously-proven-false stereotype about gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people were pulled out in a last-ditch effort by legislators to destroy the state’s new found equality. Rep. John Cebrowski (R) said that, “The vast majority of adults out there know marriage is between man and women. To engage in this flight of imagination … with adults is downright cruel. It’s cruel and I don’t like it.” He also made the comparison of same sex couples getting married as being similar to a child playing Star Wars.

But the mentally-challenged dogma didn’t stop there. Representative Jordan Ulery claimed that, “This is absolutely not an issue of equal rights. This is a question of being open to procreation. This is an issue of natural law,” and Representative Al Baldasaro stated, “Homosexuals can change their sexual preference at any time.”

Fortunately wiser heads prevailed this time. Rep Robert Thompson, an out-and-proud gay man who married his husband under the state’s new law said, “We already have loving, committed same-sex marriage couples in New Hampshire. There has been no detrimental impact to anyone,” adding a personal note by asking his colleagues, “How has my marriage impacted upon your marriage, or how has it diminished the value of your marriage?”

In the end, the homophobic and bigoted bills stood almost no chance and were defeated 210-109.

For more of the craziness of Republicans in New Hampshire watch the video below. “No Disrespect!”

Utahns Studying Local Discrimination Against LGBTs

When the “compromise” first started rolling out, Utahns were told that a year-long study would be included to show legislators just what type of discrimination was happening in the reddest-of-red states. But Senate President Waddoups and Senator Neiderhauser decided it wasn’t a good idea. Taking the initiative, Equality Utah has announced that they will be launching a study of their own in an attempt to show our legislators what is happening to their constituents! I applaud this effort and encourage anyone inside of Utah to take the quick survey!

Click here to take the Anti-Discrimination Survey

Dick Cheney: The New Gay Rights Crusader

Former VP Dick Cheney wants Don't Ask Don't Tell repealed.

With so many people fighting over Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, it’s interesting seeing which side people are taking. Dick Cheney, known as one of the most far-right extremists in politics today (just below Karl Rove), and father of an out-and-proud lesbian, said yesterday that he thinks DADT should be revoked.

Most people only saw or heard Mr. Cheney and current Vice President Joe Biden battling over war and prisoner policies as they duked things out over several networks this past weekend. But during one interview, Cheney was asked if the policy that prevents gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military should be scrapped and he replied, “I think society has moved on.” He also added later that “Twenty years ago the military was a strong advocate of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell when I was the Secretary of Defense. I think things have changed significantly since then. My guess is the that the policy will be changed.”

It never ceases to amaze me when people who you fight with and disagree with over almost everything, still have the heart to recognize legitimate sufferings of their fellow human beings. Thanks Dick!

LGBT Activists Share Love On Valentines Day

Taylorsville – On Sunday, a group of LGBT activists from PRIDE In Your Community went door to door in Taylorsville UT, including Senate President Michael Waddoups’ door.

The group met at 11am at a local Junior High School where they made roughly 30-40 home-made Valentines cards. They then selected Waddoups’ neighborhood to visit, and went door to door through his neighborhood spreading a simple message, “Hi, we’re volunteering for the LGBT Community and we wanted to wish you a happy Valentines Day!” The hope was that through even such a simple act, citizens of Utah will start seeing their LGBT neighbors for who they are: people. Whether you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or straight, we are all human beings and we all deserve to find and feel as much love as we can. Happy Valentines Day!

If you want to learn more about PRIDE In Your Community Or Get Involved, Click Here.

LGBT Protesters Are Silent

Protesters Stage A Sit-In At The Utah Capitol

SLC – Yesterday, 65 gay rights protesters gathered at the Utah State Capitol building to protest threats made by Senate President Michael Waddoups against the LGBT community if they speak up. So in their response, the LGBT activists did just that.. they sit down and shut up.

I feel a little weird covering this protest as I was the organizer, but let’s just struggle through together shall we? The protest started at 4pm in the afternoon, and activists completely filled and blocked the east staircase of the capitol building. But instead of chants, the protesters wore white handkerchiefs around their mouths to symbolically comment on Waddoups’ statement. The sit in lasted an hour and a half, which offered plenty of visibility as lawmakers, their aids and lobbyists had to walk by on their way home for the day.

Things came close to getting ugly though, as one Republican Party member (non-elected official) was overheard joking to a reporter that “the mouth gags must be to keep the cocks out of their mouths.” Several protesters, including myself, spoke to the man but he made some very sugar-coated responses before walking away.

More news coverage:

KSL

Fox 13

City Weekly

ABC4

Picture courtesy of Krista Nicole

Waddoups: To Censor Or Not To Censor..

SLC – Senate President Michael Waddoups has come under heavy fire over the last week since he released a statement with a thinly-veiled threat telling the LGBT

UT Senate President Michael Waddoups

community to be quiet. Now he’s released a new statement trying to backpedal, while issuing the threat all over again!

Last night on the Senate’s blog, Waddoups claimed that “Reports of my willingness to censor people have been greatly exaggerated,” and that he encourages dialogue between the LGBT community and the rest of Utah. But in the same post, he also says he wants “activists in this cultural divide to avoid behavior that would polarize.” Ok, so let’s see.. between last week and last night the LGBT community and gay rights activists have been told to avoid “offensive behavior that would push the legislature to take action against the LGBT community” and to avoid “behavior that would polarize.” Sounds like he just wants everyone to play nice right? Wrong.

Let’s not kid ourselves, virtually every advancement in the gay / lesbian / bi / transgender movement has stemmed from radical action focused on bringing attention and pressure on government leaders. Nothing can ever be accomplished in a civil rights movement without drastic, poignant outcries from a community which no one would ever hear about otherwise. This is the time to step up and show Waddoups, Neiderhauser and Buttars and all others trying to steal our rights that we are here and will never be silenced. If nothing else, never let it be said that the Queers are not proud of who we are and will always fight for what is rightfully ours!

If you’re in Utah, attend the LGBT Community Forum tonight at 7pm at the UofU! You will have a chance to let your voice be heard and learn about upcoming events and suggest actions of your own! More info on that here.

NOM Doesn’t Care Judge Is Gay, But It’s Wrong

NOM's infamously bigoted commercial "Storm Coming"

In an update to Sunday’s story about Prop 8 Trial Judge Vaughn Walker being gay, NOM  (people from the “storm is coming” commercial) has released a statement that it doesn’t matter he’s gay.. he’s just incredibly biased.

While both official sides in the Prop 8 Trial case are both claiming that they don’t care about the orientation of Judge Walker and that it has not impacted the case, the far right asshats are flying in with their nonsensical rhetoric. NOM (LDS Inc. controlled National Organization for Marriage) released a statement saying, “We have no idea whether the report [of Walker’s orientation] is true or not. But we do know one really big important fact about Judge Walker: He’s been an amazingly biased and one-sided force throughout this trial, far more akin to an activist than a neutral referee. That’s no secret at all”

Queerty has some opinions on that, saying “..this move is true to form for the National Organization for Marriage.. It’s the “smiling bigot” phenomenon, where religious beliefs are slyly substituted for important secular responsibilities like “family and children,” hoping nobody notices. It’s imperative for NOM, and the defendants in Perry, to put distance between their goal (banning gay marriage) and their reasoning for it (it goes against religious teachings), because courts regularly shoot down arguments tied to the cross. And Brown’s statement repeats NOM’s earlier positions: They don’t have anything wrong with gay people, they just don’t want them screwing with their sacred institution.”

Of course these days anything NOM says is almost inconsequential as they’re under federal investigation for their ties to the Mormon Church and their direct and illegal involvement in the passage of Maine’s Anti-Gay Marriage law in 2009.

Gay Marriage Coming For Rhode Island?

R.I – Marriage Equality Rhode Island has received pledges from all Democratic and Independant Governor hopefuls that they will support and fight for Gay Marriage.. no word yet from Republican hopefuls of course.

Being the 2nd to last New England state to not allow same-sex unions (Maine), Rhode Island has been pushing hard not to be left out of the human-rights battle. And now Marriage Equality Rhode Island has released that Attorney General Patrick Lynch and General Treasurer Frank Caprio (Democrats), and former Sen. Lincoln Chafee (Independent) have all signed on with support. They are expected to make their own announcements about their pro-LGBT views on March 3rd.

Rhode Island has struggled with this issue, as current Governor Carcieri has been a major opponent of human-rights. However Carcieri has now run out his time and won’t be able to run again.

Prop 8 Trial Judge Outed As Gay

Prop 8 Trial Judge Vaughn Walker Outed As Gay

Today the San Francisco Chronicle outed Prop 8 Trial Judge Walker as gay, which has apparently been known to most insiders in the case – including the defense – but is only now being given media attention.

The chronicle states: The biggest open secret in the landmark trial over same-sex marriage being heard in San Francisco is that the federal judge who will decide the case, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, is himself gay. Many gay politicians in San Francisco and lawyers who have had dealings with Walker say the 65-year-old jurist, appointed to the bench by President George H.W. Bush in 1989, has never taken pains to disguise – or advertise – his orientation.

They also don’t believe it will influence how he rules on the case he’s now hearing – whether Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure approved by state voters to ban same-sex marriage, unconstitutionally discriminates against gays and lesbians. “There is nothing about Walker as a judge to indicate that his sexual orientation, other than being an interesting factor, will in any way bias his view,” said Kate Kendell, head of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which is supporting the lawsuit to overturn Prop. 8. As evidence, she cites the judge’s conservative – albeit libertarian – reputation, and says, “There wasn’t anyone who thought (overturning Prop. 8) was a cakewalk given his sexual orientation.”

Although the defense is ‘claiming’ that they will not make an issue of this should Judge Walker rule against Prop 8, it is certain the extremist right will – and already is.