How Bad Was the SNL Thing?

Even The John thought it was wrong:

A colleague defended the SNL skit by comparing it to lampooning Sarah Palin – isn’t it okay to make fun of people, he asked. Well, that’s the same as defending making fun of someone for being a “f-g” by saying “we make fun of other people too, so why not make fun of gays? Why are they off limits?” Well, it depends. Are the people you’re making fun of an oppressed minority that doesn’t have full and equal rights in our society? Are they beaten and murdered for who they are, do their young far too often kill themselves because of the perceived taint of who they are? Will they lose their job and their family for who they are?

Gay? Yes. Trans, yes. Sarah Palin? Not so much.

The issue isn’t “can’t we make fun of people?” It’s very much a question of who you’re making fun of and what you’re saying about them. When you use offensive stereotypes to belittle an oppressed minority, the joke is not satire or parody that somehow teaches us all a lesson about tolerance. Rather, like this skit, or the Ron Howard “that car is gay” joke in his recent movie, simply reinforces the prejudice….

You mean like calling bisexuals “part-time gays” in order to score anti-trans ENDA points?

That’s why the SNL skit was wrong.

No…

That’s why, even though its nice to see The John take the position he’s taken regarding the SNL thing, just as with the ‘we thought The Simpsons’ 2005 gay marriage episode was okay even though it was even more transphobic than 2011’s Estro-Maxx, we lauded it and then, a week or so later, limpy chided it for being transphobic’ GLAAD…

I don’t buy the love.

So Again I Ask: How Does He Justify Working on Sundays?

Barf me out with a Houston Chronk:

NFL athlete and Christian activist Tim Tebow will join pastors, Christian musicians and Christian comedians at a sold-out event in Champion Forest next week to discuss how men can step it up to be better leaders in their homes, workplaces and churches.

Tebow’s successful college football career and current position as Denver Bronco’s quarterback make him a manly-man in an everyday sense, but evangelical Christians say it’s his unashamed willingness to adhere to the moral teachings of his faith that make him a man in a religious sense.

Tebow, who told reporters that yes, he was a virgin and yes, he was waiting until marriage to have sex, has become an example of contemporary “biblical manhood,” a good guy, willing to speak out for Christianity and actually practice what he preaches.

So can we presume that he doesn’t preach this part of the book of christian mythology?

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy

You know…

The chunk o’ wording that christianists used and in some places still use (unconstitutionally, of course) to justify laws which prohibit certain activities only on a certain day of the week because certain people of a certain religion don’t want anyone to be able to engage in those activities on that certain day of the week?

Or…

Do millionaire athletes get to write their own verses for the book of christian mythology – and edit others?

Is that a Nike swoosh on your bible?  Or are you just glad to see me?

Michael Bailey and Alice Dreger Are Up For GLAAD Awards For Television Screenwriting For Their Work On The Jan. 29, 2011, Edition of Saturday Night Live

Well, I can’t say for certain that Bailey and Dreger wrote this bit (after all, it could have been Cathy Brennan and Shannon Avery for all I know – or maybe a menage a transphobique combining their ‘talents’ with those of Israel Luna.)

However, I can say for certain that the Bailey-Dreger Axis pre-legitimized it.

I feel oh so certain that an amount of blog activity at least equal to that complaining about the $2,500 that the government is trying to extract from Dan Choi will be expended to call out whoever did come up with this pile of St. Barney’s wet dream jizz and managed to get it on national television.

But It IS Okay For Trans People NOT To Have The Same Rights As Gays When It Comes To Freedom From Employment Discrimination? [UPDATED]

In Hawaii…

of course it is!

Gay rights supporters said being homosexual is not a choice, and gay citizens deserve the same legal rights as everyone else when it comes to marriage.

But trans people…

and freedom from employment discrimination…………..?

Crickets, I hear crickets!

And I smell the underside of yet another bus:

The state Senate on Friday approved Senate Bill 232, relating to Civil Unions, at its regular daily session. 

The bill says unmarried, unrelated couples may have a judge or clergy solemnize their civil union, which will provide the same responsibilities and benefits of marriage under state law. 

The bill passed the full Senate 19-6.

…

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has promised to sign whatever civil unions legislation is approved. Abercrombie has said he it is a simple issue of civil rights. 

“The stars are aligned from here to the fifth floor,” Majority Leader Sen. Brickwood Galuteria said. Gov. Neil Abercrombie has promised to sign whatever civil unions legislation is approved. Abercrombie has said he it is a simple issue of civil rights. 

“The stars are aligned from here to the fifth floor,” Majority Leader Sen. Brickwood Galuteria said.

The stars are aligned?

Sounds a lot like “Hawaii is a discrimination-free zone” to me.

And just as worthless to trans people.

ANYTHING except rectification of political hate crimes against trans people…

Its what’s for dinner!

[UPDATE]

Well, it would appear as though there is another item on the menu – or, perhaps more accurately, there’s another menu that the media’d isn’t showing off:

 SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to clarify existing law with regard to sex discrimination and provide that discrimination based upon gender identity or expression constitutes a form of sex discrimination.

     SECTION 2.  Section 378-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

     ““Gender identity or expression” includes a person’s actual or perceived gender, as well as a person’s gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression, regardless of whether that gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from that traditionally associated with the person’s sex at birth.“

And, though it did get a unanimous thumbs-up in a House committee, I stand by my assertion that the word “marriage” has no business being uttered in Hawaii until this bill is signed into law by the governor.

The Truth About Racists: They’re Republican

I didn’t know that one of the Ks in “KKK”stood for Kasich.

I’m not surprised, mind you.  I”m just saying I didn’t know.

Governor John Kasich’s first few weeks have been shocking in their reckless honesty. Governor Kasich doesn’t split words and doesn’t hold back. He’s proud of his style. He tells you how he really feels.

That’s what’s so sad about this.

ONN’s Jim Heath reports on a shocking exchange between Senator Nina Turner (who is a member of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus) and the Governor. When Turner questions the Governor (and the Governor’s staff confirms this), Kasich shot back “I don’t need your people!“

Now I do.

The Gay Blog, Inc. M.O.

When something gay-specific doesn’t bear as much fruit as gays want, here’s how one can see it characterized on The John’s site:

SWAN’s Anu Bhagwati on DOD’s ‘Civil Rights Lite’

Civil Rights Lite?

A microsopic sliver of the LGB (no T; none at all; quit spinning; DADT has nothing to do with T) populace bullies its way to the front of the civil rights line, forces every other issue of concern for the vast majority of LGBT people to wait while Joe Solmonese (and the rest of the gays who now don’t have to worry about employment discrimination in their personally preferred profession – and all of the obsenely rich bastards who never did) has all of the caviar and champagne stains drycleaned out of his panties, and now that microscopic sliver says its not enough…

and, of course, the Greek chorus follows suit.  The John’s Joe is pimping this:

Civil Rights Lite by Anu Bhagwati:

Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is well underway and Certification is within reach; however, LGBT servicemembers have much to fear after hearing yesterday’s Pentagon brief on Implementation.

The DoD has left the safety and welfare of LGBT servicemembers to chance by pronouncing that a focus on “Leadership, Professionalism, Discipline and Respect,” will make for a seamless transition to a post-repeal military. This impressive-sounding mantra lacks as much real-world substance as the military’s “Zero Tolerance Policy” slogan, used to crack down on a variety of ills that still continue to plague the military, ranging from driving under the influence to sexual assault of servicemembers.

To summarize: Military leadership has no intention of covering LGBT servicemembers as a “protected class” under Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) policy

Well, exactly why would anyone think that any T servicemembers would be coverd by such a thing?

The repeal of DADT did nothing for them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yes, I know…

I just broke a Gay Blog, Inc. rule.  I pointed out an improper conflation of LGB & T.

But, since this is a gay-declared ‘double down’ site, let me double down – with what I’d started out this post with.

A microsopic sliver of the LGB (no T; none at all; quit spinning; DADT has nothing to do with T) populace bullies its way to the front of the civil rights line, forces every other issue of concern for the vast majority of LGBT people to wait while Joe Solmonese (and the rest of the gays who now don’t have to worry about employment discrimination in their personally preferred profession – and all of the obsenely rich bastards who never did) has all of the caviar and champagne stains drycleaned out of his panties, and that microscopic sliver saying that what they managed to get with their bulling its not enough is supposed to be acknowledged as…

Civil Rights Lite?

No one can legitimately claim that there are more LGB people who have made the choice to desire the military as their  job than there are trans people overall all throughout the country in all professions.

Yet, in 2007, when that percentage of the American (and Americal LGBT) populace stood up and challenged the entrenched gay greed and deceit that immorally carved us out of ENDA, the spewers of hatred at The John’s site declared that we were holding all of the good, clean, gender-conforming gays and lesbians hostage to our silly desires.

So lets lay this out…

A significant – though, yes, minority – percentage of LGBT Americans is told that we deserve to live with the fear of discrimination in all employment for some indeterminate period of time (Wisconsin is a good benchmark: 29 year ans counting!) in order for good, clean, gender-conforming gays and lesbians – many (perhsps even most) of whom already live where their non-federal employment concerns are protected against discrimination – can have yet another legal right that most of them don’t need chiseled into law, and that significant percentage of LGBT Americans is told to bend over and take it for a team that refuses to acknowledge that were even on it.

But when the microscopic militaristic sliver of LGB America gets what it demands and then declares that that isn’t enough, that’s being forced to accept ‘Civil Rights Lite.’

“Civil Rights, NOT!” for trans people?  AOK!

“Civil Rights, Non-Perfection” for gays who want one specific type of job?  Unacceptable.

I’m glad to see what’s actually in the playbook.

The term “sacrifice”?

Hint: It doesn’t involve a bunt.

Well, Of Course That’s The Bill They Will Be Pushing

From Queer Channel Media:

Members of the Maryland Legislature joined LGBT activists at a news conference at the state capitol in Annapolis Tuesday to formally launch a campaign to pass a same-sex marriage bill that backers introduced the previous week.

The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act is expected to come up for a committee hearing in the State Senate the first week of February and likely will be sent to the Senate floor for debate and a vote as soon as Feb. 7, according to sources familiar with the measure.

LGB……..T?

Maybe.

Sen. Rob Garagiola (D-Mont. County), the Senate Majority Leader and a sponsor of the marriage bill, told the gathering that gay and straight couples are “no different” in their capacity to love one another.

“It’s time that the rights already enjoyed by many who can obtain a marriage license in Maryland are enjoyed by all regardless of gender and sexual orientation,” he said.

Meanwhile, any half of any such couple who is trans will continue to have the honor of subsisting as a third-class citizen in Maryland – able wake up every day knowing that the non-trans half of the couple is legally superior.

Morgan Meneses-Sheets, executive director of the statewide LGBT group Equality Maryland, the lead advocate for the bill, said another copy of the identical bill was introduced in the House of Delegates Tuesday with 56 sponsors, including Barve, whose name was not on the first House bill introduced last week.

“This is the bill we will be pushing,” she said. “It’s very common to introduce more than one bill. It happens all the time.”

While the second and third sentences are true and the first probably just refers to those, those who can will not admit that she also likely said more than she intended to with that first sentence.

Of course that’s the bill they will be pushing.

Equality Maryland and the national same-sex marriage advocacy group Freedom to Marry jointly sponsored the Tuesday news conference.

I wonder…

How much effort is Freedom to Marry putting into the ‘effort’ to remove the right of Maryland’s gays and lesbians to discriminate against trans people?

Is Freedom to Marry willing to accept failure on the gay marriage bill in return for removal of the right of Maryland’s gays and lesbians to discriminate against trans people?

And in a related development, O’Malley released his legislative agenda for the 2011 session of the legislature that includes at least 15 bills addressing a variety of issues, including healthcare, gun control, child welfare and promotion of electric vehicles.

Missing from O’Malley’s legislative agenda are the marriage bill and a separate bill expected to be introduced this year to ban employment discrimination against transgender residents.

Asked why O’Malley didn’t include the marriage and transgender bills in his agenda list, his press secretary, Shaun Adamec, said in an e-mail that the governor includes only those bills he introduces himself in his agenda list. Adamec said O’Malley supports additional bills that members of the legislature introduce and that he fully supports and plans to sign both the marriage bill and transgender rights bill.

“The Governor has been very clear that achieving equity for all Marylanders continues to be a priority of his,” Adamec said.

There’s a lot of forgetfulness afoot – including the Blade forgetting to mention that a certain Maryland legislator ‘forgot’ to include the trans bill on his ‘agenda.’

“Same-sex couples are now free to marry in five states and next door in the District of Columbia, as well as a dozen countries worldwide,” he said. “And in each of these places, the sky has not fallen….

And yet, trans people are covered by the anti-discrimination laws in a dozen states.  Doesn’t the philosophy of ‘incremental progress’ and the theology of St. Barney-ism dictate that that is more of a political trend than gay marriage?  That that should be what’s pushed instead of something that has never survived any voter referendum anywhere?

All gay marriage, all the time…

All gay marriage, all the time…

All gay marriage, all the time…

All gay marriage, all the time…

All gay marriage, all the time…

All gay marriage, all the time…

All gay marriage, all the time…

I’m Just Sayin’….

So…The Marriage Derangement Syndrome-Oids Don’t Have To Take Responsibility For Anything?

From Joe at The John’s site:

Opponents of same-sex marriage have created a three-pronged effort that insures the issue will be a key topic in the Presidential election. There are efforts underway by Republicans legislators in Iowa, the first caucus state, and New Hampshire, the first primary state, to end their existing marriage laws. In Iowa, the GOP-controlled House has begun the process of passing a bill to put a ban on the ballot. In New Hampshire, both the House and Senate are now GOP-led and they could try to repeal the law later this year or in 2012. In Congress, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) indicated that he’s going to push legislation to block DC’s marriage law.

It’s like an anti-marriage perfect storm. These efforts guarantee that the GOP presidential candidates (except, of course, Fred Karger) who are traipsing through Iowa and New Hampshire will try to burnish their right-wing cred by engaging in the usual gay-bashing. And, the effort by GOPers in Congress adds fuel to the fire. We’ve already seen potential Republican candidates, Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum, groveling before the haters. We can expect a lot more of that. And, just wait til the debates start. The GOP candidates will be doing contortions to show their base just how much they hate the gays.

Now, there’s something different about all three of the anti-gay efforts in DC, NH and Iowa. In each, it isn’t about preventing same-sex marriage. In those three jurisdictions, the homophobes are trying to take rights away from citizens. That should put these battles into a different light. If they can come for our rights, they can (and will) come for the rights of others.

In all three legislative bodies, Republicans vowed to create jobs and focus on the economy. But, they just can’t control their homophobia.

I have an idea: How about asking gay people to control their greed? 

Too much to ask?

How about them abstaining from uttering the word “marriage” until all of the gay-only laws that they conned legislatures into passing get rectified to get rid of their special right to discriminate against trans people?

Too much to ask?

How about asking them to STFU on gay marriage for a while given the lengthy, unquiestionable track record of it being used to scare sheeple into voting for christianist Republicans who claim that they give a damn about the American economy but, in actuality, are doing everything possible to do to the American economy what Sherman did to Atlanta – all while angling to saddle us peons who will be left behind in post-Constitution America with a neo-Puritan dictatorship?

Too much to ask?

How about getting your heads out of your stockbrokers’ asses long enough to realize what the fuck you’re actually doing to prospects for the elements of equality that working-class LGBs (much less Ts) actually need?

Too much to ask?

That’s what I tought.

Please Tell Me Its the Ghost of Redd Foxx

The new chair of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education is Rep. Foxx.

No…

They wouldn’t, would they?

It has to be Redd Foxx, right.  I mean, he’s been dead for 20 years, but I’m sure even his corpse still has some remnants of brain tissue – which would make him more qualified for the post than…

 

Damn, they really are the party of insanity, aren’t they?