ADF had is all figured out - They had designs on keeping Prop 8 in the courts for years

Last Wednesday, those good Christians at Alliance Defending Freedom had everything sorted out. They were going to continue appealing Proposition 8 forever irrespective of the Supreme Court ruling.

The bottom line is that the U.S. Supreme Court has thrown Prop 8 into legal limbo. We simply do not know what the fate of Prop 8 will be. But under California law, Prop 8 still stands because there is no appellate court decision striking it down, which is necessary to void an initiative of the people in that state.

The state's attorney general disagrees. The simple explanation is that California is obliged to accept the supremacy of a federal court decision. But don't bother ADF with legal realities. They answer to a higher authority.

This week's biggest loser - How Mark Regnerus became forever tainted

Just to put a period on this week, the biggest loser might be Mark Regnerus. That swirling noise might be his potential for tenured status going down the drain.

Mark Regnerus' thoroughly debunked study of gay parenting (that wasn't really a study of gay parenting) was timed to impact the marriage cases before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has now spoken and the Justices were apparently not persuaded that child rearing was an issue.

Regnerus turned research on its head. Rather than starting with a hypothesis that was subjected to tests, Regnerus started with a predetermined outcome. The study protocols were designed to achieve the result that the conservative Catholic organizations, that funded the study, paid for. On April 7, 2013, Bill Keller of the New York Times had one of the best explanations:

What on earth is Mat Staver saying?

Ordinarily my headline would have been, well, more colorful to put it politely.

Today, Liberty Counsel issued a press release titled Supreme Court Decision on DOMA Raises Serious Questions About the Opinion’s Legitimacy. Therein, Mat Staver concludes:

Such irresponsible language by the Court undermines its legitimacy in the eyes of the people. The Court does not have unlimited authority. This decision presumed too much of the people’s blind acceptance of its authority. Just like a corporate act cannot be ultra vires (beyond its authority), the people may determine that this decision is beyond the authority of this Court. If that happens, the Court will lose its authority.

Is this schmuck threatening open rebellion against the United States? He seems to be paraphrasing "consent of the governed" from the Declaration of Independence.

Orsi: Blame the RUBBERS for gay marriage

One more irrelevant theory.

Father Michael P. Orsi is chaplain and research fellow in law and religion at Ave Maria School of Law.

Orsi took to the pages of the Washington Times to explain How same-sex marriage won.

According to Fr. Orsi it all started in 1930 when the Anglican Church decided that it would no longer prohibit contraception. Who knew that would lead to "the destruction of marriage?" Moreover, the Catholic Church is supportive of Natural Family Planning. In other words, even devout Catholics have recreational sex. Condoms are simply more effective than NFP.

Kvetch, Kvetch, Kvetch - Some Economic History of the Attack on Equal Protection

The rhetoric is understandable given the enormous investments in inequality.

Calling it "tyranny," "misguided" or "Satan's plan" changes nothing.

• Proposition 8 has been nullified and;
• Section 3 of DOMA has been invalidated as unconstitutional.

Not much bang for the buck. These people spent millions of dollars on Proposition 8. These same people funded Regnerus to come up with flawed (and frankly irrelevant) conclusions about gay couple parenting without actually researching gay couple parenting. They likely spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to construct amicus briefs, many of which had overlapping sponsors. There were countless polemics and even a book (Anderson, George and Girgis) published to coincide with Supreme Court deliberations.

There was a planned and coordinated attack on equal protection under the law.

Oh shit: Satan’s End-Time Strategy to Outlaw Traditional Marriage in Full Swing

As soon as I read the headline, I knew immediately who wrote it. None other than Jennifer LeClaire.

Only Charisma's own Ms. LeClaire could possible write something so numbingly nutty. I don't know what she is saying and neither does she. There really is a Church Lady. Doesn't it make perfect sense that once we are able to marry that we will try to outlaw traditional marriage? No? Seriously? It seems that some of her people haven't been praying quite hard enough, or something:

NOM's Peters: '...these decisions today constitute a huge threat to our democratic process'

The self-described American Papist would be putting chocolate on cherries were it not for the conservative Catholic bubble. He's found a home at National Organization for Marriage.

According to Mr. Peters:

After today’s rulings by the Supreme Court, every American has a larger stake in the outcome of the marriage debate. No one can afford to stay out of this issue because these decisions today constitute a huge threat to our democratic process.

Really? Or could it be that Peters and the other knuckleheads at NOM just don't like those decisions. Did Mr. Peters divine this hypothesis as a direct result of his theological training at Ave Maria U? Ah, but he's not done:

NOM: Send us money because you are outraged by the Supreme Court decisions

National Organization for Marriage these days is trying a bit too hard to raise money. Brian Brown tells us that he is "furious" over today's decisions. then:

Will you show your outrage at the Court and make a special contribution to allow NOM to coalesce Americans behind a national movement to preserve marriage? Please make an urgent, emergency financial contribution to our Win More States fund — today. The work that NOM does has never been more urgently needed than it is right now, and we are totally dependent on you, our faithful supporters, to help us continue the fight.

We have a long road ahead for full equality. Nevertheless NOM is all but done.

Forgive me if I disagree a tad with Mr. DeMint

According to former Senator Jim DeMint, now President of the Heritage Foundation:

Today, the Supreme Court failed to uphold two important laws defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. At the same time, the Court also refused to fabricate a new right to same-sex marriage, as the proponents of redefining marriage through the courts had hoped to do.

I am not so sure. The only part of DOMA being considered was Section 3 which barred federal recognition of state licensed same-sex marriage. However, this was deemed unconstitutional, largely on equal protection grounds. That brings us to Section 2:

Citizens for Community Values applauds today's victory at the Supreme Court

And we have a winner for best spin!

I cannot decide if these people are spectacularly stupid or dishonest. In vacating the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal's ruling, the verdict by the trial court prevails. California is now an equal marriage state.

As for DOMA, they are correct. However, the ability to vote on our civil rights (and the court viewed the issue as a civil right) now has a short expiration date.

CCV is an Ohio based Christian fundamentalist organization.

Liberrty Counsel: " Supreme Court Crosses the Line and Delegitimizes Its Authority By Striking Down DOMA"

Who knew?

Justice Kennedy, writing the DOMA decision under an Equal Protection rationale, strikes down Section 3 of DOMA, which defines marriage as one man and one woman for purposes of federal law and federal benefits, specifically joint federal tax returns, Social Security survivor benefits, and federal employee health insurance and medical benefits. Not at issue in this ruling are the other parts of DOMA, including the section that says states may define their own marriage policy and are not required to accept a sister state’s same-sex marriage.

The crackpottery roundup on DOMA and Proposition 8 decisions by SCOTUS

Here is the fundamentalist outrage, courtesy of AFA's blog. Plenty more will be forthcoming.

It is remarkable that Randy Thomasson would continue to label sexual orientation as behavior. It's an expression of spectacular ignorance. His hyperbole about "unconstitutional rulings" is absurd.

Brad Dacus takes the "slap in the face" approach. Sorry Brad; The majority does not get to tyrannize a minority (although the Court ruled on procedural grounds).

Maggie Gallagher: "Unfair and illegitimate" decisions

Not exactly Ms. Gallagher. These are final and de facto legitimate decisions of the US Supreme Court.

Just when you think that Maggie Gallagher might be getting saner, she comes up with something like this:

Kennedy unfairly and illegitimately makes “custom” and ‘tradition” a sufficient reason to overturn the democratic branch of government—a standard which has never been applied when Congress passes new laws that affirm new leftist values.  Kennedy’s decision is not law, it is Justice Kennedy’s moral values written into our Constitution, and interfering with our rights as Americans to pass laws that accord with our values on marriage.

NOM has left me speechless - seriously

National Organization for Marriage     Oh my!

NOM Sharply Condemns US Supreme Court Over Illegitimate Ruling Legislating From The Bench on Marriage and Rewarding Corrupt Politicians and Federal Judges on Prop 8 and DOMA

Wait. It gets better. Needless to say, Mr. Brown is not happy:

"There's a stench coming from these cases that has now stained the Supreme Court. It's imperative that Congress continue to protect the right of states to not recognize faux marriages in their state." — Brian Brown 

A "stench?"  I am not going to quote this entire bit of craziness but here is the opening paragraph:

FRC claims to be "encouraged" by SCOTUS rulings

Hate group Family Research Council has sent out their email blast on the SCOTUS rulings in Prop 8 and DOMA:

"Time is not on the side of those seeking to create same-sex marriage?" Where did that nonsense come from? Tony needs new meds.

While we are disappointed in the Supreme Court's decision to strike down part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the court today did not impose the sweeping nationwide redefinition of natural marriage that was sought. Time is not on the side of those seeking to create same-sex 'marriage.' As the American people are given time to experience the actual consequences of redefining marriage, the public debate and opposition to the redefinition of natural marriage will undoubtedly intensify.
 
"We are encouraged that the court learned from the disaster of Roe v. Wade and refrained from redefining marriage for the entire country. However, by striking down the federal definition of marriage in DOMA, the Court is asserting that Congress does not have the power to define the meaning of words in statutes Congress itself has enacted. This is absurd. The Defense of Marriage Act imposes no uniform definition of marriage upon the individual states. However, the states should not be able to impose varying definitions of marriage upon the federal government. The ruling that the federal government must recognize same-sex 'marriages' in states that recognize them raises as many questions as it answers. For example, what is the status of such couples under federal law if they move to another state that does not recognize their 'marriage?' This decision throws open the doors for whole new rounds of litigation.

NOM Last Night: "We feel good about the likelihood of prevailing on Proposition 8"

Thus far today? Radio silence.

I am looking for new adventures in victimology as National Organization for Marriage marinates in these decisions. My guess is that they are trying to figure out if they can file a stay in California. At the same time they are wording their "unelected activist judges usurped the will of the voters in California" statement. The gay judge Walker was  right all along with respect to standing.

All the time,energy and money spent on Proposition 8 was for naught. In the long run, equality tends to prevail. As for DOMA, we are only one case away from national marriage equality via "full faith and credit;" The obligation of states to recognize others states' marriages.

National marriage equality has never been more inevitable!

30% of our citizens now live in equal marriage states

• 30% of our citizens now live in equal marriage states.
• 0% of our citizens have had their traditional marriages affected by marriage equality.

By the way, Illinois would push us over a third.

Anti-gay Proselytizing Nurse Loses Discrimination Claim

"Always the victim" doesn't always work!

According to U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson in Valdosta, Ga, a Georgia hospital did not discriminate against a supervisor it demoted for allegedly badgering a gay nurse, telling the woman that she lived "in sin," a federal judge ruled.

Judge Lawson said that he disagreed with Pamela Hall's claim that the Tift County Hospital Authority and two directors "punished her for following a brand of Christianity they found unacceptable."

Hall sued the Tift Regional Medical Center operator and two directors in 2012, claiming she was demoted after distributing Christian-themed materials and emails to the gay nurse.

Judge Lawson also ruled against Hall's free speech and religious freedom claims, granting the hospital summary judgment on all claims.

Ontario's Pride Parade Driving Catholic Fundamentalists to Distraction

Combine a gay pride parade with the fact that Ontario's premier, Kathleen Wynne, is gay and you get ...

According to Lifesite News:

Catholics in Toronto are urging the faithful to band together this week to offer prayers of reparation for their city’s Gay Pride parade on Sunday.

In Jamaica Christianists Rally Support for Sustaining Ant-Sodomy Law

On Sunday, roughly 1,500 people assembled in a central Kingston park for a spirited anti-gay hate-fest and religious service. This comes just two days before a rare court challenge to Jamaica's anti-sodomy law. Jamaica's Supreme Court is scheduled to begin hearing on Tuesday a petition by a gay rights activist who hopes to challenge the constitutionality of the 1864 law under a charter of rights revamped in 2011.

Under Jamaica's laws the punishment for having gay sex is 10 years in prison. In the Caribbean Barbados, Guyana and Grenada have similar laws. They are a remnant of colonial "buggery" laws.

Boycott Jamaica tourism!

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2013/06/jamaica-church-leaders-rally-for-anti-sodomy-law.html#storylink=cpy

What could possibly be more inappropriate than Matt Barber quoting Dr. Martin Luther King?

Matt Barber begins one of his anti-gay tirades by quoting Dr. King:

I became convinced that noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good.

Sure Mr. Barber, because you are just like Dr. King. Shortly thereafter, Barber does what Barber does:

Indeed, according to the unequivocal precepts of moral truth—reflected explicitly throughout both the Old and New Testaments—homosexual behavior is sin. Sin is evil. Homosexual behavior is the central, defining characteristic of so-called “gay marriage.” Therefore, “gay marriage” is evil.

IRS Tex Exempt Oversight Ineptitude - By the Numbers

Why do supposedly "automatic" revocations require ten months on average? Some astonishing findings when we look at the actual numbers.

We all subsidize tax exempt organizations. This little study is focused on 501(c)3 organizations. These are tax exempt and the donations that they receive are tax deductible for the donor. Moreover, federal tax exemption goes all the way down to the municipal level as these organization are generally exempt from sales and use taxes.

I don't know why but 40% of LGBT adults identify as Christians

Religious affiliation of LGBT Americans according to a Pew Research survey of 1,200 LGBT adults:

• Less than 1 in 3 LGBT adults report having ever felt unwelcome in a place of worship (but only 6 percent within the past year).
• Most LGBT adults with a religious affiliation are Christians (53% Protestant, 26% Catholic).
• Of LGBT adults with religious affiliations, 1 in 3 believe there is a conflict between their religious beliefs and their sexual orientation (vs. only 18 percent of the unaffiliated).
• A majority of lesbians (56%) consider religion either very important or somewhat important in their life. This compares with 40 percent of bisexual adults and 39 percent of gay men.
• 51% of the public now favors allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally, up from 32% in 2003, that share is still far below the 93% of LGBT adults who favor same-sex marriage.
• Overall, a total of 60% of LGBT survey respondents are either married or say they would like to marry one day, compared with 76% of the general public.

By the way, ask me about religion and I am likely to say Jewish in spite of the fact that I am agnostic. Much depends upon how the question is asked.

No, I am not stalking Ryan Anderson - It's his bullshit that is seemingly endless

A new day means a new polemic from Ryan T. Anderson testing the limits of what is patently absurd.

Ryan T. Anderson has been the object of my criticism lately. I have written about him here, here and here. Mr. Anderson is no ordinary dummy. he graduated Princeton magna cum laude and phi beta kappa. He is currently pursuing a doctorate at Notre Dame.

In voice and deed Anderson is on equal footing with the obsessed moron who pays for those airplane banners "warning" of gay day at Disney. Ultimately, this is all about what Anderson believes is "disordered" behavior. It's tragic really.

Focus on the Family wants you to know that there are other crackpots to "cure" your sexual orientation

In spite of it all, Focus on the Family has the temerity to claim that "change is possible."

With the demise of Exodus International, Focus on the Family has released a list of charlatans who will pray away your gay. For example:

What will Ryan T. Anderson do next and why is he doing it?

Ryan Anderson as a defender of the faith     a Knight Templar     is nothing if not prolific. This smart guy is saying some spectacularly stupid things.

Yesterday I wrote about Mr. Anderson's interview with CBN. My hypothesis is that Robert George got hold of this young man at Princeton and created a religious zealot who has now compromised his intellectual honesty and critical thinking.

Does Mr. Anderson believe that he is influencing the Supreme Court? Does he not realize that decisions are reached after oral argument and that it is extremely rare for a justice to change his opinion thereafter?

There they blow again - NOM claims that Lisa Murkowski's political career is over

Lisa Murkowski is one of the most popular United States Senators with a 54% approval rating.

• Lisa Murkowski has endorsed marriage equality.
• National Organization for Marriage has had a temper tantrum.
• So what else is new?

This is the kind of shit fit reserved for GOPers who see the light. The fact that Murkowski is Catholic makes the news even worse for the numbskulls at NOM.

Would someone please deprogram Ryan T. Anderson?

Robert George has turned another promising intellect into yard mulch.

Today, based largely on an interview with Ryan T. Anderson, CBN has published an article titled Traditional Marriage Movement Gaining Steam. Aside from the obvious absurdity (by all measures it is marriage equality that has all the momentum) we get gems from Anderson like:

We could get government out of the bedroom if it weren't for the fact that a certain type of act between a man and woman creates new life, and children need moms and dads.

Huh? Government is in the bedroom because men and women have sex? Then, according to the article:

Anderson sees it as a calling that goes back to his days at Princeton when he saw the traditional marriage side being dismissed, although it carried a stronger argument.

"I said, 'I almost have a duty, an obligation to be making these arguments because I understand what both sides are saying and where the disconnect is,'" Anderson said.

How did a smart guy become so profoundly stupid?

HUD releases same-sex housing discrimination study of the private rental market

Research seen as important first step in identifying possible patterns of discrimination in rental housing

According to HUD’s study, same-sex couples experience unequal treatment more often than heterosexual couples when responding to internet ads for rental units, and findings show that gay male couples experience more discrimination than lesbian couples.

Key findings of the study demonstrate that:

With Nothing of Merit to Say, NOM Complains About the News Media

National Organization for Marriage is blaming the messengers for their failed message.

I could have put this one in an envelope. Today, National Organization for Marriage Calls for Balanced News Media Coverage for Same-Sex 'Marriage;' Scare quotes and all. Get out your crying towels:

"Those of us on the front lines of defending true marriage have experienced first-hand the news media's bias in favor of redefining marriage," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "But this important new study proves that the news media is overwhelmingly biased in favor of same-sex 'marriage,' leaving viewers to wonder if they are trying to shape the news rather than cover it."

Equality Florida Condemns Sen. Marco Rubio's Bigoted Comments on Immigration Reform and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act

It's no secret that our junior Senator is a schmuck.

---

Rubio on Immigration Reform:

"If this bill has in it something that gives gay couples immigration rights and so forth, it kills the bill. I'm done. I'm off it, and I've said that repeatedly."

Rubio on ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would protect LGBT people from being fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity):

"By and large I think all Americans should be protected but I’m not for any special protections based on orientation."

You can read the full statement from Equality Florida here.

Apparently Father's Day is a Wonderful Day to Celebrate Discrimination

National Organization for Marriage continue to be shameless. Gay men are fathers too!

In a post today, NOM is promoting a (monetized) video from Fidelis (AKA CatholicVote.org). The video celebrating fatherhood is actually well done. It's NOM's commentary that provides the usual bigoted bullshit:

Scott Lively Responds to USC/LA Times Poll Showing Significant Growth in Support for Marriage Equality

According to the poll:

Support for legalizing same-sex marriage continues to grow in California, following the national trend. Fifty-eight percent of Californians now support same-sex marriage, up 6 points (and 9 points in intense support) in just three years. The shift on this issue is driven not just by young voters or the Bay Area, but also by some surprising groups, including seniors, who now are split on the issue after an 11-point increase in support over the past three years.

According to American Family Association's blog:

The Opus Dei contingent weighs in - Same-sex attracted people have every right to chaste companionship

If nothing else, Sherif Girgis, Ryan T. Anderson and Robert P. George are perniciously persistent. 

In their latest co-authored polemic at National Review Online titled The Marriage Debate, our three Knights Templar begin with a subheading:

The marriage debate is not about homosexuality, but about marriage. Upholding the truth about marriage doesn’t deprive anyone of the joys of companionship, as many supporters of same-sex marriage suppose.

AFA makes the preposterous claim that JC Penney's sales decline was due to gay friendliness

An anti-gay hate group, AFA will make any claim, no matter how absurd, to denigrate LGBT people.

According to Chris Woodward, on American Family Association's blog:

After J.C. Penney parted ways with CEO Ron Johnson in April, Dan Celia of Financial Issues said he thought the retailer could ride out the storm that came about after a major drop in sales and stock following a campaign that endorsed same-sex parenting and did away with sales.

NOM's Betsy Kerekes Expects Religious Exceptions to Anti-discrimination Ordinances

Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination against certain protected groups in businesses and places that are considered "public accommodations." 

Betsy Kerekes is the editor of the National Institute for Marriage blog for their Ruth Institute.  Apparently, she is mistakenly wed to the belief that there are religious exceptions to anti-discrimination ordinances. There are not which is why a restaurant owned by members of the Christian Identity Church are obligated to serve blacks and Jews.

In celebration of Rosaria Champagne Butterfield's nervous breakdown for Christ

Ms. Butterfield, an "ex-gay"crackpot must have a book that she wants to sell.

Family Research Council wants me to know:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council (FRC) will host a family policy lecture at noon Eastern on Wednesday, June 12, by Dr. Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. Credentialed media interested in attending this lecture must register in advance by emailing dbm@frc.org.

Oh my. Only a two day notice. What am I to do? Later on, FRC explains:

NBA's Jason Collins Marches in Boston Pride Parade

AP Photo

I already know what the usual suspects, conservative Christians, are going to say and write about this. From my perspective, maybe some gay kids will feel better about themselves and see more possibilities for their future. That is Joe Kennedy, III in the background with his wife, Lauren Anne Birchfield.

June 9 is ADF's Pulpit Freedom Sunday - Sort of

ADF has decided that this Sunday is Pulpit Freedom Sunday.

Ordinarily Pulpit Freedom Sunday, organized by Alliance Defending Freedom, occurs in late October. In an act of defiance, preachers endorse candidates from the pulpit in direct violation of IRS regulations. It doesn't appear that anyone loses their tax exempt status; The IRS hasn't audited any churches since circa 2007.

LeClaire: 'What if NBA’s First Gay Player Jason Collins Renounced Homosexuality?'

What if Jennifer LeClaire acquired an intellect?

LeClaire, is an editor at Charisma News. She leads what she calls a "prophetic ministry."

The prophetic ministers do not operate in the office of a prophet, but rather have learned to move in the gift of prophecy, knowing and prophesying in part. The prophetic minister’s responsibility is to listen to the Holy Spirit and accurately speak what they hear.

Her past nuttiness has included topics like "I have nothing against gay people. God’s heart breaks for their lost souls" and "Why Are So Many Christians Practicing Witchcraft?" To put this in some context, LeClaire wrote a column in March titled "Why Gay NFL Players Should Stay in the Closet."

Employees of Miami Beach in domestic partnerships will now receive federal tax reimbursement

The Miami Beach City Commission passed an ordinance Wednesday that allows reimbursement of federal taxes on health benefits to city employees in domestic partnerships. Hallandale Beach, Bay Harbor Islands and West Palm Beach have done the same.

Congratulations are due SAVE Dade and Equality Florida. These organizations were instrumental in getting this ordinance passed.

I suppose that I will always be a New Yorker. However, my new home town has certainly been very welcoming. 

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2013/06/miami-beach-passes-ordinance-to-reimburse-federal-tax-on-domestic-partners-health-insurance.html#storylink=cpy