August 17, 2009

Hateful Homophobe of the Day: Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan

If we were the praying sort, we’d pray for the day this hater is caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy:

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May 15, 2009

It Took 53 Years to Notice the “Whites-Only” Clause in California Property Deed

Oh, we expect lots of people noticed it before, but nobody did anything about it until Hector De La Torre found it in his own deed. And that’s the stunner — that nobody ever did anything about it before:

Assembly spanks ‘Whites Only’ housing deeds

Assemblyman Hector De La Torre was horrified to find the following paragraph buried in the deed of his South Gate home:

“No lot in said tract shall at any time be lived upon by a person whose blood is not entirely that of the Caucasian race, and for the purpose of this paragraph, no Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Hindu, or any person of the Ethiopian, Indian, or Mongolian races shall be deemed to be a Caucasian, but if persons not of the Caucasian race be kept thereon … strictly in the capacity of servants or employees … such circumstances shall not constitute a violation of this condition.” …

De La Torre’s Assembly Bill 985 would require title companies, during the sale or transfer of property, to remove any deed restriction based on race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, disability, source of income or sexual orientation.

The Assembly passed the bill Thursday, 66-0.

Amazing. Shameful. Sickening. And a helluva history lesson.

Good for De La Torre and the rest of the Assembly.

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January 13, 2009

Kalamazoo Goes to Kalamahell: City Council Caves to Radical Religionists, Overturns Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

We keep telling you: They have no intention of stopping until they’ve stripped us of all our rights, everywhere.

Memo to all you revoltingly lily-livered cowards on the city council: When it comes to civil rights, there is no such thing as “compromise.” Either you’re on the side of right, or you’re on the side of wrong. You are on the side of wrong.

May you all spend the rest of your lives wracked with shame over your cowardice:

City repeals gay-rights ordinance; commissioners hope compromise can be found

The Kalamazoo City Commission voted unanimously Monday night to repeal its new anti-discrimination ordinance, stopping a citywide referendum on creating a protected class for gay, lesbian and transgender individuals.

Commissioners talked individually over the past week, saying Monday they hoped a cooling-off period would allow for talks to negotiate a middle ground.

Monday’s vote means there will be no citywide referendum scheduled on whether to keep the ordinance that banned gender-orientation discrimination in city housing, public accommodations and employment.

But Mayor Bobby Hopewell said he expects another ordinance will be offered. …

Meanwhile, Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema, an opponent of the ordinance, said she was unsure whether a compromise could be reached. …

Meghan Fenner, 42, of Plainwell, said she had no problem finding jobs and housing when she was a man. Now a transgender woman, she said that has changed. …

It remains unclear whether the Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality, which proposed the measure, and the American Family Association of Michigan, which spearheaded the opposition, would meet for talks.

“This will have to be a private dialogue because no one wants to be the public target of yelling and screaming,” Balkema said, citing e-mails she received promising political retribution for her stance. …

Our hearts bleed for you, Balkema… not. Just like Proposition 8 donors trying to hide in the shadows, you can’t destroy the rights — the most basic rights — of your fellow Americans and keep your hateful bigotry in the closet.

More at the link.

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January 8, 2009

California: Kevin de León Introduces EQCA-Sponsored Legislation to Protect Home Ownership for Unmarried Couples

SACRAMENTO — January 8, 2009 — Assembly Member Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), Chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, introduced Assembly Bill 103 today, which would allow two people, including same-sex couples, who co-own a home together to avoid an unfair property tax increase upon the death of one of the co-owners. The bill is nearly identical to an EQCA-sponsored measure that passed the legislature last year but was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Under existing law, whenever there is a change in home ownership the home is reassessed at its current market-price value, and the new owner must pay property taxes based on that value. Individuals are excluded from this law if they are the spouse, domestic partner, or relative of the deceased. However, this exclusion does not protect co-tenants who are unmarried or unrelated, making same-sex couples particularly vulnerable to losing their homes when a partner dies. AB 103 would protect unmarried couples from the unfair burden of increased taxation when one partner takes over property ownership.

“Without this legislation, surviving partners are subject to unfair property tax reassessments that could force them out of the home they have lived in for years, if not decades,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors. “This situation is especially tragic for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender seniors who may not have retirement plans or supportive family members to rely on in times of need. This difficult economy and the high foreclosure rate make matters even worse,” Kors said.

“This is an important step to protect unmarried individuals when they are most vulnerable, after a loved one dies,” stated Assembly Member de León. “Without this legislation surviving partners are faced with the unfair burden of increased taxes on their homes, forcing some people to have to give them up. That is an appalling situation; people who live together and are unmarried, whether by choice or because of the law, should be treated equally to married couples.”

Board of Equalization Vice Chairwoman Betty T. Yee stated, “I applaud Mr. de León and Equality California for championing this important measure. It acknowledges the true diversity of families and households in California and will keep homeowners, particularly elderly individuals, in their homes when their co-owner dies.”

To qualify for the exemption, the bill will require that co-tenants have lived together in the home for at least one year. The bill next moves to the Assembly Rules Committee and will be heard in a policy committee in early Spring.

Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality and civil rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians.

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December 31, 2008

ACTION, Santa Rosa, CA: Speak Up for California’s First Licensed LGBTQ Senior Care Community

Via email:

Save the Date: Support our LGBTQ Senior Community on Feb. 3rd

Fountaingrove Lodge, California’s first LGBTQ Senior Community, needs your help! Please mark your calendar to attend this meeting in support of its construction, which has been stagnated by opposing neighbors.

February 3, 2008 3:30PM
Santa Rosa City Council Meeting
90 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA

More information: www.fountaingrovelodge.com…

At risk: The first licensed LGBTQ senior care community in California.

The issue: The homeowners’ association in this high-priced area of Santa Rosa doesn’t want this type of development. Make them hear us. Stop the delays! Help show the City Council that further delay is unconscionable and without justification.

Even if you can’t attend, you should check out the Web site for this planned community — it’s very impressive.

… The creation of the Fountaingrove Lodge is literally the beginning of a dream come true. No place like this has ever existed before. Here LGBT elders will come together, live with pride, celebrate their unique culture and strength while continuing to share their storehouse of knowledge. …

Floor plans range from 900 to 2,600 square feet, with the choice of individual cottages, apartments in the main lodge, or flats.

An on-site Care Center assures provision for “aging in place” should full assisted living services be required, or the special “Life’s Neighborhood” program developed by Aegis to nourish and support residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

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November 24, 2008

Hey, Mormons! Here’s Something You Could Have Done With All That Money and Energy!

But noooooooooooooooo! It was more important to destroy my marriage than to actually, like, help starving, homeless people, wasn’t it?

‘Most Beautiful Homeless Shelter in the World’

With chandeliers instead of neon lighting and designer furnishings instead of springless sofas, a newly revamped homeless hostel in south Berlin looks more like a hip hotel — and aims to give some dignity to those worn out by life on the streets.

With its exterior daubed in sunshine yellow and sky blue, the new homeless hostel stands out in its row of pale buildings. And its interior is equally exceptional. As well as glitzy chandeliers, there are wooden floorboards, a gold border encircles the walls and the furniture looks plucked straight from a design catalogue.

But this is no hip new Berlin hotel. It is a revamped homeless hostel named Reichtum 2, or “wealth”, the work of Berlin-based artist Miriam Kilali. And wealth is something sorely lacking in the lives of the 21 men who now live in the hostel.

The hostel, which reopened its doors this week, was designed to restore a sense of self-worth in people who have been dealt a raw deal, to show them that they too deserve a decent home. “I wanted to give homeless people, people who had lost everything in their life, respect and dignity back,” Kilali told SPIEGEL ONLINE. “I wanted to create a place where they could recover from the stress of life on the street.” …

More at the link, including a photo gallery of digs that make my wife and me, in our 60-year-old suburban tract home, green with envy.

And here’s a thought: The same anti-gay crusaders who so easily succumb to Godwin’s Law (have you heard the “Gay Gestapo” epithet yet?) could be taking a lesson in humility from the very country that produced Adolf Hitler in the first place.

But noooooooooooooooo! It was much more important to destroy my marriage than to actually, like, help starving, homeless people. ‘Cause, you know, Jesus would have wanted it that way.

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August 6, 2008

We Might Consider Olivia’s New Sappho-Condo Complex…

…if it were a retirement community (without any foreseeable heirs, we have to think about where we’re going to spend our Golden Years), and if it weren’t in Arizona (which is way too conservative for us, even if voters did kill an anti-marriage amendment — in ‘06; we don’t know what will happen this November).

Otherwise, it sounds pretty cool:

Olivia Communities in Tucson offers a unique blend of quality living, activities and entertainment. For over 35 years, Olivia has been providing experiences anchored by the very best in music, comedy and social events. As an owner, you will have access to activities that are produced on-site, just for you. Imagine listening to one of your favorite artists while enjoying a beverage pool-side or seeing the premier of new films at an on-site Film Festival. All of this and more will be delivered to you—so sit back and enjoy Tucson at its best. …

Live music and comedy events, tea dances, fitness programs, pool parties, and nearby world class golf and plenty of relaxation, only begin to describe life at Olivia Communities, Tucson! …

Property Description

… The Complex sits on five beautifully landscaped acres and is comprised of 15, three-story residential buildings, plus a clubhouse and gym. You will choose from one of six spacious floorplans in one, two, or three bedroom designs that will best fit your lifestyle. Each residence is exquisitely designed for convenience and comfort with nine-foot ceilings, recessed lighting, a breakfast bar, pantry, full size washer and dryer and oversized walk-in closets. Premium upgrades are included! All units have private balconies or patios and high speed internet access. Condominiums come with assigned garages, carports, or open-air parking spaces.

Amenities in our gated community are abundant so when it’s time to relax, enjoy two resort-style heated pools and spa with fountains, and sunning decks, well-equipped fitness center, multiple barbeque pavilions and a lavish clubhouse. The community will be enhanced with additional improvements including a dog park, a fitness course, a volleyball pit. Local community public parks, expansive gyms, a golf course, museums and art galleries, protected parks and wilderness hiking are all nearby. Tucson has bike lanes and trails throughout much of the city and skiing is available within a half an hour’s drive…

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June 19, 2008

Good News: Only 5,000 Hate-Filled Bigots Left in Maine (Another Anti-Gay Crusade Goes DOWN — and Not in a Fun Way!)

Right on the heels of the Oregon Homo Hate Network coming to grips with its utter failure to send uppity ‘mos back to the days of stoning in the streets, another truly nasty-ass anti-gay group called the Christian Civic League of Maine (go Google their vomitous Web site; I’m not linking to it) has…

…abandoned its campaign to repeal the state’s gay-rights law and eliminate other safeguards for gays and lesbians.

In an e-mail to supporters and volunteers…

…which — surprise! — doesn’t appear anywhere on their ugly little site…

…Michael Hein…

“Hein”? Is that where the word “heinous” comes from? *snort*

…the league’s administrator, announced this morning that the league had pulled the plug because it has “neither enough funds nor enough volunteer support to continue the effort.”

The league would have had to submit more than 55,000 signatures by next January to place its proposal on the statewide ballot in November 2009, but Michael Heath, the organization’s executive director, estimates that the group has collected only about 5,000 of the 15,000 signatures it hoped to have by now.

In addition to repealing a state law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation, the referendum would have barred unmarried couples from adopting children, dropped funding for state civil-rights teams and prohibited the state from recognizing same-sex marriages or civil unions.

Hey, Mikey and Mikey! Jesus called and said to tell you to stop hating on us in his name — and that your tickets for The Rapture have been revoked. Have a nice day!

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April 21, 2008

Hateful Homophobe of the Day: Sen. Greg Brophy (R-Wray, Co.)

The face of homophobia. And he’s ugly, too.

We’d love to know what these folks would say about this jerk using “short people” as a pawn in his cruel attempt to mock gay Coloradans — and make a mockery of the law as well:

Senator’s mock amendment prompts emotional discrimination debate

The debate on the Senate floor over a bill that would expand the prohibition of sexual orientation-based discrimination became personal and emotional this morning after a senator offered a rhetorical amendment to ban discrimination against short people.

Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, withdrew the stunt amendment after arguing that there is no need for the bill because he has not seen evidence that gays and lesbians are discriminated against when seeking a job or a home.

“What I’m talking about is economic discrimination, political discrimination, employment discrimination,” Brophy said. “I find no pattern of any of those.”

Brophy’s comments outraged Democrats, who took turns at the lectern denouncing his argument with angry and sometimes shaking voices.

“It must be nice,” said Sen. Jennifer Veiga, a Denver Democrat who is sponsoring the bill and who is gay, “as a white male to sit back and mock the real discrimination that occurs in our society, especially on the basis of sexual orientation.”

Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, came close to tears when recalling the ugly fights surrounding the state’s Amendment 2, which prohibited laws protecting gays and lesbians and which the U.S. Supreme Court later overturned.

Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, spoke about his son, who is gay and who moved to Oregon to be a prosecutor several years ago because he felt Colorado was not accepting of him. …

And Senate President Peter Groff, D-Denver, said he was disgusted by Brophy’s amendment.

“Discrimination is a practice that has gone on in this country too long,” Groff said. “It is the birth defect of this country. And I think it’s time we deal with that.”

Of course, a handful of other Republicans tried to shoot down SB 200, which would prohibit discrimination “on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, places of public accommodation, consumer credit, labor unions and school enrollment, among other areas,” using the same old, tired, brain-dead arguments about crippling “a free society” — you know, the usual transparent idiocy the Wrong Wing parrots every time they’re threatened by the possibility that we homos might actually be recognized as human beings under the law.

The good news is that SB 200 passed a voice vote; it “still needs a final vote in the Senate before heading to the House.”

Let’s hope Colorado hasn’t forgotten the lessons learned from that travesty called Amendment 2.

In the meantime, we suggest some enterprising Democrat in the state legislature introduce a bill prohibiting discrimination against ugly people.

That’s right, ugly people. While we certainly see no pattern of “economic discrimination, political discrimination, [or] employment discrimination” against ugly people — like Sen. Brophy; after all, his rubbery visage, evil-clown smile, beady little eyes, and criminally awful haircut didn’t impede his political career, did it? — the more we look at that mug of his, the more we think that’s not a face every employer would want greeting customers in a store, or peering out from behind the desk of a hotel concierge. So why not pre-empt anti-ugly discrimination before such unfortunates as Sen. Brophy ever feel its sting?

We think somebody so butt-ugly as Sen. Brophy would appreciate such a bill.

Howdya like them apples, Brophy?

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March 5, 2008

A Place to Live (Media Release).

Concerns over living arrangements as one grows older are common. However there are extra challenges faced by the LGBT population due to the lack of equality in our society. A Place to Live highlights those unique obstacles in a thought provoking new documentary.

A Place to Live

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

The explosive growth in our nation’s aging population coupled with the recent housing market crash has set the stage for a major crisis. Until now, no one has addressed how this issue is impacting gay and lesbian seniors, individuals who have long been denied fundamental human rights and often struggle to make ends meet.

Join us in the creation of A Place to Live, a historic documentary that will chronicle the journey of seven brave individuals as they attempt to secure a home in Triangle Square, the nation’s first affordable housing facility for LGBT seniors. Your financial contribution is critical to help us complete the film and ensure that their story is told.

*****

For the seniors featured in the documentary, their future is anything but certain. Each participant faces a number of personal challenges:

· Margo must work two jobs in order to pay her rent, but with her failing health she won’t be able to keep it up.

· Art is lonely and isolated in his Section 8 Housing unit in east L.A. He yearns to live in a community of his peers.

· On the verge of homelessness, Karen’s only option is to move to a rundown trailer park in El Monte. It’s the best her sons can afford for her.

· Don’s house is old and falling apart, but he can’t afford to fix it. The roof is already leaking and the raining season has just begun.

*****

Although each senior applied for an apartment in Triangle Square, they are not guaranteed a unit. Since demand far exceeds the number of available apartments, a lottery system was set up to determine who will be selected. A Place to Live is an exploration of the applicants’ personal stories and the journey that brought them to the lottery. If they are chosen, the building is a dream come true - a beautiful, safe place to grow old, in the company of their peers. If not, many seniors will be forced to remain on the fringe of our community hoping for another lifeline to appear.

We need your support in order to share these intimate, thought provoking stories with our community. Please act now by going to the link below and making an on-line tax-deductible donation to the project. Donations can also be sent to the Center for Independent Documentary at the address below. Any amount of money will make a significant difference in our efforts. If we can raise $36,000 by the end of April, we can finish the offline edit, music score and obtain archival footage.

Together, we can make certain that those who fought for many of the rights we enjoy today are guaranteed a voice in the struggle for non-discriminatory affordable housing. The documentary, A Place to Live is that voice.

“The people living with HIV at my age deserve to have a life, to have dreams –

I do and I’m making the best of this box I live in,

but I also have a dream to live in Triangle Square.” Art Aguirre

We thank you.

To donate online, follow this link and select “A Place To Live” from the drop down menu asking for the purpose of your donation:

Or send your check to:

Center for Independent Documentary

680 South Main Street

Sharon, MA 02067

Please note “A Place To Live” in the memo section of your check.

Bittersweet Productions & NoCo Media Group

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September 22, 2007

We Just Return Their Pre-Paid Envelopes Filled With Rainbow Decals

We need salvation from this greedy army

The Salvation Army is perhaps the most overrated organization in America. Everyone gets a warm fuzzy seeing their bell ringers outside the Wal-Mart at Christmastime. Woe to anyone who dares to point out that this band of right-wingers in uniforms are just homophobic religious fundamentalist adept at tapping the public purse.

Everyone knows the Salvation Army provides a lot of social services — often with our tax dollars. So the Army operates as a government contractor and thus must meet certain laws and regulations, right? Not quite. Even as its leaders continue to seek taxpayer handouts, the Army demands the right to be free from oversight and regulations that apply to any other social-service agency. It New York City, Army officials demanded and won the right to fire gay people and suspected gay people, even though those folks were working in jobs that were not religious in nature.

Now the Army is at it again. It owns an apartment building in New York City that has for years provided affordable housing for single women. The building is located in a tony Manhattan neighborhood, and someone got the bright idea that the building could be sold and turned into luxury condos, netting the Army a ton of money. All the Salvation Army had to do was evict all of those women.

But wait a minute. New York has strict laws dealing with tenant rights. You can’t just throw people out on the street. So what did the Salvation Army do? It argued in court that, since it is a religious organization, it can do whatever it wants. …

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