A lot of these are vintage… for real… the sound and video quality ain’t all that great, but they’re funny nonetheless.
TV Nation fights Helms’ homophobia with love songs…
MadTV: Helms on Elizabeth Dole - “A lesbo-feminazi”
1990 NBC report on Helms vs. Gantt
Embedding disabled on this video, click here to view.
Helms “Racial Quota” ad, 1990 election
Numerous items for you…
QNotes has a brief story up now, with video from CNN and a poll. Expect a longer, feature article in the July 26, 2008 issue.
The WRAL story. Helms worked here as a journalist and conservative commentator before moving to do his dirty deeds on the Senate floor.
The Republican-controlled legislature of Putnam County, NY enacted domestic partnerships by a veto-proof majority, though Republican County Executive Robert Bondi signed the bill into law, according an Associated Press article carried by local TV station WCAX.
Though I don’t support domestic partnerships, preferring to support, encourage, and protect marriage by extending the rights and responsibilities to willing and able couples regardless of gender, this decision is important. Equality for LGBT citizens is not a partisan issue, it is a civil rights issue and Americans of all stripes are wising up and taking a stand. More importantly, LGBT folks are not captive to the Democratic party. If Democratic officials and candidates won’t take a stand, we can find Republicans (and Libertarians, and Greens, etc.) who will.
It is a shame that in well-intentioned effort to extend equality to queer citizens, straight politicians are doing the one thing most gay and straight people can agree is NOT what we want: taking apart marriage. I need to join with my fellow New Yorkers in making certain that our state enacts marriage equality so that we can see parity under the law while preserving marriage.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is officially considering a run for California governor. He’s launched an exploratory committee. His chances? I’m not quite sure… read more at The Sacramento Bee.
According to an AP story posted at PageOneQ.com, Obama says he’ll continue, scratch that, expand Bush’s faith-based initiatives. Read more.
The N.C. House will vote on the School Violence Prevention Act (HB 1366) today. The original House version includes protections for LGBT students. The Senate version does not. Call your state representative and tell the NOT to concur with the Senate version. Stay tuned to Q-Notes Online for the latest news on the bill’s progress today.
From Equality North Carolina:
We need your help to stop anti-LGBT bullying!
The anti-bullying bill moved forward in committee this morning, and tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon, the full House will hold an important vote on this bill.
Your Representative needs to hear from you right away about this bill. Click here to send an email now.
It’s a bit technical, but morning a House committee helped advance the School Violence Prevention Act by voting to recommend that the House not concur with the weakened Senate version of the bill. We need the full House to support this motion not to concur so a conference committee can restore important language to the bill.
Equality NC is fighting hard to pass this bill with the important language that ensures LGBT students are fully protected. This morning our interns and volunteers delivered more than 3000 postcards from constituents across the state to members of the House, demonstrating the broad support for this legislation. With our coalition partners, we’re lobbying hard to get it through.
Hundreds of supporters have already contacted their legislators, but they’re hearing from lots of folks on the other side as well.
For Equality,
Ian
P.S. Please take action now! Here’s the link: http://eqfed.org/campaign/bully08/
I’m bitter and outraged. Perhaps even a little radical. The Arizona Senate has broken all that America cherishes as our foundational principles and ideals. The federal government, charged with enforcing these ideals as embodied in the Constitution, is, of course, no where to be found.
Arizona, after soundly defeating a marriage amendment in 2006, will yet again face another constitutional showdown at the ballot box. It was decided last night. The vote on the amendment is maddening in and of itself, but what happened to two openly gay members of the Arizona Senate is even more maddening.
From Equality Arizona:
Integrity Lost
Tonight’s debate was intense for everyone on the Senate floor and those of us watching in the gallery. But what happened to our openly-gay Senators by their colleagues was absolutely disgusting. Senate extremists strategically broke the rules of the Senate, which govern the processes for discussion and voting on bills. During a filibuster-like discussion on another bill during Committee of the Whole, Majority Leader Thayer Verschoor (R-22) and Majority Whip John Huppenthal (R-20), among others, devised a scheme with committee chairman Jack Harper (R-4) to outright violate the rules of the Senate and the rights of Senators Aboud and Cheuvront.In the middle of their discussion, Senator Harper turned off the microphones of Senators Paula Aboud (D-28) and Ken Cheuvront (D-15) and called on the Majority Leader to make a motion. Then, when Senators Aboud and Cheuvront loudly called for a Point of Order several times, even walking to the front desk where Senator Harper sat, he deliberately ignored their calls. To add insult to injury, these people attempted to justify their actions, even after the Senate President and other Senators admonished them for deliberately breaking the rules. Tonight’s actions of these and other Senators have forever tainted that body, and it’s important that we all let the people of Arizona know how these individuals acted so unethically.
If this happened in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas or Virginia, and if these clear violations of the rights of American citizens duly elected to represent the People in a body like the Senate had happened to African-Americans, the federal government would be all over it like white on rice.
Arizona Sens. Paula Aboud and Ken Cheuvront (pictured right) were, without question, denied their rights as duly elected members of the Arizona Senate and their rights as American citizens. As Equality Arizona has said, the amendment vote in that state was nothing less than a referendum on the LGBT community itself, including Sens. Aboud and Cheuvront.
Maybe I’m just a radical, but since the federal government is clearly not going to enforce our Constitution (as they would if these violations had occurred against African-Americans), the People should take their own stand. Arizona LGBTs should be out on the street today, demanding the impeachment/recall/resignation of those Arizona Senate members who stripped their gay colleagues of their rights.
All LGBT Americans, by the actions of the Arizona Senate, have been reminded that we are not equal, do not have the rights of other American citizens and should be silenced. Further, they’re willing to enshrine these shameful, bigoted beliefs into their state constitution.
But where is the federal government? They’re twiddling their thumbs.
Why aren’t they enforcing the Supreme Law of the Land? Because they could really care less; after all, it just happened to the gays.
“Created equal.” “Out of many one.” “Inalienable rights.” “Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness.”
Yeah… it all sounds good, but sometimes it’s just so hard not to think of it all as bullshit, and nothing more.
I bet anyone a $100 the federal government does nothing to punish the Arizona Senate for their actions against Sens. Aboud and Cheuvront. When (not if) I win the bet, I’ll send ya’ll my paypal link.
Oh, my poor little InterstateQ. I’ve been neglectful, I know. Busy, busy days at work as we head into the Pride Charlotte festival on July 26, 2008. Our meeting tonight (or last night if you’re going to be reading this Friday morning) marks/ed the one month to go point. There’s no turning back now.
Exciting things in store.
But since I’m being so neglectful here, I’m sure ya’ll be happy to know I’m now on Twitter. Easier and quicker to update. Keep up with me there.
Casey will be absent for at least the summer as she is busy working for the Log Cabin Republicans in Washington, DC and I received my first of I’m sure many updates from her. LCR hosted a reception during the Texas Republican Convention to break bread (or pizza) with the delegates and discuss important issues of LGBT equality. Speaking truth in places where it is not usually present and sometimes even unwelcome is an important part of the path to full equality, from the Equality Ride, to Right to Marry conversations in upstate to New York, to the Texas Republican Convention. Talk about courage. A participant shares his experiences after the jump.
Rachael Ray talks with “Survivor” host about Todd Herzog, the openly gay, Mormon “Survivor” cast member.
In depth:
