Really, AXN?

Holy shit, they do look dangerous!

It seems the sight of two men in a long-term relationship holding hands is simply too much for Asian cable network AXN to handle.

On Monday, October 1st, episode 1 of season 21 of The Amazing Race was aired across Asia on AXN.  One of the team of racers was Josh and Brent, a couple who own and operate a goat farm in upstate New York.  Josh and Brent have been in a monogamous relationship for 14 years, and are currently engaged to be married.

But of course, AXN didn't want anyone to know or see that.

When I watched the episode, I was a little curious why Josh and Brent's intro segment was so short.  The other teams (consisting of sibling pairs, best friends, (hetero) dating couples, and (hetero) married couples), all had longer intros, showing their backgrounds, their lives, and, if they're a couple, their love for each other.

Democratic Party Platform Endorses Marriage Equality

In a series of speeches peppered repeatedly with references of the right of same-sex couples to marry, including from First Lady Michelle Obama and high profile Latino Catholic politicians, the first night of the Democratic National Convention in the U.S. was very memorable.

A huge congratulations to my American Democrat friends, whose party has, as of today, officially adopted a platform that solidly supports marriage equality for all.  This is the first time a major U.S. political party has officially endorsed same-sex marriage, and it's a very, very big moment for equality in America.

Under the heading "Freedom to Marry," the 2012 Democratic National Platform states:

Leaders Who Listen to Reason Rather than Bishops

"I believe it would be a terrible distortion of democracy if the majorities – the actions of those majorities – denied rights to the minorities."
- Cristina Kirchner, President of Argentina
(A Catholic president in a majority-Catholic country, by the way, which today has marriage equality.)



  

"Mentalities have changed. There is no longer any reason not to open marriage to people of the same sex." 

- Marc Verwilghen, Fmr. JM of Belgium
(Said in 2003, just prior to marriage equality passage.)

APA Removes Transgenderism as 'Mental Illness'

Finally.  2012 marks the year when the APA (the American Psychiatric Association) has officially replaced the term "Gender Identity Disorder" with "Gender Dysphoria."  This means transgender is no longer categorized as a mental illness.

The U.S. now joins Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, the Scandinavian countries, and several others that have already changed their official policies.

The change will have an impact in legal cases and legislation, and is being hailed as a huge step forward for trans rights not just in the states, but potentially in other countries as well.  For better or worse it cannot be denied that America is influential; this includes its medical associations, whose policies do have an influence on the policies of medical associations in other (less progressive) countries.

Noah, Lotsa Water, an Angry God, Gay Guys, and Ignorant Pastors

Gotta admit, the whole rainbow thing is pretty gay.

You learn something new everyday.  Turns out not only did gay people cause the utter collapse of Ancient Greece and Rome, but they also brought about the biblical "Great Flood" of Noah's day.

As if the earth needed any more insanity and fact-twisting from our good friends on the Religious Right, a conservative pastor in Alabama USA (arguably the most conservative state in the union), is claiming that same-sex marriage was the true cause of the Great Flood described in Genesis.

On the radio station American Family Radio, the broadcasting arm of the American Family Association (WTF?), Aaron Fruh, pastor of Knollwood Assembly of God Church in Mobile, AL, went on a rant against marriage equality, saying:

"Find any society in human history that ever tried that experiment [i.e. same-sex marriage] and lived to tell about it; they've all been destroyed."

May Round-Up

The month of May has certainly been a busy one!  Here's a round-up of some of the good...and the bad.

Probably the best recent news came out of the USA:  President Obama finally publicly announced his support for marriage equality.  Prior to this he was a supporter of civil unions only.  The announcement was a major event in the fight for civil rights; no other sitting American president has ever publicly endorsed same-sex marriage, especially in an election year, though some former presidents recently have (namely Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter).

This is a definite boon to the marriage equality push in the US, so kudos to the Prez for taking a stand for equality and liberty!

On the other side of the Atlantic, Francois Hollande has become the brand new president of France.  Hollande, a member of the Socialist Party, had marriage equality as part of his campaign platform, saying that if elected he would push legislation to finally bring same-sex marriage to France.  Of course he needs more liberal-minded Congresspersons to back him up, which is hopefully what he'll get after congressional elections in June.

Vive la France et vive la liberté!

Maryland Becomes Marry-land

Inside the Senate as the bill was passed

After passing in the state House of Delegates late last week, the Civil Marriage Protection Act has now passed in the Maryland Senate as well.  When it is signed into law early next week by governor Martin O'Malley, who has been a strong supporter of the bill, marriage equality will be the law of the land in Maryland.

"All children deserve the opportunity to live in a loving, caring, committed, and stable home, protected equally under the law," said the governor.  “The common thread running through our efforts together in Maryland is the thread of human dignity; the dignity of work, the dignity of faith, the dignity of family, the dignity of every individual.”

One conservative senator, Allan Kittleman, who voted in favor of the bill, said this before entering the Senate chamber to cast his vote:  "I'm proud to be the son of a civil rights pioneer who is going to vote in favor of the civil rights issue of this generation."

Congratulations, Maryland!

Congratulations, Washington!

The governor affixes her signature, saying "It is signed!"

More good news from the U.S., as the Washington state legislature has passed a bill to legalize marriage equality in that state.  The home of the great city of Seattle, Microsoft, Nintendo, Starbucks Coffee, and some of the best apple orchards on the planet, has become the most recent part of the world to grant gays and lesbians their basic civil right to marry.

Washington had already had a Domestic Partnership Law since 2007, which offered some of the rights of marriage to same-sex couples.  The law was expanded in 2008 (adding 170 rights and responsibilities) and then again in 2009, becoming the "everything-but-marriage law."  This meant the rights given to same-sex couples in domestic partnerships were equal to marriage, except in name.

Washington's governor, Christine Gregoire (who is a Catholic, by the way), has been a strong supporter of the new marriage equality bill.  As of Feb. 13 she has officially signed the bill into law.

Gov. Gregoire

"With today's vote, we tell the nation that Washington state will no longer deny our citizens the opportunity to marry the person they love. We tell every child of same-sex couples that their family is every bit as equal and important as all other families in our state. And we take a major step toward completing a long and important journey to end discrimination based on sexual orientation."

— Washington Governor, Christine Gregoire

Congrats, Washington!

News from the States: Prop 8 Unconstitutional

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (a higher, federal court; not a California state court) has issued a ruling upholding an earlier lower court ruling which found that Proposition 8 was and is unconstitutional.  Prop 8, as you may recall, was the 2008 ballot initiative which banned same-sex marriage in the state of California, after marriage equality had been legalized by the California Supreme Court.

This ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court is profound, to put it lightly, and very good news for equality.  The judges ruled that Prop 8 indeed violated the Equal Opportunity Clause of the U.S. constitution, unfairly targeting a minority group, i.e. gay and lesbian Californians.

If the court-ordered stay is lifted within fourteen days (per the release of the official mandate), it would mean that marriage equality will return to California immediately.  If the opposition appeals again, however, to the U.S. Supreme Court, the stay on marriages will remain in place until the issue is resolved.

It is truly amazing news for equality, and a same-sex marriage case will likely eventually end up in the U.S. Supreme Court.  Due to the U.S. Supreme Court's influence, a ruling for marriage equality may have a very positive reverberation in courts around the world, including in the Philippines, whose constitution also has a clear-cut Equal Opportunity Clause borrowed almost directly from the U.S. Constitution's.

One More Reason to Love Starbucks

As if we needed another reason to sing the praises of what is arguably the best coffee on the planet, our friends at Starbucks have made themselves even more likable lately.

The Seattle-based company has always been proudly and loudly pro-LGBT rights (giving big bucks to pro-gay causes around the globe and offering their gay and lesbian employees the same partner benefits as their straight ones), and now Starbucks has gone grande with its stance on equality.

It has joined 69 other American companies in signing an amicus brief to declare that denying gay and lesbian couples the right to legally marry is bad for business, bad for freedom, and bad for the future.

What makes it even better is that it caught the ire of one Mr. Tony Perkins, the head of the "Family Research Council," a right-wing, anti-gay, anti-woman's choice organization that calls itself "Christian."  They're not.  I'm a Christian and they certainly don't represent my values.  Perkins and his gang are just fundamentalist nutjobs, plain and simple.

So Tony boy issued a battle cry to stay away from Starbucks because, as he said, "they like gay marriage a latte."  But not all of us consider that a negative, Tony.  In fact, it makes me more apt to support Starbucks even more often than usual.  I'm just thrilled that Tony has one more thing to panic about this holiday season.

Now where are my keys?  Time to go spend some money at Starbucks!

The Philippines Needs an Andrew Cuomo

Gov. Cuomo with a thumbs-up for marriage

Andrew Cuomo, Governor of the state of New York, is an awesome guy.  He's straight, he's Catholic, and he's one of the biggest advocates for same-sex marriage in America today.

Gov. Cuomo was instrumental in the passage of New York's Marriage Equality Act last June, and he's being hailed as a hero by progressive groups across the country because he's not letting up in the fight for same-sex couples all across America.

Stepping up to the podium at the Empire State Pride Agenda's gala dinner on October 27, the governor received a standing ovation that lasted for more than one minute.  In his televised and highly publicized speech, Cuomo demanded with intensity in his voice that the discriminatory "Defense of Marriage Act" be repealed by U.S. Congress.  He also made a public call to his fellow governors across the country, to embrace equal rights and push for the legalization of same-sex marriage in their own statehouses.

"We need marriage equality in every state in this nation," said Cuomo boldly and unashamedly.  "Otherwise, no state really has equality, and we will not rest until it is a reality!"

The Philippines needs an Andrew Cuomo.  It desperately needs an influential, progressive, Catholic politician who is willing to stand up and boldly demand that all Filipinos be treated with dignity and equality, on all 7,107 islands.  For the sake of the future of equality in the Philippines, I hope there's a Filipino Andrew Cuomo out there somewhere, and I hope he or she steps up to the podium soon.

Per The New York Times, Oct. 28, 2011

Homophobia in Rap Music on the Way Out

DMC against homophobia

A growing number of American rappers are suddenly becoming pro-LGBT.

Traditionally it had always been acceptable for rappers to denigrate gays and lesbians in their lyrics.  Eminem has often been put through the wringer by journalists and LGBT rights groups.  "I'll stab you in the head, whether you're a fag or a les; a homosex, hermaph, or trans-a-vest" was part of Eminem's song Criminal, back in 2000.  Disgusting to say the least.  That song was actually not allowed to be played on the radio in several European countries because of those homophobic lyrics.  They went beyond homophobia actually, and were in fact inciting violence toward LGBT persons.

But then, ten years later, Eminem did a turn around and announced that he supports the rights of gays and lesbians to marry.  In a fitting twist, today in New York state, the birthplace of rap and hip-hop, same-sex marriage is the law of the land.

Courts, part 3: Why Equality is on a Winning Streak

The arguments for same-sex marriage are compelling; the arguments against it are hyped but hollow.  Pro-equality lawyers absolutely blow the anti-equality side out of the water.  We've seen this in court case after court case, from Canada to Israel, and from Brazil to Massachusetts.

The rulings consistently find that:

1. Denying same-sex couples the right to marry serves no legitimate state interest
2. Permitting same-sex couples to marry does not affect opposite-sex marriage, divorce, or the number of children born in marriages or outside of marriages
3. The religious or moral views held by the majority cannot decide which rights can be either withheld or granted to a minority -- the constitution is the ultimate law of the land, not religious texts.

I love reading court transcripts from various same-sex marriage cases because they're so entertaining.  When reading them, it's easy to see why the anti-equality side crashes and burns.  Their "argument" is based on four premises:  that marriage is deeply religious and has always been between a man and a woman; that marriage will be destroyed if LGBTs get to have it too; that kids in same-sex households will be molested; and that we'll go extinct as a species.  Each of those arguments are rooted in ignorance and are easily dismantled, even by inexperienced lawyers, and show that the root cause of the opposition is fear:  fear of the unknown and fear of change.

Courts, part 2: The Philippines is not Immune to Change

(A continuation from the previous post, "High Court Progress Seen in Western Nations; What About the Philippines?")

I had the opportunity to ask a respected Filipino attorney about the prospects of Filipino LGBTs going through the courts to pursue equality.  His opinion was that, at this time, there would likely be no benefit for gay and lesbian couples to sue the government for equal protection.  He highlighted the fact that, because there are no anti-discrimination laws on the books and no legal precedent to stand on from any equality cases in Philippine courts, a suit would be destined to fail.

I agree with that in part, but at the same time I am reminded of same-sex marriage cases that have been won in states in the U.S., for example, which had no anti-discrimination laws on the books.  The courts only had the Equal Protection Clause of the Bill of Rights to go on.  The Philippine Constitution has these same guarantees for its citizens.

The current Philippine Supreme Court has based several of their decisions on grounds of equal protection violations, declaring portions of certain laws to be unconstitutional because of those violations.  Yap vs Thenamaris Ship's Management in May 2011, which struck down Section 10 of R.A. 8042, is one such example, as is Biraogo vs. Philippine Truth Commission in December 2010, which struck down E.O. Number 1.

High Court Progress in Western Countries; What About the Philippines?

The wheels of equality turn slowly, and for no group of people is this more true than our LGBT brothers and sisters.  It's painful to listen to stories of so many kind, honest, and decent LGBT Filipinos whose only wish is to be treated like everyone else, rather than second class citizens.  I can't imagine what it must feel like to have to face such discrimination simply because of the sexuality one was born with.  Personally, I'm a straight man, and I believe gay rights and marriage equality are the civil rights movement of our time.  I'm proud to be an ardent supporter and advocate.

I have a gay cousin and I love him dearly, as well as his husband.  They had been a couple for a decade -- having been sweethearts since high school -- before getting married last year, and I'm grateful that we're from a country that gives them that right.  Unfortunately that's not possible in a lot of places around the world, including in the Philippines.  It is really heartbreaking to see so many wonderful LGBT couples being denied the basic right of marriage for no other reason than blind governmental adherence to heterosexist tradition.

American Medical Assoc. says "End Marriage Discrimination"

The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted a new policy which declares that excluding same-sex couples from marriage is both discriminatory and imposes unnecessary stigma.

The policy, adopted on June 20th, states:

"Our American Medical Association:  (1) recognizes that denying civil marriage based on sexual orientation is discriminatory and imposes harmful stigma on gay and lesbian individuals and couples and their families; (2) recognizes that exclusion from civil marriage contributes to health care disparities affecting same-sex households; (3) will work to reduce health care disparities among members of same-sex households including minor children; and (4) will support measures providing same-sex households with the same rights and privileges to health care, health insurance, and survivor benefits, as afforded opposite-sex households."

It was added that "marriage inequality is not only unfair, it literally places families in harm's way."

The AMA's policy reaffirms the consensus among professional medical, scientific, and social science communities, including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, all of which support the freedom to marry.  The Canadian Medical Association and the Medical Associations of Western European nations concur.

.

One More Reason to Love New York!

The Empire State Building lit up to celebrate equal marriage

Great news out of New York:  To the sound of loud cheers and applause, the Senate of the state of New York has passed its Marriage Equality Act!  The bill had already been passed by the Assembly, and will next be signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a strong supporter of same-sex marriage.

This is huge.  Marriage in New York matters because it's New York.  Other countries and states have marriage equality, too, but they don't carry the weight or influence that New York does.

New York is a big and influential state in a big and extremely influential country.  Its biggest city is, of course, New York City, known far and wide as the capital of the world.  It's the center of business, industry, trade, and media, sways the world's economies with its Stock Exchange, and is the permanent home of the United Nations.  When New York does something, the world takes notice.  "That's the power and the beauty of New York," as Governor Cuomo put it.  No doubt about it, marriage equality in the state of New York is a very big deal.

The vote came after a session of late night debates in the Senate chamber.  One of the Senators who had been undecided, Republican Mark Grisanti, said this in a speech just before the vote:

"I'm not just here as a senator who is Catholic... I'm also here with a background as an attorney, through which I look at things and apply reason.  I cannot legally come up with an argument against same-sex marriage.  I cannot deny a person, a human being, a taxpayer, a worker, or people in my district and across New York the same rights that I have with my wife."

Congratulations, New York!  Welcome to equality!

Update:  Governor Cuomo has already immediately signed the bill into law, even though it was past 11:00PM.  Now that's dedication!

The Governor gives a smile and a thumbs-up after the bill passes in the Senate

Right-wing Leaders in the U.S. Admit: "We're Losing"

It was a big deal to read about this.  Several very prominent figures within the American Religious Right movement have said recently that fellow Evangelicals need to accept that same-sex marriage is going to be a reality in the U.S. before too much longer.

Jim Daly, CEO of Focus on the Family, one of America's most active anti-gay Evangelical groups, has said "We're losing on gay marriage, especially among the 20 and 30-somethings.  Seventy percent of them favor same-sex marriage."

From christianpost.com:

"Though many Christians are going to try to deny the obvious, evangelical leader Dr. Albert Mohler [president of the Southern Baptist Convention] believes gay marriage is going to become normalized.

Coming to a Town Near You: Android Nuptials!

Mmmmm...sweet robot lovin'

 
This hilarious piece of info was sent to me from a friend in the U.S.

Apparently some fear-mongering "afraid of the gays" right-wing loony guy named Robert Broadus, a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress, has "warned" the Maryland state Assembly that if it passes a marriage equality law it will lead to android weddings.  (Maryland looks to very soon have marriage equality; the state Senate has already passed the bill and the state House will vote on it soon.)

Okay, seriously, this is just desperately insane.  I literally laughed out loud when I read about this.  It's beyond logic.  What on earth are these people smoking that makes them so loopy?!  Whatever it is it must be expensive stuff, because it obviously works really well.

Here's a peek inside Broadus' scary mind with this quote:

"If you pass this bill you will set the groundwork that one day, when artificial intelligence is that advanced, you will be considering whether people will marry their androids. Anyone who’s watched Star Trek, you’ve seen the character Data …He was able to generate a tear because he could feel emotion...If you say that any two people who love each other can get married, then you set that precedent."

What??  It doesn't even make any sense.  Sounds to me like he watched Bicentennial Man and he's been having nightmares about it ever since.  Or maybe he recently watched A.I. and he's become obsessed with Jude Law as the gigolo android character, Gigolo Joe.  Apparently he has a thing for Star Trek's Data, too.  Hmmmm, perhaps Mr. Broadus is just into male androids; maybe he's conflicted over his own homorobosexual feelings for robot dudes.

I think this guy might be genuinely nuts.  In January he went on a different rant against marriage equality, fixating on male-male sex and blaming same-sex marriage for the breakup of his own failed marriage.  He and his wife (poor woman) recently divorced.  I think I see why.  The guy's a wacko!  Either that or his wife finally got sick of hearing him obsess over hot male robots.

We've heard this slippery-slope sky-is-falling garbage before, and now it's getting more and more desperate because they know they're losing the battle.  It's actually pretty comical.

Equality is coming and it's here to stay.  Deal with it robo-Robert Broadus.

Philippine Anti-Discrimination Bill: Necessary and Long Overdue

This post is partially in response to the following comment posted by ''Gary45.''  Since I was already planning to write about the anti-discrimination bill, I'll use this comment as my starting point:

"You said: "Gay rights are non-existent in the Philippines".  Really?  Are gays not Filipino citizens?  Our Constitution already guarantees respect for human rights (section 11), the rights of workers (section 18), equal access to public services (section 26), equal employment opportunities for all (section 3 article XII), and even against threats on libel, slander and sexual harassment in the Penal Code.  Merit is the basis for employment.  Education, work record, experience, performance.  If a gay is fired for wearing too much lipstick he/she (?) can make a complaint to DOLE or DOJ.  New laws and more laws aren't necessary when we already have laws for this and that, regardless of the implications to religious liberty. ..."

Excellent comment and excellent point.  Your insensitivity on the matter, however, is disappointing.  It's unfortunate that you refer to gay men as "he/she."  It is also highly unlikely that a gay man would be fired for wearing lipstick since gay men don't wear lipstick.  Some male-to-female transgenders do, however, so perhaps they are the ones to whom you are referring.

The proposed Anti-Discrimination Bill pending in Philippine Congress (House Bill 1483), is an extremely important piece of legislation.  At first glance, the points raised in the above comment may make it seem that such a bill is unnecessary.  In a perfect world that may be true, but the last time I checked Earth isn't perfect and neither is humanity, which is why the majority of democratic countries today have some form of anti-discrimination law protecting their LGBT citizens.