Tag Archives: Politics

So many horrible things have been said by Republican candidates or elected officials with nobody from that party stepping forward and saying “Enough” or “Shut up” it makes me ill.

Considering how many kids have committed suicide from gay bullying – why aren’t parents speaking up? Why is there not a single elected Republican telling these people, “Shut up!” Obviously the hate-laced speech from these people are somehow telling bullies that what they are doing is okay and nobody in the Republican party thinks its worth addressing. That tells me where I (and anyone like me) stands. Hello Mr. “Dick” Cheney who supposedly loves his lesbian daughter – Mary – why haven’t you spoken up? You’re such an obnoxious loud mouth on so many other topics. Hello Gov. Shwarzenegger (and wife Maria), care to say something and call these people out for their hateful speech? Apparently not…

The latest example:
“I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family, and I don’t want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option – it isn’t.”
-Carl Paladino, Republican hopeful for NY governor.

You would expect this sort of thing coming from someone running for office in the southeast – not NY. And this coming on the heels of Rutgers freshman, Tyler Clementi, jumping off the George Washington Bridge in NYC after being outed in a most base and horrifying way. For the record if the same thing happened to me – I’m pretty sure I would have done the same thing. The only difference would have been the bridge I jumped from.

How sad that nearly every day of the year, I could identify a different Republican elected official or candidate saying something equally hurtful / hateful without a single leader from their party deploring the hateful speech. Is it any wonder that the GLBT community runs with fear from nearly any candidate with the letter (R) next to their name? Even if they bear the gay community no ill will – what would be your reaction to a powerful political party that has no history of doing anything but causing you pain and wishing you ill?

Sometimes friends and family are surprised by my support for the Democratic Party and more specifically the Liberal base of that party, but my political views were shaped in the 80s and 90s when I was coming to grips with both my sexuality and the politics of that time.

In the mid- to late-80s I could not understand why President Ronald Reagan sat idly by while tens of thousands of quilts were being sewn in memory of those who died from AIDS. In the 90s the Christian Coalition reached the heights of its influence in the Republican Party and with leaders like Speaker Gingrich they drove through discriminatory legislation like Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell all while funding local initiatives to limit and deny gay men and women basic rights such as adoption, hospital visitation rights, etc…

No longer a kid and no longer apologizing for my sexual orientation, my disdain for the Republican Party started to turn to rage when in the 2000 Presidential election Bush returned campaign donations to The Log Cabin Republicans (a GLBT Republican group) and several high profile gay donors, because they were gay and then was applauded by the entire leadership of the Republican Party.

Obama’s win knocked the wind out of the Republican Party. But now the party is back and will likely take control of one or both of the houses in the U.S. Congress. Unfortunately, this isn’t the result of the Party moving to the center or becoming more inclusive. This comes from what I describe as an unholy alliance with the newly, rebranded Christian Conservative now called The Tea Party.

So discussions about taxes, economics, foreign or domestic policy aside – until the Republican Party defends GLBT rights and calls out the homophobic slurs their supporters seem content to regularly hurl at me and people like me, I will not consider any other alternative when I enter a voting booth. To the rest of the US who seem to be readily accepted and have representation in both parties – I say lucky you, but think of me when you’re voting because who you elect impacts me too.

Update – 10/5/2010
Earlier this month, GOP Senate leader, Tom DeMint’s told attendees at a rally that had significant media coverage he would work to deny gays the right to be in certain professions, such as teaching school.

No wonder I feel like I’m at war with this party? Insert the word Jewish, Black, Latino in place of the word “gays” and the Republican party would be distancing themselves. Sadly this is just the latest in an onslaught of weekly garbage I have to listen to. Is it any wonder gay kids are being bullied or feeling isolated. Look what the “adults” of this country are saying with impunity and often times to the cheers of thousands. You can read the full story here.

Did you know that for 6 months, Andrew Shirvell, assistant attorney general for the state of Michigan, has waged an online bullying campaign against college student Chris Armstrong, an openly gay student assembly president at U Michigan in Ann Arbor? I didn’t and I want to spread the word… I hope you will too.

CNN broadcaster, Anderson Cooper, had Shirvell on his show earlier this week and last night Cooper invited Shirvell’s boss, Michigan Attorney General Cox (a man with a history of turning a deaf ear to GLBT issues), to his show to ask why he has allowed such aggressive behavior from his assistant. Needless to say, the story is both bizarre and frightening. There’s a lot on the internet about this story – Queerty has a good posting you can read here.

I was going to read Shirvell’s blog today, but after his appearance on CNN he blocked his site. I was student council president when I was in college, and I can’t imagine what I would have done if someone did the same thing to me. I found Shirvell’s office number and have decided to post it – his work telephone no. is (517) 373-4875.

Additionally, his boss, MI AG Mike Cox office e-mail is miag@michigan.gov. I’m going to send an e-mail to Mr. Cox for what its worth. The main number for the A.G.s office in Lansing, MI is (517) 373-1110

10/1/10 UPDATE
Boy Culture Blog has posted that Michigan A.G. Mike Cox has clarified reports that Andrew Shirvell has been suspended — Note that he has not – Shirvell has taken a voluntary, paid leave of absence following months of harassing U of M student body president Chris Armstrong, whose homosexuality Shirvell literally views as a sign the younger man is ‘Satan’s emissary’.

To this I say WTF? So now Shirvell can spend 24/7 fixating on terrorizing this kid? And why shouldn’t he? No disciplinary actions are underway; he’s still receiving pay and benefits. Are you kidding me Michigan?

Marriage has had a checkered past in the U.S. The arguments for many of the restrictions placed on marriage are made to sound altruistic but the truth is attempts to limit groups from marrying has always been a subversive way to isolate and discriminate. I stumbled upon this image (see below) from the Murmurs of Desire blog.

What a frightening past for an institution that is suppose to be about love and loving others.

On Thursday, a US district court judge in Boston declared unconstitutional a 1996 law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage.  Judge Joseph L. Tauro, ruling in two separate challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act, declared that the law “induces the Commonwealth to violate the equal protection rights of its citizens’’ and “plainly intrudes on a core area of state sovereignty, the ability to define the marital status of its citizens.’’

You can read the full article in today’s Boston Globe by linking here.