Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Should Bert and Ernie get married?

A debate-sparking petition urges the Sesame Street buddies to tie the knot — even though they've never come out as gay

Sesame Street roommates Bert and Ernie should finally take the next step in their relationship and get hitched, argue gay-rights activists.
Sesame Street roommates Bert and Ernie should finally take the next step in their relationship and get hitched, argue gay-rights activists. Photo: Facebook/Sesame Street SEE ALL 4 PHOTOS
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Poll Question Is it time for Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie to get married?
Best Opinion:  Montreal Gazette, Lonely Conservative, ThinkProgress

Via UOL: "Já escrevi meu nome na história", diz ex-BBB Jean Wyllys


Deputado federal há seis meses, o ex-BBB Jean Wyllys posou cheio de estilo para a edição de agosto da revista Rolling Stone e afirmou que não quer ter mais seu nome ligado ao reality show. “Quando saí candidato, eu não pus no meu material de campanha referências ao programa”, destacou.

A vontade do homossexual assumido é ser reconhecido como o deputado dos direitos humanos. “Sei que já escrevi meu nome na História, mesmo que este seja meu único mandato”, disse ele, que tem entre suas principais plataformas os direitos civis LGBTs e a defesa das religiões de origem africana.

Apesar disso, sua luta principal é pelo direitos civis dos gays. "Antes de mim, teve o Clodovil [Hernandes]. Mas ele não encampava a luta do movimento, pelo contrário. Em entrevistas, era radicalmente contra as paradas gays", diz o político refletindo sobre o papel do estilista no Congresso. "O deputado Clodovil não oferecia perigo, compreendeu? O problema é chegar aqui e reclamar por direitos".

Recentemente, em entrevista à apresentadora Marília Gabriela, ele contou que sofreu discriminação no seio familiar, entre outros assuntos.

Via JMG: Some States Still Criminalize Sodomy


Equality Matters notes:
In Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Texas’ sodomy statute was unconstitutional, marking a major legal victory on the path towards LGBT equality. With the remainder of state sodomy laws technically invalidated by Lawrence, the LGBT community began to shift its focus. [snip] Eight years later, however, eighteen states still refuse to rewrite their laws and take these anti-gay relics off their books, with countless LGBT Americans continuing to feel their devastating effects as a result. Several state legislatures and courts have exploited loopholes in the Lawrence decision, while others have simply refused to acknowledge the decision altogether.
In some states, gay men are still being arrested for "crimes against nature." Hit the link for much more.


reposted from Joe

Via JMG: ZIMBABWE: Police Arrest Five Men On Charges Of "Sexual Immorality"


More bad news out of Africa.
Five men have been arrested in Domboshava near Harare on allegations of being gay and committing acts of sexual immorality, state controlled ZBC News reported on Tuesday. The five men include a 55-year-old white and 4 black men whose ages have not yet been released, they are currently detained at Domboshava Police Station awaiting trial. The incident happened when a bottle store owner suspected that something was wrong after seeing the young black men spending money in an unusual manner leading him to alert the police.
Note how the story obeys Scott Lively's mythology about wealthy white men corrupting local blacks.


reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Frothy Mix: Gay Marriage Is A Napkin


"I can call this napkin a paper towel. But it is a napkin. And why? Because it is what it is. Right? You can call it whatever you want, but it doesn't change the character of what it is. So when people come out and say that marriage is something else — marriage is the marriage of five people, five, 10, 20. Marriage can be between fathers and daughters. Marriage can be between any two people, any four people, any 10 people, it can be any kind of relationship and we can call it marriage. But it doesn't make it marriage. Why? Because there are certain qualities and certain things that attach to the definition of what marriage is." - Rick Santorum, speaking to a tiny crowd of supporters in an Iowa cafeteria.


reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Linda Harvey: Ban Gays As Teachers


"Kids should not be put in the confusing position of having a teacher they like and respect in many ways who’s also known to be practicing homosexual behavior. Of course that’s where many of our children in public schools today find themselves because the National Education Association not only allows but applauds and defends openly homosexuality and even transvestite teachers. The fact is that no homosexuality should be in our schools, period. When people leave that behavior behind, then they might be qualified for a job involving children. Out and proud homosexuals should not have jobs that involve children. I know that’s not the current policy in many schools but it should be." - Linda Harvey of the SPLC-certified hate group Mission America.


reposted from Joe

Via AmericablogGay: 18 states refusing to take sodomy laws off the books

Even though they were struck down by the Supreme Court several years ago. From Media Matters:

In Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Texas’ sodomy statute was unconstitutional, marking a major legal victory on the path towards LGBT equality. 

Eight years later, however, eighteen states still refuse to rewrite their laws and take these anti-gay relics off their books, with countless LGBT Americans continuing to feel their devastating effects as a result. Several state legislatures and courts have exploited loopholes in the Lawrence decision, while others have simply refused to acknowledge the decision altogether.

In some states, keeping sodomy laws on the books can result in abuse even in cases where sexual intercourse hasn’t occurred. In 2009, two gay men were kicked out of an El Paso restaurant for kissing in public. When the men called the police, officers informed them that "it was illegal for two men to kiss in public and said they could be cited for ‘homosexual conduct,’” even though the state statute only prohibits “deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex.” 

The local police department eventually claimed that the officers involved were “relatively inexperienced,” but the incident demonstrates the ease with which seemingly dormant anti-sodomy laws can quickly turn into weapons to be used against LGBT citizens.