Sorry for the Delay, New York needs one vote!

New York's state Assembly still debating the approved measure for marriage equality. They are just one vote short to pass the measure, one vote short in a majority Republican chamber. The vote that would decide it all could be cast as early as Wednesday, June 22, 2011. If the vote favors marriage equality, New York will be the biggest state to have passed same-sex marriage so far.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has lived his whole life raised Roman-Catholic, private schools from grade school to college. Even he with such a strong religious background felt it was "a matter of principle, not politics," and said New York "has a proud tradition and a proud legacy as the progressive capital of the nation," and "its time for New York to lead the way once again."

Meanwhile Archbishop Timothy Dolan has been a strong voice on the opposing side of marriage equality. His belief is that same sex marriage will infringe on religious freedom. He uses his wide read blog to fight this battle, well Timmy I'm using mine. First of all, I'm not Roman Catholic, so you saying that because your church doesn't believe in marriage equality, it should not be legal. Well... mine does. My church is known for loving and acceptance, not judgement and guilt trips, and outrageous selfish religious claims based on the beliefs of one "type" of religion. With all do respect, you can suck it. That "statement" of religious infringement was completely hypocritical and if that is the reason it doesn't pass will be INFRINGING my religious freedom, and I shall hold you personally responsible as should everyone else who doesn't follow your church. Does anyone else smell a lawsuit?

Anyway, the fact of the matter is, more than half the states BIG NAMES and common residents are behind marriage equality. If the Assembly listens to the one religious douche, whom I'm considering as reliable for predicted information as that guy (Harold Egbert Camping) that predicted the rapture. So lets keep our fingers crossed, and hope that New York passes marriage equality. Then lets keep our faith in California doing the same. If two of the most influential states pass marriage equality more will follow and as soon as more follow, we'll out number those who refuse.

Marriage Equality for all I say.

THANK YOU JUDGE JAMES WARE!!!

(Image Source)

"It is not reasonable to assume that a judge is incapable of making an impartial decision about the constitutionality of the law, solely because, as a citizen, the judge could be affected by the proceedings," Judge James Ware.

Here is an article at LA TIMES for more information.

AFER's Release on US District Court Hearing on Prop 8 Case.

US District Court Hears “Offensive” Motion by Prop. 8 Anti-Marriage Forces

June 13, 2011

Judge Ware: You can’t simply assume that a judge who takes an oath to uphold the law and judge fairly is incapable of doing so.

**Ruling Expected Within 24 Hours**

San Francisco, CA – Forty-four years and a day after the United States Supreme Court declared marriage “one of the ‘basic civil rights of man,’ fundamental to our very existence and survival” (Loving v. Virginia), opponents of marriage equality today again argued that the rights of marriage should not extend to gay and lesbian couples.

Proponents of Prop. 8 argued that because retired US District Court Judge Vaughn Walker – who ruled Prop. 8 unconstitutional in August 2010 – was (and still is) in a relationship with a man during trial, he could not have been impartial and therefore his ruling should be thrown out.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), the sole sponsors of Perry v Brown, called the move to disqualify Judge Walker “frivolous,” “offensive” and “deeply unfortunate.”

“The Proponents of Prop. 8 today advocated for a sweeping and completely unsupported standard for disqualification that would preclude hundreds of qualified, fair-minded judges from deciding some of the most important issues facing our country,” said Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., counsel for AFER. “Their standard is intended to, and would, prevent gay, lesbian or bisexual judges from impartially presiding over cases involving the rights of same-sex individuals and couples – an offensive suggestion that has been consistently rejected by the courts in similar cases involving race and sex discrimination.”

US District Court Chief Judge James Ware, who presided over today’s hearing, said that he would issue a decision within the next 24 hours.

Proponents argued that because Judge Walker was in a long-term relationship, then the issue of his intent to marry was applicable. Judge Ware said that there were no facts showing that Judge Walker wanted to get married, other than being in a long-term relationship. After lengthy questioning by Judge Ware, Proponents’ attorney Charles Cooper admitted that if Judge Walker didn’t want to get married, then there would be no bias.

Judge Ware said, “You can’t simply assume that a judge who takes an oath to uphold the law and judge fairly is incapable of doing so.”

Experts, judges and editorial boards have called Proponents’ motion to vacate judgment “preposterous,” a “non-issue,” “desperate,” “unthinkable,” and “the worst legal argument of the year.” Richard Painter, Chief White House Ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, went so far as to call the motion leading to today’s hearing “frivolous” and “unfortunate.”

A second issue discussed at today’s hearing was in regards to the video recordings of the August 2010 trial. Judge Ware said he would rule on the issue of the release of the videotapes at a later date, but denied Proponent’s request to have Plaintiffs’ return their copy of the trial videotape.

Today, AFER released the names of more than 20,000 individuals who signed a petition advocating for the tapes’ release, noting that Proponents’ fierce determination to shield access to the trial videotapes directly conflicts with this nation’s constitutional commitment to a public and open judicial process.

AFER attorney Boutrous argued that releasing the trial videotapes would demonstrate that Proponents received a very fair trial from Judge Walker.

Responding to today’s hearing, Chad Griffin, AFER Board President noted, “Today’s hearing demonstrated yet again that the Proponents of Prop. 8 are extremists who will stop at nothing to keep committed American couples from marrying. They led a campaign that was homophobic and filled with animus. Just as those who opposed inter-racial marriage forty-four years ago, those who oppose the civil rights of gay and lesbian Americans will too find themselves on the wrong side of history.“

Over the past two years, a series of nationwide polls have recorded a strong shift in public opinion, with recent polls demonstrating that a majority of Americans now favor the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples. A Washington Post-ABC News poll in March 2011 revealed that 53% of Americans favor marriage for gay and lesbian couples, while Gallup’s recent annual Values and Beliefs poll showed that more Americans support marriage equality than oppose it.

(article source AFER)

Wanda Sykes: Harder being gay than black

This is a portion of the interview from Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN... Tune in on Thursday at 9pm EST

"To a certain point, yes. I believe that. I'm not talking about the history of African-Americans. I'm talking about at this point right now." - Wanda Sykes on being asked if she meant it when she said its harder to be gay than black.

Come on Obama... SAY SOMETHING ALREADY!

I just got done reading this article by Tommy Christopher of www.mediaite.com. You can click the link to read the article itself, I'll also be adding a video from the article to this post.

I like the style of Tommy Christopher, he gets straight to the point gives up the necessary information needed and is clearly organized in his writing. Something I spend all my time doing on this blog, organizing a lot of what is being said all over the airwaves and internet. So watch this video and do yourself a favor head over to www.mediaite.com and read the article.

As the article mention and the video shows, President Obama's stand on marriage equality was that he has their beliefs and that they are evolving as he reviews this issue. Yet, here Jay Carney says the President's view stand hasn't changed and when asked about the Obama's evolving beliefs, he didn't even back peddled and just made the statement. "The President has said in the past what his position was on that [gay marriage]," followed by "I have no update on that."

Obama, we love you and support you and helped get you into office, now do the right thing and help us enjoy the same rights as everyone else... come on Mr. First Black President.

Gay White Bloggers = Racist... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

I've been scanning the news waves looking for something of interest to post. The only thing I'm finding is all the pro prop8 bloggers and reporters out there, that are accusing the marriage equality defenders of being racist white gays. Because of Judge Vaughn Walker's successor Judge James Ware being black. This really grinds my gears. These blog sites are claiming what us "gay white bloggers" and "gay whites" WILL DO... not what we have done, but what we will do. They are claiming we're going to be using the term "f***ing n****r" in retaliation if the case is thrown out as the proponents have requested. First and foremost, IT HASN'T BEEN DECIDED WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO FIGHT THE CASE YET! Second of all, I'm not racist by any means. My step dad and step siblings are black, and yes I am a gay white blogger.

Not to mention the "over-the-top" gay white guys out there are mostly trying to encompass what they think is the black girl attitude. Not to mention they do it all wrong, or their "black girl" attitude is stuck in the early 90's.

Back to the first paragraph, so these prop h8 sons of bitches are out there talking shit on us (yet again) based on what they think we "may do." Its already been made very evident from our side, that no one in their right mind living in, representing, or setting the rules for California would ever call "protect marriage" constitutional. Anyone in their right mind knows its discrimination.

I see it like this, I understand there was an overwhelming support for prop 8 in the straight black community amongst the men. Although, I personally find it pretty RACIST of these pro h8 bloggers and reporters to determine that Judge Ware will throw the case out just because he's black. NOT ALL BLACK MEN VOTED FOR PROP 8. Not to mention Judge Ware is a JUDGE, Judges are here for what purpose, to bring... JUSTICE. Now I'm not sure if these Pro H8 people realize it, but Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., another black man, fought for Justice against Intolerance. I wouldn't put it past Judge Ware to do the same, or ANYONE of ANY ETHNICITY for that matter.

---------------------------------------------------

I'm also seeing a lot of, "Well, we got a Civil Union... that's good enough I guess," going on all over the news and blogs in other states. Well, CIVIL UNIONS AREN'T ENOUGH! Why in the hell would you settle for anything less than EQUAL. This is a FREE COUNTRY, we should be FREE to LOVE anyone we want, ANY WAY we want. Do not settle for anything less than what others have when fighting for your rights. Settling for Civil Unions is like saying, "Hey, you know what... okay, you're right, I don't deserve the rights that you have." This is a bunch of bullshit.

All of you Pro H8s out there that think you're doing us a "favor" or "compromising" with us need to get your head out of your asses. There is no "compromise" for equal rights. Hence the term EQUAL. You must really think your pretty high and mighty, NO ONE MAN IS BETTER THAN THE NEXT. You judgmental a-holes. In your little HOLY WAR your trying to operate, go back to the good book. Please see...

John 8:7

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said to them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

Leviticus 19:35

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.

Leviticus 19:18

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:17

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

Proverbs 10:12

"Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins."

Really Pro H8ers... Look, I was raised with Christian Morals, in a Christian Church. I know first hand that one, I AM NOT A MISTAKE, GOD MADE ME THE WAY I AM. I also did not CHOOSE to be gay. I CHOSE to tell the truth and not live in a lie. I've read the bible, through and through. I'm active in my church and I know that GOD IS LOVE and LOVE IS REAL. I have no hatred in my heart, and you do. Yet you call me the sinner? Why don't you stop skipping over the verses in the bible that act against you and YOUR beliefs.

I SIGNED IT, YOU SHOULD TOO!

CLICK THE PIC AND SIGN FOR EQUALITY