DNC lies to gay community, whoops.

Here is a great piece from AmericaBlog. Well worth the read and the analysis.

I think we just caught the DNC lying to the gay community about the election in Maine. And an email from DNC Treasurer Andy Tobias, which we quote below, proves it.

Joe broke the news on Monday that the DNC’s “Organizing for America” group, formerly known as “Obama for America,” contacted Mainers by email, urging them to vote on Tuesday, but without mentioning what the election was about, nor which way to vote. Among the measures up for a vote was ballot measure 1, the repeal of gay marriage in that state. A number of us were concerned as to why the DNC wouldn’t inform gay voters that 1 was on the ballot, let alone not urging them to vote “no.”

Shortly thereafter, a second Mainer received another email from the DNC’s OFA. This one urged her to call five people in New Jersey, in order to help Jon Corzine’s re-election for governor. This was disturbing for a number of reasons. First, why would the DNC ask Mainers to help out in New Jersey, while not asking Mainers to help on “1″ or any other ballot measures in their own state? Second, the email was proof that the DNC was in fact doing more than sending generic “get out the vote” messages to advocate. In states they deemed worthy, they were actually organizing for specific things on the ballot. Marriage in Maine simply didn’t pass muster.

Read the entire article at AmericaBlog.

Redefining “fierce” for the rest of us.

Our fierce advocate has done very little in terms that would encourage such strong language. Sure, he has signed the hate crimes bill and met with some transexuals, but what major change has he personally enacted? It wasn’t Obama that fought for Hate crimes, it was the house and the senate. It was gracious that he signed the bill into law and it’s surely a step in the right direction, but with a history of nothing but political leaps backward, how long do we accept steps as progress? Where is his leadership on DADT, DOMA? When is the world going to be safe enough for someone in power, to take a small amount of time to address the inequalities of millions of Americans? What does the Dow have to read before I can marry my boyfriend? I am just curious, beccause it seems there is always something more important than our rights and I, for one, am tired and don’t plan on asking for them anymore.

Could Obama have made the difference in Maine? Who is to say. I am not one to jump on the bandwagon that his support of equality or even fervent denouncement of divisive politics, could have given us the victory that equality demands. As it is now, Obama is becoming more and more unpopular and is seen as a man of great pragmatism, but little courage or personal conviction. He hands out millions to bankers, sells out the public on Health Care and spends most of his time on TV, giving vague and subtle hints as to what he MIGHT do, compared to what he is going to actually do. His chief of staff is of no help in this department either as he is looking more and more like a moderate Dick Cheney. It wasn’t so long ago that Obama supported full marriage equality. Integrity is often the first virtue to vanish in the face of ultimate power.

He may or may not be a good president, but integrity the man does not have.

The Huffington Post had a great article discussing an ongoing discussion in the civil rights struggle of our age. Is Obama doing enough to fight back the stem of intolerance? Has he earned the right to be considered a fierce advocate? Some would say yes and ask that the president be given more time. He does, after all, have quite a big plate in front of him. There is no denying that the president is busy and has had little time to repair the damage of 8 years of neglect, but how long does it take to make a stand? How long would it take to send a strong worded message to America, that equality is worth fighting for and that his personal views of marriage have no bearing on the law? How long would it take to say, “Enough is enough”?

SAN FRANCISCO — Stunned and angry, national gay rights leaders Wednesday blamed scare-mongering ads – and President Barack Obama’s lack of engagement – for a bitter election setback in Maine that could alter the dynamics for both sides in the gay-marriage debate.

Gay activists were frustrated that Obama, who insists he staunchly supports their overall civil rights agenda, didn’t speak out forcefully in defense of Maine’s marriage law before Tuesday’s referendum. The law was repealed in a vote of 53 percent to 47 percent.

The president spends plenty of time on TV, but often neglects that he is running a nation overflowing with stone aged idealists and poorly educated house wives. He spends great deals of time pontificating about his many plans, but rarely answers to the outrage of the people, from either side. Everyday, while millions of Americans are pushed underfoot, he goes about his business, content that his place is in the philosophical realm, unaware of how much sway he could have on equality and the real world.

After so many lies and misgivings, it is hard to know whether he is going to change Washington or if Washington has changed him.

It is rarely popular to do the right thing and rarely is the right thing popular. If we had left the rights of slaves to the peoples votes, we would likely still be fighting for abolition and interracial marriage would be something of fairy tales.

However, all of the blame does not lie on the shoulders of our president and there is plenty of blame to go around. There always is. It is often impossible to fight a battle of virtue or honor when your opponent is knee deep in the sewer and covered in ideological mud. When the weapon of your enemy is a lie, the easily feared are quick and easy prey. The Mormon and Catholic church have broken the law and it will not stop here. With the protection of the government they have over stepped their boundaries and little is being down to counteract this breach of legislative inanity.

It is  time that we stop asking for our rights and start taking them. Either by gavel or blood, this battle will end in our victory or the ruin of us all.

Read the entire article at The Huffington Post

Give them hope…

We are all biting our nails tonight, terrified that we may once again feel the sting of oppression and the pain of rejection. Terrified that we have felt this night before, that we know its outcome. That the simplest of joys and rights can so easily be torn from our hands, ripped away and scattered to the winds. We have seen much sorrow and much sadness in our times, but we are not without our victories. We are not without our strengths and our determination is far greater than any hate speech or scare tactic. We are alive, you and me, all of us together, in the stomach churning, acidic wasteland that is life and the human condition. We are connected and we will overcome. There is little in this world that is certain, but never have a people fought so hard for their freedom, only to be denied.

Oppressors move with history and are taken over by its wake, no matter how long they may find themselves riding the surf. We will be triumphant and no matter the outcome of tonight, we will win. You and I and every freedom loving individual in this world will win this battle and we shall look back on these days with fond memories. Memories of oppression, but of much more… memories of our cohesion and determination to fight

Remember this. We are a more determined to be free than they are to hold us back.

Hopefully the words of the Harvey Milk will remind us jut how far we have come and how far will can and will still go.

FINAL UPDATE:The Maine event or “What do you call two married guys in New England”?

Final Update at 10:29PM (PST)- Well, it looks like we lost. Once again, we have been denied our civil rights and must now fight again. It may well just be this moment in time, but I for one, am exhausted. I am tired, tired of fighting, tired of screaming, tired of writing and tired of changing hearts and changing minds. What do I want to do right now? I want to break some noses and declare open war. I am well aware that violence solves nothing, but onlyt attributes to sensational cable news ratings, but I am angry. When Prop 8 passed in California, my hatred and seething anger towards these people consumed me all night and well into the next day. When do we stop asking and start taking? At what point do we stop saying, “Please sir” and start saying, “Now, or else”?

I do not have these answers. I am tired and angry, but I am far from done fighting. I will walk down the aisle with my boyfriend and one day I will teach my kids of the olden days of bigotry and intolerance. I will teach them of the days before equality, before America kept her promises.

I know we are winning and I know that history is on our side, but for once it would be nice to see some successful blows land into their camps.

For once, I would like to see them cry and see them shed their blood, sweat and tears.

Update at 8:56 PM (PST) – With43% of the precincts reporting in, Approve r-71 is winning by a slight 3 point lead. Great news for us! However with 75! of precincts reporting, we are losing No on 1 by a 3 point lead. Come on Maine!

Update at 8:30 PM (PST)- With 61% of the vote, Yes on 1 is ahead by two points. This feels all too familiar, but I still feel we are going to win this one.

WASHINGTON R-71 - Currently, with 6% of the precincts reporting in, a rejection of same sex domestic partnerships is winning with 59% of the vote.

Update at 7:51 PM (PST) - We are at 50.8% for yes and 49.2% for no. I am a little bummed that so many people have voted to take away the rights of their fellow citizens. I still believe we are going to win this, but it sends an even clearer message if we could do so by a large margin.

Update at 6:55 PM(PST) – The Bangor Daily News site has been inundated with angry prayers and is currently suffering gods wrath for reporting the, as of now, No on 1 campaigns leading edge. You can follow the New York Times live election update for an alternative listing. Thanks to Joe at JoeMyGod for the tip!

Update at 6:39 PM (PST) - Currently, with 17% of the precincts reporting, No on 1 is winning by a slight margin. I have little fingernails left!

Kalamazoo Ordinance 1856 results: OneKalamazoo is claiming victory on ordinance 1856. With a total of 65% of total votes. Absentee ballots have not been accounted for at the moment, but even the HRC is calling in the victory for 1856.

Update at 6:20 PM (PST) – With 13% of precincts reporting and 45% of registered voters accounted for, No on 1 is winning by a slight margin at 52%.

Kalamazoo Ordinance 1856 results: Currently, we are winning by 65% of the vote. (With %12 of registered voters accounted for) 1856 is an ordinance baring discrimination based on a number of factors, sexuality being one of them. For more information about the ordinance, click here.

Update at 5:56 PM (PST) - No on 1 is now ahead with 5% of the precincts reporting and 20% of the voters being accounted for.

The poll results are slowly coming in and at the moment, Yes on 1 is winning by a slight majority. However, it should be noted that currently only 3% of the precincts have been accounted for.

For the time being, all we can do is wait and see what happens. I will try to keep everyone updated as to what is going on in Maine.

Take a moment and visit this wonderful flash video, it will calm your nerves and make you crave horse piss.

You are really sick, sick people.