Memorial Day

Memorial Day is not about sales and buy new a new matress, and it should not be about glorifying war and jingoistic national patriotism. We should remember why war is bad, and remember the dead who speak to us from their graves:

Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America's War On Iraq: 4,718
icasualties.org/oif/

Number Of International Occupation Force Troops Slaughtered In Afghanistan : 1,789

Cost of War in Iraq Afghanistan
$1,000,042,858,296

Falling Off the $1 Trillion Cliff


10 Things to Remember on Memorial Day

MLK vs. War

Dr. Martin Luther King spoke against the Vietnam War and American imperialism and tied the war in Vietnam and war spending to the neglect of the poor in the United States.

"Silence is Betrayal"

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Congressional leaders and the White House have worked out a compromise that will allow Congress to repeal the military's anti-gay "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, but allow the military until the end of the year to finish its review of how to implement the new policy.

The Democratic Congress and the Obama administration have been under increasing political pressure from gay activists to fulfill their promise to repeal DADT, while the military has been trying to get more time to "study" the policy and the effects of lifting DADT on military personnel.

The compromise has received mixed responses from gay activists, since the compromise, to be offered as an amendment to a defense authorization bill, would not immediately end discharges of gay and lesbian soldiers and would not end DADT until next year.

The military has been "studying" gays in the military for over 50 years. There is no need for more studies.

The military is supposed to be under civilian control, answerable to the Executive Branch. President Obama, the Commander-in-Chief, should issue an executive order immediately to stop discharges and the military should be ordered to replace DADT with a non-discrimination policy that protects the rights of LGBT people to serve in the U.S. military free from harassment and discrimination.

White House Seeks to Speed Up DADT Repeal

The DADT Deal

Another Year of DADT

Obama Heckled Over DADT

Get Equal Response to DADT Repeal

USA TODAY: DADT Affects Women, Minorities More

UPDATE: Congress Advances Repeal of DADT

The Senate Armed Services Committee and the House of Representatives have approved amendments to repeal DADT.

Happy Birthday Harvey Milk

Saturday May 22 is the 80th Birthday of Gay Rights rights leader Harvey Milk
Cities Across USA Observe Harvey Milk Day
In Honor of Harvey Milk

Malawi Court Convicts Gay Couple

Malawi Court Convicts Gay Couple

A court in Malawi has convicted a gay couple of gross indecency and unnatural acts.

Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were arrested in December 2009 after celebrating their engagement ahead of a wedding planned for 2010.

They have been in jail ever since and now face 14 years in prison.

Their arrest had sparked international condemnation and a debate about homosexuality in the country.

Judge Nyakwawa Usiwa-Usiwa convicted both men of engaging in gay sex, which he said was "against the order of nature". They are to be sentenced on 20 May.

The Guardian News spoke with the couple to which Tiwonge said the following.

"I love Steven so much. If people or the world cannot give me the chance and freedom to continue living with him as my lover, then I am better off to die here in prison. Freedom without him is useless and meaningless."
Next week they are to stand trial. They face up to fourteen years in prison and hard labor. This is an outrage. I am concerned that they will be killed in the prison either by disease or the inherent violence that is part of prison culture.

AP: Malawi Judge Convicts Gay Couple of Unnatural Acts, Gross Indecency

Malawi Police Arrest Two Men for Engagement Ceremony

Malawi Gay Couple to Be Imprisoned

Progressive/LGBT Activists Debate Elena Kagan

President Obama Nominates Elana Kagan for Supreme Court

Obama's choice of the current Solicitor General to replace justice Stevens on the Supreme Court is getting mixed reviews from progressives. Many were hoping for a bolder choice of a real progressive. Kagan is considered to be a moderate on many issues and perhaps conservative on issues like executive power. It is feared that anything less than a strong progressive would move the Court to the right.

LGBT activists are somewhat more supportive, though no one knows for certain if she will be a strong advocate for LGBT civil rights. She did oppose military recruitment as Dean of Harvard because of the military's discrimination policies against gays and lesbians. There is even some speculation that Kagan may be a lesbian, leading some gay activists to call for her to come out openly if she is gay, which could further complicate her confirmation.

The problem is that Kagan does not have much of a public record or written history for opponents or supporters to analyze. She has no judicial experience or written opinions to scrutinize. So far, the only thing right-wing opponents have come up with his her undergraduate thesis on the history of the Socialist Party, which seems to blame infighting among socialists for the demise of the SP in the United States.

6 Things You Might Not Know About Kagan

Norman Solomon, Kagan In Context: Shafting Progressive Values

Glenn Greenwald, The Case Against Elena Kagan

Elana Kagan Will Move Court to the Right

Gay Activists Applaud Kagan--Tepidly

Gay Marriage Opponents Mobilize Against Kagan

Kagan's Role Against Military Recruitment

Rally for Rights May 8

Memphis Rally For Rights
Manifestación para los Derechos Civiles
Saturday, May 8 :: Sabado, 8 Mayo
12:00pm - 2:30pm
National Civil Rights Museum
Museo Nacional de los Derechos Civiles

REFORM IMMIGRATION FOR AMERICA

Arizona Legalizes Racial Profiling
Boycott Arizona

Anti-Gay Activist Caught with Male Escort

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

TN GOP Candidate Says Gays "Were take care of" When He Served

Ron Kirkland

Ron Kirkland, GOP House Candidate Says Gays "Were Taken Care Of" When He Served in the Military

Tennessee Republican congressional candidate Ron Kirkland recently said that when he served in the military during the Vietnam War, gay service members "were taken care of" in ways that he could not begin to describe.

Kirkland's candid remarks came at a Tea Party forum last week when the GOP hopeful criticized the Obama administration's support for overturning the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Conservative House candidate Randy Smith offered a similar reaction to the measure at the event when he declared he "wouldn't want to share a shower with a homosexual."

Why are these "macho men" are so afraid of gay men seeing their pee pee in the shower?

TN Gay Students Stand Up for their Rights

Openly Gay Students in Tennessee Stand Up for their Rights

Cole GoForth, a 15 year old gay student in Rutherford County's Greenbrier High School, is fighting for the right to wear a T-Shirt that says "I Love Lady GayGay," after his school said the "pro-gay" T-Shirt was disruptive. He's one of many LGBT students in TN that are fighting back against bigotry and discrimination against LGBT youth in Tennessee public schools.

Undercover at an "Ex-Gay" Camp

Over at Alternet, you can read all about how Ted Cox went undercover at a "Journey Into Manhood" camp, Matt Taibbi-in-The Great Derangement-style. What does it feel like for a man, learning to be a man, with the help of other men? It involves isolation and strange rituals and "Native American flute music" and re-enactments of junior high school gym class humiliations.

Oh! It also involves spending the day participating in astoundingly homoerotic activities:

"My weekend was filled with crying, singing, and wrestling, as 30 men struggled to overcome their attraction to other men. It was also the first time I felt another man's erection."

Ted Cox, What Happened When I Went Undercover at a Christian Gay-to-Straight Conversion Camp

Queers are Getting Pissed!

After all the hope and campaign promises by Obama to stand up for LGBT equality and overturn DADT, DOMA and pass ENDA, the reality is sinking in that Obama and the Democrats are not in a hurry to do anything substantive for the gay community, at least not this year. The Obama administration has turned changing the DADT policy over to the military. ENDA is stalled and does not have enough votes with gender identity included. If Democrats loose lots of seats in Congress in November as expected, there may not be another chance to move on LGBT issues for a long time.

But queers are getting pissed and fired up. A new LGBT activist group, GetEqual, is lighting fire under some asses in D.C. They have staged several highly publicized protests this week on DADT and ENDA:

GetEqual Disrupts House Education and Labor Committee on ENDA

Six Service Members from GetQual Hancuff themselves to White House Fence

(Protest Coverage Cut Short by Park Police)

Gay Protesters Interrupt Obama Speech on DADT

Here's Why: Barney Frank Says Obama Not Pushing DADT Repeal This Year, Frustrated with Obama's Lack of Support

After calling for the repeal of DADT in his SOTU speech, Obama now appears to want to wait until 2011:
Gibbs-DADT on Hold Until 2011

Obama and the Democrats are missing an historic opportunity to pass meaningful legislation for LGBT civil rights, and they may suffer in the elections from lack of LGBT support!

Mistrial Declared in Trial of Cop Who Beat Memphis Transgender Woman

Mistrial Declared in Trial of Memphis Cop Who Beat Transgender Prisoner

The trial for Bridges ‘Sutton’ McRae, a former Memphis police officer charged with beating a transgender prisoner Duanna Johnson ended in mistrial shortly after 2 p.m. today. A juror said later that the vote was 11 to 1 for conviction of McRae. The lone juror who voted for acquittal did not think the government had proved that McRae acted "willfully."

McRae was accused of beating the prisoner he identified as Dwayne Johnson on an arrest ticket, but who became upset when the officer would not use the female name, Duanna, during the fingerprint process in the jail sally port. A surveillance video of the incident showed McRae striking Johnson six times in the head with his metal handcuffs in his hand and then using pepper spray.

McRae said he was only trying to control a large, unruly prisoner and that the cuffs did not touch Johnson, but prosecutors said the officer was out of control and used them unnecessarily as a deadly weapon.

McRae was fired after the incident in the sally port in February of 2008. He was charged with civil rights violations and faced up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

The 43-year-old Johnson was shot to death later in 2008 on a street corner near her home. No one has been arrested.
Prosecutors say they plan to charge McRae again. He will stay free on his current bond.

A Vigil is planned Tuesday 6:30 PM downtown Memphis by the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center

Grand Divisions: Justice Delayed Justice Denied to Juanna Johnson

Eyewitness News: Reactions to Judges Decision

Arkansas Gay Adoption Ban Overturned

Judge Overturns Arkansas Adoption Ban

A state judge on Friday struck down an Arkansas law approved by voters that banned gay couples and other unmarried people living together from serving as adoptive or foster parents.

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza said in a two-page ruling that people in "non-marital relationships" are forced to choose between becoming an adoptive parent and sustaining that relationship.

"Due process and equal protection are not hollow words without substance," Piazza said. "They are rights enumerated in our constitution that must not be construed in such a way as to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people."

Obama Orders Hospital Visitation Rights for Gays & Lesbians

Well it's not much, but it's something I guess.. now let's get moving on ENDA and ending DOMA!

Obama Orders Hospital Visitation Rights for Gays & Lesbian Couples

The Advocate
CNN

With ENDA, DADT and DOMA being held up in Congress, Obama seems only willing/able to deliver symbolic gestures to the LGBT community, but will that be enough to get our votes in 2012?

Tax Day Fact Check

Some inconvenient facts for the teabaggers on Tax Day:
From Crooks & Liars:

Over 95% of Working Households Got Tax Cuts
Only 2% of Tea Baggers Know Obama Cut Their Taxes...
...and 52% of Tea Partiers Think Their Taxes are Fair...
...and Think the Federal Tax Level is Over Double What It Is
1% of Families Earned 24% of All Income...
...and 57% of All Capital Income
400 Richest Taxpayers Saw Incomes Double, Tax Rates Halved
Only 1 in 500 Families Pay the Estate Tax
Corporate Taxes Have Plummeted as a Share of GDP
The U.S. Loses $345 Billion a Year to Tax Evasion and Fraud

Taxes for working class LOWER under Obama:

Institute for Policy Studies:Tax Day Talking Points

How to Talk to a Tea Party Activist:

53% of Tax Dollars Goes to the MILITARY

Large Corporations (GE, Exxon...) Pay NO Taxes!

How 50 Years of Tax Cuts Benefited the Wealthy

Tax the Rich!

Taxes: Myths vs. Realities

Tax, Baby, Tax!

Mike Huckabee Compares Gay Marriage to Incest

Huckabee Compares Gay Marriage to Incest

Mike Huckabee, a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2012, says the effort to allow gays and lesbians to marry is comparable to legalizing incest, polygamy and drug use.
Huckabee also told college journalists last week that gay couples should not be permitted to adopt. "Children are not puppies," he said.

If this wing-nut becomes President, we may need to form a Queer Malitia

Tea Party Jesus

Tea Party Jesus: Words of Tea Party "Christians" in the Put in the Mouth of Jesus

Tea Party Racism

Rep. Steve Cohen takes on TEA Party racism

The TEA Party has been trying to counter-attack liberals and progressives for calling out their racist attacks on Obama and African-American Democrats who supported health care reform.. by lying!

As a guest on The Young Turks, my Representative Steve Cohen called the TEA Party out for being mostly White conservatives opposed to diversity, who attacked blacks, gays, etc.

Rep. Steve Cohen Bashes Tea Party

Mid-South Tea Party Demands Rep. Steve Cohen Retract Critical Statements

Tea Partier Threatens Rep. Steve Cohen

The TEA Party has been trying to cover up the racism at the heart of the movement by denying it even exists. But here are the FACTS about the racism at the heart of the Tea Party movement:

Tea Party Protests Shout "Nigger" and "Faggot" at Members of Congress

Congressmen Spit on By Tea Party Protester

White Resentment Bubbles Under Surface of Tea Party Movement

White Supremacists and Anti-Semites Recruit at Tea Parties

Tea Partiers: Obama's A Muslim

Frank Rich: Tea Party Rage is Not About Healthcare

The racism of the TEA Party Movement should be seen in the larger struggle of racism used to divide the working class in the United States and stop progressive reforms:

Beware of the new Racist Counteroffensive

Hatred as a Political Strategy

MLK

Today is the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis.

If the racist tea-baggers and conservatives attacking "big government" think Barack Obama is a "socialist," what would they call Dr. Martin Luther King today? Well they called him worse things back then...

Too bad liberal politicians today still lack the courage and "progressive" vision of MLK, who spoke truth to power even when it cost him popularity--and his life.

If people really want to know what a Democratic Socialism is about they should listen to MLK on economic justice, war, inequality, etc...

John Lewis on Martin Luther King: U.S. Lacks a Moral Leader

Bill Moyers, Dr. King's Economic Dream Deferred


His last speech in Memphis