Brad Pitt - A Hero In Life As Well As Film

"Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they
disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire
if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America,
my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8," Pitt said Wednesday. -
Yahoo News

Mr. Pitt donated $100,000 to preserve marriage rights for all in California - including gay and lesbian people. Pitt and Angelina Jolie are true humanitarians and great people.

Jim

A Message About Marriage Equality

The California Gay Marriage Battle

Another right wing religious group, the American Family Association, has made a big cash donation of $500,000. to support the anti-gay initiative in California. The gay community in this country had better get cracking to fight to preserve marriage rights in California. There should be a national campaign led by the major gay rights groups. If we lose this battle it will set back the entire gay rights movement by decades. Now is the time to harness the economic clout of gay people behind the battle to defeat the initiative. Where are the leaders of our gay rights groups? They need to join together and make a major unified effort. The clock is ticking.

PHOTO: I planted Dahlias in our deck pots. They really are thriving with all the care I give them.

Obama And Gay Marriage

Writes "Patrick" over at Pam's House Blend:

If I can't trust Obama to understand what is at stake in California and do
the right thing with all of the historical and intellectual perspective he
brings to this election - then why would I believe for one moment that he will
act on my behalf on an array of issues once he is elected?

AMEN!

Jim

California Dreamin' : Gay Marriage Is Legal!

It's gratifying and heartwarming to see all the headlines and the pictures of the happy gay and lesbian couples legally tying the knot in California. In the coming months it will be so important for as many couples as possible from all over the country to legally marry in Ca. to demonstrate the justice and humanity of the California Supreme Court decision, and to prove that the sky will not fall if this country were to finally end marriage and all other forms of discrimination against sexual minorities.

Congratulations to all of my gay brothers and sisters who are marrying now or in the coming weeks and months!

Jim

PHOTO: One of our beautiful bearded iris blooms - which we get to enjoy for all too short a period in June each year

Ca.Marriage Equality - What Now?

Donate To Equality For All:

"The most important thing now is to hold on to the win in California.
Marriage in California will transform the national debate on the freedom to
marry. It will do that because the decision is well-reasoned constitutional
law from the most influential state court in the nation. It will do that
because California is an American trendsetter. But marriage in California
will do those things only if we can hold onto it. There is a proposal on
the November ballot to ban marriage between lesbian and gay couples. That proposal would put into the California Constitution a clause that only allows
heterosexual marriages . The fundamental freedom to marry would be denied to
lesbian and gay couples, and the concept of treating people differently
would be written into the California Constitution. We think we can
beat this because Californians don’t want unnecessary government intrusion into their lives and don’t want people treated unfairly under the Constitution
So please, send whatever you can to Equality for All
(http://www.equalityforall.com), the campaign to defeat the initiative and
preserve the freedom to marry in California."

No matter where you live, even if you live on Fire Island, where too many people think that all the money raised for good causes MUST stay "on the island" (how provincial!), now is the time to donate whatever you can to keep marriage equality a reality in California.

Jim

Don't Buy Bolthouse Farms Products!

The entrepreneur behind Bolthouse Farms (related carrot brands are Green Giant and Mercer Ranches) is a right wing religious wingnut who has donated $100,000 to support the anti-gay initiative in California that would ban gays and lesbians from marrying. Click on the title above to read the article. Apparently, this bigot is more concerned with fighting gay marriage than sanitation in his own food plants. These products are sold nationwide, so watch what you buy the next time you go shopping!

Jim

PHOTO: The part-shade section of the garden here at Liberty Bell, our beach house on Fire Island

California Same Sex Marriages Will Happen June 17th!

So says the California Supreme Court, in denying the request for a stay of their earlier ruling made by right wing groups and religious bigots. This is a wonderful development and will strengthen the fight against the anti-gay-marriage constitutional initiative. Since out-of-state gay male and lesbian couples will be able to marry in California on or after June 17th, I wonder what our national gay rights organizations will recommend to couples who would like to take advantage of the opportunity to legally marry within the boundries of the United States? It seems to me that a landslide of gay couples pouring into California to marry could be a powerful tool and make a powerful statement on the nationwide battle for marriage equality and gay rights.

Jim

PHOTO: Beautiful Iris in our beach house garden

The California Marriage Battle Is Joined

Long time lesbian activist Robin Tyler over at Huffington:

...a majority of Californians (51 per cent) now supports same-sex marriage!
Only 42 per cent disapprove. But 62 per cent of born-again Christians in
California oppose permitting gay and lesbian couples to marry. I don't mind
these 62 per cent being born again, but why did they have to come back as
themselves?

Tell me about it.

So, Californians will get to vote in November on whether or not to amend their state constitution to enshrine discrimination against gay and lesbian people. Now is the time for the disorganized U.S. gay community to finally band together and flex its muscle. We have no leader, no Martin Luther King. We are not monolithic. Some gays are not in favor of marriage and some feel we're fighting the wrong battles (who really wants to serve in the army anyway?) But this battle in California is so important because if we lose it that could set back the overall gay equality movement by decades. Will we finally come together as gay people to fight the influence of the right and the religious bigots in California?

Jim

PHOTO: More beautiful stained glass in Leon