Animal Rights: California's Proposition 2

“If animals are going to be killed for food,” said Wayne Pacelle, the president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, “the least we can do is treat them with decency and give them a semblance of life.” - as quoted in the New York Times

California's Proposition 2 would require that animals be provided room to turn around, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs. Like Proposition 8, which would take marriage away from gay people, this animal rights proposition is drawing money in opposition from forces outside of California, who are afraid that as California goes so goes the rest of the country.

Let's hope that Californians do the right thing at the ballot box for animals, and for gay people.

Jim

Not Good News For Marriage Equality In California

Polls indicate that the battle over the rights of gay men and lesbians to legally marry in California is too close to call. The religious right has made it their most important crusade since the battle against safe and legal abortions. Apparently, the gay groups waging the battle to defeat the anti-gay proposition have failed to make their case in an effective manner. Rather than forthrightly asserting that gay people exist and have real lives and loves, and ought to be entitled to full equality, they have tried to downplay the gay aspect in fighting for equality fearing that too many people are still too uncomfortable with the very idea of gay people. That's unfortunate. We're still hiding. As one commentator said, if we're going to go down we might as well go down fighting as highly visible and proud gay people.

Jim

CHOKE: Obama-Biden On Gay Marriage

Massachusetts has had gay marriage for several years now, and a move to make gay marriage unconstitutional there failed. California has gay marriage, an a move to make it unconstitutional there is losing at the moment. Why is it then that Obama and Biden oppose marriage equality? Sure, it's a political calculation, but it's made on the backs of gay people. It's not fair, in fact, for Obama and Biden to say that they oppose gay men and lesbians being able to marry and it is SHAMEFUL!

If they can't bring themselves to support marriage equality, then they should at least answer questions on gay marriage by saying it should be left to the states. But to say they outright oppose gay marriage - that is just totally unacceptable.

Jim

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

The Candidates And The Evangelical Preacher

I'm not thrilled that the first presidential debate had McCain and Obama going before a Christian Right preacher. However, I'm even less thrilled that Obama could defend his pro-choice position before this audience, while throwing gay marriage under the bus once again. Yes, he says he favors "civil unions," but he has to know by now that the jury is in on them (New Jersey, for example) and they don't work. This is because civil unions are a second class imitation of full marriage. Companies don't recognize couples in unions like they would have to if they were married. Again, Obama knows this. Why doesn't he have the courage to admit it and at lease say that marriage should be left up to the states if he can't bring himself to do the right thing and support gay marriage or marriage equality outright?

Jim

A Message About Marriage Equality

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