Justice Kennedy Suggests That Kim Davis Should Resign
“The rule of law is that, as a public official in performing your legal duties, you are bound to enforce the law.”
The post Justice Kennedy Suggests That Kim Davis Should Resign appeared first on ThinkProgress.
Ian Millhiser
thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/10/26/3716305/justice-kennedy-suggests-that-kim-davis-should-resign/
Sorry, Hillary, Gay Rights Advocates Say Bernie Is Right On DOMA History
WASHINGTON — Late last week, the two leading Democratic presidential candidates sparred over one of the darker chapters of the gay rights movement: the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that barred federal recognition of same-sex marriage.
At issue was President Bill Clinton’s motive for signing the measure. Hillary Clinton called it a defensive maneuver to ward off more crippling legislation. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called bunk on her history. A review of contemporaneous news articles and interviews with key players at the time supports Sanders’ version more than Clinton’s.
DOMA was and remains a blight on President Clinton’s record. Though he disavowed the law in 2013 and called for its reversal before the Supreme Court struck it down this year, DOMA continues to be problematic for his wife, as it was during an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Friday night.
“I think what my husband believed — and there was certainly evidence to support it — is that there was enough political momentum to amend the Constitution of the United States of America and that there had to be some way to stop that,” said Hillary Clinton. “In a lot of ways, DOMA was a line that was drawn that was to prevent going further.”
In comments the next day at the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Iowa, Sanders called this a “rewrite” of history and said it was “not the case” that something worse was coming down the pike.
Those who were in the trenches at the time agree.
“It’s ridiculous. There was no threat in the immediate vicinity of 1996 of a constitutional amendment. It came four years later,” said Elizabeth Birch, who was executive director of the Human Rights Campaign from 1995 to 2004. “It may be that she needs to revisit the facts of what happened.”
Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, said, “It is not accurate to explain DOMA as motivated by an attempt to forestall a constitutional amendment. There was no such serious effort in 1996.” At the time, Wolfson was an attorney with Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Clinton’s campaign, in a statement on Monday, didn’t retreat from her underlying point.
“Whatever the context that led to the passage of DOMA nearly two decades ago, Hillary Clinton believes the law was discriminatory and both she and President Clinton urged that it be overturned,” said spokesman Brian Fallon. He noted that some lawmakers who voted for DOMA also wanted to provide workplace protections for gay and lesbian workers, while others believed the new law “would defuse a movement to enact a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, which would have ended the debate for a generation or more.”
Meanwhile, Richard Socarides, Bill Clinton’s former aide on gay rights issues, argued that “there is no question that President Clinton believed that one of the reasons he was willing to sign a bill that he did not like was because he thought he would prevent greater damage.”
The only material testimony HuffPost found that a constitutional amendment was the “greater damage” that some DOMA supporters feared came many years after President Clinton left office. In a March 2013 amicus brief arguing the illegality of DOMA, several senators referenced the amendment as something they wanted to head off. (See Page 2 of the brief.)
Bill Clinton may have shared that foresight. But the preponderance of evidence and testimony suggests that he signed DOMA based on other factors.
The first reason he signed was electoral politics.
Clinton actually announced he would sign DOMA in May 1996, several weeks before it passed the House. The news sparked angry protest among gay rights allies. A co-chair of the president’s re-election campaign in Washington state quit. But others in the Democratic Party viewed it as crass, albeit excusable, pragmatism.
Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) told HuffPost in May of this year that Republicans had settled on gay marriage as a wedge issue in the 1996 elections and that Clinton “gave in” on DOMA to take it out of play. “They were the major villains,” Frank said of congressional Republicans. “He went along with them.”
This assessment is shared by Socarides, who said that Republicans were “hoping that Clinton would veto [DOMA] on constitutional grounds and that they could then say he was secretly for gay marriage even though he had articulated the opposite position.”
But that take is complicated by an October 1996 radio ad in which Clinton’s campaign highlighted his signature on the legislation.
The second reason Clinton signed DOMA was the legislative reality.
Well before the bill reached Clinton’s desk, it was abundantly clear that a veto of the measure would be unsustainable. The president wasn’t the only one to make this calculation. A month before DOMA passed the House, The New York Times reported on a fissure within the gay rights movement: One camp was committed to fighting DOMA, and the other argued for focusing on amendments to make it more palatable since it would pass anyway.
“It is true that some gay rights groups were going along with their ‘not dying on this hill.’ But it is not true that they would’ve died on that hill,” said Wolfson.
In June, DOMA passed the House by a 342-67 vote margin. In September, the Senate passed the bill by an 85-14 margin (it was noted that 20 of those senators had been divorced). That meant each chamber had a supermajority to override any veto. On Sept. 21, 1996, Clinton signed the bill in the dark of night and avoided having it recorded on camera.
The third reason Clinton signed the bill was because he didn’t wholly disagree with it.
Yes, the president was convinced that lawmakers pushing DOMA were perfectly willing to trample on gay rights if it meant they’d have a better campaign landscape. But at the time, he was also personally opposed to expanding marriage rights to same-sex couples. The day after DOMA cleared the House, White House press secretary Mike McCurry referred to it as “gay baiting pure and simple,” but also said Clinton would sign it if it didn’t change radically before it reached his desk because “he believes frankly that the underlying position in the bill is right.”
As Socarides put it, DOMA “represented a failure of imagination.” Few people foresaw the progress coming in the near future that would make the law a tool of discrimination.
And where was Hillary Clinton during all of this?
There is little to no evidence of Hillary Clinton weighing in on DOMA during the 1996 debate. For the most part, the people who fought the measure say President Clinton must own it, not her.
“Why is she being held accountable for her husband’s actions?” asked Howard Dean, a Hillary Clinton backer who as governor of Vermont brought civil unions to his state.
Others who criticized Hillary Clinton for her explanation of the ’96 vote also praised her for having a strong record on LGBT rights during her own career.
“My view is that it was a very different time then and people can have had different analyses of what the best path was back then. She has paid her dues and then some on these issues, so I am happy to just look forward,” said Hilary Rosen, a longtime Clinton confidante who also tweeted this:
@BernieSanders is right. Note to my friends Bill and #Hillary: Pls stop saying DOMA was to prevent something worse. It wasnt, I was there.
— Hilary Rosen (@hilaryr) October 25, 2015
But some wish that Clinton would simply admit that DOMA was a mistake and not try to create alternate rationalizations for its passage.
“She should say, ‘Yeah, the Clinton administration was wrong on DOMA in 1996. It was not good in any way in terms of constitutional law, and it certainly hurt a lot of Americans we care about,'” Birch said. “Just say it. Own it. Stop all the machinations.”
As for Bernie Sanders.
Sanders was among the small minority of lawmakers to vote against DOMA, a fact that he held over Clinton at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner. But he did so to support states’ rights in such matters, not because he backed gay marriage. In fact, Sanders was arguing against gay marriage as recently as 2006, which still put him ahead of Clinton on that particular evolution
Clinton allies aren’t keen to cede this turf, however, arguing that on matters of substance as opposed to timing, her record surpasses his.
“Bernie Sanders may have voted the right way as far as history goes, but he has not at any time in his career been a leader on gay rights,” said Socarides. “He has not been a strong advocate for the LGBT community. He has not been involved in any of the national debates that brought this issue forward as she has. So I would put her record up against his any day, and I think the choice clear.”
Also on HuffPost:
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Discriminatory Religious Freedom Bill Introduced in Florida House
Last week, Florida Rep. Julio Gonzalez introduced HB 401, a discriminatory bill that would amend the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1998 to expressly allow individuals to discriminate in select circumstances.
HRC.org
Twelve Other Times Colton Haynes Has Been Absolutely Fabulous
Colton Haynes was declared the early winner of Halloween by everyone who saw photos of his incredible transformation into Ursula, the sea witch from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. The handsome star of Arrow, Teen Wolf and San Andreas has one of the most active and uninhibited Instagram accounts of any actor working today. We can hardly wait to see what surprise he has in store for us next.
Scroll down to see other times Colton has been too fab for mere words.
Colton is so glamorous that he gets his hair cut by the pool.
Finally @angeloevans is avail to cut my damn hair. Why not do it by the pool. #HeIsTooFamousNow #ImadeHisCareer hahaha!
A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
He’s a guy who likes to relax in a warm bubble bath with his hair wrapped in a towel.
Cheers to the freakin wknd #Relaxation #LuxuriousCaviarBubbles #Palmolive #Naked&Afraid #NoneOfTheseHashtagsMakeSense #StopTypingColton #TakeAnap A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
Not since Molly Ringwald has someone been so pretty in pink salmon.
Incredible night! Thx to @seanknight @themarcjacobs @marcjacobs for this suit! #SanAndreas
A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
Pink again — even his eyebrows and hair. No word on the carpet.
Lil Christian’s “Adventure Time” Bday party has begun! #FamilyTime #Kansas #PrinceBubblegum A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
He loves to let his Disney princess freak flag fly.
A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
He’s kind to koalas.
He hangs with royalty.
He can do a mean Jennifer Lawrence.
#GoldenGlobes were a blast A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
He’s a lumbersexual…and he’s OK.
Family flannel day. One of my favorite NYC memories was our picnic in the park today
A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
That time he and Greg Berlanti hit the gay piano bar in Manhattan.
Best night ever at Marie’s Crisis NYC wit @gberlanti @kevintdon #WTB A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
That time he visited Greece with Greg Berlanti.
A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
Sunday morning always comes around, but Colton kindly gave us a peek at his ripped torso when he peeled off the layers of his latest disguise.
I woke up like this A video posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
Jeremy Kinser
Will marriage cure the lesbian? A helpful handbook from 1965
submitted by mike_pants
[link] [29 comments]
Will marriage cure the lesbian? A helpful handbook from 1965
byu/mike_pants inlgbt
Gay Adult Film Star Cliff Jensen Reportedly Still Unconscious After Brutal Beating in Prison
Gay adult film actor Cliff Jensen has reportedly been brutally beaten in prison, leaving him unconscious and near-dead.
According to Jensen’s Twitter feed, which is being operated by someone other than Jensen, Jensen was attacked on October 21. Though he was not expected to survive, Jensen pulled through. However, he is still unconscious according to the anonymous person manning his Twitter.
Five days and Cliff still not concious. Please keep sending him your thoughts and prayers.
— Cliff Jensen (@LoveCliffJensen) October 26, 2015
Good news this morning – Cliff is going to live! He faces a very long recovery but the Doctor said he was a “fighter.”
— Cliff Jensen (@LoveCliffJensen) October 23, 2015
A series of since-deleted tweets document the alleged attack,
Hi, this is not Cliff tweeting today, and I have some terrible news. Last night Cliff was attacked in the prison where he is awaiting his / hearing. According to the Hospital Chaplain he is not expected to survive, although they are still keeping him alive in ICU while we have / private Doctors from the Mayo Clinic complete a diagnosis. When they are any updates I will post them here. Please send him your prayers. / We have gotten a court order to transfer Cliff from a county hospital to a private hospistal which has the best head trauma unit in the area / He is still sedated and the next 72 hours are critical to his survival. The admitting doctors at the new hospital seem very positive.
Other tweets appear to blame someone by the name of “Jaclyn”, who may be an ex, for filing a false complaint against Jensen that resulted in him being sent to prison. Some of the earlier tweets from the account appear to have been written by Jensen himself.
So have learned a lot overnigt! “Jaclyn” aka “Cheyenne” aka “Rock Star Desserts” aka ” Lil J Enterprises” has been using my contact list.
— Cliff Jensen (@LoveCliffJensen) October 16, 2015
This prison is much rougher and tougher than the last one. If Jaclyn’s goal is to get me stabbed that part of her plan may be working!
— Cliff Jensen (@LoveCliffJensen) October 21, 2015
Some deleted tweets about Jaclyn read:
“In my opinion this is the result of a campaign against him mounted by Jaclyn, When she doesn’t get what she wants she lashes out. / She got him fired from his job and filed a false complaint which caused him to be at the prison where he was attacked awating a hearing. / As usual, Jaclyn is now hiding from the process server – she always files a false complaint and then runs at court time. We are trying to / Expedite his hearing but without her being served we can’t do that. She is literally now kiling him with her lies.”
Jensen was arrested in Los Angeles in August on charges of domestic violence and violating his probation in Florida. Jensen was arrested in the past for grand theft auto, burglary and criminal mischief.
[h/t Instinct]
The post Gay Adult Film Star Cliff Jensen Reportedly Still Unconscious After Brutal Beating in Prison appeared first on Towleroad.
Sean Mandell
Gruesome Pictures Emerge After ISIS Stones ‘Gay Men’ to Death in Syria
More evidence of unbridled horror has leaked out of Syria, revealing ISIS militants targeting men who are accused of being gay.
Terror Monitor, an international group that keeps its eyes on terror organizations, published a set of pictures that show two men, before and after they were stoned to death, reports Towleroad.
The photographs, some of which graphically depict the bloody aftermath of the stoning, were shared via Twitter.
You can see them here, but be warned: Some readers may find them too disturbing to view.
This incident is just the latest in a string of evil acts by the radical Islamic group across the Middle East, including public executions of men and boys accused of being gay.
Dawn Ennis
www.advocate.com/world/2015/10/26/gruesome-pictures-emerge-after-isis-stones-gay-men-death-syria
Out Of The Closet And Straight To Jail: The New Plan To Punish Coming Out In Russia
A proposed law would extend the country’s ban on “gay propaganda” to cover simply publicly identifying as gay.
The post Out Of The Closet And Straight To Jail: The New Plan To Punish Coming Out In Russia appeared first on ThinkProgress.
Zack Ford
thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/10/26/3716130/russia-coming-out-ban/
'South Park' Wants You To Submit Fan Art For Wednesday's Show
“South Park” fans with a predilection for cartoon loving (What a niche!): now is your time to shine.
An opportunity for fan art to appear on the long-running Comedy Central series was posted on the official “South Park” website on Sunday with very specific instructions.
The “South Park” powers that be are looking for “Slash/Yaoi/Tweek + Craig” submissions only, meaning artwork that features a sexual or romantic relationship between the characters Craig and Tweek. The Craig and Tweek ship goes by the name “Creek.” Apparently, there’s already a good amount of fan fiction involving the duo.
Interested parties must submit art by Monday at 6 p.m. PST. The fan art will be incorporated into Wednesday’s show.
“South Park” opened its 19th season with an episode that took aim at Deflategate and featured a reliably offensive depiction of Caitlyn Jenner. The series is nothing if not consistently controversial. We’ll see how this one pans out.
Also on HuffPost:
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Catholic Paper on Family Is Hailed by All Sides, Raising Fears of Disputes
A document on family life that emerged from the synod did not erase disagreements on divorce and other issues and could widen the divisions further.
You must be 18 years old or older to chat
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