adamfoxie*blog International: July 2010

August 12, 2010

The 2010 Gay Games in Cologne received virtually no mainstream media coverage, but Ed O’Keefe of the Washington Post’s “Federal Eye” column has a nice item on the participation by Kei Koizumi, who handles budgetary and policy issues in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Koizumi, 41, won a gold medal in men’s 40-44 110-meter hurdles and a silver in the triple jump.

Koizumi joined OSTP last year from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and spends his days focused on budget and appropriations issues related to NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation and the Energy Department. In his down time he swims and runs, but rarely practices for hurdles, he said.
“I didn’t think I was hooked on it, but I’d done the hurdles at a different distance at the last games and thought I’d try this sprint distance in Cologne,” Koizumi said in an interview.
“I tried it, and hey, I was pretty good at it,” he said with a laugh.

Koizumi is not the only one in his family to bring home hardware from Cologne. His husband, Commerce Dept. employee Jeff Dutton, won the silver in the marathon in the men’s 35 age group

http://outsports.com

Glenn Beck Mocks Bill O'Reilly's Fear Of Gay Marriage

BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF
PUBLISHED: AUGUST 12, 2010

Appearing on Fox News' the O'Reilly Factor Wednesday, conservative commentator Glenn Beck mocked host Bill O'Reilly's fear of gay marriage.

On the program, O'Reilly asked Beck, host of Fox News' Glenn Beck, why he doesn't cover social issues more frequently.

“Why don't you do the culture warrior stuff?” O'Reilly asked.

Beck answered that he felt conservatives have “bigger fish to fry” and added that the government has nothing to do with marriage. “That is a religious right,” he argued.

O'Reilly, whose program often hits hard at social issues, including gay rights, asked Beck if he believed gay marriage was threat to the country.

“A threat to the country? No, I don't,” Beck said, laughing out loud, then added in a mocking tone, “Will the gays come and get us?”

“I believe that Thomas Jefferson said, 'If it neither breaks my leg, nor picks my pocket, what difference is it to me?'” he added.

“Okay, so you don't, that's interesting,” O'Reilly replied.

“So long as we don't go down the road of Canada, where it is now a problem for churches to have free speech,” Beck said

Majority Of Americans Support Gay Marriage

BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF
PUBLISHED: AUGUST 12, 2010

According to a new CNN poll, how you ask Americans about gay marriage determines their level of support. But on average, a slim majority of
Americans support the institution.

CNN's poll asked about gay marriage with two different questions.

In the first question, proposed to half of those polled, 49 percent
said they are in favor of gay marriage, but the figure jumped to 52
percent in the second version.

Forty-nine percent of respondents agreed with the question:
“Do you think gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to get
married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid?”

But the question, “Do you think gays and lesbians should have
a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage
recognized by law as valid?” fared better, with a majority of
respondents (52%) agreeing.

“Combining the two subsamples has 50.5 percent of Americans
in support of gay marriage and 47.5 percent opposed: just about
the barest possible majority,”statistician Nate Silver wrote on his
blog at FiveThirtyEight.com. “But a majority nevertheless, something
that no previous poll had shown.”

Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, a group that
promotes the adoption of gay marriage laws throughout the U.S.,
lauded the breakthrough.

“For the first time, a national poll shows that a majority of Americans
support the freedom to marry and that those who would deny liberty
and equal protection to same-sex couples are in the minority,”
Wolfson said. “Americans are realizing that gay couples crave the
personal significance of marriage and need the critical safety of
protections and responsibilities that marriage brings.”

Pollsters began their survey on August 6, two days after a federal
judged declared California's gay marriage ban unconstitutional.
The poll has a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

Oh Sh*t! What Will I Do for Money Now?

August 12, 2010 by James Hipps

Yep, that’s exactly what former Iowa GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaatswas thinking after he came in second in the state’s primary election.

You see, Vander Plaats ignored that Iowa polls that showed an overwhelming majority of voters in the state were far more concerned about jobs and the economy than they were with the fact the state’s high court ruled that banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Heck, even Glenn Beck, one of the nuttiest nuts of our time even knows same-sex marriage isn’t a threat to our society (see video below). But, just like a good right wing, religious right, conservative Christian, GOP candidate is suppose to do, Vander Plaats continued to base his campaign on the premise that if elected, not only would he end the travesty of same-sex marriage in his state, but he would stop it immediately upon taking the governor’s seat through an executive order…even though such an executive order is illegal. But hey, what’s the law, economy or jobs got to do with saving the sanctity of marriage!?

So Vander Plaats is out of the running, but he’s not putting down his fight against the evils of gay marriage. Like Tony Perkins, Donald Wildmon, James Dobson, Maggie Gallagher and others, Vander Plaats see’s the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, that’s why he’s dedicated his life to the ousting of the justices that legalized gay marriage in Iowa.

According to a post on the Des Moines Register:

Conservative Republican activist Bob Vander Plaats announced today that he’s set up a formal group, called “Iowa for Freedom,” in an attempt to oust three state Supreme Court justices who legalized gay marriage.
“On April 3, 2009, they clearly legislated from the bench by saying Iowa will be a same-sex marriage state,” the Sioux City businessman told reporters in a press conference outside the Iowa Judicial Building. “It is not their place to legislate from the bench. It is the Legislature’s place to make law, not the Supreme Court’s place to make law.”

But is Bob Vander Plaats really concerned that his fellow Iowans didn’t get to vote whether or not to end discrimination? He says he is, and he is a politician, and we all know politicians, especially Republican politicians, only have the better interest of their state’s residents in mind. Oh, and I have some land in Kathmandu for sale at a great price so give me a call, ok!

But seriously, this loser (and I’m only referring to the fact he lost the primary so I’m not resorting to name calling) is more than likely freaking out over what he’s going to do now that his campaign well has run dry. Perhaps he just setting an example for his fellow Iowans by creating his own job since he knows that’s a huge issue for voters? But in any case, Vander Plaats is vowing to raise the money needed to oust the three justices that caused the catastrophic damage to the right by eliminating their right to discriminate based upon sexual orientation.

Also according to the post, he declined to answer whether or not he’d collect a salary for his efforts, which in political terms means: Absolutely! Hopefully he’ll make enough that he manages to keep himself from having to apply at the local Wal-Mart, because he’s not going to get any health insurance as a stock boy.

So there it is, another Republican who is working hard to “preserve liberty and protect rights” and to keep the cash flow flowing. God bless America, land of the free!

Costa Rica Court Blocks Civil Union Referendum

August 12, 2010 by James Hipps

Yesterday, Costa Rica’s high court blocked the country’s electoral tribunal from placing a referendum on the ballot that would allow voters to decide if same-sex civil unions should be legal.

By a vote of 5-2, the Constitutional Court ruled that a ballot initiative would put a minority at a disadvantage in the largely Roman Catholic country, they view the LGBT community to be a minority which puts it at a disadvantage and make it a target for discrimination. The court also stated in their ruling that civil unions are a legislative issue, not an electoral one.

It would look as though the U.S. could take lessons from some of the countries that are finally recognizing the LGBT community as a minority, and recognize that rights for any one specific group should never be left up to a majority vote

http://www.gayagenda.com

But Mike Rogers Never Meant to Make Rep. Mark Kirk's Sexuality a Big News Story

I thought everyone in Illinois politics already knew Kirk was gay. It’s not a rumor and it’s not new. I’ve met the man. He is gay. I didn’t think this would even be a story and wasn’t seeking out coverage. … [Kirk’s] voting switch is a complete bending over for those military people on the hard right. It’s nothing more than a bone to throw at them, because he thinks the right hates the gays. … If he was genuinely against gays serving in the military, I’d respect him. He would be honest then, but now, he’s going to the people of Illinois saying he’s against the gay community. It’s unbelievable that he would turn on his own people. It’s unacceptable in 2010.

—Mike Rogers, who takes credit for outing Illinois' Rep. Mark Kirk (pictured), on the non-issue of exposing the anti-gay homo [via]

U.S. urges Iran not to execute teen convicted of sodomy

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statementTuesday urging Iran not to carry out a planned execution of 18-year-old Ebrahim Hamidi, who was convicted of committing homosexual acts.

According to a report in the Guardian, Hamidi was convicted even though he had no legal representation. His lawyer was recently forced to flee Iran after authorities detained some of his family members. After his conviction, Hamidi’s accuser recanted his testimony, but authorities are reportedly planning to carry out a death sentence anyway.

Iran has drawn condemnation before for hanging youths convicted of homosexual acts

Political groups want more LGBT conservatives to run

Minnesota State Sen. Paul Koering, an openly gay Republican who was defeated in a primary election Tuesday, said yesterday he wasquitting the GOP and politics. Koering is one of just three openly gay Republican state legislators currently in office, all of whom are set to leave their seats at the end of this year. Among the other two, Massachusetts State Sen. Richard Tisei is his party’s nominee for lieutenant governor, while California State Sen. Roy Ashburn is leaving due to term limits.

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has endorsed just two out Republicans for state house seats so far this cycle, but the group’s deputy political director, James Dozier, said more may be in the pipeline for endorsement soon.

A Republican whose experience in gay politics includes stints with the Log Cabin Republicans and Gill Action, Dozier says the Victory Fund is reaching out to LGBT conservatives to make sure they understand there are resources available to help them win election to public office.

So why are there so few openly LGBT Republicans in elective office?

“It’s been difficult for gay conservatives who want to run because often times their party really doesn’t know what to do with them. In some places party leaders fight to keep them off the ballot, and in others they treat them like sacrificial lambs, putting them up to run for seats they just can’t win,” said Dozier. ”But we’re trying to reach out to conservatives and let them know we can train them to plan for and run effective campaigns anyway. They can make a huge difference in their party caucuses, but not unless they have a seat at the table.”

Dozier points to Tisei’s work in the Massachusetts Senate, where as minority leader he was able to get a majority of the Republican caucus to vote against a constitutional amendment to ban marriage for same-sex couples. ”If you’re in the room, you can have a lot more influence on how your colleagues approach an issue,” said Dozier.

Dan Hill is a Victory Fund-endorsed candidate for the Nevada House of Representatives who’s running against a Democratic incumbent. The young conservative is betting that voters are ready for change in a district where home foreclosure rates are some of the highest in the country. ”Dan represents the future of the party. Younger conservatives are focused almost exclusively on fiscal issues, not the tired old social issues that have dominated GOP politics for decades now. But if he’s elected, when LGBT issues do come up in the Nevada legislature, Dan could be in the Republican caucus room challenging his colleagues to stick to truly conservative values and stay out of our private lives,” said Dozier.

New energy among conservatives nationally has also meant an energized gay conservative movement. One group making waves this week for extending a speaking invitation to arch-conservative rabble rouser Ann Coulter is the relatively new GOProud, which says it represents gay conservatives and their allies. Executive Director Jimmy LaSalvia believes recruiting more out conservatives to run is important. ”It ought to be a priority for gay conservatives to recruit more conservatives to run for office including other gay conservatives. Ideology is more important than identity politics. The challenge gay conservatives face is that they are often labeled liberal simply because they are gay. Being gay is not synonymous with being pro-abortion, pro-big government, pro-socialized medicine, etc.,” LaSalvia told Gay Politics.

Though the Victory Fund only endorses openly LGBT candidates who support reproductive rights for women, regardless of party, Dozier said the training offered by the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute is for any LGBT person considering running for office or working for someone who is. ”Ideology, political party, issue positions–none of those should keep anyone from taking advantage of the really excellent Candidate and Campaign Training program we offer. It helps you decide whether you even want to run, what races are appropriate for you, and then gives you a solid foundation to build a campaign plan,” said Dozier. The Victory Fund and theLeadership Institute are separate organizations that share a staff and office space.

Republican politicos and other luminaries such as Meghan McCain, Dick Cheney, Laura Bush, Margaret Hoover, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ted Olson have been advocating for a thaw in their party’s relationship with the LGBT community. ”As the Republican Party continues to move towards the rest of America in its acceptance of LGBT rights, having more LGBT GOP elected officials will help speed the process and counter those who would work legislatively against us and politically to suppress our voice,” said Charles Moran, Vice-Chair of the California Log Cabin Republicans, in a statement sent to Gay Politics.

It’s possible that groups like the Victory Fund, Log Cabin Republicans and GOProud can seize on a remarkable shift toward public acceptance of gays and lesbians to convince out conservatives that voters will support them

Iran Executing Men Falsely Accused of Homosexuality

The world should start to learn the name Ebrahim Hamidi. He's an 18-year-old man who is scheduled to be killed in Iran by state authorities because they think he's gay, and being gay in Iran will earn you a death sentence. But up until recently, his case has managed to float under the radar, even though his fate very much lies in the hands of an international community raising some hell.

Hamidi's case has quite a few twists and turns. In 2008, Hamidi was detained by Iranian authorities along with three other boys. They were accused of sexual assault, and were abruptly tortured and beaten. In order to stop the abuse, Hamidi signed a confession that he had engaged in what state authorities deemed "homosexual relations." He was subsequently told he would be executed -- hung by state authorities.

Iran has scheduled many other LGBT people to die over the course of the past few decades, and generally speaking, they don't fool around. Witness in 2005, when two male teenagers were hung, accused of being gay. That they've promised to execute Hamidi should be seen as a very real threat.

Beyond just the normal human rights outrage at the thought of executing someone over their perceived sexual orientation, Hamidi's case gets even more complex. See, the person who originally accused Hamidi and the other boys of sexual assault? He recanted the accusation, and said it wasn't true. And then allegations came forward that suggested Hamidi only signed a confession after being pressured. And then the Iranian Supreme Court ordered that Hamidi's case be re-opened, and a new case launched.

Yet despite all of that, Iranian authorities could kill Hamidi at a moment's notice. And that's why activists are starting to call for global outrage to make sure this doesn't happen. Won't you take a minute to email Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and urge her to condemn the possible execution of Hamidi and do whatever she can to help stop it?

Related Action»

Adding yet another layer of frustration in this case is that Hamidi's lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei, has been forced to flee Iran after threats on his life. Mostafaei is also the attorney for Sakineh Ashtiani, an Iranian woman scheduled to be stoned to death for adultery. Ashtiani's case has attracted worldwide attention, and as a result, hits went out on Mostafaei's life. He's now in Turkey, it seems, under the protection of European diplomats.

That means that Hamidi has no legal representation. As UK activist Peter Tatchell notes, all of this combined shows that Iran's legal system is an absolute and utter failure.

“Ebrahim’s case shows the flaws and failings of the Iranian legal system. It is further evidence that innocent people are sentenced on false charges of homosexuality,” Tatchell said. He added a plea for the international community to call on their respective governments to help stop this execution. “Wherever you live, get your MP/Congressperson/Deputy and Foreign Minister to lobby the Iranian Chief Justice."

That's why it's time to put pressure on the U.S. State Department, and urge them to do whatever they can to lobby for a hold on Ebrahim Hamidi's execution. This is a man who by all accounts is innocent, who had his original accusations withdrawn, and who even has the backing of the Iranian Supreme Court for a new trial. Can the international community sit by while Iranian thugs move forward with plans to hang him?

Photo credit: _skender_

http://gayrights.change.org