UK and Lots of Us Still Touched by Openly Gay Singer Stephen Gately’s Death

Handsome , young and  talented. You think that healthy guys would live way beyond 33 Years. Most of us will recall him from the Boyzone.  He will be missed. AF* Author for the post below: Donovan  at  http://www.homorazzi.com   

The biggest story dominating the front pages of UK newspapers this past weekend was the shocking news of former boy bander Stephen Gately’s untimely death. The 33-year old who co-fronted the Irish pop group, Boyzone, was found dead in his partner’s apartment in Majorca Spain. Details are still hazy as to the cause of death, but both suicide and foul play have been ruled out. Early reports say Gately had gone out for drinks, returned to his accommodation, fallen asleep, but never woke up.

The Dublin born pop singer, along with his Boyzone band mates dominated the UK charts in the 90s. Former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said Gately’s death was “a huge tragedy to Irish entertainment, Irish music and further afield as well.” Boyzone sold millions of records and topped the British charts with six No. 1 singles during the 1990s, including “All That I Need” and a cover of the Bee Gees’ “Words.” They were often compared to their British pop rivals, Take That. The two UK groups often competed with each other for pop dominance in the pop charts and press. Surviving members of Boyzone- Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch- were completely shocked and sadden by the news and issued a joint statement.

“We are completely devastated by the loss of our friend and brother, Stephen. We have shared such wonderful times together over the years and were all looking forward to sharing many more. Stephen was a beautiful person in both body and spirit. He lit up our lives and those of the many friends he had all over the world. Our love and sympathy go out to Andrew and Stephen’s family. We love you and will miss you forever, ‘Steo’”

Boyzone was formed by Louis Walsh who placed an ad looking for member’s for Ireland’s first boy band. Random fact, one of the unsuccessful auditioners was none other than Irish bad boy himself, Colin Farrell. Who knew he could sing?

At the young age of 23, Gately made worldwide headlines in June 1999 when he publicly came out in the British paper, The Sun. He sold his story to the newspaper fearing a former employee of their security team was going to out him. Being openly gay didn’t hurt his career as he found huge success in theatre, TV and a solo career after the group disbanded.

In 2003, Gately and his boyfriend Andrew Cowles took part in a commitment ceremony in a Las Vegas chapel while vacationing in “Sin City”. The two made it more official in 2006 when they entered a civil partnership in London. Cowles, an internet businessman, was introduced to Gately by mutual friends Elton John and his partner David Furnish. In the wake of this tragedy, Elton John has also released a statement

“Stephen was the kindest, gentlest soul. We send our love and condolences to his partner Andy and to all his friends everywhere,”….. [we] were stunned by this tragedy.

I’m sure we will be hearing a lot more of this in the coming days ahead until the final cause of his death is determined. Though I wasn’t too familiar with their music, I admire Gately for coming out despite being in one of the biggest groups in the world at the time- years before Lance Bass even thought about it. It’s even more refreshing to see that being openly gay didn’t affect his career in a negative manner.

UPDATE: The official cause of death is now in. A postmortem has concluded that Stephen Gately died of natural causes. The official statement says Gately suffered a pulmonary oedema, an accumulation of fluid on the lungs. The findings seem to backup speculation that Stephen died choking on his own vomit after a night of drinking. Reports also say that Andrew Cowles, his partner, found him the next day and tried to revive him but to avail. I can’t even begin to think what was going through his mind. My heart goes out to Andrew and of course Gately’s family. I would be absolutely beside myself if I found the love of my life in that circumstance.

Here’s a video to one of their biggest hits, Words- a remake of the Bee Gees classic.

 

Rider Marco Simoncelli was killed after a horrific crash-video

 

 

 http://www.smh.com.au SEPANG, Malaysia: Italian rider Marco Simoncelli was killed after a horrific crash yesterday which forced the cancellation of the Malaysian MotoGP.

The crash occurred just minutes after the race began when the 24-year-old Honda rider's bike veered across the track and into the paths of riders Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi.

 

Chaos … TV footage of the crash that killed Marco Simoncelli.

Simoncelli's helmet was knocked off in the ensuing collision on turn 11. MotoGP later announced his death on its website.

''Marco Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in Malaysia,'' the announcement said.

Edwards also fell but escaped serious injury and Rossi was able to return to the pits.

Marco Simoncelli ... 'A special talent." Photo: Getty Images

Newly crowned Australian world champion Casey Stoner said later he had felt ''sick inside'' when he saw the accident.

Stoner admitted that immediately after the crash, he had feared the worst. ''As soon as I saw the footage it just makes you sick inside,'' the Australian told BBC2.

''Whenever the helmet comes off, that's not a good sign.''

Simoncelli had finished second to Stoner in the Australian MotoGP only the weekend before.

The Sepang circuit chairman, Mokhzani Mahathir, said: ''This is one-of-a-kind freak incident where the helmet came off and I am sure FIM [International Federation of Motorcycling] and MotoGP will be looking into this.''

Motor sports have had a nightmare stretch recently and Simoncelli's death looked certain to throw open more questions over safety.

The weekend before, last year's MotoGP champ Jorge Lorenzo crashed during warm-ups in Australia, severing a finger and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died in a 15-car crash in Las Vegas in the Indy Car series.

The track in Sepang was immediately red-flagged after the crash and organisers later said the race had been cancelled.

Although there is a final race in Spain still to come, Stoner has already secured the 2011 championship with his win last weekend in the Australian Grand Prix.

Tributes came in for Simoncelli from fellow riders.

British MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow wrote on Twitter: ''RIP Marco Simoncelli! A great rider and all round nice guy. My thoughts are with all his family & friends. I will never forget today.''

Australian Formula 1 driver Mark Webber tweeted: ''RIP Marco. A special talent that will be missed. Thinking of your loved ones and all the MotoGP paddock.''

The accident happened when the Italian low-sided from his bike at turn 11. His bike veered across the track and straight into the path of Edwards and Rossi.

Simoncelli, who was motionless on the track after the impact, had been fourth at the end of lap 1. Simoncelli first entered MotoGP last year. He won his first pole position at the Catalunya race last June.

Simoncelli's first podium was in the Czech Republic in August when he was third. He bettered that with the second place at the Australian GP.

Simoncelli had started in the 125cc class in 2002 and moved up to the 250cc class in 2006. He claimed the 250cc world title in 2008.

This season he finished fifth in the season open in Qatar before falling from the lead of the wet race at Jerez.

He secured his highest starting position to that point of second, before falling on the first lap of the Estoril race.

During the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, Simoncelli collided with Dani Pedrosa while the pair were battling for second place.

The resulting crash saw Pedrosa break his collarbone.

Simoncelli received a ride-through penalty, eventually finishing fifth in the race.

He initially rejected blame for the crash, claiming he braked no later than normal. He also said he had left Pedrosa enough room.

But before the next race, he accepted that he needed to reflect on his riding style.

  

Gus Johnston Hockey Champion Comes out on UTube

 

  

GUS Johnston was a champion hockey goalkeeper. A gutsy player who regularly put his body on the line for his team, Johnston represented Victoria for 12 years and was vice-captain of his local club Essendon for seven. While his flame-red hair and natural ability made him a big identity in his sport, he was little known outside hockey circles. Until last month, that is, when he posted an emotional 12-minute video on YouTube in which he outed himself as gay.

In the film, which he called ''The reality of homophobia in sport'', Johnston looks the viewer in the eye as he says: ''My name is Gus Johnston, I'm a writer, art director, filmmaker and a hockey goalkeeper. I'm also a gay man - and that's something I never thought I would say in such a public forum like this.''

 

Gutsy: Victorian hockey player Gus Johnston has outed himself in a 12-minute YouTube video. Photo: Craig Sillitoe

His eyes well up and hands shake at points during the clip, as he speaks candidly about his closeted life in a sporting culture in which strict stereotypes about ''real men'' are rigidly adhered to. ''I regret immensely that I wasn't strong enough as a leader, that I didn't step up when I was playing and share this about myself,'' he says.

He explains that he has done so 10 months after retiring, in part to let young gay athletes know that they are not alone. He also wants to tell the broader sporting community that gossip and ''jokes'' about sexuality peddled in locker rooms are homophobic and hurtful.

Posting an email address at the end of his YouTube clip enabled hundreds of people to send him their congratulations - among them were an AFL coach and several current players.

Swimmer Daniel Kowalski. Photo: Craig Golding

''I went from someone who has never been in the public eye in the slightest to someone experiencing a tidal wave of complete positivity,'' Johnston says.

By coming out, Johnston joins an exclusive club of elite Australian athletes. In our sports-obsessed nation, in which it is estimated 10 per cent of the population is homosexual, it is telling that only three other elite male athletes have come out: Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham, Olympic swimmer Daniel Kowalski and rugby league player Ian Roberts.

Minnesota Companies on The Side of Gay Marriage

                                       

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — John Taft is a businessman and a Republican, great-grandson to President William Howard Taft and heir to an Ohio Republican dynasty. But it was Gov. Mark Dayton whom he spoke alongside at a recent fundraiser in favor of gay rights and against Minnesota's marriage amendment.

What put him on a stage with the Democratic governor? Taft thinks voting to ban gay marriage in the state Constitution would be bad for business.

"I'm doing it because I truly do believe that keeping Minnesota competitive depends a great deal on attracting and retaining the best talent the world has to offer," Taft, CEO of RBC Wealth Management U.S., told The Associated Press during an interview in his 19th-floor, downtown Minneapolis office.

Opponents of the marriage amendment on the 2012 ballot see natural allies in the state's prominent companies, long seen as integral to preserving the state's fabled quality of life. But the symbolic and financial firepower of companies like Target, General Mills and others with a history of supporting gay causes may not be so forthcoming.

The Associated Press contacted representatives for the 13 Minnesota-based Fortune 500 companies that currently offer domestic partner benefits — nearly three-quarters of the state's complete Fortune 500 roster — and only one, a spokeswoman for Little Canada-based medical device maker St. Jude Medical, said the company would publicly oppose the amendment.

That's not what amendment opponents might have hoped for. "It's our preference that employers who are committed to fairness and equality for all their employees would find opposing the amendment a reasonable position," said Fred Sainz, vice president of communications and marketing for the Human Rights Campaign, the national gay-rights group that's already engaging in Minnesota's battle.

"We do not believe the proposed constitutional amendment is in the best interests of economic and jobs growth in Minnesota," said Rachel Ellingson, vice president for corporate communications at St. Jude Medical. "We believe that it is important for the state to be viewed as inclusive in order to recruit and retain the best talent."

The ability to harness corporate wealth into donations will be a key goal of both supporters and opponents of the marriage amendment. With incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar so far facing little serious opposition, the campaign could end up as the state's priciest in 2012: after initial predictions of a $10 million campaign, one activist who will be heavily involved with fundraising recently doubled the stakes.

"There's an expectation it could be $10 million on each side, $20 million total," said Ann Kaner-Roth, executive director of the gay rights group Project 515. "I think that's not out of the realm of reality."

But it won't be with donations directly from Minnesota corporations. Even St. Jude Medical, Ellingson said, would not donate money as a company to defeat the amendment.

Of the other 12 companies, representatives for eight told the AP their companies would not take a public position. Those companies are Target, General Mills, Best Buy, Supervalu, Land O'Lakes, Medtronic, Xcel Energy and Ecolab. The other four companies — 3M, Ameriprise Financial, UnitedHealth Group and U.S. Bancorp — did not respond to several inquiries.

"Target is committed to an inclusive culture among our team members and throughout the community," spokeswoman Jessica Carlson said. "Target does not have a public position on the proposed amendment, but we are encouraging our team members to exercise the right to vote."

The Minneapolis-based retailing giant learned the hard way last year that jumping into the political fray can carry a downside — particularly when it touches on social issues with deeply felt convictions on both sides. The company donated $150,000 to a business-oriented political fund that in turn supported Tom Emmer, the conservative Republican candidate for governor of Minnesota with a lengthy record of opposing gay-rights causes, sparking an uproar by the HRC and other gay-rights groups that considered Target an ally for previously donating to their causes.

But ensuing attempts to mollify gay rights groups triggered whispers of a backlash by more conservative customers. "You're never going to make everyone happy with any one position," said Sainz, the HRC official.

In addition to offering domestic partner benefits, a few of the companies staying neutral in the gay marriage fight have long records of giving money to gay-rights causes. In 2011, five of the 13 companies were corporate sponsors of the Twin Cities gay pride festival: Target, Best Buy, General Mills, Medtronic and U.S. Bancorp through its subsidiary, U.S. Bank.

Several of the Minnesota companies to respond said it would violate company policy to take a position on policy issues not linked to their area of business. "We typically do not take positions on ballot questions that do not concern energy policy," said Steve Roalstad, director of media relations for Xcel Energy.

Even Taft's company, RBC Wealth Management U.S., is taking that approach by citing its own policy of taking positions only on financial policy matters. But Taft himself has agreed to serve on the steering committee of Minnesotans United for All Families, the coalition opposed to the amendment; he said part of his role would be to convince business leaders to donate money and time to defeat it.

Taft himself donated $10,000. He said his own views on gay rights issues began to shift after his daughter, now 31, came out as gay when she was still in high school. He said he wouldn't take issue with any Minnesota companies that stay on the sidelines — but said he thought it was a bad business decision.

"At some point you have to decide, as an individual and as a corporation, what do you stand for?" Taft said. "And you have to be true to that."

Not Since ‘Brokeback Mountain’ a gay Film for all } W e e K e N d

An interview with Andrew Haigh, director of "Weekend," which played the Seattle International Film Festival last spring and returns Friday, Oct. 28, for a regular run in theaters. Perhaps not since "Brokeback Mountain" has a gay film received the kind of praise that's been showered on this movie.

By John Hartl

Special to The Seattle Times

ANONYMOUS / AP

Perhaps not since "Brokeback Mountain" has a gay film received the kind of praise that's been showered on "Weekend," which played the Seattle International Film Festival last spring and returns Friday for a regular run.

The New York Times' A.O. Scott called it "one of the most satisfying love stories you are likely to see on screen this year." Praising the intimate look of the movie, Film Comment magazine's Paul Brunick wrote that "these are some of the most beautifully revelatory close-ups I have ever seen."

"We were always quite keen that the film not exist within a gay niche market," said the 38-year-old writer-director, Andrew Haigh, during a SIFF visit.

"I have seen a lot of gay-themed films that didn't really express how I see being gay, at this moment in the world. There never seemed to be a kind of authentic depiction of relationships. I wanted to be as honest as I could be with that, and not have it be about coming out or being beaten up at school.

"That's all that gay films always seem to be about — it's as if you come out, and then have nothing else interesting to say about your experience."

Two experienced British stage actors, Tom Cullen and Chris New, were cast as adults who meet at a Nottingham gay club, spend the night together, then discover they want the relationship to continue.

"It's about these characters trying to make sense of their lives and trying to find their place," said Haigh.

Finding the actors

Initially, New's more outspoken character, Glen, was going to be an American visitor who expresses the aggressiveness Haigh sees in gay Americans.

"I think in England we meander through and not complain too much," he said. "We see gay Americans as strong and having a passion for political statements."

Russell, a lifeguard played by Cullen, was always going to be British. His role went through fewer changes.

"We were looking for sort of un-actorly people," said Haigh, who auditioned 15 couples before casting them. "Tom and Chris had never met, and they're not like their characters in the film (Cullen is straight, New is gay), but there's a feistiness between the two of them that I liked."

Complicating matters: Glen is leaving to study in Portland, Ore., and he insists this is no time for a relationship.

"There was always a possibility that an end to the relationship was kind of looming," said Haigh. Also adding to the tension is the location, which changed because of funding.

Filming in Nottingham

"It was London originally, but we got money from Nottingham, which is not London in terms of acceptance of gays," said Haigh. "That actually helped the story a lot.

"I quite like (the Albert Finney film) 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning,' which was shot on some of the same locations in Nottingham, and even though the films are so completely different, it influenced this film in some strange way."I see Glen as a modern version of Finney (a rebellious factory worker whose mantra is 'Don't let the bastards grind you down'). They're both dealing with the social climate in Nottingham, and how they respond to that."

Shooting in Nottingham's gay clubs, the filmmakers quickly realized that "there were a lot of people there who didn't want to be seen on camera. We didn't want to out anybody."

While the film seems improvised, most of the dialogue was written in advance.

"We spent a lot of time trying to make it feel like the whole story wasn't constructed," said Haigh. "It felt natural as much as possible, but in fact everything was quite tightly structured, script-wise and visually.

"Within each scene there's one long take. For me, that really helped the actors and their chemistry and their ability to try new things. Some of the takes are like six or seven minutes, which is quite a lot for an actor.

"I was never adamant that they stick to the script. If they could think of something better, then we could just do that."

Haigh learned about technique from working as an editor on Ridley Scott's "Gladiator." His only previous film as a director was "Greek Pete," which he describes as "a micro no-budget feature, a docudrama about male escorts in London."

Next up: He's planning a remake "of an old French film that we're trying to get the rights to."

John Hartl: johnhartl@yahoo.co
m

Gay, Muslim, and Free

BY ABDELLA TAÏA

Out.Com

• In the wake of Gaddafi's death, a Moroccan writer looks back on the effects of the Arab Spring.    

Arabs are finally in the process of exiting the prisons in which many dictators have tried to imprison them. The Arabs—this people that have been called fatalistic and submissive—are staging a revolution. Better than that: They are reinventing the idea of revolution.

It’s like a dream—a dream that no one would have dared take seriously. But it’s becoming reality. In the midst of pain and courage. With obstinance. It won’t stop today or the next day. A profound change in the Arab world and mindset is already here, in the streets, in their cries.

This uprising overwhelms me, brings tears to my eyes and allows me, as an Arab writer, both Muslim and gay, to dare to feel hope. The determination I’ve always had, since childhood, to be myself, to tempt the truth, despite insults and misunderstanding—I see it now among other Arabs. Not only in my own country of Morocco, but also with Arabs who, until recently, were far from my thoughts and my heart. 

Before, the Arab world seemed like a fiction, a unified façade invented by the elite in order to dominate the people, to maintain them in poverty, unemployed and silent; to impose upon them a religion in order to control them; to keep them from thinking or from becoming free. 

Now, a miracle is emerging in front of our eyes daily. Nightly. Arabs are emerging from their fear, defying power, sacrificing themselves. This moment is historic. It comes from within itself. And it’s there because free voices continue to emerge. We want a lay society, freedom of religion, freedom of the body. We want equality, justice. We want to define our own existence. We want individuality, not only recognized by the legal system, but protected by the laws. For heterosexuals, as well as homosexuals.

Danger and extremists aren’t far off, of course. Detractors and opportunists as well. But what we’re seeing today in the Arab word is going to allow the essential elements of the democratic idea: contradiction and debate. To recognize the existence of a voice that represents the opposite to what you represent is no longer a reason to ignore or to kill the speakers. On the contrary. To talk, even to argue with those who are unthinkable to us, that’s real luxury. That’s liberty. 

I hear that this Arab revolution will bring the Islamists to power. Nothing could be less sure. I remain an optimist. For the first time, I have hope for the world from which I come. I know it takes time. But I also know that you must plant seeds, ask the right questions, raise your head, no longer fear. 

I know some homosexuals who stood daily with the millions of Egyptians on Tahrir Square, in Cairo, in order to topple the regime and force President Mubarak to resign. I know homosexuals in Morocco, in Syria, in Tunisia who participated actively in the revolution.

I speak of homosexuals because I am one. And this revolution is also mine—ours.

I am not a dreamer. I am not an idealist. For the first time in my life, I see that the Arab world can change. Will change. Has even started to change.

Writing will bear all of this change. My writing is changing as well. I write as a revolutionary now, more political than ever. To join Arab history as it moves is a duty. I feel like Arthur Rimbaud. I see. To clean the slate is imperative. 

This article is translated from French by Natalie Dietz.

Alessandro Calza! and VIDEO BONUS: ‘Ciao' W/ the Sexiest Kissing

 By Greg Hernandez  http://greginhollywood.com/

 

 

I raved about the indie flick Ciaowhen it was screened at Outfest a few summers back andAlessandro Calza was a big reason why.

Not only was this incredibly beautiful Italian one of the film’s stars, but he also co-wrote the script with director Yen Tan.

It’s the story of two men who form an unlikely bond when a mutual friend named Mark dies unexpectedly. The two men are Jeff (Adam Neal Smith), the dead man’s best friend, and Andrea (Alessandro Calza), an Italian he’d been corresponding with online before his death. It is Jeff informs Andrea of the friend’s passing, They continue their correspondence and eventually meet when Andrea travels from Italy to Texas.

It was a leap of faith to cast Calza as one of the leads in what basically an intimate two-character film with lots of dialogue.

“He’s not an actor at all,” Tan told me last year. “That was kind of a risk I always considered. Initially when I asked him to read for the part, he emailed me some (video) clips. I thought he had a very dynamic camera presence. We went through a whole year of preparation where I instructed him about acting.”

Calzar is physically so beautiful but he also brings such a charm and a lot of heart to his performance – especially in those moments when he is sharing with Jeff the things about Mark that Jeff never knew about. Whether over dinner, over beers or visiting Mark’s apartment and grave, these two form a beautiful bond and you will want to witness it so add this to your Netflix!

VIDEO BONUS: Ciao is a movie that has a lot of talking, almost all between the two very attractive leads. Finally, toward the end, the kiss. And kiss. And kiss.

I think this could be one of the sexiest kissing scenes between two men that I’ve ever seen! It’s a bit dark but I think you will still find it quite enjoyable!

Religion’s undue influence on U.S. politics

It's 2011. The fact that Mitt Romney is a Mormon shouldn't be up for discussion

BY AMANDA MARCOTTE, ALTERNET

•  

Mitt Romney, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain (Credit: Reuters/Salon)

 

This article originally appeared on AlterNet.

As an atheist and a liberal, I’ve found it tempting to simply laugh at Republicans fighting each other over the issue of whether or not Mitt Romney, a Mormon, gets to consider himself a Christian. From the nonbeliever point of view, it’s like watching a bunch of grown adults work themselves into a frenzy over the differences between leprechauns and fairies. But watching the debate unfold, I’ve become concerned about what it means to make someone’s religious beliefs such a big campaign issue, because it’s indicative of a larger eroding of the separation of church and state, which concerns not just atheists but all people who understand the importance of maintaining a secular government.

Robert Jeffress, the influential senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, went on “Focal Point” with Bryan Fischer and declared that one shouldn’t support Mitt Romney for president because Romney, a Mormon, isn’t a real Christian. This created a media dustup that was silly even by the usual standards of ever-sillier mainstream media campaign coverage. John King of CNN interviewed Jeffress, focusing strictly on the question of who Jeffress believes deserves to be called a Christian, and how firmly he believes that only people he calls Christians should hold public office.Candy Crowley of CNN dogged both Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann on the question of whether they believe Romney is a Christian, and then she got irate with the candidates when they refused to answer the question, claiming that it’s irrelevant.

These interviews are remarkable for what the CNN anchors didn’t discuss, which was the most important question of all: the separation of church and state. Even though our nation has a tradition of pastors staying out of partisan politics — in fact, it is illegal for ministers to endorse candidates from the pulpit — it seemingly never occurred to King to challenge Jeffress for overstepping his bounds by telling people that God wants an evangelical Christian who is a Republican for president. By making the story about whether or not Mormons are Christians, CNN left the viewer with the impression that only Christians deserve to hold public office, and that the only thing left to debate is whether someone “counts” as a Christian, making him or her eligible for office.

We’re a long way from the days when John Kennedy assured the public that he respected the separation of church and state and would keep his faith separate from his policy-making decisions. Now, even mainstream reporters take it as a given that politicians will let religion govern their actions, and the only thing left to debate on theology is how many angels any single politician believes dance on the head of a pin. Things that used to be considered beyond the pale in politics, such as religious intolerance or ministers blatantly claiming they know who God supports in an election, have become normalized to the point where someone like Mitt Romney, who is odious in most respects but has never really made much fuss over his faith, is seeing religious tests becoming a major issue in his campaign.

The ramifications for this shift affect more than conservative Mormons trying to win as Republicans. By not challenging the assertion that only Christians should hold office, mainstream journalists encourage bigotry against all religious minorities, including atheists. Atheists already face discrimination when it comes to running for public office. A number of states ban atheists from holding public office, even though the U.S. Constitution explicitly forbids religious tests for office. Of course, it’s difficult for an atheist to win enough votes to get into office, so this conflict hasn’t been tested much, although one atheist city council member found himself under fire by religious bigots who wanted to use North Carolina’s ban on atheists holding office to push him out for not swearing his oath of office on the Bible.

There’s a reason the Founding Fathers wrote a national constitution that forbade religious tests for office and required the separation of church and state. It’s not just because protection is needed against the escalating religious bigotry we’re seeing lately, but also because religion should have no place in politics in the first place. Neither atheists nor believers benefit when leaders are guided more by religious dogma than by rationality. Angels and demons might be a fine thing to worry about when you’re in church on Sunday, but when you’re trying to govern real people in the real world, it’s far better to rely on evidence and empirical facts, interpreted through reason and not through the guesswork of faith. This is why Kennedy defended himself against questions about his faith by saying, “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote.”

People like Robert Jeffress, when they propose religious tests for office — even ones held privately by voters — should face more challenges than reporters simply asking whether they consider Mormons “real” Christians. They should be confronted with Kennedy’s words and asked directly why they disagree with our former president about the separation of church and state. They should be asked why they believe only a certain breed of Christians should hold office, and asked why they think it’s appropriate to demand that politicians put religious dogma before evidence-based and rational approaches to policy. Anything less than that is aiding the religious right in its mission to remake our secular democracy into a theocracy. It shouldn’t be tolerated.

Amanda Marcotte lives in Austin, Texas, and manages the blog Pandagon.She recently had a two-week stint as the blogmaster for the John Edwards for President campaign. More Amanda Marcotte