The more I read of the Proposition 8 Trial Tracker BLog’s account of the trial’s testimony the more I believe that there is really no valid argument against gay marriage.  Their Questioning, and their expert witnesses are crushing the pro- Prop 8 people. It is a blood bath in there. The historical evidence supporting the homosexuality has been to subject to demonizing, discrimination, and bigotry throughout history is huge and painful to recount, but consistent. There is also plenty of historical evidence of changing marital laws with slaves, interracial marriage, etc…  I am impressed with the legal work here.

I see good things to eventually come.  Yea!

I just received word the the Supreme Court has affirmed a block on televising the Prop 8 court proceedings. I am saddened by this. Transparency to the public in such a high profile case is important, especially to let the world see the bigotry and lies that are spread by the pro Prop 8′ers. They want to keep this as hidden as possible so they do not look so bad. They are trying to keep as much of their commercials and other propaganda and so on from being admitted for similar reasons.  They hate to have their own work used against them.

New York Times Coverage

• Two Ideological Foes Unite to Overturn Proposition 8
• YouTube Moment on Hold in Same-Sex Marriage Case in San Francisco
• Personal Focus as Same-Sex-Marriage Trial Opens in California (Day 1)
• Same-Sex Marriage Case, Day 2: History Lessons
• Same-Sex Marriage Case, Day 3: The Defense Pushes Back

Here is a link to a live blog detailing the happenings at the Proposition 8 trial: Proposition 8 Trial Tracker BLog from the Courage Campaign.

Read it and get involved. This is one of the most important civil rights issues of our time.

Read about it and you be the judge:

• Uganda considers death sentence for gay sex in bill before parliament (Guardian UK, November 2009)
• Uganda’s Anti-Gay Bill: Inspired by the U.S. (Time, December 2009)
• Taboos Silence Opponents Of Uganda Anti-Gay Bill (NPR, December 2009)
• Uganda’s bill to imprison gays for life is an outrage that should be rejected (Washington Post, January 2010)
• Op-Ed: Bearing False Witness in Uganda (HRC Backstory, January 2010)

Contact your legislators via HRC to let them know that this is not acceptable anywhere in the world.

I know what I am about to write here is bitterly sarcastic and angry… but here it is anyhow:

Congrats Scott Lively, Don Schmierer and Caleb Lee Brundidge! This must be a proud moment for you and your Fundamentalist Christian community. Bravo! Bravo! You have worked hard spreading ignorance and lies to ensure the deaths of more people. How proud you must be to know that you will soon have the potential death of many vile homo’s on your hands. Your “Godly” works are now responsible for promoting another tyrannical and oppressive regime like Iran and China where human rights are only a convenience for the state to play with and not a human right. I hope you enjoyed the participatory process in bringing about such stellar and model Christian legislation.

This article in Newsweek titled “The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage
Why same-sex marriage is an American value” is written by Theodore Olson who is a prominent Republican lawyer that served under Bush and Reagan during their presidential administrations. He, along with David Boies, a prominent liberal lawyer, have taken it upon themselves to overturn Proposition 8 all the way to the Supreme Court.

This article states his reasons for taking up the Gay Marriage case with hopes of ending the discrimination and injustice in this country. The Republican party has been struggling with their identity and have been trying to find themselves again. I think that they should take up with Mr. Olson to find out where to go – Freedom, Justice, and Family and not persecutive religious dogmatic status quo’ism.

Please take the time to read his view point. It is very compelling. And if you are really bored you can read my scrawlings on the gay marriage issue too.

I was not surprised to see this still an issue. In the pre-revolution days many of the colonies had religious tests as a requirement to hold office. They did out-law it at some point prior to the the uniting of the colonies, if I remember correctly, but still there remains these last remaining vestiges of Christian religious oppression. Fortunately, the Constitution is really clear on this and tells the state to suck it.

The article Gay on Trial: Why more than marriage is at stake in the federal legal challenge to Prop. 8 (the American Prospect) has a great run-down on the current state of the gay rights movement especially in light of the famous lawyers David Boies and Ted Olson taking up the case.

The only part of the article that I find annoying is this following quote:

Prop. 8’s defenders seem most self-assured when speaking in broad axioms. According to the motion filed by the defense in Perry, “the purpose of marriage [has] always been to promote naturally procreative sexual relationships,” and “every civilized society in recorded history [has] limited marriage to opposite-sex relationships.” But when asked concrete questions, as the defense was at a pre-trial hearing in October, lawyers have been hard-pressed to come up with an answer.

Gay on Trial, Gabriel Arana; November 23, 2009

If they paid any attention to history or anthropology they would find this statement patently false. Marriage has not, in even a pseudo modern world, traditionally been done specifically for procreative or genetic ends. Marriage has been done for power, land, and influence, and love. The ability to bear children is a natural extension of power, love, and influence.

Historically there have been many societies that have revered or thought nothing of homosexuality. There have been even some societies where sex with the opposite sex was abhorrent and only done with the explicit necessity of bearing children to perpetuate their tribe. The possibility of not having and answer for this I find annoying, because it is easy to refute.

Karen Armstrong, a former nun, gave her speech called A Charter for Compassion (TED)” to Ted Talks on Feb 2009. I watched this speech and it is quite inspiring. This speech was given as her TED Prize Wish for 2009. She now has a website of for it as well: Charter for Compassion

Related TED Talk: “Lets Revive the Golden Rule“

I have posted a new article for the Milwaukee Examiner titled “My faith (part VII) – Conclusion.

Nobel Prize

Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize (Obama: Nobel Peace Prize is ‘call to action’ [CNN], I was really, really shocked when I read this, especially as I read over the time-frame that this had to have happened – the first 12 days of his taking office. I think that this might have been a little bit premature of them, but I also find it a powerful and telling message of how much the change that Obama is the impetus for, and how much it is really, really needed not only for the United States as a country, but for the world to have faith in us as a a beacon of freedom and progress again.

Obama is powerful speaker and he is bringing that change to us that is sorely needed. He is moving in wonderful directions correcting problems that our country has had for a very long time, and just putting out a mandate of ’solve it’ where congress and the senate are working together to make it happen. This is such a wonderful thing. Hopefully, they will not screw it up too much. =)

Obama Speaks at the Human Rights Campaign

His message was powerful and affirming. For a while gay rights activists (such as me) have been not quite so sure where Obama has stood on the gay rights issue, but as of October 10th we shall no longer have any doubts. Our President is against discrimination and hate crimes and shall work tirelessly towards the passing of the Matthew Shepard Act, and the repealing of the the Defense of Marriage Act and the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell act too. This is a wonderful day that can have us looking forward to the end of discrimination, prejudice, and bigotry in the laws of our great country.

Now that is change I can believe in.

HRC Speech – Part 1

HRC Speech – Part 2

HRC Speech – Part 3

I have posted a new article for the Milwaukee Examiner titled “My faith (part VI) – The influence of Unitarian Universalism, Free Thought, and the ULC.

I have posted a new article for the Milwaukee Examiner titled “My faith (part V) – The influence of micronationalism and Esperanto.

I have posted a new article for the Milwaukee Examiner titled “My faith (part III) – The influence of Dungeons and Dragons.

I have posted a new article for the Milwaukee Examiner titled “My faith (part II) – The influence of a ‘A Chosen Faith’“

I have posted a new article for the Milwaukee Examiner titled “UU minister, Rev. Forrest Church, has passed“

I have posted a new article for the Milwaukee Examiner titled “My faith (part 1) – The beginning“