GOP Homophobia was on display at hearing on DADT repeal implementation

As we mentioned earlier this week, the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Personnel was holding its first hearing on DADT repeal today. It was supposed to be about the implementation process. But, these GOPers can't help themselves. Their homophobia was on full display. And, they wanted another debate over whether DADT should be repealed.

Keep in mind that 80% of the American people support repeal. But, you wouldn't know that from the way the Republicans today. It was pretty clear these GOPers still don't want repeal to happen. At this point, any opposition to DADT repeal is based on bigotry.

SLDN blasted the hearing:

“Today’s hearing represents a shameless and transparent attempt by a few repeal opponents to delay, defund, and derail the timely certification and full repeal of the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law.

“Mr. Wilson knows better. There was nothing undemocratic about last year's vote to repeal ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell.’ The measure passed both houses of Congress on a strong bi-partisan vote.

Alex Nicholson took a swipe at the hearing organizers, but sees progress:

"Despite the transparent intentions behind the scheduling of today's oversight hearing on the progress toward 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal, the hearing went very well and revealed smooth sailing for ongoing training and certification preparation. Under Secretary Stanley and Vice Admiral Gortney thoroughly answered all questions regarding the progress of repeal training, and opponents of repeal noticeably struggled to try to get in digs about this inevitable change in policy. Overall, the Department of Defense continues to do an admirable job in deliberately moving forward toward certification and finality on this issue."

At Think Progress, Zack Ford report on the hearing is titled, "GOP Digs For Dirt At Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Oversight Hearing." Chris Johnson from the Washington Blade live-tweeted the hearing. Rep. Joe "You Lie" Wilson chaired the hearing:

WIlson (R-S.C.) says he was "troubled" by the process that led to #DADT repeal and thought it was rushed through lame duck session

Yeah, the House only voted on repeal twice, in May and December. The Senate only debated repeal three times. That's a real rush job. But, I think this is my favorite:

Hartzler you have a "double-standard" by not requiring men and women to shower together, but requiring gays to shower with straight troops

Hartzler is Rep. Hartzler (MO) is the sponsor of the resolution on DOMA that's given us the list of the biggest homophobes in the House. Now, why she puts so much thought into people showering together is intriguing. Clearly, she thinks about it a lot. She's vying to be the next Marilyn Musgrave.

We're just seeing more and more evidence that a lot of these House Republicans don't really care what the American people think. They're trying to impose their warped, homophobic views on the country.

Guess it's a good thing we didn't wait to push the repeal bill in 2011, which was part of the original plan. Read the rest of this post...

More on America's unfair gay immigration policy

ABC News has a story that provides some concrete examples of just how devastating the decision to continue with "business as usual" is destroying gay American bi-national couple's lives.

Vandiver and Velandia, who have been together since 2006, have been recognized by Princeton, New Jersey as domestic partners in 2007, and married in Connecticut. Unfortunately for Velandia, he is Venezuelan and is now in danger of deportation.

"I started from zero in this country -- new language, new culture," said Velandia. "It's been like the American Dream."

But when his visa expired, an application for a green card was denied. In 2009, Velandia received a notice of deportation. If deported, he could be barred from entering the U.S. for 10 years.

Nice, huh? Next we have an example of a bi-national lesbian couple, Carry Tucker, 55, of Sacramento, CA, and her LEGAL wife, Claire Pollar, 49, of the United Kingdom. Thanks to our nation's inhumane policies justified by politicians who serve conservative theocratic Talibangelicals, their daughter has missed the support of two loving mothers.

The couple was prepared to move to Canada where Pollard had applied for legal residence under the skilled-worker program, but the economy went sour in 2008.

Under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California recognized legal same-sex marriages, but DOMA stood in their way.

They have now been separated for five years. Tucker says her 18-year-old daughter is a "stranger" to Pollard.

"All of her teen years, my daughter did not have her loving stepmother in her life," said Tucker. "They are the two loves of my life, and they don't know each other. That is the most painful part for me."

Wonderful family values, America. And hardly liberty for all. Read the rest of this post...

'God made me stone you' killer is a Mormon priest

Philadelphia News:

JOHN THOMAS had found a friend in Jesus, and a friend in Murray Seidman.

"Jay," as his friends call him, had immersed himself in Mormonism and was quoting Scripture to anyone who would listen. Try to talk about the Eagles, he'd steer you back to God.

Thomas, 28, had become a priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he used that authority to baptize Seidman, 70, a mentally handicapped hospital worker whom Thomas had met at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Delaware County.

But as "Brother Thomas" became more deeply involved in the church, schizophrenia began to take hold.

In early January, Thomas visited Seidman's Lansdowne apartment, stuffed a rock into one of Seidman's socks and bashed him over the head about 10 times until he was dead, according to police.

Thomas confessed last month, telling investigators that Seidman was making "homosexual advances" toward him, police said. He said he'd read in the Old Testament that gays should be stoned to death in certain situations and that the "answer" he received from his prayers was to kill Seidman, police said.

"I stoned Murray with a rock in a sock," Thomas said, according to the police report.

Yes he was crazy. The very people most susceptible to bigots who condemn gays on behalf of God. Read the rest of this post...

Colorado House committee defeats civil unions after testimony from hate groups

Igor Volsky watched the proceedings in the Colorado Judiciary Committee last night and wrote a comprehensive post, complete with audio of some of the particularly homophobic testimony. All you really need to know is that Paul Cameron testified. John has been tracking Cameron for years. In 2005, a group Cameron chaired, the Family Research Institute, was designated a hate group by SPLC. Here's some of Cameron's work:

He told the 1985 Conservative Political Action Committee conference that "extermination of homosexuals" might be needed in the next three to four years. He has advocated tattooing AIDS patients in the face, and banishment to a former leper colony for any patient who resisted. He has called for gay bars to be closed and gays to be registered with the government.

Another designated hate group, The Alliance Defense Fund, also testified. So, yeah. That's who was testifying against civil unions in Colorado's State House.

Here's Igor's report:

Last night, Colorado’s House Judiciary Committee failed to advance Senate Bill-172, which would have allowed residents to enter into civil unions and provided same-sex couples with critical legal protections. The bill passed the Senate last week, but a motion to move the measure onto the Committee on Appropriations did not garner a majority and fell in a 5-6 party line vote. As the Denver Post reported, “it was clear that the vote was painful for some Republicans, including Rep. Brian DelGrosso of Loveland, whose uncle is gay. He bowed his head when voting “no.” “It was tough,” DelGrosso said afterward.”

Douglas Napier of the Alliance Defense Fund led the formal opposition against the bill and maintained that civil unions would likely lead to same-sex marriage, despite a 2006 voter-approved constitutional amendment that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The debate quickly disintegrated from there, as witnesses began quoting the Bible, regurgitating thoroughly debunked claims about ex-gay therapy and even predicting the end of times. The Family Research Institute’s Dr. Paul Cameron — whose so-called ‘research’ on homosexuality has been condemned and refuted by most major medical organizations in the United States and Canada — provided the most colorful testimony.

So Rep. Brian DelGrosso chose Paul Cameron over his uncle. Class act.

Here's Igor's compilation of ugly testimony:
Read the rest of this post...