Father Forgive them...But They Know What They Do.

This is sort of old news. Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec City told Canada's Senate during hearings on a proposed gay marriage law that if the law passes, the Catholic Church will not baptize the children of same-sex couples. So the Catholic church is now turning away children from the church. Jesus would be so proud.

These "men", who argue that life begins at conception and say that all life is precious, are now slamming the church's doors on these little faces. The Advocate writes:

The child of a drug addict can be baptized. The child of a murderer an be baptized. Even the illegitimate child of a fornicating priest can be baptized (and if you've studied Catholic history, you know many children of wayward clergy grew up to be cardinals and even popes).

All these children are considered worthy before God. The only exception Cardinal Ouellet and his church would make, based on the circumstance of their birth alone, is the child of a same-sex couple who have made a legal life commitment to one another.

I cannot imagine the hatred that lives in the hearts of these "men of God". Of course I still remember when the four Cardinals of Massachusetts got together to hold a press conference to denounce the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's decision on same sex marriages. These four men NEVER got together to denounce orapologizee for the worst child sexual abuse scandal in history. In fact one the Cardinals, Dupre, resigned from his position not long after the press conference. He resigned for "health reasons" however it was then reported that he had molested children decades earlier.

I wish I could be there when Jesus calls upon them: "You turned away children from my church because their parents loved each other and proclaimed their commitment to each other in front of witnesses?!"

Clash of the Titans

Article 8 listed a "press release" on their website. Although it's a bit odd since the press release is dated July 16th but it was released today. In it, this "Pro-family" group (Article 8) attacks the amendment that the other "Pro-family" group (Mass "Family" Institute) is putting forth to the commonwealth.
My question is who's more "Pro-family"?

On one side we have the "Pro-family" Article 8 who is outraged that the new amendment would confirm that the Goodrich decision is valid (remember they still put marriage in quotes "" because they don't believe that it is actually going on) They want to remove the four judges and have them replaced with activist judges that follow Article 8's rules. Furthermore, they have a list of local AND national groups on their side. Take a look:

Massachusetts:
Article 8 Alliance
Parents' Rights Coalition
CPF / The Fatherhood Coalition
Families for Truth (Bedford/Carlisle/Chelmsford/Groton/Westford)
Mothers Against Pedophilia
(Individuals)
John R. Diggs, Jr., M.D.
R. T. Neary, B.S., M.Ed., M.A.

National:
Abiding Truth Ministries
American Family Association of Mississippi
American Family Association of Missouri
American Family Association of Pennsylvania
Americans for Truth
Campaign for California Families
Christian Education Awareness Network (CEANet)
Eagle Forum Texas
Illinois Family Institute
Mission America
Traditional Values Coalition

Can you believe the wackos on the list? They forgot the KKK. And look at the groups! Brian Camenker is the head of the first two under Massachusetts. I am so glad that Illinois Family Institute is taking a stand on an issue in MY state. I always think we should have people from OTHER states determine what things go on here.

Now, on the other side you have the Mass "Family" Institute who is advocating a new amendment that will define marriage as being one man and one woman after a certain time, so my marriage to my husband will be valid, however, if a gay couple wants to marry after this amendment goes through they can't. Make sense? Me neither.

I must admit that Massfamily does say that they care about other relationships that could benefit from “reciprocal beneficiary” legislation. (i.e., a son with a dependent mother, two elderly sisters), however, they don't care enough to work on it first. Banning same sex couples from marrying is more important than Aunt Sally and Aunt Evelyn get benefits to care for themselves. They will advocate for their benefits after they've removed them from the gays.

In the end, both of these groups are proclaiming that they are "Pro-family" yet they are acting in conflicting ways. My opinion: neither are "Pro-family", they are pro-prejudice.

Child Abuse of ANY Kind is Not Something to Casually Banter About

Massresistance is now attacking the tourism campaign that Boston and Cambridge are targeting to GLBT tourists. She says:

Do advertisements targeting any other segment of the touring population focus on the sexuality of the inhabitants at the destination? Maybe we should compare this to "sex tourism" in places like Thailand. Is this really so different? Granted, Thailand is known specifically for child prostitution. -- But isn't that where this slippery slope will take us?

First, have you seen the ads for "Sandals"? Before they recently changed its policy, Sandals only allowed heterosexuals to their vacation spots. Or maybe you've seen the ads for the Pocono's heart shaped bathtubs and heterosexual couples' "adult "activities. Finally, maybe you've seen the ads for Disneyworld. Have you EVER seen them have a same sex couples in their commercials? I've seen senior couples, couples with children and opposite sex honeymooners, even a commercial with a child explaining the existence of his little brother (due to the parents "getting together" at a Disney resort). Once again Ms. Massresistance is wrong.

Secondly, a common tactic of the right is to associate homosexuals with child pornography, prostitution or abuse when intelligent individuals know that it is a ridiculous analogy. The "sex tourism" industry of Thailand is ILLEGAL and affects children. NO ONE is Massachusetts is advocating that, at least I haven't heard or seen it (what newspapers do Ms. Massresistance get?). We are talking about adults here. I wish Ms. Massachusetts would get her mind out of the gutter and STOP thinking about sex with children. It's about the protection of children.

If the "gay" tourists are led by our tourism agency to the best "gay" nightclubs in Boston, how long before some of them take the next step? (Activists are already working to lower the age of sexual consent, and decriminalize prostitution. Then who can object to child prostitution, as long as the kid is over 12?... or 11? or 10?)

WHO and WHAT is she talking about? Who are the activists who are for lowering the age of consent? Who is advocating for prostitution? Again this woman is obsessed with sex with children! I mean, she believes that we think "Oh, I'll go to a nightclub tonight, if I don't get lucky, tomorrow, I'm going to hangout at the playground"

This is just ridiculous!

Canada: That was SO last week!

Ooh, Massresistance is soooooooo mad because those outdoorsey Canadians approved marriage for same-sex couples by a big margin. She accuses the "homosexual extremists " as the ones who railroaded this country (Today's Agenda: 4 countries down, lots more to go) and for some reason keeps putting marriage in quotes, I guess English must be her second language.

How this could happen? Same way it does in the corrupted Massachusetts legislature. Most legislators don't have the moral fiber to stand up to the temptations of power and prestige, committee appointments, fancy trips, and of course the extra money they somehow get as one of the in-crowd. The other device: push the bill through fast, shutting down normal debate. (Sound familiar?)

My take, the legislators DO have the moral fiber to stand up to bigots like Ms. Massresistance and Article 8. Additionally, she makes no sense (not too much of a surprise), if someone has "power and prestige" then they can do whatever they like regardless of what pressure is put on them.

Lastly, I take note of her last sentence: "push the bill through fast, shutting down normal debate" If I recall, this was anything BUT pushed through fast. Mass Marrier has been following all the news up north which has been going on for a number of years. Likewise, Massachusetts' process takes a number of years. States like Kansas, Louisiana, and Nevada, (more here) have anti-gay constitutional amendments that were pushed through incredibly fast, so fast that debate WAS limited or nonexistent. I guess Ms. Massreistance likes her civil rights slow and her bigotry fast.

Hypocrisy Makes Me Sick

Do you remember those "Close & Play" phonographs? You put the record in, closed it and it played. (I know, I'm showing my age) Anyway, sometimes, the record would skip and you would have to nudge the side of the player (you couldn't get to the needle), then sometimes, you just realize it's not the machine, it's just a broken record:

Article 8 posting about protesters at their "rally" for David Parker on June 5, 2005:

And - of course - a few hapless pro-homosexual activists from Lexington showed up outside the church, and stood out in the heat, to try to intimidate us and silence people from speaking out. That's their common tactic, and it's pretty disgusting. But no one was intimidated! [Note the coat and tie, so they could sneak in.]

Article 8 in yesterday's (July 22, 2005) weekly post about the legislature:

Make no mistake about it. Article 8 pledges: DeLeo will have an opponent in next year's Democratic primary! We'll keep you up to date on this..

Massresistance on June 6, 2005:

Margery Eagan, for some reason hired by the Boston Herald as a columnist, has a curious obsession, or two. First, she seems to be obsessed by the issue of homosexuality.

Massresistance on July 21, 2005:

Don't you see the connection between the homosexual propaganda in our schools and same-sex "marriage"? Haven't you noticed that the majority of recent high school graduates thinks that male-to-male "fisting" is on a moral par with heterosexual missionary-position intercourse ... and should receive the state sanctioning of legal "marriage"? Do you really want to help fund the gay clubs in our high schools, which lead our children to the GLSEN conference, which handed out the Little Black Book and told them to consider sex-change operations???

July 20, 2005:

This Commission is behind the “Gay-Straight Alliance” clubs, “Day of Silence” events, and other twisted homosexual programs aimed at teens … including the event where the “Little Black Book” on homosexual sex acts (like “water sports”) was passed out to kids.

July 19, 2005:

Why? Because they challenge the notion that people are born homosexual, or that people with same-sex attractions can't change. They all minister to homosexuals who are unhappy enough with their lives to at least entertain the idea of leaving the lifestyle; or support those who already have left; or support those who are struggling with same-sex attraction but know in their hearts it's wrong

July 18, 2005:

It's a good question: How the "GLBT community" plans to biologically sustain itself, since they can't naturally reproduce. Maybe the "Bisexuals" will lend a hand? (Is that why they've included the B in GLBT?) We are told that "sexual identity" is fluid for many in the "GLBT community", so maybe they become "Bi" for a few days or months, so they can reproduce? (Though this conflicts with the claim that they're "born that way". ) It's all so confusing!

Ok, this is getting tiring. I think you get the point.

Trespasser Is As Trespasser Does

Article 8 is once again speaking for David Parker. In their latest rant, Article 8/Brian Camenker, make several unbelievable statements:

And it was clear that the judge was annoyed that Parker was willing to stand up for principle and not cooperate with a plea-bargain.

Article 8 is clearly clairvoyant. Apparently they have the ability to read people's minds (since they can easily read the judge's mind in this case). I guess they have totally dismissed the notion that the judge was annoyed because of the media circus that Article 8, Camenker & Parker created over this whole thing.

Parker is adamant that he has not done anything wrong and is willing to direct his attorneys to contest the charge rather than give in to pressure to plea-bargain.

Yet trespassing is what he did. The Boston Herald reported:

Parker refused to leave the grounds and was charged with trespassing.

Trespassing, said his attorney, is a bogus charge since it was an act of civil disobedience."

He is a man of principle," attorney Jeffrey Denner said of Parker.

So the police call it trespassing and he & his lawyers call it civil disobedience, I think it's up to the judge to decide. Besides, if he is such a brave soul, speaking out for the little people, why doesn't he take everything that comes with civil disobedience? He could have left the school when the police came, but he chose not to (instead he called people on his mobile phone) He could have left the police station that night but he wanted to stay in jail (why would someone WANT to stay in jail?) From the Boston Globe:

Parker, who refused to bail himself out of jail Wednesday night, said he spent the night in custody to prove a point.

Note to Mr. Parker: Take your kid out of public school if you don't like what they teach or move to another state. I'm sure the people in the south didn't like their children next to the colored children neither. You are in good company sir!

The next session before a judge is August 2th @ 9:00 am. Try to catch it, it could be a hoot!

Governor " Passive/aggressive" Romney

The Boston Globe reports today that Gov. Romney is telling hospitals to cross out the word father on birth certificates for the children of same-sex couples and instead write the phrase ''second parent". City and town clerks warn that the altered documents could be legally questionable, however, the Governor doesn't care.

In February, Romney, on a political trip to South Carolina, told a Republican group that he was dismayed by the clerks' effort to have birth certificates revised for the children of gay couples. ''Some [same-sex couples] are actually having children born to them," Romney said.

''It's not right on paper; it's not right in fact," he said. ''Every child has a right to a mother and a father."

So Governor "I only care about certain children" Romney isn't about to change the certificates. Still the clerks are undaunted:

''The fact remains that this is a document that could be questioned in years to come," said Linda E. Hutchenrider, Barnstable town clerk and past president of the Massachusetts Town Clerks' Association. She sent a letter in October asking Romney to formally revise the birth certificates for the children of same-sex couples.

...''I don't care whether there is one child in the Commonwealth or 500 children in the Commonwealth affected by this," said Hutchenrider. ''They should not have a birth certificate that has crosses on it. They should be allowed to have a birth certificates that really looks valid."

Bureaucrats who work for the government always get a lot of crap for being paper-pushers or do-nothing government employees. Then you get these unelected Town Clerks who are just trying to do their job and really care about the people they serve. They take their jobs serious and are dedicated civil servants.

On the other hand, you have a man, very well educated, ran a number of successful companies which have made him a millionaire. Took over and headed the Olympics and was elected to be the Governor of one of the original 13 colonies. Yet for all his wisdom, he is having a hissy fit over BIRTH CERTIFICATE FORMS!

Maybe he's hoping it will all go away? Or maybe he's hoping he will go away...we won't.

The Jig is Up!

Well, Massresistance finally figured it all out! Our cover is blown! I can't believe it, we tried to keep it secret for so long but she is just too smart for us all:

Haven't you noticed that the majority of recent high school graduates thinks that male-to-male "fisting" is on a moral par with heterosexual missionary-position intercourse ... and should receive the state sanctioning of legal "marriage"? Do you really want to help fund the gay clubs in our high schools, which lead our children to the GLSEN conference, which handed out the Little Black Book and told them to consider sex-change operations???

YES, all us homosexuals want is to give all the children of Massachusetts sex-change operations. That's the reason why we wanted same-sex marriage, so we can be all the same sex AND marry, SHE FIGURED IT OUT! I thought she was just a mean cranky illogical bigot, BOY, was I wrong!

And where did she find our survey of high school students that rated fisting as the #1 activity for sexually active adults? (#2 was dressing up like Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Margaret Marshall and burning the constitution) Darn, those researchers at MIT give EVERYTHING away!

It's good to see that Ms. Massresistance isn't all sour and frigid. She did "extend" hugs and kisses to some Republicans:

MassResistance sends a special THANK YOU, hugs, and kisses (though we don't want to sound too "gay") to our Republicans (not-in-name-only) friends in the House: Reps. Jones, Peterson, deMacedo, Evangelidis, Gifford, Hargraves, Loscocco, Perry, Poirier, Polito, Pope, Smola, and Webster. (And let's hope that these Republicans didn't stick with the Governor from purely fiscally conservative motives!)

Although, she's terribly, terribly mad at those nasty Democrats, those same delusional Democrats who are sponsors of the bill to remove the "rogue" four SJC judges that Article 8 wrote. They apparently they didn't drink the kool aid Article 8 was handing out because they weren't the right lemmings.

Is the Christian Right Driving Gays to Drink?

The Family Research Institute, via the Christian Communication Network (CCN) is "reporting" that gays and lesbians are twice as apt to drive under the influence, hence, more auto accidents:

"Driving is a serious responsibility," said Dr. Paul Cameron, Chairman of the Colorado-based Family Research Institute, who just published the report in the peer-reviewed journal Psychological Reports. "Everybody on the road, not just the driver, is endangered by this self-centered and caviler behavior. This is further evidence that gays' devil-may-care attitude toward sex spills into other areas as well. As Shakespeare's Pericles warned, one sin 'another doth provoke.' In light of the many social harms of homosexuality, many documented in our analysis of this Centers for Disease Control study, the coming U.S. Supreme Court should overturn Lawrence v Texas, which gave constitutional protection to homosexual conduct. "

Of course, there is no mention about how the research data was obtained. I mean, how did they know a gay man was driving the car? Was it the type of car he drives (a sissy Beetle as opposed to a manly SUV?) Did they survey police reports to find more women in jean jackets with short haircuts pulled over for DUI? What's the deal? Last time I looked there was no government agency (state or federal) asking someone is the were gay or lesbian.

These silly Christians, where do they get their information? Do you think God told them? Who did they survey?

25% of homosexuals as compared to 14% of straights said that they drove under the influence of drugs or alcohol last year. Gays were more apt to drive impaired than straight men - 32% to 19%, and lesbians than straight women - 17% to 8%.

If it was a survey, maybe the homosexuals were just more truthful than the straights, did they think about that? What was their survey group, 10 homosexuals and 1 straight man or 2 lesbians and one straight woman? Inquiring minds want to know!

Trying to do my best impression of Buddy from Kids in the Hall:

Driving under the influence, oh come on, I'm gay. When you're gay it doesn't matter what you do because you're GAY. Saved the Pentagon by helping take down the plane, who cares because he's gay. I heard on Iraqi TV there were showing insurgents who were beheading people, it was awful, however, the gay sex was worse! I mean THEY were GAY!

Hero of the Week: James Eisenberg

Brian Camenker over at Article 8 is absolutely livid! It appears that someone at the State House finally gave it to him "straight". James Eisenberg, chief of staff of Rep. Robert DeLeo as retold by Camenker:

He said he lived in the same town I do, and he knew about me, and my activities on these issues. So what does he think about that, I asked him. You people act as if you're "under siege," he told me.

...So there you have it. Whatever Rep. Robert DeLeo once was - pro-life, pro-family - this is the person he's chosen to have as his chief of staff. A man who has no trouble with the state funding a book about people urinating on each other for sexual pleasure.

And Eisenberg's not at all alone. From what we've been told, he's more the rule than the exception among Legislative staff on Beacon Hill. This is absolutely beyond belief, but in 2005 this is what is actually happening, the force behind our legal process.

This is why the we all have to do the hard work of taking back control of our government. That's what Article 8 Alliance is dedicated to. That's why we're here. (Maybe they'll have as much success as they did last year...how many Reps and Senators did they help get elected?)

It's about time someone finally stood up to the hate speech Article 8 is spewing. I only wish I was there to hear it. It is too funny to hear Camenker say "he has letter by a physician that describes in detail the massive mis-information in the "Little Black Book". Does Camenker think he's in grade school with a note from the his Dr? (They are constantly dragging that Little Black Book around. They loved it so much they scanned in every lurid page and put it up on their website. Betcha more kids are seeing it now then they ever did in print!)

Don't forget to call Rep. DeLeo's office and thank him for standing up for ALL the families in Massachusetts and to override Governor Romney's veto of these cuts. The anti-gay, anti-family groups have been calling so they need to hear from us.

Rep. Robert A. DeLeo
Chairman, House Ways & Means Committee
Room 243, State House
Phone: 617-722-2990 Fax: 617-626-0299
Email: RDeleo@hwm.state.ma.us

Yep, the Country is United on Some Things...

Senator Santorum's remarks about Boston being responsible for the Catholic Church's abuses here got me thinking...where HAS abuse occurred by the Catholic Church?

According to a survey of diocesan files commissioned by the U.S. bishops, allegations of sexual abuse have been made in the last 50 years against 4,392 priests. The number is generally believed to underestimate the problem. Some bishops have released the names of accused priests, but no official list exists of priests who have abused children and vulnerable adults. Below we present the most complete list currently available, culled from media reports and legal documents.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Iowa Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington, D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

That's right, abuse cases appeared in 50 states (and the District of Columbia) Many of the victims could have been spared had the men in the red robes not turn a blind eye to the abuse going on around them or had not moved the sexual predators around to other churches with more unsuspecting families and children as prey.

Please Come to Boston from the Springtime

The Boston Herald is reporting that Boston and Cambridge are rolling out the rainbow carpet to lure gay and lesbian travelers.

The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau has teamed with Man Around - a U.K. company billed as the world's largest long-distance gay-tour operator - to market Boston and Cambridge as gay-friendly destinations.

Senator Rick Santorum, eat your heart out! Article 8, Massresistance, it's time to head for the hills. Massachusetts is going to be swarming with gay people, they might even be in your neighborhood, better hide your pets (after all Santorum linked homosexuality with man on dog sex!) This should give Ms. Massresistance something to rant and rave about for years to come!

Why All the Hate?

I just finished reading Ms. Massresistance's latest attack on gays and lesbians. I'm angered. Why does this woman hate us (gays and lesbians) so much? We live our lives, go about our business of paying the bills and putting food on the table and yet, she and others continue to attack us on a daily basis. I started this blog to finally address all the lies she puts up. She posts anonymously and hides behind her keyboard (although it doesn't take a genius to figure out who she is) yet gives names and home phone numbers of people she attacks. She is constantly blaming US for being hateful when her posts are truly unchristian and full of hate:

• Promoting Perversion at a Massachusetts High School
• Romney: Why Not Eliminate Gov's Commission on Gay & Lesbian Youth? (Where she attacks programs that help GLBT youth with suicide and violence prevention programs.)
• What's Wrong with this "Wedding" Picture? (Where she attacks a same sex couple who's wedding announcement appeared in the Boston Globe, did she even know them?)
• First Person Account: Homosexual Parenting Harms Children

My better half is always encouraging me not to sink to their subterranean level, but it's hard. They truly do not bring out the best in people and don't care about how many families or people are hurt by their ramblings.

What makes a person so hateful?

They Can't Blame the Gays...

Or can they?

USA Today is reporting that divorces in the US have gone down. However, it is not because of more stable marriages. This is highlighted in a report is called "The State of Our Unions 2005" and is put together by New Jersey's Rutgers University using U.S. Census Bureau statistics and other data.

"Cohabitation is here to stay," says David Popenoe, a Rutgers sociology professor and report co-author. "I don't think it's good news, especially for children," he says. "As society shifts from marriage to cohabitation — which is what's happening — you have an increase in family instability."

Just to reiterate, same sex couples started marrying in 2004. They are not to blame for the decline of marriage, if anything, they will increase this number.

Additionally, for those people always knocking the Europeans and their marriages:

In the USA, 8.1% of coupled households are made up of unmarried, heterosexual partners. Although many European countries have higher cohabitation rates, divorce rates in those countries are lower, and more children grow up with both biological parents, even though the parents may not be married, Popenoe says.

The USA has the lowest percentage among Western nations of children who grow up with both biological parents, 63%, the report says.

"The United States has the weakest families in the Western world because we have the highest divorce rate and the highest rate of solo parenting," Popenoe says.

I think the Christian Right (Massresistance, Article 8 and Mass "Family" Institute) should focus on helping families and not destroying them. All the money they spend to ban same-sex couples from marrying could be better spent on making all families stronger. This only goes to prove that they really don't care about stable families. They only care about discriminating against gays and lesbians.

O' Canada

An article in Canada's Globe and Mail reports that a majority of Canadians (55 %) surveyed say the next government should let same-sex legislation stand.

Canadians do not want their political leaders to undo historic legislation allowing gays to legally marry in the wake of a pledge from the Conservatives that they would do just that if elected.

Although, just like Article 8 and Massresistance, there are still some people who just don't get it:

Phil Hogan, the president of the Catholic Civil Rights League, a lay organization formed to protect and promote Catholic issues, said recently that the majority of Canadians understand marriage to be the joining of the sexes for the purpose of having and raising children.

His group and others plan to make same-sex marriage an election issue.

"We have indicated throughout this debate that MPs who support this change will be exposed to publicity of that support and they will be held accountable," Mr. Hogan said.

"It seems to us that, for a great number of Canadians, this is of primary importance."

I guess those people weren't surveyed. My guess is that it will be like the Massachusetts election held last year. All the elected officials who supported equal marriage rights were overwhelming elected.

Call House Leader DeLeo

The Mass Anti-Family Institute is telling it's minions to call Rep. Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop), the chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, since the legislature is preparing to override Romney's veto for cuts affecting children in need. It was no surprise that the pro-violence Romney (for the death penalty, against programs to reduce violence and suicide in children) choose to cut money which would have helped gay and lesbian youth.

Mass Anti-Family is reporting:

The Article 8 Alliance has reported that an aide from Rep. DeLeo's office left the following voice mail at their office: "The gay and lesbian youth programs, the chair strongly supports, and as far as the public health funding, for the line items 4590 and 7010 -- both of those are obviously of great importance to him as well. So I think there's a good chance they will be taken up in an override ... The chair is very, very, very supportive of these programs and sees a great deal of importance in them. So you can rest assured on that."

I'm suggesting you call Rep. DeLeo and thank him for provided money to protect our state's most vital resource, its children. Tell him you applaud his efforts to protect ALL the families in the Commonwealth.

Rep. Robert DeLeo (617) 722-2990

After calling Rep. DeLeo, phone your own legislators as well and ask them to also vote to override Governor Romney's veto of these budget items when the budget comes before them. This is an extremely important issue because it is our children and their impressionable minds that are at stake.

To find the contact information for your legislators, visit http://www.wheredoivotema.com/.

Control and Power

This is an article that Massresistance, Article 8 and Rick Santorum won't be talking about. It's unfortunate that such an item even has to be published. You see it has to do with a priest being charged with indecent assault and battery on a person under 14 and performing lewd and lascivious acts on a person under 16. However, the unfortunate victim was a girl.

Massresistance is so quick to point out that all the child sexual abuse going on by the Church in Boston was because of the priests were gay and wanted "homosex". Anyone even remotely familiar with the issues of sexual predators (and how can you not with all the coverage in the Globe about what the priests did) knows that it is not about sex in the abuser's mind but about control and power. Sadly some people will never understand this.

In 1994, Murphy told Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, then leader of the Fall River Diocese and now the Boston archbishop, about her allegations and asked him to ensure that Bowen was not working with children in Bolivia. O'Malley told the Globe in 2003 that in response, he had directed the Society of St. James to prohibit Bowen from interacting with children and to remove him from all forms of ministry. But society officials said in 2003 that O'Malley had asked only that Bowen be kept away from children and that Bowen had been allowed to say Mass in public until indicted in 2002

Sadly, the sick individuals were not taken away from being around children and usually rotated to another unsuspecting parish.

Wanna Sign Something Little Girl....

Many of the same people who are against same-sex couples getting married are now against a bill that would not allow paid signature gathers to get paid per signature collected. Why do they think this is bad? Well, there is little incentive to gather signatures if you're being paid by the hour. The current practice encourages fraud says the supporters of the bill. It also makes it possible for groups opposing ballot questions to gain almost immediate access to the names and addresses of the people who signed the petitions, providing them an opportunity to persuade signatories to retract their support.

''It's obviously first and foremost a political ploy to hinder our efforts at signature collections," said Kristian Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, which is leading the initiative against same-sex marriage

Hmm...if we look back to history we see that there was a problem a couple of years ago. Baywindows reported:

During the course of the campaign, Truth Squad members discovered that signature gatherers-some of whom were hired by MCM-used deceptive methods to get people to sign ``Protection of Marriage" petitions, in some instances leading petition signers to believe they were actually signing an initiative to ban slaughtering horses for human consumption. The allegations of deception were so widespread that late in the signature gathering campaign Atty. Gen. Thomas Reilly issued a press release urging voters to read carefully any petitions carefully before deciding whether or not to sign them, and to contact his office if they suspected they had been victims of fraud.

On the other hand:

Horse defenders thought it was a sure bet when they launched a petition drive to protect horses from being shipped to out-of-state slaughterhouses for use as meat. Save Our Horses spent roughly $160,000 on the drive, hiring a private, Phoenix-based firm to gather signatures and put the feel-good measure on the election ballot.

But shortly after Ballot Access Co. notified her that the company had gathered the necessary number, coordinator Susan Wagner learned that the measure missed the mark of 57,100 statewide signatures needed by nearly 3,000. A far more controversial proposal to ban gay marriage, meanwhile, succeeded with more than 76,000 signatures, also collected by Ballot Access.

Coming soon: Signature collectors in YOUR neighborhood to put discrimination into the Massachusetts Constitution.

Santorum's Chief of Staff is GAY.

Yep! Robert Traynham, the chief of staff and communications director for Sen. Rick (man on dog) Santorum (R-Pa.) has confirmed rumors circulating in Washington for several months that he is gay.

365gay has it all here:

In a telephone interview with journalist Michael Rogers and reported by Rogers on two blog sites, PageOneQ.com and blogACTIVE.com, Traynham said he is an out gay man who completely supports the Senator.

I wonder if Rick lets him babysit his kids?

Coming Soon Last October to a Theatre Near You?

The Agapepress is reporting that come last October, a new movie will be premiering. You may ask yourself: "Is this another Tom Cruise vehicle?" The answer to that question is no (although I haven't seen the movie yet). Apparently a movie with the title I do Exist is being re-released just in time for National Back In The Closet Day, oops, I mean, National Coming Out Day.

The documentary I Do Exist features five former homosexuals who share their testimonies about choosing to leave the homosexual lifestyle. During the week of October 8-15, the video will be shown by groups across the United States that believe homosexuals can change. The film, which conveys the message no one is born a homosexual, premiered last year as a way to counter a "homosexual pride" celebration called National Coming Out Day.

The I Do Exist website lists a number of ringing endorsements of the film:

• "This is a can't miss resource. The church needs to see this film." - Pastor, Minnesota
• "The film is very well done. The quality of production is on par with anything I've seen on NOVA or PBS." - Professor, Pennsylvania
• "I saw it three times and I want to see it again." - Pastor, New Hampshire
• "The speakers are so articulate. I feel like I know them." - Teacher, Ohio
• "I can't think of a better resource to demonstrate the process of change." - Ex-gay, Tennesee (the state was spelled wrong on the website)

If you notice, the film premiered last year however AgapePress just got around to writing about it NOW in time for this October. For some reason, all the conservative websites are picking up on this "PR" bulletin and announcing the movie, again.

Do you think Netflix will carry it?

If You Can't Beat'em, Kill'em

In what surely isn't a first, a man in Florida has pummeled his son into unconsciousness and he died. While this might appear to be "just" another heterosexual parent beating their child to death, there is a catch:

The toddler's mother, Nysheerah Paris, testified that her husband thought the boy might be gay and would force him to box.

Nysheerah Paris told the court that Paris would make the boy fight with him, slapping the child in the head until he cried or wet himself. She said that on one occasion Paris slammed the child against a wall because he was vomiting.

Now, if there wasn't so much hate speech being spewed around about how immoral gays are, or what an abomination homosexuals are, maybe, just maybe, this father wouldn't have hit his kid because he thought he was gay (of course an abusive parent doesn't need an excuse to beat their child.) God knows, if you let the child live long enough to be a teenager you then send to him to be brainwashed in a camp to get the "gayness" out of him.

Will Rick Santorum make an announcement that this father killed his son because Florida is conservative?

Santorum Strikes Back

Rick "man on dog sex" Santorum reiterated comments he made several years ago about the Catholic Church child abuse scandal in an article in the Boston Globe:

Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, refused yesterday to back off on his earlier statements connecting Boston's ''liberalism" with the Roman Catholic Church pedophile scandal, saying that the city's ''sexual license" and ''sexual freedom" nurtured an environment where sexual abuse would occur.

Another stupid comment made by the Senator:

''I was just saying that there's an attitude that is very open to sexual freedom that is more predominant" in Boston, Santorum said yesterday. Reminded that the sexual abuse occurred across the country, Santorum said that ''at the time [in 2002], there was an indication that there was more of a problem there" in Boston.

I guess he's forgetting that the sexual abuse occurred decades ago and the leaders of Catholic Church, not the laypeople, are the ones responsible for rotating these sick individuals around to other parishs with unsuspecting families.

He forgets that Boston is the first place where all these crimes were made public by the media and not silenced like the church wanted.

He must not know that child sexual abuse by the Catholic Church wasn't only in Boston (from the Boston Globe):

The scandal began brewing in Boston, but it was not isolated here. As public furor grew, other dioceses began confronting abusive clergy in their ranks. By the end of 2002, some 1,200 priests had been accused of abuse nationwide, according to a study by The New York Times. Over the course of the year, five US prelates resigned in connection with sex scandals, including Boston's Cardinal Law -- joining four others who had resigned in previous years. The crisis was also felt worldwide, with accusations of abuse or the mishandling of scandals forcing the resignation of bishops in Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Wales, Scotland, Canada, Switzerland, and Austria.

I guess he also forgets that Massachusetts has the lowest divorced rate of any state in the country and those states in the "Bible Belt" have the highest.

The 10 Southern states with some of the highest divorce rates were Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.

I think Rep. Barney Frank, in the Globe article, said it best when he talked about Santorum's involvement with the Terri Schiavo case:

''This is one of those people who claims to have had eye contact with a blind woman,"

I suggest you contact the Governor of Massachusetts and express your concern for this supposed Christian senator attacking the citizens of Massachusetts.

That 70's Blog

Well, Ms. Massresistance is once again bringing up the past. In her lastest tirade against everything that is gay or looks gay or might be gay, she attacks the country of Spain, Brian McGrory of the Boston Globe, and finally, she blames the Catholic Church Child abuse sandal on all homosexuals, all in one post. Wow, where does she find the time?

She apparently blames it all on the Gay Rights Platform of 1972. Strangely enough, only the hate mongers from the Right seem to be obsessed with this "platform". I know I never got a copy of it when I came out. It did make me think though....What else happened in 1972....

• President Nixon visits China in February
• HBO (Home Box Office) subscription cable TV launch
• Nike running shoes hit the market (American Family Association is boycotting them now)
• George Wallace shot while campaigning
• A postage stamp was 8 cents

Kinda brings you back doesn't it? Although, for the life of me, I can't recall anything about "repealing all the laws governing sexual consent". Maybe they were trying to be traditional. You know, what Massresistance is always talking about. Maybe they wanted to go back to the days when 50 year old men married 13 year old girls, you know, traditional marriages, like they always were, the good old days.

Note to Ms. Massresistance: The sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church was done by predator priests. If you care to remember, there were boys and girls abused.

Church records have revealed stories of many other repeat abusers, including priests who traded drugs for sex with minors, fathered children, and physically assaulted their victims. In the case of almost every predator priest, church officials had reports of abusive behavior, but allowed the priests to remain in ministry, documents show. In many cases, accused priests were sent for brief periods of psychological evaluation, then returned to parishes -- where they abused again.

No one believes that just because someone is gay that they are more likely to abuse children. The only thing you present with your continued misinformation about gay people is your own stupidity.

Blood Money

Ms. Massresistance is on her high horse because of an article in the Globe today about students standing up to the American Red Cross because they still do not accept blood from gay men. However, instead of her usual attacks on gays and lesbians, she instead attacks Tufts University and a student who apparently attends/attended Tufts.

Ironically, the anonymous homophobic poster gives the full name of the student who is standing up for his rights (more than she does by hiding her own real name, If you care to know who she really is click here). Just another sign at how truly hateful and unchristian-like Ms. Massresistance is, an old cranky woman attacking young people. She has so little to talk about that she, like Article 8, have to keep bringing up old stories and unrelated matters to try and get people's attention.

The real tragedy is that bigoted people like Ms. Massresistance could be shooting heroin and having unsafe sex and yet will still be able to give blood by lying when they give. However, honest people, like that student at Tufts will obey the law and can only protest the ridiculous policy of the Red Cross.

I look at it as the country's loss. They don't want gays and lesbians in the military nor do they want our blood, yet they can bleed money from us by way of taxes. I recall a little tea party about that once...

Voices of Hate lead to Violence and Destruction

What everyone has been saying all the time, is that hate speech eventually leads to violence. No where is this plainer than in Virginia. Frederick Clarkson reports on violence directed against a Virginia congregation of the United Church of Christ:

A small fire was set in St. John's Reformed United Church of Christ this morning and anti-gay graffiti was painted on the side of the building.

The outside of the church was vandalized with anti-gay messages and a declaration that United Church of Christ members were sinners. The graffiti's message appeared to be a reference to the national church's decision earlier this week to endorse gay and lesbian marriages.

Of course the various groups spewing forward hate against gays and lesbians will no doubt try to distance themselves from these acts like Massresistance and Article 8 tried to do with Fred Phelp's Westboro Baptist Church (apparently their form of hate is not the same as the WBC's form of hate.) However, it doesn't take an idiot to know that the hate speech these groups profess always incites people out there to take it one step further. All their talk of homosexuals being the downfall of society and their "pervert" talk just leads to destruction: physical and mental destruction.

All of this sounds all too reminiscent of the burning of black churches and crosses to intimidate.

TRADITION!

The opening song to the musical Fiddler on the Roof is "Tradition" The song is sung by the townspeople and it highlights their place in the community. The rest of the story goes about breaking most of the traditions talked about in the beginning. The thing about traditions is that it exists sometimes for no real reason except that's how it's done. People hold on to their traditions because it's a link to the past. Some people even break their traditions because of past prejudice.

So what does tradition have to do with this post? Well, the people in Texas broke their tradition to instill prejudice. You see they are denying a boy a chance at an education in music:

Mikhael Rawls, a rising Texas high school senior, won’t be performing before music college recruiters next school year. He won’t even have the chance to audition for an elite ensemble of Texas high school singers. The Texas Music Educators Association eliminated this possibility for Rawls when they rejected his audition request for a soprano position, which is traditionally a girls’ part.

Two years ago the association stopped boys from singing soprano or alto, and girls from tenor or bass. (Had Bea Arthur lived in Texas we might never have seen her perform on stage or TV, likewise for Brenda Vaccaro). One wonders why they stopped allowing this, I mean if it's natural to sing in the range what is the problem? I think the problem is that boys are supposed to sing either bass or tenor and girls are supposed to sing alto or soprano, TRADITION!

If people like Ms. Massresistance didn't keep trying to label and discriminate against people and let them be as GOD intended them to be, the world would be a much happier place. Children like Mikhael Rawls would be given the chance hone his craft and sing with the voice God gave him.

Theocrat of the Week

Over at FrederickClarkson.com, they name Ms. Massresistance the "Theocrat of the Week" for her recent posting on Independence Day about the Declaration of Independence. It's really quite funny check it out:

Theocrat of the Week -- AMann -- who earns the title for staying on message and invoking the Declaration as support for his position even though it is completely irrelevant.

It seems that one of the commenters to the blog "outs" the used-to-be anonymous homophobe although they don't give out her email address like she has done to so many others.

Do as I say, Not as We Do

Ms. Massresistance is once again protesting the Lexington Minuteman because Ms. Paranoia assumes that they are linking her, Article 8 and Fred Phelp's Westboro Baptist Church together (can you say birds of a feather?). In all honesty, the article she is stewing over is actually about the new superintendent of schools in Lexington, Paul Ash, the former administrator in Westwood.

Ash started his educational career in Dover where he was a chemistry teacher, going to get his degree in school administration from Harvard University. In 1979, Ash went to Wellesley to be the director of personnel and staff development. In 1986, he became the assistant superintendent and served as the interim superintendent for seven months until a new superintendent was found. Ash left Wellesley in 1998 for the top spot in Westwood.

He sounds fairly qualified to me, although Ms. Massresistance in concerned because he "embraces diversity" and you know what that means, wink wink.... Ms. Massresistance further says:

We hope that means he'll respect parents who ask him to follow the law...

I guess she wants Mr. Ash to follow the law even if some of the parents don't. Ms. Massresistance must have a short memory since her own co-conspirators can't seem to do what she advocates the new administrator do:

• David Parker, arrested for trespassing on school grounds
• Brian Camenker, sued for distributing an illegally taped recording of people without their knowledge (including minors)

It's always the ones pointing fingers who are the most guilty (and act like it). Good luck Mr. Ash on your latest endeavor, luckily you do have some good parents who are concerned about not just their own children, but all the communities' children.

Ex-Gays:Missing the Boat or Just Plain Stupid?

Massresistance is touting Exodus International for having a "better idea" than the United Church of Christ. Exodus International is that group of ex-gays (again I ask, Why don't they call themselves heterosexuals instead of holding onto the label of gay? I guess they just can't get over being gay?) In one telling section of their "critique" of UCC's resolution, the Ex-gays say:

"Homosexuals need to know they are welcome at their local church, but they also need to know that hundreds of thousands of us have found freedom from the isolation and emptiness we experienced in gay life through the power of Jesus Christ," he said.

Ok:

• The UCC has made it perfectly clear that gays and lesbians are welcome (so has many other churches)
• I know I am welcome at my local church (I sing in the choir)
• I am not isolated or empty, just the opposite. Through my church I met the man I recently married and we have wonderful GAY and STRAIGHT friends that we met at church. They even celebrated our wedding with us.

Finally, I must say that I agree with almost all of the last sentence at Massresistance:

As a former homosexual who is now happily married, I am grateful for the laws that protected and esteemed this life-preserving, authentic union.

As a life long gay man, who is now happily married, I am grateful for the Massachusetts Constitution that has protected and esteemed this life-preserving, authentic union.

Ex-Gay Watch covers these people very well and exposes them for what they are.

The History of Marriage

The New York Times had a great Op-Ed piece in the July 5th edition of the paper (you need to register to read the article) It was written by Stephanie Coontz, the director of public education for the Council on Contemporary Families. She is the author of "Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy, or How Love Conquered Marriage." She makes a number of good points:

My research on marriage and family life seldom leads me to agree with Dr. Dobson, much less to accuse him of understatement. But in this case, Dr. Dobson's warnings come 30 years too late. Traditional marriage, with its 5,000-year history, has already been upended. Gays and lesbians, however, didn't spearhead that revolution: heterosexuals did.

She makes some good points about how marriage "evolved" from a mandatory economical and political institution to one based on love.

The first step down the road to gay and lesbian marriage took place 200 years ago, when Enlightenment thinkers raised the radical idea that parents and the state should not dictate who married whom, and when the American Revolution encouraged people to engage in "the pursuit of happiness," including marrying for love....

As late as the 1970's, many American states retained "head and master" laws, giving the husband final say over where the family lived and other household decisions. According to the legal definition of marriage, the man was required to support the family, while the woman was obligated to keep house, nurture children, and provide sex. Not until the 1980's did most states criminalize marital rape. Prevailing opinion held that when a bride said, "I do," she was legally committed to say, "I will" for the rest of her married life....

Giving married women an independent legal existence did not destroy heterosexual marriage. And allowing husbands and wives to construct their marriages around reciprocal duties and negotiated roles - where a wife can choose to be the main breadwinner and a husband can stay home with the children- was an immense boon to many couples. But these changes in the definition and practice of marriage opened the door for gay and lesbian couples to argue that they were now equally qualified to participate in it.

Marriage has been in a constant state of evolution since the dawn of the Stone Age. In the process it has become more flexible, but also more optional. Many people may not like the direction these changes have taken in recent years. But it is simply magical thinking to believe that by banning gay and lesbian marriage, we will turn back the clock.

It makes sense, they don't believe in evolution of the species so they don't believe in evolution of marriage. I'm surprised they aren't still dragging their knuckles on the ground... or are they?

Massresistance's Continued Obsession with Sex

In another hate column, Massresistance obsesses endlessly about sex, not just homosexual sex, because the things she describes vividly in her post is done by heteros as well as homos. It's quite ironic that she is bitching about an article in Baywindows that talks about how conservatives are obsessed with homosexual sex all the while she too is obsessing about homosexual sex. She says:

We thought there was no such thing as "perverts" in their world, only different "lifestyles", "preferences", and identities". So the whole premise of their faulting anyone else for suspected perversion is ludicrous. Why would they be at all bothered by someone else's "obsessions" or "preferences"? We thought their philosophy was "anything goes".

No, Ms. Massresistance, I think you are confused. You are the one who feels the need to label people and use the terms: lifestyles and preferences. You are also the one pushing the "Little Black Book" on your website and Article 8's website (and again, you go into detail about various sex acts, don't you every stop? how can I protect my children from finding the filth which you and Article 8 post on your website, I thought you cared about the children?)

And yes, there is an index of homophobia scale, and you rate the highest, right along side Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church.

In her whole tirade she seems to leave out a little bit from the Baywindows article:

But the best example of this research fetish involving gay sex comes from Wade Richards, a former ex-gay who once worked with Peter LaBarbera of the Illinois Family Institute. Recalling his first meeting with LaBarbera, Richards says he met him at his offices and asked for a tour. LaBarbera took him to a room that was "filled with gay porn." It also had two "leather daddy" outfits on the wall customized with hidden cameras so when LaBarbera wore them undercover at gay S&M events, he could snap photos unnoticed.

I can recall a roundup of a "wife swapping" group not too long ago in Central Massachusetts and have seen numerous ads for ladies of the evening looking for straight men for "outcalls only". Massresistance seems to ignore these.

Mainline Christian Denomination endorses Marriage Equality

The 1.3 million member United Church of Christ endorses full marriage equality. A resolution was overwhelmingly endorsed by the representatives on the church's 884-member General Synod.

The Rev. John H. Thomas, president of the United Church of Christ, said with the vote on Independence Day, the rule-making body "acted courageously to declare freedom."

Mass Marrier has more indepth coverage of this affirmation of love.

Wait 2 Hours After Eating

Sometimes I need to remind myself not to read Massresistance right after eating because it makes me want to vomit. Case in point: Sunday's hate fest. Ms Massresistance brings up Brian Camenker's nasty and shameful 'guest commentary' from the Lexington Minuteman two weeks ago, you remember, the one in which he says "other people are trying to intimidate him and Article 8 through letters and rallies, etc...." and we know that Article 8 never does any of these things.

She tries to drag the rest of Americans down to her level with her prejudicial views:

Ms. Cyr, think about this: Most Americans (including most of those who object to homosexual behavior) would say that what homosexuals do in the privacy of their own homes is their own business. At the same time, most Americans still believe that not only is homosexual behavior objectionable morally, it is against nature, it is perverted, and it is a grave concern for the public health.

Ms. Anonymous homophobe Massresistance poster, think about this: where is your unbiased polling or surveys which attests to these facts you present? How about this poll? You fail to mention that the majority of citizens in Massachusetts favor allowing same sex couples the same rights and responsibilities as opposite sex couples.

She goes on further:

But when homosexuals push their behavior in our faces, promote it, and demand societal approval, it's an altogether different thing. That's the problem now: homosexuals' sexuality is no longer a private matter.

What a joke! The crazy wackos on the right and the extreme right are the ones who are responsible for gay marriages. We didn't pick this fight, they did. They are the ones who used it as a wedge issue in the past election. They are the ones who want to take away the rights of thousands of Americans. History will not be kind to Mr. Camenker, Ms. Massresistance (I wonder if that's why she's so anonymous?) Fred Phelps and the other Jerry Fawell's of this world.

Happy Anniversary to Vermont's Same-Sex Couples

It was 5 years ago on July 1, 2000 that Vermont started issuing civil unions to same sex couples. While civil unions are better than no protection at all, it is still not marriage. I think the numbers speak for themselves:

In the first five years of Vermont's law, 7,549 couples have joined in civil unions, all but 1,137 of them from out of state. Roughly two-thirds have been women. There have been 78 dissolutions.

So only about 1% of all the unions have ended. That's much better than our heterosexual counterparts who have about a 50% dissolution rate. I think I've found the biggest threat to traditional marriage: allowing gays and lesbians to marry would decrease the divorce rate and embarrass the heterosexuals who have been doing it wrong all this time.

See! Gay people do everything better!

What a surprise *yawn*

Is anyone really surprised that Romney vetoed the increase for suicide and violence prevention programs for gay and lesbian youth? I think not. The man is trying to become President of the United States. The biggest surprise is that he was lenient to sex offenders. Rumors are abound that Dick Cheney will be resigning for "health reasons" and Romney will jump in as VP (you heard it here first). The rumors have included Giuliani, however, the "Christian" right would never allow that and Bush owes the "Christian" Right and the Bush family and the Romney family seem to be loyal to each other.

The most laughable thing about Romney's veto is that Article 8 is hailing it as their victory. They actually believe that their calling the Gov. actually forced bigoted Romney to veto the budget increase.

My suggestion: Article 8 should just pack up and move out of the state to a place that would accept their prejudiced tactics since Article 8 or Mass "Family" Institute had NO influence whatsoever on the past State elections. In fact, Ron Crews (the former leader of MA "Family before his failed attempt for Congress") has already left the state and I hear is in Kentucky. Laurie Letourneau supposedly is in Virginia (There is a GOD). Is Brian Camenker next?