More Irony From Article Hate/Massresistance

Ok, how many times are we going to hear Brian's blog tout some "disgusting homosexual propaganda that they don't want you to see" only to have them provide a link to a source on the web? (Umm...the web is still publicly accessible isn't it?) He does it again:

Governor's Gay/Lesbian Youth Commission "Outright" Pamphlet -- Now Hard to Find

And of course they provide a publicly accessable link to the Mass Department of Education website. I guess after their ridiculous mannequin debacle they're looking for their next "spectacle". Although it must be hard to get "scoops" when they've already removed all of the email addresses from their "blog" and the main Article Hate website. The only way to contact them is through their contact page.

Do you think they don't provide an email address because they don't want their mailboxes full of hate mail, you know, like the in-boxes of the people whose emails they provide?

I must commend the Lexington CARES co-chairs who refuse to be intimidated by them. As much as Article Hate and Brian's Blog tries to vilify them, they stand up tall and proud. In this week's Lexington Minuteman they publish a guest commentary:

First, we need to understand the effects of this allegation on our community and on the individuals affected. An anti-gay group publicized the now-discredited story to news organizations and right wing media outlets across the country. One of these outlets published the e-mail address and home phone number of the superintendent of the Lexington Public Schools. This has lead to many out-of-state hate e-mails and phone calls to his home, in what looks like an attempt to punish him for doing his job. This is unacceptable and deeply regrettable. We hope that all Lexington residents will find a way to express their support for our superintendent as he does his job admirably under very difficult circumstances.

So there you have it people, these cowards who publish other people's personal phone numbers and emails addresses would prefer you don't know who they are. Oh, and if someone on the web posts their information they cry harassment, ironic isn't it? But then again, cockroaches have always liked the cover of darkness, they scatter when the light comes on (or truth comes out.)

And Romney Flip Flops AGAIN

Wow, in a matter of what seems like minutes, Governor Flip Flopper is flopping, he first said:

Gov. Mitt Romney, renewing his support for a ballot question banning gay marriage, said Wednesday it's the job of voters -- not the courts or lawmakers -- to define what constitutes a civil right.

Who's going to tell us what a civil right is and what's not? Well, the people will," Romney said at a news conference calling on lawmakers to allow a vote on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would ban same-sex marriage here. That vote is scheduled for July 12.

To which Rep. Byron Rushing, D-Boston said:

"He's absolutely wrong when he says the definition of civil rights is a definition that is made by all the people," Rushing said. "It is not reasonable to ask all the people to decide what a civil rights issue is. If it was left up to popular referenda in the 1950s and 1960s, we would not have had any of the civil rights laws passed."

Of course Romney, when away from the Cardinal in the Brown Robe and Mass "Family" Institute spokeswoman, calls the AP back to back track on his remarks and blame the courts again:

"I'm not saying that civil rights should be up to a popular vote," (even though he did say that exact thing) Romney said, although he added, "The Constitution does not prohibit the people from making any decision. The Constitution allows for the people to overrule the judiciary, the executive or the legislative" branches.

Romney cited instances in the past where he said the courts have been on the wrong side of key moral and social issues.

"Interestingly, it was the courts who made bad decisions to protect the evils of slavery," he said. Amendments to the U.S. Constitution -- and the Civil War -- ended slavery, Romney said, adding, "It was the courts that messed that up, not the
people."

Yeah Governor Idiot, and the courts stopped segration from Governors like you who didn't want their white kids to be next to black kids. It was the court that reversed those wrong decisions NOT the people, just like the courts in Massachusetts. GET A CLUE!

All I can say is THANK GOD we won't have him as Governor soon (not that he's acting like a governor now)

Monkey See, Romney Do

Well it seems that Gov Romney is actually in the state today since he made an appearance with Cardinal Sean O'Malley at the state house to urge the legislature:

"to honor a scheduled vote next month on a proposed gay-marriage ban, saying any move by gay-rights advocates to kill the measure would be a subversion of democracy"

Yet if we were to get into the time machine and go back to 1990 when the people got enough signatures to revise the constitution to include an amendment to guarantee a woman's "right to choose", guess what happened? Well, read about it here:

He (former State Rep. David Cohen now Newton Mayor) cited his own experience in the legislature in 1990 as one of the supporters of an amendment that would guarantee the right of a woman to receive an abortion, when his opponents were able to block that amendment through a combination of procedural maneuvers, ultimately killing it by refusing to attend the ConCon.

"That was used again by the anti-choice forces in blocking the amendment. There were repeated quorum calls, and since the pro-choice forces did not have a majority we could not maintain a quorum, and so that certainly is a legitimate tactic," said Cohen.

Is Governor Romney sticking around long to even see what happens or does he have another fundraiser to attend where he can bash Massachusetts? I'm also so glad that O'Malley took time off to support this anti-gay measure when he didn't have the time to meet with other religious leaders who support marriage equality to address their concerns (I won't even go into the huge payoff he gave to the accused sexual harasser). But then a photo opt is a photo opt.

Mass Marrier has more coverage of the "quickie" Globe reporting.

Feast of Fools

If you're into Podcasting I highly recommend Feast of Fools. Adorable hosts Fausto Furnos & Marc Felion take you on a wild ride in Chicago with their hilarious friends.

These guys have been doing these podcasts for over a year (or 2?) and have complied an incredible list of celebrity interviews. While I haven't gotten to hear all of them, my favorites include their interview with Kathy Griffin of the D-List and their recent interview with George Takei "Mr. Sulu".

They can be quite irreverent so I wouldn't let my kids listen to them. But hey, they haven't become the world most downloaded gay podcast by playing it straight! We owe our friends Chuck & Scott for turning us on to them.

They're Not All That Different When You Look At Them

Last night we watched Ku Klux Klan: A Secret History on A & E. Unfortunately, I don't know if they are going to replay it but you can rent or buy it. Some interesting facts presented in the documentary:

• The KKK started because they were against blacks having equal rights although they didn't start off being violent.
• They disguised themselves with masks and used the anonymity to intimidate and harass those who were not white and protestant.
• They said what they were doing was "for the children of the future"
• They did what they did in the name of Jesus Christ (hence the burning crosses)
• Klan intimidation was often targeted at schoolteachers
• They were considered a "resistance" group

It's a great documentary and I highly recommend learning about these hate group if for no other reason than to spot the similarities to hate groups that are around today.

Rest In Peace Aaron!

Our condolences go out to the Spelling family upon the passing of Aaron Spelling. Spelling was responsible for some of the most fabulous and campiest TV shows when I watched growing up: The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart, Charlie's Angels, Dynasty, Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place. He also produced the TV movies including "And the Band Played on".

In addition to the high camp value, his shows also included gay characters. From Steven Colby in Dynasty to Doug Savant's character in Melrose Place, Spelling's TV shows never shied away from gay themes. Spelling even cast Rock Hudson in the last role he would ever play.

I can remember LOVING Charlie's Angels but it wasn't just because the women were beautiful. It was because these women could look sassy and sexy and still be empowered. Even if they were wearing a bikini they could still pull out a gun and apprehend the bad guys. (I loved the outfits!)

While you will be missed your television legacy will endure. I'm sure in the future some young gay boy will be watching a rerun of Dynasty and think:

"Wow, all these powerful women: Krystal Grant Jennings Carrington, Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan and Dominique Deveraux Lloyd, two out of three slept with Blake AND don't they look fierce!"*

*Dominque was Blake's half sister.

Hate Groups

The following is a listing of anti-gay groups identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center. I based this blog on the work SPLC does, watching the Hate Groups and reporting on their activities (Groups designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center are marked with an asterisk):

Alliance Defense Fund
American Family Association
American Vision*
Chalcedon Foundation*
Christian Action Network
Concerned Women for America
Coral Ridge Ministries/Center for Reclaiming America
Family Research Council
Family Research Institute*
Focus on the Family
Summit Ministries
Traditional Values Coalition

For the record, Article 8 and Brian's Blog reference many of these organizations.

Truth Wins Out

Truth Wins Out is a group started by Wayne Bensen to counter the claims by anti-gay organizations that gay and lesbians are disordered and can change their orientation.

Truth Wins OUT has compiled a 10-point strategic plan to challenge the ex-gay ministries. If enacted, ex-gay groups such as Exodus will lose any credibility. Far more important, we will reduce the dangerous appeal of ex-gay programs to parents, youth, and others struggling with acceptance.

Just this past week they exposed TWO incidents where Focus on the Family distorted research to support it's anti-gay causes. Bravo! Wayne, I'm sure your group will have a lot to do in the future since groups like Focus on the Family and Exodus put out distortions and lies almost daily.

For all their talk about "changing hundreds of thousands" of homosexuals, we only ever hear from these "ex-gay groups" are testimonies from Alan Chambers and Steven Bennett, two people who make a living off of being "Ex-Gay"

Gay Marriage is #1 in the Hearts and Minds of MFI

Mass "Family" Institute out in Newton, Mass has a new email alert out. They don't send as many "updates" as Article 8/Massresistance but then again they're supposed to be more legit (and not to be confused with those people). Among the typcial announcements of "New Anti-gay ads", "Romney reducing Judges pay", etc.. was this:

South Dakota ballot packed with pro-family issues, churches warned

The people of South Dakota will have an opportunity to vote on not one, but three important pro-family issues come November. The first, and likely most important issue, is a constitutional amendment protecting the definition of marriage. While South Dakota was the first state, back in 1996, to approve a Defense of Marriage Act, amendment supporters believe that a constitutional amendment is the only way to protect marriage from activist judges. The House and Senate both voted in favor of putting the issue before the people.

The other two pro-family issues that will be appearing on the South Dakota ballot are abortion and video gambling. The Legislature earlier this year approved a sweeping ban on nearly all abortions that was then signed into law by the state governor. Pro-abortion advocates almost immediately challenged the law, and have since successfully collected enough signatures to place the law on the ballot for the people to decide. Voters will also be able to vote for or against repealing video lottery for the state.

Since all three of these issues are all routed deeply in the faith of many people, churches and nonprofit groups obviously plan on playing a role in their passage, or defeat, whichever the case may be. Because of this, many of these groups are being wrongly told they could lose their tax-exempt status if they speak about these ballot questions.

"Not that any churches here in South Dakota have [crossed the line], but they've definitely received a message from ultraliberal organizations that don't want to see the churches involved," said Rob Regier, executive director of the South Dakota Family Policy Council.

"The churches have the duty to speak without ambiguity about the covenant of marriage and why redefining that to allow men to marry men would be wrong," Regier added. "The churches have a duty to speak about the sanctity of life. They should talk about those issues, and they should have the freedom to preach on whatever they want."

When did South Dakota become a burning issue for people in Massachusetts? And when did "two people who love each other and want to make a life long commitment to each other" become the "first and most important issue"? I thought the "sanctity of life" always came first? To these people politics comes first and same sex marriage is an issue they think they can win easily. Did I mention that 2/3rds of Canadians feel the same-sex marriage issue is settled?

(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in Canada believe homosexual couples should be allowed to legally marry, according to a poll by Environics Research Group released by Canadians for Equal Marriage. 59 per cent of respondents agree that same-sex couples should have the same right to civil marriage as opposite-sex couples.

Gay Pride with the Colbert Report

My husband was laughing yesterday while he was watching a replay of the Colbert Report. Thanks to Ex-Gay Watch I have a copy of it here. It's not Brian Camenker on The Daily Show but it's almost as funny:

Click image see it on YouTube.com.

Further Evidence of Massresistance/Article 8's Made Up Story

The Lexington Public Schools issued a second press release yesterday:

Recently, the media reported on a playground fight at Estabrook School in Lexington, Massachusetts, where one first grade student hit another first grade student. After the media focus on this incident, the Estabrook School principal issued a letter to parents reporting the details of this incident and the school's response, and the Superintendent of the Lexington Public Schools issued a similar report to the community and the press. Because of an allegation that the incident was "fueled and incited by adults (and yes, school officials)," the Superintendent, after having conducted his own investigation, referred the incident to the Lexington Police Department, the Middlesex District Attorney and the Department of Social Service(DSS).

The Lexington Police Department has issued the following statement, "The school department is handling this situation involving two first graders professionally and does not require action from the police." The Child Abuse Prevention office of the District Attorney and the DSS have each declined to initiate investigations, in part because the parents of the first grader who was hit have not filed a complaint, and in part because they found no basis for an investigation in the facts and circumstances reported. The School Committee and the Superintendent have both concluded that the allegation of adult involvement in and/or incitement of this minor
playground incident is entirely without merit.

So this is more evidence that Article 8/MassResistance just made up this whole story to gather further publicity, apparently judging the size of mannequins chests didn't give them enough newscopy for the month.

Upon further investigation it looks like this whole scheme of blaming adults and gay marriage for an unrelated incident with 1 st graders is a ploy by Article 8/Massresistance to make money for themselves. Even the conservative Free Republic, which is covering this "story" questions Camenker's press release and frankly doesn't believe it:

Why didn't Parker file a police report for several weeks? (He never filed a police report) Why didn't Parker take his son to a hospital to see if he had internal injuries from this "mob" that attacked him? Why did he permit his son to visit the home of the boy who presumably attacked him? Why hasn't Parker opened a complaint with Children's Services and the DA?

Why should we believe one word he says? He's permitting so much misinformation to be spread it's become an urban legend. That suits his agenda just fine. It's not a bad agenda, but using a child to further it is disgusting. And possibly dangerous to the child.

Addition: The Globe has an article on this story in today's paper. You can read it here. Again it dispels the myth that Article 8/Massreistance is trying to put forth.

And now the World is Still Flat Award Goes to:

Brian Camenker, president of MassResistance, said he still believes Parker's son was beaten up because of his father's views. ``The kids have been incited on this," he said. ``There's a lot of anger."

Update on MassResistance's Salacious Press Release

Paul B. Ash, the Superintendent of Lexington Schools issued a press release today on the playground incident in Lexington. Some notable quotes:

On May 17, several first graders were involved in a disagreement over who would sit where in the cafeteria. As a result, upon going outside one child took another by the hand and brought him to a third student in an area of the playground that is somewhat difficult for the adults to see. (The student who was hit said that he went willingly.) All children who saw agreed that the third student then hit the student who had been brought to him two to four times in the chest/abdomen (children’s accounts vary) and he fell to his knees. The student who was hit says he was hit when down; the other children say he wasn’t. One child reports that one student held the arm of the student who was hit; however, the child who was hit and the other children did not report this. The children involved named five children who were nearby watching but not directly involved. Several other students were close enough to see a cluster of students but not close enough to see what was happening. The student who did the hitting suggested that others also hit, but none of them did so. Based on the children’s accounts, this all may have happened in under a minute. The aide on duty saw a group of children gathering, and as she walked toward them was approached by a child that said someone was being bullied. When the aide inquired what was going on, the child who was hit identified one student who hit him, and the other children agreed. The child who was hit said he was not hurt and did not want to
go to the nurse. He reported that his feelings were hurt, because the child who hit him was his friend.

And also:

In this case, we followed all of our usual procedures and worked with both sets of parents to resolve this issue. We are surprised that it has resurfaced in a press release issued by a group calling itself Mass Resistance without any prior contact with the school. The press release states that the incident was "fueled and incited by adults (and yes, school officials).” We have found nothing in our investigation that would support this allegation in any way. Nonetheless, in the interest of an open and thorough review of the incident, the matter has been referred by the superintendent to the Lexington police, District attorney’s office, and the Department of Social Services for independent investigation.

Let's hope that they investigate this fully and that they contact Brian Camenker, who seems to know a lot about the incident to write a sensational press release, to find out where the "facts" he has came from or whether this is another "if you give me enough time I'm sure I can link gay marriage to this" story.

They care so much for children that Article 8/MassResistance even goes so far as to name Parker's son in their press release in addition to including "facts" that have nothing to do with this incident.

Further Update on Article 8/Massresistance's Dummies...er Mannequins

The Boston Herald reported today on the letter sent by an executive from Macy's to the two GLBT publications in Boston apologizing and admiting their mistakes and saying that the mannequins were pulled because of miscommunication and not pressure. The last two paragraphs of the article caught my eye and is most interesting (and funny):

Brian Camenker, president of MassResistance, the conservative group formerly named Article 8 Alliance, which launched an Internet and e-mail protest against the store urging a boycott over the window, insisted it was his group that prompted the action.

“They definitely bowed to our pressure,” Camenker said, adding that he plans to send more e-mails urging supporters of his group to boycott the store chain because of Klein’s letter.

"And if I stamp my feet and hold my breath until I turn blue..." What I find funny is if you contrast that with them talking about the gay community calling for a boycott. This is from their June 13th email update:

As the Macy's incident continues to make news not only here but, we're told, now in Europe, the fun continues.

One of the interesting aspects of this is the complete fit that the homosexual community is having over it, which seems to us quite out of proportion to any rational reation. A major homosexual magazine, The Advocate, has called for a national boycott of Macy's because of YOUR show of force!

So using their logic, Article 8/Massresistance's boycott is because of YOUR show of force! Congrats!

They used to call me Piggy!

In a followup to Brian Camenker's salacious press release which accused adults and school officials of fueling and inciting 1st graders to beat David Parker's son, the Lexington C.A.R.E.S. group released a press release yesterday. (The Lexington C.A.R.E.S. group came together after parents and residents of Lexington were concerned about the publicity and impact of David Parker's arrest since everything in the media was one sided):

Contrary to a statement released on June 14 by Brian Camenker of MassResistance, an altercation that involved David Parker's son at Lexington's Estabrook School was totally unrelated to his father's activism. Lexington C.A.R.E.S. views the accusations in the MassResistance press release as baseless, meaningless and without merit. This is nothing more than another publicity stunt by Brian Camenker.

The story, on an initial glance, is much more credible, especially if you have ever been a first grader.

A classmate, who is a friend of Mr. Parker's son, was mad at him because he sat in someone else's seat at lunch. At recess, the boy went over and started punching him. Other children stood around and watched. The playground aide noticed a cluster of children and headed over. She was met half way by a girl who ran to get help. The aide soon arrived and broke up the fight between these two 7-year-olds. Mr. Parker's son indicated to the aide that he was not hurt and that he did not want to go to the nurse.

This isn't Lord of the Flies here. Once again it appears that the Lexington School teachers did every right, including not making a spectacle of the event of which Article 8 was more than happy to provide.

From publishing pictures of other people's children without their permission to issuing press releases about school yard antics Article 8/Massresistance appears to have no boundaries. Oops, I made a mistake. They do have boundaries when it comes to Article 8/Massreistance's "volunteers" who are named in public. They prefer the cloak of darkness and anonymity.

Bullying Should Never Happen to Anyone.

MassResistance, aka Article 8, issued a press release yesterday that David Parker's son was assaulted on by 1st graders. You can read the PR at The Reality Check where they have other stories such as:

• Franklin Roosevelt Lied to Us About WMD
• Oil Is Well: The Shortage Is A Myth, And Not A New One
• Hillary Wants Fascist Corporatism

However, The Lexington Minuteman is reporting the on the press release but it appears that no one in Lexington, other than the person involved had ever heard of this incident:

Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash said he had no knowledge of the alleged incident, but said he and Jay would be looking into the matter. Ash said if a student was aggressively assaulted on school property the event would "trigger a whole series of actions," from notifying parents, staff, the school psychologist and the Department of Social Services, to filing a report with the police. Ash said the schools would also conduct its own investigation into the incident.

According to the Lexington Police Department, no complaint has been filed and they are not currently involved with an investigation into the incident.

However, the Parker's attorney did speak for the Lexington article:

Neil Tassel, the Parkers' legal counsel, spoke for the Parker family saying they had hoped to keep the incident private. Due to the age of the students involved, they had opted not to go to the police.

"It was a regrettable incident ... but no one was seriously hurt," said Tassel, adding Jacob Parker was "shaken up" by the incident.

Still, MassResistance/Article 8's Camenker didn't keep it private and gets juicy with details by saying it was fueled and incited by adults among other things. So much was keeping the incident private.

Unfortunately, all children are subjected to bullying in school which is why State Sen. Jarret Barrios sponsored a bill to prevent bullying which MassResistance blasted him for in a posting which you can read here. As the title suggests, bullying shouldn't happen to anyone gay or straight.

Macy's Apologizes and Admits Mistakes

In Newsweekly is reporting that Macy's has apologized for removing the mannequins and says that it had nothing to do with "pressure" from Massresistance (hat tip to Queer Today):

In an exclusive letter to In Newsweekly, Klein blamed "an internal breakdown in communication," and declared that the controversial mannequins "were not removed because of pressure." However, he defended the companies decision to keep the mannequins out of the display explaining, that Macy's windows "traditionally do not feature mannequins in these 'community windows' because the introduction of merchandise has no role in our tributes."

Furthermore, the letter of apology, from Macy's east chairman & CEO Ron Klein list the GLBT causes that Macy's supports:

As a Macy's employee, I am proud that our company supports and marches in Pride parades in Boston, Atlanta, Minneapolis, St. Petersburg, Seattle, and New York City (where I have personally marched for several years). I am proud of Macy's participation in AIDS walks in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami and New York City. I am proud of Macy's Passport fashion event, held in San Francisco and Los Angeles, that has raised $21 million for HIV/AIDs research since 1988. I am proud of Macy's 86 ranking in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index - the second-highest ranking possible. And I'm proud of all the community partnerships, events, awards programs, marketing campaigns, recruiting efforts, and education and awareness programs undertaken by Macy's with and for the GLBT community.

Like I said when all this was going on, it was a PR disaster for Macy's in addition to being a headache for all the people who work at Macy's that support GLBT causes (I can't wait to see their window NEXT year!).

I would once again commend Robin Rydell, Special Events Coordinator in the Boston office, who supported this display from the beginning. Her heart was clearly in the right place!

What a Difference A Year Makes

Article 8's latest email gloats over the fact that the turnout outside of Macy's on Sunday was small. Read on:

=== 2. Macy's update: Gay activists announced big anti-Macy's, anti-MassResistance demonstration for last Sunday - a dud, a pretty limp turnout! ===

As the Macy's incident continues to make news not only here but, we're told, now in Europe, the fun continues.

One of the interesting aspects of this is the complete fit that the homosexual community is having over it, which seems to us quite out of proportion to any rational reation. A major homosexual magazine, The Advocate, has called for a national boycott of Macy's because of YOUR show of force!Back here in Boston this past weekend someone emailed us some links about a big demonstration being announced on local gay blogs and websites. It was for Sunday late morning, right outside Macy's downstore store. Nine Boston area homosexual groups, including "KnowThyNeighbor.org", were listed as supporters and participants.

Of course they fail to mention that this was put together on Friday or Sat (that's 1 or 2 days before). They also talk about the gay community's "rational reaction" but I guess they forgot that they were irrationally comparing breast sizes of mannequins or that to them, even though the mannequins were removed "THAT IS NOT ENOUGH, WE MUST CONTINUE THE PRESSURE"

Apparently the pressure didn't work since Macy's did keep the Boston Pride Schedule up AND issued an apology so what show of force did Article 8 exert? Showing the people who covered the incident how obsessed they can get about breasts on a mannequin? Rational? YES!

In continuing their memory loss, they must also have forgotten about the Rally they were involved in last year for David Parker in Lexington or the one on the eve of same sex marriages (where again the turnout was truly pathetic). These rallies were planned for WEEKS (not days) and hardly anyone showed up, yet a counter rally in Lexington was HUGE.

All in all the Macy's turnout wasn't bad since commenters on this blog were talking about changing the focus the rally as late as Sat night. And as for "Shutting down Massresistance", we really don't want that because they ARE the face of anti-gay bigotry. Their emails and posts say it all (you gotta read the "rational" letter to Mayor Menino, it's a hoot!) Who else will compare breast sizes of mannequins or pictures in a children's book? The Mass "Family" Institute? I think not.

I am a Laaaaady!

While the Pride Celebration in Boston is over, there is much to be proud of the other 51 weeks of the year. One of the many things the Gay community can be proud of is its artistic talent.

We just finished watching the first disc of the British TV show "Little Britain" and it is hilarious! (One of the guys in the troope just happens to be gay too) The two guys that portray all the unique characters in the show are quite talented. The characters we like the best are Daffyd "The only gay in the village", Emily "I'm a lady" Howard (pictured right), Vicky Pollard and Marjorie Dawes of FatFighters, but they were all funny, ok, the Scottish innkeeper was a bit irritating, yesssssssssss!

They just wrapped the 3rd season of the show and we're hoping that it will be out on disc soon.

I hope there's a 4th season of the show because I could recommend a great pair of characters they could do! (Can you picture the skit: the pair of them checking out the breast size of mannequins in a department store, now THAT's funny)

Macy's Protest and Boycott

There will be a protest at Macy's on Sunday June 12th at 10:00 to 1:00. If you have a charge and haven't cancelled it yet, today may be a good time to do it. Queer Today has more information:

We are calling on Macy's to admit they were wrong and apologize directly to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community for their offensive removal of the queer pride Mannequins and life-saving web addresses. We do not want watered down public relations sound bites. We want a real apology and an admission of wrongdoing. While the removal of the mannequins was severely offensive, the removal and return of the AIDS Action Committee web url was a direct slap in the face to our community during the 25th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS. Images of LGBT people will always offend the radical right so Macy's "striking a balance" excuse reeks of homophobia.

And Macy's Is Listening to Them!?!?

I don't even know where to start because more lunacy is going around Massachusetts than rain. Is Macy's really listening to a few wingnuts who are comparing different types of mannequins?

On both their website and their "blog", Article 8/Massresistance/Parents Right Coalition, etc.... is showing pictures of different types of mannequins at Macy's with titles like "normal" "abnormal". Did you ever know there was a "normal" type of mannequin? Apparently, from looking at Article 8's pictures, normal mannequins have no heads.

And of course they have become completely delusional which is evident by their attacks on Margery Egan:

Margery Egan's smear of our mainstream group in today's Boston Herald once again makes us wonder if there's some profound, unresolved personal "issue" driving her vitriol.

and Boston's Mayor Menino:

The ever eloquent Boston Mayor Mumbles Menino slammed the mainstream supporters of MassResistance who dare to call his office to question the rainbow flag flying over Boston City Hall, or who demand that Macy's remove its window display of rainbow-skirt draped, breasted male mannequins.

Did you catch that, they think they're mainstream. Yeah, they're mainstream alright. So mainstream that even the anti-gay Mass "Family" Institute is distancing themselves from their obnoxious tactics. So mainstream that Comedy Central devotes a whole segment to their leader. So mainstream that they keep changing their name every 3 years or so (like I said, delusional)

They can't even get their own story straight among the two of them about how they found out about the Macy's window. On the Massresistance blog she posts:

Margery asks how MassResistance learned about the Macy's Pride display. The answer is, in her own newspaper in an article entitled "Pride and Joy" (June 1), pushing the glories of Pride Week on everyone.

Yet on the Agape Press it says:

A nationally known department store's Boston, Massachusetts, location has removed a homosexual pride display after a barrage of complaints from concerned citizens. Brian Camenker, president of the pro-family group Mass Resistance, happened on the disturbing exhibit in the window of a downtown Macy's store.

Ok, so which is it? Did they just happen upon it or did they just happen to read about it? I guess it depends on who their audience is. I wonder what they told Macy's?

The story on Agape Press goes on:

This week is "Gay Pride Week" in Boston, Camenker notes, and while the citywide celebration engendered some outlandish sights, he was unprepared for what he saw at Macy's that day. "In the picture window right next to the door," he says, "it had a huge display promoting Gay Pride Week with two mannequins, both of them men, standing right next to each other as if they were gay and, one of them, wearing a skirt."

In fact, the mannequins skirt was a rainbow flag, the Massachusetts pro-family activist notes. "I'd never seen anything like this before," he says, "and then [there was] all of this advertising for the 'gay pride' events."

I guess they have a short memory spans because just last year Article 8 was complaining about a billboard with at similar picture. Although last year they were obsessing about what the men were doing under the flag now they're just obsessing over mannequins they claim are gay. How did they know, mannequin gaydar?

Macy's should be embarrassed for listening to these fools.

The Fat Lady Hasn't Started Singing

The Macy's window has now put back up the website addresses for Boston Pride AND the Aids Action Committee. The web addresses are where the mannequins used to be and the mirror ball is still rotating. (It still looks fabulous even without the missing mannequins.) You can see a bit of the website's address from the picture, however, the light is shining over it.
Margery Eagan of the Boston Herald wrote an article about the Article 8 side of the mess which can be viewed here.

It Appears that Macy's Wishes You'd Disappear Too!

I'd like to give Macy's credit for initially putting up a Pride display. In fact Special Events Coordinator for Boston, Robin Rydell should be commended for leading this. However, Macy's clearly dropped the ball when it caved in so quickly to the whims of a loony anti-gay group.

I'm guessing that Macy's probably believed them when they heard complaints that the mannequins offended some people so they pulled them. They should have know that this was just an excuse. It didn't matter what was in those windows, the very small group at Article 8 and their email list didn't want just the mannequins removed, they wanted it all gone.

Macy's issued a press release about the incident:

Elina Kazan, New York-based spokeswoman for Macy's, said the decision to pull the dummies, but leave the rest of the display, was an effort to strike a balance.

"We believe in diversity, and our customersare very important to us," Kazan told the Herald, adding that displays supporting Pride Week in previous years did not use mannequins. "But (the display) did offend a few of our customers, and we had to reexamine it."

So in trying to "strike a balance" Macy's has pleased no one. Further, they have put the mannequins where Article 8 would like to put gay people, in the closet. I found this great quote over at Towleroad that sums up my feelings exactly:

since the company made gay people disappear from her store window because they are offensive, I and all my family will to make my presence and my credit card disappear forever from Macys AND Bloomingdales, who are the same company.

Here are some contacts over at Federated Department Stores which operates the following stores: Famous-Barr, Filene's, Foley's, Hecht's, Kaufmann's, L.S. Ayres, Marshall Field's, Meier & Frank, Robinsons-May, Strawbridge's, The Jones Store:

Customer Service: 800-526-1202
Public Relations: 212-494-3893

and some emails:

terry.lundgren@federated-fds.com,
thomas.cody@federated-fds.com,
thomas.cole@federated-fds.com,
janet.grove@federated-fds.com,
susan.kronick@federated-fds.com,
ronald.tysoe@federated-fds.com,
karen.hoguet@federated-fds.com,
kimberly.reason@macys.com,
lisa.kauffman@macys.com,
ellen.fruchtman@macys.com,
elina.kazan@macys.com,
ronnie.taffet@macys.com

Addition: Margery Eagan of The Boston Herald has a column in today's Herald on the Macy's/Massresistance mess. Check it out, it sums up Article 8 perfectly.

From Children's Books to Mannequins

Of course Macy's bowed to pressure to remove the mannequins, I guess we're supposed to be glad that the rest of the window is still up. Although they also removed the website address to Bostonpride. Clearly Macy's did not think this through because I'm sure the nutcases that called them to remove the windows were not from urban areas or even from places that have Macy's. The Boston Herald has a story about the removal:

But the store yanked the mannequins from the window after MassResistance, the conservative group formerly named Article 8 Alliance which has also campaigned against sex education and gay-themed books in public schools, complained the display was offensive.

"They were male mannequins with enlarged breasts, and one was wearing a skirt," said MassResistance president Brian Camenker, referring to the gay pride flag wrapped around one figure, cinched with a white belt. "It was really disgusting."

"It was really disgusting." This from the group who had a man dress up as Margaret Marshall and burn the Massachusetts Constitution.

Ya know, I had high hopes for Macy's when they had Harvey Fierstein dress up as Mrs. Claus for the Thanksgiving Day parade but this is ridiculous. (And who looks better?) MANNEQUINS!? I don't think they came to life like Kim Cattrall did in the movie and seduced someone did they? Come'on people, Article 8 is gasping for life here!

I think Macy's made a BIG mistake. I know I will not continue to shop there, there are plenty of other stores in Boston that will not bow to the demands of the extreme radical right. (Do they even shop there, I thought Walmart was their store of choice?) I wonder how the people in NYC will feel about Macy's after they hear about this blunder?

Open A New Window!

A couple of things this lovely morning from Article 8's Email Update!

It seems that Article 8 is upset because of mannequins in Macy's Boston store's window and they're asking their followers (America needs to complain!) to call Macy's and complain. They want Macy's to "Take down this display immediately!" Here are the numbers they are giving out and don't forget to call Article 8 too and thank them for allowing us to thank Macy's for putting on such a fabulous display:

Macy's East Coast Office (New York City): Mike McNamus 800-264-0069 ext. 2337

Macy's East Coast Public Relations (New York City): Elina Kazan 212-494-4624

Manager, Boston Macy's Dept. Store: Linda Stahley 617-357-3164

Special Events Coordinator, Boston office: Robin Rydell [Article 8's comment:She has acknowledged to us that it was her decision to put up the "gay pride" window display!] 617-357-2727 So we should call and thank her.

President, Macy's East Coast Operations: James Gray Executive Offices, 151 W. 34th St. New York, NY 10001 212-695-4400

From the picture on Article 8's website it looks like a good window. It gives out all the information for Boston pride including a website. Macy's should be commended for including all types of diversity in their windows!

UPDATE: As of this morning, 6-6-06, the two mannequins were removed from the Macy's window. The schedule of Pride events was still up.

Batwoman is a Lesbian

Batwoman is a lesbian AND hot! Yep, you read that correctly. AP is reporting:

Years after she first emerged from the Batcave, Batwoman is coming out of the
closet.

I can already hear the wingnuts screaming! It's part of a "diversity" strategy since they want the DC comics to better portray what America looks like. I think it's a shrewd business move. Lesbians are not perceived as negatively as gay males and straight men LOVE them. The Bible, if you take it literally, also doesn't say anything about a woman lying down with another woman.

You go girl!