Politics: January 2012
Romney Wins the Race: Heat Continues
Filed by Bil Browning | January 31, 2012 | 8:35 PM |Establishment is prancing pretty now. But does he have enough stamina to win in the end?Read More
Marriage Votes in Washington State & New Hampshire Coming Up
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 31, 2012 | 3:37 PM |While most politicos will be eyeing Florida today to see how Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich fair in the Republican presidential primary, the eyes of many LGBT people will be on New Hampshire and Washington State.Read More
Florida Primaries: Who's Gonna Win? [Open Thread]
Filed by Bil Browning | January 31, 2012 | 9:09 AM |The Florida Republican primary is tonight. Who's gonna win - Romney or Gingrich? Sarah Palin thinks Republicans should vote for Gingrich to "rage against the machine" and "annoy a liberal."Read More
TN State Senator Campfield Faces Blowback from Comments
Filed by Adam Polaski | January 30, 2012 | 12:00 PM |Stacey Campfield, the TN state senator who made totally incorrect, ignorant, and anti-gay statements on Thursday, is now facing severe blowback from people who are saying that Tennessee deserves better for a representative. Read More
Newt Just Being Newt ... With a Little Help From His Friends
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 29, 2012 | 2:00 PM |Ultimately, Newt's problem is just being Newt. It always has been, because the real Newt bears a strong resemblance to the one portrayed in his opponents' attack ads. Read More
Christie Sees Future, Santorum Does George Wallace in Drag
Filed by Mark Segal | January 28, 2012 | 12:00 PM |Christie is not considered a moderate. He's a national rising star of right-wing Republicans, but he's smart and ahead of his fellow party members in understanding that LGBT issues no longer matter to the general population - including Republicans.Read More
TN State Senator Says Hetero Sex Doesn't Transmit HIV
Filed by Adam Polaski | January 28, 2012 | 10:00 AM |On Thursday, a state representative from Tennessee, Rep. Stacey Campfield, incorrectly explained that transmitting HIV through heterosexual is "virtually impossible." Read More
Karger Releases 10 Years of Tax Returns at Romney Institute
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 27, 2012 | 3:00 PM |Openly gay Republican presidential candidate Fred Karger released his 2000 to 2010 federal tax returns today in front of the George Romney Institute for Law and Public Policy at Adrian College in Michigan.Read More
Parents of LGBT Kids: It's Time to Speak Up!
Filed by Annette Gross | January 27, 2012 | 10:30 AM |When the Republicans say that LGBT people don't deserve the same rights as other citizens, don't they realize that they are talking about our children? Read More
Why Do Legislators Listen to Unindicted Criminal Co-Conspirators?
Filed by Michael Hamar | January 26, 2012 | 4:30 PM |I've asked before the question before: why does anyone listen to these foul, morally bankrupt clerical bureaucrats? The question takes on new importance now that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has been named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the criminal case against Catholic priests.Read More
White House Promotes First National Gay-Straight Alliance Day
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 26, 2012 | 1:30 PM |President Obama made only one reference to gays during the State of the Union address Tuesday night, but Wednesday morning the White House went all-out on the first-ever National Gay-Straight Alliance Day.Read More
Rep Gabby Giffords Officially Resigns from Congress [Video]
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 25, 2012 | 6:00 PM |In a letter read by her close friend Democratic Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Giffords said she needed to continue working on her recovery after being shot in the head during a constituent event in January 2011.Read More
Indiana Senate to Study Civil Marriage Structure?
Filed by Bil Browning | January 25, 2012 | 5:00 PM |Indiana State Senate Minority Leader State Vi Simpson (D - Ellettsville), has introduced legislation to form a study committee to investigate "alternatives to civil marriage."Read More
Text: President Obama's State of the Union Address
Filed by Bil Browning | January 24, 2012 | 10:16 PM |President Obama gave his 3rd State of the Union address this evening and the LGBT community got a small shout-out. The speech focused on jobs for the most part as the administration offered an economic recovery plan called "An America Built to Last".Read More
Why Fred Karger Isn't Just Tilting at Windmills
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 24, 2012 | 6:00 PM |It's easy to think of Fred Karger as a modern-day Don Quixote. Surely, like the fictional Man from La Mancha, Karger is tilting at windmills as he dreams the impossible dream of an openly gay man becoming president of the United States.Read More
Washington State Has Votes for Marriage Equality
Filed by Bil Browning | January 24, 2012 | 9:43 AM |The fabled 25th vote in favor of same-sex marriage has been found in Washington State; the legislature now has enough pledged votes to pass a marriage equality bill.Read More
Obama Prepares for State of the Union Address on Tuesday
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 23, 2012 | 3:45 PM |Bowing to pressure from the media and his Republican presidential opponents, Mitt Romney will release his 2010 tax return and an estimate for 2011 on Tuesday, the same day President Obama will deliver the State of the Union address. Read More
Mayors Advocate for Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 23, 2012 | 12:00 PM |Last Friday, Freedom to Marry launched its latest campaign to create a groundswell to win marriage rights for same sex couples.Read More
Santorum Gets Glitter Bombed (x2)
Filed by Bil Browning | January 23, 2012 | 9:25 AM |Poor Rick Santorum, he just can't escape teh gayz' wrath. Not only was Santorum glitter bombed during a rally on Saturday, protestors also infiltrated another rally on Sunday and sprinkled him again.Read More
Don't Like This Newt Gingrich? Wait Five Minutes
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 20, 2012 | 4:00 PM |It looks like the old joke about the weather - "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it'll change" - is also true about Newt Gingrich. If you don't like this Newt Gingrich, wait five minutes and he'll change.Read More
Did the Internet Blackout Work?
Filed by Bil Browning | January 20, 2012 | 2:00 PM |Before this week's internet blackout over online freedom (we participated by shuttering Bilerico Project for 24 hours), several folks complained that it was a "stunt" that wouldn't have any effect whatsoever on the debate. Congress, however, thought differently.Read More
Newt Outraged by Open Marriage Question During CNN Debate
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 20, 2012 | 12:00 PM |Instead of showing contrition when CNN's John King asked him about the charge during the CNN Southern Republican Debate in South Carolina, Gingrich got a standing ovation expressing outrage that the question was even asked.Read More
Polyamory, Thy Name Is Newt
Filed by Yasmin Nair | January 20, 2012 | 9:00 AM |It would be grand if a prominent spokesperson for polyamory stood up and welcomed Gingrich into their open arms.Read More
Republican Presidential Candidates Run Away from LGBT Rights
Filed by Norm Kent | January 19, 2012 | 5:00 PM |Tt would be a mistake for advocates to believe for a moment any GOP presidential candidates will actively support LGBT rights. In fact, with some of them, flaunting might become a felony.Read More
What Should I Call My Super PAC?
Filed by Kate Clinton | January 19, 2012 | 1:00 PM |Used to be if you were a comic one of the guaran-dam-teed high-larious things you could do was run for president. Now you need a PAC. So what should I call mine?Read More
GOP Clown Car Loses Another: Rick Perry Calls It Quits
Filed by Bil Browning | January 19, 2012 | 12:00 PM |GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry has proven conclusively that George W Bush is not the dumbest Texas governor to run for the highest office in the land, but he didn't prove he had what it takes to win. Read More
Rick Santorum & the Lesbian Intern Who Got Away
Filed by Sue Kerr | January 19, 2012 | 10:00 AM |I was an intern in Rick Santorum's then-Congressional offices for six months. I was assigned, I was not out (to myself even) and I was terrified enough to run away to graduate school rather than pursue a career on Capitol Hill.Read More
An Open Letter to Karen Santorum
Filed by Annette Gross | January 17, 2012 | 5:00 PM |I read that you are upset with the gays and feel that what they are doing to your husband is bullying. I can only imagine what it must be like for poor Rick knowing so many people don't like him for who he is. Read More
The Latest GOP Debate (in 100 Seconds)
Filed by Bil Browning | January 17, 2012 | 2:00 PM |Here's last night's GOP primary debate boiled down to 100 seconds - which as about as much as it's worth. That was 100 seconds - not the 100th debate - no matter how much it feels like it.Read More
Newt's Bane
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 17, 2012 | 12:00 PM |It looks like attacking Mitt Romney's Bain resume has become the bane of Newt Gingrich's campaign. In his latest flip-flop, Newt wants a do-over on his own 28-minute Romney attack ad.Read More
Shorter Indiana Democratic Party Press Releases [Open Thread]
Filed by Bil Browning | January 16, 2012 | 6:00 PM |The Indiana Democratic Party obviously spent quite a bit of time working on their release for the day; a 26 word MLK quote written in a large font is surely enough, right? I mean, it's a quote and it's displayed in big type, people!!Read More
Huntsman Climbs Out of the GOP Clown Car
Filed by Bil Browning | January 16, 2012 | 3:00 PM |It's official. The most qualified and least radical GOP presidential candidate has dropped out as Jon Huntsman exits the race. All that's left are the losers and posers.Read More
Colbert PAC: Don't Vote for Mitt the Ripper
Filed by Bil Browning | January 16, 2012 | 12:00 PM |In true PAC tradition,"The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC" has started running attack ads against frontrunner Mitt "The Ripper" Romney with a little help from John Lithgow.Read More
Maggie Gallagher Loves Santorum
Filed by Bil Browning | January 16, 2012 | 9:15 AM |Maggie Gallagher has issued her endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, but I'm not sure whether she's supporting him or us with a whole paragraph filled with ideas like "smearing" him with "muck."Read More
Call for ENDA Executive Order After EEOC Sex-Discrimination Settlement
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 15, 2012 | 4:30 PM |With all the election-year talk about "jobs, jobs, jobs" one would think someone would call for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.Read More
Palin Presses Romney on Bain
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 15, 2012 | 1:30 PM |The Romney campaign's "Bain problem," which is also now the Republican party's problem, doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon. The story has now gotten big enough to draw Sarah Palin out of an extended break from her bus tour.Read More
Newt's Perfect Storm
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 14, 2012 | 6:00 PM |There's one Newt Gingrich flip-flop I left out of my previous post, concerning his on-again-off-again-on-again attack on Mitt Romney as a vulture capitalist. It's a big one, and -- in typical Newt fashion -- he says it really somebody else's fault.Read More
Two Major Benchmarks in LGBT History
Filed by Mark Segal | January 14, 2012 | 4:00 PM |If you sneezed last week, you might have missed them. Two major changes in the fight for LGBT equality took place last week -- and they literally will change the playing field forever.Read More
Newt Wants It Both Ways
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 14, 2012 | 12:00 PM |It's starting to look like Newt Gingrich has more in common with Mitt Romney than just a background in vulture capitalism.Read More
Newt Gingrich: The Truth Hurts
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 13, 2012 | 2:00 PM |Newt Gingrich launched some scathing attacks on Mitt Romney just in time for the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. Now, Newt is catching heat from conservatives for hitting a front runner none of them seem to like much anyway.Read More
Romney Wins the 1 Percent
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 13, 2012 | 9:00 AM |Mitt's having enough trouble "sealing the deal" with the GOP base, which at least starting to exhibit some resignation to or willingness to settle for Romney as their nominee. Now, he's auditioning for the job of "sealing the deal" with the rest of the country. Read More
Will Canada Nullify Non-Canadian Same-Sex Marriages?
Filed by Mercedes Allen | January 12, 2012 | 7:00 PM |A government lawyer in Canada entered a submission in a divorce case involving a couple from Florida and the United Kingdom stating that a same-sex marriage performed in Canada is not a legal marriage if the couple does not live in Canada. Read More
Illinois Looking Toward Marriage Equality
Filed by Waymon Hudson | January 12, 2012 | 4:00 PM |A group of Illinois legislators and organizations have held meetings to strategize on moving from civil unions to full marriage equality for LGBT couples. I do not delude myself into thinking this will be an easy process. But we need to take the first step. Read More
Ohio Passes Weak Anti-Bullying Bill
Filed by Adam Polaski | January 12, 2012 | 3:00 PM |On Monday, Ohio lawmakers approved an anti-bullying bill. The problem, however, is that the bill doesn't specifically delineate the real or perceived characteristics of students that are protected by the bill, including race, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.Read More
What's Wrong with Gay Republicans?
Filed by Michael Hamar | January 12, 2012 | 1:00 PM |I'd love to hear how gay Republicans honestly justify supporting a political party that hates them and seeks to keep them less than full citizens.Read More
Obama Sings Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way'
Filed by Bil Browning | January 12, 2012 | 12:00 PM |President Obama doesn't necessarily "sing" Lady Gaga's Born This Way, but he does do a damn good, shall we say, "spoken word performance."Read More
Supreme Court: Churches Don't Need To Follow The Law
Filed by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | January 12, 2012 | 11:00 AM |Yesterday, the Supreme Court laid a wrecking ball to the First Amendment, placing a large shield around religious employers that violate workplace laws, or really, any laws.Read More
DC Marriage Equality Opponent Changes Sides
Filed by Bil Browning | January 12, 2012 | 9:00 AM |NOM's favorite DC would-be city councilor probably isn't on the Christmas card list any longer.Read More
Springfield, IL Reinstates Civil Union Benefits After Public Outcry
Filed by Waymon Hudson | January 11, 2012 | 1:00 PM |Saying that civil rights can be trampled on and disregarded to save a few bucks is a ridiculous and dangerous argument to make in the first place.Read More
Why God Did Not Write the Bible
Filed by Michael Hamar | January 11, 2012 | 12:00 PM |Since LGBT people challenge the Bible materialists we are rewarded with a special level of hate and animus by the Santorums of the world. Read More
Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary
Filed by Bil Browning | January 11, 2012 | 10:00 AM |In other words, water is wet. Voters went for the flip flopper who spent tons of cash on advertising and has his own shadow group to run even more attack ads on his behalf.Read More
Mitt Romney, Vulture Capitalist
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 10, 2012 | 5:00 PM |One of the benefits of the seemingly endless Republican primaries, aside from the entertainment value, is the opportunity to discover how right the candidates are ... about each other.Read More
When Did Being Smart Become an Obstacle to Success?
Filed by Bil Browning | January 10, 2012 | 12:30 PM |I've mostly avoided all those "Shit [insert generic group] says" videos because most of the time they're just regurgitated stereotypes accompanied by bad acting. Whether it's Shit Gays Say, Girls Say, Guys Say, or whatever, they're mostly just, well, shit.Read More
Obama Chief of Staff Resigns: Change We Can Believe In?
Filed by Bil Browning | January 09, 2012 | 4:00 PM |When will President Obama pick a top advisor that's actually, you know, a liberal seeking positive change for our country instead of a political insider with ties that make it better for them personally to keep the status quo?Read More
NJ Legislature: Marriage Equality Is #1 Priority
Filed by Bil Browning | January 09, 2012 | 1:00 PM |As the New Jersey state legislature convenes this week, leaders of the Senate and Assembly have announced that marriage equality will be their number one priority. The chambers will introduce the bill tomorrow, the first day of the legislative session.Read More
Striking a New Chord at Stonewall?
Filed by Phil Reese | January 09, 2012 | 12:00 PM |For those of us who have to read organizations' press statements all day every day, its a lot more enjoyable when one gets the feeling that the author of the statement gives a damn about what they're saying.Read More
Ru Paul Campaigns In New Hampshire
Filed by Bil Browning | January 09, 2012 | 11:00 AM |RuPaul made an appearance in New Hampshire to let people know "You better vote!" while also nothing that he is not Ron Paul and he is not running for President.Read More
Date a Conservative: Could You Do It? [Comment of the Week]
Filed by Bil Browning | January 08, 2012 | 7:00 PM |After Michael Hamar posted that Republican Congressman Eric Cantor's wife is pro-gay and pro-choice, Annette Gross wondered how in the world they could be a couple. What about you? Could you do it?Read More
Butler, Osborn, Bloom to Debate CA 50th AD Race Today
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 08, 2012 | 10:15 AM |One of the most contentious races in California this election cycle is between Democratic Assemblymember Betsy Butler and lesbian activist Torie Osborn for the newly created 50th Assembly District.Read More
Psychopaths in Suits
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 07, 2012 | 6:00 PM |Back in 2009, I asked "What's Wrong With Wall Street?", and I even offered my own diagnosis as an armchair shrink. I'm no doctor, but this article from the San Francisco Chronicle seems to confirm my earlier diagnosis.Read More
Santorum Booed by New Hampshire College Students
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 06, 2012 | 5:00 PM |Antigay Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum was booed during an exchange with a group of college students in Concord, New Hampshire, over his opposition to same-sex marriage.Read More
Justice Dept Updates Rape Definition
Filed by Bil Browning | January 06, 2012 | 4:00 PM |The federal government is expanding its definition of "rape" to include more than just "the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will." The new definition is much more inclusive than the narrow one implemented in 1927.Read More
Don't Watch This if You Are Already in a Bad Mood
Filed by Bil Browning | January 06, 2012 | 2:00 PM |I'm warning you, you'll want to hurl something at your computer screen if you're already in a foul mood today.Read More
Does Mitt Romney Know He's Quoting a Lesbian?
Filed by Dana Rudolph | January 06, 2012 | 11:30 AM |Mitt Romney has been frequently quoting "America the Beautiful" in his speeches. What he may not know is that the song was written in 1893 by Katherine Lee Bates - who lived with and shared her life with another woman.Read More
Interview: Openly Gay Presidential Candidate Fred Karger
Filed by Adam Polaski | January 06, 2012 | 9:30 AM |Fred Karger is still running for president, and he's the first openly gay person to do so. Here, he speaks with The Bilerico Project about his lack of support, his disappointment with The Victory Fund, and what his campaign is trying to achieve.Read More
It's Man-on-Dog Santorum's Turn in the Spotlight
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 05, 2012 | 4:00 PM |Ultra-religious right conservative Rick Santorum is making a strong pitch for money and support following his strong showing in Iowa, where he came within 8 votes of beating Mitt Romney in the Iowa Caucus on Tuesday. Read More
Grading the Presidential Candidates on Civil Liberties
Filed by Bil Browning | January 05, 2012 | 3:00 PM |There's a very cool scorecard from the ACLU that grades the presidential candidates on their positions on civil liberties. The top winner? Former Republican turned Libertarian Gary Johnson followed closely by President Obama and Jon Huntsman.Read More
The Family Un-Friendly Economy
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 05, 2012 | 2:00 PM |Bachmann is gone. Perry was out, then back in. Newt stormed out of Iowa, heading for New Hampshire. Mitt Romney is now stuck in that awkward phase otherwise known as the rest of the campaign. That leaves Rick Santorum to bring the crazy.Read More
WA Governor Gregoire Announces Support for Marriage Bill
Filed by Joe Mirabella | January 05, 2012 | 9:00 AM |Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire announced support for a bill that would give gays and lesbians the right to marry in Washington State during a press briefing in Olympia on Wednesday.Read More
Shirtless Obama in Hawaii [Caption This]
Filed by Bil Browning | January 04, 2012 | 3:00 PM |Where would be without TMZ's paparazzi shots? Obama's looking darn good these days, isn't he?Read More
I Quit: Bachmann's Big Announcement
Filed by Bil Browning | January 04, 2012 | 12:15 PM |It looks like there's one less buffoon in the GOP clown car. After a disappointing (for her, not us) finish in the Iowa caucuses, Michelle Bachmann announced today that she will end her bid for the presidency.Read More
Republicans: Putting All the Crazy Eggs in One Basket
Filed by Don Davis | January 04, 2012 | 11:00 AM |We are going to hear a lot about how the GOP loves the American worker, but at the exact same time they are looking to, well, put all the crazy eggs in one basket if they can get away with it.Read More
Some Ignorant Dipstick Won the Iowa Caucuses
Filed by Bil Browning | January 04, 2012 | 9:00 AM |I'd rather have watched reruns of Jennifer Slept Here than suffer the election returns of last night's Iowa caucus, but work necessitated watching as one sad sack after another conceded that they weren't the next reincarnation of Ronald Reagan.Read More
Eric Cantor's Wife Is Pro-Choice & Pro-Marriage Equality
Filed by Michael Hamar | January 03, 2012 | 6:00 PM |In what has to be causing angst amongst the knuckle dragging Neanderthals that make up the Republican party of Virginia, Diana Fine Cantor, wife of GOP House Majority Whip Eric Cantor, has come out as pro-choice and pro-gay.Read More
Hawaii & Delaware Join Marriage Equality Train
Filed by Bil Browning | January 03, 2012 | 5:00 PM |Hawaii and Delaware joined the marriage equality train at the start of the new year. They may be at the caboose, but at least they're on the right track.Read More
War Is Over: Ending & Paying for the Iraq War
Filed by Terrance Heath | January 03, 2012 | 4:00 PM |I heard one of my favorite holiday songs on the radio recently - John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)." I've always loved it, but this year holds special meaning for me.Read More
Perry & Lawrence v Texas: Oops!
Filed by Leslie Robinson | January 03, 2012 | 2:00 PM |Maybe he has to learn so much these days - like the name of North Korea's late dictator is Kim Jong-il, not "Kim Jong the Second" - that facts he previously knew are falling out of his head to make room.Read More
Because Rick Santorum Said So
Filed by Guest Blogger | January 03, 2012 | 1:00 PM |Last Wednesday, the candidate known for declaring war on the poor, still defending the invasion of Iraq, and thinking intelligent design is science, actually said something that was right.Read More
Ron Paul Endorsed By Former KKK Grand Wizard
Filed by Karen Ocamb | January 03, 2012 | 10:00 AM |As if Ron Paul hasn't been linked enough to right wing extremists, Paul just got David Duke's endorsement and his ties to the far right John Birch Society are being examined further.Read More
Being Petarded: Michele Bachmann, It's Time for the Fork
Filed by Don Davis | January 03, 2012 | 9:00 AM |I'm not a Biblical kind of writer myself, but you can't help but notice that sowing and reaping are surely connected in this case, and as much as I see Michele preaching from the pulpit, I hope it's a Bible lesson she someday learns.Read More
