This will win us over to their side...

[keltic63]

Restaurant fight about Gay Marriage (http://www.todaystmj4.com/_content/news/topstories/story_4502.asp)

I take it that the suspect is not a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Institute.

[midtnscott]

And Dobson, Falwell, Robertson et. al. don't think anti-gay rhetoric leads to violence.....

They must be pleased.

[Zerbie]

Oh. My. Word.

What is HAPPENING to the world?!

Thanks for letting us know, Keltic. Actually, being so immersed in our campaign here, that story unnerved me a bit. I'm reaching that point where I wanna rip the HRC sticker off the car bumper and go put my head under the covers.

[Vortex]

Violence seems too often to be the first and ONLY means of expression for so many. Fear is a terrible force to be enslaved to, it really does destroy the individual, and those around them.


Vortex

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,
Thanks for tipping me off to this story. I live in Madison, Wisconsin and this incident happened in Wauwatosa, about 70 miles away from here (near Milwaukee). Come the November elections, our state will be voting on a State Constitutional "Marriage Amendment"

GLBT people live with the reality of physical violence everywhere, even here in "progressive" Wisconsin. This physical violence has its ties with spiritual violence--note the assailant's reference to "God."

It takes courage to be LGBT and out--any of us could be assaulted any time. That is what hate crimes are about--they are designed to intimidate and frighten a whole group of persons to "keep them in their place." If we are ever to be free, we must never let them succeed in "keeping us in our place."

Steven Webster

[BruceChris]

I used to live in Madison, go to school there, and I even owned a bicycle shop there. Geographically, Madison may be 70 miles from Wauwatosa, but in terms of one's way of thinking, it's more like 1000 miles. Back when I was there, the mayor, "Soggy", had been seen in gay bars. All of the good dance floors were in gay bars, and on weekends, all of the straight couples would just come in and take over. If there is anywhere where a person could lose track of having to deal with being gay, it's got to be Madison.

But then, there is the rest of Wisconsin, and the rest of the world that we have to deal with. Good luck on the vote in November. :rainbow: :agree:

Peace and Love, Bruce Chris

[Giancarlo]

"Surveillance video shows the man [the one against gay marriage], who had just joined the debate, pushed "Jorryn" down and then punched another customer."

--

For some reason this doesn't surprise me at all. These homophobes really don't have a case at all, and when they get dig their own hole they get violent. They get violent when they get confronted because they are truly trapped.

Even here in Los Angeles, I've been threatened before with violence because some people think I fit the stereotypes (yes, I am gay but that is not because of what I wear, or how I look). We face tremendous discrimination in society, even in urban areas. I even got a cruel comment from someone at my campus because he saw my rainbow button on my backpack and this is a Cal State university.

At any rate, I do want the person who engaged in the assaults to be prosecuted. However, I think he also needs some mental help. There was a study done that shows that most people who act this way are in fact gay themselves. There is a possibility he could be repressing his own sexuality.

[tdogg]

Ok, some MAJOR news in California today. Our lovely gov (Arnold himself) signed into law, a bill that gives registered domestic partners the same state (state only here) tax benefits that married couples have. That is a huge stop for GLBT. Ok, not perfect and he's done enough to squish our progress certainly, but this was a little unexpected step forward.

I haven't read the particulars, so yes, there could be drawbacks. But the Equality California people are calling it a huge success for GLBT equality. I'll have to do more research when I have a few moments to spare and repost some particulars.

But for now, gotta go to bed! 530a comes awful early....

[Giancarlo]

Ok, some MAJOR news in California today. Our lovely gov (Arnold himself) signed into law, a bill that gives registered domestic partners the same state (state only here) tax benefits that married couples have. That is a huge stop for GLBT. Ok, not perfect and he's done enough to squish our progress certainly, but this was a little unexpected step forward.

I haven't read the particulars, so yes, there could be drawbacks. But the Equality California people are calling it a huge success for GLBT equality. I'll have to do more research when I have a few moments to spare and repost some particulars.

But for now, gotta go to bed! 530a comes awful early....

I am actually helping campaign for Arnold and because of that he has my vote. As I said, I go either way in politics, and Arnold is no conservative republican at all (Michael Bloomberg anyone? He actually supports gay marriage more than Arnold). We have to take many steps in this state so the conservatives cannot derail the process. I too live in California.

And don't worry... I'll do the search for you...

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/10/100106california.htm

Sacramento, California) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger continued to cherry-pick legislation on the weekend aimed at keeping his moderate image while attempting not to anger the far right of his Republican Party.

On Saturday the governor signed three LGBT-positive bills, two affecting same-sex couples.

The State Income Tax Equity Act allows registered domestic partners to file state income taxes jointly and have their earned income treated as community property for state tax purposes.

It would provide tax relief to domestic partners on the same terms as married couples - an average family of four with one stay at home parent can save an expected $2,000 a year.

"This is a historic day for equality," said Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) who authored the legislation. "The governor's signature on my tax equity bill gives lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families, who share the same costs and responsibilities that go with parenthood or being a spouse, the same tax benefits afforded to married couples. At last we acknowledge the equal contributions of LGBT households and remove the tax inequity that has been suffered by these families."

The law will impact as many as 38,000 same-sex couples but it will not cover federal tax. Same-sex couples are not recognized by the IRS under the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Nevertheless, the California law is being hailed by LGBT rights groups and denounced by conservatives.

Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, accused Schwarzenegger of creating " counterfeit marriage".

"Shame on Arnold Schwarzenegger for attacking marriage between a husband and wife and for being two-faced about this sacred institution," Thomasson said in a statement. "Where's his respect for marriage?"

Of course the homophobes are out in force denouncing this...

And that quote that Thomasson said... well, I would specifically ask him this: Where is your respect for gay and lesbian citizens who pay their taxes just like the rest of people? Where is your respect for our civil rights? Marriage is a right, it isn't a benefit that only christians conservatives or heterosexuals should get.

They legalized gay marriage in Spain... and they still respect heterosexual marriage there. :rolleyes:

[midtnscott]

Respect is something the Christian Conservatives demand be given them as their God given right but they don't want to reciprocate to others who are different than they.