Presidential Candidates React To Iowa Marriage Equality Decision

Even as an Iowa county judge issued a temporary stay on his ruling knocking down the state's same-sex marriage ban, the presidential candidates jostled to stake out a position with the state's conservative voters in mind.

Mitt Romney was the first to seize on the ruling, promptly aligning himself with Iowa political leaders in denouncing the decision. The former Massachusetts governor's swift criticism served to bolster the conservative image his campaign has been working hard to promote to Iowa's Republican voters. Romney stressed his support for a federal amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, a stand that distinguishes him from his top rivals, who have said they prefer to leave such decisions to the states.

"The ruling in Iowa ... is another example of an activist court and unelected judges trying to redefine marriage and disregard the will of the people as expressed through Iowa's Defense of Marriage Act," Romney said in a statement shortly after the ruling was made. "This once again highlights the need for a Federal Marriage Amendment to protect the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was the only Democrat to offer a reaction. Taping an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Clinton said she favors civil unions "with full equality of benefits." But she said the question of same-sex marriage should be left up to the states.

"The states have always determined age of marriage, other conditions and over time we've gotten rid a lot of discrimination that used to exist in marriage laws," she said. "That's now happening. People are making decisions. Civil unions, marriage. They're deciding in the states and I think that's the appropriate place for that to be."

Barack Obama's spokesman said the senator "believes these matters should be left to the states, which is why he opposes the Defense of Marriage Act."

John McCain called the ruling "a loss for the traditional family."

"I have always supported the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman," he said. "The ruling of the court only reinforces my belief that we must have a president who is committed to appointing strict constructionists to the bench."

Sen. Sam Brownback, who has worked hard to gain the backing of social conservatives in Iowa, offered a sharp rejection of the judge's ruling. "The people of Iowa reject the redefinition of marriage, and I pledge today to defend the bond of marriage, as I have consistently done in the past," he said in a statement.

Rudy Giuliani's spokesman said simply: "Rudy Giuliani believes marriage is between a man and a woman." Giuliani has supported limited legal recognition for same-sex couples.

Former Sen. Fred Thompson, who will officially enter the presidential race next week, has offered support for a federal amendment that would prevent states without gay marriage laws from having to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.

Iowans Running To The Alter

Unitarian Rev. Mark Stringer married college students Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillann outside his Iowa home Friday morning, declaring them legally wed and sealing the state's first legal same-sex wedding. Less than 24 hours earlier, a judge had thrown out Iowa's ban on gay marriage.

On Thursday, Polk County Judge Robert Hanson ruled that Iowa's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed marriage only between a man and a woman, violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection of six gay couples who had sued. The ruling cleared the way for gay couples across the state to apply for marriage licenses in Polk County.

County attorney John Sarcone asked Hanson for a stay that would prevent gays and lesbians from getting marriage licenses until the appeal was resolved and a hearing on the stay request is likely next week. The marriage license approval process normally takes three business days, but couples can pay a $5 fee and get a judge to sign a waiver allowing them to skip the waiting period.

Republican House Minority Leader Christopher Rants said the ruling illustrates the need for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. "I can't believe this is happening in Iowa," Rants said. "I guarantee you there will be a vote on this issue come January," when the Legislature convenes. Gov. Chet Culver left open the possibility of state action.

Hanson ruled Thursday that the state law banning same-sex marriage must be nullified, severed and stricken from the books, and the marriage laws "must be read and applied in a gender neutral manner so as to permit same-sex couples to enter into a civil marriage ..."

Iowa Take First Step Towards Marriage Equality

The District Court for Polk County, Iowa rendered a decision in Varnum v. Brien, concluding that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to equality in marriage. Lambda Legal was lead counsel for the plaintiffs, Iowa couples who were denied marriage licenses. The state has already indicated that it will appeal the case.

Schwarzenegger Appoints Log Cabin Member

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Don Norte of Hollywood to the California Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. The committee is charged with developing a comprehensive strategy to assist disabled youth and adults to enter the workforce by focusing on the needs and interests of the worker, the employer, and the community.

Norte follows the appointment last week of Leonard Olds, a founder of Log Cabin, to the California Council for the Humanities.

Sacramento Legislature Calls For Federal Hate Crimes Legislation

AJR 29 — Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act
Introduced by Assemblymember Eng: Encourages federal officials to pass national hate crimes legislation.

Here's how the locals voted. This is a non-binding resolution and does not go to the Governor for signature.

Passed Senate Floor 22-1
• ‘Yes’ Votes: Correa, Lowenthal, Negrete-McLeod
• Absent/Abstain/Not Voting: Ackerman, Battin, Harman, Oropeza, Vincent

Passed Assembly Floor 70-1
• ‘Yes’ Votes: DeVore, Duvall, Garcia, Huff, Karnette, Mendoza, Richardson, Silva, Solorio, Soto, Spitzer, Tran, Walters

Passed Assembly Judiciary 10-0
• ‘Yes’ Vote: Tran

Idaho U.S. Senator Larry Craig Arrested In Men's Room

From the August 28, 2007 edition of the Idaho Statesman. Full Story Here:

Sen. Larry Craig, who in May told the Idaho Statesman he had never engaged in homosexual acts, was arrested less than a month later by an undercover police officer who said Craig made a sexual advance toward him in an airport men's room.

The arrest at a Minnesota airport prompted Craig to plead guilty to disorderly conduct earlier this month. His June 11 encounter with the officer was similar to an incident in a men's room in a Washington, D.C., rail station described by a Washington-area man to the Idaho Statesman. In that case, the man said he and Craig had sexual contact.

The most serious finding by the Statesman was the report by a professional man with close ties to Republican officials. The 40-year-old man reported having oral sex with Craig at Washington's Union Station, probably in 2004. The Statesman also spoke with a man who said Craig made a sexual advance toward him at the University of Idaho in 1967 and a man who said Craig "cruised" him for sex in 1994 at the REI store in Boise. The Statesman also explored dozens of allegations that proved untrue, unclear or unverifiable.

Craig's record includes a series of votes against gay rights and his support of a 2006 amendment to the Idaho Constitution that bars gay marriage and civil unions.

Craig on Monday denied any misconduct. On Monday afternoon, Craig resigned from his role as the U.S. Senate co-chair of the Mitt Romney for president campaign.

Coming Out Kits Available From HRC

Thanks to Barbara Muirhead for the heads up:

HRC is offering free Coming Out Kits for October 11th. The individual and small group kits are for 2-3, and a large group kit which can be ordered online. They have GLB kits and Transgender kits.

The theme for National Coming Out Day 2007 will be Talk About It, continuing the slogan and branding that
the national program has been building since 2005.

National Coming Out Day is a time to celebrate openness and honesty – whether you came out 20 minutes ago, or 20 years ago — this is a time for all GLBT and Straight supportive people to Talk About It with friends, family and coworkers.

Coming Out Day Kits include:

• Resource Guides to Coming Out
• Straight Guides to GLBT Americans
• Transgender Coming Out Guides
• Poster, Balloons and HRC Stickers
• And everything else you'll need to celebrate living openly!

Thompson Speaks: Anti Marriage Equality, Anti Choice

Likely Republican White House hopeful Fred Thompson told CNN that he would work to overturn Roe v. Wade if elected president, and would push for a constitutional amendment that protects states from being forced to honor gay marriages performed in other states.

“I don’t think that one state ought to be able to pass a law requiring gay marriage or allowing gay marriage and have another state be required to follow along,” Thompson told CNN’s John King. Thompson added that the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion “was bad law and bad medicine.”

As for when he will jump into the race, the former Tennessee senator said "shortly."

Democratic Presidential Nom Richardson Doing Damage Control

After stumbling through a question at a forum about whether people choose to be gay or are born that way, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson spent part of the day trying to regain his footing by reaching out to prominent members of the gay and lesbian community.

Mr. Richardson's initial response — "it's a choice" — angered many gay rights activists who hold the opposite view. After the forum, the Richardson's campaign issued a statement essentially taking back the remark: "Let me be clear — I do not believe that sexual orientation or gender identity happen by choice," Mr. Richardson said. "But I'm not a scientist, and the point I was trying to make is that no matter how it happens, we are all equal and should be treated that way under the law."

Mr. Richardson took to the airwaves, speaking to Michelangelo Signorile, who hosts a daily talk show on SIRIUS satellite radio's gay channel, OutQ. During the ten-minute interview, Mr. Richardson sought to further clarify his answer to the question posed by singer and gay rights activist Melissa Etheridge last night:

"I screwed up. I didn't understand the question. I had flown all night from New Hampshire — that shouldn't be an excuse — but I made a mistake, I screwed up. What I believe is that this is an issue that you're born with. It's not a choice, it's not a lifestyle, and I didn't understand the question. What I thought that the question was — and this was my mind at the time — that there was an implication that politics intervenes with science. And, I always love the word choice. I'm for freedom of choice, I have in my health care plan a choice where everybody can keep their health care plan. And so I always kind of feel it's a golden word, and I didn't think through what Melissa was asking me. I didn't understand the question.

I think I should be judged on my actions. My actions are I've got the best gay-lesbian record of any governor and the best gay-lesbian record of any of the presidential candidates."

Mr. Richardson also reiterated the basic position that he outlined at the HRC forum — he supports civil unions "with full marriage benefits," but does not favor same-sex marriage. (Several of the other Democratic candidates have taken a similar stance.)

The Richardson campaign was quick to point out the Governor's accomplishments in New Mexico, including his push to provide health insurance for domestic partnerships and expand anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws to include sexual orientation.

Head Of Stonewall Democrats Resigns

National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Jo Wyrick is stepping down to pursue a writing career. Wyrick, the first woman to lead Stonewall, became executive director in July 2006. She previously served as the group's deputy director.

Stonewall has begun its search for her successor, who must commit to staying with the group at least through the 2008 presidential election. Wyrick, who lives with her partner and daughter in Germantown, MD, will remain at Stonewall through Sept. 1.

Merv Griffin Succumbs To Prostate Cancer At 82

Check out Michelangelo Signorile's thoughts on the closeted entertainment mogul.

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Merv Griffin, a big-band singer who became one of television’s longest-running talk-show hosts and formidable innovators, creating some of the medium’s most popular game shows before becoming a major figure in the hotel and gambling businesses, died yesterday in Los Angeles. Mr. Griffin had been treated for prostate cancer more than 10 years ago but was recently hospitalized after a recurrence.

As a singer with the Freddy Martin band, he had a hit in 1950 with the recording, “I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts” but had traded in singing for acting in movies, served as game-show host and filled in for Jack Paar on late-night television. Then, in 1962, NBC gave him his own daytime show, “The Merv Griffin Show.” It started the same day that Johnny Carson began as host of “The Tonight Show,” and although Mr. Griffin’s reviews were initially better, his ratings quickly faded. The show was canceled in less than a year.

But Mr. Griffin had secured an agreement with NBC to allow him to set up a production company. After “Jeopardy!,” he came up with “Wheel of Fortune,” which has run continuously since 1975, making it the longest-running game show on syndicated television. Most recently, Mr. Griffin had been developing “Crosswords,” a new game show based on his passion for crossword puzzles. It is scheduled to have its premiere on Sept. 10.

Karl Rove Resigns White House Position

Excerpts from article by TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent via Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON - Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the White House at the end of August, joining a lengthening line of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 1 1/2 years of the administration.

On board with Bush since the beginning of his political career in Texas, Rove was nicknamed "the architect" and "boy genius" by the president for designing the strategy that twice won him the White House. Critics call Rove "Bush's brain."

A criminal investigation put Rove under scrutiny for months during the investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's name but he was never charged with any crime. In a more recent controversy, Rove, citing executive privilege, has refused to testify before Congress about the firing of U.S. attorneys.

Rove's departure reinforces Bush's lame-duck stature and declining influence, particularly with Democrats in control on Capitol hill.

Rove became one of Washington's most influential figures during Bush's presidency. He is known as a ruthless political warrior who has an encyclopedic command of political minutiae and a wonkish love of policy. Rove met Bush in the early 1970s, when both men were in their 20s. Once inside the White House, Rove grew into a right-hand man.

Rove is expected to write a book after he leaves. He disclosed his departure in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. He said he decided to leave after White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten told senior aides that if they stayed past Labor Day they would be obliged to remain through the end of the president's term in January 2009.

"I just think it's time," Rove said in an interview at his home on Saturday. He first floated the idea of leaving to Bush a year ago, the newspaper said, and friends confirmed he'd been talking about it even earlier. However, he said he didn't want to depart right after the Democrats regained control of Congress and then got drawn into policy battles over the Iraq war and immigration.

Rove, currently the deputy White House chief of staff, has been the president's political guru for years and worked with Bush since he first ran for governor of Texas in 1993.

In the interview, Rove predicted Bush will regain his popularity, which has sunk to record lows because of the war in Iraq. Rove also predicted conditions in Iraq would improve and that the Democrats would nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, calling her "a tough, tenacious, fatally flawed candidate." Rove does not intend to work for any candidate in the 2008 presidential election, White House press secretary Tony Snow said.

Democrats Debate GLBT Issues On Logo

Check out the Visible Vote '08 site for video recaps, reactions, and comments on the Democratic debate on logo.

Democratic Debate Focuses On GLBT Issues

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer via Yahoo! News

The gay-rights movement reaches a milestone Thursday (today) when its agenda is the subject of a televised Democratic presidential forum. Yet many activists — craving bolder support for same-sex couples — view the unprecedented event with mixed emotions.

Though pleased that all the candidates of a major party are courting their votes and endorsing the bulk of their political wish-list, they are frustrated that none of the front-runners is calling for legalization of gay marriage.

The forum, to be held in Los Angeles, is co-sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights group that has become increasingly influential in Democratic politics, and by Logo, the gay-oriented cable channel that will provide a live telecast and Internet simulcast. Every Democratic candidate except Joe Biden and Chris Dodd plans to participate.

Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese will serve as a panelist, along with singer Melissa Etheridge and Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart.

"I hope we can get genuinely heartfelt answers," said Solmonese, who wants the leading candidates to explain why they remain wary of gay marriage.

Organizers say the forum marks the first time that major presidential candidates will appear on TV specifically to address gay issues.

"Simply seeing the candidates step on a stage to speak to a national gay television audience may be as moving as anything they say," said Logo's president, Brian Graden.

Logo, available in about 27 million homes, offered to hold a second forum for Republican candidates, but the GOP front-runners — less supportive of gay-rights initiatives than the Democrats — showed no interest, said Logo general manager Lisa Sherman.

The Democrats will appear sequentially at 15-minute intervals during the two-hour forum, never sharing the stage with one another.

All of them support a federal ban on anti-gay job discrimination, favor repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring gays from serving openly in the military and support civil unions that would extend marriage-like rights to same-sex couples.

But thus far, only two longshots — Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel — have endorsed nationwide recognition of same-sex marriage, which a majority of Americans oppose.

"No viable mainstream contender for president is going to support gay marriage in this election cycle," said Ethan Geto, an adviser to Hillary Rodham Clinton on gay-rights issues. "I hope that's going to change in the next couple of elections."

Geto suggested that Clinton's hesitancy on same-sex marriage stemmed from her religious upbringing. Yet he also described her as a passionate supporter of other gay-rights causes who is willing to raise those issues even before non-gay audiences.

One of Clinton's chief rivals, John Edwards, has acknowledged wrestling with his stance on gay marriage.

"I feel enormous conflict about it," he said in a televised debate in July. "This is a very, very difficult issue for me."

He noted that his wife, Elizabeth, broke ranks with him in June and publicly endorsed same-sex marriage.

The third Democratic front-runner, Sen. Barack Obama, belongs to the United Church of Christ, which supports gay marriage, but Obama has yet to go that far.

Many gays and lesbians have submitted questions they would like posed at the forum; Charlene Strong of Seattle said she'd like to be there in person.

Her longtime partner, Kathryn Fleming, died in December after being trapped by floodwaters, and Strong was initially barred from the hospital room because she was not considered immediate family.

"I'd like the candidates to spell it out — what would you do to be sure that doesn't happen," Strong said. "How do you get to full equality?"

Evan Wolfson, a gay-rights lawyer and executive director of Freedom to Marry, said the good news — in his view — is that all the Democratic candidates support fairness for same-sex couples.

"The bad news is they haven't yet grasped that equality in marriage is how you achieve that fairness," Wolfson added. "There is no substitute. They wouldn't trade their marriage for a civil union. Why should gay Americans?"

Wolfson said he was frustrated by the candidates' sometimes awkward answers regarding same-sex marriage.

"Americans would respect someone who leads, rather than someone who ducks and evades," he said.

Another activist, Kate Kendell of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said she was unsure to what extent the candidates' hesitancy reflected deep-set beliefs as opposed to political calculations.

"Either way, it leaves lesbian and gay couples in the position of being publicly regarded as an inferior kind of relationship," she said.

However, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., one of two openly gay members of Congress, said he understood the candidates' caution.

"It's not wrong for people trying to become president to take political considerations into account," Frank said. "I don't want a bunch of martyrs on my side."

Among the Republicans, none of the candidates favor repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" and only former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has supported limited legal recognition for same-sex couples.

Some conservative activists have denounced the upcoming forum.

"It's disgraceful that our nation's moral standards have now dipped so low that it's considered 'tolerant' to hold a debate organized entirely around the promotion of sexual immorality," said Matt Barber, cultural issues policy director for Concerned Women for America.

White House Vows To Veto Hate Crimes Legislation

From the The Washington Times:

"President Bush is committed to vetoing the latest effort to expand federal "hate crimes" laws to include sexual orientation, even if it means sending a defense authorization bill back to Congress, the White House said.

"The qualifications [in the bill] are so broad that virtually any crime involving a homosexual individual has potential to have hate crimes elements," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto.

"The proposals they're talking about are not sufficiently narrow."

The veto threat adds another twist to the high-stakes battle between the Democrat-led Congress and Mr. Bush over the Iraq war.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, attached the crime measure to the defense authorization bill, which Democrats are expected to use as a vehicle to try to alter war policy.

A coalition of religious leaders, many of them black Christian pastors, have lobbied the White House to reject the amendment, saying it could lead to suppression of free speech and religious expression.

"The bill is not about crime prevention or even civil rights. It's about outlawing peaceful speech — speech that asserts that homosexual behavior is morally wrong," said Chuck Colson, a former aide to President Nixon who now runs a Christian ministry to prisoners.

The legislation would make it easier for federal law enforcement to become involved in crimes against people based on their "sexual orientation" and "gender identity."

Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in Lanham is leading the High Impact Leadership Coalition, a group of Christian pastors lobbying against the bill. The coalition is working with Tim Goeglein, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison.

"He seems very receptive," Mr. Jackson said.

Mr. Kennedy's office says the bill "punishes violence, not speech."

"It covers only violent acts that result in death or bodily injury. It does not prohibit or punish speech, expression or association in any way — even hate speech," said a Kennedy aide.

"Nothing in the act will prohibit the lawful expression of anyone's religious or political beliefs. People will always be free to speak their mind about issues."

Mr. Fratto said the president, who has pushed for quick approval of spending for U.S. troops, would send the defense bill back to Capitol Hill if the hate-crime amendment remains attached.

The White House stopped short of saying it was opposed to the language because of concerns about religious freedom.

Mr. Jackson agreed with the White House's assessment that the measure's language is too broad. His coalition ran a full-page ad in USA Today last month that said: "Don't muzzle our pulpits!"

"We believe prosecutors and anti-Christian groups will use loopholes to muzzle the church from speaking out on biblical standards of morality which are shared by most Americans."

House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, a South Carolinian who leads the House Democratic Faith Working Group, called that sentiment "grossly inaccurate and highly prejudicial."

"Absolutely nothing in the [bill] in any way constrains the freedom of expression or religion and I — who was born and raised in the parsonage of a fundamentalist Christian church — believe it is wrong to attempt to defeat civil rights legislation based on such a false claim."

The House in May passed the hate crimes bill — which the homosexual lobbying group Human Rights Campaign called "historic" — by a vote of 237-180.

Author Marc Adams To Join PFLAG Meeting

PFLAG Orange County is thrilled to welcome award-winning author Marc Adams to our September General Meeting, on Wednesday, September 5th, at 7:30PM!

Silver Pen Award Recipient Marc Adams is the author of eight books including his award-winning autobiography, The Preacher's Son, five collections of poetry and The Do's and Don'ts of Dealing with the Religious Right.

Marc Adams is also the founder and executive director of HeartStrong, Inc. It is the only educational non-profit organization in the world with the mission to provide support and outreach to GLBT students terrorized at religious educational institutions. The HeartStrong Outreach Team has driven over 327,000 miles in the past nine years.

For more information on Marc, go to www.meetmarcadams.com.

Another Right Wing Judge

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved, by a vote of ten to nine, the nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick to the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. Judge Southwick has a disturbing record on equal rights, having participated in a decision removing an 8-year-old child from the biological mother due in part to the mother’s sexual orientation. This vote brings Judge Southwick one step closer to a lifetime position on the federal bench.

UPS Relents And Gives Health Benefits

After persuasion from New Jersey's governor and attorney general, UPS Inc. will extend health insurance benefits to the civil union partners of gay employees in New Jersey covered by a union contract. The policy change has to do with New Jersey's civil-unions law, which took effect in February and seeks to give gay couples the same rights in the state as married couples.
Gov. Jon S. Corzine sent Atlanta-based UPS a letter July 20 asking United Parcel Service to change its stance. The letter was sent on behalf of a UPS driver and her partner.

The company had previously said civil-union partners were legally different from spouses and therefore were not entitled to the same benefits that spouses of the company's hourly workers receive. "We have received clear guidance that at least in New Jersey the state truly views civil-union partners as married," said Allen Hill, UPS's senior vice president for human resources. "We've heard that loud and clear from state officials, and we're happy to make this change."

The company has about 8,700 union-represented workers in New Jersey, but UPS officials say they do not know how many are in civil unions.

ECCO Watch List Washington 2007

The following is a list of bills on the ECCO Watch List for the 2007 session in Washington, DC.

First is the bill's name, a brief description, then the status and how our local representatives voted. In some cases, there may not be any locals on a particular committee.

HR 1592 Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act
The legislation was re-introducted would allow local law enforcement agencies to access federal assistance in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes based on sexual orientation and a number of other new classes. This legislation previously passed both the U.S. House and Senate by wide, bi-partisan margins. Opponents had to use parliamentary maneuvers to block its passage.

Passed U.S. House of Representatives 237-180
‘Yes’ Votes: Baca, Becerra, Bono, Harman, Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez, Schiff, Solis
‘No’ Votes: Calvert, Campbell, Dreier, Issa, Miller, Rohrabacher, Royce


Military Readiness Enhancement Act
Re-introduced in Congress to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Polls show the American public and service members support ending the ban; nearly 4 out of 5 service members say they feel comfortable around gays and lesbians.


Early Treatment for HIV Act (ETHA)
Senators Smith and Clinton have re-introduced this program will expand access to vital medical services for low-income HIV+ individuals before they develop full-blown AIDS. Medicaid currently offers no help until a person has AIDS.