Gay Rights Watch

Americablog.com reported...

The Family Research Council's executive director, Tony Perkins, reportedly paid former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke over $80,000 for his who's-who-of-racist-America mailing list in 1996. This should be the death of the Family Research Council, one of the religoius right's lead organizations, and the end of Tony Perkins career.

Who on the left is smart enough to plunk down some money to organize the campaign destroying the FRC and their executive director because of his dealings with the Ku Klux Klan?

This was 1996, people. That is well beyond, years beyond, the date that the entire nation knew Duke to be a rabid KKK-loving racist. But our pinnacle of family values, Tony Perkins, had no problem enriching black-hater David Duke to the tune of $82,000. And what's more, Tony Perkins had no problem trying to woo David Duke's avowed racist following.

With the religious right trying to reach out to black folk, and more generally trying to lecture the rest of us on morality, I want to know why Tony Perkins hasn't been forced to resign, or, why the Family Research Council hasn't been ostracized from the entire religious right community.

Bob Knight and the rest of the Concerned Women for America, and the American Family Association and Lou Sheldon and all the rest of you supposed Christians, are you concerned that your good buddy Tony Perkins appears peppered with racism?

From the Nation (I'd reported on this Nation piece before, but this is big. This is the end of the Family Research Council and the religious right's efforts to woo the black community, if only some smart well-funded liberal had the sense to do something with this.):

"Four years ago, Perkins addressed the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), America's premier white supremacist organization, the successor to the White Citizens Councils, which battled integration in the South. In 1996 Perkins paid former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke $82,500 for his mailing list. At the time, Perkins was the campaign manager for a right-wing Republican candidate for the US Senate in Louisiana. The Federal Election Commission fined the campaign Perkins ran $3,000 for attempting to hide the money paid to Duke."

What would I do in response? How about make sure the entire audience knows about Perkins' support for Duke and affinity for racists at EVERY event he attends. How about informing the black media and black churches about this tie between racists and the religious right. How about asking supposed religious right "black" leaders why they don't speak out against the FRC and its executive director's affinity for white supremacists. How about demanding that the other religious right groups speak out against Tony Perkins and his enabling of black-hating racists.

This is a campaign begging to happen.

AP Photo: Mary Oberst, as Oregon first lady, gives testimony in favor of the civil union bill (SB 1073) in Salem.

An Oregon Senate panel passed a bill to create civil unions Tuesday afternoon, the latest step in the Oregon Legislature's battle over whether gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to have legally recognized relationships.

The bill to extend the benefits and rights of marriage to gay couples passed on a partisan 3-2 vote, with Democrats in favor.

It will now head to the full Senate, where it is expected to pass, setting up a tug-of-war with the Republican-controlled House, which is currently considering its own bill. That legislation would provide a more limited set of "reciprocal rights" to any two people over 18, including relatives.

During Tuesday's often tense hearing, state Sen. Charlie Ringo, D-Beaverton, pressed Tootie Smith of the Defense of Marriage Coalition and other civil union opponents about what rights and benefits of marriage they would deny gay couples. [Evidentally both Sen. Charlie Ringo and Sen. Kate Brown ripped Tootie Smith of the DOMC a new a$$hole]

"This is a list of 100," Ringo said, holding up a list of the benefits of traditional marriage that gay couples currently are not guaranteed under state law. They range from inheritance to hospital visitation rights.

He repeatedly asked that civil union opponents point out which of the benefits on the list they were opposed to granting gay couples.

"There are a lot more, and I think that's what this bill is about," he said.

But state Sen. Charles Starr, R-Hillsboro, argued that the bill goes against the will of the voters, who passed a ban on gay marriage last year. [This is the same Senator that told the Senate Rules committee today that "Neither the mouth nor the anus were intended for sexual intercourse." - YES he said this to 5 high ranking senators at a public Senate hearing. I'm sorry... this has to do with legal protections for gay couples and their families how?]

"(This bill) is simply 'gay marriage' by another name," Starr said.

Starr said homosexuality is a choice that should not be supported in state law.

The Senate Rules Committee heard approximately two hours of testimony — relatively short compared to the initial hearing, where hundreds of people showed up to testify.

The civil unions bill is half of the bill Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski introduced earlier in the session. The full bill would have provided civil unions and banned discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The discrimination portion of the bill has not been voted on yet, and may be shelved for the session.

While a bipartisan group of Senators support the civil unions bill, House Republicans have introduced what they consider a replacement for civil unions — called reciprocal benefits — that would extend about a dozen rights to any two people, including relatives.

Supporters of that bill said it's a way to provide benefits — mainly [basically only] concerning end-of-life issues and property rights — to nontraditional families without addressing sexual orientation in state law.

But opponents said the bill is not enough to provide protections for gay Oregonians and their families.

(AP)

The Oregon State Senate Rules Committee just voted on Oregons Civil Unions Bill - SB 1073 - and has voted it out of committee. This means that it is going to a floor vote... There shouldn't be a problem passing it in the Senate. It's the House that concerns me, although I think it will happen.

Roey Thorpe, Executive Director of Basic Rights Oregon said:

"For Oregon same-sex couples, and we don't even know which ones will be hit hardest, each day that goes by without civil unions is a day that families are vulnerable to tragedy and two more years is too long to wait for another try in another legislative session," said Thorpe. "Oregon lawmakers now have it within their power to prevent these tragedies and we are counting on them to side with decency and fairness and pass SB 1073 immediately."

For more coverage visit:
Basic Rights Oregon Blog

...The Senate Rules Committee is having a public hearing (started @ 3pm) on Oregons Civil Unions Bill (SB 1073). There is a very high probability that it will be voted out of committee today. More coverage this evening as I learn more.

Basic Rights Oregon reports that the Oregon State Senate Rules Committee could vote SB 1073 out of committee as early as tomorrow. Click here to read more and to take action to help move this bill for a floor vote!

This is recent testimony from Oregon's SB 1000 hearing. These are the type of people that we are fighting against. Living in the dark ages... their complete ignorance is revolting. I would love to know where they find the facts to back up their quotes.

Oregon State Senator Charles Starr said:

"We long recognized homosexual behavior as a mental disorder... people are not born homosexual...Many people leave the homosexual lifestyle, marry and have families, thus showing it is not a permanent characteristic...”
Testimony against SB 1000 from State Senator Charles Starr, 5/4/05

Concerned Women of America of Oregon said:

“...the characteristically unstable and often violent relationships of same-sex adults can result in an environment in which children are more likely to be victims of incest...”
Testimony against SB 1000 from Concerned Women of America of Oregon, 5/2/05

Lea Williams said:

If we follow God's plan, one man and one woman for life, it does not create diseases...(homosexual) practices are contaminating our blood supply.”
Testimony against SB 1000 from Lea Williams, 5/4/05

These people are serious? These are some of the MOST bigoted and offensive comments I have heard in a while.

As some of you know SB 1000, the bill that would create civil unions, as well as a statewide anti-discrimination policy has officially been split into two bills. The civil union portion is now called SB 1073 and will hopefully pass the Senate in the next two weeks or so.

Making good on a Republican campaign call to celebrate with "Christian friends," Texas Gov. Rick Perry traveled to an evangelical school here on Sunday to put his signature on a measure prohibit same-sex marriage.

::: So let's not only stifle civil rights - let's celebrate not allowing gay families to have legal protections for their children and partner. There is something very scary about this. :::

About 100 protesters lined the street outside the school, Calvary Christian Academy, denouncing the unusual signing as breaching the constitutional separation between church and state.

He said he was putting his signature - although it was not required - on a measure that places a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages before Texas voters on Nov. 8. "Activist judges have used the bench to advance a narrow agenda," the governor said, adding that the measure defining marriage as a sacred bond between a man and a woman "places it beyond the reach of activist judges."

::: Those damn 'activist' judges! Without these 'activist' judges our country would still be back in the turn of the century as far as civil rights go. :::

The event caused a stir last week after The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on plans for it. The Perry campaign later released the text of an e-mail message sent to religious groups. It said in part, "We want to completely fill this location with pro-family Christian friends who can celebrate with us."

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