WWII veteran speaks out for marriage equality in Maine

activism, lgbt, politics, video 2 Comments »

WWII Veteran Philip SpoonerThis could hardly be a better time for this to be making the rounds again on the eve of the marriage equality vote in Maine. During hearings on gay marriage last April, Philip Spooner, an 86-year-old D-Day veteran gave the following testimony:

“The woman at my polling place asked me do I believe in equality for gay and lesbian people. I was pretty surprised to be asked a question like that. It made no sense to me. Finally I asked her: what do you think I fought for in Omaha Beach?”

Watch the entire clip below…


Miss California USA sues Carrie Prejean over boob job and semi-nude photos

entertainment, lgbt, religion 3 Comments »

Carrie PrejeanK2 Productions, the folks behind Miss California USA, have filed a counter suit against former Miss California and opposite marriage advocate Carrie Prejean for reimbursement of $5200 for a boob job and plenty more.

“Even before she became notorious for that answer and the ensuing media storm, Ms. Prejean was already causing difficulty,” the K2 counter-suit states.

“With her new-found notoriety, an inflated sense of self, and the lure of financial gain available to her, Ms. Prejean turned even further against the Miss California USA organization.”

The new suit accuses Prejean of missing events, lying about semi-nude photos, negotiating an unauthorized book deal and using her title without authorization to help promote the National Organization for Marriage’s “campaign of intolerance” against gay marriage.

K2 asks for the proceeds from Prejean’s planned book, the $5,200 from the breast surgery and other relief.

“She attempts to cast herself as a virtuous young woman and the victim in a supposed conspiracy against her,” the cross-complaint states.

Prejean is currently suing the Miss USA Pageant for religious discrimination.


If these images don’t encourage you to recycle… nothing will.

activism, environment, photography, video No Comments »

Albatross ChickThese haunting images taken by nature photographer Chris Jordan on the remote island of Midway Atoll show the decomposing bodies of albatross chicks, fed a steady diet of human trash until they met their quick and untimely end. If these images don’t make you think twice before throwing that piece of trash out your car window, then nothing will. Just remember we all share this pale blue dot and your children and your children’s children don’t deserve all the ruin you’re going to leave behind. Video and a few photos below.

More of Chris Jordan’s photography on Midway Atoll @ ChrisJordan.com.


Gay-inclusive adoption bill introduced in Congress

lgbt, politics, religion No Comments »

Rep. Pete StarkLast week Rep. Pete Stark of California introduced the Every Child Deserves a Family Act which denies federal funding to states with adoption programs that discriminate on the basis of marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity. From the Washington Blade:

Stark said in an interview that he introduced the legislation, H.R. 3827, in part because thousands of children each year “age out” of the child welfare system without finding homes.

“We got 25,000 kids a year maturing out of the welfare system without permanent foster care or adoptive care, and the prospects of those children having a successful adult life are diminished greatly,” he said. “These are kids who end up in the criminal justice system, or end up homeless.”

States with explicit restrictions on adoption that the pending legislation would affect are Utah, Florida, Arkansas, Nebraska and Mississippi. Florida, for example, has a statute specifically prohibiting gays from adopting, and in Arkansas, voters last year approved Act 1, which prevents unmarried co-habitating couples, including same-sex partners, from adopting children.

The legislation, Stark said, also would restrict funds for states where restrictions are put in place by agencies, individual social workers or judges, or where restrictions are part of the common law of the state.

For states that don’t comply with the law, federal officials could withhold from the states funds provided to them for child welfare services. The bill also calls.

This is very good news, and it’s likely to create quite a curfuffle among the religious right, and Catholics in particular. Take Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for example, who appeared on Pat Robertson’s 700 Club last week to pimp his new book and said this about gays and adoption: “We’re not going to allow gay people to adopt children. That’s against nature. It’s against nature’s God! But they won’t stop!”

If H.R. 3827 passes, perhaps it will be the event that finally makes Bill’s head explode. We can dream can’t we?