Chartered in the 17th Century, embracing 21st Century diversity

No one ever will mistake my undergraduate alma mater, the College of William and Mary, for PCU. "The College," which has produced such diverse graduates as Jon Stewart '84 of "The Daily Show," former FCC chairman and noted wingnut Michael Powell '85 (newly announced as a director of internet dinosaur AOL), actor/comedian Patton Oswalt '91, actresses Glenn Close '74 and Linda Lavin '59, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates '65, the NFL's active career interception leader Darren Sharper '97, Super Bowl champion head coach Mike Tomlin '95, and me '87 (not to mention infamous wingnut plagiarist Ben Domenech, who never graduated, and some old dude named Thomas Jefferson '62 ... 1762), traditionally has been a fairly conservative place, where not too long ago the Board of Visitors -- led, not coincidentally, by the aforementioned Powell -- disgracefully drove out an effective, but liberal and therefore controversial, college president on purely ideological grounds.

But every so often, you find a kernel of openness at W&M -- an indication that perhaps all is not lost. In a state where, unfortunately, it looks like intolerant ultra-wingnut Bob McDonnell will be the next governor, The College did something historic last week in the name of tolerance and diversity: its students elected a transgender person to the Homecoming Court.

Jessee Vasold ’11 made history at the College of William and Mary Wednesday when ze was announced as the school’s first transgender homecoming queen, representing the Class of 2011.

Vasold identifies as gender-queer and prefers to be referred to with gender neutral pronouns: “ze” in place of he or she and “zir” rather than him or her. Vasold has also created a Facebook account for a female identity, Kathy Middlesex.

Friends suggested that Vasold run for homecoming queen. Even though Vasold thought that there was a good chance at being elected, Vasold said the win was still surprising to hear.

“We figured it would be something different for the school to go through, something that hasn’t happened too often,” Vasold said. “I was kind of surprised that I won because I knew the other girls running. I know that they’re really friendly; they’re wonderful people, so I was unsure.”

[...]

According to [Junior Class President Mike] Tsidulko, there is no rule against men or women running for opposite roles. Students who made nominations were simply asked to describe how the candidate exemplified Tribe pride.

“In general, most descriptions were about what activities they were involved in on campus or spiritedness at sporting events or any other kind of campus activity,” Senior Class President Alyssa Wallace said.

Those students nominated with a description were put on the ballot.

“It basically came down to nominations,” Wallace said. “Jessee was nominated, Jessee’s peers voted and Jessee won. That’s really all there is to it.”

It may be that Vasold (left) was a member of the Homecoming Court, representing the Class of 2011, with a senior (Class of 2010) actually taking the title of Homecoming Queen -- the sources are unclear on that count -- but that minor quibble aside, this is a huge step forward for William & Mary and for recognition of its long-active GLBT community. Naturally, the comments on the article were somewhat mixed (although the "anti" position was dominated by a single vulgar, closed-minded person), but by and large, there appears to be a real sense that The College is a changing, if not changed, place, not unlike the country as a whole. Even College President Taylor Reveley was supportive, commenting that "[it's] a little more publicity than normal for a homecoming queen, but it's just fine." From a personal standpoint, even I've discovered today that the archaic, anachronistic labels used to identify people are beginning to fade away as we allow each individual the freedom to identify as he or she or ze sees fit ... I wasn't familiar with the terms ze and zir before.

How refreshing. And, frankly, how surprising -- yet how heartening -- to see this happening at, of all places, my dear alma mater. I'm very proud to be a W&M graduate today. Congratulations to Jessee ... and congratulations to the entire College community. Welcome to the 21st Century. And ... Go Tribe!

(cross-posted with introduction at Daily Kos)

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EDT: Florida Democrats, health care, equality, and more

It's been a big week both in Florida and nationally for Democrats and especially the progressive (or liberal, if like me you're still okay with that label) side of the party. Today on Blast Off! Radio, we'll take a look back at The Week (And Weekend) That Was with a veritable plethora of interesting and illuminating topics.

For starters, right here in America's Wang™, the state Democratic Party held its convention this past weekend in Orlando, and I attended along with hundreds of my closest friends. A lot happened at the convention, and we'll recap some of the highlights on the show -- including the emergence of the Netroots Coalition as an important and well-regarded "force" in the party structure; the debate between Florida's Democratic candidates for Attorney General, Dave Aronberg and Dan Gelber; and of course the 2009 Florida Netroots Awards (and the understandable but needless controversy that seems to have sprung up around them).

But it wasn't just about Florida this past week. We'll discuss the latest "compromises" in the battle for meaningful health care reform and why Florida is likely to be screwed if either "opt-out" or "opt-in" passes. We'll also talk about the weekend's National Equality March in Washington (and in cities around the country) and why it's all about love ... and what, if anything, is the impact of the president's "announcement" Saturday that he will end Don't Ask, Don't Tell? And we'll mention the craze that's sweeping the nation (or at least Twitter) -- the "twammogram," and why it's making a difference in women's lives during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

As always, you make the show work, with your calls, chats, emails, tweets, etc. How do you listen and become involved, you ask? It's oh, so easy to do:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

So please make plans to join me this afternoon for a Blast Off! Radio chock full of facts and fun. You'll be glad you did!

UPDATE (1:01 pm 10/12/09): Trying something a little new today: a new Blast Off! Radio theme song! I hope it works ... technical challenges are not my strong suit ... so tune in and find out!

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

It's about love

Every time I see one of those horrible "Yes On 2" bumper stickers, which still adorn a number of cars in Florida, I am saddened to consider the hate one must have in one's heart in order to vote to deny basic rights to a group of citizens who differ from them in really only one key respect: their sexual orientation. Even though Amendment 2 passed and, in Florida, it now is enshrined in our state's Constitution that marriage shall be only between a man and a woman, I feel strongly that the fight for equal rights isn't over. And so, as the weekend of the National Equality March approaches, I want to share a story with you, a poignant reminder that it's not about God or Christianity or any religious ceremony at all ... it's about love.

Kate Fleming was a theatre major when I was a theatre minor in college. We were classmates and had several classes together, and I once performed in a one-act play that she directed. I can't honestly say we were close friends, but we were friends, and I always respected her exceptional acting ability and her constant upbeat attitude. She always had a smile on her face.

Regrettably, I didn't keep in touch with Kate (left) after graduation but, as it turned out, she had a very successful and prodigious career as an audio book narrator. She settled in Seattle with her partner, Charlene Strong, and recorded her books from a studio in the basement of their home. It was in that studio, however, that Kate became trapped during a flash flood on December 14, 2006. She was taken unconscious from the home and rushed to the hospital.

I'll let Charlene pick up the story from here:

As the ambulance rushed her to a trauma center, my mother, brother and I drove fast behind. When we arrived at the hospital, I instinctively ran to be with Kate.

But, as I neared the entrance of the emergency room, a social worker stopped me in my tracks. After I explained that I was Kate's partner of 10 years, the social worker told me that the state could not recognize same-sex partners in emergency situations. As if I were a stranger, I needed to receive the permission of one of Kate's family members to be near her and to make decisions for her care. For what seemed like an eternity, I frantically dialed her sister in Virginia. I thought with a shudder: "What if no one is home? What if Kate dies without me holding her hand?" After being barred from comforting Kate during these harrowing moments, I finally received permission from Kate's sister to be with her. From that point on, I was treated like any other spouse fighting for their loved one.

That night, Kate died with me beside her. I removed the wedding ring that she wore and the necklace I gave her for her 40th birthday. I could tell her that I loved her.

Even after Kate's passing, I still had to fight for recognition as her spouse. Since I was not her legal wife, the funeral director would not address me as Kate's family or let me make her funeral arrangements. Kate's mother had to sign the request for her cremation. The death certificate stated that she had never been married. Kate's voice could no longer speak out against these mounting indignities.

After this tragedy, Charlene (right) became an activist, and largely as a result of her tireless work, the Washington legislature passed a domestic-partner rights bill in 2007. Now, two years later, Charlene Strong is the catalyst for a documentary film, for my wife..., about her life with Kate and her struggle to gain GLBT equality in Washington. The film has garnered numerous awards, from St. Louis to Sydney, and it neatly encapsulates, in light of a horrific tragedy, what the struggle for GLBT rights ultimately is all about.

It's not about marriage in a religious ceremony, for legal rights are conferred by the state, so a civil marriage would suffice. It's not about the hate that unfeeling, ignorant opponents spew when they lump homosexuality in with bestiality and necrophilia. It's not even just about Charlene and Kate, or the millions of other GLBT Americans seeking nothing but the rights they deserve -- that they are guaranteed -- under the Constitution.

Ultimately ... it's about love.

Is Harry Reid becoming a vertebrate?

While watching Democrats from the state House to the White House roll over and play dead in the face of Republican opposition, even when the Dems are a supermajority (I'm looking at you, Congress), I've often wondered whether the folks on the Left (such as it is today ... kind of center-left, but I digress ....) would ever grow a backbone ... especially U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Could it be happening now?

First, I read over the weekend that Sen. Reid, a notorious weak link in Democratic leadership (maybe the fact that he's Mormon and anti-choice might have been a clue, Dems?!), came out* in support of next weekend's National Equality March in Washington and elsewhere.

click image for larger version

In all seriousness, it's nice to see Sen. Reid take a prominent stand on something so important. Particularly as rumors swirl about President Obama taking another look at Don't Ask, Don't Tell -- remarkably, also at the behest (in part) of Sen. Reid -- it's time to stop treating the GLBT community as second-class citizens and end what really amounts to the last legally permissible discrimination in America today.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing debate over health care reform, where Sen. Reid also is playing a critical role, there are reports that the president is working hard behind the scenes to preserve a public option ... without which health care reform really is no reform at all.

The Los Angeles Times reports that President Obama is quietly trying to shore up support for some form of a public option. "In the last week, however, senior administration officials have been holding private meetings almost daily at the Capitol with senior Democratic staff to discuss ways to include a version of the public plan in the healthcare bill that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) plans to bring to the Senate floor this month, according to senior Democratic congressional aides. Among those regularly in the meetings are Obama's top healthcare advisor, Nancy-Ann DeParle; aides to Reid; and staff from the Senate Finance and Health committees, both of which developed healthcare bills."

Previously, the Obama administration has relied on a bipartisan group of governors to support his various legislative initiatives; but on health care (in particular Medicaid), he could find bipartisan opposition as state governments worry about how to pay for an expansion of Medicaid.

[...]

[Sen. Max] Baucus [(D-Mont.)] and Reid are “approaching a breaking point” over inclusion of the public option in a final Senate proposal. While Reid “deferred the issue” to Baucus over the summer, the leader indicated last week “that he is prepared to join Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who both pushed a public option amendment that failed in a committee vote last Tuesday.”

Reid and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), also a strong supporter of the public option, indicated that in order to attract centrist Democrats wary of the public option, that they would be open to “[wrapping] the controversial elements of reform in a politically attractive message to the centrists’ conservative-leaning constituents. That could include the addition of provisions aimed directly at problems or issues in each Senator’s state, such as tweaks to state funding formulas for federal programs, aides said.”

The public option ought to be non-negotiable, Sen. Baucus' insurance-company-funded opposition notwithstanding. In short, you only need 51 votes, so Baucus and colleagues Sens. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) basically can take their votes and shove 'em.

Regardless of what happens from here in these vital issues, it's nice to see Harry Reid finally doing what his office requires him to do: lead the Senate Democrats. Let's hope it continues.

---

* Pun most definitely intended.

Self-loathers turning against each other in Broward

Well, here's something you don't see every day. Broward County's gay Republicans, who already obviously hate themselves, now have a new target for their disdain: each other.

One group of them has broken away from the national Log Cabin Republican movement to create the "Sunshine Republicans." Sounds to me that, well, they just loath themselves even more than the other folks do:

The new Sunshine Republicans are downplaying gay-oriented issues and emphasizing issues such as taxes, questioning Democratic health-care proposals, and opposition to the plan to limit carbon emissions as a way to deal with global climate change.

“What we do in our bedroom comes second to what our political affiliation is,” said Benjamin Lewis, president of the Sunshine Republicans, and — until he resigned recently — vice president of Broward’s Log Cabin Republicans.

“We believe in equality for everybody. However ... we have a broader platform of what we are working for,” Lewis said.

I guess if you really, really hate the fact that you're gay and you want to support the party that hates you right back, well, the Sunshine Republicans are for you.

One question, though: just the bedroom? Really?

Making the point on same-sex adoption

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know the one thing that grinds my gears more than anything is hypocrisy, specifically the hypocrisy of wingnuts. South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial cartoonist Chan Lowe hammers home the point about their hypocrisy, and he's spot on:


Yep, the right-wingers just hate government ... until it's the government injecting themselves into our homes and families and bedroom.

Lowe elaborates on his blog:

Florida’s draconian law, which presupposes that an orphan is safer at the mercy of the “system” rather than in a loving home (if that home consists of a gay couple), is based on at least two misbegotten premises:

The first is that being gay is a matter of choice, and can be drilled into an innocent youth the same way the Chinese Communists brainwashed our boys in “The Manchurian Candidate.”

The second is that all gays must be pedophiles, or they wouldn’t want kids in the house in the first place. If this were true, then why are gays allowed to be foster parents? If you’re going to be bigoted, at least be consistent about it.

Problem is, plenty of wingnuts are totally open about their bigotry. I'm looking at you, Pat Buchanan, Lou Dobbs, and Dan Sullivan ... for starters.

Lowe's right: it's ridiculous to think that banning same-sex adoption in any way is in the best interests of the children, which after all is supposed to be the paramount concern in child custody hearings and presumably other family law matters in Florida. For Jeebus' sake, they now allow same-sex marriage in Uruguay, a predominately Roman Catholic South American country that you'd think would be vehemently opposed to it.

But Uruguay probably lacks the special brand of bigoted wingnuts that we have in the good ol' USA. Must be nice.

Too stupid to breathe: Anchorage mayor Dan Sullivan

Yes, I know this is a Florida blog and all that, but I've developed this strange fascination with America's 49th state ... or, more to the point, the peculiar brand of right-wing nutjob that the state seems to produce. Of course, the most famous example of that is former governor and erstwhile vice presidential candidate (can you even imagine?!) Sarah Palin, as chronicled here regularly. But ol' Sarah Clown Car is hardly the only tundra-tastic politician whose breathtaking ignorance ought to be revealed to the world in all its repulsive glory.

Today, Blast Off!'s popular widely loathed series "Too Stupid To Breathe" honors another Alaskan who might just have spent too much time outdoors without a warm hat: brand-new mayor of Anchorage Dan Sullivan. The mayor (right, needless to say), a Republican (also needless to say) who took office on July 1, put his apparently iced-in brain to work this week by vetoing a measure that would have outlawed discrimination against gay Anchorage...ites (Anchorageans? Anchoragers? Anchorsaweigh?). But the truly heinous thing about this, and the reason he earns the title Too Stupid To Breathe, is the rationale behind his decision (link is PDF): there's no evidence (says he) of discrimination against gays.

My review shows that there is clearly a lack of quantifiable evidence necessitating this ordinance. My review also shows that the vast majority of those who communicated their position on the ordinance are in opposition.

Note that Mayor Sullivan didn't say that a majority of people in Anchorage opposed the ordinance -- rather, only the majority of those who contacted the mayor's office opposed it (allegedly). I thought that it was the majority of the legislative body (in this case, the city Assembly) mattered more than who made the most phone calls or wrote the most angry, hate-filled letters and emails, but maybe I'm wrong. After all, Dan probably can see Russia from his office, so it's really not part of America anyway, right?

Also, the basic ignorance of reality in this instance by others who agree with the mayor is shocking even to someone like me, who should be used to the typical Republican aversion to facts by now:

Assembly Chairwoman Debbie Ossiander, a surprise vote against the measure last week, said she hasn't changed her mind.

Ossiander said she doesn't believe it's right to discriminate against gay people. But she said last week she feared that some language in the compromise might force businesses to create special facilities -- unisex bathrooms, for example.

Oh, no, we can't have unisex bathrooms! That's worse than socialism! (It's also a ludicrously stretched interpretation of gay rights legislation but, then, you already knew that.) You think Ms. Ossiander ought to get together with former Fort Lauderdale mayor Jim Naugle? They both have a peculiar obsession with gay rights and bathrooms .... Moreover, the unisex-bathroom argument sounds a lot like the one gay rights opponents used unsuccessfully in Gainesville, Fla., earlier this year. It's ignorant, it's childish, and it's wrong.

And get a load of this fucktard:

“This ordinance was going to force small-business owners particularly to accommodate people who choose a certain lifestyle,” said the Rev. Jerry Prevo, pastor of the Anchorage Baptist Temple and a leader of the measure’s opponents.

“Once you give special rights to homosexuals,” Mr. Prevo said, “then the next step is you legalize homosexual marriage and so forth.”

Well, yes, that is the next step! We should legalize same-sex marriage! Oh, wait ... that's not what he's saying ...

Anyway, Prevo is dredging up the old "lifestyle choice" argument and how people will be "forced" to accept gay people. Didn't we get past that, like, a couple of decades ago? Does anyone still argue legitimately that being gay is a choice? Would you choose to suffer through discrimination and be told that the rights straight people take for granted are "special rights" as far as you're concerned, and you're "forcing" others to tolerate you? No, I didn't think so ....

In short, Mayor Sullivan, whatever your "review" shows you, it shows the rest of us who live in reality that you're a bigot ... and you're also too stupid to breathe.

GOP leader: calling me gay is a "scurrilous" insult

I'm visiting my mother in North Carolina this week, so I thought I'd take a moment to show you that Republicans up here aren't very different from those in Florida -- or elsewhere -- when it comes to discrimination, hate, and bigotry.

One of the candidates to lead the North Carolina Republican Party is suing a radio talk show host and the host's employer for defamation, alleging that the host said the candidate was gay.

Tom Fetzer, a former Raleigh mayor, said Tuesday he filed the lawsuit late Monday in Wake County Superior Court seeking a jury trial and monetary damages to defend and protect his name. He accuses Curtis Wright, who hosts a morning drive-time show aired on two stations, of forwarding an anonymous letter about Fetzer that Wright knew to be false.

Fetzer, a former political consultant who once worked with the late Sen. Jesse Helms, is one of four announced candidates seeking to succeed Linda Daves as party leader at the state GOP convention June 13 in Raleigh.

"It is justice that I seek, not vengeance," Fetzer said in a statement.

Ah, so Fetzer worked for Jesse Helms. At least now I see that he comes by his redneck bigotry honestly.

Anyway, take a look at what Fetzer says in his lawsuit about the suggestion that he might be gay:

The statements in the anonymous letter are "false and defamatory" and "tend to charge Mr. Fetzer with a crime or offense involving moral turpitude" and "disgrace and degrade" him, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit didn't contain the letter, and Fetzer's attorney didn't immediately respond to a request seeking a copy.

But Fetzer wrote to supporters May 22 that "I am not gay - never have been - never will be. There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to support any of the scurrilous allegations made in the anonymous attack on me."

You see, according to the Republican Party, being gay is a crime of moral turpitude, it's disgraceful, and it's scurrilous to "accuse" someone of being gay. And because the talk show host Wright is a wingnut and his employer likewise, they're likely going to defend the case not on the grounds that there's nothing wrong with being gay, but on some other basis like the words weren't uttered, or there was no intent to defame, or something like that.

And therein lies the disconnect between Republicans, especially their batshit crazy Christianist leaders, and normal society. Read the article again, but this time substitute "African-American" or "female" or "disabled" or any other immutable characteristic you like for the word "gay." Is it "scurrilous" to be a woman? Is saying someone isn't white defamatory? Can you imagine a lawsuit in 2009 claiming defamation because someone said the plaintiff was disabled? Even if you filed such a lawsuit, you'd be laughed out of court so fast, your head would spin.

Sadly, today's GOP is so tone-deaf about their own bigotry that they're willing to go to court to proclaim it. And they wonder why, in normal society (that is, everywhere but the mainstream corporate media), they're being marginalized ...

(cross-posted at Daily Kos)

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EDT: In remembrance

It is, I think, difficult to strike the appropriate tone for a webradio show on Memorial Day that is at once unabashedly snarky, generally pacifist, nearly always irreverent, and proudly hyper-liberal. But I firmly believe, contrary to the opinions of some who criticized me after the Pensacola Tea Party last month (and others), that it is possible to oppose current military actions while still honoring the service, courage, and sacrifice of our men and women in the military, past and present. In short, it is not the fault of the servicemembers that our armed forces were sent into wars that were misguided, unnecessary, and illegal, nor is it their fault that those undeclared wars continue today even after the schemers and criminals who sent them into battle have left office.

And so, on an at-least-partially-military-themed edition of Blast Off! Radio today, we will take time to recognize and express gratitude for those who serve in the American military, but also will express sorrow and, quite likely, indignation as well that they still are being put into harm's way for reasons that are unjustifiable under U.S. and international law. In addition, we will talk about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, later codified into federal law, that enshrines open discrimination against the GLBT community into American jurisprudence, and we'll talk about how on this very day, some northwest Florida wingnuts, by inaccurately and irresponsibly protesting the federal government, are trashing the memories of those who gave their lives to protect that government.

There are some non-military topics to discuss as well, of course, including the Florida political scene as it comes into focus for the 2010 elections and how Greater Wingnuttia is getting even more unhinged (if that's even possible) over topics like prayer in public schools, federal stimulus money, and the so-called "debate" over torture.

As always, though, the show relies on you, the listener, to really make it work. Your calls, chats, and emails are the lifeblood of Blast Off! Radio ... and it's so easy to be a part of it, why wouldn't you join in? Here's how to do it:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

I sincerely hope we'll avoid the technical difficulties that marred the end of last week's show ... so please make a point of spending one meager hour of this patriotic holiday exercising your right to free speech through Blast Off! Radio!

Feeling Outrage over GOP hypocrisy

There's a new documentary film coming out that ought to put "coming out" in a whole new light ... especially with regard to Republican politicians.

Through interviews, news footage, and profiles of well-known U.S. government figures, Outrage tries to explain the curious phenomenon of right-wing GOP politicians who turn out to be gay and deep in the closet. While it apparently doesn't provide any surprises -- there are no revelations about, say, Larry Craig or our very own Gov. Charlie Crist -- there is plenty of speculation and enough evidence to suggest that further inquiry might be worthwhile.

For one thing, aside from formerly closeted gay politicians who've already outed themselves, including James McGreevey, ex-governor of New Jersey, and Jim Kolbe, former Arizona congressman, it is beyond the resources of any film to prove conclusively the sexual orientation of people such as ... Craig, California Rep. David Dreier and ... Crist. Still, [filmmaker Kirby] Dick is awfully persuasive, adroitly piling on the kindling in the service of convincing audiences that where there's smoke there's fire.

Outrage opens with an audiotape of the police questioning Craig after his famous encounter with an undercover officer in an airport men's room. But the key question here, as in the rest of the film, is not only what happened but also what the ramifications are: What leads people to vote against the interests of a group whose affinities they share[?]

That's the point right there: this film isn't about some prurient need to know who's gay and who's not. Rather, it's an exposé that seeks to reveal the hypocrisy of those on the right whose lives seriously and blatantly contradict their legislative votes and their public positions on issues involving the GLBT community. Naturally, critics (largely from the Right) will miss that message and claim that Dick is just out to "ruin the lives" of Republicans or some such nonsense like that. But if GLBT Republicans (and, yes, they're out there) weren't so self-loathing, they'd recognize that admitting their own personal nature and being publicly comfortable with it wouldn't "ruin" their lives, but enhance it by allowing them to be honest with themselves and others.

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's hypocrisy, and the Right in America seems to be full of it, on GLBT issues and on so very much more. Therefore, this film is particularly important to demonstrate how (if not why) so many Republicans manage to say one thing and do another ... again and again and again ...

I haven't seen Outrage yet, but if you have, I'd be interested to hear your perspectives in Comments. I'll update this post as soon as I've had a chance to see it; if it's playing somewhere in or near America's Taint™ (yeah, right), I'll look for it this week. Meanwhile, here's the trailer:

Florida court: state must recognize same-sex adoptions from other states

As more and more states permit marriage between people of the same sex, thereby acknowledging that discrimination against the GLBT community is unjustifiable, one naturally would expect Florida, the land of "Amendment 2" and the proposed Jesus license plate, to lag behind in terms of joining the 21st Century. After all, Florida is the only state that bans all same-sex adoptions, no matter what the circumstances.

Yet yesterday, a state appeals court properly and unanimously ruled that despite its own prohibitions, under the U.S. Constitution (Art. IV, sec. 1) Florida must give "full faith and credit" to -- that is, recognize -- same-sex adoptions secured in other states.

While living as a couple in Seattle, Kimberly Ryan and Lara Embry each gave birth to one child. Each then adopted the other's child as the second parent. They moved to Sarasota and then split up, originally agreeing to share custody.

Ryan then became engaged to a man and cut off contact between her biological child and Embry, saying that under her new Christian beliefs she didn't think the relationship was good for the child. Embry sued for custody.

The lower court sided with Ryan, ruling that the Washington adoption had no legal standing in Florida because of its bans on gay adoption and marriage.

John Blue, who is representing Embry for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said Wednesday's reversal of that decision protects the legal bond between adoptive parents and their children and ensures the stability of those relationships across state lines.

Ryan's attorney, Mathew Staver, said he plans to appeal to the state Supreme Court.

"Florida law does not allow homosexual adoptions, so logically they shouldn't be recognized from another state," said Staver, the founder and president of Liberty Counsel, a conservative Christian legal group.

Certainly this will go on to the state Supreme Court, as Staver vows, because we know from experience that when it comes to bigotry, the batshit crazy fundie crowd Just Won't Quit. But trying to argue "logic" to the Supreme Court isn't going to get you very far, Mr. Staver, when the law and the Constitution are against you.

All bigots on deck!

The Obama administration has begun to look into whether the "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gay members of the U.S. armed services should be modified or revised entirely. You may recall back in 1993, President Clinton considered lifting the blanket ban on gays in the military and came up with that non-compromise that in practice really had no effect on the ban at all.

Well, the bigots, haters, and fundies in the armed forces once again are marshaling their forces to keep all that dirty nasty gay off of them.

Obama is consulting with the Pentagon on the issue and says he supports eventual repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which prohibits gays in the military from being open about their sexual orientation. A bill that would allow gays to serve openly has been introduced in Congress.

A statement issued by the retired officers Tuesday said passage of that bill "would undermine recruiting and retention, impact leadership at all levels, have adverse effects on the willingness of parents who lend their sons and daughters to military service, and eventually break the All-Volunteer Force."

Among the signatories were Gen. Carl E. Mundy, Jr., a former commandant of the Marine Corps; Adm. Leighton W. Smith, a former commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe; Gen. Charles A. Horner, who commanded U.S. aerial forces during the 1990-91 Gulf War; and Adm. Jerome L. Johnson, a former vice chief of Naval Operations.

The retired officers said they strongly supported the principle that "homosexuality is incompatible with military service" and warned that repeal of current law could jeopardize morale and "unit cohesion."

Now, let's see, where have we heard that excuse about morale and unit cohesion before? Oh, yeah: in the resistance to integrating the military in the 1940s. It's even the same thing with regard to "undermining recruiting and retention" and with parents allegedly being reluctant to send their children to military service. Well, you know what? Maybe we're better off if those bigoted fucktards don't send their children to the military. What, are they afraid that they'll be turned gay in boot camp? Besides, I have news for you: there are plenty of gay personnel already in the American military.

Look, I realize I've never served in the military, but I have seen plenty of discrimination*, so don't even start with me about how I don't understand military morale and all that bullshit. And the plain fact of it is that the resistance to the lifting of the ban is just another way to justify bigotry and hatred. And in the America of 2009, with an African-American president, a female Speaker of the House and Secretary of State, and people of all creeds and cultures in leadership roles throughout our society -- including the military -- you just can't rationalize hate anymore.

---

* I also published a lengthy law review article in 1994 specifically regarding the ban on gays in the military, so I've done my homework. (I don't believe the article is available online.)

Gay-Straight Alliance wins lawsuit and can meet at Yulee High

Following up on a story Blast Off! brought you the other day, yesterday U.S. District Judge Henry Adams ruled in favor of the two Yulee High School students whose efforts to launch a Gay-Straight Alliance club at the school were squelched by the Nassau County School Board. And the judge didn't mince words, either, in holding that the Board's argument -- the group's name was the problem because it violated the county's abstinence-only sex education policy -- was specious:

In a strongly worded order, U.S. District Judge Henry Adams said the students have a “substantial likelihood of success” in court, a standard for granting the preliminary injunction. He said the school district’s argument against allowing the club to meet “strains logic.”

[...]

But Adams wrote that existing cases, including one decided last year involving a Gay-Straight Alliance in Okechobee County schools, didn’t support the district’s position.

“There is no evidence that the alliance counters the relevant abstinence policy in any way,” Adams wrote.

Great news for the students, and great news for tolerance in general ...

For those interested, here's the complaint (.pdf) filed by the ACLU on behalf of the students -- note especially the letter, marked Exhibit B, from the Nassau County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. John L. Ruis, stating that a "club name highlighting specific sexual orientations will not be permitted [to meet] as it would violate school board [abstinence-only] policy." The actual opinion by Judge Adams apparently is not available yet online.

North Florida: where intolerance is a way of life

Last year, it was Okeechobee County that wanted to ban the Gay-Straight Alliance from its high schools. Now, it's Nassau County, north of Jacksonville, and as they did down south, the students are fighting back.

Yulee High School has refused to permit a Gay-Straight Alliance, and the ACLU has stepped in to sue the Nassau County School Board. Predictably, the Board's excuse is lame, doing little to mask the obvious intolerance they have for alternative lifestyles or the acceptance thereof.

A School Board attorney argued to U.S. District Judge Henry Adams that allowing an extracurricular club with a sexual orientation in the name would be counter to the district's abstinence-only policy and could be disruptive because of the passions the issue raises.

But a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union said the board's denial violated the students' First Amendment rights. He said the one meeting the alliance held in October before it was shut down didn't create a disturbance.

Adams said he would rule quickly on the request for a temporary injunction but didn't give a date. He told School Board attorney Frank Sheppard he had 72 hours to respond in writing to one of the students' arguments.

The judge wondered aloud during the hearing if a Gay-Straight Alliance wouldn't help ease school day disruption because of its stated goals of increasing tolerance and awareness and reducing bullying and harassment.

"Is it the School Board's policy that all gay children should stay in the closet?" Adams asked Sheppard.

The lawyer replied that the board believes students struggling with their sexual identity should consult parents, counselors, clergy and other adults.

In other words: don't let those dirty gays get together, because they might get some of those gay cooties on our God-fearing normal children.

Can someone explain to me why it's perfectly okay, in the opinions of many, to have organized prayer in schools (in violation of the U.S. Constitution), but not for a group advocating tolerance of difference perspectives to be in those same schools?

But what really chafes me is the explanation the School Board gives for its decision: the name of the organization -- the "Gay-Straight Alliance" -- somehow threatens the district's (medieval) abstinence-only sex education curriculum. Set aside for a moment the obvious and statistically provable point that abstinence-only sex ed doesn't work -- the problem here is that, like so many other institutions before it, the Board is confusing sexual activity with sexual orientation.

Look, folks, it's really not that hard to figure out: the words "gay" and "straight," in this context, have nothing to do with sexual activity. Rather, they refer to sexual orientation. As archaic as your asinine abstinence-only policy is, Nassau County, the existence of a Gay-Straight Alliance does nothing -- NOTHING!! -- that would contradict that policy. The U.S. military did the same thing years ago when it summarily banned gays from service (before "don't ask, don't tell"), conflating sexual activity (sodomy is and was illegal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice) with one's status. The bottom line: as a matter of legal principle, just because one is gay does not mean one necessarily will engage in impermissible sexual behavior. That's an argument against the military's stance, and it works equally well against Nassau County here.

The Board really ought to call their decision what it really is -- bigotry, plain and simple -- and be done with it. At least then they'd be intellectually honest. But, no, they have to come up with some half-assed explanation that doesn't stand up to the most cursory inquiry. Yet, that's the way most bigotry and discrimination is, isn't it? No rational reason -- just hatred.

Welcome to north Florida: proudly intolerant since 1845.

Too stupid to breathe: Chris Buttars

Is it just me, or does Chris Buttars bear an ironic resemblance to the notoriously self-loathing (and gay) longtime FBI director J. Edgar Hoover? Just saying ...

Sure, I delight in making fun of certain backwards, anachronistic attitudes in certain places in Florida (*cough* Santa Rosa County *cough*), but then I'm reminded that it always could be worse. For example, I could live in Utah, where state Sen. D. Chris Buttars gives a whole new meaning to "batshit crazy."

Buttars, (far right) a Republican (like you had to ask) legislator from West Jordan, near Salt Lake City, has developed quite a reputation for bigotry and hate during his eight years in the Utah Senate. Last year he referred to a school funding bill as a "black [baby] ... a dark, ugly thing," but he's directed his truly offensive statements towards the GLBT community.

Over time, he's called same-sex relationships "abominations" and has compared gay activists to Muslim radicals. But the man who once called the gay rights movement "probably the greatest threat to America" outdid himself recently when he spoke to Reed Cowan, a documentary filmmaker now based in Miami:

Buttars told Cowan the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community doesn't want "equality, they want superiority."

"It's the beginning of the end," the West Jordan Republican said. "Oh, it's worse than that. Sure. Sodom and Gomorrah was localized. This is worldwide."

On Wednesday, gay-rights activist Jacob Whipple, founder of the All For One Initiative, called for Buttars' resignation from the Senate, urging supporters of the LGBT community to e-mail Buttars and Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville.

"He basically labeled my community as virtually the devil incarnate," Whipple said. "I don't think that he represents Utah any more. … Saying something so hurtful has no place on the Hill."

Rep. Christine Johnson, a Salt Lake City Democrat and a lesbian, also labeled Buttars' statements "hurtful," adding that she expects Senate leadership to address the remarks "in a responsible and timely manner."

Sadly -- but predictably -- Rep. Johnson's pleas will go unheeded. Buttars' pals in the Senate are rallying to his defense. After all, he's only saying what Republicans are thinking anyway.

But Waddoups defended Buttars, saying the anti-gay comments did not violate any Senate rules. He suggested that Cowan, a former [Salt Lake City] reporter, has a "vendetta" against Buttars.

"It's just unfortunate in my mind that someone wants to continue to [hurt] someone by virtue of a person's position on the issues," Waddoups said.

Cowan, who is openly gay, countered Waddoups' accusation.

"That is a cowardly attempt to direct attention away from what was actually said," the filmmaker and Miami TV anchor said. "I believe the world that is now hearing the words of Senator Buttars will judge it the way they will."

Elsewhere in the Rocky Mountains, another well-known (and plausibly gay) Butters could not be reached for comment.

Perhaps Sen. Buttars (you'll note I haven't made fun of his richly ironic name even once!) needs to hear from more people. Conveniently, his contact information is available right there on the Utah Senate website. I'll just copy it over here for convenience ...

9241 South Lisa Ave.
West Jordan, Utah 84088
Home (801) 561-0535
Fax (801) 561-3242
Email dcbuttars@utahsenate.org

Not sure what to send him, but I'm skeptical that bags of shit will make it through the mail. We could always email him the Donnie Davies video ... but he'd probably enjoy it too much. At any rate, every time he opens his mouth, Sen. Buttars shows the world that he really is too stupid to breathe.

(h/t reader MWG)

U.S. diplomatic fashion statement: gay is the new black

I guess it's a good sign of the times that very little open discrimination is permissible or even tolerated today in the United States. Treating someone differently based on race or sex or religion or ethnicity by and large is disappearing, although of course some stubborn folks hang onto their outdated and generally castigated viewpoints.

However, there's still one group that it's okay to hate, to treat differently, to ostracize: the GLBT community. Yes, those nasty, dirty gays keep trying to get the same rights as normal people, but thank the baby Jeeeeeeeeezus that the Bush crime syndicate is in charge long enough to state what America's position ought to be on gay rights in the civilized world.

Alone among Western nations, the good ol' God-fearin', straight-shootin' U.S. of A. was the only one to vote against a United Nations measure urging the condemnation of criminal sanctions for homosexuality.

“How can we tolerate the fact that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated and tortured only because of their sexual orientation?” said Rama Yade, the French state secretary for human rights, noting that homosexuality is banned in nearly 80 countries and subject to the death penalty in at least six.

France decided to use the format of a declaration because it did not have the support for an official resolution. Read out by Ambassador Jorge Argüello of Argentina, the declaration was the first on gay rights read in the 192-member General Assembly itself.

Although laws against homosexuality are concentrated in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, more than one speaker addressing a separate conference on the declaration noted that the laws stemmed as much from the British colonial past as from religion or tradition.

Navanethem Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, speaking by video telephone, said that just like apartheid laws that criminalized sexual relations between different races, laws against homosexuality “are increasingly becoming recognized as anachronistic and as inconsistent both with international law and with traditional values of dignity, inclusion and respect for all.”

No, no, Commissioner Pillay, you don't understand: the baby Jeeeeeeeeezus hates the gays! Everyone knows that! Just ask Rick Warren! Therefore, they don't deserve the rights of normal people! After all , that's the official American position:

The official American position was based on highly technical legal grounds. The text, by using terminology like “without distinction of any kind,” was too broad because it might be interpreted as an attempt by the federal government to override states’ rights on issues like gay marriage, American diplomats and legal experts said.

“We are opposed to any discrimination, legally or politically, but the nature of our federal system prevents us from undertaking commitments and engagements where federal authorities don’t have jurisdiction,” said Alejandro D. Wolff, the deputy permanent representative.

In a word: bullshit. We all know the "official" U.S. position, and it has nothing to do with technicalities. In a country where opinions are diverging as fast as we can express them -- Connecticut says marriage for all is okay and New York will recognize out-of-state gay marriages, while California and Florida re-made it illegal (unnecessary from a legal standpoint, but politically quite powerful) --I think public opinion overall is shifting towards an acceptance of legal rights for GLBTs. But whatever your position on gay marriage, civil unions, and such, how can you justify a vote against basic human rights for other human beings who have done nothing worse than love someone with the same equipment? It's a travesty that this happens in America ... but it's still Drunky McStagger's America.

If only for 31 more days ...

Florida's gay adoption ban overturned

In an eminently sensible decision yesterday, a Miami-Dade judge ruled that Florida's 31-year-old ban on gay adoption is illegal ... at least for now. The decision is likely to be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

"There is no rational basis to preclude homosexuals from adopting," Judge Cindy S. Lederman said Tuesday in a Miami-Dade County juvenile courtroom, declaring Florida's 31-year-old ban on gay adoption illegal.

She cited expert testimony saying there is no sound science to justify the ban.

[...]

An appeal would quickly follow, state attorneys said, which could set the stage for a constitutional showdown of the ban that dates back to the 1970s anti-homosexual crusade of former Miss America runner-up Anita Bryant.

Until a higher court rules, Lederman's decision affects only Gill's case and any others that would come before her, said Gill's attorney, Robert Rosenwald, of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

Sharp words came quickly from proponents of the ban, who were buoyed earlier this month by passage of the anti-gay marriage amendment.

"This is heartbreaking, this is horrible," said the Rev. O'Neal Dozier, founder of the Worldwide Christian Center Church in Pompano Beach. "This is one of the worst cases of judicial activism we could ever see."

Children should not be exposed to two men living as spouses, Dozier said. "It disturbs, for life, young impressionable minds."

No, Rev. Dozier. The hate and filth that you and your delusional cohorts spew is what disturbs young impressionable minds. You teach hate like it's nothing ... like it's a way of life. You, sir, are the one who should be restricted from transferring your diseased point of view to children.

But as for the ruling, it's exactly right. Using a standard rational basis test, like the one Judge Lederman applied here, there just can be no showing whatsoever that any harm can come to children merely because of their adoption by a gay couple. It's a ruling long overdue, and I hope it holds up once the Supreme Court, and likely the state legislature, get their hands on it.

For now, though, hurrah! The electorate in Florida may still be saddled with their misbegotten discriminatory viewpoints, but at least the law is beginning to recognize the rights of all Floridians, not just a chosen few.

UPDATE: PBAU changes course, decides to let gay Christian group onto campus

About two weeks ago, I told you about Palm Beach Atlantic University's refusal to allow Soulforce, a national Christian gay rights group, visit its campus. Tonight comes word that the university has reconsidered its decision ... sort of:

Palm Beach Atlantic University officials reconsidered their initial ban of a gay students' rights group from campus, offering members a space for a few hours on Monday to meet with select students and staff from the private Christian school.

But the group, called Soulforce, said the invitation is too restrictive and that members plan to walk onto PBAU's downtown West Palm Beach campus at noon hoping to conduct a more open forum.

"Unfortunately, the format is not conducive to reaching out to the Palm Beach Atlantic community in the spirit of open dialogue," a statement released by Soulforce today said in reference to PBAU's offer.

"Additionally, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students who need to hear our message of love and affirmation would not be reached in this format."

Looks to me like the classic right-wing tactic of doing just enough to appear to be open-minded, yet still controlling the playing field in every meaningful way. The point of Soulforce's visit is to minister to GLBT students, not just to meet with "pre-selected" students and staff.

Moreover, PBAU may have opened up a legal can of worms here, I think. If they stuck with their original decision to refuse access outright, they could rest quite easily on their status as a private university and the accompanying right to permit access to whomever they please. However, by granting limited access in this way, I think they've opened themselves up to a First Amendment challenge: if you give Soulforce access, you've got to allow them to deliver their message.

Granted, it's been a long time since I studied First Amendment law, and PBAU's private status may trump free speech objections anyway. But this wishy-washy response might create additional problems, if it's determined that, once they permit access, the university must provide a complete forum free from obstructions or parameters.

Ultimately, though, at bottom, you have to ask: what is PBAU so afraid of anyway?

This is Soulforce's third annual "Equality Ride," although Monday will be its first visit to a Florida school. This year's ride includes 17 young adults who travel in a tour bus and have been trained in non-violent resistance and how to speak with students who have different religious beliefs.

Soulforce members are known for challenging school administrators with attempts to go on private campuses, and past tours have resulted in trespassing arrests.

Soulforce is scheduled to arrive on PBAU's West Palm Beach campus at 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning. This could be a very interesting confrontation. Stay tuned ...

(cross-posted at Pax Americana)

Today's Daily Schadenfreude: Ed Heeney

Well, this is just too fucking bad.

Right-wing nutjob Ed Heeney, who is perhaps best known for his anti-gay rants on The Daily Show in 2004 (see below), was passed over for the GOP nomination in Florida's 27th Senate District, a seat currently held by Democrat (and my Facebook friend) Dave Aronberg. And poor, trod-upon Ed is calling shenanigans on the Republican Party.

"My party betrayed me," Heeney said Tuesday. "They decided to put a spoiler from the west coast on the day of the deadline."

District 27 encompasses both coasts.

"I'm not stupid enough to split a vote in a primary and then get the east coast fighting against the west coast," Heeney said.

But he said he would have been the stronger candidate against Aronberg.

"I don't have any clue what the hell (Caldwell) stuck his nose in for," Heeney said. "This kid, he's going to get flipped around like a biscuit. He won't get 42 percent. It's a waste of time."

[...]

"If I investigate and find out certain contingency of people suckered me into dropping out, I will put the flag up, and there will be some noise flying on every talk show," Heeney said. "I'm going to unload 162 poems on society on five Web pages at once simultaneously."

Aronberg was surprised that Heeney dropped out but said he already was expecting to face Caldwell in the general election.

Obviously, Heeney is pretty unhinged. Can you blame local Republicans for booting Heeney from the race? Granted, the Republican candidate, whether Heeney or Caldwell, wasn't likely to oust Aronberg, a popular, Harvard-educated incumbent who at the tender age of 37 is likely to be a force in Florida politics for years to come. But if you're the GOP in a year when you already face historic electoral losses at all levels of government (this is me playing the world's smallest violin), do you want to have as your standard-bearer in a tough race someone who says things like Heeney has?

Ed Heeney says he’s not homophobic, just "homo-nausic."

Heeney, a Republican candidate for state representative in Palm Beach County’s District 88 [in 2004], has been complaining about "militant" homosexuals and their influence in American culture. He says he’s just "sick of the bastards."

Heeney’s antics landed him an appearance on Comedy Central’s "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on Aug. 2[, 2004].

During the segment, Heeney said he was "sick of the influx of homosexual culture," according to Matt O’Brien, producer of the "Daily Show." Heeney also complained about the proliferation of lesbian bars in Fort Lauderdale, saying it had hindered his ability to shoot pool, O’Brien said.

[...]

Heeney says lesbians are "more militant than gay men." He then referred to a bad experience he had a couple of years ago while playing pool against a lesbian team.

At the time, Heeney was a member of the Gold Coast Pool League, which organizes matches between bars and nightclubs. He was playing for Brownies Bar, which he described as "an industrial downtown redneck bar." Heeney’s team was playing against J’s bar, a local lesbian establishment.

"Being a farmer, it was an interesting culture clash to observe," Heeney said.

Things soon turned ugly, he said. Heeney claims a "semi-straight white male" on J’s team tried to burn his hand with a cigarette. Heeney then knocked the cigarette out of the man’s hand with a cue stick, he said. According to Heeney, the lesbians then "ganged up" on him.

The incident inspired Heeney to write a "17-page treatise" on lesbians making it difficult for straight men to play pool in a pool league, Heeney said.

"They’re trying to take over the pool league by intimidation," Heeney said.

Heeney says the lesbian insurgency has also left him behind the eight ball in his love life. He says it’s hard to find straight women to date in South Florida, and when he does manage to persuade a gal to go out with him, she ends up being hit on by a lesbian.

"Everywhere I go, if I have a good-looking girl with me, she ends up being hit on by a cow," Heeney said.

Epic fail, as the kids say ... I mean, what a fucking idiot. (See below for video clip.)

What is it with the nutjob homophobes and closet cases in Fort Lauderdale*? If there's a more ridiculous, creepy pair of shitbags out there than Feeney Heeney and Jim Naugle, I'd prefer not to meet them, thank you very much.

So, the GOP abandoned an obvious idiot, whose more recent deranged rants (unrelated to gay culture) you can catch on YouTube if you want to kill some brain cells. Good riddance, say I. But, hey, Ed, at least you can console yourself with one small honor, because today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you!

UPDATE (2:21 pm 7/16/08): Heeney's Blogger profile notes that his interests include "finding a straight white girl in South Florida that wants to rock the world" and that he claims to have appeared in the feature films Wild Things, There's Something About Mary, Holy Man, and Out of Sight. Just thought I'd bring that to your attention ...

Also, I found the Daily Show clip:



UPDATE (11:22 am 8/16/08): Talk about a Freudian slip. As pointed out in Comments (including one purportedly by Heeney himself), I conflated Ed Heeney with fellow wingnut shitbag Tom Feeney. I've corrected my error, which was merely one of spelling, not of sentiment.

---

* Actually, although the pool-playing incident occurred in Fort Lauderdale, Heeney lives in Boynton Beach. So do I. This presents me with a dilemma: if I ever run into the guy, do I cockpunch him or merely mock him mercilessly? Decisions, decisions ...

Jim Naugle: merely an asshole, or the biggest asshole in politics?

I'm not sure what the next item on the "gay agenda" is (Jeebus, I hate that expression), but freakishly bigoted Fort Lauderdale mayor Jim Naugle (right) had a few words to say this morning to local hate radio station WFTL* about the possibility that his successor -- he leaves office this year thanks to term limits -- might be gay. Two openly gay candidates, Dean Trantalis and Earl Rynerson, are in the race to replace the hateful douchebag.

Here's a transcript of Naugle's conversation (.mp3) with WFTL hosts Russ Morley and Michael Woulfe, starting at about 2:05 into the audio. You will not believe what this fucking idiot Naugle says. Seriously.

MORLEY: Let's talk about your legacy here for a second. How long have you been the mayor of Fort Lauderdale?

NAUGLE: I've been mayor for -- I'm in my 18th year, and on the [city] commission I'm in my 24th year.

MORLEY: Your 18 years as mayor of Fort Lauderdale -- obviously a very popular candidate, winning reelection year after year ...

NAUGLE: Well, many years no one really wanted the job, so ...

[laughter]

WOULFE: Who could blame 'em?

MORLEY: And a courageous guy at that. So, you talk about -- I know you're not the president of the United States, but you've been a good mayor of Fort Lauderdale, represented the city well, and you talk about "legacy" -- do you want to be remembered as the guy who said "No gay sex in public restrooms?" That's the only thing you're gonna be remembered by?

NAUGLE: Well, you know, I would like to be remembered as one of the first politicians who rejected political correctness and did what's right, and I think that as time goes on, more and more -- you know, political correctness can have deadly consequences, and that's what happening in Broward County, where county elected officials are ignoring the problems, the explosion that we've had in new cases of AIDS among men having sex with men, and they're ignoring that out of political correctness because they don't want to get the rap of the radical gay lobby.

And ... but I've been willing to stand up and say, hey, look, this is a problem, people are dying. It's a very costly disease, and we've been reducing activity in our parks and public places in the city. We've made arrests, we've gotten the county Convention and Visitors Bureau to quit spending tax dollars attracting visitors to the bathhouses, so -- no, I think being remembered as someone that didn't let political correctness get in the way of doing the right thing is a pretty good legacy.

WOULFE: Hear, hear!

MORLEY: But on the other hand, you know, you're also being viewed as anti-gay, especially with the remark about gay people not being happy, or not being "gay," that they're unhappy, and things like that ...

NAUGLE: Well, you know, that remark was not made, and it was ...

MORLEY: Was not made at all?

NAUGLE (continuing): It was printed by a reporter at the Sun-Sentinel who has a history of taking things out of context and misquoting, and what I did say was that I use the term -- I prefer to use the term "homosexual" instead of the Sun-Sentinel-approved word "gay," and they made a big deal out of that.

But I've had calls and letters and e-mails of support from many members of the homosexual community that say, Jim, you're absolutely right, it's disgusting that men would go to a park and perform sex acts in front of children, and many -- I have many supporters in the homosexual community that reject this kind of behavior.

MORLEY: Well, you know, Jim, you're not the first person I've heard say that -- 'cause we're all three old enough here, Mike and I and you are all three old enough to remember that the term "gay" used to mean "happy" at one point in time, and how the male homosexuals got "gay" and the women got "lesbian" I'll never know. I guess they get first pick.

NAUGLE: And the poor people on that island in Greece that have to put up with that ...

MORLEY: And "gay Paree!" I mean, is the whole city homosexual? I don't think so. All right, let's ask you this here this morning ...

NAUGLE: Well, back to the two gentlemen running for mayor. I think that a homosexual does have a chance to be elected mayor in Fort Lauderdale, if they reject that notion that it's okay to take over our parks and public places with that kind of activity -- I mean, if a responsible homosexual can run for office and reject that kind of activity, if a responsible homosexual were to run for office and do something about the AIDS crisis here, recognizing that promiscuous activity has a heavy, you know, cost on human life and dollars, I think that they would have a chance to be elected.

MORLEY: Jim, we're running out of time here this morning -- tell us, when's your last day as mayor?

NAUGLE (laughing): Oh, some day in March -- I think it might be March 16th or 17th, somewhere in there.

MORLEY: Oh, that far away? Oh, great!

NAUGLE: No countdown clock.

MORLEY: All right. Always a pleasure to talk to you. Mayor Jim Naugle, Fort Lauderdale's mayor, on News-Talk 850 WFTL.

I find it difficult to believe that there can be a bigger assclown in any elected office anywhere (well, outside of Washington, D.C., at least) than this lunatic Jim Naugle. His endless, creepy obsession with gay life and AIDS and the ridiculous perception that all gay men (and, presumably, only gay men) are promiscuous would be hilarious if it weren't so deranged.

A typical disgusting conservative shit-for-brains, Naugle conveniently ignores facts, or contorts the facts so grossly that they are barely recognizable, all to justify his skewed, backwards, fascist worldview. Regarding the gay/happy mess, here's how the Sun-Sentinel originally reported it a year ago:

"The homosexual newspaper said it's the 'gay parking lot.' That's not me saying that," Naugle said in the interview, "that's what they said. I don't use the word 'gay.' I use the word 'homosexual.' Most of them aren't gay. They're unhappy."

Yes, Jim, as you pointed out today, you use the word "homosexual" instead of "gay." But you also explained why you do that, you dumb cretin: because they're not "gay," they're "unhappy." As for the "poor people on that island in Greece," I guess you're referring to Lesbos, and guess what, Jimbo? The word "lesbian" really comes from Lesbos, you stupid fuck!

What's a "responsible homosexual," Jim? And how do you define "political correctness?" If it means "respecting all people despite their differences with me," then I guess you can count me as "politically correct," too -- of course, I prefer to think of it as "being a decent human being and member of society," which would pretty much count you out.

And, Jim, do you have any idea that AIDS hasn't been a "gay man's disease" since, like, the 1980s?! As of June 2008, "men who have sex with men" accounted for barely a third of HIV/AIDS cases in Broward County (PDF) -- did you know that? No, of course not, because who gives a shit about facts, right? Not only that, Jim, but according to Broward County's own statistics (PDF), the incidence of AIDS has decreased among males (by percentage vs. females) over the last ten years:

click image for larger version

No, Jim, all of this would be news to you because you're just an ignorant asshole.

Look, I realize I'm an uncivil lefty blogger, but I don't normally spew invective like this even against the worst offenders in the Bush crime syndicate. There's just something about the visceral hate that Jim Naugle has for certain segments of society (not just gays) that makes me truly, deeply angry. I'll celebrate when he leaves office -- and thereby leaves public life for good.

P.S. Fuck you too, Russ Morley and Michael Woulfe.

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* WFTL's lineup rogues' gallery includes Dr. Laura, Bill O'Reilly, Michael "Savage" Weiner, Laura Ingraham, and Dennis Miller, plus a whole gang of local wingnut assholes.