Labels: discrimination, gay rights, television

Labels: bush, focus on the family, lesbian, mary cheney

Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington is in some hot water again for using the foul anti-gay slur "faggot" in regards to fellow co-star T.R. Knight. Back in October he used the word "faggot" in regards to T.R. Knight--who is openly gay. Then, recently at a post-Golden Globes press conference, when a reporter asked him about it, he denied he ever said it--while again using the word "faggot". Yet in the apology released today by ABC, he fully admits his use of the slur.

Isaiah's statement:

"I apologize to T.R., my colleagues, the fans of the show and especially the lesbian and gay community for using a word that is unacceptable in any context or circumstance. By repeating the word Monday night, I marred what should have been a perfect night for everyone who works on "Grey's Anatomy." I can neither defend nor explain my behavior. I can also no longer deny to myself that there are issues I obviously need to examine within my own soul, and I've asked for help.

I know the power of words, especially those that demean. I realize that by using one filled with disrespect, I have hurt more than T.R. and my colleagues. With one word, I've hurt everyone who has struggled for the respect so many of us take for granted. I welcome the chance to meet with leaders of the gay and lesbian community to apologize in person and to talk about what I can do to heal the wounds I've opened.

T.R.'s courage throughout this entire episode speaks to his tremendous character. I hold his talent, and T.R. as a person, in high esteem. I know a mere apology will not end this, and I intend to let my future actions prove my sincerity."

The news and blogs are going crazy with the story, so here is the round-up including links to blogs and video coverage of the story. Today, Isaiah via ABC (I assume to cover their own ass) released an apology "from Isaiah Washington".

Video of the post-Golden Globes press conference:


Links:

ABC Must Fire Isaiah Washington Over Anti-gay Remarks

Isaiah Washington Apologizes for Anti-Gay Remarks

ABC Taking The Right Steps!

Labels: celebrity, television

Just months after the hateful and discriminatory anti-marriage amendment failed in Arizona, lawmakers are now considering taking the issue up themselves in a blatant attempt to overturn the will of Arizona voters.

Via 365gay:
A group of Republican lawmakers on Wednesday filed a proposed amendment banning same-sex marriage in the only state where voters have already rejected a similar ban.

The new bill, introduced in the state House of Representatives, defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, but does not contain additional language also banning civil unions and domestic partner benefits that voters found difficult to accept in the previous amendment.

Last November the state became the first in the nation to defeat a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

A survey taken following the vote showed Arizona voters were concerned about the broad nature of the proposed amendment. Groups fighting against it had pointed out that it would affect thousands of unmarried opposite-sex couples in the state.

State Reps. Russell Pearce, Trish Groe and Rick Murphy, all Republicans, say the new measure has wide support within the state GOP.

The Catholic Church and evangelical Protestants support a gay marriage ban and are likely to throw their support behind the new measure.

US Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain, a GOP presidential hopeful also support a ban on same-sex marriage.

Arizona already has legislation limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples, but the three lawmakers said they feared the law could be overturned in court.

If the new proposed amendment passes both chambers of the Legislature, which is likely, it would be put on the November 2008 ballot.

Labels: Arizona, constitutional amendment, marriage

New York Gov. Elliott Spitzer will propose same-sex legislation in the new session of the legislature according to his press spokesperson.

In his inauguration speech Spitzer did not mention the marriage issue or state's LGBT community raising concerns the governor had abandoned his campaign pledge to promote a marriage bill.

"The governor made a commitment to advancing it this year, and he will do so," Spitzer's communications director, Darren Dopp, told The New York Sun.

Spitzer has been a longtime advocate of gay marriage - despite as Attorney General being obligated to argue against it in the state high court case that upheld the current ban on gay marriage.

In July the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, ruled that same-sex couples do not have a constitutional right to marry. It said that the issue, however, could be taken up by the Legislature.

Immediately after the ruling Spitzer said that he would draft and propose legislation to legalize gay marriage in New York State if elected governor.

But, Dopp on Friday warned that enacting a same-sex marriage bill "isn't a Day One issue." Dopp told the Sun that the first priorities are ethics and economic reform.

"We have to prioritize and that's how we prioritized," Dopp told the Sun. "That's not to say other matters are not important."

Following a move in New Paltz to allow gay marriages in 2004 Spitzer said that under state law the marriages would not be legal but said he believed gay marriage should be legal. He later issued a directive that marriages performed in areas of the world where they are legal must be recognized in New York state.

In October Spitzer was the keynote speaker at Empire State Pride Agenda's annual dinner.

"No New Yorker should be deprived of the right to marry the person of their choice, regardless of gender," he said to thunderous applause.

"This is not about forcing any religion to perform or recognize gay marriage. It's simply about permitting gay and lesbian couples the right to live in stable, long-term married relationships."

A month later he handily defeated Republican John Faso an opponent of same-sex marriage.

Bills coming before the Legislature are usually penned by members of the Assembly or the Senate, but in New York governor's regularly write their own legislation, called Program Bills which are then filed by members.

via 365gay.com

Labels: gay rights, marriage, new york

A recent Harris Interactive national survey found that gays, lesbians and bisexuals use the internet, in general, and in particular social media - from Craigslist and blogs to MySpace and YouTube - proportionately more than heterosexuals.

As a whole, six percent more gays, lesbians and bisexuals consider themselves heavy internet users; in the case of blogging, 36 percent of the gay community reads blogs daily, whereas only 19 percent of heterosexuals do.

According to Harris (via ClickZ), the gay, lesbian, and bi population beat out heterosexuals by five percent on short visits to YouTube, and Craigslist is visited by 20 percent of the gay community versus 13 percent of heterosexuals.

In social networking, Friendster accounts for 11 percent of time spent online for gay, lesbian and bisexual internet users, versus 4 percent of heterosexual users. MySpace mirrors the trend, with 33 percent versus 28 percent.

via MarketingVox.com

Labels: poll

What a day in Massachusetts today. Today the legislature convened for their last day of the session. Up until today it was unclear if they would end up voting for a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage-making it between one man and one woman, after it was already legalized in 2004.

So what is the state of gay marriage in Massachusetts? First there are a couple of things that you should know. Opponents of gay marriage only needed 50 of the total 200 votes to pass this constitutional amendment on to the next legislature next session, then if it passes next session, it will be moved to the ballot where the people of Massachusetts will vote on civil rights.

So today, the amendment was brought to the floor without debate. It passed. The vote was 61-132 in favor of advancing the proposed constitutional amendment. Backers of equality failed to rally the 151 votes they needed to kill the measure but succeeded in forcing an hour delay to reconsider the initial vote.

A second vote then took place. The vote tally was then 62-134, still enough to move the amendment forward to the next legislative session.

A total of 17 lawmakers who voted Tuesday won't be returning in the new session, including some of the most vocal opponents of same-sex marriage. Supporters of marriage equality say they will pick up a total of seven votes to block the proposed amendment in the new session, according to Marc Solomon, campaign director for MassEquality.

Massachusetts has some very strong allies of equality in their legislature, as well as their new Governor who is set to take office. The following are some statements made regarding the repulsive nature of writing discrimination into the constitution.

House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, (D-Boston):
DiMasi said the amendment discriminates against gay citizens and vowed to work with Patrick to defeat the question before it reaches voters.

"Today a minority of legislators voted to advance a proposal that takes away the civil rights those couples are guaranteed to under our constitution," DiMasi said in a statement. "This initiative petition is offensive and deplorable."

Governor-elect Deval Patrick, a supporter of marriage equality, urged legislators to avoid a vote on the proposed amendment. A vote to adjourn the joint constitutional convention without taking up the gay marriage amendment would have killed the measure and put supporters of the ban back to square one. Governor-elect Patrick said:

"This is not just another question for popular decision. This is a question, under the equal protection clause, about what freedoms the minority is entitled to," Patrick told reporters after meeting with DiMasi. "This is the first time that the petition process has ever been used to consider reinserting discrimination into the constitution."
After the vote, Patrick said issued a written statement saying he was disappointed.

"We have never used the initiative petition to limit individual freedoms and personal privacy, but today's vote was a regrettable step in that direction," he said.

Labels: constitutional amendment, marriage, Massachusetts

Fifty-seven percent of the American public believe that another state will legalize same-sex marriage in 2007 according to a new poll.

The Associated Press-AOL survey asked Americans their predictions on a wide variety of issues.

On the issue of marriage, the prediction of another state legalizing gay weddings does not necessarily suggest 57 percent supported the idea, just that they believed it would occur.

Currently Massachusetts is the only state where same-sex couples can wed. Civil unions are available in Vermont and Connecticut.

In 2006 the Supreme Court of New Jersey declared it unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples rights and benefits of marriage but left it to the legislature to decide whether it should be called marriage or civil unions. Lawmakers opted for civil unions and the law will go into effect next month.

The only state where the issue of gay marriage will reach the Supreme Court this year is California, although lawsuits are underway in several other states at the lower court level.

In California, which already has the nation's strongest domestic partner law, the legislature will also consider a bill that would legalize gay marriage. A similar bill last year passed both the state Assembly and Senate only to be vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The telephone poll of 1,000 adults was conducted Dec. 12-14 by Ipsos, an international polling firm. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Labels: california, marriage, poll