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Gay Marriage / LGBTQ Rights / Equality Act

Trying to make sense of a crazy world, with limited success mostly
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Wintermute
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#326

Post by Wintermute »

SuzieC wrote: Sat Jan 14, 2023 7:43 pmFuck Texas.
I live in Texas and I agree.
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tek
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#327

Post by tek »

A little personal nice-times..

My nephew is getting gay-married this fall.

We're pretty close to his parents (my brother and his wife), and we've been talking a bit about the wedding.. we said "Hey, if they are tight for the number of attendees we'd be happy to stop in and take them out for a nice dinner on our way back to FL instead.. no problem at all.."

Yesterday we heard back from nephew about that idea:
"No! [tek and ms.tek] absolutely HAVE to come! They are the only people who have supported me from the very beginning!"

That 'only' includes his parents, who we had to help 'getting over' having a gay child...

The feeling you get when you hear something like that... priceless..
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#328

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

:bighug:
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
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#329

Post by Resume18 »

Anyone who may question their gender "should be guided to appropriate ministers and counselors," according to the policy.
Hmmm, sounds like grooming to me.
Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
So do our minutes hasten to their end . . .
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#330

Post by RVInit »

Foggy wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 10:41 am tek and ms. tek ... :lovestruck:
:yeahthat:
There's a lot of things that need to change. One specifically? Police brutality.
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#331

Post by Phoenix520 »

Yep. :bighug:
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#332

Post by RTH10260 »

UK

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#333

Post by neonzx »

Horrifying

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/louisian ... hate-crime

Image

Louisiana Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Kidnapping and Attempting to Murder a Gay Man as Part of Hate Crime Scheme Targeting Users of a Dating App for Gay Men
Chance Seneca, 21, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 45 years in federal prison for kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay man as part of a months-long scheme to kidnap and murder gay men.

The court rested its sentence on many factors, including its determination that the defendant intentionally targeted the victim and other gay men because of their gender and sexual orientation.

“The facts of this case are truly shocking, and the defendant’s decision to specifically target gay men is a disturbing reminder of the unique prejudices and dangers facing the LGBTQ+ community today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The internet should be accessible and safe for all Americans, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. We will continue to identify and intercept the predators who weaponize online platforms to target LGBTQ+ victims and carry out acts of violence and hate.”

According to evidence introduced at sentencing and in an earlier hearing where the defendant pleaded guilty, Seneca in June 2020 used Grindr, a dating application for gay and bisexual men, to kidnap and attempt to murder H.W., a gay man. Specifically, Seneca used Grindr to propose a meeting with H.W., with the intent of murdering and dismembering him, and then drove H.W. to an isolated house, took out a handgun, instructed him to put on handcuffs, and then used several methods to attempt to murder him. Believing that H.W. was dead, Seneca then attempted to dismember him. After his arrest, Seneca admitted that he had planned to continue murdering gay men until he was caught or killed.

Seneca acknowledged that he kidnapped and attempted to murder H.W. in order to satisfy a compulsive murder-fantasy. Seneca had become fixated with the idea of killing gay men, and this fascination led him to spend months designing a murder-kidnapping scheme that mirrored the murders of gay men committed by the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Seneca intentionally targeted gay men, as Dahmer had done. Seneca had also intended to eat and preserve the bodies of his victims, as Dahmer had done.

“No one should ever be subjected to the type of horrendous actions that this defendant inflicted upon the victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “The victim never thought that he would find himself falling prey to a predator in such a way. Hate crimes such as this are a top priority for the Department and this office, and we take these kind of cases very seriously. It is important that we all remain vigilant and cautious as we use the internet in our everyday lives to avoid situations that may lead to destructive behavior of others towards us.”

“The preservation of civil rights and the investigation of Color of Law violations are of utmost priority for the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office.” "Today's sentencing sends a clear message that individuals like Chance Seneca will be held accountable. We thank our partners at the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Louisiana, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Lafayette Police Department for their strong partnership and dedication to protecting the civil rights of every citizen.”

The FBI and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.
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#334

Post by raison de arizona »

Queen Creek is a Trumpy shithole, which is too bad because it has a lot going for it, we considered moving there ... until we visited and saw the crowd that lives there.
A Gay Couple is Being Run Out From Their Queen Creek Home
Threats, homophobic slurs, and property damage is making this queer couple reconsider moving to Phoenix's most sprawling suburb.

A GAY COUPLE PUT UP A PRIDE FLAG. NOW THEY FEAR THEIR SAFETY.
:snippity:
A week after they put up a pride flag in December last year—a seemingly innocuous gesture—someone drove by and screamed at them “fag,” twice. A few nights later, the flag was torn in half. They replaced it, but only to find it the next day ripped off the pole and thrown in the street.

Then, a neighbor edged his car up onto their property and threatened them, screaming obscenities. Jared saw the car and feared for his family’s life. When he went to grab his gun for protection, the neighbor drove off.

Later on, the same neighbor posted on the community Facebook page asking if it was OK if he flew a nazi flag over his house. The post was immediately taken down.

(Facebook messenger screenshots shared with LOOKOUT showed that the neighbor later apologized, but dismissed it as a drunken misunderstanding.)

But it grabbed enough notice that the Deluca’s homeowners’ association sent a letter saying they needed to remove their flag.

All of this is against the backdrop of the state’s ongoing and pervasive culture wars stoked by Republicans on the far-right who have rallied against the LGBTQ+ community in the statehouse.
:snippity:
https://lookoutphx.substack.com/p/queen ... lgbtq-flag
Just this past Monday night, after speaking to this reporter on planning to meet and discuss their experiences, a copy of the New Testament was thrown at them in their yard.
Because WWJD? Throw Bibles at people while threatening their lives, that's what Republican Jesus does.
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” —John Adams
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#335

Post by bob »

AP: Colorado baker loses appeal over transgender birthday cake:
The Colorado baker who won a partial U.S. Supreme Court victory after refusing to make a gay couple’s wedding cake because of his Christian faith lost an appeal Thursday in his latest legal fight, involving his rejection of a request for a birthday cake celebrating a gender transition.

The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that that the cake Autumn Scardina requested from Jack Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop, which was to be pink with blue frosting, is not a form of speech.

It also found that the state law that makes it illegal to refuse to provide services to people based on protected characteristics like race, religion or sexual orientation does not violate business owners’ right to practice or express their religion.

Relying on the findings of a Denver judge in a 2021 trial in the dispute, the appeals court said Phillips’ shop initially agreed to make the cake but then refused after Scardina explained that she was going to use it to celebrate her transition from male to female.

“We conclude that creating a pink cake with blue frosting is not inherently expressive and any message or symbolism it provides to an observer would not be attributed to the baker,” said the court, which also rejected procedural arguments from Phillips.
Bit of the backstory:
Scardina, an attorney, attempted to order her cake on the same day in 2017 that the Supreme Court announced it would hear Phillips’ appeal in the wedding cake case. During trial, she testified that she wanted to “challenge the veracity” of Phillips’ statements that he would serve LGBTQ customers.

Before filing her lawsuit, Scardina first filed a complaint against Phillips with the state and the civil rights commission, which found probable cause that he had discriminated against her.

Phillips then filed a federal lawsuit against Colorado, accusing it of a “crusade to crush” him by pursuing the complaint.

In March 2019, lawyers for the state and Phillips agreed to drop both cases under a settlement Scardina was not involved in. She pursued the lawsuit against Phillips and Masterpiece on her own.
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#336

Post by keith »

Wintermute wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:00 am
SuzieC wrote: Sat Jan 14, 2023 7:43 pmFuck Texas.
I live in Texas and I agree.
That's way more kinky than I'd ever consider, but you do you pumpkin.
Has everybody heard about the bird?
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#337

Post by AndyinPA »

https://www.ksl.com/article/50567331/go ... e-vouchers
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed two of the highest-profile bills from this year's legislative session into law on Saturday.

Cox gave his approval to SB16, a bill banning transgender surgeries for Utah children and teens, and HB215, which tied a $6,000 pay raise for school teachers to an $8,000 private school voucher program.

SB16, which has an immediate effective date, also places an indefinite moratorium on treatments including puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, a practicing family physician, and passed by the Utah Legislature on a final 20-8 vote by the Senate.
"Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears… To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies." -Octavia E. Butler
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#338

Post by Volkonski »

AFP News Agency
@AFP@mediastodon.com
🇯🇵 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida dismissed one of his secretaries on Saturday over homophobic comments - in which he said he "doesn't even want to look at" married same-sex couples. The premier said they were "outrageous".
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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#339

Post by Volkonski »

Pope, Anglican, Presbyterian leaders denounce anti-gay laws

https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis ... 9ddd103ade
Pope Francis, the head of the Anglican Communion and top Presbyterian minister together denounced the criminalization of homosexuality on Sunday and said gay people should be welcomed by their churches.

The three Christian leaders spoke out on LGBTQ rights during an unprecedented joint airborne news conference returning home from South Sudan, where they took part in a three-day ecumenical pilgrimage to try to nudge the young country’s peace process forward.

They were asked about Francis’ recent comments to The Associated Press, in which he declared that laws that criminalize gay people were “unjust” and that “being homosexual is not a crime.”

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalizes homosexuality, 11 of them with the death penalty. LGBTQ advocates say even where such laws are not applied, they contribute to a climate of harassment, discrimination and violence.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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#340

Post by RTH10260 »

Missouri officials investigate transgender youth clinic

SUMMER BALLENTINE
Fri, February 10, 2023 at 7:46 PM GMT+1

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Friday called for doctors to pause giving puberty blockers and hormones to new patients at a transgender youth clinic. The call comes a day after he announced an investigation into claims that the facility rushed to give children gender-affirming care without informed consent.

Bailey publicly announced an investigation of Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital on Thursday after he said a whistleblower went public with allegations against the clinic.

The state Social Services Department, state licensing agency, Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley and Washington University also are investigating.

Former case manager Jamie Reed claimed in an affidavit claimed that the center mainly provides gender-affirming care and does little to address mental health issues that patients also faced.

Reed worked at the clinic from 2018 through November 2022. In a post published Thursday by The Free Press, Reed described herself as a 42-year-old queer woman who is “politically to the left of Bernie Sanders.” She said she's married to a transgender man.

In her affidavit, Reed claimed one minor treated at the center received a mastectomy and months later wanted the procedure to be undone. She said one doctor prescribed a medication to enlarge breasts that also caused liver damage.

Reed said she saw "healthcare providers lie to the public and to parents of patients about the treatment, or lack of treatment, and the effects of treatment provided to children."

“I witnessed staff at the center provide puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children without complete informed parental consent and without an appropriate or accurate assessment of the needs of the child," Reed wrote. "I witnessed children experience shocking injuries from the medication the center prescribed.”




https://www.yahoo.com/news/missouri-off ... 15980.html
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#341

Post by AndyinPA »

Something, something........... practicing medicine without a license. :?:
"Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears… To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies." -Octavia E. Butler
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#342

Post by raison de arizona »

Hmm. That's one way to look at it. This has been an ongoing saga with her.
The Patriot Barbie, Lindsey Graham @reallindseyg wrote: Well it’s official. Transvestite school board member had taken away my rights as a woman and parent with a restraining order. I cannot protect my children or myself.
Paul Bixler has more female rights than I do. And his “feelings” matter more than the truth.
Watch out ladies.
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” —John Adams
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#343

Post by Resume18 »

raison de arizona wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 12:16 pm Hmm. That's one way to look at it. This has been an ongoing saga with her.
The Patriot Barbie, Lindsey Graham @reallindseyg wrote: Well it’s official. Transvestite school board member had taken away my rights as a woman and parent with a restraining order. I cannot protect my children or myself.
Paul Bixler has more female rights than I do. And his “feelings” matter more than the truth.
Watch out ladies.
Well it's official; you're a feckless . . . Barbie.
Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
So do our minutes hasten to their end . . .
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#344

Post by Frater I*I »

Well lady, being a complete dickhead has it's consequences...
"He sewed his eyes shut because he is afraid to see, He tries to tell me what I put inside of me
He's got the answers to ease my curiosity, He dreamed a god up and called it Christianity"

Trent Reznor
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#345

Post by neeneko »

Frater I*I wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 4:29 pm Well lady, being a complete dickhead has it's consequences...
yeah, but these are people who believe threatening and harassing others is the most important freedom of all. restraining orders and red flag laws are the 'worst thing ever' in their minds since it limits their power projection.
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#346

Post by Frater I*I »

neeneko wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 5:59 pm
Frater I*I wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 4:29 pm Well lady, being a complete dickhead has it's consequences...
yeah, but these are people who believe threatening and harassing others is the most important freedom of all. restraining orders and red flag laws are the 'worst thing ever' in their minds since it limits their power projection.
It seems to me, that like me, you live amongst the pro Civil War 2.0 crowd... :think:
"He sewed his eyes shut because he is afraid to see, He tries to tell me what I put inside of me
He's got the answers to ease my curiosity, He dreamed a god up and called it Christianity"

Trent Reznor
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#347

Post by MsDaisy »

When Parents Hear That Their Child ‘Is Not Normal and Should Not Exist’
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Russel Neiss glanced down at his Apple Watch. The screen glowed bright red, warning of something he already knew: Though he was sitting stock still, waiting to testify before state senators, his heart was hammering.

Mr. Neiss hates everything about his family’s regular trips to the Missouri statehouse. He hates trying to squeeze a meaningful story into his allotted two minutes at the microphone. He hates stashing his backpack in the office of a sympathetic lawmaker so he can maneuver politely among the bronze busts and oil paintings and bureaucrats, shaking hands and trying to appear calm and relatable, terrified all the while for his family.

Mr. Neiss is the father of an 11-year-old transgender boy, a fact that has tangled into every aspect of his life. He and his wife are trying to figure out how their son can have a bar mitzvah in accordance with their Orthodox Jewish faith. A New York City transplant to St. Louis, Mr. Neiss now stays up late combing through Zillow listings for houses across the Mississippi River in Illinois, worried that this will be the year Missouri legislators outlaw the medical care he and his wife believe is saving their son’s life.

Mr. Neiss had taken yet another day off from his job as a software engineer to drive to the capital. The trips have become routine: Missouri lawmakers have filed a record number of anti-trans bills this session. This time, to save time, they bundled for discussion a group of bills that would, at their most extreme, force even kindergartners to play on sports teams corresponding to their sex at birth.
https://nyti.ms/3Iz32rr

Very sad that children can't just be themselves and live in peace whoever they are. :cry:
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#348

Post by Kriselda Gray »

I could understand all the calls for banning gender-affirming care for kids IF the care was being provided *without* the parents knowledge or against their wishes. That would just be common sense. If, however, the parents are aware of what is happening and have given their permission for their child to receive such care, then the government should just butt out. This, like abortion, is another situation that should be decided by the patient, their parents (if the patient is a minor) and their doctor(s).

This assault on gender-affirming care started out ostensibly out of concern that parents rights were being trampled on by school counselors, but now they're wanting to extend such bans to people over 21 and up to 25 in some cases, situations where the parents rights are no longer of any concern.

Biden really needs to get as many judges confirmed as he can so that we can start to have a more balanced court system ASAP, and he should increase the size of the Supreme Court and get judges appointed. That, and making sure as many Dem candidates as possible win their elections re perhaps the best. Steps we could take to stop this creeping fascism from getting worse.
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#349

Post by Volkonski »

AP

Legislators in at least two states are trying to allow transgender people to keep records of their name change out of public view. Advocates warn that without the change, transgender people remain susceptible to violence.

http://apne.ws/9qvT6tG
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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#350

Post by neonzx »

Volkonski wrote: Sun Feb 26, 2023 9:17 am AP

Legislators in at least two states are trying to allow transgender people to keep records of their name change out of public view. Advocates warn that without the change, transgender people remain susceptible to violence.

http://apne.ws/9qvT6tG
It is sad that this type of legislation may be required. The trans community has been subjected to violence as the weakest punching bag since the gays are no longer the easy low hanging fruit for their rage.
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