You'll often hear from conservatives that marriage "hasn't changed" for centuries or millenia. Not true. Take a look at this Wikipedia summary of some of the many changes occurring only in the United States only over the past 200 years.
Not all social positions are equally defensible. Thus, a good journalist will call out injustice and bigotry, rather than simply nodding his or her head out of "respect" for all opinions that an interviewee cares to serve up. That's the thought I was thinking as I watched Jon Stewart conducting…
Here is a link to an excellent essay by two of my best friends. It talks about how labeling plays out in both art and real life and how labels are both irrelevant and destructive. I attended that workshop they refer to, Clarion, and that's where I met them. That…
Wait, what? Yeah, you heard right. Help Fred Phelps & his Westboro clan of deluded, life-wasting, really-shitty-sign-writing hate-mongers (and their hapless children, for whom I have the greatest sympathy). Joe Brummer has the scoop: Fred Phelps’ clan is coming to Boston! The “God Hates Fags” Westboro Baptist Church is coming to picket…
In the aftermath of California’s passing of the shameful Proposition 8, I bring good tidings (and hope) from Australia. I’ll post most of the article From the Canberra Times because it’s short and to the point:
…Gay and lesbian couples are a step closer to equality before the law after two Bills passed through the Senate.
The laws would extend the definition of a de facto relationship to include same-sex couples and allow homosexuals to leave superannuation entitlements to partners.
The Bills also guarantee equality in tax, social security, health, aged care and employment.
Labor senator Penny Wong, who is openly gay, said the laws would deliver the sort of equality before the law that same-sex couples have never experienced.
”They [the Bills] deliver on a very important election commitment on an important day for us,” she told the Senate.
Uniting Care Australia’s national director Lin Hatfield Dodds applauded the Bills, saying it was ”about time” they were passed.
”These Bills are about citizens having equality before the law,” she said. ”They should cut across party lines, because it’s about respecting the inherent dignity of each person, and ensuring under the law there is opportunity for each person to express their sex and not be penalised for that.”
Liberal senator George Brandis said it was a historic day that signified an end to law reforms more than 40 years in the making.
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown, also openly gay and a long-time campaigner for same-sex rights, congratulated the Government
