Words of Hate From Straight People

Tuesday, June First, the California Supreme Court will announce it's decision at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Today I looked at two websites. The LA Times and the Independent Mind. As usual, reader comments are all over the board. I've selected some of the negative comments and I have highlighted, in red, the words that reveal the hatred, bigotry, lies and ignorance of the people making these posts. I have copied these comments exactly and I have not corrected any spelling or grammatical errors. I welcome every reader to link to this blog, copy the words to your own blog and share this blog with your friends.

I can't help but ask myself. If these individuals were face to face with a gay person, would they say these words? The Internet provides anonymity. That has its positives - because all of us want to stay safe. It also has its negatives. We say things we would probably never say directly to a person. If you can't say it to someone's face, maybe you shouldn't say it? For those of you that share the feelings that you are about to read, I challenge you to take the time to read some facts. I challenge you to open your heart and think what if you were in the shoes of a gay person. Don't judge a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes. If your positions are correct, it shouldn't hurt you to listen to the other side.

I'm not gay. I have many gay friends and they are are good people. Do you know someone who is gay? If not, I challenge you to purposely meet someone. For those of you that are unable to listen to the why gay people deserve the same rights as straight people, hear this. Gay people are not going to shut up. They are being denied rights. You want to stop hearing about it? Give everyone equal rights and let everyone get on with their lives.

And now, on to the comments.

It's not about giving or denying gay rights... but about demoralizing what a healthy, house & family is all about. Most of people endorsing gay marriages, don't want their children to be educated in a gay home. This is hypocrisy! Church Ministers will be forced by law to celebrate gay marriage. Is this fair?
Posted by: Marcel May 24, 2009 at 02:47 PM

No minister will be forced to celebrate gay marriage. Today, a minister can deny performing a wedding service to anyone. Besides, a church wedding isn't needed to make marriage legal. It has nothing to do with civil marriage. Don't believe me? Ask your clergyman. Or the county courthouse.

Facism is Facism. The "No on Prop 8" supporters have embraced FACISM! Their Mantra is "GAY FACISM UEBER ALLES!"
Posted by: Steve May 24, 2009 at 07:38 AM

I have no clue what this means. But I think it's from someone who is crazy.

You know what? I think that everyone who is unhappy with the outcome of Prop 8 should leave California immediately. Obviously you are very unhappy and you should live elsewhere that will accommodate any perversion you want. Frankly, I'm looking forward to the Supreme Court upholding the will of the people to determine what their society will look like. This isn't a race thing so don't give me that. This is a sexual perversion thing and I'm glad the people of California had the guts to say NO MORE! Others States who are having this issue crammed down their throats will rise up and follow suit. You watch! It will happen
Posted by: CAPearl May 22, 2009 at 05:14 PM

I always love this solution. Don't like how I think? Move. That's intelligent. Crammed down their throats? I have lost count of the number of times that a religious person has knocked on my door, wanting to come in and preach to me. Never, not once, has a gay person, anywhere, tried to invade my home or what I think. Why? First, they are only interested in living their own lives. Second, someone like you might answer the door and kill them.

Gays have their Civil unions and domestic partnerships. This minority of deviants should never have the authority or power to redefine marriage or our society based on their perversions. We chose to honor male and females in marriage. We said it twice to the gays in elections. What part of "No" and "Get lost" do you not understand? Leave marriage alone. You don't need our tradition. Make your own. And don't beg us for validation.
Posted by: jeffrey hepler May 22, 2009 at 04:47 PM

For the ten billionth time, this isn't about tradition, it's about legal rights. Civil unions and domestic partnerships cover a small fraction of the legal benefits of marriage. There are 1138 rights given to married people scattered throughout Federal Law. Look it up. And what part of equal rights and Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You don't you understand?

Gays and Lesbians will have no choice but to abide by the law whether they like it or not. Gays and Lesbians Do Not have the right to disturb the peace or to threaten anyone who disagrees with no on Prop. 8 or their sexual orientation.

Asking for rights is disturbing the peace? It might be disturbing your narrow view of the world. Go in the closet if it bothers you. See what that is like.

Marriage is not a right to anyone, and Gays and Lesbians need to get it through their heads. If Gays and Lesbians continue to persist, they will bring on the hate and suffer the consequences of those who will not tolerate their behavior.

Marriage is a right for heterosexuals but not for gays and lesbians, and heterosexuals need to get that through their heads. Thanks for the warning about the hate but it's already here. Your side has not been shy about holding back. But I do thank you for having the courage to put your hatred and threats in writing. Are you willing to say these things publicly to a gay person to their face?

From Independent Minds
PUT THE GAYS IN HOSPITAL WHERE THEY BELLONG!
copycat7 wrote:
Monday, 25 May 2009 at 08:57 am (UTC)GAY IS A MENTAL ILLNESS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH!. MANIPULATIVE PERSONALITY, NO INHIBITIONS, SPITEFULL BEHAVIOR TO ALL WHO SPEAK AGAINST THERE BEHAVIOR, OBBSESSION WITH SEX, GENERAL IMATURITY, IN NEED OF ATTENTION DRAMA QUEENS, EXAGERATORS, PERSECUTION COMPLEX PARANOIA, SHALLOW MATERIALISTIC SHOPPING HABBITS, WIMPISH BEHAVIOR, ETC ETC...WELL ITS NOT THE AVERAGE STRAIT PERSON IM TALKING ABOUT NOW IS IT!.
GAYS DISGUSTS ME BECAUSE OF HOW MOST OF THEM BEHAVE NOT BECAUSE OF THE LABEL GAY!. THE STEREOTYPE DID NOT COME FROM NOWHERE!

You're kind of late, copycat. The American Psychology Association removed homosexuality as a mental illness thirty years ago. They disgust you? Just curious. Do you KNOW a gay person? Just one? I challenge you to open your mind long enough to attempt to get to know someone who is gay. Actually, you probably do know someone who is gay. They are just smart enough to know that coming out to you would be dangerous.

Re: Copycatis hate crime
zahradelaplata wrote:
Monday, 25 May 2009 at 12:34 pm (UTC)what marginality? The only marginal ones are gays. They are nothing but 3% of world population, and they try to force the rest of us, the real normal people, to accept'them as normal ones. They are not. Never will be. 97% is straight, that shows that the mere 3% is the exception to the rule, and definitely not the norm, hence, nothing normal or any need to accept their agenda. It's unbelievable how some minuscule groups force the majority, and brainwash society, just because they have the media and enough money to push these issues. You want to live your life? OK, do so between the walls of your bedroom, and leave the rest of us alone. Don't expect the majorities (like the one in California), accept or bend to your whims. See what you gays are trying to do in California. YOU LOST a democratic vote. DEAL WITH IT. But nooo, you just can't, right? You have to terrorize normals, use your economic muscle, your media capacity to force the majority to change what they decided in a ballot. That shows you what is the real frame of mind of gays. They don't just want their so called rights, they have to stomp over the opinions of others, and force them to their whims. What's next? Promoting homosexuality in schools, so you can harvest new kids for your zoo sooner? And we'll have to accept it, right? Riiiight.

Mormons are 1.7% of the population. In fact, most of us are in a minority for something. What does a percent have to do with anything? What percent would it take to convince you they are normal? Terrorize? Gay people want the same rights as the rest of us. I have an idea. Keep your hatred and bigotry inside your house and leave the rest of us alone. Harvesting kids? People are born gay. Or did you go through some agonizing process of deciding to be straight?

it's wrong wrong wrong
joshuacohen2003 wrote:
Monday, 25 May 2009 at 02:02 pm (UTC)Gays are just wrong in every sense of normal rational behaviour.forget the religious aspect because that's plain and simple and clearly obvious. No religion on earth condones homosexuality.
However lets look at it from an atheistic, scientific, logical, rational point of view. It's still glarignly obvious to anyone with a few brain cells that being homosexual is just idiotic nonsense. nature created males and females.
end of argument.

Dear Joshua Cohen. Your lack of scientific education and knowledge of religious texts is stunning. There is a growing body of evidence that sexual orientation has biological origins. Go to Entrez Pubmed and search the REAL scientific literature. Religion? There are groups in every faith that welcome LGBT members. Jews, Christians, Catholics, Buddhists, even Muslim. The religious aspect is anything but obvious. People wrote ancient scriptures 2000 plus years ago. The words have been misinterpreted and the cultural context lost. Why do these words hold more convincing power than modern day science? I'm sorry, that makes no sense to me.

These comments are not only factually wrong, they hurt real people. People who are daughters, sons, brothers and sisters. Real humans who are the same as me and you. I find these comments so unethical, so filled with unfounded prejudice, so unAmerican that I am ashamed.

Dehumanizing others so that we don't have to face our biases, so we don't have to feel that they are as human as we are, is a slippery slope, the same slope that led to slavery and the Holocaust. Haven't we learned anything from our own history? Our world history? We look back now and are ashamed of the discrimination in our nation's past. The next generation will look back on the fight for gay rights the same way. It is already happening. In the end, hate always loses.

Closet Talk

My good friend at jaysays has a series called Closet Talk that, obviously, is a reference to LGBT folks and what it is like to come out of "the closet" as it has always been called.

My blog today is what Closet Talk should look like for everyone. Gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, transgendered, not sure, Mormon, Atheists, Italians, rich, black, white, northerners (especially northerners).

Especially northerners? Yes folks. I'm talking about the semi-annual ritual of moving the winter wardrobe to the spare closet and bringing out the summer clothes. Today my husband informed me this is the day. Worse, he pointed out that I have two closets and two dressers full of clothes, most of which I never wear. I said - this just means I need a bigger closet. He said - you have clothes you never wear.

And boy do I ever. I shocked myself. After all these years of being a geek who is proud of her lack of fashion obsession, I've still managed to collect a mountain of clothes. None of them fashionable though, I do want to make that clear. I have some integrity as a geek.

I'm taking a break right now but the slavedriver is watching the clock and pacing past the "office" which on the way to the room with the closets. Can I help it that cleaning gives me hot flashes?

I've sorted through the "with this many stains I can only use this for painting" all the way to the "why are the tags still on this", folded up the good ones and will share them with women who might appreciate saving a buck or two. They are geeks too. So it might just work.

Use your closet for clothes. Bring YOU into the Living Room. Living. That's what it's all about.
Anyone need an ugly sweater?

I love holiday weekends

Today I slept in, went to Star Trek. We need another Gene Roddenberry. His vision of our possible future was so positive. We can change everything that is wrong. Ok, almost everything. We can feed people. We can find new sources of energy. We can provide medical care and education. We can continue to find cures and preventions for diseases. We can take care of the planet. We can make peace and respect one another. All of these are humanly possible.

Can you do one thing every day that changes the world? Can you be the change you want to see? What matters more to you than anything? Whose life can you touch, even if it's just a smile and sharing a joke?

Practice random acts of kindness. Practice intentional acts of kindness. It doesn't have to cost money. Reuse your grocery bags. Walk when possible. Turn off the lights. Volunteer through your church or school. Write to your Congressman. Put your unneeded items on Freecycle. Help a friend fix something. Hold open the door for someone. Give up your seat on the bus for someone. Buy just one food item grown locally. Meditate for five minutes. Remind yourself of all the people that love you. Be grateful for what you have. Help those who have less.

Domestic Partnership Protections in Wisconsin

Today I received this email from Fair Wisconsin:

Today, the Joint Finance Committee voted by a 12-4 margin to approve provisions providing for domestic partnership protections as part of the biennial budget.
“We applaud the Joint Finance Committee’s decision to approve this important measure, and thank the committee co-chairs Senator Miller and Representative Pocan for their leadership,” said Fair Wisconsin Executive Director Glenn Carlson.

“Domestic partnerships offer the basic legal protections that caring, committed couples need to be able to take care of each other,” said Fair Wisconsin Legislative Director Katie Belanger. “Even in tough economic times, providing domestic partnership protections like hospital visitation, end of life decision-making, and the ability to take family leave to care for a sick or injured partner is the fair and decent thing to do.”

Following the executive sessions of the Joint Finance Committee, the full legislature is scheduled to vote on the budget in June.

To learn more about domestic partnerships or to support this important effort, please visit www.fairwisconsin.com

Time for Action.

Hello all,

Things were looking good for us with the election of Obama and the democratic majority in congress. I know I felt very relieved watching the inauguration. I was happy that "change had come to Washington" But the lack of action on promises that were made in the during the campaign have left me feeling mislead.

Yesterday I saw a story about a Air Force pilot who was being fired for being gay. Story here This upset me greatly, this man is a decorated hero, who was selected to protect our nation's capital during the 9-11 attacks. But he no longer considered fit to serve. How can this be a good idea? Is it ever in a organizations interest to fire a solid performer? How can this be good for our national security to fire such a qualified pilot?

After reading the article I went to Whitehouse website to see the official stance on GLBT issues. Guess what, they don't exist!! I checked under civil rights, but again no mention of GLBT issues. Nothing under Family either. This got me really angry, so I sent Obama a letter through the whitehouse website, asking him to honor his promise.

But part of wanted to do more, For too long I have given money to various gay charities (HRC, Lambda Legal, and the Task Force) and expected them to fight for our rights. But now I am enraged. It's time for things to change. We need to show them that we are NOT going to be oppressed anymore. We need a new leader, we need a modern day gay Martin Luther King. We need a gay equivalent to the black panthers. I'm not saving we need to bomb or anything violent, but we need to show our frustration and that we are not going to take this BS any longer. There are already calls for a march on Washington this fall More here. Will that be enough, I doubt it. But it is a start. Does anyone else out there have more ideas?

International Day Against Homophobia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Rp8ep_ezE

May 17th is the International Day Against Homophobia. Watch this amazing video. Share it. Celebrate the value of every human.

Peace
Jude

Good Bye From Out In Wisconsin

My personal blog, Christians For Equality, will still stand, Out In Wisconsin website has been cancelled. Out In Wisconsin worked out better as just a website than trying to do anything more with it. At least I tried and I apologize. Maybe I'll reach the public more on an emotional level without paying anything and without relying on directors to help it grow and just have my personal, free blog. Dissolution papers I will file next month. I apologize for the inconvenience and wish I could have done more at a state level than a personal and one person one.

I have realized through all this though who I am inside and who I want to show others I am on the outside. In the last few months I have learned more than I ever have in my first 33 1/2 years. You people have shown me there are still people out there who care and understand, who back up each other in hard times, who laugh with each other in good times. Out In Wisconsin was bound to fail, I know, but the support I got from all my LGBT friends made me feel like I could accomplish anything. My head was above the clouds. But I could not form an organization with what I had. We didn't even have time to open up a bank account for Out In Wisconsin or collect donations. Luckily. Sorry I failed you, but maybe it just wasn't in the cards.

Another Hate Crime, This Time Wisconsin

Get the scoop here: http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/450691

Apology To LGBT And Straights

I apologize for wanting to be happy.
I apologize for wanting others to be happy.
I apologize for using the words "love", "happiness", and "commitment" when trying to define marriage.
I apologize for my unselfishness.
I apologize for coming out nearly three years ago.
I apologize for being happier since I came out, I should have soaked myself in tears the last three years.
I apologize for being Christian and a lesbian.
I apologize for using the word "Christ" in my personal blog and my main website to teach love and forgiveness. I should have done what many others do and use the bible to preach hate and intolerance toward others. I mean after all, control over others is better than love, right?
I apologize for wanting to try to reason with or bring the man-made religious intolerant and uncompassionate rulers to their knees. We should let them climb all over us, I should have just let them continue to climb all over me in my own family.
I apologize for being an individual.
I apologize for not shutting up and following blindly.
I apologize for offering encouragement.
I apologize for living and loving.
I apologize for having a heart.
I apologize for having some sort of a brain. Though others I know are definately smarter than I am but working together and learning from them seemed quite cool.
I apologize for wanting to work together as a team and accomplish something incredible.
I apologize for wanting to be unique.
I apologize for wanting to be special.
I apologize for feeling special.I apologize for Out In Wisconsin.
I apologize for feeling like I'm actually doing something right in my life for once.
Most importantly, I apologize for actually being me.

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/view/letters/6304673.html
Normally, I would just link to an article but I cannot resist copying this comment in it's entirety. That's because every single line makes absolutely no sense.

"On the subject of proper lawmaking in Augusta recently: I want to voice my disapproval of the Maine Legislature and the governor for spending state resources to debate gay marriage.
Whether or not I agree with the idea of gay marriage is irrelevant. The state or government has no business in saying "yes" or "no" to gay marriage. Does anyone recall the term "separation of church and state"?
Unless there is a safety or welfare issue, the government has no business ruling on these unions. Government by virtue of giving tax breaks and incentives for social actions has crossed the line in my mind. This is nothing more than government bias.
While there are good hardworking politicians, there are many others in it for their own egos.
I respect my forefathers, military personnel and public safety personnel too much to have any respect for the politicians tearing at the country's ethical foundation.
Spend your efforts on jobs and putting more people in jobs and fewer on welfare. "
Michael Swanholm

Dear Michael
Yes Michael, I do recall separation of church and state. I also recall that only government can make a marriage legal. So it's ONLY the government that has any business ruling on these unions. It certainly is not religion - that's called - you got it Michael - separation of church and state.
I respect every person's rights. Not just those of heterosexuals.
We should spend less money on giving rights to LGBT people. That's because these are rights they should already have. I'm with you there Michael. Make it federal law across the board. Repeal DOMA, make marriage legal, get rid of Don't Ask Don't Tell (because you and I both respect the military), pass anti-discrimination laws, pass hate crime legislation, teach our children that being gay is normal. I, too, would like to get this over with and move on to jobs.

And by the way, gay people have jobs. Gay people can lose their jobs just for being gay. Can you lose your job just for being straight?

Happy Mother's Day

A poem that I wrote for my son, when he was five (he's now twenty).
Happy Mother's Day to all


I hold you up above the fence
to see the world beyond mine
for you are higher

I am your guide and shelter
but I am not your keeper
I am your way shower
but not your way

I let you move up a step beyond my ladder
I hold you closer to the sky

You cannot see the top
You can only see the rise
The road is always moving higher

But turn around and look
at where you have been
it is ok to rest
and experience the vista

Life is never a plateau
but you can learn to rest
in a place that isn’t level
but you won’t roll off

LGBT for Breeders - Lesson 7

Even down under, a topic related to gay folks can cause quite a stir.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25422558-421,00.html

The Daily Telegraph in Australia reported on May 4th that
“.....a book which teaches children about lesbian mums getting pregnant using sperm donors is being pitched at kids as young as two. The controversial publication, "Where Did I Really Come From?", also features a drawing of two gay men holding a baby in a chapter about surrogacy.
The publisher's marketing spruiks the book, which includes in-depth descriptions of sexual intercourse, as suitable to be read to two-year-olds. It was being advertised at some Sydney book stores and inside the cover as being part of the New South Wales Attorney General Office's Learn to Include program, the Daily Telegraph reported today.”

I tried to find the book at my local library and they didn’t have it. I also wasn’t interested in paying $20 for it online. From the information that I could find, the book talks about different methods for conception, beyond the “original”. In vitro fertilization, surrogacy – including how gays and lesbians can become parents.

Besides learning a new word, spruiks (Google it, I had to), I also thought it would be interesting to read some reader comments. Are they different in Australia? Turns out, no they are not.

Master Chief of Omocron Persi 8 Posted at 1:58pm May 05, 2009
"It should be considered child abuse for gays and lesbians to adopt or receive fertility treatment .Think of how messed up the children will be growing up in a strange environment like that, not to mention the torture they will suffer through school, or the fact that they may be taken out of schools for home schooling to shield them from what the other kids will do making them even more unbalanced. And for them to try and impose thier views on the minds of infants and the very young is just disgusting to say the least... I spose my comments will go unpublished or apear 'edited' at best (I no I am not PC but i dont care this is wrong) If you cant make a baby the natrual way then dont do it at all."

I can’t resist the urge to comment on two things. First, Master Chief of Omocron needs major help with spelling and punctuation. Second, most people who home school are religious fundamentalists “to shield them from what the other kids will do”.

And a comment from a different perspective.

“Come on guys, this is reality, life whether you are in denial of hidden under a rock. Some kids have 2 mums, some 2 dads, some 1 parent, some kids are conceived with donors, some via the "old fashioned" way. They are all "children" regardless of conception method. They fact is, this book goes through all the methods, yes parents will exercise wisdom when deciding when to allow their kids to read the book. But then they always have haven't they? Just because the book has been published doesn't mean it becomes a parent's only option in providing the details. Don't like it? Don't use it. I will be buying the book for my 11yo twin sons to read- unlike many other people commenting, they seem to understand that diversity in our community is not wrong. “

If the book did not talk about gays and lesbians, would anyone really criticize? Don’t we all know a heterosexual couple that could not conceive “naturally” and went another route? Don’t we applaud that science is able to help a couple that wants to love a child so much that they will endure the emotional ups and downs of in vitro fertilization, the financial burden of surrogacy, the years of waiting for adoption? Explaining the means of conception for in vitro fertilization is probably less uncomfortable than explaining intercourse. If you can explain why people wear eyeglasses, you can explain a test tube baby.

The comments left by readers condemning any means of creating a child other than through man/woman sexual intercourse are only hiding their homophobia. Whether or not a two year old can understand these concepts is a different question. One I’m not going to tackle here.
It became very clear that the outrage about this book has nothing to do with discussing other means of conception and childbearing, nor at what age can children grasp these concepts. It’s about people who don’t think that gay people should have children.

Do LGBT people make good parents?

First a story. Then the actual research.
Thirty years ago (yes, I was an adult thirty years ago), we were visiting a good friend in San Francisco, who happened to be gay. While we were there, it was Kurt’s birthday and several of his friends called him for a spontaneous birthday party. He explained that he had company from out of town. Straight company. Their answer? “Bring them with. So what?”

I was excited but nervous. First, I had never been in a social setting with a group of gay people. I was more afraid of saying or doing something stupid. Kurt gave us some quick “etiquette” lessons. Still, in all honesty, I didn’t know if I could find something to talk about other than “hmm, so you’re gay. What’s that been like for you?” Could I see the real person, not just the fact that they were gay?

Well thank goodness gay people throw great parties. There were about six men at the party with professions ranging from doctor to lawyer to waiter to financial broker. All very gracious, fun and relaxed. And so welcoming. Within minutes we were talking about the same things that our straight friends talk about.

One of the men had a six year old son, from a marriage. At this point in my life, I was still uncomfortable with the idea of gay people being parents. Not because I was worried about their parenting skills. I was more worried about their kids being teased. I had seen what my friend Kurt went through in high school. Being the child of a gay parent had to be a close second.
When it got to be around 9 p.m., Tom left the group to tuck his son into bed. The bedroom was on the first floor off the kitchen. He left the door open and I quietly eavesdropped. They were reading a book together, laughing and cuddling. If Tom would read a page the wrong way, his son would quickly correct him. If you have children, you know that they expect to hear a story the same exact way every time. Sometimes Tom would change this on purpose and ask his son “So how does that go again?” His son would then become the reader, providing his dad with exactly the right intonation and pace. Tom kissed and hugged his son goodnight, who quickly fell asleep with a smile on my face.

I knew at that moment that any child raised by such a good parent could overcome any discrimination. At least the children of LGBT parents have support, something they themselves may not have had from their own parents.

Since then, we have come to know many gay parents. Some had children in marriages, before they were able to come to grips with their sexual orientation. Some adopted or used other means. All are great parents. All wanted to become parents. The desire to want and love a child is not at all linked to our desire for sex, whether it is heterosexual or gay.

But what about the world beyond my personal, limited experience? Here is what the American Psychological Association has to say. You can find research studies at their website.

http://www.apa.org/pi/parent.html

"In summary, there is no evidence to suggest that lesbian women or gay men are unfit to be parents or that psychosocial development among children of lesbian women or gay men is compromised relative to that among offspring of heterosexual parents. Not a single study has found children of lesbian or gay parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents. Indeed, the evidence to date suggests that home environments provided by lesbian and gay parents are as likely as those provided by heterosexual parents to support and enable children's psychosocial growth."

Does it matter how a child is conceived? Parents, gay or straight, that need to use technology to assist with having a child, or adoption, are people who really want a child. Isn’t that the most important thing for a child? To be wanted? To be loved and cared for by a couple, or individual, ready to make that kind of commitment to another human being?

Out In Wisconsin Looking For Directors

At this time Out In Wisconsin is looking for two new directors to fill positions that are needed. These are volunteer positions, meaning you won't be paid for your services. Things directors would be expected to do are bring up ideas and sign paperwork confirming what was discussed on any decisions that were made on what the organization is doing. You must not have been convicted of a felony and you should be known by at least one of our directors or myself for at least the past three months upon contacting me. One more thing I'm sure you already know, you must be over the age of 18 to participate.

Out In Wisconsin is committed to equality and justice for all LGBT citizens and has filed as a non-profit incorporation in Wisconsin and was approved in March 2009. But the newly found organization cannot survive without people like yourselves to help run it, share ideas, and gather donations. At this time no donations are being gathered until such time as I say.

Some people who have signed up in the past are concerned for their safety or because it has taken on more of a religious base between the blog and website. Many LGBT deal with safety issues on a daily basis. We also deal with religious issues to do with right wing fenatics. This must be understood and should have been understood from the very beginning.

I need your help to succeed. People who sign up must be determined, strong willed, focused on the task at hand, willing to go that extra mile for our people, and most importantly they must be willing to be in it for the long haul. You must be dependable.You can contact me through my website at http://www.outinwisconsin.org

Movin' on Up - geekgirl joins jaysays

I'm excited and nervous about an invitation that I received from jaysays at www.jaysays.com

Jay invited me to put my series on LGBT folks for Straight People on his blog. Eek. I jumped at it and then immediately thought, wow, I'm no where near the writer that Jay is. I sure hope his readership doesn't decline due to this geeky, straight infiltrator girl.

Jay told me that one of my stories got quite a few hits. I didn't have the heart to tell him it could have just been me and all my friends.

So - watch Jay's site for my geeky wit and give me your ideas for topics.
And yes, I'll still be blogging here. It's better for my mental health than many other choices.

Warm regards
geekgirl

LGBT for Uptight Straight People - No Offense, Maggie and Carrie

Many years ago, my main mentor as a scientist taught me that "If someone starts a sentence with no offense, it means they are going to say something that offends you".

No offense, Maggie and Carrie, but gay marriage hurts no one. Children that have gay parents do as well as children who have a mother and a father.

No offense, Maggie and Carrie, but your social views are not shared by everyone in this country. Over 50% of Americans believe in same sex marriage, another 20 to 25% believe in civil unions.

No offense, Maggie and Carrie, but your religion is no proof of how God feels about LGBT people.

No offense, Maggie and Carrie, but I would not want my child around either of you. I am straight and have been married to the same man for 32 years. We have raised our son to love and respect all people. This includes the many gay, lesbian and transgendered friends that we have. Friends that we have visited, have stayed in our home, we have stayed in their homes. Friends that we have dinner with, go to movies, go shopping, go on vacations, and just plain enjoy them for the people that they are.

No offense, Maggie and Carrie but I believe that making marriage available to everyone strengthens society and all families. Marriage is first and foremost a legal contract that protects families financially and provides over 1138 legal rights to married couples. Marriage is a social institution, presumably based on commitment, trust, love and monogamy. Sadly, straight people have done a wonderful job of destroying it's meaning. Last, marriage is a conservative institution. It means settling down, being responsible to one's spouse and children and persevering through tough times.

No offense, Maggie and Carrie but please explain to me how same sex marriage will hurt you. Gay couples are already living together, already having children. Marriage will improve their lives and not hurt you. The only thing that will be hurt is your bigotry, which sadly you aren't able to see.

No offense, Maggie and Carrie, but I'm sure glad to know you won't be offended by any of my comments.

Wisconsin Library Board dismissals criticized

Here is some words from the article:

"Last week, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression joined with the National Coalition Against Censorship, the Association of American Publishers, and PEN American Center to send a letter to the West Bend (Wisconsin) Common Council criticizing its dismissal of four members of the West Bend Library Board who refused to remove controversial books from the young adult section of the library.

"The Common Council has made a terrible mistake," said ABFFE President Chris Finan. "It has punished four dedicated public servants for trying to ensure that the library serves everyone in the community. Free speech is under attack in West Bend."

In February, two patrons complained that the library's young adult section included both fiction and nonfiction about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues. They also demanded the removal of all "pornographic" books from the young adults section, including Brent Hartinger's Geography Club (HarperCollins), Stephan Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Esther Drill's Deal With It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a gURL (both Simon & Schuster)."

Read full article here: http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/15488/

Two Right Wing Nuts Interested In Gov. Jim Doyle's Seat

Two right wing nuts are trying to take Gov. Jim Doyle's seat in the state of Wisconsin. Jim Doyle has been really great so far and hopefully Jim Doyle will run for re-election again this coming term. Here is what the Green Bay Press Gazette reported:

"Neumann represented parts of southeastern Wisconsin in Congress from 1994 until 1999. He caused a stir in 1997 when he said he would never hire any openly gay person in his office. He lost a bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold and faded from politics. He’s spent the last decade in the home construction industry and working with charter schools.

Walker mounted a gubernatorial campaign in 2006 but dropped out when his fundraising lagged behind that of eventual nominee Mark Green of Hobart.

Both have criticized the governor on the economy, making it likely they will have to distinguish themselves on social issues during the primary, Franklin said.

Neumann had the backing of social conservatives when he was in Congress, Franklin said. Walker, meanwhile, has had to be more moderate to succeed in Milwaukee.

Both must take care not to appear too conservative, which could hurt their chances in the general election against Doyle, said Joe Heim, a political science professor at UW-La Crosse."

Get the full story on these two right wing nuts click this link

LGBT for Straight Parents - Lesson Six

Even straight people who support gay rights can struggle with what to tell their children about gay relationships. We're barely comfortable talking about straight relationships. And for many straight people, sex is front and center, covering up the real person.

Let me tell you about my friend at work. Last fall, there was a movement to send postcards to Obama, asking him to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA. I bought forty postcards, addressed and stamped them, then sent an email to folks at work that I knew support gay rights. This is a dear friend. She comes to me and says "Tomorrow I will let you know how many postcards I need." Ok.

The next day she comes in and says she needs three postcards. I'm curious so I ask her why.

She tells me that their family discussed this at dinner. She has a ten year old and six year old. She explained that in California, the judges gave everyone the right to marry. Boys could now marry boys and girls could now marry girls. She explained that love is so rare, so special and so priceless, that if you find love with someone and want to spend the rest of your life with them, that it doesn't matter if they are a boy or a girl. And that we are born usually preferring one over the other. But then, there was an election and people voted to take that right away. She explained that it meant these people might not be married any more and if they had children, they might not be a family anymore under the law.

Her six year old son was outraged. He pounded on the table and said "You can't take away someone's family. You can't take two people away from each other if they love each other. I want MY OWN POSTCARD."

My postcards were all superhero postcards, and my selling line was "because if you are straight and support gay rights, you are a superhero." She took Spiderman, her son's favorite and let her son write his own message, in his six year old handwriting. At the bottom she wrote "My son is six. And he gets it."

Children understand love and family instinctively. Because that is what makes them feel safe and secure. I wonder what the law would be if children made the rules. More so, what can we adults learn from them?

LGBT apology for getting married

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ9sBkgDRzY

Because we all know how much gay marriage has hurt straight marriage....
Happy Sunday all

LGBT for Straight States that border Iowa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33odacwy0y0

Iowa was the dark horse in the race for LGBT folks to gain equal marriage rights. No one saw it coming. Not even those of us who live in bordering states. I know Iowans. They tend to be quiet, hard working, fair minded, optimistic, kind, welcoming, strong willed, sensible, intelligent and unassuming.

Their Supreme Court voted unanimously. Their state legislature and governor have resisted attempts by anti-gay groups to overturn the ruling. And this video brings it all home. No hokey storm, no attempts at fear. It takes the high road, it is intelligent, compassionate and focused on equality. It is simple and down to earth, just like Midwesterners. Other than Illinois's habit of having governors who end up in jail, we having fairly boring politics.

I live next to Iowa so I will let you know when that "storm" comes. You see, they have our weather one day earlier. And lately....... let's just say we're having a beautiful spring.

LGBT for Math Impaired Straight People - Lesson 5

As read in the comments log of a news website, "Why do they want special rights? They are only 2% of the population." Ignoring the ignorant adjective "special", let's talk about the ignorance of handing out civil rights based on what percent that minority is.

Are we making laws by the percent of people in a minority group now? If LGBT people were 10%, 20%, 50%, would this person change their mind? What's an acceptable number for a minority group before we respect them? Do they need to reach a majority because we are going to give rights based on voting? If we do that, all of us will lose some type of right. Because I doubt that very many of us are in the majority for every thing. Let's get some numbers and then answer that question.

It has been quoted for many years that 10% of the population is gay. These figures come from the original Kinsey study. There have been many surveys since then, with widely varying results. After all, the survey size has to be large enough and spread out demographically far enough in order to be statistically accurate. And then there is the problem of people telling the truth. Why would they? I searched the web trying to find a reliable source of information on this, figuring that any estimate by a gay organization would be immediately dismissed. Gallup came up and they seem as reputable as anyone. They estimate that anywhere from 3 to 8 % of the population is gay. They have some pretty interesting survey information so check it out. http://www.gallup.com/poll/6961/What-Percentage-Population-Gay.aspx

Now, let's move on to religious denominations. Again, I sought out a reputable source of information, Pew Forum. This page shows the % of Americans belonging to each denomination. http://religions.pewforum.org/affiliations.

Let's see. Mormons - 1.7%, Jewish - 1.7%, Catholic - 23.9, Atheist or not affiliated - 16.1%, Buddhist - 0.7%, Evangelical - 26.3%. Hmm. People not affiliated with any faith are about nine times those who are Mormon.

But there's a problem with these numbers. You see, they are constantly in flux. Why? Because, according to surveys done by PewForum, close to half of Americans change their faith.
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=409

Surprisingly, they do this without going to any ex-insert faith name here- therapy. For many reasons, they choose to leave the faith that they were raised in. Forgive what may sound like sarcasm here, but this seems like pretty good proof that people choose their faith.

So let's go back to something people don't choose, like being LGBT, their racial or ethnic origin. I tried to find out what percent of us are white, black, Hispanic, etc. Yep. Most of us are white. A good 70% or more. However, it turns out this is in a state of flux too. At the last census, households were allowed to choose more than one race. Huh? Well, that's more like "duh". Interracial marriage is on the rise. The US census bureau changed their rules in the year 2000 in order to more accurately measure the amount of interracial diversity in the United States. My source? The US Census Bureau, where else?
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/raceqandas.html

Does the US Census bureau track the percent of LGBT households? .....Sort of. The question is buried and has to be extracted, something that I could not find on their website. However, other folks with more patience and savvy than myself have pulled together the "unmarried partner" and "gender" data to compile what percent of households are gay. Take a look.
http://www.gaydemographics.org/USA/USA.htm


Ok, enough with numbers. Even those who are math impaired must know where I am going by now. It doesn't matter how many people are LGBT. It doesn't matter how many people are Evangelical Protestants or Mormons. If we are going to use percentage as an argument, all religions will lose as none are even close to 51%. Mormons will lose. And no matter how much I disagree with their faith - and I do, big time - I'm a staunch believer in freedom of religion.

How can I ask for rights if I want to deny the rights of others?

Our constitution was written in a time when we allowed slavery and women did not have rights. Only property owners had rights. Then we had literacy tests and poll taxes. We have read more into the words written into our Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights as time has passed. We know that the founding fathers had heated debates about slavery and gave in so they could move forward with uniting the colonies. They knew in the long run, this would be best. Their vision reached beyond the social norms of the time. Did they intend for us to re-interpret their words? I don't know. But we do and we are stronger for it. I believe our constitution protects the right to equal treatment under the law for all - even if it applies to just one unique individual.

Some religions have taken this same approach with ancient scriptures. The motto of the United Church of Christ is "Our religion is 2000 years old. Our thinking is not." How could authors from 2000 years ago see into the future? Only Biblical scholars know why Leviticus was written for priests and it's cultural and historical context. But the messages of love one another, kindness, compassion and charity are timeless. It's the "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" lessons that are important. One does not have to be religious to have strong values or morals. One also does not need to be straight. One simply has to be human - with an open heart and compassion.

And I'm truly sorry I could not find a survey to find out how many of us fall into this last category.