Comments on: Anti-Gay CA Senator Ashburn Walks Out of Gay Bar, Gets DUI, COMES OUT

By: Best Criminal Defense Attorney LA

Best Criminal Defense Attorney LA — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 23:35:57 +0000

This is two birds in one stone of a contradiction. As a politician, you would think he would be more aware.

By: Ziggy Hreins

Ziggy Hreins — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:39:57 +0000

“I´m the father, I´m the boyfriend, i´m his boyfriend.”

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:35:18 +0000

But only because they wanted to convert her. And because she’s hot. Well, that might be why *I’d* let her stay. But still.

By: stars

stars — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:32:45 +0000

Totally wasn’t saying I agree with what they are doing, and what catholic schools do all the time. I can just see where they’re coming from. I went to catholic schools, primary and high school (in NZ, not the states) and there is mega politics that goes on with having a religion and education combined.

Again, was NOT agreeing with them..if you have staff telling 2 year olds that their parents are sinners then that’s fucked up. The catholic guilt thing and the damange it does can’t be underestimated! Shining a light on this issue, and all the other bull that they preach over and over again is so important to make some headway. But Benedict is still a homophobe so I don’t know what we’ll do about him…

By: Nick Mellish

Nick Mellish — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:11:26 +0000

Oh, Senator Ashburn. How I would laugh if it weren’t so sad, or tragic, or hypocritical, or so typical. Oh, Senator Ashburn, how I extend this to the Republican Party as a whole, too.

By: bcw

bcw — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:49:25 +0000

Word, Sally.
-
This is a preschool we’re talking about here. In preschool, you’re learning the days of the week and gluing macaroni to burlap, not talking about gay marriage and abstract concepts like sin and god’s will. Even in a Catholic preschool I don’t feel like this stuff would be a super hot topic at snack time. But anyway. I understand the point you’re making, stars, but to me the pastor’s logic is super-backwards. They’re not allowing children of gay parents to go to their preschool because they teach that gay marriage is wrong and don’t want to confuse the kids. But that doesn’t make any sense: churches don’t deny entry to gay people because they preach that homosexuality is wrong, just like they don’t deny access to any other kind of “sinner.” Love the sinner hate the sin? Isn’t that a Catholic thing? Sure, maybe there are tons of secular schools in town but what if this is the only one that those parents can get to, or afford, or the only one that has any space? Everybody sends their kids to school knowing that they’re going to learn a bunch of things they weren’t taught at home, and you deal with that as a parent by explaining things to your kids the best way you can. Besides, it’s not like being gay and being Catholic/Christian are mutually exclusive – maybe these parents are gay Catholics who wanted their kids to get a religious education and would deal with the gay thing on their own. Either way it doesn’t matter – is the school checking to make sure none of the other kids’ mothers ever aborted a pregnancy? Or had sex before marriage? Or that all the kids’ parents are still together? Doubt it. This is a really half-assed cover for blatant discrimination and the kids are the ones bearing the brunt of it. It’s hypocritical, illogical, and unchristian.

By: Haviland

Haviland — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:47:35 +0000

I think it’s HILARIOUS that a school was full on shut down bc of lesbian kissing? Srsly? So thats a good message to all those kids who’d like to take a Ferris Bueller and just start some lesbian rumors, and apparently they will freak the eff out and you’ll have a month off of school!!! (?????)

By: lunetlautre

lunetlautre — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:38:49 +0000

I can understand the priest’s reasoning but that still doesn’t give the school the right to not allow the kid to attend. However, I do question the parents logic in sending their kid to that particular school.

On a side note, I went to a catholic high school and was never taught that homosexuality was bad.

By: Lindsey P

Lindsey P — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:37:31 +0000

But Catholic schools can’t discriminate for differences of other ideologies.
For example, DID ANYBODY SEE SAVED? The angry girl was totally Jewish and she got to stay.

By: RachelwasHere

RachelwasHere — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:15:53 +0000

It’s especially astounding that they then try to act like it’s no big deal, “I’ll do my job just the same” etc.

Of course being gay doesn’t make you any less qualified to do any job, but you KNOW it changes yours because you are elected by a homophobic public. If it doesn’t change your job, then why not be honest with your constituents up front? Because you know they are homophobes who wouldn’t vote for you and that the homophobic laws you are voting for only reinforce their fears? AAARGH.

By: Sally

Sally — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:57:03 +0000

I think this is part of a wider debate about how religious institutions work within society. Should any agency that provides a service be allowed to discriminate who it provides that service to?

Recently in the UK (I seem to keep harping on about what happens here, but I have rarely heard of the people mentioned in AS’s political posts, but I am interested, so I try and relate it stuff I know about), some Catholic adoption agencies were facing closure because they didn’t want to comply with legislation that made it illegal for them to not consider gay couples as candidates (interestingly, some of they did comply, so yay for consistency).

Part of me wants to think that they should be allowed to carry on: after all, isn’t it better that kids get parents? Isn’t it the right of the Catholic adoption agencies to believe whatever they want and let that inform their practices. After some thought I concluded no on both counts.

It’s too easy to let discriminatory behaviour slide because the discriminators are doing something “good” that somehow can be construed as balancing it out. The mistake is to think that the greater good is the health of the children, whereas the greater-greater-good is in fact the health of a society that is fully inclusive.

As for the right of a religious group to deny non-religious services to people they don’t approve of, that’s just plain against the law (well, some parts of the law in this country at least).

What clouds the issue in the case of the Denver preschool is the intertwining of the education and religion. I personally believe the only way to resolve these situations is full-scale secularisation of education, as in France, because otherwise it’s just too complicated.

I can’t see that happening in my lifetime which, in my opinion, permanently leaves a back door open for this type of discrimination. Oh wait, I’m not that old, so maybe it will, and I’ll remain optimistic for my twilight years.

By: Luna

Luna — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:40:27 +0000

I am at lost for words. But as we know it well, some of the loudest cries against homosexuality are from closeted gays, themselves. Wake up and smell the gay coffee, damn AMERICA! It’s such a shame. Embrace your inner queer baby and be outwardly Fabulous. We already know you’re flaming behind close doors. Set your self ablaze for the world to see. And Ashburn, I’m not even going to connect the term “flaming” to your last name, haha. But you know, voting to appease constituencies meant that you sold your soul and ultimately betrayed the purpose of our political system. But at least now you get to skip down the sidewalk, worry-free! I hope you get counseling for all those years of self-hatred and repression.