Texas Republicans Hate Gays and Lesbians More Than Anything Else, Ever

TEXAS:

The Republican platform for 2010 in Texas is calling for, among other things, it to become a felony to perform a same-sex marriage within the state. Texas is a state in which it is legal for the government to kill a person with electricity, in case you had forgotten. Here is a list of other things that are not felonies in the state of Texas:

+ assault
+ incest
+ first offense of stalking
+ prostitution
+ violating a protective order
+ bigamy
+ causing a riot
+ threatening a person with bodily injury
+ driving while intoxicated
+ ABUSING A CORPSE

Here’s the official statement of the Texas GOP, as reported by Joe My God:

“We oppose the legalization of sodomy. We demand that Congress exercise its authority granted by the U.S. constitution to withhold jurisdiction from the federal courts from cases involving sodomy. We support legislation that would make it a felony to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple and for any civil official to perform a marriage ceremony for such. We believe that the practice of homosexuality tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit, and leads to the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases.”

You know what’s in Texas? Houston, the city where out lesbian Annise Parker is the elected mayor. She can’t get married to her partner of 20 years in the city she presides over, and if the Texas GOP’s insane demands are met then maybe she can’t without participating in a felony! I don’t know, that sounds to me like a pretty solid reward for her public service. Thanks, Texas republicans! (@joemygod) (@weblocator)

PRIDE:

Pam Spaulding of Pam’s House Blend wants you to know about a movement to “put the politics back in Pride.” Did you know that the first “pride parade” was a riot in response to police violence? Because it was. “The Take Back Pride movement is asking people to still celebrate, but to do something as simple as carrying a sign with the LGBT rights issue that means the most to you. Want ENDA passed? Help educate the community by starting conversations with Pride goers by carrying a sign. Want DADT & DOMA repealed? Make a shirt and talk about about it at Pride with your friends and the people around you.” (@pamshouseblend)

TRANS JOBS:

The Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative in San Francisco has been saved from budget cuts that would have ended it. The program provides mentoring, legal help, and assistance with résumés and interviews for transgender people as well as training for employers on hiring transgender employees. (@theadvocate)

QUEER AND JEWISH:

The two largest organizations for queer Jews in the country, Keshet and Jewish Mosaic, are merging to form one large organization that will function under the name Keshet. They plan to “pursue education, community organizing and research of the Jewish LGBT community” and “will put Jewish values and learning in service of the transformation of the entire Jewish community.” (@queerty)

DADT:

According to defense secretary Robert Gates, there’s still a possibility that Obama will veto a DADT repeal if the military manages to package the bill along with military spending approval that Obama opposes. (@ap)

SAVANNAH:

Protesters gathered in Johnson Square to express their anger at the beating of Kieran Daly by two Marines, calling for Georgia to pass a hate crimes law. Kevin Clark, head of the Savannah chapter of Georgia Equality, says “It should only take one or two individuals who have been attacked or know of others who have been attacked to get the attention of someone in leadership in this community– that in our opinion should have stepped forward way before now and condemned the violence and put out a loud call for swift just action here,” (@wsav)

The Rev. Tom Brock, the senior pastor at Hope Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis, is the winner who blamed August’s tornado during the ELCA conference’s gay clergy vote on The Gays. Yes, for real. Brock took his congregation out of ELCA because of their tolerance for homosexuality (and funding for pastor abortions), and has spent countless sermons and YouTube videos railing against you queers. But, what’s this, Brock is a member of a group therapy group for recovering homosexuals?

CUSTODY:

The custody case of “ex-lesbian” Lisa Miller, who has fled the law with the daughter that courts said should live with her ex-partner and is reportedly living in El Salvador, is going to the Vermont Supreme Court. Lisa Miller’s lawyers are challenging the court’s decision to award custody to her former partner, Janet Jenkins. (@wcax)

SELF-DEFENSE:

A self-defense class for queers has begun in Edmonton in response to a spate of recent hate crimes. The classes take place at Grant McEwan University, and are aimed at ensuring that the queer community has some tools to protect itself. “We are targets. It really breaks my heart to say that,” said Carol McKinlay, self-defence class instructor and lesbian. (@edmontonsun)

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Rachel

Originally from Boston, MA, Rachel now lives in the Midwest. Topics dear to her heart include bisexuality, The X-Files and tacos. Her favorite Ciara video is probably "Ride," but if you're only going to watch one, she recommends "Like A Boy." You can follow her on twitter and instagram.

Rachel has written 1142 articles for us.

28 Comments

  1. Fuck sake, and what if a god and jebus fearing fearing straight couple engage in a bit of sodomy, is that ok?! There’s a crazy christian group planning a protest at the Dublin pride parade this Saturday, they cant even let us have our one day without trying to ruin it, delightful. Im currently making signs for it, any suggestions for slogans would be great…

    • you can have my apartment in montreal from july 24 – august 15 if you cat sit for me. i am being serious. move to canada for 3 weeks and be nice to my cats. deal?

      • i would totally do it if i wasn’t broke and in college. but you can send your cats to me? we’ll take on the evil republicans together

  2. My only comfort for all of the crazy homophobic shit that goes down right now is that in however many years kids will learn about the gay rights movement in school and not understand why everyone back in the day to opposed gay marriage/passed DADT/etc. Kind of like me when we learned about the civil rights movement in school.

    yeah. i can’t wait…

  3. The only good thing about the Texas Republican’s 2010 Platform is the banning of red light cameras. Kudos to them for putting one logical, non-faith/non-prejudice based thing on the platform?

  4. I feel like in most states a DUI is a misdemeanor until you rack up a few of ’em. Which is whack. But growing up in Texas, I admittedly did all sorts of weird shit to corpses. It was just, like, the thing to do.

  5. Self Defense for queers is awesome!
    When I was living in SF for a summer I hooked up with this organization Triangle Martial Arts (http://www.trianglemaa.org/) and we did drag queen self defense in high heels Great people, super supportive and they practice is the park. Very welcoming to new people and a really great organization. Almost tested for my 3rd degree black belt but then blew out my ACL for the 3rd time.

  6. To the Republican lawmakers in Texas:

    I don’t have a penis. My girlfriend does not have a penis. And we don’t even have a strap – on, or anything resembling a penis. Yet we are somehow subjected to these “sodomy” laws?

    I’ve got nothing but love for my gay brothers, and think that we should ALL have the same rights, but is anyone else kind of tired of how lesbians get lumped in with the “ick” factor associated with (ZOMG)buttsecks?

    I wish the world believed that lesbians were capable of sex, so much so that our sex scurred them. For serious.

    So please, Repubs from Texas, if you’re going to be evil discriminatory douchebags, at least do it equally. Where is the felony for finger=blasting?

    • Sodomy, by legal definition, is not only anal, but also oral sex. And I’m pretty sure bestiality too.

      So I’m pretty sure fingerblasting isn’t going to be a felony in Texas. But blow jobs will be! Suck on that, Texas Republicans.

      Seriously, GOP, stop conflating sodomy with being gay. I’m pretty sure that most of the people behind this platform have participated in sodomy at least once in their lives. Unless they’re all incapable of getting their significant others to go down on them. Which – would not be surprised.

      • I had no idea oral sex was under “sodomy” in the lawbooks. That is truly fascinating. How the hell does this hold up then? I’m serious, how? Tell me how many of these lawmakers have NEVER HAD A BLOWJOB while living in Texas!

        • Wow, did not know that oral sex was part of “sodomy” either!

          95% of biblical anti-gay arguments fall apart completely when you consider that the bible never mentions lesbians. EVER. ever ever.

          This oral sex = sodomy thing just annihilated the remaining 5%

          Instead of quoting the Bible to condemn gays, these Texas morons should really be quoting Rick Warren or that awful radio host whose name escapes me. Probably because I blocked him out of my memory while hypnotically listening to Tegan and Sara.

          Gay haters should really stop spending money on taking away our rights and go clean up some oil drenched pelicans for fuck’s sake!!!

  7. God this is what gets me sooo angry!! Like why do people find it soo hard to allow people live their lives! And another thing it dosent say in the 10 commandments ‘Thou should not be gay’, but yet people say its wrong…… Well you dont see us painting signs and hurling abuse to people about Adultry or Honoring your father and your mother WHICH ARE IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS!!

    • Ooh, ooh, we were forced to study this in Christian studies.
      There are some phrases in Romans and Leviticus that are all, “Lol men sleeping with men is gross.”
      But those books also say you can kill disobidient kids and you can’t shave your beard, and women can’t teach and you should stone unfaithful women and thou shalt not wear blended cloth. So yeah.

      • Right, like Jed Bartlet said.

        Sometimes when I think about how much the Christian tradition totally fucked up their interpretation of Leviticus (and other books of the Torah) I miss JennytheJew. Because she’d totally agree w/me on this one. And then we could talk about other things she agrees with me on, like how annoying cellphones are and how green is the best colour ever. This is one of those times.

        Also, Paul’s letter to the Romans was really beautiful in a lot of parts but lame in other parts because he was a self-hating crazy man. Who started a religion Jesus never intended to start. It’s sad.

        I feel like a lot of Republicans are rolling over in their graves. Also sad.

        • When you hear of Soddom and Gomorrah in the Bible, you hear of the “gay society” and that God destroyed it because it was gay. What you never hear is what really went on there, because preachers like to paraphrase and ad-lib. S&G was a corrupt place, and they would punish people there by having anal sex with them as a punishment. They thought it was degrading. They would also rape and punish women this way. Some men actually gave up their daughters to rulers in S&G in order not to be punished.
          It had absolutely nothing to do with men loving men and having sex, or women doing the same for that matter. Nothing.
          If you read Leviticus, and all the “abominations” besides men laying with men, you would laugh. It’s an abomination to eat shellfish, and to touch pigskin or something crazy. There goes sushi and football…

          As a girl raised Christian for my entire life, and with numerous pastors in the family, it’s scary/liberating to question all that I was fed. And I say “fed”, not “taught”, because I was also told we don’t question anything when it comes to God. Ignorance is their #1 defense.

          Just doesn’t add up.

          • I totes agree. I’m a PK myself, with multiple in my close family. Being raised in a CoC, it’s taken so many questioning/soul-searching/ohmygodwillieverunderstandallthis moments just to get to where I’m at now (which I can’t even really define here, ’cause this is already an overshare.)
            It’s hard to be constanstly unable to help people understand where I’m coming from when I’m talking to someone who still has ‘blind faith’ that homosexuality is the subject in all of those passages.
            Ftr: I find that my definition of God changes as often as my definition of my sexuality. I’m not opposed to labels; I just think it’s dumb that people believe that labels are intrinsically unchangeable.

  8. “Hint hint Repub Senators. If you attach stupid stuff to the DADT repeal bill it’ll get vetoed. Jussayin’.”

    Srsly, they’re already working against it, we don’t need to be handing them out tricks in the process, on Fox nonetheless!

    Some days you just get discouraged.

  9. I find it pretty amusing that “mess up” is in quotations on that poster. Those republicans are so clever with their words.

    I’m excited about the protesters in Savannah. Y’all, I wonder if gay-fave Paula Deen was there, butter in hand. ‘Cause, you know, her restaurant is like right down the street.

  10. Here’s what I don’t get. We’ve established that 1) People selectively choose what they’re going to follow in the Bible. The awful polyester/cotton shirts that my father wears are proof of that. 2) People take stuff out of context in the Bible (the S&G thing is just one example.)

    But the REALLY BIG THING THAT I JUST DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS:

    This book is like 2000 years old supposedly. WHY THE FUCK do we assume that it’s applicable to our lives today? Sure, maybe it is in some respects, but come on, it is not meant for today’s VERNACULAR in the slightest. Maybe we’re just misinterpreting the whole fucking thing wrong. Why are we assuming that the misogynistic monks of five hundred years ago actually interpreted the thing correctly?

    Also, the thing is like a collection of stories and accounts. Maybe someone, somewhere, left out the part where “Hey, you know what? Love whomever you want ’cause it’s beautiful.” was articulated.

    • Your whole point is totally right, I guess I just don’t want to think, or others to think, that being gay is a “new” thing. I want to think it has been happening since the dawn of time, aka Bible time, so that it doesn’t become even less legit to people.
      But yeah, maybe no one ever thought about or experienced it for the Bible story “love who you want”. Who knows. :(

      • Oh, I’m sure it’s not a new practice. It was quite common in Roman times, actually. If the world was gonna end ’cause of gays, it’s like, way overdue.

  11. Next time I go to TX, I’ll run around the airport with a sign that says “100% fag.” On behalf of the tribe.

  12. 0.42% of the Population of the US is gay/lesbian.
    That’s less than half of a percent..
    Gay and Lesbian People!, it’s time to face reality, and that is, Gays and Lesbians are done and over, hopefully for ever.
    Stop acting so proud of it and get treatment for “hormonal imbalance, which is actually what you are suffering from. It’s just disorder, nothing more.
    By the way, the “Gay gene” was not found, it doesn’t exist. Your gay and lesbian behavior is not acceptable, it never was.
    Your brain being flexible just simply acclimates to your behavior in your “Experimental period”, and then of course you keep on behaving this way because you are used to it.
    Where does it stop?. what’s next? the right to marry your goat or your dog?. What kind of legislation should we come up with then? Please, stop trying to destroy families in the name of self indulgence.
    How can you feel good about yourself when you have an a lesbian affair with a married woman with kids for example? Then your demands end up being a total chaos for the family.
    You may say, well the kids end up being fine!., and I ask, what choice do these kids have?
    Very Narcissistic people your are that won’t get impress by moral conduct and just plain old respect for others.
    The only reason why it seems like everyone is gay or lesbian, is because somebody in power (Lesbian or Gay) have a big microphone and a camera.
    Just get the fact, and next time you are outside advocating , keep in mind that you! gay and lesbians are just simply being used by someone else to destroy the family unit, so we can all be controlled like slaves..

    Duran ( Mother, wife and proud of it )

    • I don’t like feeding trolls, but you sound sad and lonely. I’d give you a hug, but I have a feeling you think teh gay is contagious, so I’ll just stand over here.

      I hope someone gives you a hug soon.

      (FYI, teh lesbos can be proud wives and mothers too!)

    • Why did you have to spoil the genetic pool by spawning a offspring? The world is bad enough as it is.

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