Hey Maine!!!

Leviticus 11:9-12 says:

⁹ These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
¹⁰ And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
¹¹ They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination.
¹² Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

Deuteronomy 14:9-10 says:
⁹ These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:
¹⁰ And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.

Hey, just F to the YI and all. Your lobster industry...it's an abomination. Just like the homos. Same book. So...I'm waiting for the petitions to begin soon, right?

YAY South Carolina!!!

Following on the heels of scandal after scandal, another Republican South Carolinian politico was fired today. He was spotted parked in a cemetery with an 18 year old stripper, a bag of sex toys and Viagra.

While on his lunch break.

Unfortunately, when the police approached, Roland Corning sped off. He was on a one lane dirt road behind the cemetery when he was stopped. I'm going to assume that the 18 year old wasn't there for free.

Oh, South Carolina. How you amuse me. Who knew I would have a South Carolina tag!

Mississipi's new motto

"Thank God for South Carolina."

Could politics in this state be any more corrupt?

Working backwards:

9/9/2009 - Representative Addison Graves "Joe" Wilson (a trifecta of diseases!) (R-SC) yells out during a joint session of Congress "You Liar!" at President Barack Obama. Nancy Pelosi looks as if she's going to jump off the dais and hurt someone. Forced to apologize the next day as Republicans all take one giant scary step back from Wilson.

8/31/2009 - Republican Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer, who supports the rights of schools to use corporal punishment and opposes gay marriage, adoption and just generally gaity is outed as gay by Mike Rogers, who famously blew the whistles (not literally) on Mark Foley and Larry Craig.

8/31/2009 - Kristin Maguire, an South Carolinian fundamentalist Christian homeschooling mom and Governor Mark Sanford’s appointment to the S.C. Board of Education, which last year elected her its Chairwoman resigns from her post to deal with "family matters." Those matters may be that she is also Bridget Keeney, author of hardcore erotic fiction. Fiction which starts disappearing from internet sites once claims are made... What is really weird is that she promoted abstinence only education but wrote fiction which features a woman blowing a man while his pal wanks one off. I'm afraid to actually give a quote for fear of being labeled an X-rated blog.

7/29/2009 - South Carolina man arrested for the second time for having sex with a horse.

6/24/2009 - South Carolina governor Mark Sanford revealed that rather than hiking the Appalachian Trail, he was in fact using taxpayer funds to travel to Argentina to visit his mistress. He does not tell anyone, including his staff where the hell he is.

06/19/2007 - SC Republican State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel is indicted for distributing cocaine. He was Rudy Guiliani's SC State Chairman. Ravenel's father, in 2000, called the NAACP, the National Association for Retarded People. He recently said that he wasn't sorry for the remark, but apologized to any of the retarded who might have been offended.

2004 - Charles Sharpe, Republican Commissioner of Agriculture was sentenced to federal prison on charges related to cockfighting and corruption.

7/2003 Senator Jim DeMint, following the revelation that David Vitter was using the services of prostitutes reveals that: "All of us have to look at it and say that we could be next,” he said in answer to a Vitter question. “We all think that we’re not vulnerable to something like that happening, but the fact is this can be a very lonely and isolating place.” Also, compares Obama to Hitler in public.

12/2003 Joe Wilson calls Mrs. Essie May Washington Williams "unseemly" for discussing the fact that she is the daughter of racist Senator Strom Thurmond and the family's maid. TPM reports: "Of course, Williams' story was entirely true -- and never really in doubt. Thurmond was 22 and Williams' mother, a black maid working in his family home, was 16 when Williams was born in 1925. Thurmond supported Williams financially for decades." Wilson is forced to apologize.

1957 - SC Senator Strom Thurmond supported racial segregation with the longest filibuster ever conducted by a single Senator, speaking for 24 hours and 18 minutes in an unsuccessful attempt to derail the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Cots were brought in from a nearby hotel for the legislators to sleep on while Thurmond rambled on about random things, including his grandmother's biscuit recipe.

So, the state of South Carolina huh. Wow. Y'all got a lot of stuff going on there. How about... legislating instead of, uh, I don't know, playing with yourselves.

K, thx.

Murder in Kansas

Dr. George Tiller was a physician providing abortion services in Wichita, Kansas up until yesterday when he was murdered at his church.

From 1989-1992, I helped women enter health clinics despite rows of protesters from Operation Rescue (OR) sitting in front of the doors.

I helped women over fences and through back doors. I learned to create a "toothpaste corridor" and was kicked and punched by old men and young women alike. I met some of the loveliest people in the world who awoke with me at 4 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings and staked out womens health clinics throughout the city waiting to learn which one would be "hit". I worked on Westmoreland and Figueroa, in Sherman Oaks, East L.A. and Tustin.

I learned what humiliation a woman would go through to see her doctor and what humiliation a group of people would resort to in order to prevent a woman from taking care of her health.

Dr. Tiller was a frequent target of anti-abortion violence throughout his career and yet, despite the risk to himself and his family, he continued to provide these essential health services in a place where those services were almost, if not absolutely, non-existent.

Bill O'Reilly has targeted Dr. Tiller for 4 years for providing abortion services. He deserves some of the fault in this murder. His campaign made Dr. Tiller a nationwide target warning of Dr. Tiller's "judgment day."

Randall Terry, the founder of Operation Rescue, said yesterday: "George Tiller was a mass-murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God. I am more concerned that the Obama Administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions."

Today I made a donation to Medical Students 4 Choice, whose mission is to make reproductive health including abortion services a part of standard medical education.

To Dr. Tiller's family and friends, I wish you peace. To anyone who would deny a woman the right to make her own decisions about her health, I hope you never have to make a choice, but if you do, I hope it is your choice to make.

Doin' it, elephant style

Here is your laugh of the day.

"We have to do it in the Facebook, with the Twittering, the different technology that young people are using today."—Republican National Committee incumbent chairman Mike Duncan, on how the GOP can appeal to younger generations.

Now I will fully admit to my age running right up against the onslaught of Twitter. I'm not entirely sure why anyone needs to Twitter unless they're in an ongoing situation of journalistic interest, but that's just me. Nope. Scratch that. I totally don't understand the attraction of Twitter. If anyone can explain it to me so that I might actually understand that attraction, I will send them a prize. I'm serious.

Nevertheless, researchers at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior are working on assessing the brain activity of older adults who are less exposed to new technologies and have found that our brains are "sensitive and can continue to learn as we get older."

Apparently this is not as true for actual leading members of the Grand Old Party. And they wonder why they are losing young people...

Read the whole article here.

via Shakesville.

V1@grA and @fghan1stan

Am I the only one who is more than a little angry at the U.S. government/CIA handing out Viagra to warlords in Afghanistan for their cooperation against the Taliban?

In theory, I suppose I could come up with some arguments justifying this "strategy". Let's start with the fact that Viagra was invented to treat a legitimate medical problem. Even if it wasn't just for the ED issues, what's the harm in a man having a little fun with one of his wives? They all look so damn sweet in the commercials in that "show your wedding ring pre-coital" pose in the bathtub (can we talk about that double bathtub on the cliff thing? WTF?").

So let's get down to what is seriously pissing me off about this issue.

1. In Afghanistan it is estimated by human rights agencies that approximately 25% of women have been subject to sexual violence.

2. Rape, especially the rape of children, in the post-Taliban Afghanistan is becoming an epidemic.

3. Hundreds of women are serving terms in Afghani prisons for the crime of having sex outside of marriage. Whether that means she ran away from her husband she was married to at 7 years old or whether she was raped by soldiers. The interpretation of Sharia that they are using calls for a woman to be imprisoned for sex outside of marriage.

4. Now for their cooperation, let's give these men some boner-makers. Which I'm certain makes some very happy men and some rather terrified women.

For objectivity's sake, I can imagine a nice 60 year old warlord who is having trouble getting it up with his four consensually married wives and they are, all five of them, thrilled for the opportunity to have intimate marital relations once again with the old man.

I can also imagine the other extreme. And I'm having a really hard time believing that women are not being raped on a more regular basis thanks to our CIA.

A plea to Israel

In this round of:

"I kill you!"
"You kill me? I kill you!" ad nauseum.

The Palestinians and Israelis are back at it. As an American Jew who only lived in Israel a short time, I know I have no entitlement to tell Israel how to run it's country (unlike a host of other Americans who think because they are Jewish, they have a say in this thing). I do, however, have an opinion and I'm going to share it.

Stop it already. I realize that the Palestinians have been lobbing rockets into S'derot and other border cities. I realize Israeli citizens have been killed and I understand that a government needs to protect it's citizens. But seriously. Stop it. There has to be another way. Bombing Palestinian cities has never worked before. What makes you think it is going to work this time? All it does is make children vow revenge for murdered parents and siblings raising yet another generation of warmongers.

Please stop it. I know Hamas does not want to sit down at a table with the Israeli government and I don't have a wise answer for this problem but I beg you and all of the philosophers and military strategists you have at your disposal to find another way.

On a personal note. I can barely watch these news reports. They actually hurt me. All of these people on both sides with so much potential, either dead or maimed or using all of their human potential to find a better/faster/more ingenious way to kill or injure people on the other side of the line. We are, all of us, better than this.

Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie SUCK redux

I tried and tried. I love these two stores and yet ever since CEO Richard Hayne donated to Rick (gays = bestiality and pedophilia) Santorum, I can't shop there. Won't.

But honestly, I haven't convinced many people to follow. Despite them ripping off designs from indie designers.

Now, can I have your attention.

Urban Outfitters, home of Jesus is My Homeboy and Reefer Madness t-shirts has stopped selling the I Support Same Sex Marriage t-shirt. Hmmm. So, I guess to them, pot is cool but support for two guys or girls getting married is an unacceptable message.

So I ask you, once again, no matter how cute something is, could you please, please stop shopping at these stores?


Thanks!

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Today is the 10th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Since Prop 8 passed on the California ballot, two transgender women in the U.S. were murdered. Teish Cannon in Syracuse, New York was shot and killed and Duanna Johnson in Memphis, Tennessee was also shot and killed.

In the past year, since the last Day of Remembrance, 29 people have been murdered throughout the world for straying outside of the accepted gender norm.

The youngest of these was Lawrence King, 15 years old, who was shot in his classroom by a classmate because he wore traditionally women's clothing. But only 10 days later, Simmie Williams, Jr., 17 years old was shot and found wearing women's clothing as well.

Six months later, in July, we all heard about Angie Zapata, 18, who was beaten to death in her apartment in Colorado, but we didn't hear about Nakhia Williams in Louisville, Kentucky who was shot to death one month later.

Murderers often use the excuse that "they were tricked", they were "afraid" or they completely dehumanize the person as in the case of Angie Zapata. Giving, for one moment, the argument that being tricked or being afraid is real, the case for murder holds no water. A human being does not kill another for feeling "tricked."

In many of these cases, however, the dehumanization of a transgender or gender non-conforming person is the real "reason" they are murdered. Angie Zapata's killer said that he "killed it".

Destroying the other seems to be our "go-to" reaction lately. Whether it is raping and murdering women in the military, murdering people who don't conform to a gender norm or attempting to make Barack Obama into a terrorist Muslim, unpatriotic, scary black man that we "really don't know much about."

How about for one day, remembering that Duanna Johnson had a mother who loved her. That Angie was popular and fun, that Lawrence King had a life ahead of him to learn and grow and become whatever his heart desired. That all of these murdered people had friends and family (whether bio or chosen) that loved them and wept when they died.

See article by Queen Emily on How to Mourn.

Civil Rights and Boycotts

I feel the need to make some points.

1. Free speech:

Free speech is our right in this country. The 52% of Californians who voted yes on 8 had every right to do that were within their rights to cast a vote given that the amendment was legally placed on the ballot. I don't deny that they have this right, nor do I wish for that right to be taken away from them. The legality of the amendment in itself is the issue here.

I also have the right to not economically participate in the economy that gave them the money to win that vote. In addition, their right to boycott any companies that spent money on the No on 8 side is free to them. In fact, here's a link. Feel free to boycott all Apple products, throw away your Levi's, all films by Brad Pitt. I am entirely serious. Our money is our vote as is yours.

Meanwhile, I will continue to boycott the two companies that affect me, El Pollo Loco (those owned by WKS Restaurant Corp.), the Manchester Hotels and HiTorque publications.

2. Separate but equal

From a comment on Eater L.A.

"Even Elton John stated and rightly so that you have the same rights under a civil union as you do under marriage. Perhaps there are some nuances-not a bid [sic] deal. Why do you want marriage so badly--why?? Why do you so badly need the approval of society[?]"

I've been reading a lot of this in comments on posts about Prop 8. Usually the comments involve references to recruiting children, assholes, limp wrists and purses. This comment did, I just chose to snip those parts out. I know I'm mostly preaching to a choir here, but I have to point out that the same rights are actually not granted under a civil union. Also, the approval of society is not important. If it was, marching in the streets wouldn't be the way to get it. Conforming would be -- and no one is doing that. What queers want is not to conform but to have EQUAL RIGHTS. No more. No less.

Here's what happens when we're not granted EQUALITY. Please read this first hand account.

Also, just because Elton says something, doesn't mean it is so. He's a song writer. He's great at raising money to fight HIV. He may not be the most politically savvy or best spokesperson for teh gayz.

Just sayin'.

Oh, no she didn't

Long ago, when I frequented El Coyote (mid-90's), I used to say it was the only restaurant in L.A. that you could flip over your plate and all the food would stay put. I haven't been in about 10 years and so my boycott won't amount to much, but if you go...don't.

Marjorie Christoffersen, part owner and manager of El Coyote gave $100 to Yes on 8 group ProtectMarriage.com.

She now says she regrets her decision.

Ms. Christoffersen said on one blog advocating a boycott of El Coyote.

I love you guys, I would never do anything to hurt you, I wish I hadn't done it.

So do I. But now there is a call to boycott the restaurant, which has been owned by a branch of Marjorie's family since it opened in 1931. To try to make nice, Marjorie says that she's holding "an open breakfast Wednesday at 11am to speak to the community."

Brunch started about 15 minutes ago. Anyone there to make nice?

Via Huffington Post

An Eye for An Eye

I believe strongly in Gandhi's quote, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." However, when Gandhi said that quote, he was talking about his practice of Satyagraha or nonviolent resistance which is specifically what this movement is practicing. We are, in fact, by boycotting, "achieving socio-political goals through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, and other methods, without using violence.

Do not lecture to me about Gandhi if you have no idea what he advocated.

BTW - it looks like WKS only owns Corner Bakeries in Arizona and coming to Utah (of course).

More to come about protests and boycotts. Of course.

By the way, there's a huge protest tonight at the Mormon Temple in NYC. If you're on that side of the country, get out there and hold a sign. In addition, there's another protest this afternoon at the Mormon Temple at Santa Monica and Selby.

What:           PROTEST & RALLY against the Mormon Temple (W. LA) Over the
              Church's Backing and Financial Support of Proposition #8
When:           Wednesday, November 12th
              5:00pm - 7:00pm
Where:          Mormon Temple (Los Angeles California Temple of the Mormon
              Church)
              10777 Santa Monica Blvd. @ Overland
              West Los Angeles, CA 90025
Who:            endH8now organizers, protesters and community leaders
CONTACT:        Michael Sanchez, endH8now
              310-940-6886
              axistalent@gmail.com


               www.endH8now.com

TNNA and Proposition 8

This winter, The National NeedleArts Association will be holding its Winter 2009 Trade Show at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. I won't be attending and I'll be letting TNNA know the reason.

Developer Doug Manchester has given significant financial support to Proposition 8. Manchester’s $125,000 donation has prompted activists to boycott the Manchester Grand Hyatt, the Grand Del Mar and the Manchester-owned San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina. So far, the San Diego County retirement board and the Association of American Law Schools have canceled events at the Manchester Hyatt.

Sorry, TNNA - I'm not spending one dime to support Doug Manchester.

If you want to send a message to TNNA - let them know why here:

Address: 1100-H Brandywine Blvd.
Zanesville, OH 43701
Phone: 800-889-8662
Fax: 740-452-2552
Email: TNNA.info@Offinger.com

(This man's money was used to rob us of our civil rights.)

El Pollo Loco/Proposition 8

The franchise owner of the following El Pollo Locos in California donated money in support of Proposition 8. As one of my stand-by restaurants for any occasion, I will be boycotting the following locations owned by WKS Restaurant Corporation, owned by Roland Spongberg.

Also -- If anyone out there knows someone at either CSULA or CSULB, there are Pollo Locos on those campuses owned by WKS. The campus communities should be made aware.


(by Area Code)

(818)
El Pollo Loco #3525 16940 Nordhoff St. Northridge, CA 91343-3526 (818) 895-1680
El Pollo Loco #3532 10651 Balboa Blvd. Granada Hills, CA 91344 phone: (818) 831-4044
El Pollo Loco #3467 4544 Saugus Ave. Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 (818) 990-7655

(323)
El Pollo Loco #3526 3925 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90029(323) 665-1333
El Pollo Loco #3504 5151 State University Dr. CSULA Golden Eagle Bldg. Los Angeles, CA 90032 (323) 343-6728
El Pollo Loco #3507 1360 W. Imperial Hwy. Los Angeles, CA 90029 (323) 757-8229
El Pollo Loco #3528 6929 Eastern Av. Bell Gardens, CA 90201

(310)
El Pollo Loco #3531 3008 Sepulveda Blvd. W. Los Angeles, CA 90034 (310) 444-0010
El Pollo Loco #3461 7639 Garvey Ave. Rosemead, CA 91770 (626) 307-4394


(562)
El Pollo Loco #3457 2727 Carson St. Lakewood, CA 90712 (562) 496-1664
El Pollo Loco #3455 1212 S. Bellflower Blvd. CSULB-Student Union Bldg. Long Beach, CA 90804 (562) 985-2361
El Pollo Loco #3448 16707 Pioneer Blvd. Artesia, CA 90701 (562) 924-6918
El Pollo Loco #3392 2200 Clark Ave. Long Beach, CA 90815 (562) 494-9691
El Pollo Loco #3322 3502 Cerritos Ave. Los Alamitos, CA 90720 (562) 626-8388
El Pollo Loco #3545 3425 E. Anaheim St. Long Beach, CA 90804 (562) 494-1343
El Pollo Loco #3488 11601 Carson St. Lakewood, CA 90712 (562) 924-2250

(951)
El Pollo Loco #3494 40468 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd. Murrieta, CA 92562 (951) 304-7082
El Pollo Loco #3521 32451 State Hwy 79. Temecula, CA 92592 (951)302-2611
El Pollo Loco #3495 117 W. Nuevo Road. Perris, CA 92571 (951) 943-4626
El Pollo Loco #3477 31550 Grape St. Lake Elsinore, CA 92532 (951) 245-1542

(949)
El Pollo Loco #3458 2232 S. Bristol St. Newport Beach, CA 92660 (949) 474-2120
El Pollo Loco #3490 21212 Bake Pkwy. Lake Forest, CA 92630 (949) 454-8312

(714)
El Pollo Loco #3453 120 No. Euclid. Fullerton, CA 92832

(661)
El Pollo Loco #3371 8200 Stockdale Hwy. Bakersfield, CA 93311 (661) 831-9443
El Pollo Loco #3476 2000 White Lane. Bakersfield, CA 93304 (661) 396-7639
El Pollo Loco #3475 3701 California Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93309 (661) 322-4887

(909)
El Pollo Loco #3506 1090 S. Mt. Vernon. Colton, CA 92324 (909) 777-0045

(858)
El Pollo Loco #3565 4330 Genessee Ave. San Diego, CA 92117 (858) 278-0355
El Pollo Loco #3564 8349 Mira Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92126 (858) 578-7553

(619)
El Pollo Loco #3563 3444 Midway Dr. San Diego, CA 92110 (619) 523-9904
El Pollo Loco #3562 494 Broadway. El Cajon, CA 92021 (619) 588-6034

And WKS owns this Denny's in Fontana
Denny's 17009 Valley Blvd. Fontana, CA 92335 (909) 822-8550

ETA: This is a complete list of all of the California El Pollo Locos and Dennys owned by WKS.
Also, you can verify that Roland Spongberg (or anyone else) has donated in support of (or against) Prop 8 here.

Laguna Beach Rally against Prop 8

Outraged by the passage of Prop 8, our community and our allies are fighting back. As some of our best legal minds have filed three separate lawsuits with the California Supreme Court, tens of thousands of outraged residents are organizing throughout California with one purpose and resolve. We MUST show the world that we will not have our rights voted away by the forces of homophobia and bigotry! This injustice cannot stand!!

We call on all who believe in Equality for All to head for Laguna Beach Saturday evening, Nov 8, for a Rally and March. We will gather at 5:30pm at Laguna Beach City Hall, 505 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach CA 92651. From this location we will march to Main Beach where we will hold a Rally and Candlelight (or flashlight) Vigil before returning to City Hall.

We urge everyone to arrive early and park in the Act V Parking Lot @ 1900 Laguna Canyon Road (About 1 mile from PCH on Laguna Canyon Rd.) Shuttle busses will be running every 15 mins., beginning at 4:30pm until 10pm. After this lot fills up you can park on Laguna Canyon Rd. (bring quarters). No On Prop 8 and hand made signs, American, Rainbow and California flags, candles and whistles. Bring a flashlight, since it may be too windy for candles. DRESS for a cool evening.

Please forward this e-mail to your lists with requests to do the same!!

Audrey Prosser
Harvey Liss
Jeff LeTourneau
No On Prop 8 OC

We urgently need up to 25 volunteer monitors to help insure a safe and peaceful event. If you can volunteer, please respond to this e-mail and plan to arrive at 4:30 PM for training.

Hat tip to Lizard OC

Prop 8 update #2

• Los Angeles regretfully has started denying applications to same sex couples immediately as required
  
• So, last night the queers were angry and took to the streets. 7 arrested in Hollywood, mostly peaceful everywhere else.
• Protest today in front of the Mormon Temple on Santa Monica Blvd. at 2 p.m. Lorri Jean will be speaking.
• WHAT: Leading supporters of marriage equality will hold a news conference in front of the Los Angeles Mormon Temple in response to the Mormon church’s leading role in the deceptive advertising campaign for Proposition 8. At the urging of church President Thomas Monson, Mormons contributed more than $15 million to fund the initiative which would repeal the right of same-sex couples to marry.
  WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 6, 2 p.m.
  WHO: Speakers include: Lorri L. Jean, CEO, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, Religious and community leaders
  WHERE: Los Angeles Mormon Temple, Corner of Selby Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd. Westwood, California 90025
• The Christian Right is monitoring blogs for violent comments. You are forewarned.
• Per KLIV: Santa Clara County is joining the city of Los Angeles and San Francisco County in a legal challenge to Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban passed by voters Tuesday.
  
  County Counsel Ann Ravel says the county is challenging Prop 8 because it would limit the rights of certain residents by not letting gay couples marry. Because the County Clerk is required to issue marriages, the County has an interest in making certain all its citizens are treated equally.
  
  Ravel says there is only one legal way to amend the California Constitution to ban gay marriage. The legislature needs to pass a revision when a fundamental right is involved. That would then go to the public for a vote

5,387, 939 votes for Prop 8
4,883,460 votes against

difference of 504,479 votes 100% of precincts reporting.

I'm going to keep updating with everything I learn.

Prop 8 update

What I know so far:

1. Nowhere in the amendment does it revoke the rights of those persons who have already been married (per Atty. General Jerry Brown).

2. Two lawsuits have already been filed challenging the constitutionality of this amendment.

3. Since the court ruling that led to this proposition found that marriage was a "fundamental right" under the state constitution, you cannot take that right away by simply amending the constitution; you would need to revise it. While an amendment only needs a simple majority vote, a revision requires a constitutional convention, which itself requires a two-thirds legislative vote -- something highly unlikely to happen in California.

4. As a commenter said on Shakesville:

The Prop 8 amendment simply banned gay marriage, without addressing that equal protection factor.

When the United States Constitution was amended to undo a provision of itself (prohibition), it specifically negated that provision---"The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed. "

Prop 8's wording did no such thing, so what we have here is that the California State Constitution now says two different things. It says

"(a) A person may not be deprived of life, liberty, or
property without due process of law or denied equal protection of the
laws; . . . (b) A citizen or class of citizens may not be granted privileges
or immunities not granted on the same terms to all citizens." (Article I, Section 7)

which the State Supreme Court has interpreted to include marriage rights, and now with Prop 8 passing it also says

"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California."

and I do not see anything to specify which legitimately outweighs the other; it's like two laws saying "cars must be red in color" and "cars must be green in color." There is no part of this new amendment saying "This repeals the right of equal protection under the law" or "nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to require otherwise," and thus it seems to me that the constitutional amendment is unconstitutional---and what on Earth gets done when that happens?

I think this is what the California Supreme Court is going to have to decide. And since they already decided against denial of rights, it is likely that they will do so again.

Good news for all. Now, about all you haters....

Tick tock

First polls close on the East coast in 30 27 hours!!!!

Polls close here in California in 35 32 hours!

Please don't forget to Vote NO on 8!!!

I'll be a poll captain for No on 8 in Sherman Oaks tomorrow morning from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. If you're voting in Sherman Oaks, perhaps I'll see you there!

Write to Marry Day

Hi folks. It's me, Faith. Here's the thing. Apparently, this Proposition 8 -- it looks like it's going to pass. If it doesn't, it'll be a big upset for the evangelicals and Catholics. I am taking the day off on Tuesday, election day, to spend the day in front of the polls helping people who may be confused on what Prop 8 means. I'll also be spending the morning on Sunday - my sacred time for coffee and the L.A. Times and all of the crosswords I can plow through, at the Village. Here I will be training for my day at the polls.

One part of the reason that I am doing this? Yesterday I met with Frank and his partner and Oliver, of course. On Saturday, I will be officiating at their marriage which is such an honor for me. They are a wonderful family. I'm not going to go on and on because I want to save most of that for their ceremony but they are everything a family should be. A safe place in this big world.


That is what a family is -- or should be anyway. A safe place and while I know all the arguments against, I am not able to find even one that should negate the fact that one man, who is legally able to consent to marry a woman, and another man, who is able to legally consent to marrying a woman, should not be allowed to marry one another. There is no slippery slope. Churches will never have to marry anyone they don't want to marry. Ever. I give them their intolerance wholeheartedly. In fact, the Catholic Church is so -- consistent -- they would not marry a man who was quadriplegic to a woman because they would not be able to conceive. So, go on with your consistency -- but marrying by a judge in a chamber or a deputy in an office or by a friend in your backyard is not a sacrament. It is a legal contract no matter how much you would like to keep it in the religious realm, it has not been an exclusively religious contract for many centuries, if ever. And it wasn't before it was.

I hope this makes sense. I don't know how else to say it.

Please Vote No on 8.

Bak Obama!

My niece is an Obama fan - She walks around saying "BakObama, BakObama." It's damn adorable.

Here's an demo - and because I don't have Quicktime Pro, I can't rotate it (either that or I'm a complete idiot -- either one is entirely possible).