Not only have 75 Republicans signed an amicus brief with SCOTUS in the Hollingsworth v. Perry case, regarding California’s Proposition 8. The NY Times describes those signing as including “dozens” of “prominent” status. Whatever the Supreme Court decides regarding the Prop 8 case, as well as the challenge to DOMA, it is clear that things [...]
About Joyce Arnold
Liberally Independent, Queer Talk beat, equality activist, writer.Author Archive | Joyce Arnold
Queer Talk: Chris Hayes Says He Won’t Attend CPAC if GOProud is Banned
This is actually about more than Chris Hayes invitation to be on a CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) panel, and his refusal to do so unless the conservative LGBT group, GOProud, is invited. It should also include the fact that while GOProud isn’t welcomed, the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre is. CPAC, along with the Republican Party [...]
BP ‘Well From Hell’ Oil Spill Trial Has Begun
Almost three years ago BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill occurred. Eleven people died. The explosion led to what became the largest oil spill in U.S. history. The civil trial began yesterday in New Orleans, with eleven teams of lawyers participating. They day before, reports say, the U.S. Justice Department and BP were still trying to find [...]
Drones: Sen. Graham on Death Toll, Former WH Press Sec. Gibbs on WH Secrecy
Two recent words on drones, a subject that I’m highly skeptical will make it into the “everybody is talking about” category. First, at The Telegraph, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R) is quoted. (emphasis added) US senator says drones death toll is 4700 … It was the first time a politician or any government representative had [...]
Queer Talk: Top UK Cardinal Resigns After Allegations of ‘Inappropriate Behavior’ With Priests
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, senior Catholic official in the UK and strong opponent of LGBT equality, resigned amid allegations of “inappropriate behavior” with priests. The allegations come from one former, and three current, priests. O’Brien contested the claims, and was due to retire next month. At AmericaBlogGay, John Aravosis has a detailed report, including related background. [...]
Queer Talk: Obama Administration Brief Urges Supreme Court to Strike Down DOMA
LGBTs and allies have strongly urged President Obama to act, and on Friday, his administration did, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed in 1996. At MetroWeekly, Justin Snow writes: Arguing that Section 3 of DOMA, which forbids federal recognition of same-sex marriage, violates the Constitution, [...]
If You’re Happy and You Know It Send a Tweet
See the map, with red and blue and gray tones? It’s not about political affiliation. It’s an indication of happiness (red tones), less happiness (blue tones) and neutral (gray tones). The Geography of Happiness: Connecting Twitter sentiment and expression, demographics, and objective characteristics of place presents the findings of some math and computing people at [...]
To the Right of the NRA?
And we thought the NRA leadership was “out there” … From Brian Tashman, at Right Wing Watch, a project of People for the American Way: Gun Activists Warn Obama is Raising a Private Black Army to Massacre White Americans Gun Owners of America president Larry Pratt appeared Tuesday on the Talk to Solomon Show alongside [...]
Queer Talk: LGBT Protections Stripped from VAWA by House Republicans
Earlier this month, the Violence Against Women Act was passed by the Senate, 78 to 22. According to a HuffPo report, the bill had 62 cosponsors, and actually picked up “additional support from a handful of Republicans.” So, the next move was in the House, and yesterday, February 22, the House Republicans once again revealed [...]
Environmental Protection Provided by Keystone (Pipeline) Cops
The Keystone XL Pipeline and the effort of activists to stop it are significant for many reasons. I’ve written about this frequently, especially the grassroots efforts of Tar Sands Blockade, and recently, about the Forward On Climate Change event in DC last weekend, with approximately 40,000 people participating. Now, I want to focus some of [...]
The ‘2nd American Revolution’ Explained by Way of a Graph
Discussion of “income inequality” is considered an out of date topic by some, but it’s as real, as significant and if we’re looking with open eyes and not through Duopoly supplied blinkers, as in-our-faces at this moment as it was when, for the obvious example, the Occupy movement made it “news.” The graph is via [...]
Is Obama Overconfident in the Sequestration Battle?
At Politico, Carrie Budoff and Jake Sherman ask: Is President Obama overplaying sequestration hand? What do you think? I’ve seen this same general point made by different people, in two basic versions. First, as Budoff and Sherman argue, that Obama is “overplaying” his “tough guy” card. Two, that he’s once again convinced that his (behind [...]
Queer Talk: AP Decides Same-Sex Marriages Have Husbands and Wives
The Associated Press had several days of very unhappy feedback and strong demands that it not go the direction of a memo which discouraged use of “husband” and “wife” in reference to same-sex couples. Today they issued a brief release, New entry in the AP Stylebook: husband, wife: The following entry was added today to [...]
Queer Talk: Laura Bush Objects and Barack Obama Waits (VIDEOS) *Update*
(UPDATE at end) I did wonder when I first saw the ad campaign launched by The Respect for Marriage Coalition, pushing for marriage equality, if the four people featured in the video ad knew about it. The quotes by all four – Barack Obama, Dick Cheney, Laura Bush and Colin Powell – are all from [...]
Queer Talk: Respect for Marriage Coalition Ad Campaign Features Barack Obama, Dick Cheney, Laura Bush and Colin Powell (VIDEO)
There’s no doubt the push for marriage equality is in full gear, with the SCOTUS hearings related to DOMA and Prop 8 next month a key factor. The Respect for Marriage Coalition, among others, is focusing on the “bipartisan” support for equality, as shown in recent polling. They released that information yesterday. Today, they announced [...]
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