News 9/08/10

("If what I did helped gay people, then I'm glad."

Photo of Seymour Pine by Josh Weiner originally appeared in the New Jersey Jewish News July 28th, 2010 in an article on the Stonewall uprising. No copyright infringement intended.)

• The cop who lead the raid on the Stonewall Inn on June 28th 1969 has died at 91. The New York Times reports at a 2004 talk at the New York Historical Society Seymour Pine apologized for the raids and said, "If what I did helped gay people, then I'm glad."

• Terminally ill Roi Whaley can't sponsor his partner Aurelio Tolentino for citizenship in the US. Their story is just one of over 36,000 gay binational couples whose problems would vanish if marriage equality was the law of the land.

• Giant space rocks will not smash into the Earth today. Whew!

• Sri Lankan Parliament passes law granting President a whole lot more power than he already has.

8/13/10

(Lady Bird Johnson could probably kick your ass if she wanted to.)

• Judge Walker has permanently enjoined enforcement of Prop 8 as an unconstitutional violation of equal protection and due process. But we still have to wait until at least August 18th to allow opposition time to appeal to the 9th Circuit.

• Eat, Pray, Love, Testify Before Congress. Elizabeth Gilbert heads to Washington to speak out for immigration reform on behalf of gay families. (via Huffpo) Says Gilbert:

"My citizenship is not a courtesy that is offered to me by my government," Gilbert said. "It is my birthright. It is my right as an American citizen. And my rights are not something that are offered to me out of politeness or friendliness by the United States government."

•  Terrible mudslides continue in China. 1,100 dead, more than 10,000 trapped.

• Pakistani flood survivors' lives at risk from water-born disease.

• Morality expert on leave from Harvard as problems with his research are uncovered.

• Dan Rostenkowski has died at age 82.

News 7/15/10

(Today in not-takin'-any-more-of-yer-damn-crap: Divine. Congratulations Argentina!)

• Argentine Senate passes marriage equality while the President already vowed to sign the bill. Thousands erupt in joyful dancing.

• BP ready to test new oil cap with lots of conditional phrases.

• Arizona's new law against brown people who don't talk good English heads to federal court in Phoenix today.

• Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D - Illinois) puts forward LGBT inclusive immigration reform bill. GOP decidedly chilly to the idea.

• Skanky, professional hater of gays Anita Bryant returns from the dead. Vows to terrorize children, drink blood and consume the flesh of the living. (Via Towleroad.)

Morning New 5/04/10

"Intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic regarded our Earth with envious eyes; slowly and surely drawing their plans against us..." NASA scientists release strongest evidence yet for ancient life on Mars.

Gotcha! 30 year-old Faisal Shahzad has been arrested for failed Times Square car bomb incident.

Beats me. Congressional bills to protect queers are on their way towards passage... unless they aren't.


Fingers crossed. Federal legal challenge to DOMA heads to court this week.

What moral authority? Conference of Catholic Bishops have their vestments in a twist over LGBT inclusive immigration law.


(Image of Marvin the Martian and Bugs Bunny from Alexander Ross Animation and Fine Art Gallery. You can purchase that animation cell along with lots of other beautiful, fun things over at his gallery.)