THE DARK SIDE

.
St. Petersburg, Florida Republican (remember the "family values party") City Council Chairman John Bryan committed suicide Friday after allegations of sexual abuse involving his 12 and 15 year old adopted daughters surfaced and a custody hearing determined that Bryan was ordered by the courts to have no further contact with them.

Bryant had already admitted to a sexual relationship with a former nanny who he later adopted; although he claimed the sex was consensual and that she was over 18 at the time.

Several local politicians say they had heard tales of sexual improprieties for decades.

His very good friend, Holier Than Thou St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker (the same mayor who refuses to acknowledge Gay Pride, even though millions of dollars are generated for the city of St. Petersburg each year), must have had his head buried in his bible because he stated that he "never heard of any allegations of Councilman John Bryan's sexual improprieties".

Who knew what, who did what will never be known because the coward took the easy way out!

Howard Troxler of the St. Petersburg times writes:

"It is never the future by which we destroy ourselves. It is what we do in the present, which in the next heartbeat becomes an unchangeable past. In making our choices each of us, in our own way, is inspired by the better part of our nature, but tortured by the dark."

HOMOPHOBIA ALERT

.

The Republican representative to the fundamental christian movement in America, President George Bush has nominated Judge Leslie Southwick to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Judge Southwick's record plainly shows that he cannot be given the responsibility to protect the basic rights of all Americans.

As a Mississippi judge, Southwick put his personal bias before widely regarded scientific and legal evidence - as in one case where he separated a biological mother from her 8-year-old child in part because of the mother's sexual orientation.

Even more troubling, Judge Southwick used this case to further his own agenda by joining a concurrence citing highly charged and irrelevant Mississippi rules against "the practice of homosexuality" - including policies regarding sodomy.

This type of bigoted decision-making is unacceptable for any judge, let alone a lifetime member of the U.S. Court of Appeals.

THE DROOLING HOMOPHOBE AND HIS PEDOPHILE SON

.
Right-wing Christian extremist Dave Daubenmire of Pass the Salt Ministries with his flock, has been on a crusade to disrupt the church services of gay-friendly churches.

But that's not even the best part of the story. As is so often the case, the best part of the story is in an almost offhand remark.

In a Bible-spewing homophobic rant earlier this year about a visit to the Gay Pride Parade, Daubenmire had this to say:

"The 'meat' on display will forever change the way you view homosexuality. Sin has no boundaries, no clutch, and no emergency brake. Once you dip your toe into the pool of sin, especially sexual sin, there is a magnetism that will not let go."

Ummmm...

Let me put it this way. The straight guys I know who visit the Gay Pride Parade do not describe the event as having "a magnetism that will not let go." Their reaction is more along the lines of, "Nice dress, dude."

They describe it as interesting, entertaining, touching, hilarious, kind of tedious when the "polo-shirted employees of boring corporations" contingents go by, etc. But they do not describe it as a pool of sin with a magnetism that will not let go.

The straight guys I know are not forever changed by the sight of gay male "meat on display," and they are quite capable of resisting the magnetism of homosexuality. They find the magnetic pull of homosexuality pretty gosh-darned unmagnetic. That's kind of what makes them, you know -- straight.

So I just have to ask: Do Dave Daubenmire, and Ted Haggard, and all the rest of the right-wing Christian leering brigade, really not know what they sound like? Do they really not see that frothing at the mouth closely resembles drooling?

ABOVE FROM: Greta Christina

Personally, I think Dave Daubenmire has personal family issues that should be his focus at the moment; not the disruption of churches where gay men and lesbians are welcomed as part of the congregation. It appears that while daddy was away, holding up signs quoting the bible on homosexuality, his son was busy on the computer...... being a very very bad boy!


NEWARK, Ohio -- The 24-year-old son of conservative religious activist David Daubenmire will spend the next five years on probation after a Licking County judge convicted him on a child-pornography charge.

At a hearing this morning, Zachary Daubenmire pleaded no contest to a felony charge of pandering obscenity involving a minor. Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Marcelain convicted him on the charge and immediately sentenced him.

Daubenmire, whose father has fought pornography as the founder of Pass the Salt Ministries and Minutemen United, also was fined $1,000 and must spend two years in prison if he violates terms of his probation.

And then of course, keeping in step with most religious bigots who finally get "caught" with their pants down:

The younger Daubenmire showed genuine remorse and is now in counseling for an addiction that he told the judge began when he was 15.

Authorities found 37 still images and 26 movies depicting young girls enaging in sex with men on the family's home computer. A computer repair technician discovered the pornography last August.

The Columbus Dispatch

OPEN MOUTH ~ INSERT PENIS

.
I've previously written about married, Florida Republican State Representative Bob Allen, who offered an undercover policeman $20.00 to perform oral sex and then went on to say the reason he made this offer was because the park where he was going to use the mens room [cruising], was full of big black men and he was scared; angering the black community ....... well it seems he has now angered the Latino community as well.

Florida Rep. Bob Allen, stripped of his committee assignments this week by a House speaker seeking his resignation over his gay sex scandal, instead made more enemies with an apparent slur against Florida's Latino leadership. "I would think this leadership more than anyone would think that we don't want to copy totalitarian governments but copy American principles," Allen told the Miami Herald on Wednesday in an apparent reference to House Speaker Marco Rubio being Cuban-American.

Allen was forced to backpedal as yet more of his fellow Republicans called for his head.

"The fact that he's comparing the consequences of the allegations of his sexual misconduct to the plight of dissidents trapped in Castro's gulag is at best absurd and at worst insulting. He needs to go," Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami, told the Herald, adding that Allen's comments made him "physically irked."

The party leadership wants Allen to resign before his Aug. 23 arraignment on a misdemeanor charge of solicitation to commit prostitution.

Even Gov. Charlie Crist weighed in, telling the Orlando Sentinel that "I have to respect the wishes of the speaker. . . . It's a House issue."

Allen, R-Merritt Island, was arrested July 11 outside a Titusville park public restroom after allegedly offering a male undercover officer $20 and oral sex.

The lawmaker, who last year co-sponsored legislation to tighten penalties for public sex and indecent exposure, insists he is innocent, and said last month that his actions were prompted by fear because the undercover cop and passersby were all black.

"The House will continue to respect Rep. Allen's right to defend himself against the charges which arose when he was arrested," Rubio's office said in a statement.

"However, we must acknowledge that in addition to being a private citizen, he is a public official. As such, we are judged by a higher standard than procedural innocence. . . . It is my personal belief that because of the allegations against him, Rep. Allen can no longer effectively serve the people of his district in the Florida House."

Allen told the Sentinel that he was "the most misunderstood guy on Earth.

"Never was I trying to ever say Marco is the new Fidel. That's the most insulting thing you can tell anyone in Miami," Allen said. "I would have used North Korea if I thought more."

A CASE FOR GAY MARRIAGE

This is the story of a religious fanatic, a Catholic mother who is willing to sacrifice her sons happiness, his health and his life for her religious beliefs.
.
There's a place in hell reserved for fanatical Catholic Jeanne Atkins who records show stated that if her son was going to return to life with his partner after recovering from his stroke, she would prefer he not recover at all!

Brett Conrad spent more than half his life as Patrick Atkins' partner. For 25 years, the men shared bank accounts, apartments and eventually a home in Fishers.

But when Atkins, 47, fell seriously ill in 2005, Conrad faced what many gay couples from Indiana consider a travesty: no law guaranteeing them the same rights as married couples to participate in care decisions for their ill partners.

Conrad, 47, spent much of the past two years trying to win guardianship of Atkins from Atkins' parents, Thomas and Jeanne of Carmel. Jeanne Atkins is quoted in court documents as saying she believes homosexuality is a sin and that she disapproves of the men's relationship. The parents have barred Conrad from visiting their now-disabled son in their home where he lives.

In June, Conrad won visitation rights from the Indiana Court of Appeals, but the court upheld an earlier Hamilton County ruling that left control of Atkins' care to his parents.

Gay-rights activists say the men's story illustrates the discrimination embedded in Indiana law and underscores why gay marriage should be allowed.

On the other side, opponents of same-sex marriage say the case could have been prevented if Conrad and Atkins had used existing laws that can give unmarried couples -- straight and gay -- the legal right to act on each other's behalf.

In its ruling, the appeals court recognized the human suffering at the center of the case:
"We are confronted here with the heartbreaking fracture of a family," the judges wrote in their ruling. "Brett and Patrick have spent 25 years together as life partners -- longer than Patrick lived at home with his parents -- and their future life together has been destroyed by Patrick's tragic medical condition and by the Atkinses' unwillingness to accept their son's lifestyle."
Court debates go on.

According to the case file, Atkins and Conrad met in 1978 while attending Wabash College in Crawfordsville.

Atkins came from a deeply religious family that disapproved of the relationship. In 2000, he begged for acceptance from his family through a letter.

"Trust me," he wrote, "God loves us all so very much, and I know he approves of the love that Brett and I have shared for over 20 years."

Conrad and Atkins lived together in various apartments for 12 years until buying a home in Fishers in 1992, which they titled jointly, court documents say.
Before falling ill, Atkins had been chief executive of his family's business, Atkins Elegant Desserts and Atkins Cheesecake.

On March 11, 2005, Atkins collapsed while on a business trip to Atlanta. He had a ruptured aneurysm and later suffered a stroke while hospitalized.
Conrad traveled to the Atlanta hospital to be with Atkins but was soon denied access by the family. Hospital staff defied the family's wishes and let Conrad visit Atkins during off-hours.

Atkins eventually was moved to a nursing facility in Carmel, where Conrad would arrive after regular visiting hours so the Atkinses would not see him.
He filed his guardianship request in June 2005. That November, the Atkinses moved Patrick into their home and have since refused to let Conrad visit. They also have refused his phone calls.

At the time of the trial, Atkins was able to walk, dress, bathe and feed himself with some help, to read accurately but understand only 25 percent of what he read, and to engage in simple conversations, court documents show. He still required close supervision and had significant problems with short-term memory and maintaining a prolonged attention span.

His condition today remains much the same, according to the most recent court filings.

The recent decision

In the June 27 decision, the appeals court ordered the lower court to grant Conrad the right to visit Atkins but not the right to be his guardian.

While judges have discretion in awarding guardianship, their decision is guided by state statute, which spells out that guardianship of an incapacitated person should fall to whoever has power of attorney, which is the legal authorization to act on behalf of that person.

If no power of attorney exists, next in line comes the spouse, then an adult child, then a parent and still more options related to marriage or blood. There is no specific right for gay partners.

Hamilton Superior Court Judge Steven R. Nation sided with the Atkins family, noting the lack of a power of attorney.

The appellate court affirmed that decision, saying it found no evidence the lower court had abused its discretion and that it was clear the Atkinses were committed to providing Patrick the best possible care.

In its decision, however, the court expressed misgivings about how the Atkinses feel about their son's sexuality. "We are extraordinarily skeptical that the Atkinses are able to take care of Patrick's emotional needs," said Chief Judge John G. Baker, writing for the 2-1 majority.

That, in part, is why the judges granted Conrad visitation rights, citing the findings of a court-appointed guardian who testified that Atkins would only stand to benefit if Conrad were allowed to visit him.

Gay-rights advocates say nothing short of marriage rights can provide the legal shield necessary to defend against a partner's relatives.

Without such protection, says the Rev. Jeff Miner, a pastor at Jesus Metropolitan Community Church, a gay-affirming congregation in Indianapolis, "you're thrown upon the mercy of the family, and in some cases they're not merciful."
Others who fought for a same-sex marriage ban in the Indiana Constitution this year see the issue differently.

"The problem isn't the couple couldn't get married," said Curt Smith, president of the conservative Indiana Family Institute. "The energy from the intervention comes from the parents' disapproval. . . . They think it's wrong, and that's not something the law can address."

While Conrad v. Atkins is a tragic case, Smith said, it doesn't merit changing Indiana laws.
The same circumstance could have befallen an unmarried straight couple, and there are a number of protections available to unwed couples that Conrad and Atkins didn't use, he said.

For example, he said, gay couples can appoint a health-care representative to ensure they are cared for in times of illness. Partners can include each other in wills.
But many gay couples aren't confident of those methods, saying nothing can match the unassailable rights of marriage.

Regardless of how the courts rule in the Conrad-Atkins case, the Atkinses aren't likely to change their minds about their son's relationship.
Jeanne Atkins testified at trial that it was "probably true" she would not let the men see each other unless required by law.

The record also shows that she told Conrad that if her son was going to return to life with his partner after recovering from his stroke, she would prefer he not recover at all.

BRAZILIAN SOCCER NOT FOR GAYS?

.
(Sao Paulo, Brazil) The director of a prominent soccer club insinuates on national television that a player on a rival team is gay. The player sues for slander and goes on TV to deny being homosexual. A judge causes an uproar by saying gays don't belong in Brazilian soccer.

With a narrative like a Latin American telenovela, a controversy over the questioned sexual orientation of Sao Paulo midfielder Richarlyson has shaken one of Brazil's most hallowed institutions - soccer - with insults, blanket accusations of homophobia and unsolicited defences for supposedly closeted gay teammates.

It all started in June when Palmeiras club director Jose Cyrillo Junior was asked on a national TV program whether it was true that a soccer player from his team was negotiating for an exclusive television interview to announce that he was homosexual.

Cyrillo denied the report, but added "Richarlyson 'almost' played for Palmeiras," suggesting the 24 year old ninth year pro was gay.

Cyrillo later apologized, but Richarlyson filed a criminal complaint for slander, saying he was wrongly accused of being gay.

Judge Manoel Maximiano Junqueira Filho stoked the dispute by dismissing Richarlyson's claim and issuing a ruling that suggested he leave the game if he was homosexual. If he wasn't, the judge said, Richarlyson was obliged to defend himself on the same TV program where he was accused.

"Not that a homosexual can't play soccer," Filho wrote. "He can, but he must form his own team and federation, setting up matches with those who want to play against him."





The judge concluded that it is not "reasonable to accept homosexuals in Brazilian soccer because it would hurt the uniformity present" in team sport. Soccer, the judge said, is a "virile game" but "not homosexual," and allowing gays could lead to affirmative action for the sport requiring quotas of gays.

The ruling prompted the government body that oversees judicial ethics in Brazil to demand an explanation from the judge, who has until Friday to respond.

The judge, who did not respond to repeated requests for interviews, abruptly voided his initial ruling last week, saying a different court has jurisdiction. Then he took a leave of absence beginning Monday with no date for a return.

Gay rights groups were outraged, but said the controversy has forced the issue of homosexuals out in the open in Brazil, a country where gays are generally tolerated but usually not in soccer and are often ridiculed.

"It was a fascist statement and (the judge) needs to pay for it," said Marcelo Cerqueira, president of the Grupo Gay da Bahia.

He said there are several gays in Brazil's pro league, but they fear disclosing their sexual orientation over losing their jobs.

"This case is important to uncover the issue about gays in soccer, to create debate," Cerqueira said.

"Soccer is a macho sport anywhere in the world, but we know there are homosexual players, just like there are homosexuals in other professions," columnist and TV commentator Antero Greco said. "But sexual orientation should never be a problem as long as the person is competent at what he or she does."

Richarlyson, who has played for four different Brazilian clubs and with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, declined for months to address the issue of whether he was gay, but finally went on Brazil's most popular weekly news and entertainment program to say that he is heterosexual.

"If I was (homosexual), I wouldn't have any problems admitting it," he said on the Fantastico TV program.

The player's lawyer said he believes the public began doubting Richarlyson's sexual orientation after he celebrated a goal against Palmeiras by dancing on the sidelines. Palmeiras fans have constantly jeered him since.

Richarlyson said he doesn't mind the fans' behavior, but he still isn't willing to accept the insults from a judge.

"This is a disrespect not only to me, it's a disrespect to Brazil," Richarlyson said. "All that matters is if the player can do his job on the field."

Associated Press

009 RAGING!

BITS AND PIECES FROM HERE AND THERE........
.


.

POLITICS AS USUAL


Led by Democrats since the start of this year, Congress now has a "confidence" rating of 14 percent, the lowest since Gallup started asking the question in 1973 and five points lower than Republicans scored last year.

The voters put the Democrats in to end the war, and it's escalating.

The Democrats voted the money for the surge and the money for the next $459.6 billion military budget.

Their latest achievement was to provide enough votes in support of Bush to legalize warrantless wiretapping for "foreign suspects whose communications pass through the United States."

Enough Democrats joined Republicans to make this a 227-183 victory for Bush. The Democrats control the House. Speaker Nancy Pelosi could have stopped the bill in its tracks if she'd wanted to. But she didn't. The Democrats' game is to go along with the White House agenda while stirring up dust storms to blind the base to their failure to bring the troops home or restore constitutional government.

The row over the US Attorneys and the conduct of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has always been something of a typhoon in a teaspoon. The Democrats love it, since they imagine it portrays them to the public as resolute guardians of the impartial administration of justice, a concept whose credibility most Americans sensibly deride.

The one Democrat acting on principle in the Gonzales affair has been Senator Russ Feingold. He at least tried to dig into the visit of chief White House counsel Gonzales, as he then was, to the bedside of Attorney General John Ashcroft, to get him to sign off on the illegal wiretaps. And how did the Democrat-controlled Congress deal with Feingold's efforts to nail Gonzales for his efforts to undermine the Constitution and for his prevarications under oath? It promptly legalized the eavesdropping.

Just as the Democrats work tirelessly to demonstrate to the voters that it makes zero difference which party controls Congress, the political establishment forces all candidates for the presidential nomination to sever any compromising ties to sanity and common sense.

Just as their poll numbers are going down, Bush's are going up, by five points in Gallup from early July. People are beginning to think the surge is working, courtesy of the New York Times. So are we better or worse off since the Democrats won back Congress?

GAY RIGHTS AS USUAL


The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Presidential Forum on Thursday evening should have been called the "Presidential Forum on Marriage Equality". Sorting out the questions by topic, excluding minor follow-ups and sticking with the planned ones, and by my count there were 22 questions on marriage or couples benefits in relation to marriage, 2 on HIV prevention, 2 on Don't Ask, 2 on employment discrimination, and 15 other questions on topics that weren't directly related to one another.

I know, I know, marriage is important to a lot of people. But when there are an estimated 670,000 same-sex couples living together in the country and estimates of the number of LGBT people range from 8 to 20 million. That's about 3 to 8% of the queers in this country, and those couples aren't just worried about marriage-related issues. Could we broaden our horizons?

Have we already forgotten the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes bill, sitting quietly in a corner of the senate?

RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY AS USUAL

Proving that bigotry is alive and well in the U.S. House of Representatives, who would we have but Idaho's own Bill Sali. He's well known as crazy and obnoxious.

He's periodically good for a laugh, but there's an ugly and dangerous side to his antics.

"We have not only a Hindu prayer being offered in the Senate, we have a Muslim member of the House of Representatives now, Keith Ellison from Minnesota. Those are changes -- and they are not what was envisioned by the Founding Fathers," asserts Sali.

Sali says America was built on Christian principles that were derived from scripture. He also says the only way the United States has been allowed to exist in a world that is so hostile to Christian principles is through "the protective hand of God.""You know, the Lord can cause the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike," says the Idaho Republican.According to Congressman Sali, the only way the U.S. can continue to survive is under that protective hand of God.

He states when a Hindu prayer is offered, "that's a different god" and that it "creates problems for the longevity of this country."

Sali just better give it up..... doesn't he know that according to Benedict XVI, the only way to get to heaven is to become catholic?

The face of the new GOP, just like the old GOP.

ANIMAL ABUSE

It's no secret that I own two very loved, spoiled and pampered PUGS.

Daisy, who has ruled this household for almost 13 years was purchased by me when she was 6 weeks old. As she ages, her medical expenses in the last four months have been staggering but that is not a problem; we manage and will continue to do so. She is once again healthy and puppy-like playful.

Muggs, was adopted by Daisy and I six years ago. Little more than a year old, he came from a home where the owner realized she could no longer take care of him or meet the financial obligations necessary to maintain a well nourished, healthy dog.

Turning on the early morning news prior to leaving for work this week, this is all I heard:

Sarasota, Florida - A Sarasota woman has been arrested after officials say she locked her two dogs in a bedroom with no food and water for two months.

Deanna Sperber Ramono told Sarasota Police she was working too much to take care of her two PUGS, so she locked them up in a bedroom.

Authorities say there was feces all over the floor of the room and that the dogs had apparently been dead for more than three weeks when they were found.

Officials say the dogs had tried to claw the door and window blinds in an attempt to escape.


Five days later, I just can't get this horror out of my mind!


As a medical social worker, I'm very well aware of the fact that starvation is a very slow, very painful death.


Why couldn't this bitch just call someone for help, surrender these animals to a shelter?

MAKE WAY FOR THE CLOWN

.



Every time these bigoted clowns get caught, there's an excuse.

(Tampa, Florida) State Rep. Bob Allen (R), a longtime foe of LGBT rights in Florida, has a bizarre excuse for being charged with offering a male cop $20 for oral sex in a washroom at a park.

He was busted last month in a sting at Veteran's Memorial Park in Titusville, Florida. (story)

In taped statements made by Allen to police following his arrest and released by the force Allen admits to soliciting the male officer but claims that it was the result of being nervous by the high number of black men in the park.

"I certainly wasn't there to have sex with anybody and certainly wasn't there to exchange money for it," Allen told officers.

Of the arresting officer Allen said in the tape, "This was a pretty stocky black guy, and there was nothing but other black guys around in the park."

He claimed he feared he "was about to be a statistic" would have said anything just to get away.

But on the tape Allen also admits warning the undercover cop that "undercover cops" were in the area and the man should be careful.

"I said they're around here, you ought to know about that."

He only realized he was talking to an officer when he flashed his badge.

The arresting officer's handwritten report on the arrest also was released by the force.

Titusville Officer Danny Kavanaugh who was on plainclothes duty says he observed Allen entering the washroom twice. Kavanaugh said he was drying his hands in a stall when Allen peered over the stall door.

The officer's report said that after peering over the stall a second time, Allen pushed open the door and joined Kavanaugh inside. Allen muttered "'hi,'v" and then said, "'this is kind of a public place, isn't it,'" the report said.

Kavanaugh wrote that he asked Allen about going somewhere else and Allen suggested going "across the bridge, it's quieter over there."

"Well look, man, I'm trying to make some money; you think you can hook me up with 20 bucks?" Kavanaugh wrote in the report that he had asked Allen.

The Republican lawmaker, the report said, replied, "Sure, I can do that, but this place is too public."

According to Kavanaugh's statement, the officer said, "do you want just (oral sex)?" and Allen replied, "I was thinking you would want one."

It was at that point Allen was arrested.

Ironically, Allen was the Police Union's 2007 Lawmaker of the Year.

In the last session of the Florida legislature he sponsored a failed bill that would have tightened the state's prohibition on public sex. He also has been a supporter of amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage and has opposed a bill to curb bullying of gay students.

Allen has been charged with solicitation for prostitution, which has a maximum penalty of one year in jail.

Prior to his arrest Allen was a co-chair of Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign in Florida, a position he has since resigned.

365Gay

LET US PRAY!

.

The Drag Queen

The Art of Robert Coane

(Johnson City, Tennessee) The minister of a Baptist church has been charged with indecent exposure and driving under the influence, and police officers say he propositioned them.

Tommy Tester, 58, of Bristol, Va., was wearing a skirt when he was arrested last week after allegedly urinating in front of children at a car wash, police said.

Police also said Tester offered to perform oral sex on officers who were sent to the scene.

Authorities identified Tester as the minister of Gospel Baptist Church in Bristol and an employee of Christian radio station WZAP-AM in Bristol.

There was no immediate response Tuesday to calls to the church and Tester's home.

WZAP issued a statement Monday asking for prayers and saying Tester had been suspended during an investigation.

"We pray this matter can be quickly resolved," WZAP owner Al Morris said in the statement.

Tester was released on $1,000 bail. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25.

A KISS IS JUST A KISS ~ OR IS IT?

I was not a witness to "the kiss", therefore I cannot judge; but when exactly is kissing appropriate in public?

I think opinion on this varies from one individual to another, from one country to another.

My personal opinion is simple. A simple kiss on the lips as a show of affection, greeting, etc. is acceptable in public; be it a man and woman, two men or two women. If the kiss gets any deeper than that, keep it for the privacy of your own home.

Of course here in America, the sight of two men kissing drives most people to the brink of insanity! I'm not certain why I thought Europe would be different......

(Rome) Two gay men have been charged with "lewd conduct" for kissing in front of the Coliseum in Rome.

The pair were rushed into a police car and taken to a police station where they were held for several hours. Eventually they were issued a summons to appear in court and released.

If convicted the pair could be sentenced up to two years in prison.

The incident has sparked a public outcry in Italy.

Italian LGBT civil rights group Arcigay called it an outrage and accused the police of homophobia.

Police deny the accusation, but were unable to provide evidence that any opposite-sex couple had ever been arrested for a similar kiss at the famed tourist spot.

Italy's Health Minister Livia Turco called the arrests a national embarrassment.

Vladimir Luxuria, a Communist politician and Italy's first transsexual lawmaker said she would raise the issue in Parliament.

"It's worrying that a gesture of affection is considered a crime," she told La Repubblica daily. "It's absurd that two young people who love each other should spend the night in a police station without having done anything obscene."

Both Arcigay and Turco have demanded the charges be dropped and that police issue an apology to the two men, aged 28 and 27.

Meanwhile, Arcigay has called for a "national gay kiss-in" at the Coliseum on August 2.

The following unrelated photos are from Gay Pride Rome.... make me seriously wonder if I might not "try" to steal a kiss~

FAMILY VALUES AND HYPOCRISY

Senator David Vitter, a churchgoing Catholic who is married and has four children, is seen as a hard-line right-winger. A staunch supporter of President Bush, Vitter has built his reputation on family-values platforms such as marriage protection and abstinence-only programs.

In opposition to same-sex marriage, Vitter recently stated, "Marriage is a core institution of societies throughout the world and throughout history. It's something that has provided permanence and stability for our very social structure."

.
Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), whose telephone number was disclosed by the so-called "D.C. Madam" accused of running a prostitution ring, says he is sorry for a "serious sin" and that he has already made peace with his wife.

"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said Monday in a printed statement.

"Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there - with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way."

Today, Jeanette Maier, a former madam, said Vitter had been a customer of her New Orleans brothel. Maier pleaded guilty to running the brothel in 2002. Vitter's office did not respond to requests for comment on her claim.
.
.




"I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary. If he does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me."

-- Wendy Vitter, when asked by an interviewer in 2000 whether she could forgive her husband, Sen. David Vitter, if she learned he'd had an extramarital affair, as Hillary Clinton had done.



As a personal footnote to those family values conservatives who continue to preach morality but continue to be "caught with their pants down", there is no longer a need to ask God for forgivness. Simply purchase a package of the new and disposable WASH AWAY SINS toweletts......

THE BIBLE AND THE GAY COMMUNITY~

.

Most Christians don't know this about the bible:

Jesus says nothing about same-sex behavior.

The Jewish prophets are silent about homosexuality.

Only six or seven of the Bible's one million verses refer to same-sex behavior in any way -- and none of these verses refer to homosexual orientation as it's understood today.

- Rev. Mel White (Soulforce)

Proof that fundamentalists selectively quote the Bible:

A lesson about the book of Leviticus . . .

Homophobic fundamentalists often quote two particular verses that seem to be against gay people. These two verses, both of which appear in the book of Leviticus, are . . .

"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22)

and . . .

"If a man lie with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:13)

Below, we'll take a look at other scripture verses that are in the exact same book (Leviticus) as the above verse. This exercise proves that those preachers who are so enthusiastic about quoting the book of Leviticus to affirm their personal prejudice against people who are gay or lesbian become awfully quiet when it comes to other verses that appear in the very same book.

Remember, this isn't about faith whatsoever. It's about people who have pre-existing anti-gay prejudice in their hearts. They choose the Christian Bible as the tool which which they attempt to affirm and legitimize that pre-existing prejudice.
Sadly, the truth is that they just don't like gay people.

"For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him." (Leviticus 20:9)
Imagine what would happen today if we killed every child who was disrespectful to his parents. Fundamentalists explain this verse away, saying that it is part of the Old Levitical Holiness Code and is not meant to be taken literally.
But the above verse is just a mere 3 verses before Leviticus 20:13, one of their favorite anti-gay scriptures which, of course, they do choose to apply literally.
It's just incredible, isn't it?

Fundamentalists change their entire methodology of scriptural interpretation when it suits their purpose, even when dealing with verses that are a just couple of sentences away from each other!

"If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has discovered her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from her people." (Leviticus 20:18)

Imagine what would happen today if we deported every man and woman who had ever had sex together while the woman was having her period. Fundamentalists decline the opportunity to take this verse literally, which is merely 5 verses after Leviticus 20:13.

"Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property." (Leviticus 25:44-45)

Did you ever wonder where racist, uneducated Southerners in the 19th century got the idea that slaves were just property and not people? Directly from the above verse, which fundamentalists do not, of course, take literally.

"Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." (Leviticus 19:27)

"Bible-believing" fundamentalists never preach against the evils of shaving, as they do not take this verse literally for our day. Of course, they most certainly would do so if they had a personal bias against shaving, but apparently, they do not.

"...and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7)

As you can see, the book of Leviticus also prohibits the eating of pork (a swine is a pig). Of course, fundamentalists do not choose to use this verse to preach against eating pork. Sadly, however, they have no problem abusing the Bible to condemn gay and lesbian people. Remember, it's about their personal prejudice against gay people, not about a true desire to understand what the Bible actually says.

"...do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear material woven of two kinds of material." (Leviticus 19:19)

Farmers in this country almost always grow more than one kind of crop in their fields. In fact, they often must do so for ecological reasons. Fundamentalists do not apply this verse literally. If they were to preach against farmers, there would be an uproar, and rightfully so.

Fundamentalists also ignore the Biblical command to not wear clothes that have two different kinds of material. The shirts that many fundamentalists are often seen wearing must be a cotton/polyester blend, the most common in the United States of America.

They may be "Bible believing" Christians, but this is yet another verse that they don't believe should be applied to today.

~Author Anonymous

Following are a few more quotes "just for your reading pleasure" ......

DEUTERONOMY 22:13-21
If it is discovered that a bride is not a virgin, the Bible demands that she be executed by stoning immediately.

DEUTERONOMY 22:22
If a married person has sex with someone else's husband or wife, the Bible commands that both adulterers be stoned to death.

MARK 10:1-12
Divorce is strictly forbidden in both Testaments, as is remarriage of anyone who has been divorced.

LEVITICUS 18:19
The Bible forbids a married couple from having sexual intercourse during a woman's period. If they disobey, both shall be executed.

MARK 12:18-27
If a man dies childless, his widow is ordered by biblical law to have intercourse with each of his brothers in turn until she bears her deceased husband a male heir.

DEUTERONOMY 25:11-12
If a man gets into a fight with another man and his wife seeks to rescue her husband by grabbing the enemy's genitals, her hand shall be cut off and no pity shall be shown her.

GAYS ONCE AGAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR DISASTERS!

Pictured at left with the former mistress/present wife of Prince Charles, Graham Dow seems to have no problems with adultry, while blaming gays for the recent disasters in the UK.

A senior Church of England bishop says floods that have caused widespread damage in the UK are the result of God's wrath on a permissive society that endorses gay right.

"We are in serious moral trouble because every type of lifestyle is now regarded as legitimate," the Rt Rev Graham Dow, Bishop of Carlisle, told the Sunday Telegraph.

"In the Bible, institutional power is referred to as 'the beast', which sets itself up to control people and their morals. Our government has been playing the role of God in saying that people are free to act as they want," he told the paper, adding that the introduction of recent pro-gay laws undermines marriage.

"The sexual orientation regulations [which give greater rights to gays] are part of a general scene of permissiveness. We are in a situation where we are liable for God's judgment, which is intended to call us to repentance."

Dow is a leading church conservative. The worldwide Anglican denomination has been engaged in a feud between conservatives and liberals over the role of gays in the faith since the American branch, the Episcopal Church, elected Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, as bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.

Some church conservatives want the Episcopal Church expelled from the Anglican communion.

In May Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the titular leader of the worldwide church, told Robinson he was not invited to a conclave of bishops to be held in London. Last week Williams backtracked slightly saying Williams could attend the session but only as a non voting observer.

Bishop Dow's remarks Sunday are likely to add fuel to the already enflamed divisions within the denomination.

Gay members of the Church of England on Sunday expressed their outrage.

The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association called Dow a "bronze age primitive".

365gay. com

It is certainly refreshing to read that not all of the RELIGIOUS NUTZOIDS are located in America; but evenly distributed throughout the world!

PRIDE 2007

.
Waking up yesterday morning to thoughts of intense heat and humidity with a possibility of rain, I was reluctant to attend PRIDE, but decided that it was important to support the gay community.

Police estimates indicate that there were approximately 70,000 people in attedance at the promenade which included Grand Marshall former Largo City Manager Susan Stanton who was fired after choosing to live openly as transgendered; along with Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. The promanade lasted more than two hours and included several gay friendly political and religious organizations as well as floats from area gay bars and businesses. My favorite delightfully irriligious but extremely charitable Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were passing out condoms and after receiving a packet of six condoms, I entertained those around me by exclaiming..... "great, these should last me a couple of years!"

Those in attendance were considerate of one another; united as family.

Booths lined up in a six block area included vendors selling crafts and pride merchandise; others were business or political oriented. I spent time talking to volunteers at the Barack Obama for President booth and I continue to support his bid for the presidency.

It was wonderful to socialize with friends (old and new) as well as some of my co-workers but after four hours in the blazing sun, it was time to leave. I left with a great sense of pride in my community!

THE FACE OF HOMOPHOBIA

Police say four protesters were taken into custody after they were seen holding signs above their heads while within the street festival. Officers say they repeatedly asked the protesters from Georgia to follow a city ordinance which does not allow hand held signs that are larger than the sign holder's torso or signs held on a stick within a closed street. Joshua Pettigrew, Douglas Pitts, Willie Lee Holt III and Francis Primavera have been taken to the Pinellas County Jail, charged with violating a city ordinance.

I'm not certain how things are done in Georgia, but as soon as there is an arrest in Pinellas County, Florida, it immediately becomes public information. These are the men who chose to drive to St. Petersburg, Florida to disrupt GAY PRIDE; spewing hatred in the name of christianity.

NOTE from the author: These photos may be visually offensive!

Name: BALL, WILLIAM G
DOB: 4/8/1960
Docket #: 1255927
Arrest Date: 6/30/2007 3:00:43 PM
Race: WHITE
Sex: MALE



Name Docket No. Booking Date Arresting Agency
BALL, WILLIAM G 1255927 6/30/2007 3:00:43 PM ST. PETERSBURG POLICE
Address City State Zip Code
200 PRIMROSE RD GRANDWILLE GA 30222
Race Sex DOB Place of Birth Arrest Age
WHITE MALE 4/8/1960 GA 47
Eyes Hair Complexion Height Weight Occupation
GRN BRO MED 5'11 275


Name: HOLT, WILLIE LEE
DOB: 9/5/1975
Docket #: 1255928
Arrest Date: 6/30/2007 3:02:16 PM
Race: WHITE
Sex: MALE


Name Docket No. Booking Date Arresting Agency
HOLT, WILLIE LEE 1255928 6/30/2007 3:02:16 PM ST. PETERSBURG POLICE
Address City State Zip Code
257 WHITE OAK TRAIL JEFFERSON GA 30359
Race Sex DOB Place of Birth Arrest Age
WHITE MALE 9/5/1975 GA 31
Eyes Hair Complexion Height Weight Occupation
HAZ BRO 6'04 330

Name: PITTS, DOUGLAS C
DOB: 11/12/1956
Docket #: 1255930
Arrest Date: 6/30/2007 3:10:35 PM
Race: WHITE
Sex: MALE



Name Docket No. Booking Date Arresting Agency
PITTS, DOUGLAS C 1255930 6/30/2007 3:10:35 PM ST. PETERSBURG POLICE
Address City State Zip Code
1843 NEW CORNITH ROAD MEWMAN GA 30263
Race Sex DOB Place of Birth Arrest Age
WHITE MALE 11/12/1956 SS 50
Eyes Hair Complexion Height Weight Occupation
BRO BRO FAR 5'08 200

Name: PRIMAVERA, FRANCIS N
DOB: 12/27/1981
Docket #: 1255929
Arrest Date: 6/30/2007 3:09:40 PM
Race: WHITE
Sex: MALE



Name Docket No. Booking Date Arresting Agency
PRIMAVERA, FRANCIS N 1255929 6/30/2007 3:09:40 PM ST. PETERSBURG POLICE
Address City State Zip Code
5571 FORREST RD HOGANSVILLE GA 30230
Race Sex DOB Place of Birth Arrest Age
WHITE MALE 12/27/1981 TX 25
Eyes Hair Complexion Height Weight Occupation
HAZ BRO LGT 600 205

THE STATISTICS OF HATE!

.
"What is the good of having the statue without the liberty?"

During the past several months, I've posted story after story about crimes committed against the LGBT community; urging readers to contact their senators to vote for passage of the Hate Crimes Bill.

The statistics in the following article are staggering..... We, as a community must unite, raise our voices and be heard. During this month of PRIDE celebrations, reflect on the men and women who "fought back" during the Stonewall riots and think of where we might be today if we had not finally said, "enough is enough"!

Study: Anti-Gay Hate Crimes Widespread
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Nearly four in 10 gay men and about one in eight lesbians and bisexuals in the United States have been the target of violence or a property crime because of their sexual orientation, according to a new study.

"This is the most reliable estimate to date of the prevalence of anti-gay victimization in the United States," said University of California, Davis, psychology professor Gregory Herek who conducted the study.

"The data demonstrate that crimes against sexual minority adults, especially gay men, are disturbingly widespread."

Herek's findings were based on a survey he conducted in the fall of 2005 with a nationally representative sample of 662 self-identified gay men, lesbians and bisexuals. The study will be published in a future issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Overall, 21 percent of the people in the survey reported being the victim of violence or a property crime -- including physical assault, sexual assault, theft and vandalism -- because of their sexual orientation.

In addition, 49 percent said they had been verbally abused because of their sexual orientation, 23 percent reported being threatened with violence, 12.5 percent reported having objects thrown at them, and 11 percent reported housing or job discrimination.

The total exceeds 100 percent because some individuals reported being the target of multiple attacks.

"These data highlight the continuing need for criminal justice programs to prevent and deter anti-gay crimes, as well as the need for victim services that will help to alleviate the physical, economic, social and psychological consequences of such crimes," Herek said.

The study found significantly different rates of victimization among gay men, lesbians and bisexuals.

More than a third of the gay men said they had experienced violence or property crime because of their sexual orientation, or about three times the proportion of lesbians and bisexuals.

Gay men also reported the highest rates of harassment and verbal abuse. And gay men and lesbians reported two to four times more housing and job discrimination than bisexuals.

The disparities persisted after Herek controlled statistically for age, race, ethnicity and education he said.

"Men are generally more likely than women to be the targets of most kinds of violent crime, and this pattern seems to hold in anti-gay hate crimes as well," Herek said.

"The gay men and lesbians in the study were much more likely than the bisexual men and women to be open about their sexual orientation. Their greater visibility probably also makes them easier targets for discrimination than bisexuals."

Survey respondents were randomly selected from a panel of more than 40,000 U.S. households maintained by Knowledge Networks, a survey research firm.

The firm recruits panel members via standard telephone sampling methods; in return for regularly completing online surveys, the panel members receive free Internet equipment and access.

Previous studies of anti-gay hate crimes have relied on samples that were smaller or not representative of the U.S. population, Herek reported.

In the new study, survey respondents had an average age of 39. Most had attended some college. Two thirds were white, 16 percent black and 12.5 percent Hispanic.

Data collection for the study was supported by a grant from the Gill Foundation, a Denver-based organization that supports equal opportunities for people regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression.

Legislation that would add gays and lesbians to the categories included under federal hate crime law is currently before Congress.

The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed the House last month and is pending in the Senate.

The White House has threatened to veto the measure if it passes.

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER VETO THREAT

President Bush issued a warning to Congress on Wednesday that he will veto budget appropriations for the District of Columbia unless the measure contains language barring the district from using any of the money for its domestic partner registry.

The registry allows same and opposite-sex unmarried couples to register their relationships.

Three quarters of the District of Columbia's budget comes from local revenue - city taxes and fees. But, about $120 million in additional funds comes from the federal government. That money is contained in the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act.

Under Republicans the legislation stated that none of the federal money could be used to support the partner registry.

When Democrats took control of Congress the requirement was removed.

In threatening a veto the White House on Wednesday issued a statement saying: "The Administration strongly opposes the bill’s exclusion of a longstanding provision that disallows the use of Federal funds to register unmarried, cohabitating couples in the District, to enable them to qualify for benefits on the same basis as legally married couples.

Under Federal law, legal marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Federal tax dollars are not used to extend employment benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees, and D.C. should not enjoy an exception to this rule."

The Domestic Partner registry includes such partner rights as hospital and nursing home visitations, medical decisions, and inheritance rights.

"With his popularity at an all time low, this President has yet again dipped his cup into the well of anti-gay bigotry," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "He has issued a veto threat on funding for the District of Columbia because long-term, committed couples want to have such basic rights as visiting each other in the hospital and making medical decisions for their partner. The anti-gay zeal of this Administration has reached a new low."

Gay Democrats seized on the veto threat as another example of wedge politics."This is a misleading veto threat designed to parrot the talking points of the anti-gay special interests which control and finance the Republican Party, said National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Jo Wyrick, "President Bush would never threaten to withhold federal funds from California because it employs a domestic partnership registry. Yet, Republicans feel that the District of Columbia is their financial playground that they can use to bully local families at the pleasure of their anti-gay agenda. That is wrong.

It is the second time in two months the president has threatened a veto over a gay issue.In May the White House said that if legislation adding gays and lesbians to federal hate crime laws the president would nix it.

STOP THE HATE

This video comes from one of my BLOGMASTERS and dear friend, Connie.

The senate will soon vote on the Matthew Shepard Act, the hate crimes bill. Opponents of civil rights for gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered people in America have drawn a line in the sand and are working 24/7 to stop this important bill. We must counter the voice of the radical right with the voice of the LGBT and allied communities who support human rights for all people.

The irony is that 73% of Americans support this bill’s measures, but the majority of people contacting senators oppose the bill. We can not be silent. The senate and the president must hear from supporters of the Matthew Shepard Act.

Please WATCH THE VIDEO and then click on the link below to send a letter to your senator today!

Time is running out.......... CLICK HERE!

THANKS, DON~

INSANITY IN THE WHITE HOUSE

THE GEORGE W. BUSH BULLSHIT METER........

There is no doubt in my mind that George Bush knew exactly what he was doing when he nominated Dr. James Holsinger to serve as U.S. Surgeon General.

Log Cabin Republicans have urged the Senate to reject Dr. James Holsinger's nomination to serve as The United States Surgeon General.

"Dr. Holsinger's professional views about sexual orientation fall far outside the scientific mainstream, and call into question his ability to fairly deal with critical medical issues," said Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon. "While the President should ordinarily receive the benefit of the doubt in his appointments, the post of U.S. Surgeon General requires a nominee who relies on science and fact."

Holsinger's professional opinion on gays and lesbians is contained in an eight-page report that he wrote in 1991 for the United Methodist Church, entitled, "Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality."

The report, which goes into graphic detail about sexuality, has received harsh criticism from medical experts for its ideological overtones and false statements about the nature of gays and lesbians. He argued in the report that homosexuality is biologically unnatural.

Holsinger was a founder of Hope Springs Community Church in Lexington, Kentucky. The church operates a so-called "ex-gay" ministry, which seeks to change a person's sexual orientation-a concept that has been debunked by every major medical and psychological association and mainstream researcher who has studied this issue.

"The medical community has long rejected the notion that sexual orientation can be changed," said Sammon. "The fact that Dr. Holsinger advocates this type of junk science is troubling and represents a wholesale rejection of accepted and mainstream scientific opinion."

"During the Senate confirmation hearings, we expect a thorough examination of Holsinger's professional views," said Sammon. "Absent a full and complete explanation from him, one that makes it clear that he rejects the junk science he once embraced, the Senate should reject his nomination."

This is my second post on this nomination. I believe it's important to inform the GLBT community, families and friends of this outrageous "slap in the face" by the Bush administration, and urge all readers to contact your senators today to vote against this nomination!

Thanks~

BARACK OBAMA SPEAKS OUT!

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BARACK OBAMA IS THE FIRST TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE ANTI-GAY BIAS OF BUSH NOMINEE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL~

"America’s top doctor should be a doctor for all Americans, and so I have serious reservations about nominating someone who would inject his own anti-gay ideology into critical decisions about the health and well-being of our nation. As with other nominees, I will listen to the testimony of Dr. James Holsinger, but this Administration must know that the United States Surgeon General's office is no place for bigotry or ideology that would trump sound science and good judgment."


Surgeon General Nominee Holsinger Has Broad Anti-gay Bias

George Bush's nomination for U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. James Holsinger

Holsinger's anti-gay bias has come under closer scrutiny in the past couple of days with the release of a paper he wrote in 1991 on the dangers of "anal eroticism" in which he concluded that gay sex is "intuitively" unnatural. Here's a bit of it:

"In fact, the logical complementarity of the human sexes has been so recognized in our culture that it has entered our vocabulary in the form of naming various pipe fittings either the male fitting or the female fitting depending upon which one interlocks within the other. When the complementarity of the sexes is breached, injuries and diseases may occur..."

Holsinger also voted to oust a lesbian pastor from the United Methodist Church, the NYT reports:

"As president of the Methodist Church's national Judicial Council, Holsinger voted last year to support a pastor who blocked a gay man from joining a congregation. In 2004, he voted to expel a lesbian from the clergy. The majority of the panel voted to keep the lesbian associate pastor in place, citing questions about whether she had openly declared her homosexuality, but Holsinger dissented."

The congregation Holsinger helped establish, Hope Springs Community Church, as I noted earlier, advocates "curing" gays and lesbians.

ANOTHER SENSELESS DEATH!

A 20-Year Old Gay South Carolina Man is Dead In An Alleged Hate Crime .......

An 18 year old man is facing a murder charge after a man he punched died.

The Greenville County Sheriff's Office said that Sean William Kennedy, 20, was walking to his car from a local bar when a car stopped along side him. A man got out, approached Kennedy and then hit him in the face.

Witnesses said the man made a derogatory remark about Kennedy's sexuality. The twenty-year old was openly gay friends said.

Kennedy later died in hospital without regaining consciousness. Investigators believe that after he was punched Kennedy fell to the ground and hit his head on a curb or the pavement.

Based on witness accounts of the attacker and car Sheriff's deputies arrested Andrew Moller, 18.

Moller is being held without bond.

Investigators say they have not determined if the two men knew each other, or what led to the attack.

South Carolina does not have hate crime laws and sexuality is not covered under federal hate laws.

Legislation in Congress to add sexuality to federal law passed the House earlier this month and is pending in the Senate.

Shortly before the House vote the White House issued a statement that if the measure passes Congress the President's aides would recommend he veto it.

A poll released this week by Gallup found that despite the threatened veto 68 percent of Americans support the bill, also called the Matthew Shepard Act.

365gay.com