To suggest that an 8-year old would be familiar with Michele Bachmann’s positions on gay rights or even know what gay rights are is absurd. It’s so absurd that I’m still wondering if Kohn was joking. Does she really believe that 8-year old wanted to confront Bachmann about her positions on gay issues and the mother was merely a bystander? This is the kind of sick stuff that turns the vast majority of Americans against the gay cause. This kind of extreme gay militancy is disgusting. If that lesbian had a beef with Bachmann she should have said so. Not send her child in to do her dirty work. And worse, put it on YouTube.

This article titled “Gay rights must be criterion for US aid allocations, instructs Obama” was written by Karen McVeigh in New York, for The Guardian on Wednesday 7th December 2011 00.03 UTC

President Barack Obama has instructed officials to consider how countries treat their gay and lesbian populations when making decisions about allocating foreign aid.

In the first US government strategy to deal with human rights abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens abroad, a presidential memorandum issued on Tuesday instructs agencies to use foreign aid to promote such rights.

Gay and lesbian lobby groups have reported an increase in human rights abuses across Africa and parts of the Middle East.

Obama is among international leaders who have condemned a bill proposed in Uganda that would make some homosexual acts a crime punishable by death. The Ugandan parliament recently reopened debate on the bill, which had been abandoned after an international outcry.

In a speech in Geneva to mark international human rights day, secretary of state Hillary Clinton backed the presidential directive. “I am not saying that gay people can’t or don’t commit crimes,” she said. “They can and they do. Just like straight people. And when they do, they should be held accountable. But it should never be a crime to be gay.”

Clinton has called for greater protection of sexual minorities and the safety of those seeking asylum. In June, she welcomed a UN resolution on equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation.

Clinton compared the struggle for gay equality to difficult passages toward women’s rights and racial equality, and said a country’s cultural or religious traditions are no excuse for discrimination. “Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights,” she said.

Among US measures, the state department will lead a group to direct agencies to provide a “swift and meaningful” response to serious incidents that threaten the human rights of LGBT people abroad, Obama said. Agencies are directed to combat the criminalisation of LGBT status or conduct abroad, protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, and engage international organisations in the fight against such discrimination. Agencies are instructed to report on progress within 180 days.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney argued gay rights should not be a test for US engagement abroad. “I will be looking at foreign aid, whether it meets our national security interests and, number two, whether these nations are friends of ours and are willing to be friendly with us in ways when it matters the most,” he said on Fox News.

The Texas governor, Rick Perry, went further. “Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money,” a Perry campaign statement said.

It was unclear whether those countries that target and discriminate against gay and lesbians would have their funding cut.

The latest state department report cites countries including US allies such as Saudi Arabia as having human rights issues over treatment of homosexuals.

The UN Human Rights Council passed the resolution on equal rights for all by a narrow margin, despite strong objections from African and Muslim countries.

While the US, the EU and Brazil backed the effort, the move drew strong criticism from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Pakistan, among others.

In October this year, USAID made an announcement that it “strongly encourages” businesses contracted with USAID to go beyond mandatory non-discrimination protections, to prohibit job bias for LGBT employees and other workers.

Among the top 10 countries granted economic and military assistance from the US, according to USAID, are Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Egypt Pakistan, Sudan, West Bank/Gaza, Ethiopia, Kenya and Columbia.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

This article titled “Iran executes three men on homosexuality charges” was written by Saeed Kamali Dehghan, for The Guardian on Wednesday 7th September 2011 18.41 UTC

Three Iranian men have been executed after being found guilty of charges related to homosexuality, according to a semi-official news agency.

The men, only identified by their initials, were hanged on Sunday in the south-western city of Ahvaz, the capital of Iran’s Khuzestan province.

“The three convicts were sentenced to death based on the articles 108 and 110 of Iran’s Islamic penal code, for acts against the sharia law and bad deeds,” the Isna agency quoted a judiciary official in Khuzestan as saying.

Iran Human Rights, an independent NGO based in Norway, said the men were charged with “lavat” – sexual intercourse between two men. It is not clear whether the three men were homosexuals or merely smeared with homosexualityaccused of being gay.

Isna said the men were also convicted of robbery and kidnapping.

Three other people were also executed on the same day on charges related to drug-dealing, rape and robbery.

It is believed that the execution of the three men is the first time for many years that any Iranians have been given death sentences on the basis of their sexuality.

In the past, Iran has executed convicts for homosexuality but they were typically simultaneously convicted of other charges that carried the death sentence, such as male rape.

“The executions for sodomy might be among the rare cases where the Iranian authorities admit to having executed men convicted of homosexual acts … Iranian authorities normally present such cases as rape, but rape has not been mentioned in this case,” said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, a spokesman for IHR.

Mohammad Mostafaei, a prominent Iranian lawyer who has represented people accused of homosexuality and now lives in exile in Norway, said in an email: “It is not clear whether these three men had any lawyers or were tried without legal representation. Who are their lawyers? I believe they are innocent.

“We should not forget what [president] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a speech during his visit to New York for the UN general assembly when he said we don’t have homosexuals in Iran and no one will be punished for homosexuality in the country. Many innocent people have indeed been sentenced to death or hanged in secret based on such ambiguous accusations in Iran [in recent years].”

Ahmadinejad famously said in New York: “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like you do in your country. This does not exist in our country.”

In August 2010, an 18-year-old Iranian, Ebrahim Hamidi, a client of Mostafaei,faced execution on charges of homosexuality on the basis of “judge’s knowledge” which is a legal loophole that allows for subjective judicial rulings where there is no conclusive evidence. Hamidi, who has been temporarily reprieved after his case drew widespread international attention, is not gay.

In July, human rights groups raised alarm over a sharp escalation in the use of capital punishment in Iran where almost two people a day were executed in the first six months of 2011.

Islam advises against execution during the holy month of Ramadan but capital punishments have again taken place since the fasting month came to an end last week.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

This article titled “Priest known for extreme views invited to European parliament by MEPs” was written by Rajeev Syal, for The Guardian on Tuesday 21st June 2011 22.19 UTC

A controversial Polish priest known for running a radio station which regularly broadcasts anti-semitic and homophobic views attended the European parliament on Tuesday at the invitation of politicians from a conservative group in Europe, the Guardian has learned.

Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, whose Radio Maryja station has been criticised by the Vatician, former Solidarity leader Lech Walesa and Jewish organisations for its extreme views, was invited to attend by Polish MEPs from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).

His attendance provoked a surprising outburst from British MEP TImothy Kirkhope, the deputy chairman of the ECR group, who said that he was disappointed not to have been told in advance that such a controversial figure had been invited to attend by fellow MEPs.

“I have never met this gentleman, but he is a controversial figure who has reportedly promoted homophobia and anti-semitism.

“I will be raising this invitation with the group at the earliest opportunity. In future, an invitation should be authorised before being issued using the ECR’s name,” he said.

Kirkhope, who is a leading member of the Conservative Friends of Israel, said he did not know if the ECR’s funds had been used to bring Rydzyk to the European parliament. “Who knows [whether the group's funds were used], this raises a number of issues which need to be discussed at length,” he added.

Rydzyk appeared at a four-hour conference to discuss climate change and renewable energy. The event was organised at the European parliament by Marek Grobarczyk and Tomasz Poreba, two Polish MEPs who are members of the ECR. A British MEP, Julie Girling, was supposed to speak at the meeting, but pulled out at short notice, insiders said.

Rydzyk, the owner of Radio Maryja, was named the sixth most influential man in Poland last year by one newspaper, because of the radio station’s popularity with rural, ultra-conservative communities.

Radio Maryja has been at the centre of criticism and controversy since it was established 11 years ago, with critics arguing that it is vehemently anti-semitic, homophobic and xenophobic.

In January 2000, a guest “historian” from a Catholic university claimed that Auschwitz was not an extermination camp but a large labour camp for Jews.

In 2007, on tapes released by the weekly magazine Wprost, a voice alleged to be Rydzyk’s was heard accusing the then president, Lech Kaczynski, of being in the pocket of Poland’s Jewish community.

“You know what this is about: Poland giving [the Jews] bn (£40bn).

“They [the Jews] will come to you and say: ‘Give me your coat! Take off your trousers! Give me your shoes!’” Rydzyk is alleged to have said, according to the magazine. Rydzyk has refused to deny making the comments, according to the BBC.

Rydzyk has been described as a “kingmaker” in Poland. Last year, he reportedly struck a deal with the Law and Justice Party in which his supporters will make up 50% of the party’s candidates in Poland’s general election, due this year, in return for his backing.

Polish members of the ECR last night stood by the invitation. One told the Guardian: “He [Rydzyk] is misunderstood. He is a very good priest and his views are held by many in Poland.”

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

Published via the Guardian News Feed plugin for WordPress.

Source: Reuters

Defense Secretary Robert Gates urges Senators to repeal a 17-year-old policy which allows gays to serve in the armed forces as long as they keep their sexual orientation private. Jon Decker reports.

The Pentagon released their year long study on the effects of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) today. 70% of the military personnel polled said repealing DADT would be positive, neutral, or of no consequence.

Here’s the full study:

From the AP:

WASHINGTON – A Pentagon spokeswoman says recruiters have been told that they must accept gay applicants, following a federal court decision striking down the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

Spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said Tuesday that top-level guidance has been issued to recruiting commands informing them that the military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" rule has been suspended for now. Recruiters also have been told to inform potential recruits that the moratorium could be reversed at any point.

So basically, the issue has been decided. I’m actually in favor of repealing DADT, but I think the more responsible thing to do would be to wait for the official report from the Pentagon. We are at war and the military has a right to study the potential consequences of such a change before it is made.

It’s a lot more complicated than people realize. You don’t just repeal it and have gays live in harmony. The armed forces must have the appropriate infrastructure in place before repealing DADT. All military personnel will be required to take sensitivity courses and new rules and regulations will have to be written. There will have to be procedures in place to deal with any issues of harassment or intimidation that might arise.

Rushing this along is idiotic and dangerous.

I think Bob pretty much nails it with this one. This is probably the most sensible defense of DADT I’ve ever heard.

(hat tip Conurls)

From the AP:

A federal judge overturned California’s gay-marriage ban Wednesday in a landmark case that could eventually force the U.S. Supreme Court to confront the question of whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to wed.

I have to admit this issue doesn’t get me as animated as it does other conservatives. Frankly, I don’t really care if gay people get married. It doesn’t have any impact on my life either way.

I just turned 29 and I find that most conservatives of my generation and younger don’t really have a problem with gay marriage. At worst they’re like me and ambivalent about the whole thing.

I do however take issue very much with liberal judges imposing things on the citizenry against their will. I believe states rights should be respected.

The people of California have repeatedly voted on the issue of gay marriage and each time they voted against it. The people of California have said loud and clear that they want marriage to be defined as between a man and woman only.

Gays are allowed to have civil unions in CA which grant them all the rights as a legal marriage — it’s just not called a “marriage.”

I’m not sure why the semantic issue of calling it “marriage” is such a big deal, but it seems to be.

After today’s ruling you can be sure this issue will go all the way to the SCOTUS. How they will rule on it is anybody’s guess. I think it could go either way.

I just think the states that want gay marriage should have it and those that don’t shouldn’t be forced to. That said, I don’t think it would be unreasonable to force all 50 states to allow civil unions. Then gays would be covered in every state, but the semantic issue of calling it “marriage” would be left alone.

Jennifer Keeton thought she was about to graduate from Augusta State University and start her career as a school counselor. Sadly, the school decided she wasn’t sufficiently gay friendly to warrant giving her a diploma.

Jennifer happens to be a Christian. She mentioned in class that she didn’t agree with the gay lifestyle and the school went ape shit. A faculty member told her she “couldn’t be a teacher let alone a counselor with those views.”

Wow, so you can’t be a teacher in this country if you disagree with the gay lifestyle?

Anyway, school officials created a remediation plan for Jennifer that she would need to complete in order to graduate.

The officials outlined a remediation plan for Keeton that would include such things as participating in diversity sensitivity workshops, completing reading and writing assignments on the topic and possibly attending the Augusta Gay Pride Parade, the complaint said.

Jennifer’s response was right on target:

She refused, writing in an e-mail to Augusta State officials, "[Y]ou are requiring me to alter my objective beliefs and also to commit now that if I ever may have a client who wants me to affirm their decision to have an abortion or engage in gay, lesbian, or transgender behavior, I will do that.

"I can’t alter my biblical beliefs, and I will not affirm the morality of those behaviors in a counseling situation."

Instead, she filed a lawsuit. A lawsuit she’ll most definitely win and win big.

That’s the problem with these leftist institutions. They want to produce a bunch of rigid cookie cutter drones who all conform to the same left-wing ideology.

The beauty of the free market is that if Jennifer’s patients don’t like her advice they have the freedom to seek council elsewhere. Refusing to let her even become a counselor unless she bows to the gay agenda is outrageous and un-American.

Keeton VNR from ADF Media Relations on Vimeo.

I think liberals are just pissed off that Conservative women are so much better looking. Hot Conservative women who stand by their convictions. Does it get any better than that?