Obscanity: You'll know it when you see it

Gettin’ Weirder and Weirder | TPM.

And now — and here’s the kicker — Coburn is saying that he won’t answer questions about this from the Ethics Committee or anyone else because his conversations with Ensign are constitutionally protected since he was providing counseling as a physician and a Church deacon.

Ummm, yeah. Coburn is an OB/GYN… so unless John Ensign was pregnant… counseling him to pay off his lover and her husband somehow seems like sketchy medical advice.

Two gay men kicked out of Chico’s Tacos restaurant for kissing (5:07 a.m.) – Las Cruces Sun-News.

De Leon said he and his friends left the restaurant after an officer threatened to issue a citation for “homosexual conduct.”

Does Texas just not believe in teaching its law enforcement officers the actual law?

Black Kids Kicked Out of Pool | Slog | The Stranger.

Unbefuckinglievable, Take II! It’s like these organizations are in a competition to see who can commit the most abominable act.

Rob Thomas: The Big Gay Chip on My Shoulder.

A civil union has to do with death. It’s essentially a document that gives you lower taxes and the right to let your faux spouse collect your insurance when you pass away. A marriage is about life. It’s about a commitment. And this argument is about allowing people to have the right to make that commitment, even if it doesn’t make sense to you. Anything else falls under the category of “separate but equal” and we know how that works out.

Obama on DOMA: He IS Keeping A Promise

Daily Kos: Obama on DOMA: He IS Keeping A Promise.

I don’t know how I feel about this whole mess. But before people start condemning Obama, I’d like to point out that when our AG refused to defend Prop 8, we got Kenneth Star instead. I’m thinking of Aesop’s “The Fox and the Hedgehog” right about now.

Ms. Magazine | Between A Woman And Her Doctor.

I don’t care if doctors don’t expect to have to use these procedures – they need to be trained in them. There is absolutely NO excuse for what this woman went through.

Suspect claims ‘victory’ in closing of slain doctor’s clinic – CNN.com.

Great. Watch for the murder of an abortion doctor near you.

I thought this movement was supposed to be “pro-LIFE”??? Nope. Pro-fetus, yes. Once it’s an actual person… meh. Not so much.

Washington Blade | Cheney endorses same-sex marriage .

Can somebody please explain to me how “I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish — any kind of arrangement they wish” constitutes support for marriage equality? That sounds an awful lot like the argument for freedom of private contract. Thanks for your… uh… support?

Will Iran’s ‘Marriage Crisis’ Bring Down Ahmadinejad? – TIME.

I guess in the end, young people like to have a say in their future!

Joe. My. God.: Sen. Jeff Sessions Makes Kids Cry.

Histrionics? A boy is in danger of losing his mother, and Sessions is complaining about histrionics? What is the boy supposed to do to express his anguish – wrestle with an alligator? When you support policies like these, you are supporting the destruction of families – not abstract families that don’t exist except in your hand-wringing about the gay agenda, but real families, with real parents, and real children, and real love – and real pain, caused, in part, by YOU.

Gay & Lesbian Issues Examiner: EXCLUSIVE: California lesbian couple allege discrimination at Fresno hospital.

Before anybody starts making arguments based in the government’s failure to provide marriage equality, we need to consider whether the women are actually legal partners. If they’re not, which I suspect they’re not because otherwise the articles would have said as much, then this is no longer about what rights the state gives, and is now about the actions of the hospital – because these women would likely have been treated the same even if they had full marital recognition by the state. Given that the two women were wearing Marriage Equality shirts, odds are the nurse probably assumed they *were* legal partners, and *still* wouldn’t let her in – hence the “no visitor zone” claim instead of the classic “family only” argument. Discrimination, pure and simple.

It doesn’t make the rest of us look great to be throwing a hissy fit about marriage equality in this particular case. Instead, let’s talk about discrimination at the hospital level, where the split-second decisions of individually hateful people can have horrific consequences when people’s lives are at stake.

Reality gets “Stranger” with arranged-wedding show – Yahoo! News.

Alright, all you traditional marriage folks! Step up, step right up! Who’s next in line to sign up for this one? Technically speaking, FOX shouldn’t be criticized for this show – it should be lauded for bringing back good old traditional values in the form of marriages arranged by the family. ‘Cause really, isn’t that far more traditional than all those newfangled marriages based in mutual love and respect?

Commentary: Identity politics in the age of Obama – CNN.com.

Is Obama going to get accused of engaging in racial politics every time he nominates somebody who isn’t white?! Jesus. (p.s. he wasn’t white either.)

Michael Rowe: KRXQ Sacramento Radio Hosts Encourage Violence Against Transgender Children.

There are no words for the way I feel about these talkshow hosts. Well, there are, but I’m certain they aren’t appropriate for a facebook post. Next time somebody tells you (or you tell yourself) they’re voting against LGBT rights to protect children, you just reread this article and remember all the children who have DIED because of attitudes like this.

Same-sex couples fight for immigration rights – CNN.com.

Forget “family values.” Try VALUING FAMILIES.

In Memory of Dr. George Tiller: A Tireless Supporter of Women’s Dignity | RHRealityCheck.org.

California faces its day of fiscal reckoning

I say we *start* with letting people out of prison, with the threat of another round soon. If that doesn’t trigger another special election, I’ll be shocked.

Repeal Prop 13! Even better: end the frigging initiative process entirely. Uneducated, unelected citizens with no experience in or understanding of the legislative process have NO BUSINESS writing our laws and constitutional amendments.

Conservatives Map Strategies on Court – NYTimes.com

Preparing to oppose the confirmation of Mr. Obama’s eventual choice to succeed Justice David H. Souter, who is retiring, conservative groups are working together to stockpile ammunition. Ten memorandums summarizing their research, obtained by The New York Times, provide a window onto how they hope to frame the coming debate.

And of course, conservatives are also stockpiling actual ammunition in case they lose. Note to self: Don’t be in D.C. next spring.

N.E.’s identity bolsters gay marriage tolerance – The Boston Globe.

Cafferty File: Tell Jack how you really feel Blog Archive – How can GOP attract more women? « – Blogs from CNN.com.

I am loving the comments in this article.

Group Renews Fight for Same-Sex Marriage in California – NYTimes.com.

Opponents of same-sex marriage said a second campaign would be a mistake. “The fact is that the people of California have already spoken,” said Brian S. Brown, the executive director in National Organization for Marriage, in Princeton, N.J. “And they don’t like being told they were wrong the first time.”

Uh, sorry, could you repeat that? I was distracted by Propositions 4, 73, and 85.

White House Memo – With Gay Issues in View, Obama Is Pressed to Engage – NYTimes.com.

How very sad that the pictured couple’s marriage will be forever tainted by the circumstances under which it occurred. How very sad for their children.

Ammo hard to find as gun owners stock up – CNN.com.

Great. A million gun owners are planning to march on Washington D.C. next spring, and suddenly gun owners are hoarding ammo like there’s no tomorrow? Does anybody else think something smells really wrong here?

I’m thinking that would be a good week for Obama to be far, far away from Washington, D.C.

Burma tops list of worst places to be a blogger – CNN.com.

(CNN) — Bloggers in Burma, Iran and Syria work under some of the most repressive conditions in the world, facing tactics such as regulation, intimidation and even imprisonment, according to a report from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Commentary: Break the mold for Supreme Court picks – CNN.com.

Great commentary!