Brody's Notes... Family Research Council Criticizes Pentagon's Report on Open Homosexuality in the Military; Urges Extensive Hearings on Flawed Report

The following is a statement by FRC head Tony Perkins commenting on the DADT report released today that conclusively stated that 70% of currently serving members of the U. S. Armed Forces & their families felt that Gay & Lesbian servicemembers made absolutely no difference to military readiness, morale, or unit cohesion:

By Tony Perkins (Washington DC) NOV 30 | Family Research Council (FRC) today renewed its criticism of the process which led to the release today of a report by the Pentagon's Comprehensive Review Working Group (CRWG) on the issue of open homosexuality in the military.

Following President Obama's call in his State of the Union address for repeal of the 1993 law barring open homosexuality in the military (usually referred to as "Don't Ask Don't Tell") Secretary of Defense Robert Gates formed the CRWG to explore how - not whether - to implement a repeal of the current law. Congress should hold extensive hearings on this topic, on both the findings and methodological weaknesses of this report, before taking any action to overturn current law. No level of risk should be acceptable merely to advance a radical social agenda.

Sadly, today's report, and the ten months of work by the Comprehensive Review Working Group, may be of little value to Congress, because they failed to address the central question - whether overturning the current law would enhance our nation's ability to fight and win wars. By beginning with the premise that the law would be overturned, and exploring only how to implement such a change, the conclusion that such a change would be feasible was foreordained.

The same concern applies to the surveys conducted of servicemembers and their spouses. Media reports to the effect that a majority of servicemembers 'would not have a problem' with homosexuals in the military overlook the fact that the surveys did not ask whether respondents support repeal of the current law. If most servicemembers say that under a different policy, they would continue to attempt to do their job in a professional manner, that is only what we would expect. This does not mean that a new policy would not undermine the overall effectiveness of the force. And if even a small percentage of our armed forces would choose not to re-enlist, or part of the public would choose not to serve in the first place, the impact on the military would be catastrophic.

Brody's Notes... National Stonewall Democrats Remarks Regarding DADT

By Linsey Pecikonis (Washington DC) NOV 30 | " The DADT repeal is not some fringe issue being pushed by a small minority; it is an issue supported by a large majority of Americans and service members." Michael Mitchell, National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director remarked upon this afternoon's release of the Defense Department’s “Report on the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with the Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’” 

"This report shows that our military is staffed and run by intelligent Americans who can work alongside lesbian and gay soldiers serving openly in their midst, and that logistical issues such as housing can be handled efficiently and wisely." He  said.

Mitchell also said:

“Recent statements by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and even Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) that more study needs to take place before repeal are just stall tactics, especially given the thorough, year-long process that the Defense Department undertook to study the issue of repeal. We also find it ironic that the Senators said that the upper chamber should be talking about jobs and not ‘political’ issues like DADT repeal. We remind the Senators that DADT is about jobs: the jobs of thousands of soldiers, some of them mission critical and irreplaceable, who were discharged from the military because of the discriminatory DADT.

Mitchell then took aim at Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor (D-AT) saying:

“Senator. Mark Pryor had voted against cloture on the National Defense Authorization Act in September, joining the entire GOP caucus and the other Senator from Arkansas, Blanche Lincoln (Majority Leader Harry Reid voted against cloture as well in a procedural move that allows him to bring it up for reconsideration). In a recent article in an Arkansas newspaper, Pryor reaffirmed that he will do so again, saying that he believes the military needs ‘a bit longer’ to study the issue of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal and citing concerns about troop housing. It also disturbs us that he said he believes ‘homosexuality is a sin.’

Today’s release of the Pentagon Working Group study on open service shows that our military is staffed and run by intelligent Americans who can work alongside lesbian and gay soldiers serving openly in their midst, and that logistical issues such as housing will be handled efficiently and wisely,” Mitchell continued. “Pryor is behind where the large majority of the military already is, and behind where the large majority of Americans are.”

"Senator Pryor needs to remember he represents all of Arkansas and vote for cloture and the NDAA and I call on all Senators standing in the way of history to trust the military’s study and vote for the National Defense Authorization Act with DADT repeal language intact. I also call on our Stonewall Democrat family and supporters to immediately contact their Senators, regardless of party, to ask them to support DADT repeal now that the Defense Department has released their comprehensive study.” Mitchell said. "At National Stonewall Democrats, part of our mission is to hold Democrats accountable for how their views and votes affect our community. It saddens me that from time to time we have to call members of our Party on the carpet for their backwards views on equality and the votes that adversely affect the LGBT community."

"Sen. Pryor needs to remember that he represents all Arkansans, not just straight, Christian ones,” said Angela Frazier, Vice President of the Stonewall Democrats of Arkansas. “Everyone is entitled to their beliefs – and we are not suggesting at all that Sen. Pryor can’t practice his chosen religion. We are strongly suggesting, however, that he consider being a leader in a way that includes all Arkansans and be mindful of his language when referring to entire swaths of the constituents he represents."

Brody's Notes... Reactions To DADT Report

President Barack Obama:

"Today's report confirms that a strong majority of our military men and women and their families-more than two thirds-are prepared to serve alongside Americans who are openly gay and lesbian. This report also confirms that, by every measure-from unit cohesion to recruitment and retention to family readiness-we can transition to a new policy in a responsible manner that ensures our military strength and national security. And for the first time since this law was enacted 17 years ago today, both the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have publicly endorsed ending this policy.

With our nation at war and so many Americans serving on the front lines, our troops and their families deserve the certainty that can only come when an act of Congress ends this discriminatory policy once and for all. The House of Representatives has already passed the necessary legislation. Today I call on the Senate to act as soon as possible so I can sign this repeal into law this year and ensure that Americans who are willing to risk their lives for their country are treated fairly and equally. Our troops represent the virtues of selfless sacrifice and love of country that have enabled our freedoms. I am absolutely confident that they will adapt to this change and remain the best led, best trained, best equipped fighting force the world has ever known."

Servicemembers United:

"This thorough and comprehensive report makes clear to lawmakers and the American people once and for all that the U.S. military is capable of handling the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' The questions are now answered and the debate is now settled," said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United and a former U.S. Army Human Intelligence Collector who was discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." "It's now up to the Senate to bring the defense authorization bill back to the floor, allow 10 to 20 amendments to be debated on each side, and get this bill passed. We have the votes now if the process is fair."

OutServe:

"This report definitely answers the question of the impact of DADT repeal on the military. Specifically, knowing a soldier is gay has no negative impact on readiness," said Jonathan Hopkins, former Army Captain and veteran of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We've known this for a long time. Among military members who know they've served with someone gay, 92% said that repeal would have little or no negative effect on military readiness. 69% of servicemembers who responded to the survey said they served with someone they knew or suspected was gay. "This study gets to the facts, and exposes the invented argument of 'unit cohesion' as a myth," said Hopkins. "Those who've served with gay or lesbian soldiers, Marines, or servicemembers of any stripe recognize that gay troops have – as the Pentagon report says – a 'patriotic desire to serve' as well as a 'desire to fit in, coexist, and succeed in the military environment.'""I don't want any special treatment. I just want them to take the knife out of my back so I can serve," said an anonymous gay Marine on the OutServe network.

Human Rights Campaign:

“This issue has been studied for fifty years, including by the military itself, and the results from over twenty-two studies are uniform: open service does not harm effectiveness,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “The small handful of Senators blocking repeal no longer have any fig leaves behind which to hide. The time for repeal is now.” “America’s men and women in uniform are professionals who already serve with gays and lesbians and repeal will do nothing to change their dedication to protecting our nation,” said Solmonese. “Senators who said they want to hear from military leaders and troops now have their answers. Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will allow every qualified man and woman to serve without sacrificing the high standards that have made our military great.”

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow's Commentary:

Brody's Notes... 'Don't Know, Don't Care-' 70% Of U.S. Military Surveyed Concludes Repeal Of DADT Would Have Little Or No Effect

The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia

By Mark Singer (Washington DC) NOV 30 | The final results of the Defense Department working group's report on repeal of the 17-year-old "Don't ask, Don't tell" law  reveals that 70 percent of the members of the U. S. armed forces believe it would have little or no effect on their unit's missions, morale, or operations.

The Pentagon working group headed by Defense Department General Counsel Jeh C. Johnson and Commander of the U. S. Army in Europe, General Carter F. Ham will brief journalists this afternoon regarding the results of the report which was commissioned by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen to present to Congress. The report's data represents nine months of research by Johnson, Ham and a 66-member team that met with more than 40 groups, and surveyed 400,000 service personnel and their families.

Among the report's findings; 69 percent of those responding reported that they had served with someone in their unit who they believed to be gay or lesbian. Of those who did, 92 percent stated that their unit's ability to work together was very good, good, or neither good nor poor. U. S. combat units reported similar results with 89 percent of Army units and 84 percent of Marine units saying they had good or neutral experiences working with Gay and Lesbian servicemembers.

Concurrently, the report found that 30 percent of those surveyed overall & between 40 and 60 percent of the Marine Corps either expressed concern or predicted a negative reactions if the current "don't ask, don't tell" law,  was repealed by Congress.

The Pentagon working group concluded that repeal could bring about some limited and isolated disruptions immediately after implementation, however the report's author's expressed confidence that the Defense Department and the military establishment would be able to adjust and accommodate changes over the long term.

Brody's Journal... Johnny Depp Reveals Disney Hated His 'Gay' Captain Jack Sparrow Portrayal

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) NOV 30 | In this month's edition of Vanity Fair magazine, rock legend Patti Smith interviews Oscar nominated actor Johnny Depp about working with Angelina Jolie, his controversial portrayal of the character of Captain Jack Sparrow from the Walt Disney Studios runaway hit film series Pirates of the Caribbean, and his own musical aspirations.

Depp's latest film co-starring Angelina Jolie, The Tourist, is due to be released in theatres on December 10th. The next Disney Pirate's production, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,  starring Depp as Sparrow, is currently slated for release in 2011.

In an excerpt from the interview, Depp talks about Disney executive's dismay over his portrayal of the roguish pirate sea captain:

On the set of the upcoming installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, Smith asks Depp what it’s like to play the iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow. “Somebody once asked [Hunter S. Thompson], “What is the sound of one hand clapping, Hunter?,” and he smacked him. Captain Jack was kind of like that for me, an opening up of this part of yourself,” Depp says. “There is a little Bugs Bunny in all of us.” 

“They couldn’t stand him. They just couldn’t stand him,” Depp says of Disney’s reaction to his controversial interpretation of Sparrow. “I think it was Michael Eisner, the head of Disney at the time, who was quoted as saying, ‘He’s ruining the movie.’ Depp reveals to Smith, however, that he remained unfazed by the studio’s hysteria. “Upper-echelon Disney-ites, going, What’s wrong with him? Is he, you know, like some kind of weird simpleton? Is he drunk? By the way, is he gay?… And so I actually told this woman who was the Disney-ite… ‘But didn’t you know that all my characters are gay?’ Which really made her nervous.”

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow  

Photo courtesy of the Walt Disney Studios 

Read Smith's interview online at Vanity Fair magazine here: [ Link ] 

Brody's Notes... Dan Savage On The Colbert Report

Syndicated columnist and founder of the 'It Gets Better' project Dan Savage talks with Stephen Colbert:

Brody's Journal... Memories- A Dramatic Film Short

From Navajo Joe Films, Independent Filmmakers, Fort McDowell, Arizona:

Brody's Notes... MSNBC Hardball: Southern Poverty Law Center V. Family Research Council

By Mark Singer (Washington DC) NOV 29 | On tonight's edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, Matthews had a conversation with Family Research Council president Tony Perkins & Mark Potok from the Southern Poverty Law Center, which recently named the FRC to their list of hate groups in the United States.

During the course of the interview, Perkins cited data from the American College of Pediatricians, a group of Doctors that despite the name is not a institute of higher learning, nor is it a professional organization for pediatricians. 

Box Turtle Bulletin's Managing Editor, Timothy Kincaid revealed in an expose last spring that this is an advocacy group dedicated to political goals which is using an authoritative sounding name to fool the unaware. Kincaid wrote that the officers and board members are all pediatricians, usually elderly gentlemen, in the southern United States with close ties to the Southern Baptist churches. According to Kincaid's article, the ACPEDS  “Pediatric Psychosocial Development Committee” reads like a members roster of the virulently anti-gay National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH).

Kincaid goes on to show that the 15 doctors listed as ACPEDS members are either part of the famously discredited NARTH or otherwise part of the anti-gay opposition. He also notes that the largest established and accredited professional pediatricians group, the 60,000 member American Academy of Pediatrics, is actually quite gay-friendly and has endorsed gay parenting.

Brody's Scribbles... Proof That Religious Extremism Knows No Bounds

 Der Aufziehen-  Roman Catholic Inquisition 

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) NOV 29 | Normally, I tend to ignore about 90 percent of what comes out of the so-called Christian 'family-values' organisations as simply rhetorical silliness or propaganda. The other 10% I view as hate speech and just this past week wrote a column detailing my viewpoint on that topic.

However, as I watched this video earlier today, I am now convinced that the 'rhetorical' silliness expressed by the Christian right is actually dangerous theological doctrines that left unchecked represent a clear threat to not only the current generations in America and around the globe, but future ones as well. The subject matter is disingenuously described as "Environmentalism is deadly to the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Centuries ago another alleged Christian organisation attempted to stop the advance of science by imprisoning Galileo Galilei, the great Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution.

Referred to as the "father of modern observational astronomy, modern physics and "the Father of Modern Science, Galileo, perhaps more than any other single person, was responsible for the birth of modern science. During the Roman Catholic Inquisition in 1615, Galileo was accused of heresy and although by February of the next year he  had been cleared of any offence, the Catholic Church nevertheless condemned his published theories and studies as "false and contrary to Scripture."

The Pope warned him to abandon his positions—which he promised to do, but he later defended his views in his most famous work, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, published 16 years later in 1632.  Galileo was again tried by the Inquisition, found "vehemently suspect of heresy", forced to recant, and spent the rest of his life under house arrest.
Jump forward a few centuries and you arrive at The State of Tennessee v. Scopes- informally known as the Scopes Monkey Trial. From Wikipedia:

This was an American legal case in 1925 in which high school biology teacher John Scopes was accused of violating the state's Butler Act which made it unlawful to teach evolution.

Scopes was found guilty, but the verdict was overturned on a technicality and he was never brought back to trial. The trial drew intense national publicity, as national reporters flocked to the small town of Dayton, to cover the big-name lawyers representing each side. William Jennings Bryan, three time presidential candidate for the Democrats, argued for the prosecution, while Clarence Darrow, the famed defense attorney, spoke for Scopes. 

The trial saw modernists, who said religion was consistent with evolution, against fundamentalists who said the word of God as revealed in the Bible trumped all human knowledge. The trial was thus both a religious or theological contest, and a trial on the veracity of modern science regarding the creation-evolution controversy. The teaching of science and evolution expanded, as fundamentalist efforts to use state laws to reverse the trend had failed in the court of public opinion.

I won't bother you gentle readers with any more comparisons and parallels, instead, lets roll this recent video shall we?

Brody's Notes... "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Is Not Going Anywhere" Says SC Republican Senator Lindsey Graham

By Mark Singer (Washington DC) NOV 29 |  Appearing on Fox News Sunday with fellow Senate Armed Services Committee member, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill (D),  South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham (R), told host Chris Wallace, in response to a question regarding the repeal of 'Don't Ask-Don't Tell;' "I think in a lame-duck setting, 'don't ask, don't tell' is not going anywhere."
Graham has had a long-standing position that Congress should wait until the release of the Defense Department study on the effects of repealing the policy on the military. That study is due to be made public Tuesday, followed by Senate Armed Services Committee hearings scheduled to be held on Wednesday and Thursday.

Senator McCaskill remarked that the ban on gays in the military should be lifted to continue the country's long-standing record of troops serving with a "sense of integrity."

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CN), who also sits on the committee with Graham & McCaskill, had told journalists earlier this month when the lame-duck session started he felt confident that Democrats would have support from some Republicans in order to pass the Defense Authorization legislation to which the repeal is attached.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), has vowed to call for a full Senate vote on the legislation before the congressional session ends at Christmas break will need help from at least two Republicans to reach a filibuster-proof 60 votes to repeal it. Capitol Hill observers believe that the Democrats likely would experience stiff resistance passing the repeal legislation after the new Congress begins in January because midterm elections cut the Democratic majority in the Senate to just a few seats and also handed control of the House back to Republicans.

The current Democratically controlled House under the leadership of outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), has already voted in favor of giving the Pentagon authority to lift the ban.

U. S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates along with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,  Admiral Mike Mullen, both support lifting the policy. However, General. James F. Amos, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, said that in his opinion, lifting the ban would be disruptive to Marine combat units while the U.S. remains at war. 

Senator Graham, a U.S. Air Force Reserves JAG lawyer, also told Wallace Sunday,

"This is a political promise made by Senator Obama when he was running for president,” the South Carolina Republican said. “There is no groundswell of opposition to 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' coming from our military. This is all politics."

Arizona Senator John McCain, the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee has criticized effort to lift the ban and accused President Obama of trying to fix a problem that does not exist.

"We don't have a problem." McCain said on CNN's "State of the Union. "The fact is, this was a political promise made by an inexperienced president or candidate for presidency of the United States. The military is at its highest point in recruitment and retention and professionalism and capability, so to somehow allege that this policy has been damaging the military is simply false."

Brody's Journal... Love Drugged- "A Thoughtful Story About Identity, Sexuality, & Learning To Accept Oneself."

By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) NOV 28 | I don't normally write book reviews as my principal occupation- being a professional political reporter, usually manages to overwhelm all other creative types of writing I'd love to indulge in including the occasional foray into the 'arts & humanties.' 

Thus, it is with great pleasure that I am writing these words about a book I was recently given to read by a young Gay activist who volunteers with a local DC organisation, The Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League.

Before I execute my review,  here's an absolutely shameless plug for SMYAL:

The Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League is the Washington, DC metro area's premier  service organization solely dedicated to supporting LGBTQ youth. Founded in 1984, SMYAL has for the past 25 years been a beacon of hope for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Reaching out to provide needed services to over 10, 000 youth and critical training to over 5,000 youth workers, their impact in the community has been enormous.

SMYAL's mission is to promote and support self-confident, healthy, productive lives for LGBTQ youth as they journey from adolescence into adulthood. To fulfill that mission, the staff & volunteers concentrate their commitment and energy on five focus areas: (1) Life Skills & Leadership Development, (2) Counseling & Support, (3) Health & Wellness Education, (4) Safe Social Activities, and (5) Community Outreach and Education. 

It's an absolutely laudable endeavor and a huge success ensuring that hope exists for the thousands of youths that have depended on its programs and its staff and dedicated volunteers. SMYAL is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization.

Back to the book, normally I don't wax poetic about fictional novels written about adolescents and in particular any novel regarding and portraying LGBTQ youth.  Principally owing to the fact that in many instances the plots are weak, the writing is trite, contrived, and hammers the reader with tired clichés and there's often gratuitous sexual situations thrown in that serve no real purpose whatsoever. I hold the opinion that those particular situations are often devoid of functional purpose that possibly could carry a plot or storyline to its logical conclusion.
Oh, and this is especially true of the online versions that seemingly litter the landscape of the web. Which brings me to a point that the young volunteer pointed out to me. There's not a tremendous amount of resources outside of those online stories that LGBTQ youth can utilise or even find for that matter. Not to mention being written in the first place!
Quite frankly there is a dearth of places for LGBTQ young people to head, to obtain quality fictional prose about youth like themselves in romantic, adventure, or science fictional settings.
Stories about LGBTQ youth just do not abound even on Amazon or Barnes & Nobles' websites and the retail prospects are bleaker still as evidenced by the demise of almost all of the small independent LGBT bookstores in the United States over the past few years. I don't know about your experiences with the "Big Box" bookstore chains, but the LGBT sections I've run across are only a couple of shelves and not a lot of selection especially any type of title that possibly would interest an average teen.
Yet, here comes this outstanding book by a very respected high school librarian in a small Chicago area charter school which by the way is available on Amazon. [ Link Here ]

Love Drugged is the story of Jamie Bates, a Chicago high school freshman who is Gay but in the closet. He wants nothing more than to fit in, but when a classmate learns his secret, he fears his life will be ruined. Jamie tries to keep his cover by getting involved with a beautiful female student, and that relationship leads him to discover an untested drug that can "cure" homosexuality.

James Klise
Love Drugged is written by James Klise, who runs the Northtown Academy Charter High School library, routinely works with students on their writing and advises the school's student run literary journal and Northtown's Gay-Straight Alliance. Klise, who himself is Gay, said it wasn’t until he began working at Northtown eight years ago that memories of his own struggles over his sexuality resurfaced.
He said his being Gay has never been an issue at the school, but he recognises there are places in the America where his contract most likely could be terminated for writing a book like Love Drugged.
Told with a dark sense of humor, the novel gives readers a firsthand look at the pressures closeted gay teens can face and the lengths they might go to in order to conform with what they believe is the norm. Through Jamie, Klise describes "those harrowing years between ages 10 and 18, when the meanest, most dreaded, completely acceptable, worst insult for any boy was to be called simply ’fag.’"

"When I was in high school," Klise said, "there wasn’t a single openly gay student in my school. I think a lot of us were just sort of clueless. We didn’t even see it as an option."

I found the novel to be an easy read and believable-let me think.. normal? Yeah, I'll go with normal. Any reader could very easily could relate to the trials and tribulations of this kid as he tried to factor in all the events in his life with the need for instant resolution, instant gratification, and bravado one normally would associate with living in today's world as a teenager. I'll add with emphasis especially a teen-aged reader.
I read a great review/article yesterday regarding the novel, where in the interview portion, Brock Goldflies, a straight 18-year-old senior and vice president of Northtown’s Gay-Straight Alliance said Northtown's students view Klise as an educator and an intellectual resource, not as a Gay man.
He said the librarian’s book nailed the modern-day high school experience, particularly the uncomfortable emotions gay students or teens unsure of their sexuality have to work through.

"One of the main things about the book is the idea of trying to diminish homosexuality as a foreign source, as something bad," Goldflies said. "It was really unjust, this idea of taking a pill to change who you are. It’s a human soul that it’s trying to get rid of."

Goldflies said he believes there really are people who would be all for such a "remedy," people who think homosexuality is an affliction that can be cured.
Klise’s motivation for exploring his own life experiences and weaving them into the fictional, modern-day world of Jamie Bates is that reality which lies at the heart of the novel's theme. He said he hopes teenagers, both Gay and Straight, will read the book and take from it a sense that the best way to be "normal" is to simply be yourself.
If you're a teen ager reading my dreck & drivel treatise right about now, or even a teen's parent... GO BUY THE BOOK!! Seriously, its a story that is not only very enjoyable, but it tweaks a person's humanity and conscience in a way that could only improve a person's outlook on life.
Read an excerpt from Love Drugged: [ Link ]

Brody's Notes... First Gay Pride Parade In India Since Landmark Court Ruling Held

New Delhi Gay Pride Parade  Photo By Henry Foy  Reuters

By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) NOV 28 | People from different walks of life gathered in New Delhi, India for a common cause Sunday. They rallied for acceptance, respect, to break the ice, and to make Indian society and culture aware of their presence. The occasion was the first of its kind legalised Gay-Pride Parade, since a landmark case in the Delhi High Court in July of 2009 finally overturned the colonial-era Section 377 of India's penal code after nine years of legal maneuvering and wrangling- decriminalising homosexuality.

Dancing under a huge rainbow Pride flag accompanied by the sounds of drums, whistles and horns, a crowd of an estimated 2,000 gay activists and supporters clad in feather face masks shouted slogans and waved signs marching through the streets of the capital city of this still predominately sexually conservative country. This is a radical change for Indian Society which has traditionally been conservative and especially private regarding issues concerning human sexuality.

Reuters News Delhi correspondent Henry Foy reports that the parade brought traffic to a halt in the commercial heart of the city, leaving bemused drivers watching in astonishment as kissing male couples, dancing transsexuals in bright pink skirts and thousands of rainbow flags went past.

"Today is about saying that we are gay and we are proud. We are not going anywhere, we are a part of society, and today we can celebrate being different," said Amit Agrawal, one of the parade organizers.

Hillol Dutta, a Gay activist referring to previous marches in the Indian capital which were billed as protests against legislation that criminalized homosexual sex in the world's largest democracy, said;

"Last year it was about protest, but this year it is all about celebration. It has only been a year, but it has been a huge year." 

Reuters' Foy noted that despite the High Court's ruling, Lesbians & Gays still face social stigma where hugging and kissing in public even among heterosexual couples is strongly frowned upon. In a society where parents decide the partner for most people in arranged marriages, getting married for love has a hard time getting accepted, a person talking about being homosexual is an ‘unacceptable’ departure from so-called values of the Indian social system. Strong religious and family values mean many homosexuals choose to hide their sexuality for fear of discrimination, while attacks by police, especially in rural areas, are common.

"It is still socially unacceptable. Many gays have to keep their sexuality concealed, many are married," said Ashok Das. 

Indian society's attitudes are slowly evolving, especially in the country's three largest cities of New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. For example, in New Delhi two years ago, there was only one bar catering to that city's Lesbian and Gay community, but today a host of nightclubs host regular Gay nights as owners and promoters look to cash in on the 'pink rupee.'

"Change is good, but you have to take small steps. The youth have accepted it, but I think it will take at least 10 years before society in general accepts homosexuals," said Saurabh Gaur, a heterosexual man who had come to support a gay friend.

Brody's Notes... Wayne Besen Interviewed By David Pakman On Peter LaBarbera, Salvation Army & John McCain's DADT Position

The David Pakman Show, originally Midweek Politics with David Pakman, is a multiplatform politics and news talk show currently airing on a combination of commercial and public radio stations, including the Pacifica Radio Network, Free Speech TV via DirecTV and DISH Network, on public access television stations nationwide, via internet podcasts and on YouTube.

TDPS is a news and political talk program, known for its controversial interviews with political and religious extremists, liberal and conservative politicians, and other guests. TDPS has had a number of controversies involving homophobic and racist guests. The program focuses on the politics and news of the day, technology and energy development, business, religion and other topics.

Host David Pakman holds an MBA from Bentley University and an undergraduate degree in economics and communication from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

This weeks show includes Wayne Besen, co-founder and executive director of TruthWinsOut.org, who joins David via phone to discuss Porno Peter LaBarbera, the Anti-Gay policies of the Salvation Army, John McCain on Don't Ask Don't Tell, and more.

 

Brody's Scribbles... Was Apple Right To Remove The Manhattan Declaration App?

By Tim Trent (Dartmouth, England) NOV 28 | "Should Apple actually be censors? Will they block anyone accessing material they don't like over their machines?" That is the question that was posed to me on Facebook when I expressed satisfaction that Apple had removed the Manhattan Declaration iPhone App. And it is, on the face of it, a reasonable question. When you dissect it, though, it is not.

After some thought I answered my questioner. I have made some minor edits here:

I think you may have missed the point. An application was uploaded to the iPhone store that was homophobic. It encouraged discrimination. It was also labelled as containing no offensive elements, something I disagree with.

In the same manner that Apple may choose not to sell or otherwise promote pornography, and I have no idea whether it does not not, it may choose on its site not to promote this and other apps that it disagrees with.

Apple has yielded to public pressure from around the world not to promote this application. That is a commercial decision, and one I agree with. You may disagree.

While you can elect to view this as censorship I think it more reasonable to view this as commercial democracy. Apple has been asked, politely, to remove the application by a great many folk, and has agreed.

The application will be available elsewhere, and it is usable on the devices. It's just a piece of software.

What you have done is the old politician's thing of confusing two unrelated issues to make a point. Removing an application from sale is a wholly different action form blocking views of, say, web sites a company, or a government, believes to be unwholesome. That is a huge and far greater issue. And that happens with our own government and UK Internet Service Providers.

One is a commercial decision, the other is state intervention and control.

I would like to refer you to this Wikipedia article, [ Linked Here ] Internet Censorship In Australia as an example. You might also read this article, [ Linked Here ] Internet Censorship in the United Kingdom which, the government had achieved banning a Wikipedia article in the past in the UK.

If you take a stand against that type of state interference I will support you. That something is unwholesome, offensive, indecent, unlawful, politically unwelcome does not mean I need to be prevented from seeing it by a state censor. 'My own good' is not theirs to judge.

Brody's Notes... Queer Today Founder Mark Snyder Gives KGO-TV ABC7News-San Francisco A First-hand Account Of Being Bullied

Mark Snyder Is Interviewed by ABC7 News Anchor Cheryl Jennings

By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) NOV 27 | In a half hour broadcast this past week, KGO ABC7News in San Francisco's Emmy award-winning public affairs show, "Beyond the Headlines," provided in-depth coverage about the disturbing trend that has recently made a lot of headlines- The bullying and subsequent suicides of LGBTQ youth.

Hosted by ABC7's Cheryl Jennings, the broadcaster interviewed Fresno, California mother Allison Murphy, whose adolescent transgendered daughter Chloe, (formerly Justin), took her life earlier this year as a result of bullying. Jennings also spoke with Tom Torlakson, the incoming California State Superintendent-Elect of schools and Jodi Schwartz, Executive Director of Lyric, a San Francisco based community program whose stated mission is to build community and inspire positive social change through education enhancement, career trainings, health promotion, and leadership development with LGBTQ  youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities.

Also appearing in-studio with Jennings, giving a first hand account of surviving being bullied, was 27 year old Mark Snyder, Community Coordinator for Colage, in San Francisco. Colage is a national movement of children, youth, and adults with one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer (LGBTQ) parent(s). Snyder is also the founder and executive director of Queer Today, a ten year old LGBTQ activist website.

Jennings interviewed Snyder to gain his perspective on the issue. Snyder, who had gronw up in rural Pennsylvania, remarked that he was from in the same county that was home to Brandon Bitner,14, of Mount Pleasant Mills, who had walked 13 miles from his home to a busy highway intersection and threw himself in front of an oncoming tractor-trailer November 5th. Media reports revealed that Bitner was driven to suicide after fellow students at Midd-West High School in Middleburg had bullied Bitner for his sexual preferences and the way he dressed.

Snyder noted he had also attended the same high school and had experienced first hand the same types of abusive behaviour that had caused Bitner to kill himself.
In discussing his experiences with Jennings, Snyder listed off the types of traumatic and abusive behaviours he suffered from including the indignity of having his clothing urinated on by other male students in his locker and being physically assaulted. Snyder said that it was not until he switched to a different high school and ultimately left the area that his personal anxiety eased as he transitioned to the more accepting environment in college.

Brody's Scribbles... Wong Calls For Change To The ALP Policy On Gay Marriage

By Desmond Rutherford (Adelaide, Australia) NOV 27 | "FINANCE Minister Penny Wong has laid down a challenge to Julia Gillard and the federal Labor Party over the legalisation of gay marriage.

Senator Wong today backed a motion passed at the ALP conference in South Australia for a federal policy change in favour of gay marriage."

The important thing to note here, is the Labor right wing faction power broker, Senator Don Farrell claiming that, Labor would lose power if there was a change to the policy.

Finally after sitting on the fence and annoying the hell out of the activists with her silence and her allegiance to the party policy, Penny Wong has decided to side with the polls which show over 60 percent of Australians agree with same sex marriage.

Don Farrell's position on the policy seems motivated by other, than his constituents' thoughts. Could he be influenced by his Christian roots? I'd say, Hell, Yeah! However his public and party room facade is that of worrying about winning the next election. This would seem to me to be merely a ploy to keep the present policy of denying same sex marriage on the basis of marriage being only between a man and a woman.

More worrying politics are seen in Senator Wong's attack on The Greens, whose policy has been to support same sex marriage, when she "criticised The Greens for seeking change by “shouting about it”, rather than sensibly advocating for it."

Senator Farrell claims to back Prim Minister, Julia Gillard, "in that marriage should be between a man and a woman," is somewhat ingenuous when it is considered that he "helped engineer" her becoming Prime Minister, which she accepted with what could be interpreted as opportunistic fervour, despite her left wing faction past. Oh I forgot, she is now a centrist.

Could both senators be in agreement that countering The Greens is more important than same sex marriage?

I would have thought that if Senator Wong was serious about same sex marriage being legalised, then she would have accepted whatever help the Greens could offer, but she'd rather join Senator Farrell in attacking the one political party which has consistently supported her self-declared sexuality.

If Senator Farrell expects to undermine The Greens' resolve to support same sex marriage by agreeing to Senator Wong's right to change her mind, then he may find the left wing faction's return to power in Labor, as being one of the long term aims of the Prime Minister. The behind the scenes wrangling of the Labor right wing faction is looking somewhat Machiavellian, with a marriage policy that is decidedly lacking in human rights equality, and in disregard of the will of the Australian people.

Brody's Scribbles... When Does It Stop?

By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) NOV 27 | "Earlier this week, FRC was included in a list of 18 hate groups because, as the SPLC’s Winter 2010 “Intelligence Report” explains, the group has “continued to pump out demonizing propaganda aimed at homosexual and other sexual minorities.” This, according to the Advocate and countless other LGBTQ & mainstream media outlets. Predictably.... 

"In demanding an apology, FRC president Tony Perkins called the Southern Poverty Law Center “a massively funded liberal organization that operates under a veneer of public justice when, in fact, they seem more interested in fundraising ploys than fighting wrongdoing.”

Brian Brown at NOM, another 'injured' recipient of the SPLC's hate group designation said:

"This is an absurd distraction emanating from a once-great organization’s real mission---with all the actual hate groups out there, how can Southern Poverty Law Center stoop so low? This report is not an attack on NOM but on the majority of Americans who believe that to make a marriage you need a husband and wife. It is also further proof of what NOM has been saying: today’s gay marriage movement is no longer about tolerance, live or let live—it’s about driving out dissenting voices from the public square.

Gay marriage now serves as the tip of the spear to a new campaign to demonize and generate hatred against those who adhere to traditional views of sex and marriage. Regular readers of NOM’s work know how we characterize gay people: those who support our vision of marriage, we welcome to join our work. For gay marriage advocates (the majority of whom are not gay) we say: we think you are wrong, and we will fight for our right to vote for marriage in the public square."

Of course I could go on with the dog & pony show regarding the SPLC's report but there's no point to that. Instead, I have to ask a simple question: "When does it stop?" 

I am tired of the non-stop barrage of hatred that spews out of the mouths of these high priced Washington D. C. based lobby outfits, whose sole purpose is predicated on their belief that their God calls them to interfere with the private sexual lives and reproductive rights of their fellow citizens. I've actually read that rather quaintly outdated bit of fictional literature, and no where does it command them to strip their neighbors of dignity, happiness, and pursuit of personal freedoms and expressions of love. Yet, in reality, this is precisely what Tony Perkins, Brian Brown, and a host of these alleged Christians and organisations campaign for.

Now, in fairness, LGBTQ people do present a 'clear & present danger' to these organisations. 

Simply? If being Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, was treated as a condition of a variant of humanity, say like one's skin colour or hair colour, the there'd be no need to demonise LGBTQ persons. No campaign, No threat, equals No money.

There is the unspoken truth that organised religions will not discuss. Its the proverbial elephant in the room, as most religions have stopped being a force for good and a loving outlet to ease a human's path through life and instead have become big business. Which, I need to add, according to considerable recent study of this issue by a group of pollsters and journalists, has spent an amazing $1.4 billion dollars on just waging a war against the LGBTQ citizens of the United States since 1977.

Imagine if that sum had been spent instead on food, medicines, housing, clothing, or some other form of charitable work.

These people use religion as a weapon and as an ongoing business concern. The focus of what was once the basis for the message preached by that young Jewish carpenter has literally been lost in the translation. So much in fact that I doubt he'd even recognise his message of 'Love Thy neighbor as Thy self' in the onslaught of the propaganda put out by these groups and individuals.

The Nazi Party minister of propaganda, Josef Goebbels, would be impressed by this lot, in particular Perkins & Brown. They're slick, well funded, and stay on message never straying far from insuring that Americans see the supposed inherent evil of Gay & Lesbian people. Oh, and I must not leave out the bathroom battles over the Trans folk.

When does it stop? I'm a political reporter and have been for over 33 years now, and have watched the growth of this religious claptrap overtake common sense and the political process of the United States with alarm.  They truly are not much different than the hardcore Nazi party propagandists who flooded the German republic with tales of the evils of the Jewish people. I also should add or anyone who didn't conform to the "ideals" of the so called Aryan model which also did include LGBTQ people as well.  The relentless fiction led to the destruction of Europe and the pointless deaths of millions.

Am I being fair by comparing the Christian right to the Nazi party ideology? I see it as a parallel comparison. For example,  Peter Spriggs, a senior fellow at Perkin's & Company's Family Research Council has made public statements calling for the re-criminalisation of what they term homosexual behaviour.  Jail people for expressing their love? Too many LGBTQ folk Peter, hell it'd overwhelm the already overburdened American criminal justice system, perhaps establishing Nazi style concentration camps would be a better choice?

When does it stop? Its gotten so bad that now the so-called Christian right exports this crap to places like Uganda where extremist elements of this flawed theological nightmare introduced legislation that provided for the application of capital punishment for repeat offences of homosexual behaviour.  Yes, American Christians....

I cannot adequately express the level of disgust I have when viewing the never-ending parade of garbage that flows from these people. They do not like to be held accountable for their inflammatory rhetoric that directly influences other people to take actions that do lead to the injury and sometimes death of LGBTQ human beings.  Every-time another Gay teenager or young adult takes his life or her life because of incessant bullying-the direct cause is the FRC and their ilk's message. When does it stop?

The truth is that the only way to end this madness is to cut off the many heads of this creature, this modern day Hydra by eliminating their sources of revenue.  The most effective way is precisely what the SPLC has done by exposing them for what they are- hate groups.

Tony Perkins? Brian Brown? You folks want an apology? No, I think not. Rather I think that you two and your viperous organisations should be investigated for crimes against humanity although that's just wishful thinking.

When does it stop?

Brody's Journal... "It Gets Better" — Love, Pixar

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) NOV 26 | On Monday, November 22,  a message of hope from employees from the Academy Award winning Pixar Animation Studios was released for Dan Savage's "It Gets Better campaign."

These are the personal stories of the folks who brought the world Toy Story 1-3, It's A Bugs Life, and Wall-E along with the hit Disney-Pixar film, Ratatouille.

Brody's Notes... Pope Benedict XVI: Homosexual Acts- Are "Disordered"

In this picture made available by the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano Pope Benedict XVI holds a copy of the book "Light of the World'', a series of papal interviews with freelance German journalist Peter Seewald, left, at the Vatican, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010.


By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) NOV 26 | Freelance German journalist and writer Peter Seewald, author of the new book-length interview with Pope Benedict XVI published Tuesday, writes that Benedict said homosexual acts are "disordered" and homosexuality itself is "incompatible" with the priesthood. Seewald interviewed the Pope over a period of several days at the papal summer residence, Castel Gandolfo,  near Rome.

Seewald compiled those conversations into his new book, "Light of the Word: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times." Seewald has previously published two books on then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, "The Salt of the Earth," and "God and the World."

During an interview with German magazine Der Spielgel, Seewald was asked:

What issues do you directly address with the Pope in the book "Light of the World?"

Seewald: The book in general deals with the crisis in the Church, with his pontificate, as well as with the dramatic problems of society. It also addresses the sexual abuse scandal, how this pontificate is directly confronting it and what this will lead to. It addresses how reform in the Church will take place, what the Church’s stance is towards Islam and how this crisis is affecting us today.

In an excerpt from the book published Tuesday, Seewald asked whether the Catholic church's teaching that homosexuals deserve respect isn't contradicted by its position that homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered."

Benedict answered: "No. It is one thing to say that they are human beings with their problems and their joys, that as human beings they deserve respect, even though they have this inclination, and must not be discriminated against because of it. At the same time, though, sexuality has an intrinsic meaning and direction, which is not homosexual," he said. "The meaning and direction of sexuality is to bring about the union of man and woman and, in this way, to give humanity posterity, children, a future." 

The pope said the Catholic church needs to hold firm on this point, "even if it is not pleasing to our age." He went on to remark that it was still an open question whether homosexual inclinations are innate or arise early in life. In any case, he said, if these are strong inclinations, it represents "a great trial" for the homosexual. 

"But this does not mean that homosexuality thereby becomes morally right. Rather, it remains contrary to the essence of what God originally willed," Benedict states 

Seewald asked Benedict, stating that since homosexuality exists in monasteries and among the clergy, even if not acted out,  wasn't that incompatible with church doctrine?

In response the pope stated:

"Well, that is just one of the miseries of the church. And the persons who are affected must at least try not to express this inclination actively. Homosexuality is incompatible with the priestly vocation. Otherwise, celibacy itself would lose its meaning as a renunciation. It would be extremely dangerous if celibacy became a sort of pretext for bringing people into the priesthood who don't want to get married anyway," the pope said. 

He then cited a 2005 Vatican document that drew a sharp line against priestly ordination of homosexuals. He said the document emphasized that homosexual candidates cannot become priests because their sexual orientation interferes with "the proper sense of paternity" that belongs to the priesthood. The pope said it was important to select priestly candidates very carefully, "to head off a situation where the celibacy of priests would practically end up being identified with the tendency to homosexuality."

Brody's Notes... Inspired By Hit TV Show Glee- Decatur Central HS Football Team Wins Money

Decatur Central High School in Indianapolis Indiana

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) NOV 26 | The varsity football team of Decatur Central High School in Indianapolis had a rather unique way of winning money for their school this past September during the annual Marsh Hoosier Classic at Lucas Oil stadium- they competed in a video competition.

According to Fox News 59 in Indianapolis reporter Eva Pilgrim,  the students on the football team got their inspiration from the hit Fox Television programme Glee,  where in one episode, the football team does a dance to Beyonce's "Put a Ring on it." Pilgrim reported:

Brandon Ledford is the quarterback of the high school's team. He was apprehensive about the idea when his fellow students came to him, "I was like wow. No. I gotta focus on winning some football games." But with money on the line for his school, Ledford and the rest of the team decided to go for it.  Ledford says, "We were on a two game losing streak. After that week we went Lucas Oil and our video was played and we went on a three game winning streak."

Travis Duncan is also on the team. He say it made for a busy week for all the players, "We were practicing for football and the dance video at the same time." Duncan says he's glad the football team participated in the Glee spoof. He says it's something they will all be talking for a long time to come.

Amber Derrow taught the guys the moves and directed the video, "Attention span was not that long on getting everyone set for it." Derrow says no one expected the guys to be perfect, "If they messed up it made for a funny idea."

Pilgrim noted that the entire video was shot in one day, but it took a lot longer to prepare and plan for that shoot.  Ben Ettinger edited the final product, "We finished it in about 2 or 3 days." The video was presented at the Marsh Hoosier Classic at Lucas Oil stadium where it won the school $300.

From Fox TV's Glee:

Brody's Notes... Orange County, Florida, Expands Anti-Discrimination Law Includes LGBT Protections

By Editors LGBTQNation (Phoenix, Arizona) NOV 26 | Commissioners in Orange County, Florida voted earlier this week to extend anti-discrimination laws, adding marital status, sexual orientation and gender identity to other protected statuses in private sectors of business and housing.

Under the new Human Rights Ordinance, approved by a 6-1 vote on Tuesday, businesses and property owners cannot discriminate based on the new classes.

Equality Florida issued this statement:

Kudos to Commissioners Linda Stewart, Bill Segal and Mayor Crotty in particular for their leadership. Commissioner Fred Brummer was the lone “NO” vote.

Orange County is the largest local government in Central Florida. The passage of the ordinance is the culmination of years of organizing, lobbying and education. Equality Florida is a proud member of the Orlando Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Committee aka OADO. Kudos to all OADO leaders: Michael Slaymaker, Mary Meeks, Kathryn Norsworthy, Patrick Howell, Tom Woodard, Drew Weinbrenner, Lisa Tilman-Healy along with Equality Florida Boardmember Pat Padilla and staff members Joe Saunders and Mallory Wells.

Patrick C. Howell, PC,  Law Firm Of Taylor & Carls, Maitland, Florida 

The vote was notable for its lack of opposition. No residents spoke against it, in stark contrast to the city of Orlando’s passage of similar protections in 2002, which attracted fierce debate, religious group antagonism and a close vote.

“It’s a completely different world than it was 10 years ago,” said Patrick Howell, a lawyer and activist who lobbied for the new protections in both Orlando and the county.

The new the law exempts religious organizations and small businesses.