Sometimes there’s just so much legislation happening by and for and against gay people on this spinning rock full of weirdos that it’s easy to lose track of it all. Well, not today! Here is the 411, in several different states which you may or may not live in.
HAWAII:
Hawaii is really coming out on top today, with the passage of a bill that includes gender identity and expression in the state’s employment protections. It passed with a 22-2 vote, and is now moving onto Governor Abercrombie for his signature. “The march towards full equality in the Aloha State continues,” said Alan Spector, Equality Hawaii Co-Chair. “Providing employment protections to transgender citizens in Hawaii is a victory for civil rights and equal treatment under the law for all residents of our great state.”
And that’s not even all! They’ve also elected their third openly gay official, Kipukai Kualii. “Kualii joins Blake Oshiro, a state representative, and Kim Iwamoto, a transgender member of the state board of education, as Hawaii’s openly LGBT elected officials. Hawaii, which recently legalized civil unions, also has a lesbian on its state supreme court, an appointed rather than elected position.” Maybe there should be less talk of moving to Canada and more talk of moving to Hawaii.
ARIZONA:
Governor Jan Brewer is well-known as the person responsible for the shockingly stringent and deeply unpopular immigration bill SB-1070. Now she’s looking at SB-1188, a bill that would make it extremely difficult for gay and lesbian couples to adopt children. Brewer has the opportunity to veto it, but has given no real indication about how she plans on handling the bill.
ILLINOIS:
Illinois Republicans have somehow managed to sneak an amendment that would restrict gay people from adopting into a bill about assistance for the blind. The anti-gay sentiment is shocking on its own, especially when combined with an apparent willingness to trick other lawmakers into cooperating with its passage if that’s what it takes to pass it. Specifically, the amendment states that “a child welfare agency that is religiously based or owned by, operated by, or affiliated with a bona fide religious organization may decline an adoption or foster family home application … from a party to a civil union if acceptance of that application would constitute a violation of the organization’s sincerely held religious beliefs.”
MARYLAND:
The bill meant to provide housing protections for trans people in Maryland, HB-235, has died on the floor. Supporters of the bill seem to generally be holding anti-gay Christian groups responsible for fearmongering about possible consequences of protecting trans people from housing discrimination. “Among the tactics used to defeat the bill was the Not My Shower website, which claimed that heterosexual men in dresses would invade public locker rooms to molest little girls.” It’s important to note also, though, that this bill was perhaps only of symbolic assistance to the trans community of Maryland, and that there was heated controversy within the trans and activist community about the lack of protections for public accomodation, which would have included shelters and protections for homeless trans people.
There! Now you know what to be either angry or pleased about. You’re welcome.
My bags are already packed, I just need someone to buy me a plane ticket. Any takers? Anyone? Anyone?
You’re from Tennessee, right?
http://jezebel.com/#!5791494/conservatives-will-win-battle-against-homosexuality-by-banning-the-word-gay
Let’s get you the FUCK outta there!!
“Unnatural vice”? YES PLEASE, I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE OUT OF HERE.
“Cynthia Dunbbar, an assistant law professor at Liberty University, also seemed confused about her stance on sodomites, or whatever she’d prefer to call them. From The American Independent:
‘We have to reach out to those trapped in lifestyle that ultimately leads to death,’ she said, ignoring the fact that all lifestyles ultimately lead to death.”
Best line.
All I did was read the link and realized that I didn’t want to read an article about conservative bullshit. And as you have so accurately confirmed my foresight, I now see that it was not just conservative bullshit, but really really stupid bullshit.
Cynthia Dunbar was also on the school board in TX that totally screwed over Texas’s curriculum requirements last year.
Oh, also, she was the anatomy teacher at my Baptist high school in a suburb of Houston for a year, so…
Yeah, same lady.
oh and did i mention that now i live in tennessee?
I’m sorry.
She was an anatomy teacher? I have feelings about this. Mostly just offended that someone this moronic holds the same professional certifications I do.
‘We have to reach out to those trapped in lifestyle that ultimately leads to death,’ she said, ignoring the fact that all lifestyles ultimately lead to death.”
OH MY GOD… this is the funniest thing ever. almost everything they’re saying is too absurd to even be infuriating.
WTF? People are so stupid. I can’t even handle it.
Oh my god what the fricking frack. I now feel slightly less bad for being stuck in Ohio for another three years. If I had money, I would buy you a plane ticket and head out to San Fransisco. Or Canada.
I’m confused about the last point about housing for trans people. How would that “encourage” them to molest their children…? If they’re so fearful of that, why would they veto a bill that would keep trans people indoors? Doesn’t that seem…counter-intuitive, even for their sick agendas?
Don’t you try to trick them with logic.
Thank you so much for sharing this info, Rachel! Autostraddle is awesome!
Adoption – lets first end the catholic group that are invovled with children in general. the church of the endless hidden molestation that also moved KNOWN GUILTY Priests to new locations where they could continue their vile crimes.
then there are the “anything but Christian” hate groups. Our own taliban. AFA, FRC, NOM etc.
This isn’t and won’t be America, it will continue to be AMERIKKKa until these groups of criminals are destroyed.
Also go google “southern baptists and child molestation”
it seems that the prime requirement for being an evangelical minister (there are some good evangelicald churches) is to be both a hater and a molester.
Here’s to the letter btw which I will mail tomorrow to the wife of one of our right wing legislators.
It is a copy of ad blog that outs her husband.
It was only months ago that Florida’s ban on gay adoption (the last in the country) was deemed unconstitutional. Now Arizona and Illinois are heading that direction. Seems like one step forward and two steps back, yet again…
Cynthia Dunbar should meet this lady:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?desktop_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DVgDWAvLh0yo&v=VgDWAvLh0yo&gl=US
Firstly, I have never in my life seen something so awkward. *makes finger motion*
Secondly, her question about whether or not she would want that done to her is invalid, because she is a woman and therefore automatically disqualified from participating in the situation she previously described. But I guess I shouldn’t put too many constraints on her “thinking”.
Damn logic just gets in the way sometimes doesn’t it
Wow. “would you want that done to you…” (really long pause) “no. that’s not normal.”
Ok, I don’t particularly want a lot of things done to me, but I didn’t know that was the basis for the rights of other people.
I mean, I really don’t like the idea of getting pregnant. Particularly not the “normal” way. I think it would just be weird for me.
Clearly, because the idea of having sperm travel from a penis up to my ovaries and “wiggle around” then eventually create another living human being that grows inside of me and then eventually has to come out.. you know, accompanied by (god forbid) bodily fluids, kinda creeps me out… I mean people! Do you know what they do! Ew.
Let’s make that shit illegal. Or let’s penalize all the people who choose that “lifestyle.” You know, ’cause this girl thinks it’s gross. And obviously, I am the arbiter of normal.
Logic.
“Maybe there should be less talk of moving to Canada and more talk of moving to Hawaii.”
Hollllllllllaaaaa!!!!!
Who wants to fulfill a lesbian fantasy for me and go live on a farm and pick coffee beans for 6 months in Hawaii?
All of you.
Pack your bags.
i’m packin’
PS: I said 6 months because, fuckin A, I would miss my family.
I’m not sure if this is a thing, but since we for the most part can only get civil unions, I propose that we ask our significant other if they “Would like to get civilized”
That has a kinky ring to it lol