Breaking News Events

[Cin]

WAR ON WOMEN? All of the female Democratic state senators walked out of the Georgia Senate to protest bills put forward by the Republican male majority.

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

Well if you are misreading the article I am too. I don't get this at all. How can this become a law? It sounds like medical information about the fetus a woman is carrying can legally be kept from her by her doctor so she won't be able to make a decision to abort it. Talk about slippery slopes...

from the article:

Those are lawsuits that can arise if physicians don’t inform pregnant women of prenatal problems that could lead to the decision to have an abortion.

I read it the same way...Doctors can withhold info from a pregnant woman if that info could lead to an abortion. More anti-choice legislation.

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by MissItalianDiva

Dennis Hof is a douche...always has been and always will be so this does not shock me.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/08/mo...imbaugh-video/

I see it as a very tongue-in-check (so to speak) poke at Limbaugh....it made me laugh.

[Toughy]

http://start.toshiba.com/news/read.p...1_UNEWS&page=1

I love Doonesbury....can't wait to see the actual strips

[Cin]

Why we still put hundreds of thousands of people in steel cages for pot-related offenses.

[MissItalianDiva]

Originally Posted by Toughy

I see it as a very tongue-in-check (so to speak) poke at Limbaugh....it made me laugh.

It was a very tongue in cheek move on Dennis Hofs part but he really is pushing the pitch which I find insulting. We all know the network will never approve and ad like that but it still disturbs me.

[Toughy]

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/154364...the_unemployed

Pee on command to get your unemployment benefits.......

[LeftWriteFemme]

‘Gay Synagogue’ Finds a Home, Full of Ancient Assyrians


http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20...ent-assyrians/

[Trey339]

http://now.msn.com/now/0310-pope-aga...d57636&_nwpt=1

especially considering the source

[Corkey]

The rights of all LGBT are in question with this latest action of the PA legislature. All hands on deck!


The anti-LGBT constitutional amendment on marriage is back
and it is time to FIGHT!

Same concept as before, but even meaner this time around.

A vote on House Bill (HB) 1434 is scheduled for TUESDAY, MARCH 13 in the House State Government Committee. Now is the time to let your voice be heard.

HB 1434, proposed by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, would not only amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to define marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman, it would invalidate any other type of legal union or one substantially equivalent. That means any discussion of civil unions or domestic partnerships would forever be off the table for consideration. Passage of this legislation will also forcefully terminate benefits currently provided to thousands of employees in municipalities or state owned schools or facilities that offer domestic partnership benefits.

Had enough? Then take the following steps ASAP:

1. Call members of the House State Government Committee TODAY and tell them NOT to support HB 1434.

2. Who are the Members of the House State Government Committee?

Majority (Republicans)
Daryl Metcalfe - Chairman (717) 783-1707 District: (724) 772-3110
Seth Grove (717) 783-2655 District: (717) 767-3947
Jim Cox (717) 772-2435 District: (610) 670-0139
Matt Gabler (717) 260-6142 District: (814) 375-4688
Lynda Schlegel-Culver (717) 787-3485 District: (570) 286-5885
George Dunbar (717) 260-6132 District: (724) 744-0305
Eli Evankovich (717) 260-6129 District: (724) 387-1281
Glenn Grell (717) 783-2063 District: (717) 795-6091
Marcia Hahn (717) 783-8573 District: (610) 746-2100
Rob W. Kauffman (717) 705-2004 District: (717) 264-3943
Jerry Knowles (717) 787-9029 District: (570) 668-1240
Timothy Krieger (717) 260-6146 District: (724) 834-6400
Mark Mustio (717) 787-6651 District: (412) 262-3780
Brad Roae (717) 787-2353 District: (814) 336-5154
Jerry Stern (717) 787-9020 District: (814) 695-2398

Minority (Democrats)
Babette Josephs - Chairman (717) 787-8529 District: (215) 893-1515
Tony Payton (717) 787-1354 District: (215) 744-7901
Greg Vitali (717) 787-7647 District: (610) 789-3900
Steve Samuelson (717) 705-1881 District: (610) 867-3890
Tim Briggs (717) 705-7011 District: (610) 768-3135
Angel Cruz (717) 787-1407 District: (215) 291-5643
Eugene DePasquale (717) 787-7514 District: (717) 848-9595
Florindo Fabrizio (717) 787-4358 District: (814) 455-6319
Eddie Day Pashinski (717) 783-0686 District: (570) 825-5934
Steven Santarsiero (717) 787-5475 District (215) 968-3975

Want to email them too?

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/...ist.cfm?body=H

3. Don’t know what to say when you call? Here are some points:

HB 1434 doesn’t create 1 job. Let’s stick to REAL issues.
HB 1434 COSTS. At a time when the state budget is tight beyond words, no-one is talking about the estimated $600,000-$1million it will cost taxpayers to advertise this amendment to voters should it pass the General Assembly. Where will that money come from?
Same sex marriage is already illegal in Pennsylvania. A constitutional amendment does nothing more to that status and is unnecessary and mean-spirited.
Passage of this legislation will forcefully terminate benefits currently provided to thousands of employees in municipalities or state owned schools or facilities that offer domestic partnership benefits.
Support for this type of hurtful legislation is waning nationwide and in Pennsylvania. The last time a constitutional amendment was introduced in the House of the General Assembly in 2006, there were 87 co-sponsors. HB 1434 was introduced with only 35 cosponsors. That’s a steep decline in support.
Pennsylvanians AREN’T calling for this amendment. Not one legitimate poll exists showing Pennsylvanians in favor of this amendment.
4. Attend the meeting of the House State Government Committee:

Tuesday, March 13 9:00 am

Room G-50, Irvis Office Building (NEXT TO THE CAPITOL BUILDING)


(Meet in the Capitol Rotunda at 8:30am.)

Please be respectful. However, please come prepared to pack the room.
Signs are welcome.


5. Call your representative TODAY (they may or may not be on the House State Government Committee) and enlist your friends and family to do the same. Don’t know who represents you, click here http://hq-equalityfederation.salsala...9/getLocal.jsp

NOW is the time to let your voices be heard. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The General Assembly needs to be dealing with REAL issues not spending its time attacking LGBT people.

[LeftWriteFemme]

Priest who refused communion to lesbian removed from church


http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/...d-from-church/

[LeftWriteFemme]

Catholic Diocese drops homeless funding over director’s gay marriage views



http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/03/09...arriage-views/

[UofMfan]

Wisconsin Voter ID Law Ruled Unconstitutional

[LeftWriteFemme]

White House to host first ever trans meeting


http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/...trans-meeting/

[UofMfan]

CNN's John Avlon On Advertiser Exodus From Limbaugh's Show: "This Is The Free Market Working Out"

[LeftWriteFemme]

Palmer High School Yearbook Diversity Debate


http://www.krdo.com/news/30650129/detail.html

[Corkey]

Statement of Equality Pennsylvania on the dropping from Consideration of the Marriage Constitutional Amendment: THANK YOU!
Harrisburg: Equality Pennsylvania today thanks members of the House State Government Committee for dropping consideration of HB 1434, the mean-spirited and nonsensical amendment to the constitution on marriage.

At a time when Pennsylvanians are facing great uncertainty in their lives due to the economy as well as deep and unprecedented cuts to programs that support their health and welfare, how can any elected official in Harrisburg be serious about an issue that so few in the public count as either a threat or even a concern? Not only has poll after poll shown little interest from the public in talking about marriage at any level, most have shown a significant and growing acceptance of same-sex relationships everywhere.

Over the course of the last 6-12 months, five national polls (Gallup, PRRI, CNN/ORC, ABC/Washington Post and Pew) have shown growing and significant support for same-sex relationships. In fact, four of these polls showed over 50% support. In Pennsylvania, the findings are no different. Nearly a year ago, Public Policy Polling found that an overwhelming 65% of Pennsylvanians thought same sex couples should have all the legal rights that married heterosexual couples do. The last Franklin & Marshall College Poll noted that 50% of residents either strongly or somewhat favored giving same sex couples the right to marry. That's an 8% increase since 2009. And finally, for the first time since they began polling Muhlenberg College’s Institute of Public Opinion found that a majority of Pennsylvanians believed that same sex marriage should be legally recognized.

In 2012, this is not an issue. It creates no jobs. It comes with hidden costs. It forcefully terminates existing domestic partnership benefits of thousands of municipal and state employees. It takes even the discussion of granting civil unions or domestic partnership benefits off the table. And as polls show, it is out of touch with the point of view of most Pennsylvanians. We call on the Legislature to act on serious issues and to stay away from those that needlessly hurt citizens.

Equality Pennsylvania is committed to defeating the constitutional amendment and we believe in equal marriage rights for ALL people. Our mission is to be the preeminent LGBT advocacy organization for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and work collaboratively to establish a comprehensive network of individuals and organizations united in securing equal rights for the LGBT community (equalitypa.org)

Thank you all who called or emailed the PA Legislature.

[Martina]

[suebee]

Rick Santorum Tells Puerto Ricans To Speak English If They Want Statehood Link HERE.

[EnderD_503]

Old news, but didn't see it posted and I thought it was great:

Members of the European Parliament Hold ‘Vagina Monologues’ to Stop Violence Against Women

In what seems to be a demonstrative statement to end violence against women, nine MEPs have taken the courage to perform Eve Ensler’s play, the Vagina Monologues, tonight (6 March) in the European Parliament.

“Violence against women is not a fair-weather topic. In times of economic crisis, domestic violence rises across Europe. I am delighted that we succeeded in mobilising a cross-party group of women MEPs to go on stage for this call to end violence against women,” said Franziska Brantner, one of the MEPs performing in the play.

The play, which takes place two days before International Women’s Day, underscores the message that violence against women is unacceptable and must be stopped.

One in three women in the world have either been beaten or raped - about one billion women. In Europe, 45% of women have been victims of violence, including sexual abuse, domestic violence, genital mutilation, sexual harassment, rape, forced sterilisation, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.

The impact of domestic violence alone costs the EU an estimated €16 billion per year, amounting to €1 million every half hour, said V-Day, the global activist movement founded by Ensler that combats violence against women.

According to V-Day calculations, if the budgets for prevention of this violence were increased by just €1, it could save €87 in total costs of dealing with the problem.

The series of monologues was first performed in New York in 1996, in the basement of the Conelia Street Café. Five years later it was performed in Madison Square Garden by an all-star cast featuring Calista Flockhart, Jane Fonda, Melissa Ethridge, Oprah Winfrey and others.

The play is based on a series of interviews with women about the most intimate part of their body. It is a vivid and hilarious voyage into female sexuality, in all its complexity and mystery. Ensler is casting new light on real women’s stories of intimacy, vulnerability and sexual self-discovery. Over the years, she was able to convince numbers of well-known women to perform in the play.

Glenn Close once said, "You become part of her crusade. There's a core of us who are Eve's army."

Now Ensler has enlisted MEPs, including France’s Marielle Gallo, Belgium’s Isabelle Durant, Germany’s Fraziska Brantner, Austria’s Ulrike Lunacek and Portugal’s Ana Gomes.

The MEPs are using the event to pass a certain number of political demands including ensuring that appropriate EU funding continues for programmes to end violence against women, and making sure that the pan-European ‘victims package’ contains specific measures for victims of domestic violence.

The call for action also urges EU decision-makers to honour existing commitments and devise a European Strategy for preventing and combating violence, which will include appropriate accountability mechanism.

Their call is directed to the EU executive, which no longer sees the need to explicitly include the elimination of sexual violence against women in its policy objectives, said one of the performing MEPs, Kartika Tamara Liotard of the Netherlands.

"I suggest that the Commission reflects upon the many vaginas that are going to be affected by that," she said.

But beyond the good cause, the show in the European Parliament might well create a new way of doing politics. Isabelle Durant said: "Humour and tenderness are awesome political weapons to fight the violence done to women.”

Swedish MEP Cecilia Wilkström added that the play will trigger many reactions in the Parliament, “people will be both upset and moved but no one will be left untouched.”

http://www.euractiv.com/socialeurope...en-news-511325