Nearly Half Of Republicans Would Be Bothered Hearing Foreign Language Spoken In US

(stock image via Depositphotos)

From The Hill:

Close to half of white Republicans in the United States said they would be bothered if they heard someone speak a foreign language in public in a new survey released by the Pew Research Center on Wednesday.

According to the new survey, 47 percent of white respondents who identified as Republican or Republican-leaning said they would be bothered “some” or “a lot” by a person speaking a language in public that was not English.

By contrast, only 18 percent white respondents who identified as Democrat or Democrat-leaning said they would be bothered.

Fifty-eight percent of white Democrats said that they wouldn’t be bothered at all by hearing someone speak in a foreign language in a public. Twenty-six percent of white Republicans also answered the same.

Outside of political modifiers, the survey found that 34 percent of all white respondents said they would be bothered hearing people speak in a foreign language in public.

NY State: Town Clerk Denies Gay Couple Marriage License

Sherrie Eriksen (image via Facebook)

Sherrie Eriksen, a town clerk in Root, New York, this week denied a marriage license to a gay couple based on her religious beliefs. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he is investigating.

Dylan Toften, one of the men seeking the license wrote on his Facebook: “Town of Root clerk is a bigot!!!! Refused to do our marriage license. She said make an appointment to have her deputy do it… do your job.”

The Daily Gazette spoke with Town Attorney Robert Subik who said:

“Sherrie didn’t process the two men’s marriage license application because they failed to make an appointment with her, as everyone is required by her office to do. She has a religious objection and has referred the matter to her deputy clerk, who has no such objection and will issue the license when they make an appointment. The clerks are both part-time and don’t man the office Monday through Friday. Of course, the two men are free to go to another jurisdiction to obtain their license.”

Gov. Cuomo has asked that an investigation be launched to look into the matter.

The denial of a marriage license to a same sex couple yesterday in Montgomery County is an unconscionable act of discrimination that goes against our values as New Yorkers. I am directing an investigation into this incident to ensure that it never happens again. https://t.co/NAX9963vDt

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 1, 2018

Gay Republican Fired For Calling Police On Woman Using A Coupon

MorryMatson, former employee of CVS Heath in Chicago

After a CVS Health store manager called the Chicago police on a black woman who was merely trying to use a manufacturer's coupon, the drug store chain has announced the manager and his assistant have been fired for their discriminatory actions.

Here's CVS's statement issued today via Chicago's :

"We have sincerely apologized to Ms. Hudson for her experience in one of our Chicago stores. Our Region Director in Chicago contacted her as soon as we were made aware of this incident. We have completed our investigation, and as a result the two colleagues who were involved are no longer employed by CVS Health. CVS Health does not tolerate any practices that discriminate against any customer and we are committed to maintaining a welcoming and diverse environment in our stores. We have firm non-discrimination policies in place to help ensure that all customers are treated with respect and dignity. Profiling or any other type of discriminatory behavior is strictly prohibited."

Last week I reported on the incident where Camilla Hudson tried to use the coupon at the CVS on North Broadway near Loyola University.

Hudson captured the incident on cellphone video and posted it to her Facebook page. The video shows manager Morry Matson literally shaking as he calls 911.

Matson told her Hudson wouldn't accept the coupon and accused her of forging the coupon.

Matson says he was a delegate for President Trump during his 2016 campaign and is running for alderman of Chicago's 48th Ward.

Shortly after the incident was reported and went viral, Matson's campaign site went dark.

Matson was also the president of the Illinois chapter of Log Cabin Republicans.

But according to a statement given to BlockClubChicago by Gregory T. Angelo, national president of the Log Cabin Republicans, the Illinois state charter has been revoked.

Log Cabin Republicans Chapter Leaders have a duty to conduct themselves in a manner becoming of an organization advocating equality and inclusion of all Americans — whether or not they are acting in an official capacity on behalf of LCR or otherwise. As news articles highlighting Mr. Matson’s actions from this past weekend show, not doing so can have detrimental consequences not only for individual Chapters, but for the national organization as a whole. As such, the provisional charter afforded to LCR Illinois under its newly reconstituted leadership has been terminated.

Participation

Florida: Three County Clerks End All Courthouse Weddings To Avoid Marrying Same-Sex Couples

With the arrival of same-sex marriage to Florida on the very near horizon,  at least three County Clerks have decided to stop performing marriages in their county courthouses completely in order to avoid marrying same-sex couples.

Duval Clerk of Courts Ronnie Fussell, Clay Clerk Tara Green and Baker Clerk Stacie Harvey have all made the decision to end ALL courthouse weddings.

Fussell says the decision came after a series of discussion with members of his staff who currently officiate wedding ceremonies. None of them, including Fussell, felt comfortable doing gay weddings so they decided to end the practice all together, he said.

There were 1,911 wedding ceremonies performed at the Duval County Courthouse in 2013, compared to 6,342 marriage licenses issued. About 330 Clay County couples are married at its courthouse each year, and Baker averages about 30.

Fussell, a former Jacksonville City Council president, attends a Southern Baptist church and said he has considered how to handle the conflict between his personal views and professional duties that gay marriage created. He said he believes lesbians and gays should be defended and protected, but not allowed to marry.

“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman,” he said. “Personally it would go against my beliefs to perform a ceremony that is other than that.”

Residents of Baker, Clay and Duval counties who want to avoid usual wedding expenses will now have to find a minister or notary to perform the ceremony after they pick up their marriage license, but a place other than the courthouse.

Baker Clerk Harvey said the decision is as much about logistics as it is personal conviction. The room where weddings are performed each year will now be used as space for people filling out paperwork related to domestic violence injunctions.

“I needed the space and our county we’re in the Bible Belt,” she said. “... If we’re made by the law to issue a gay marriage license (we will) do that, but we are not mandated to marry couples in our courthouse.”

As the article above references, 1,911 couples were married in Duval County alone. No more.

Because of bigotry.

Sad that folks are so anti-gay that they would rather punish everyone in their county rather than marry a same-sex couple.

American Decency Association versus Honey Maid

American Decency Association board member Steve Huston is mad about rainbows and Honey Maid's inclusive gay family ad campaign:

"Nabisco wants to change definitions like family and wholesome.

"Now that I am older and more interested in protecting definitions like family and wholesome, I’m interested in being a conscientious consumer, watching where I spend my dollar. It’s not a matter of acceptance; it’s a matter of an evil agenda which is being pushed upon America and around the world.

"Satan continues to attack God’s design and skew it to his own workings. He continues to take words like 'wholesome' and 'family' and twist them for his own purposes. He takes a symbol of God’s promise (the rainbow) and hijacks it, twisting it to his own design.

"Satan calls it normal; God calls it sin."

I reported on the Honey Maid campaign last month, but why not take another look? I think it's great :)

Attorneys for Utah ask for more time to figure out why they are taking away people's rights

Attorneys for the state of Utah apparently need more time to devise a plan to deny Utah citizens their civil rights.  From Deseret News:

Attorneys for the state asked the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday for a 10-day extension of a Jan. 27 deadline for initial arguments.

In its motion, the state says it needs an extension to complete a "fulsome, detailed and quality" brief on the constitutional questions surrounding Utah's definition of marriage as only between a man and a woman. It also says the state needs help from its newly hired outside counsel to prepare and file the brief.

The 10th Circuit put the case on a fast track after receiving Utah's notice of appeal last month.

The case was fast tracked due to Utah's request. Now the state says they don't have enough time to get their arguments together?

If you don't know what your arguments are, then maybe you shouldn't be filing to take away people's rights Utah.

(source)

Former Minnesota Vikings Chris Kluwe on FOX Sports Live

Chris Kluwe joins FOX Sports Live in studio to discuss his motivation for writing his Deadspin column, tolerance in NFL locker rooms and his time in Minnesota.

Minnesota Vikings respond to Chris Kluwe's allegations of bigotry

Earlier today I reported on an essay by former Vikings punter (and LGBT ally) Chris Kluwe, who wrote a devastating account of his views on why he was released from the team last year.

The essay - "I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot" - chronicled Chris' feelings that his public stance for LGBT rights led to his release from the team.

Via press release:

The Minnesota Vikings were made aware of Chris Kluwe’s allegations for the first time today. We take them very seriously and will thoroughly review this matter.

As an organization, the Vikings consistently strive to create a supportive, respectful and accepting environment for all of our players, coaches and front office personnel. We do not tolerate discrimination at any level. The team has long respected our players’ and associates’ individual rights, and, as Chris specifically stated, Vikings ownership supports and promotes tolerance, including on the subject of marriage equality.

Because he was identified with the Vikings, Chris was asked to be respectful while expressing his opinions. Team ownership and management also repeatedly emphasized to Chris that the Vikings would not impinge on his right to express his views.

Any notion that Chris was released from our football team due to his stance on marriage equality is entirely inaccurate and inconsistent with team policy.

Chris was released strictly based on his football performance. We will have further comment at the appropriate time.

At the end of the day, what else could the team say on the subject?

"Yep - we have bigots in charge over here?"

NFL's Chris Kluwe: "I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot"

NFL punter (formerly of the Minnesota Vikings) and LGBT ally Chris Kluwe has written a detailed and compelling history of his commitment to LGBT equality AND how that intersected his football career leading to his ultimate release from the Vikings.

He begins like this:

Hello. My name is Chris Kluwe, and for eight years I was the punter for the Minnesota Vikings. In May 2013, the Vikings released me from the team. At the time, quite a few people asked me if I thought it was because of my recent activism for same-sex marriage rights, and I was very careful in how I answered the question. My answer, verbatim, was always, "I honestly don't know, because I'm not in those meetings with the coaches and administrative people."

This is a true answer. I honestly don't know if my activism was the reason I got fired.

However, I'm pretty confident it was.

As he writes of the events that he says led to his firing, Kluwe describes an incident where he alleges special teams coach Mike Priefer used violent language in a team meeting:

“As [my teammates and I] sat down in our chairs, Mike Priefer, in one of the meanest voices I can ever recall hearing, said: ‘We should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then nuke it until it glows.’ The room grew intensely quiet, and none of the players said a word for the rest of the meeting.”

I highly recommend you read the entire essay as Kluwe courageously shares what he says was the unraveling of his last season with the Vikings. The title says it all.

Chris closes with this:

Never be afraid to do what's right. If no one ever says anything, nothing ever changes. —Chris Kluwe, former NFL player

Read Chris Kluwe's essay on Deadspin.

Pat Robertson: Don't invite lesbians over, they might convert you

 Today on The 700 Club, Pat Robertson answered a question from a viewer who was worried about inviting a lesbian friend over to her home, Right Wing Watch reports.

Robertson responded that she is right to be wary because if her kids see a lesbian they might decide to become one.

Says Robertson:

“You keep love, you loved her, you were close and your influence may have something significant to her, the idea is you don’t gain anything by shunning.

"But at the same you don’t want your children to grow up as lesbians, that’s what you’re talking about.  You don’t want to show them that that’s an acceptable lifestyle for your family.

"It doesn’t hurt to tell somebody: I love you, we are going to do what we can to be friends if we can. I have my lifestyle, it’s Christian and you have yours, it’s not; I’m sorry we can’t indulge in certain things together.”

(via Towleroad)

Michigan: RNC member says gays want free healthcare because AIDS

Dave Agema

While speaking against marriage equality, Republican National Committee member Dave Agema said that gays want free healthcare benefits because they are dying of AIDS.

“Folks, they (gay people) want free medical because they’re dying (when they’re) between 30 and 44 years old,” he said. “To me, it’s a moral issue. It’s a Biblical issue. Traditional marriage is where it should be and it’s in our platform. Those in our party who oppose traditional marriage are wrong,” said Agema.

Equality Michigan has called on Republican leadership to denounce Agema’s remarks and is seeking his removal as a committeemember of the Republican Party. The organization is also encouraging the healthcare community to correct Agema’s remarks, saying they perpetuate a harmful stigma about people living with HIV.

“It is unconscionable that in 2013 a political figure in a prominent position would feel so comfortable spewing lies about real people in a pathetic attempt to deny fundamental rights to families in Michigan,” said Emily Dievendorf, Managing Director of Equality Michigan.

Earlier this year, Agema came under fire from members of his own party after he posted an excerpt on Facebook from an article titled “Everyone Should Know These Statistics On Homosexuals.”
Among the claims in the article by Dr. Frank Joseph is that gay people “account for half the murders in large cities” and that “part of the homosexual agenda is to get the public to affirm their filthy lifestyle.”


More at LGBTQNation

Kansas: Waiter stiffed by Christians for being "queer"

From Raw Story: A group of customers refused to tip their 20-year-old server at a Carraba’s Italian restaurant in Overland Park, KS on the grounds that his homosexuality is “an affront to God.” According to KCTV Fox 19, the server went to the table after the group of customers left and found a note explaining their decision.

“Thank you for your service, it was excellent. That being said, we cannot in good conscience tip you, for your homosexual lifestyle is an affront to GOD. Queers do not share in the wealth of GOD, and you will not share in ours,” said the note. “We hope you will see the tip your queer choices made you lose out on, and plan accordingly. It is never too late for GOD’s love, but none shall be spared for queers. May GOD have mercy on you.”

Friends and supportive customers plan to dine at the restaurant Friday evening as a show of support for the waiter who received the hateful note. He has declined to give his name or go on camera and has asked people not to try and give him money.

FOX19.com-Cincinnati News, Weather

Straight, white male walks a mile in the shoes of a gay man

This weekend while traveling, One Sleepy Dad blogger Aaron saw his suitcase emerge on the Perth airport carousel with the message "I Am Gay."

Aaron is not gay. But the reaction he felt as he carried his suitcase through the airport opened his eyes to just a small part of what it's like to be treated like a minority.

His articulation of the experience has gone viral on the internet today:

I am a white heterosexual male. This trifecta of privilege means that I'm not routinely subjected to prejudice. But for a few minutes I got to walk in the shoes of a gay person in a public place. For no good reason I had had a slur marked over my luggage. I was degraded. I was shamed. I was humiliated.

For me, this was only a few minutes of one day of my life. If what I felt for those few minutes is extrapolated out every day over a lifetime, then I can fully understand why our gay friends feel persecuted and why they have such high rates of suicide. It is unacceptable.

It is said that words can't hurt you. That it is true. But it isn't the words that hurt, it's the intention behind them. "I am gay" was not emblazened across my luggage as a celebration. It was used as a pejorative. It was used to humiliate. It was used as a slur.

[snip]

Until our political/religious/community leaders acknowledge and address these inequalities, until we de-normalise prejudice, we can't expect the "losers" to follow.

As for the people calling me a whiner and telling me to toughen up, I would like to quote Lieutenant General David Morrison: The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.

This incident isn't about me, it's about what we as a society find acceptable.

In addition to the blog post and the author tweeting the picture of his suitcase, any major outlets have also published the photo, including The Huffington Post, The Sydney Morning Herald, and International Business Times.

The airline has since apologized.  "We are taking this matter very seriously and we have contacted the passenger to apologise for any distress caused," a Jetstar spokeswoman said in response to the media storm.

GOP candidate for Lt. Governor of Virginia - Those anti-gay things I said were taken out of context

I always wonder what constitutes "context" for these folks...

(h/t JMG)

Meme of the day: Betty Crocker makes 'Devil's Food'

Relating to my post yesterday where hate group leader Tony Perkins had to piss and moan calling for a boycott of Betty Crocker because the gay-friendly corporation gave away cakes to early newlyweds in Minnesota.

Remember - when the haters want to boycott - it's free speech.  When we do it, we're trampling on First Amendment rights.

Lord...

Hypocrisy, thy name is Tony Perkins

On Tony Perkins' daily "Christian" radio show, hate group leader Tony Perkins urged his listeners to join NOM's sadly misguided failure of a boycott of General Mills.

Why, you ask?

Because Betty Crocker has the nerve to donate wedding cakes to same-sex weddings:

At Betty Crocker, the only thing they're mixing up is their priorities.

Hi, I'm Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.

If you ask conservatives, Betty Crocker's latest promotion is a recipe for disaster. This summer, the famous dessert line decided to jump on the same-sex "marriage" bandwagon-and bring cakes to celebrate.

In Minnesota, where parent company General Mills is headquartered, Betty Crocker decided to donate wedding cakes to the first homosexual couples who exchanged vows on the first day that counterfeit marriage was legal. "Betty celebrates all families," said manager Laura Forero. "We don't want to be old fashioned," the company explained.

Unfortunately for General Mills, the majority of Americans think natural marriage is anything but old fashioned. And they've made it tough on companies like Target, Starbucks, and JC Penney who disagree. Know where your money is going.

When you're at the store, think outside the Betty Crocker box! For a full list of products that are undermining marriage, check out DumpGeneralMills.com.

First of all - when it comes to a majority of Americans, multiple recent pools show Americans support marriage equality:

• an ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 55 percent of Americans say they support the right of same-sex couples to legally tie the knot
• An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released in April found that 53 percent of Americans favored allowing same-sex marriages
• 52 percent of respondents in a new Gallup Politics poll would support a law that would legalize same-sex marriage across all 50 U.S. states

You know, the anti-gay Christian groups love to start these boycotts over things they don't like or find "icky." And when they do it's "good and true" in the name of morality, marriage and protecting the children.

BUT - when LGBT groups boycott over bigotry, suddenly the use of a boycott is "intolerant," "bullying," and "intimidation" as we are clearly trying to shut down someone's First Amendment rights.

Got that? When we do it - we're the bad guys.  When they do it, they're the good guys.

Riiiight....

Oregon: Bigoted bakery owner decides to close up shop in the face of state discriminatory charges

Bakery owner Aaron Klein

Big crocodile tears for the bakery bigots in Oregon. They've decided to close up shop due to the ramifications of their discriminatory practices.

The Oregon cake shop that was investigated by state officials after refusing to fulfill an order by a lesbian couple has closed its doors, the Williamette Week reported.

According to a Facebook post on Friday, Sweet Cakes by Melissa’s store in Gresham, Oregon closed as of Saturday, with owners Aaron and Melissa Klein saying they would operate their business out of their home.

The Kleins were heavily criticized after refusing to serve a lesbian couple, citing their religious faith and opposition to marriage equality. Their stance made them the focus of not only demonstrations, but an investigation by the state Bureau of Labor and Industries to see if they violated a 2007 law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.

San Antonio Councilwoman recorded talking anti-gay bigotry

From the My San Antonio news site:

“So disgusting!” That exclamation escaped the lips of District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan on May 21 in her City Hall office, where she was meeting with members of her staff to discuss the city's proposal to update its nondiscrimination ordinance, adding protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.

In the course of the conversation, Chan expressed her unvarnished views on homosexuality, which range from befuddled to intolerant. She revealed that she believes being gay is a choice and that gay people should not be allowed to adopt children, and she voiced revulsion toward the LGBT community.

Unbeknown to the councilwoman, an aide, James Stevens, was secretly recording the meeting on his iPhone. (He's now a former aide; Stevens, 28, quit this week.)

Chan's former chief of policy, Jeff Bazan, who now works as the chief of staff for a different city council member, is heard suggesting that the growing acceptance of gay marriage will lead to "incest and being able to marry animals, that's all going to happen."

Yesterday Bazan pulled back and gave some CYA explanation regarding his comments, telling the San Antonio Express-News, "I was basically explaining the viewpoint that some people have on the gay marriage issue. What I said was wrong and I deeply regret it."

Councilwoman Chan has not apologized as of today.

I think the discussion itself proves why the ordinance needs to be addressed and updated.

(source)

From God's gentle people to the NBA - "God Still H8s Fags"

From Westboro Baptist Church: "In light of NBA veteran Jason Collins becoming the first active professional athlete who is openly homosexual, Westboro Baptist Church’s Twitter account @WBCSays said Tuesday it will picket outside Chesapeake Energy Arena for the Rockets and Thunder Game 5 first-round playoff matchup."

Never let it be said that the idiots from Westboro Baptist Church let an opportunity to let their bigoted voice be heard...

Sad.  Just sad.

(via JoeMyGod)