McCain, Graham take to the airwaves to oppose military ban repeal

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., this weekend said Republicans will block a vote on repealing "Don't ask, don't tell." Graham told Fox News the effort was "not going anywhere," and McCain told CNN the drive to repeal the policy was little more than a political exercise to fulfill a campaign promise made by an "inexperienced" candidate, referring to President Barack Obama, who beat McCain in the 2008 election.

HRC Statement on Meet the Press DADT Discussion with Sen. McCain

Yesterday morning on NBC’s Meet the Press, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) took issue with the preliminary findings—leaked to the Washington Post last week-- of the Pentagon survey on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. He also said he does not think repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the 18-year old discriminatory law that bans openly gay and lesbian troops from serving their country, should happen during the lame-duck session of Congress, set to begin tomorrow. The president of the Human Rights Campaign, Joe Solmonese, issued this statement:

“Obviously the senator doesn’t like the preliminary findings of the Pentagon’s DADT survey, which found a clear majority of U.S. service members are okay serving with their gay and lesbian comrades. The senator has known all along the study developed by the Pentagon Working Group was looking at how to repeal DADT—not whether to do so.

“McCain has said he wanted to hear from the senior military leadership. He heard loud and clear from Secretary Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, last February when both were firmly in support of repeal.

“McCain has said he wanted to hear from rank-and-file troops. He has just heard loud and clear from them through the survey. But he doesn’t like their answer-- and is stonewalling, trying to run out the clock on repeal by calling for congressional hearings.

“The truth is McCain is increasingly alone in his irrational opposition to open service. Sixty-four percent of Republicans disagree with McCain and favor lifting the ban. No matter the evidence, McCain will use whatever tactics at his disposal to not only stop repeal from moving forward, but will hold hostage the most critical military defense bill to do so.”

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: McCain versus McCain

Awesome video from Daily Kos illustrating McCain's confused and confusing stances on ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Cindy and Meghan say 'yes' but John still says 'no'

Cindy and Meghan McCain, the wife and daughter of 2008 Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain, have lent their faces and efforts to the NOH8 campaign, which was formed to protest passage of Proposition 8, California’s discriminatory anti-marriage law.

“Cindy and Meghan McCain’s outspoken, public support of full marriage equality for loving and committed same-sex couples further underscores that equality is not a liberal issue or a conservative issue,” said Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “We are deeply grateful to Mrs. McCain for proactively reaching out and offering her support of our community’s equality. In households throughout the country, families are talking about equality and minds are changing. The McCains are a prominent example, but they are not alone. Little by little, family member by family member, there is no doubt that our country is headed in the direction of full equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, and Cindy and Meghan McCain’s courageous decision to publicly stand up will certainly be a beacon for others to follow.”

Unfortunately, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) quickly released an official statement from his Senate office reiterating his anti-marriage equality position and touting his past support for discriminatory measures. The statement reads, “Senator McCain respects the views of members of his family. The Senator chaired the effort to successfully pass Arizona Proposition 102, the Marriage Protection Amendment, and his opposition to gay marriage remains the same. Senator McCain believes the sanctity of marriage is only defined as between one man and one woman.”

John McCain smiles with his eyes

- via FourFour

What'd you think of the debates last night?

I thought it was bo-ring.

Obama seemed a little less facile than I've been used to seeing him.

McCain seemed as out-of-touch and grumpy as he's been during the whole campaign.

This country needs a lot of help.

Also, what was this BS with refusing to shake hands with Obama? John McCain has no diplomacy whatsoever. Unclassy and very un-Presidential.

John McCain taking off the gloves tonight

At a Colorado town hall last week, John McCain was asked when he was going to take the gloves off and he said, "How about Tuesday night." Huffington Post has the whole story and I, for one, cannot wait for tonight's debate.

HRC Responds to John McCain Q&A in Washington Blade

Today, the Washington Blade released a story featuring a written interview with Republican Presidential nominee Senator John McCain. The interview, posted on the Washington Blade’s website, happened earlier this week.

Below is a statement from Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese:

“We congratulate the Washington Blade on securing a written response from Senator McCain. Unfortunately, John McCain’s answers to those well written questions do nothing but insult the intelligence of the LGBT community. Senator McCain’s double speak fools no one. At the end of the day, his policies haven’t changed at all.

It’s interesting that John McCain thinks that being civil is going to win us over, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that he is against every single policy that would protect and promote equality for the LGBT community.

It’s 2008, ‘some of my best friends are gay’ doesn’t work anymore. Sorry, we’ve already had one ‘compassionate conservative’ in the White House for eight years, we aren’t interested in another.”

To read a full report on Senator McCain’s stances on issues of importance to the LGBT community, please visit www.hrc.org/mccain.

Colorado is a battleground state

John McCain and Sarah Palin will be bringing their campaign to Colorado Springs (of course it had to be Colorado Springs) tomorrow. Colorado is considered a battleground state for the Presidential election.








Maybe they can drop by Focus on the Family while they're in town and Palin can fill out an application to be their new publicist. It would be a much more appropriate position for her than Vice-President of the United States.

I'm sorry, but somebody - anybody - with five young children, including a special-needs infant and a pregnant teenager, simply does not have the time or resources to be an effective Vice-President and a decent parent. And anybody who would think otherwise isn't fit to be either.

Tell McCain to stop campaigning against marriage equality

For someone who's been married twice and is a rumored adulterer, McCain sure tries hard to prevent gay Americans from getting married. Tell him to knock it off here.

I don't approve ... but I laughed

Gov. Sarah Palin: Vice-President or sexy librarian?

Ok, so it's obvious what McCain's trying to accomplish by naming Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate.

She's young and attractive and that's supposed to balance out him being so old and doddery.

But something about her sexy librarian look just bugs me.

Like she's just dying to let her hair down and whip off those glasses.

Plus, HRC says she's pretty anti-gay.

Pretty, and pretty anti-gay.

Could it be a winning combination for McCain?

HRC: McCain Picks Little-Known, Anti-Gay Governor as VP

Today, presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Senator John McCain announced he has chosen first term Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his choice to be his Vice Presidential running mate. Although only holding an executive, state-wide office for less than two years, Gov. Palin has already shown that she is a fierce opponent of equality.

Red more after the jump.


“America may not know much about Sarah Palin, but based on what our community has seen of her, we know enough,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Sarah Palin not only supported the 1998 Alaska constitutional amendment banning marriage equality but, in her less than two years as Governor, even expressed the extreme position of supporting stripping away domestic partner benefits for state workers. When you can’t even support giving our community the rights to health insurance and pension benefits, it’s a frightening window into where she stands on equality.”

When asked about the right-wing’s reaction to the choice of Gov Palin, the New York Times quoted Ralph Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition as saying, “They’re beyond ecstatic”.

-30-
Highlights of Governor Palin’s Anti-Equality Record

· Prior to being elected governor, Palin supported the 1998 constitutional amendment barring marriage for same-sex couples and has said she would support a ballot measure overturning a state supreme court decision mandating benefits for domestic partners of state employees

· She is close to “traditional values” groups, like Family Research Council, because she is strongly anti-choice

Marriage and Relationship Recognition

· Palin told the Anchorage Daily News that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment on marriage.

· In addition, she told the Daily News that she would support a ballot question that would deny benefits to the domestic partners of public employees, which were ordered by an October 2005 decision of the Alaska Supreme Court, because, she said “honoring the family structure is that important." http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/governor06/story/8049298p-7942233c.html

· While she followed the Court’s decision and he also signed legislation –her first legislative act as Governor of Alaska—to put the issue on the April 2007 ballot for a nonbinding advisory vote. This was the only issue on the ballot and that election cost the state taxpayers $1.2 million. This measure passed, but the legislature did not follow the public’s advice and it chose not to take any further action to overturn the court’s decision.

· She did, however, veto legislation passed by the state legislature in 2006 that would have prohibited providing DP benefits to state workers, in defiance of the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling. She did this after the Supreme Court had already ruled and the Attorney General (Republican) advised her that the legislation was unconstitutional. Palin went on to state that, as a matter of policy, she was in favor of the bill.

Ties to Anti-LGBT Groups

· She will be honored alongside anti-gay Representative Michelle Bachman (R-MN) at an event at the 2008 Republican Convention, the “Life of the Party,” sponsored in part by long-time opponent of GLBT rights, Phyllis Schlafly.






McCain's home invasion: I'm feeling Obama on this one

Hey, John McCain, "If you can't remember how many homes you and your wife own, either you have too many homes, or your memory is slipping." - via aol.com

John McCain's 'disturbing disregard' for children in need of homes

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, issued the following statement today after Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, told the New York Times he remains opposed to adoption by same-sex couples implying that he is opposed to single-parent adoption as well. In the interview, published Sunday, July 13, McCain said, “I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no I don’t believe in gay adoption.”

“McCain’s comments on adoption show a disturbing disregard for the reality that thousands of children and youth face -- the possibility of never having a permanent, loving home,” said Ellen Kahn, director of the HRC Foundation’s Family Project. “Leading child welfare organizations in the U.S. concur that there is no reason to prevent gay and lesbian people from raising children, and the child welfare professionals who are mandated to find the best possible families for children in need recognize that every potential loving parent, whether single or married, gay or straight, is a valuable resource for children who are in need of a permanent family. It is an insult to these professionals and the children whom they represent to suggest that the door should be closed to people other than a “traditional” married couple. It is also an insult to the thousands of children being raised by lesbian and gay parents, and who are thriving and contributing positively to their communities.”

Read more after the jump.


This has been a consistent position for Senator McCain. Asked in 2000 about adoption by same-sex couples, McCain responded that he didn’t “believe it’s appropriate.” (San Francisco Examiner, March 1, 2000)

With the strong support of leading child welfare and adoption advocacy organizations, the HRC Foundation launched the “All Children – All Families” initiative to help adoption agencies become more welcoming and skilled in working with GLBT foster and adoptive parents. The program, which recently received a grant from the Freddie Mac Foundation, has been well received and is viewed as the premier resource among child welfare leaders. The program includes the “Promising Practices”guide, a tool for adoption agencies whichoffers examples of effective practices for working with GLBT foster and adoptive parents. The guide features sample policies and materials, and also features tips from leaders of welcoming agencies, researchers in the field, and GLBT adoptive and foster parents. The guide also includes an organizational self-assessment to allow agencies to gauge their current policies and practices and receive guidance for improvement.

Today there are more than one half a million children in the U.S. foster care system, with at least 100,000 awaiting adoption by loving, permanent families. Agencies might purposefully or inadvertently close the door to qualified families through their practices. Few agencies recruit GLBT adoptive & foster parents, and many GLBT people feel unwelcome or discouraged. Similarly, members of the GLBT community might not be aware of the opportunities in domestic adoption and foster care, or they might not know of agencies that welcome their families. “All Children-All Families” works to ensure that all qualified prospective parents who wish to open their homes and hearts to children and youth have the opportunity to do so, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The All Children – All Families program includes a national advisory board comprised of leaders and experts in child welfare who understand that the GLBT community has tremendous potential to provide loving families for our waiting children.” Additional information on the “All Children – All Families” initiative and the HRC Foundation Family Project can be found online at www.hrc.org/acaf.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.




The War on Gay People, Part 1: Won't somebody please think of the children?

Strange little newspaper The Denver Daily News (read more about them at Colorado Media Matters ) today made headlines of a new study that says that children raised by same-sex parents are more likely to grow up to be gay. According to staff-writer Peter Marcus, after a review of the current research, Dr. Tracye L. Hansen concludes that children raised by same-sex parents are between four and 10 times more likely to be gay than those raised by opposite-sex couples. Focus on the Family was quick to chime in with their opinions while local GLBT groups have had no comment at this point.

Here's MileHighGayGuy's official comment:

So what? It's too bad these kinds of non-issues are so appealing to the media and organizations like Focus on the Family. Here's a better one; my parents are currently caring for five foster kids who were removed from horribly abusive situations and all of their parents are straight. Every single one of these abused children is the product of a heterosexual union. I'd like to know what Focus on the Family thinks of that, and more importantly, what they're doing, with all of their resources, to help. Unfortunately, there's not as much money to be made or publicity to be had dealing with real, important social issues as there is in the ridiculous and ongoing war against gay people.

Read the entire article here.

And enjoy this little flashback to presidential hopeful John McCain who recently said he would rather see children rot in orphanages than be adopted by loving, qualified gay parents. God bless you, John McCain, on behalf of all the children you would protect from having a family.

And isn't it funny how these self-appointed Guardians of America's Morals always have a little skeleton (or two) in their own closets?

Scandal number one: Is John McCain a crook?
Scandal number two: Is John McCain an adulterer?
Scandals number three through nine: What else has that John McGain been getting up to that we don't know about?