Have They No Shame?

Is this for real? Really?



Really?

The audience at tonight’s GOP presidential debate in Orlando, Florida commemorated this week’s repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell [DADT] by booing Stephen Hill, a gay soldier, as he asked Sen. Rick [Santorum] (R-PA) about open service in the military. Without condemning the audience reaction, Santorum responded to Hill’s question by proclaiming that “any type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military” and promising to reinstate the 1993 policy. He also characterized open service as a “special privilege”[.]

Wow. Has the Republican Party really sunk that low? Apparently so. Remember, a bunch of Florida Republicans attending last night's debate in Orlando booed an active duty soldier, and did so simply because he's gay and he wanted to ask the Republican Presidential Candidates about reviving DADT.

And you know what makes this even more disgusting? Only two Republican candidates (neither of them with any real chance of getting the nomination), Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman and Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, rose to defend Stephen Hill and the end of DADT. Apparently, the rest of the GOP "clown car candidates" think discrimination is fabulous.

What really makes this appalling is that the Florida Republican audience at that debate last night showed complete and utter disrespect for an active duty soldier. They essentially booed our military and showed contempt for our country. Think about it. For as long as I can remember, the Republican Party has tried to position itself as "the patriotic party", the party that believes in the sanctity of the flag and everything it represents. Yet last night, we didn't see that party. Rather, we saw the continuation of a trend in the unveiling of a "new Republican Party" that's been hijacked by "TEA Party" extremists who care more about radical ideology than even the well being of our military and our very national security.

The "TEA Party" has really led today's Republican Party to turn a corner... But certainly not in a good way. This downright scares me.

Mr. H8 Rears His Ugly, Bigoted Head... AGAIN!

In case you were wondering when perpetual professional bigot Richard Ziser would start attacking Nevada families again, we now know he's back and he's trying to shove more than a few anti-equality zealots down our throats in this year's Clark County Municipal Elections. What? You don't believe me? Here's the voter guide!

Now just to be clear, the candidates supporting #6 are saying LGBTQ families deserve no legal recognition and no human dignity. The candidates opposing #7 and #12 want our schools to do nothing as LGBTQ kids to be bullied to death (often literally!). Basically, the candidates who are standing with Richard Ziser agree to carry out his agenda to attack many thousands of Southern Nevada families just for who they are.

In addition, these candidates want to take away women's right to make their own health care decisions. And they want to take away our religious freedom. And they want to waste time (and our local tax dollars!) on xenophobia.

Here in Henderson, city council candidates Ed Hamilton, John Simmons, Ron Hubel, and Mike Mayberry are pro-bigotry. In North Las Vegas, Carl Gatson and Wade Wagner are pro-bigotry. In Las Vegas, Steve Ross is apparently pro-bigotry again. And you can read the rest of the list to see who to watch out for in other Clark County cities.

I just thought you should know.

Sharrontology: Divine Intervention? UPDATED w/ New Poll #s

Why am I not surprised? Come on, this ad wrote itself!

Let's see, Harry Reid helped save 22,000 Nevada jobs. Sharrontology Obtuse Angle believes her job does NOT involve caring about any of our jobs. And GOoPers wonder why I and most everyone else I know consider Sharrontology a wackadoodle extreme right crackpot?

If it weren't for Reid making those calls to save CityCenter, most of us probably wouldn't even be here at this blog. (We'd all be fleeing a state in collapse...)

Oh, but Sharrontology believes God has a very special plan for her.





So is this really God's plan for her? And for Nevada? Is she really that much of a vengeful God?







Yes, and let's not forget Sharrontology is part of the extreme religious right that believes "God wants all the homosexuals and abortionists dead".

Perhaps that's the warped "Christianity" that defines Sharron Angle, but most people of faith here in Nevada would disagree with her on what God wants. Does God want her children to suffer from unemployment, lack of shelter, and lack of food? Does God hate the idea of bringing more renewable energy jobs into the state? Does God want young gay kids killing themselves because they think their families hate them and they're destined to go to hell anyway? Does God want young girls to suffer even more when someone impregnated them by way of violent rape?

But who knows, maybe God does have a plan for Sharron Angle... Perhaps a plan that involves showing Nevadans why we should NOT elect extreme right wing crazies?

UPDATE: Whoops! So is this God's plan for Sharrontology?

We now have something we haven't had in awhile: A poll, albeit a partisan poll, showing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) ahead of his Republican opponent, Sharron Angle. Also, the data looks a bit old.

As Jon Ralston reports, the new poll by Fairbanks, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates, commissioned by the liberal Patriot Majority PAC, shows Reid at 44%, and Angle with 40%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error.

Interestingly, the poll was conducted from June 28-July 1, giving us a fortnight-old data set.

Hmmm... And this was data from two weeks ago? BEFORE Obtuse Angle stepped into "CityCenter-gate"? And "Rape-victims-need-to-make-lemons-into-lemonade-gate"? And "Death-panels-for-those-who-disagree-with-me-gate"? And private polls are confirming what this one shows? Jeez, Sharrontology really is digging herself into quite the hole. Thank you, Lord! ;-)

Sharrontology Likes Her Some Pure Homophobic Bigotry

Oh, it keeps getting uglier for Sharrontology Obtuse Angle. Desert Beacon found yet another endorsement that Sharrontology doesn't want us to know about. Phillis Schlafly's Eagle Forum gave Obtuse Angle their stamp of approval, as she agrees with them on the "evils" of women in the workplace, legal protection for women escaping abusive relationships, "homosexual perversion", and legal challenges to hedge fund creators' "patent rights" (HUH??!!).

But wait, it gets weirder... And nastier. The Independent American Party (IAP), Sharrontology's political home base during most of the 1990s, was involved in one of the ugliest and most homophobic campaigns in Nevada's history... And Sharrontology was right there with them on it!

1994 IAP 16 Page Newspaper Insert

In 1994, the party attracted considerable controversy by placing a 16-page advertising insert in Nevada newspapers promoting an amendment to the state constitution that would explicitly permit discrimination against LGBT people by businesses and government.

Janine Hansen, the current executive director of the party and the editor of the '94 insert, told TPM earlier this month that "in general [Angle] agreed with our position on the issues." [emphasis mine]

The ad insert, which approvingly cites an 1814 legal treatise titled "Consequences of Sodomy: Ruin of a Nation," is a digest of articles that refer to LGBT people alternately as "homosexuals," "sodomites," and "brazen perverts." The insert includes virtually every homophobic myth ever conceived.

Sample headlines include: "Homosexual Curriculum In The First Grade" ... "Flawed Science Nurtures Genetic Origin For Homosexuality" ... "No Constitutional Right To Be A Sodomite." Here's a passage from an item headlined "True Homosexual Character Revealed":

"Homosexuals argue that they are a peaceful and gay people. Yet ... Dr. Paul Cameron of the Family Research Report writes 'the top six U.S. male killers were all homosexuals.'"

Probably the coup de grace of the insert is the article "Can the HIV Virus Survive in Water?". Writer Lorraine Day, M.D., concluded that yes, the virus can survive in the water. Citing medical journal articles, she raised the specter of HIV infection through public pools, hot tubs, and municipal water supplies.

So did you get that? Sharrontology Obtuse Angle was a leading figure in the IAP when they decided to openly campaign to legalize all wrongful discrimination against LGBTQ Nevadans! She was in the position to tell them to stop the disgusting campaign of pure hatred, but instead she quietly gave them the blessing to proceed in demonizing Nevada's LGBTQ families.

Is there any reason for any queer Nevadan with any sort of dignity and self-respect to support Sharrontology?

Another, Um, "Advancement" for Women's & LGBTQ Equality in Nevada: Brothels Can Now Hire Guys, Too!

Figures. Only in Nevada can we see this!

Men may now join the ranks of Nevada’s brothel prostitutes, after a unanimous decision today that added language to health codes so male sex workers could be tested for infectious diseases. [...]

Men were previously barred in Nevada from the oldest profession because codes specified that prostitutes must undergo “cervical” testing for sexually transmitted diseases, which ruled out men.

Bobbi Davis, owner of the Shady Lady Ranch, a small brothel near Beatty, wanted to add male prostitutes to her stable of sex workers.

And while there have been plans for brothels to hire men in the past, Davis made the first-ever request to have the Nevada State Board of Health add urethral exams to the guidelines. That allows male sex workers to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

Davis has said the men could start working at her five-bed brothel starting in the New Year. The male prostitutes will decide for themselves whether to accept male or female clients, she said, just as the female prostitutes do now.

Ironically George Flint, the former Assemblies of God minister who's now the chief lobbyist for the Nevada Brothel Owners Association, is kicking and screaming about it. He had threatened to derail this whole health code change to allow for male sex workers in the brothels, mainly because he didn't want his industry associated with "TEH GAYZ!!!!" But ultimately, Flint stood down and the Nevada State Board of Health unanimously approved the rule changes... Even though he was still whining about how this will somehow be a "Pearl Harbor" for Nevada's legal sex industry.

You know what I think about that?

Give me a break!

Nevada's sex industry is already looked upon with horror by all the other 49 states and DC. That's why we're still the only state with any kind of legal prostitution. So why should any one freak out over allowing the brothels to extend their "services" to both gay men and straight women? If we are to allow legal "sex for cash", why not open this to everyone regardless of gender/gender identity and sexual orientation?

By the way, "teh gay" has already been a part of Nevada brothels ever since the ladies started offering their "services" to other ladies several years ago.

Anyway, this day marks another step forward for LGBTQ equality in Nevada... Even if many in our community would rather not talk about it. The days of openly hostile misogyny and homophobia in our state's brothels are finally over, and the Shady Lady Ranch in Beatty and ACLU of Nevada are to be thanked for helping make this happen.

Honestly, it wasn't until very recently (basically, when I moved here) that I opened my mind and questioned my knee-jerk opposition to legal prostitution. As long as no one is hurt, no one is forced against one's will, and the health & well-being of both the customers and the workers is looked after, why not let it be? And fortunately starting in the new year, we'll see less discrimination in the brothels.

I can toast to that... Even if I'm not planning to be a "customer" at the brothels any time soon. ;-)