The handsome and talented Danny Rose shows us what Marriage Equality is all about in this new music video. (You can support same-sex nuptials by purchasing the song from iTunes - 100% of the proceeds go to pro-equality charities.)
(via Andy Towle at Towleroad)
Legendary Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz collaborated with author/commentator Dan Savage to select words from the many testimonials which comprise the "It Gets Better Project," and weave them into a musical masterpiece.
This heartrending plea for tolerance and understanding is performed by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus.
"Bravo" seems too mild a response for this stunning effort.
In this amusing video, a cat's secret life is revealed. Produced by the indie rock group Superchunk.
Social conservatives in Tennessee promote an Angry White Jesus mindset that invariably leads to hate crimes and the bullying of schoolchildren. Petty public officials seeking the approbation of Christianist zealots bask in religious fundamentalism while spreading propaganda as capably as any corporate-funded right-wing lobbyist. On Truth Wins Out, Evan Hurst points to an odious tirade published on the official website of Jackson city councilman Frank Neudecker. The site is called Frank Talk (sigh) and the harangue in question was written by Linda Hunnicutt, the sort of woman who fifty years ago would spend her days ironing sheets and hoods for her Klansmen kinfolks. Perhaps she still does that. If venom was lighter fluid she could ignite more than a few backyard crosses.
Christian dominionists are analogous to cigarette manufacturers, even though they're not guilty of dispensing nicotine. Prejudice is the fundies' drug of choice, and home-schooling provides an effective delivery system for their poison. Ms. Hunnicutt, who might have been tutored at the feet of white supremacist David Duke, opines: Take a good look at where all of this tolerance has gotten us. It has given us years of Hillary Clinton, Barney Frank, Nancy and Harry and now dead Teddy. Lord how blessed these people have made us. Now we have a Muslim President who isn't even a citizen and his following of little tolerant dingleberrys touting Tolerance oh yes we have to be so tolerant of this slug… this infiltrator, this Trojan horse's ass and his ill mannered, ugly, in bred looking bride wearing her $600 blinking sneakers, oh what class this first lady brings to the white house. (Fair enough, but what do you really think about the Obamas?) ... Tolerance has given us a country where the white people are so brain damaged and cultured they tolerate being controlled by the likes of people we laughed at as nutty a few years ago. (Mocking people who are different is the preferred pastime of Bible thumpers.) Remember the little fatty fuzzy haired kook Richard Simmons? Now he is a common fixture and so respected. Uck ... (Bear in mind that an elected respresentative thought this person's words were important enough to share with his Jesus-loving constituents - and the world.) Our schools, courts, everything is being taken over by the homosexuals who have been bred to make us all a UNISEX nation it seems. (Who have been bred? To make?) Years ago we tolerated these so called people as entertainers. Even then they weren't really funny, just funny looking. Remember Liberace? Oh my goodness how wonderful he and his little brother were and how they honored their Mommy. (I swear I'm not making up this shit.) The only thing I can say about him is he was good at the piano but then what else could he possibly do? The only good thing about these freaks is they will not be reproducing. The problem is that is not stopping the growth of perverts and humans that don't know which way to swing. They are in the schools where they are now the respected and revered teachers of our children teaching TOLERANCE. (Councilman Neudecker voices approval at the bottom of the page, where he praises Hunnicutt for her eloquence and Christ-like compassion.) Now all of you tolerant and anti-racist readers, go to your emails and unsubscribe ... Maybe you need to stay in the sun a lot more and no one will notice the white of your skin. (This is what passes for wit in the Bible Belt.)
Hurst responds: Look, this is the internet, and any wingnut with a modem can set up a Wordpress account and write whatever hateful, misinformed, fearful things he wants. Indeed, like-minded wingnuts are even free to organize hate groups like those recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center. But this is different — Frank Neudecker actually represents people as an elected official. Frank Neudecker represents conspiracy-minded wingnuts, but he also represents black people, gay people, transgender people, and all other sorts. By his endorsement of this piece, written by someone else, but that HE published, he has made the choice to piss all over all his constituents who don't happen to be hate-filled, sheltered old white people who yearn for the days when the coloreds and the faggots knew their place.
Councilman Neudecker (pictured): "Y'all be sure and bring yer business dollars to Jackson, Tennessee!"
Scissor Sisters front man Jake Shears, delivering the goods ...
.
The Grammy nomination of Jamaica's Buju Banton, whose song lyrics call for the brutal murder of homosexuals, is being condemned by LGBT organizations nationwide. Among the groups speaking out against the Recording Academy is the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. LAGLC spokesman Jim Key says: "We’re shocked that Buju Banton, a singer with a long record of performing a song that glorifies the murder of gay people, would be honored with a Grammy nomination, regardless of the artistic merit of any of his work." And GLAAD released this statement: "Reggae singer Buju Banton’s anti-gay lyrics and the climate of hatred they create are a threat to the safety of gay and transgender people everywhere. In a climate of increased anti-gay violence in this country and Banton’s home country of Jamaica, it is deeply disappointing that the Recording Academy would choose to laud the work of a singer who has advocated violence against the gay community."
From the Miama Herald: In a popular song released in 1988 entitled "Boom Bye Bye," Banton repeats the anti-gay ‘f-word’ and says that "faggots have to die" and he will "shoot them in the head" or "burn them." ... (T)he song "Batty Rider" from Banton’s 1993 record “Mr. Mention” glorifies the shooting of gay men. In October 2009 Banton was quoted in news reports as saying "This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs 'there is no end to the war between me and faggots' and it's clear."
Banton's comment was made after his unedifying meeting with members of the LGBT community - which means that the singer has no desire to renounce his hatred or stop inciting murder. After all, why should he? His homo-hating fans love that stuff.
Meanwhile, Pepsico has issued a disingenuous apology for sponsoring a concert in Uganda where the reggae artist Beenie Man sang about his desire to "cut the throats of all gay men." The company's official response: "We are appalled by the performer’s lyrics and find them repugnant. Our bottling partner in Uganda was not aware of the performer’s views and never would have sponsored the concert with this knowledge. Moving forward, we will work closely with our bottling partners to be more vigilant about the events associated with our brands." (That second sentence is bullshit. Pepsi's bottling partner had to know what kind of musician was being booked, especially in light of the country's proposed legislation calling for the execution of gays. Hell, in Uganda this sort of thing would be government sanctioned. For Pepsico to suddenly claim that its African subsidiary was unaware of the singer's reputation is far-fetched.)
Although the Pepsi matter is thought to be resolved, the insensitivity of Grammy members who nominated Buju Banton for their prestigious award remains an open wound. To my knowledge, there's no way of knowing which members actually approved Banton's nomination. But their recognition of him shows that homophobia is very much alive in the music industry. Would a recording artist who sang even mildly racist lyrics be honored in this way? No. But the Grammys find it acceptable for a musician to promote the murder of gays and lesbians? That's disgraceful.
This isn't an Adam Lampert situation where ABC cancelled a few appearances over an onstage kiss. This is an offense against the LGBT community that will be remembered for years to come. (Pictured Top: Buju Banton, Bottom: Beenie Man)
![](<img src="http://www.progressivepuppy.com/0004a.jpg" />)
