The Gay Thread

[innerSpaceman]

Rekers continues a fine tradition.

Top Ten Outed Right-Wing Homophobes.

[innerSpaceman]

The Rekers story has given me an ear-to-ear smile for many days, but some inevitably sad aspects are surfacing.

First, the story of the family that Rekers tried to break up with his $87,000 paid testimony against the 10-years that saved these boys lives. Rekers said the boys would get over being ripped apart from their dads within a year. My friend Rob Tisinai has posted a relevant tale from the trial transcripts here on his blog. Bring a hankie.


Then, some snippets from a very recent telephone conversation between Rekers and his rent boy, Jo-Vanni. The kid is clearly distressed and in over his head, and Rekers is clearly a disgusting manipulator, out to save his own ass at all costs, and admits he's done this kind of thing before. Perhaps instead of Baptist preacher/fraudulent ex-gay therapist, he should have chosen Roman Catholic priest as his career if he was so set on ruining the lives of young men while ensconced in a self-loathing closet. Check it out here, at Towleroad.

Wow .... and just wow.

[Betty]

Wow. He's just evil!

[innerSpaceman]

And, inevitably, /second male prostitute comes forward to say he'd been hired by Rekers in the past. D'uh.

[Scrooge McSam]

White House transmittal of Defense Budget to Congress Does Not Include Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

Sadly, this is no surprise.

Nearly two weeks ago, on the evening of Friday, April 30, the Obama Administration shot a simultaneous salvo – from the Pentagon and the White House -- against advocates fighting for repeal this year. In a letter to the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Robert Gates came out against lifting the ban before the Pentagon's Working Group finishes its DADT study in December. Hours later, the White House issued a statement deferring to Gates. In doing so, President Obama appeared to reverse on the commitment he made during his State of the Union Address when he said: “This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It's the right thing to do.”

I eagerly anticipate President Fierce Advocate's next text message to supporters. I have a salvo or two for him.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I feel ya' Scrooge. But I'm finding it harder and harder to get worked up about these "set backs". I'm starting to come to the conclusion that honesty and straight forwardness in this process is an impossibility. It sucks, it's miserable, and the anger at it is justified. But I really believe that the truth of the matter is that if Obama tomorrow signed the necessary executive order, the path to integration would actually become that much harder.

Even if every top military official were on board, the fact is that there remains a lot of things that need to be addressed before it happens. There will be resistance, it will be ugly. The military does NOT deal in chaos. They are not going to just open the door and see what happens. They want to have a plan, they want to be ready to absorb the backlash, and adjust the "culture" on their terms.

And so the charade goes on. I can get myself no more worked up about it than I get about anything regarding the military. It is what it is. I truly believe that privately and internally they are preparing for the inevitability. But until they're ready to go, it's a matter of the devil they know vs. the devil they don't know. I'm convinced that their thinking is, "We're going to have to put a lot of time and effort into successfully integrating gays into the military. We'd much rather spend as much of that time and effort in a status-quo mode. We've been dealing with the "Repeal DATD!" anger for years and can continue it for a little longer. We do not want to try to plan for the major changes we foresee AND deal with a whole new form of anger, from within and without." And as soon as anything concrete happens, like legislation passing, that shift is going to happen. They're going to have to deal with unrest from the ranks, from veterans, and unrest from a different segment of civilian population.

I'm not happy that this is the situation. I certainly wish honesty would work, that the country could just be fvcking adults about it. And perhaps Obama should catch sine flack for promising something he can't publicly admit to working towards. But, I do believe progress is being made, and I don't feel like my anger, protests, letters are going to alter the course any at this point.

[innerSpaceman]

The country is surprisingly "adult," about it, GD. 70% in support of repealing DADT. Um, I don't think there's been 70% support of anything in this nation's history, except maybe abolishing the IRS.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I am not a Democrat.

I found this amusing:
Dear Democrats: We need to talk
—The Gays

Dear Democrats,

We need to talk.

This may be a hard letter to read, but I need to figure out if this relationship is still healthy for me.

For the longest time, I thought we had something special. Remember how much fun we used to have back when we were young, and control of the Congress and the presidency was just a crazy dream? You always used to ask me for help, and you knew I'd never turn you down.

You were so adorable when we were courting. Sure, you never really understood me, but I liked that you seemed to try. The White House cocktail parties were totally fun, and that Easter Egg Roll is something I'll always cherish. Or remember the time you let me march in the Inaugural parade! Other than that whole Rick Warren thing, I really thought we had a connection.

I know you kept telling me that you weren't ready for marriage, but I was willing to wait since you had promised so much else in the meantime.

But now, I've kind of had it. I'm just not getting what I need out of this relationship. You rarely call me anymore, and when you do it's to ask for money. We talked about joining the military together—but now it seems like you are flaking on that commitment. You promised to protect me from the homophobes at work, but you don't seem to be in a hurry to actually do it. And—that Department of Justice brief thing was just cruel. I'll never understand why you did that.

It almost seems like you're embarrassed by me in public. I know not everyone in your family approves of us, but before you got your new job, it seemed like you didn't care what they thought and were always ready to fight for me. Now, it's like you're a different person.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I still think we have a future. I want us to have a future. But I need this relationship to be healthy for both of us. And I just can't get excited anymore by your empty promises and half-gestures.

I need you to take a real step. You know what I'm talking about—the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell.

I still worry every day that I can be fired in 28 states just because I'm gay. And my friend who is transgender can be fired in 38 states. I know you can do it. You've helped protect people from employment discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, disability and many other characteristics. Each time me and my friend have been left behind. It's our turn. ENDA's time has come.

It's our turn to be welcomed into the military as well. I want to serve my country openly and proudly. I was so excited when you promised you would repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell this year after 17 long years of putting up with it.

Now, I can't even get you to talk about DADT.

You promised to change. I know that you can. But why should I stand by your side when you can't keep your promises to me?

I get that you're scared. But I'm scared too -- scared of losing you. You need to prove to me that you really care. You need to finally give me the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, like you promised.

I have enough disappointments in my life. I need you to not be one of them.

Love,
The Gays

[innerSpaceman]

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 22 - is California's First Official HARVEY MILK Day.


Yes, it's now a legal holiday in California, in honor of the famed, slain civil rights leader.





So, if you'd like to join in the inaugural celebration, come on out to Olvera Street* for a wonderful Coming Out Party. Completely in the spirit of Harvey Milk, we'd like everyone to Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are.

Special Guests, a Robust Rally, Everyone Comes Out, and a march to the nearby Federal Building. What could be more Harvey Milkery??





The actual location is Father Serra Park, between Olvera Street and Union Station.

[Alex]

Congratulations and in the spirit of equality gays so certainly deserve I will treat this day as I do all days in honor of specific individuals.