While I am really very emotionally happy about the California legislature passing AB0849 (“Gender-neutral marriage” bill), I cannot help but remember that the voters of this state have already spoken on this issue and they overwhelmingly said “NO” to gay marriage with Prop. 22.

That being said, I hate the proposition system in this state. I have even advocated getting rid of it. The typical voter is uninformed and ill equipped to make a decision based on anything else except raw emotion.

We are a Republic and if you don’t like what your elected officials do, you vote them out of office.

Support the bill.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633

Thanks to The Malcontent for the contact info, and the nudge his post on the subject provided.

I am normally asked at least once a month how I could be gay and Republican in that exasperated-disbelief kinda way. “Don’t you know they hate you? They don’t want you to get married for crying out loud! How much more proof do you need?”

Well, like SOME ACTUAL PROOF would be nice, especially since there is a whole lot more to the contrary, including a new Pew poll.

Just over half of those polled, 53 percent, said they support civil unions for gay people, while 36 percent said they favor gay marriage – a slight increase on both issues from a year ago.

The American people can be very reasonable when you are not trying to force-feed them something they are not prepared to accept. And just because they are not ready for something, doesn’t mean they hate – it means they disagree.

**UPDATE**

Remember what I was saying about evidence to the contrary? If the leftist Democrats rake this guy over the coals and the NY Times goes after his kids (which is disgustingly sleazy but not at all surprising coming from the Times) they can kiss 2006, 2008, and quite likely 2010 goodbye.

It seems the House Minority Leader and San Francisco uber-liberal darling has given some support and $2000 to fellow Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg, who hopes to win the seat vacated by GOP Rep. Mark Kennedy in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District. Normally this would not raise any eyebrows, a Democrat supporting another Democrat. However, WHICH Democrat doing the supporting is especially interesting given the candidate’s position on some hot-button issues.

The former Methodist minister has gotten the national backing despite views on social issues that put him to the right of his party. He opposes legalized abortion, supports a constitutional ban on gay marriage and opposes increased restrictions on gun ownership. (emphasis mine)

But I thought Nancy Pelosi was FOR gay marriage?

To make this worse, there is a Democrat running against Tinklenberg, Scotty Mortensen, that is AGAINST the FMA. So this isn’t just a question of Pelosi supporting the only Democrat running in a race against a Republican, she made a conscious choice to support the guy that is on the exact opposite of her own positions, all the while she is kissing the collective ass of the gay community.

I guess Nancy believes Minnesota’s queers should just take it up the a$$ for the good of the party.

With friends like Nancy, who needs Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell.

Lime Shurbet is giddy with joy to welcome back GAYPATRIOT to his namesake blog! He should have never had to leave in the first place, but now he is back where he belongs. Now, get in there, GP, and give ‘em hell!

What a relief. I just could not fathom a law conceived of nothing more than pure ignorance becoming law in Texas.

HOUSTON — Leading Republicans in Texas are distancing themselves from a proposal to make the state the only one to prohibit gays and lesbians from being foster parents. It appears the plan will die without becoming law.

The Texas House approved the plan last week, despite concerns that as many as 3,000 children could be removed from their homes. But amid a groundswell of anger and criticism, conservatives backed away from the proposal Friday. GOP leaders, including Gov. Rick Perry, said the proposal is so flawed it could endanger a broader initiative to overhaul the Texas Child Protective Services agency.

[...]

Among Republican lawmakers, Perry’s response was seen as a message to back off. And a key state senator leading the reform effort said Friday that she plans to “resist” the amendment containing the ban on gay foster parents. Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, said that because a similar plan was declared unconstitutional in Arkansas, she feared that the Child Protective Services overhaul would be stalled by legal challenges.

Every now and then common sense prevails over ignorance; just not often enough.

Now this is just stupid.

The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill banning homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals from being foster parents.

If the bill gains approval from the Texas Senate, the state will be allowed to investigate the backgrounds of current foster parents and remove children living in non-heterosexual households.

All future foster parents will be required to disclose their sexual preference on an application form, a legislative aide said.

When a loving couple, regardless of sexual orientation, open their homes to provide for children that would otherwise be wards of the state, that couple is doing both the state and the children a service. You cannot convince me that it is better for these children to be wards of the state than it is to be in a loving home with people that have been vetted using the same process as heterosexual couples.

“In an already over-burdened foster care system, the effect of reducing the pool of foster parents does nothing to protect Texas children,” it added.

Obviously a gay witch hunt is more important than the welfare of children.

As if banning gays from being future foster parents wasn’t enough, the idea of investigating existing foster parents, simply to ferret out the gay ones for no other reason is repugnant. I can only hope the Senate in my home state is wise enough to vote this down. I cannot believe this to be the will of the people of Texas.

No matter what.

GAY REPUBLICAN Minnesota State Senator Paul Koering:

“I feel like the Republican Party is big tent, and that there is a home for me in the Republican Party,” said Koering. “I’m going to run, and I’m going to run damn hard.”

Boy, the activists sure are in a pickle over this one. Support this guy or bash him as just another “rethuglican.” Only time will tell, but if Koering does eventually stick to his word and votes to allow voters in his state to decide on the marriage amendment for themselves, then look for this honeymoon with the activists praising his coming out to come to an abrupt halt.

**UPDATE** 8:34 AM

Michael Rogers has posted the first of the audio tapes he has of him speaking with Koering. I plan on listening to those tonight with comment tomorrow sometime.

Not that we will be moving anytime soon, but it is nice to know there are options for a nice conservative gay couple.

Connecticut’s House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday that would make the state the second to establish civil unions for same-sex couples, and the first to do so without being directed by a court.

The state Senate overwhelmingly approved a civil-unions bill last week, and lawmakers said they expect to endorse the House version as early as next week. Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R) said Wednesday that she will sign it.

The House also passed an amendment — favored by Rell and designed to make the bill more palatable to more conservative members — that defines marriage as a union of one man and one woman.

“It’s an unbelievable victory,” said Rep. Michael P. Lawlor (D), one of the bill’s main supporters. “The idea that both houses endorsed this concept of civil unions is an incredible step.”

Yeah for Connecticut! Ed @ Captain’s Quarters sums it up quite nicely.

If a momentum toward Civil Unions can be built on actions like this, it could verly likely start an irreversible trend in most states. As I have said before, I am for gay marriage but I will take anything that means a hospital can’t tell me I can’t see my partner.

Did I miss a memo? Was yesterday National Republican Coming Out Day?

LAWRENCE — Before leaving office, the outgoing mayor, Mike Rundle, announced he was gay. He said he made the announcement partly because of a statewide vote in favor of an amendment to the Kansas Constitution banning gay marriage.

“It is with dignity and pride that I acknowledge that I have been Lawrence mayor and in all likelihood, Lawrence’s first gay mayor,” Rundle said Tuesday night after finishing his one-year term. His announcement was greeted with applause from the audience and fellow commissioners.

[...]

Rundle said he had been the focus of “whispering campaign” rumors and smear tactics after he first entered politics in 1987.

Rundle said he did not acknowledge his sexuality earlier because he wanted to keep the political focus on his quest for good government and avoid triggering prejudice that might detract from that quest. (emphasis mine)

Good for him. I only wish he had come out BEFORE that abomination Kansas voters passed. It might have made a difference.