“There are a number of hotels and venues in the Los Angeles area that aren’t owned by foreign leaders and governments that allow for the execution of its LGBT citizens. We’re encouraging members of the LGBT community and our allies to consider those options instead of the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air––which are part of the Sultan’s Dorchester Collection. In addition, we’re calling on organizations that have upcoming events scheduled at these hotels to move them to other locations. I have attended various events at both hotels over the past several years. But given the extreme nature of these developments, I feel strongly that we in the LGBT community and our allies should take our business elsewhere.” – Joe Solmonese Chad Griffin, head of the Human Rights Campaign.
“I feel strongly that we in the LGBT community and our allies should take our business elsewhere.”
Thank you, Captain Fucking Obvious. And while we are at it why don’t we boycott the smarmy, ass-kissing, narcissistic, over-paid, ego-maniacs of HRC.
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe yesterday to discuss HRC’s new “Project One America” campaign, a major part of HRC’s outreach invasion into the South. But instead of focusing on the new initiative Griffin spent 2/3rds of the interview talking about Jo Becker’s book Forcing the Spring, that chronicles the legal fight against only California’s Proposition 8 but portrays it as the beginning of the same-sex marriage movement and portrays Griffin as a LGBT rights hero.
Its a very well rehearsed segment with obvious pre-approved question. Griffin tries to come off as humble (note how he inserts left out same-sex marriage leaders and mentions and how many times he mentions he’s from Arkansas) as to tone down the controversy but he does it in such a way that you can see its all for show. . The stink of over ambition and HRC greed is thick upon him and is obviously turning into nothing more than a clone of Joe Solomese and just as over-paid and useless.
Brendan Eich, who it was announced will be the new CEO of Mozilla, which runs and owns the popular Firefox browser has been outed as an anti- same sex marriage supporter who it was discovered donated $1,000 to support Prop 8, California’s a ban on gay marriage.
Hampton Catlin and his husband Michael co-creators of the popular Color Puzzle app from the Mozilla/Firefox marketplace in protest.
“Today we were shocked to read that Brendan Eich has been appointed Mozilla CEO. As a gay couple who were unable to get married in California until recently, we morally cannot support a Foundation that would not only leave someone with hateful views in power, but will give them a promotion and put them in charge of the entire organization”, says Hampton Catlin.”.
Catlin writes the following letter to Mozilla in protest:
Dear Mozilla,
As a married gay couple who are co-founders of this venture, we have chosen to boycott all Mozilla projects. We will not develop apps or test styles on Firefox anymore.
Effective today, we’re removing Color Puzzle from the Firefox Marketplace and stopping work on all of our Firefox-related applications, notably the about-to-launch Firefox version of the popular Dictionary! app for iPhone and Android.
This is in protest of the appointment of Brendan Eich to the position of CEO of the Mozilla Foundation, where he had previously served as CTO.
We will continue our boycott until Brendan Eich is completely removed from any day to day activities at Mozilla, which we believe is extremely unlikely after all he’s survived and the continued support he has received from Mozilla.
This makes us very sad, as we love the little guy fighting to make things better. But it’s because of our status as a minority that we simply can’t ignore this slap in the face of giving him a promotion to lead your organization.
Sincerely,
Hampton Catlin
Eich on the other hand has played victim since back in 2008 when news of his donation originally became public for he first time.
A donation that I made in support of California Proposition 8 four years ago became public knowledge and sparked a firestorm of comments in the last few days, mostly on Twitter. People in other countries or other U.S. states do not know why “Mozilla” was listed in the donation data. Donors above a certain amount are required by the State of California to disclose their employer. Mozilla had nothing to do with the donation. I’m not going to discuss Prop 8 here or on Twitter. There is no point in talking with the people who are baiting, ranting, and hurling four-letter abuse. Personal hatred conveyed through curse words is neither rational nor charitable, and strong feelings on any side of an issue do not justify it. In contrast, people expressing non-abusive anger, sadness, or disagreement, I understand, grieve, and humbly accept.
I am sure Eich will be reprising his role as victim once again soon.
For the second time in the past eight days, the California Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to order county clerks across the state to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. In a brief order, without a noted dissent, the state court turned down a plea by the clerk of San Diego County to halt all such licensing until the legal status of the “Proposition 8″ ban is further clarified.
The state court is still considering two pleas to keep “Proposition 8″ intact throughout most if not all of California, on the theory that it remains binding in the state despite a federal judge’s 2010 decision striking it down in the case of two same-sex couples. One of those challenges is by the sponsors of the ballot measure, the other by the San Diego County clerk. State officials and the clerks of 20 other California counties are resisting those requests.
It’s time that these losers stop beating this dead horse. It’s glue. It’s over. And its time that they give up.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris has come out swinging after yet another brief opposing efforts to halt marriages of gay and lesbian couples in California has been filed , The lawsuits which are nothing more than last ditch efforts by anti-gay bigots in Californiawas filed a San Diego Clerk named Ernest J. Dronenburg who does not want to marry same-sex couples.
On Friday, Dronenberg filed two requests with the California Supreme Court, similar to complaints filed by the Prop. 8 Proponents the week before. One seeks to immediately stop marriages in California, the other seeks to limit the scope of the federal court decision that ruled Prop. 8 unconstitutional.
Attorney General Harris’s office says the California Supreme Court should deny the request “because [the] petitioner [County Clerk Dronenberg] has no likelihood of success on the merits.”
On Friday, the San Diego County Clerk filed two requests with the California Supreme Court, similar to complaints filed by the Prop. 8 Proponents the week before. One seeks to immediately stop marriages in California, the other seeks to limit the scope of the historic federal court decision that ruled Prop. 8 unconstitutional.
“The filing offers no new arguments that could deny same-sex couples their constitutionally protected civil rights. The federal injunction is still in effect, and it requires all 58 counties to perform same-sex marriages. No exceptions.”
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is also distancing themselves from Dronenberg’s lawsuit .
Board Supervisor Greg Cox, released the following statement:
“The County Clerk has acted independently on this matter. No one else from the County was consulted or had any part of this court action, including the Board of Supervisors. The County’s position is and always has been that we, the County, will follow applicable law with regards to same sex marriage.”
Bloomberg reports that the last, last ditch effort by California anti-gay bigots to stop same-sex marriage has failed and that he California Supreme Court has rejected a petition from Prop 8 backers asking it to halt same-sex marriages.
Proposition 8 backers filed a petition July 12 and asked the state’s high court to order county clerks to enforce the gay-marriage ban, claiming the measure was still valid because a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month didn’t find it was unconstitutional. They asked for an immediate injunction reinstating the law while the lawsuit is pending.
“The request for an immediate stay or injunctive relief is denied,” the court said in a filing today, without giving a reason.
Its not quite clear if there are any legal avenues left for Prop 8 supporters to follow.
Multiple sources have confirmed that Attorney General Kathleen Kane of Pennsylvania is expected to announce today that her office won’t defend the state in a federal lawsuit that challenges Pennsylvania’s ban on gay marriage.
Kane, is named along with Governor Tom Corbett as a defendant in the suit
Kane, a Democrat, supports gay marriage. Pennsylvania law includes a provision allowing the governor’s legal team to defend state law in her place, should it be more “efficient,” or in the state’s interest to play it that way. Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett opposes gay marriage, but due to some recent Republican politicians “change of heart” at this time it is unsure if Corbet who is facing a very tough re-election in 2014 will defend the law.
The suit was filed in Harrisburg and is believed to be the first federal case on the gay marriage issue since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Article 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit, known as Whitewood v. Corbett, on Tuesday on behalf of 21 state residents. The plaintiffs are 10 couples and one widow who want to marry here, want the state to recognize their out-of-state marriages or want equal protections granted to straight married couples.
Pennsylvania, the only state in the northeast without provisions for same-sex civil unions or marriages
The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that premium cable able HBO will begin filming an upcoming documentary about the Prop 8 lawsuit backed by the American Foundation for Equal Rights on behalf of couples Kris Perry and Sandy Stier and Jeffrey Zarillo and Paul Katami. The documentary will tell the story of the people behind the case and their respective journeys to secure marriage equality in California — and for all Americans.
HBO is turning its documentary lens on same-sex marriage. The premium cable network said Tuesday that it has begun production on a telefilm focusing on the landmark Supreme Court case that overturned Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Over the past five years, directors Ben Cotner and Ryan White have had exclusive access to the legal team led by conservative Ted Olson and liberal David Boies as well as the lives of the four plaintiffs in the case. The untitled feature will be completed by year’s end for a 2014 debut.
The story of the battle to overturn Prop 8 is the story of a modern-day American revolution,” HBO programming president Michael Lombardo said. “HBO is proud to present what is intended to be the film of record on this landmark case.”
John Barrowman, best-known for his roles on the television hits Dr. Who, Torchwood, and The Arrow married his longtime boyfriend Scott Gill of 20 years over the weekend in California breaking hearts and dashing the fantasies of gay men everywhere.
Speaking directly to the camera, Barrowman said: “It’s five after one and we’ve got our coffee and we’re in the car ready to leave, because where are we going, Scott?”
Gill, then gets his turn on screen to say: “To get married. Yay!”
Barrowman then added: “We’re getting married in the state of California. Thank you Supreme Court, about time you made it legal.
John and Scott previously entered into a civil partnership in the UK on December 27, 2006.
Congrats kids!(But dammit Capt. Jack it should have bee me!)
The Supreme Court has rejected a petition from Proposition 8’s sponsors Protect Marriage to put an immediate hold on all gay weddings in the California.
“The Ninth Circuit’s June 28, 2013 Order purporting to dissolve the stay placed last year…is the latest in a long line of judicial irregularities that have unfairly thwarted Petitioners’ defense of California’s marriage amendment,” the paperwork filed by attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom read. “Failing to correct the appellate court’s actions threatens to undermine the public’s confidence in its legal system.”
The Ninth Circuit’s order to lift the stay came as a surprise to many, as the three-judge panel had previously said it would wait to lift the hold for 25 days in case the state of California wanted to appeal the Supreme Court decision. But both Gov. Jerry Brown and California Attorney General Kamala Harris have always been strongly against Prop 8.
By denying their petition Justice Anthony Kennedy has effectively closed any and all legal avenues available to Proposition 8’s sponsors has ended the long and at sometimes frustrating road to legal same-sex marriage in California.
