Tag Archives: SB 1062

How “Gay Power” Rose Up Like A Phoenix And Defeated Arizona’s Right To Hate SB-1062

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Gay Power

As we all know by now last night Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed Bill SB 1062 that would have allowed businesses and in some cases individuals to use bigotry through “religion” to deny service to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender customers

“I call them as I see them, despite the cheers or the boos from the crowd,” Brewer said, criticizing what she described as a “broadly worded” bill that “could result in unintended and negative consequences”

“To the supporters of the legislation, I want you to know that I understand that long-held norms about marriage and family are being challenged as never before. Our society is undergoing many dramatic changes,” she said. “However, I sincerely believe that Senate Bill 1062 has the potential to create more problems than it purports to solve. It could divide Arizona in ways we cannot even imagine and no one would ever want.

“Religious liberty is a core American and Arizona value. So is non-discrimination.”

The controversial measure faced a barrage of opposition from large corporations and athletic organizations, including Delta Air Lines, the Super Bowl host committee and Major League Baseball and all this happened because the LGBT community and its straight allies spoke out loudly and clearly against this his heinous bill which was nothing but a thinly disguised throwback to Jim Crow and was nothing more than a legal way to discriminate against LGBT individuals.

But we rose up together and fought back.

This was a major win for the LGBT community and one that was brought about the people itself and not by the LGBT organizations who claim that they represent us. “Gay Inc” as they are called said barely a word over Arizona’s hateful bill and only did after being openly criticized and called out for being silent.  But amazingly once Jan Brewer vetoed the measure a flurry of press releases flew fast and furious from the usual suspects. Within 10 minutes of the announcement The Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, and the Task Force had already sent out releases applauding Brewers move despite the fact that they didn’t have a damn thing to do it and neglecting to mention the people who did and that would be all of us.

This victory belongs to the community at large and our LGBT allies. As soon as the Arizona Senate passed the hateful bill we jumped into action. We made phone calls, sent emails and took to social media. We reached out to businesses, travel agencies, and the mainstream media TOGETHER like in the olden days of gay activism and we fought SB 1062 side by side instead of depending on others lead the fight for us. We dropped the LGBT compartmentalization and were all “gay” once again. There were no special groups and personal issues getting in the way. SB 1062 affected all of us and together we stood side by side and fought it and we won.

Arizona’s SB 1062 has proven one thing. That by taking the lead and fighting together we can and will win.

We should do it more often.

CNN’s Chris Cuomo Rips Anti-Gay Alliance Defense Fund Rep Over Arizona Gay Hate Bill – Video

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Arizona

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo this morning interviewed attorney Kellie Fiedorek a representative of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF, and formerly the Alliance Defense Fund) about Arizona‘s wide-sweeping anti-gay bill, SB 1062, that would allow “Christians” to legally discriminate against LGBT individuals.

When questioned about the Jim Crow-esque bill Fiedorek told Cuomo there’s “a basic difference between denying someone a cup of coffee or a piece of pizza or selling someone a pencil versus forcing someone to use their creative ability to create a message to support an event, to support an idea that goes against their beliefs.”that a same-sex wedding is not the same as a KKK rally, and asking a photographer to take photos of one is not the same as asking a photographer to take photos of the other.

Cuomo wasn’t having any of it responding: “Counselor, tell me that you’re not analogizing burning a Koran or the KKK with gay marriage? Do you really see those things as the same thing?”

“It will not deny anyone any service. replied Fiedorek. No one will be kicked out of a restaurant or denied a cup of coffee or piece of pizza.”

“What this bill is advocating for is basic freedom, ensuring that everyone is respected and that the government is not allowed to force or to coerce or compel anyone to violate their beliefs or to go against their conscience. This is basically to keep the government from discriminating against people of faith.”

Cuomo aggressively countered:  “It allows people to not do business with gays is what it allows. Your organization has a history of trying to hedge the ability to deal with gay marriage and gay rights in the country. All somebody has to do is Google your organization. So let’s just be open and honest about it. Why is dealing with gays or gay marriage out to a substantial burden of someone’s religion? Whose religion does that burden?”

Now that is how a newsman should act.

Bravo Chris Cuomo.