June 4, 2013
Real Time with Bill Maher: Pot Is The New Gay Marriage
The final “New Rule” – Real Time with Bill Maher – May 31, 2013 – Episode 284
• • •
April 5, 2013
Rachel Maddow: Rights Are Not Supposed To Be Voted On
“Here’s the thing about rights. They’re not actually supposed to be voted on. That’s why they’re called rights.”
• • •
March 29, 2013
Justice Alito: Same-Sex Marriage Is ‘Newer Than Cell Phones Or The Internet’
During Tuesday’s “Prop 8” oral arguments, Justice Alito compared same-sex marriage to modern technology saying, it is “newer than cell phones or the Internet.” I don’t know about you, but I find statements like this unconvincing, and actually in this case, just bizarre. Because the whole point of the “Prop 8” and “DOMA” cases is that gays and lesbians are being denied equal rights. If you’ve been denied equal rights for decades or centuries, but only started to gain those rights (state-by-state) in recent years, how can that be used against you? Same-sex marriage is new because it was illegal until recently. Same-sex marriage is not new because it’s the latest trend, fad or what all the cool people are doing.
• • •
March 27, 2013
DOMA: The Indefensible Defense Of Marriage Act
Signed into law in 1996, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines marriage as between a man and a woman for the purpose of restricting federal marriage benefits to heterosexual marriages only. But what exactly does DOMA defend? I mean, the very name of this act implies a profound protection of the institution of marriage, so it must make great strides to defend the institution.
• • •
March 18, 2013
Poll: 58 Percent Of Americans Support Same-Sex Marriage
In a continuation of rapid social change, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds 58 percent of Americans now support same-sex marriage. That is up sharply from only 9 years ago (2004) when only 32 percent thought gays and lesbians should be able to legally marry.
• • •
March 15, 2013
Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman Says He Now Supports Same-Sex Marriage
Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman has reversed his longstanding position against same-sex marriage. Portman said his stance evolved two years ago when his own son came out as gay to he and his wife. “It allowed me to think of this issue from a new perspective,” said Portman ” “[O]f a Dad who loves his son a lot and wants him to have the same opportunities that his brother and sister would have — to have a relationship like Jane and I have had for over 26 years.”
• • •
February 26, 2013
Some Republicans Come Out In Favor Of Same-Sex Marriage
As if we needed further evidence that the mainstream Republican Party is out-of-touch with the majority of America, a number of prominent Republicans have signed a legal brief in support of same-sex marriage, denouncing the official party platform. The brief will be used in a case heading to the U.S. Supreme Court arguing against California’s Proposition 8, a ballot-initiative that made same-sex marriage illegal in the state.
• • •
November 12, 2012
Conservatives, It’s Not Your Country To Take Back
If there was one phrase heard most often during the health care debate in 2009 and 2010 it was “I want my country back.” This phrase, used exclusively by white conservatives, encapsulates the palpable fear felt by a shrinking white majority. This is not a phrase that would be uttered by African-Americans or Latinos, for good reason, and let’s not mince words. — White conservatives are talking about an increasingly diverse country with many more brown and black people, and it scares them to the core.
• • •
September 11, 2012
Quote: Josh Lyman on Gay Marriage – The West Wing
“I like you guys that want to reduce the size of government, make it just small enough so it can fit in our bedrooms.”
• • •