I Can Now Honestly Say I am From a the Great State of Embarrassment

Image by Stuck in Customs via Flickr

What is going on in this state? Cops in El Paso who never heard of Lawrence v Texas, masked men shutting down bars in Dallas. It really makes me wonder who in Austin is turning Texas into a police state. Rick Perry is the most likely candidate but of course there is no proof of that. Yet. The State House in Austin has been very quiet about all of these occurrences.

It really embarrasses me to be from a state where these things are not only allowed but sanctioned by the police. I try to look for the good in all of this. I try to take solace in the fact that a national spotlight is shining on the bigotry. Frankly I find it depressing and more than a little scary. I won't be going out now without a camera.

I believe that the state is trying to control us the same way they controlled African Americans in the late 50's and early 60's: Beat 'em back and teach them a lesson. Scare them into staying quietly in the background. The louder we are, the more oppression we can expect. We have to stay loud. We have to accept the oppression and deal with it. That is the only way we will ever have equal protection under the law.

Fun Ways to Destroy the Sanctity of Marriage

Image via Wikipedia

Conservatives accuse us of having a Gay agenda. We are out to destroy the sanctity of their marriages! Mmmmmmmkaaaaay! I thought No Fault Divorce did that....or was it Britney Spears? Wait, no! It was definitely Elizabeth Taylor! No, no, I am wrong; it is closeted Republicans sneaking around on their wives with men.

If they are going to blame it on us, let's do it with syle.

1. Marry a gay person of the opposite sex! That would give us all the tax breaks! And if it's a marriage between a man and a woman that should satisfy the conservatives, right?
2. Form a plan of action to expose as many gay conservatives as possible. And we need video! So many of them have been busted, Larry Craig TWICE, but we have to have the video to prove it. Xtube could have a whole section on it! I know the very thought of this may make you wretch but I am sure there is someone who is willing to step up.
3. Form a church that every gay person can be a member of. No religion, this is purely financial. The cornerstone of our religion is that we can never receive money from anyone but the church and that each individual is his own church. All of our employers must pay the church for our services and the church immediately pays us. That should get rid of our taxes. That kind of goes beyond my original point but as long as we are destroying things, organized religion seem like a great target.
4. This falls more under the category of just pissing people off but I think that all gay people who are involved with the marriage ceremonies of straight people should immediately double their prices! If enough bridezilla's financially ruin their conservative fathers financially, they will have less money to fight us in the courts. And God knows you people need a drink after dealing with them all day. Let them fund it!

This is just a starting point, please feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section. Excuse me, I am almost out of gin...

The Commonweath of Massechusetts Challenges DOMA

Image via Wikipedia

Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley, has filed suit with the US government for interfering with her state's sovereign authority to define and regulate marriage. This effectively questions the constitutionality of DOMA. DOMA states that no state (or other political subdivision within the United States) needs to treat a relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage, even if the relationship is considered a marriage in another state.

Personally, I do not think that it should be left to the states to determine who is allowed to have the privileges of marriage any more than it should have been left up to the states to determine who is free and who is a slave. Without the freedom to enter into a loving union of two adult people, we are, in fact, slaves.

This is a matter that has to be determined on a federal scale. The constitution guarantees separation of church and state and protects us against taxation without representation. If churches want to effect law, they should be subject to taxation, just like the rest of us. Gay couples today do not receive equal protection under the law. Same sex couples who are married in states that allow it are not given federal tax breaks that opposite sex married couples receive. This is not equal protection under any law.

Or, We Could Just Go Raid This Here Gay Bar....

Image via Wikipedia

A great posting from Towleroad.com about crimes that occurred in Fort Worth, Texas the same day as the raid. Curiously, no crime was listed at the exact location of the Rainbow Lounge.

The Investigation Begins...

Image via Wikipedia

The US Attorney's office is initiating an investigation in to the police raid on the Rainbow Lounge. I am cautiously optimistic. Tight ass Republican's have had a strangle hold on Texas politics for the last 35 years. Let's hope that justice will be served.

Chad Gibson, Hate Crime Victim, Speaks

Chad Gibson gave an interview on July 5th giving his account of the Rainbow Lounge raid. Mr Gibson is asking for prosecution of the involved officers. Sounds like a great idea to me!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Ft. Worth Bar Raid Victim Wants Police Charged. We Can't Blame Him (queerty.com)

And the Finger Pointing Begins...

Image via Wikipedia

Apparently now the Ft Worth police chief Halstead says that his men were not even involved in the raid on the Rainbow Lounge. Not us! It was them! Why then, on Thurday, July 2nd did they suspend operations with the TABC. Chief, are you sure your men weren't involved? How do you suspend something that never occured?