It's not a big deal-- at least not a public big deal-- that Arizona State University football player Edward "Chip" Sarafin came out, and very matter of factly, in a magazine article. He had already told his team mates, family and friends. After the magazine article was published, Ray Anderson, the school's athletic director, said, "The entire athletics department is extremely proud of Chip and is unequivocally supportive of him.
Gay conservative Republicans like Aaron Schock (R-IL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Miss McConnell (R-KY), and Trent Franks (R-AZ) and Patrick McHenry (R-NC) have traditionally locked themselves in closets and voted against LGBT equality in the hope they would fool someone. Gay conservative Democrats have usually been less hypocritical.
Ted Lieu-- leading the way, not following safely from behindYesterday, in light of the horrendous rulings against organized labor and against a woman's right to Choice, was a strange day for a progressive to congratulate the Supreme Court. California state Senator Ted Lieu didn't agree with either of those decisions, of course.
I heard about HRC endorsing Susan Collins again a few hours ago. It seems to have surprised a lot of people. It would have surprised me if they hadn't. Susan Collins and HRC are made for each other. Don't they always. Last time, in fact, was the same year they chose not to endorse Tammy Baldwin's congressional election, the same year I removed them from my will.
Ron Johnson is pretty much acknowledged to be one of the dimmest bulbs in the Senate-- and one of the most ideologically stubborn. He's Wisconsin's far right senator whose 52-47% defeat of Russ Feingold in 2010 was one of that very upsetting year's biggest upsets. Many in Wisconsin have been very sorry ever since. Example: 2 weeks ago only 3 crackpots in the whole Senate voted against the bipartisan compromise authorizing desperately needed money for the V.A.
Shenna Bellows has a record of fighting for equality. Susan Collins has a record of dragging her feet and compromising away basic rights for peopleI imagine that immigration activists must stay awake late into the night from time to time wondering what gay activists did that they didn't to get such incredible treatment for their platform. And advocates for economic equality must be ready to commit suicide over the same question.
According to ProgressivePunch, 39 congressmembers have perfect lifetime scores on all votes regarding LGBT rights. All 39 are Democrats and almost all of them are across-the-board progressive Democrats like Keith Ellison (MN), Jim McGovern (MA), Mike Honda (CA), John Lewis (GA), Judy Chu (CA), Donna Edwards (MD), Jan Schakowsky (IL), Jerry Nadler (NY), Maxine Waters (CA), Jim McDermott (WA), Barbara Lee (CA), and Chellie Pingree (ME).
Everyone in the photo above is proud gay and every one of them is a Democrat-- some, though, more proud of that than others. The first guy belongs at the top of the stairs. That's Madison, Wisconsin progressive Mark Pocan, a courageous brawler for working families and for equality under the law for all Americans. According to ProgressivePunch, he has the best lifetime crucial vote score of any Member of Congress. He's #1. Go Mark!
Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, general minister and president of the United Church of ChristPerhaps you saw the article by Nick AConfessore and Jeremy Peters in this morning's NY Times, Gay Rights Push Shifts Its Focus South And West.
