ACLU Hub
11/11/2008
News: Mars, Brokeback Opera, Arson, Louis Vuitton, Mormons
Michelangelo Signorile talks to a Mormon from Texas who donated to 'Yes on 8'. This is what we're up against.

Brokeback Mountain opera shelved.
Now we know who can play 'Joe the Plumber' in the McCain biopic.
Australian LGBT youth suicides at disturbingly high levels: "Open Doors surveyed 164 LGB students across the state, and 37 per cent of respondents said they had attempted suicide in the last 12 months, with 82 per cent considering taking their own life. The report also revealed a general attitude of fear among LGB students, with 81 per cent saying they had experienced bullying based on their sexuality."
Anti-gay graffiti discovered at torched home near Charlotte, North Carolina: "Fire investigators declared the home a total loss and sent samples from a bedroom to an SBI lab for testing. Meanwhile, sheriff's Maj. Coy Reid said detectives have one suspect in the case after conducting interviews. Found on a back wall of the house were graffiti of slang words referring to homosexuality. 'We're trying to figure out where that came from and if that is tied in with the fire,' Bump said."

Mayer in training.
Madonna to be the next face of Louis Vuitton? "According to tipsters, the Material Divorcée will be the face of Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2009 campaign and has already been shot by photo wonder duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott."
Holocaust survivors to Mormons: stop Baptisms of dead Jews.
Fear in Florida that the state could become home to immigrant population of five-inch Madagascar hissing cockroaches. In related news, Kentucky man moving to Florida.
Stevens vs. Begich: 90,000 more votes to be counted tomorrow in Alaska Senate race.

Mission over for Mars Lander: "Engineers have not heard from the craft since Sunday 2 November when it made a brief communication with Earth. Phoenix, which landed on the planet's northern plains in May, had been struggling in the increasing cold and dark of an advancing winter. The US space agency says it will continue to try to contact the craft but does not expect to hear from it."
McCaskill being discussed as DNC Chair Howard Dean's replacement when he steps down in January: "In sheer political terms, the choice really wasn’t Dean’s to make. Indeed, any decision on who will serve as the next DNC chair will come with directives from Obama and his aides. And a name being floated around as a possible Dean replacement is one of the president-elect’s closest allies: Claire McCaskill, the junior Senator from Missouri and a national co-chair of the Obama campaign."
CG Animated Wizard of Oz in the works: "The English-language adaptation maintains the tale's main characters and settings. Unlike the MGM classic, however, it's not a musical."
Levi's presents the "People's Premiere" of Milk. Blogger Joe.My.God attended it and has photos.

Naked Boys Singing and ACLU sues the city of Milwaukee for shutting down their show three years ago: "The city temporarily shut down performances of 'Naked Boys Singing!' in August 2005 while it considered the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center's application for a theater permit. The group later received a permit and reopened the show. Larry Dupuis, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, which is handling the case, said the city's enforcement seemed unusually zealous, even given the musical's content."
Brad Pitt roughed up by his own security detail?
Study on the failure rates of mobile phones.
Georgia GOP congressman calls Obama Marxist, warns of dictatorship.
Vancouver to rally against Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, which continues its crusade against The Laramie Project.
Regular: Palin to have rummage sale?
Posted by Andy in ACLU, Alaska, Australia, Brad Pitt, Brokeback Mountain, Bullying, Democratic Party, Film, Florida, Fred Phelps, Gay Slurs, Georgia, John Mayer, Madonna, Michelangelo Signorile, Milwaukee, Mormon, News, North Carolina, Opera, Sarah Palin, Space, Vancouver | Permalink | Comments (15)
10/01/2008
News: Melissa Etheridge, NASA, Dominic Purcell, Uganda, Eminem
NYT declares city's real estate boom over.
REPORT: Palin used another private email account.

50 years ago today, the U.S. created NASA. They've put up a gallery of images to celebrate.
This might be the most degrading job ever.
Washington Blade interview with John McCain holds few to no surprises.
Entrepreneur and political activist Jonathan Lewis pledges $500,000 to fight Prop. 8 if the entertainment industry will match it: "My family and I are issuing a $500,000 challenge to the entertainment industry. We will match the next half-million dollars that entertainment industry leaders contribute. This is an urgent time in the campaign, and we have to act now."
Keith Haring's universe explored in new film.
Grouchy old UK man charged in court for harassment of gay couple.
Boy George reality show Living with Boy George begins tonight in the UK: "The show follows George as he returns to the UK after four years in America, where he was arrested for possesion of cocaine and subsequently sentenced to do community service. George also finally comes clean on his addiction to heroin and his battles with other drugs. He also speaks openly and frankly about his sexuality and his controversial former relationship with Culture Club drummer, John Moss."
Eminem returning.

Cutest deer ever.
Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Peter Pace appointment meeting resistance at Indiana University: "Pace, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs from 2005 to 2007, publicly likened homosexuality to adultery in March 2007, calling it immoral. He later said he should have not expressed his personal views."
Gay Ugandan given refugee status in Canada. Ugandan paper calls homosexuality a moral disease. And anti-gay Christian bishops from around the world are meeting in Uganda this week to discuss their homophobia: "About 40 bishops from Africa, Australia, the United States, India, Canada and Britain are taking part in the conference, which began on Monday near the Ugandan capital Kampala."
School board in New Mexico takes control of yearbook to avoid last year's lesbian horror show.

Melissa Etheridge to marry partner Tammy Lynn Michaels: "Yes, we have four children and we're trying to find the right time. We are so grateful for the blessings from our friends and family as we commence our vows, and begin the rest of our lives together."
Gianni Versace's mansion, where he was gunned down in 1997, now a restaurant called 1116 Ocean. The mansion also rents rooms for $5,000 a night.
Prison Break's Dominic Purcell checks himself out.
Mad Men's Bryan Batt talks to CNN about being gay in Hollywood: "There are always going to be people who look at people who are different and who disapprove [of them] either through fear or through ignorance. We have to work toward acceptance on all levels. How long ago were the civil rights movement and the women's movement? And, still today, women don't make the same amount of money as men do for doing the same job."
Paris Hilton makes gay bar visit.

The first documented case of a suicidal ant.
Liberty University to allow Soulforce Equality Ride activists on campus: "This year's visit will mark the group's first visit to Liberty since Jerry Falwell Jr. assumed leadership after the death of his father. Riders say they hope the campus' zeal for politics will allow open conversation about 'faith and fairness,' they said. 'We are in contact with Liberty students who have been waiting for the Equality Ride to return,' said Katie Higgins, Equality Ride's co-director."
Gay editor of Lapland's largest newspaper fired because of her sexuality: "Ms. Korhonen told reporters from the Finnish media today that the real reason for her sudden dismissal was because 'I live in a registered partnership – in other words my spouse is a woman'."
ACLU: Gay rights groups may have been spied on by Maryland State Police.
Posted by Andy in ACLU, Boy George, California, Dominic Purcell, Eminem, Finland, Gay Marriage, Gianni Versace, John McCain, Maryland, Melissa Etheridge, Nature, New Mexico, New York, News, Peter Pace, Real Estate, Soulforce, Space, Uganda | Permalink | Comments (13)
Montana Court Issues Historic Same-Sex Parent Custody Ruling
The ACLU hailed a ruling by a Missoula, Montana district court judge who awarded custody rights to Michelle Kulstad. Kulstad had raised two kids with her partner Barbara Maniaci for nearly a decade. The kids were legally adopted by Maniaci, who sought sole custody when the couple split:
"In his order, McLean focused on whether or not a parental bond existed between Kulstad and her children. 'The evidence shows that rupture of the children's relationship with Ms. Kulstad would be not only contrary to their best interests, but severely detrimental to their well-being,' he wrote...Maniaci, as the 'legally adoptive' parent, argued that Kulstad had no custodial rights to the children, and should not be granted visitation rights, calling the woman a 'legal stranger' to the children. But in his 48-page decision, McLean rejected Maniaci's argument and ruled that it was in the best interest of the children for their parent-child relationship with Kulstad to continue. He found that Kulstad raised the children with Maniaci and provided for them financially. The court also noted that the children recognized Kulstad as a parent and have a constitutional right to that relationship."
Said Betsy Griffing, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana: "This is the first case of its kind that I am aware of. The point of this is that children of every parent have the right to a parental bond. An exception cannot be carved out in the case of gay parents."
Court: Same-sex parent has custody rights [missoulian]
Sphere: Related ContentPosted by Andy in ACLU, Gay Adoption, Gay Parents, Montana, News | Permalink | Comments (2)
07/31/2008
ACLU wins Gay-Straight Alliance Lawsuit Against Florida School
In a gay-straight alliance case that was closed at one time because the student who brought it, Yasmin Gonzalez, graduated, and then reopened when a current student was prevented from reviving the Okeechobee High School GSA, a judge in Florida has ruled that the group was discriminated against by the school board:
"The Gay-Straight Alliance of Okeechobee High School may now meet on campus like all other non-curricular school groups, and their case against the School Board of Okeechobee County is closed, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore wrote in an opinion signed Tuesday. Moore granted them Alliance’s otion for summary judgment and ruled the School Board violated the club’s First Amendment rights by refusing to recognize it as a non-curricular student organization. Moore also ruled that the School Board is statutorily obligated by the federal Equal Access Act to grant the club the same rights to meet on campus as other non-curricular student groups have."
Said the ACLU: "Moore broke the legal mold by asserting that schools must provide for the well-being of gay students the same as straight students and therefore, the school cannot discriminate against the GSA."
Previously
Federal Judge Says Gay-Straight Alliance May Continue [tr]
Posted by Andy in ACLU, Florida, Gay Youth, Gay-Straight Alliances, News | Permalink | Comments (4)
05/14/2008
Judge Rules in Favor of Student in Gay Freedom of Expression Case
United States District Court Richard Smoak ruled in favor of high school student Heather Gillman yesterday in a suit she and the ACLU brought against her school’s principal and the Holmes County School Board. Gillman claimed that her First Amendment rights were violated when the school forbid her from wearing clothing or displaying stickers supporting tolerance and fair treatment of LGBT people.
Via the ACLU: "During the trial, which was held in Panama City yesterday and today, Ponce de Leon High School’s principal David Davis admitted under oath that he had banned students from wearing any clothing or symbols supporting equal rights for gay people. Davis also testified that he believed rainbows were “sexually suggestive” and would make students unable to study because they’d be picturing gay sex acts in their mind. The principal went on to admit that while censoring rainbows and gay pride messages he allowed students to wear other symbols many find controversial, such as the Confederate flag."
Said Gillman, who is not gay: "Standing up to my school was really hard to do, but I’m so happy that I did because the First Amendment is a big deal to everyone."
Federal Judge Rules That Students Can’t Be Barred From Expressing Support for Gay People [aclu]
Gay Rights Case Over, Student Wins [wmbb - with video]
Posted by Andy in ACLU, Florida, News | Permalink | Comments (11)
05/02/2008
Memphis City Schools Backs Principal Who Outed Gay Students
On Wednesday I posted about principal Daphne Beasley of Hollis F. Price Middle College High School in South Memphis, who outed two gay students who were in a relationship to their parents and to other students at the school via a publicly posted list of students who were involved romantically.
As a result of Beasley's actions, the gay students have been the target of verbal harassment and even discrimination from teachers. The ACLU sent a letter to Memphis City Schools, demanding they reprimand Beasley, and compensate and apologize to the two students whom Beasley outed. The ACLU says Beasley violated the students' constitutional rights to equal protection, freedom of expression and association, due process and privacy.
Well, Memphis City Schools responded today via a statement, and they claim that Beasley did nothing wrong and that what she did helped to facilitate "a safe, nurturing and disciplined learning climate." The schools claim that Beasley "did not list any information other than students’ names on her personal call list, and she certainly did not specify the sexual orientation of any student. Additionally, the list was never posted publicly anywhere at the school."
Well, according to the ACLU, "Beasley hung the list up on the wall of her office, in plain view of teachers and other students."
Read the statement from Memphis City Schools, AFTER THE JUMP...
***MEMPHIS CITY SCHOOLS STATEMENT in response to outing of gay students***
“Memphis City Schools is committed to providing its students with the best possible learning environment. Hollis F. Price Middle College is an accelerated high school, which is located on the historically black LeMoyne-Owen College campus. Eligible students may enroll in college classes in pursuit of completing the first two years of college while attending this high school.
Because we have high school students on a college campus, we have to carefully monitor the activities of our students. We are at all times proactive in assuring that our students are provided a safe, nurturing and disciplined learning climate. Unfortunately, in fall 2007, we received numerous complaints from LeMoyne-Owen College faculty and staff that some of our student couples were involved in explicit sexual behavior in public view on the college campus.
In light of this information from LeMoyne-Owen faculty and staff, the principal of Hollis F. Price made several general announcements to the student body that this behavior would not be tolerated. Regrettably, the improper behavior continued. Therefore, the principal felt it appropriate to notify the parents of those children she knew to be involved romantically. This was done in an effort to gain the support of the parents in reinforcing the message that such behavior is in violation of Memphis City Schools’ Student Code of Conduct. The principal did not list any information other than students’ names on her personal call list, and she certainly did not specify the sexual orientation of any student. Additionally, the list was never posted publicly anywhere at the school.
It is the position of Memphis City Schools that the principal did act in an appropriate manner in order to correct a serious issue at the school and that Memphis City Schools has not subjected either of these students to discriminatory treatment.
In the coming days, we will submit a formal response to the ACLU. We look forward to working with them to amicably resolve this matter.”
***END OF STATEMENT***
Sphere: Related ContentPosted by Andy in ACLU, Education, Gay Youth, News, Tennessee | Permalink | Comments (26)
04/30/2008
ACLU Slams Tennessee Principal for Outing Gay Students
The ACLU has sent a letter to Memphis City Schools, demanding the school system implement new policies, reprimand principal Daphne Beasley of Hollis F. Price Middle College High School in South Memphis, and compensate and apologize to two students whom Beasley outed in a public posted list which the ACLU says violated the students' constitutional rights to equal protection, freedom of expression and association, due process and privacy.
"The ACLU says in September 2007, Beasley asked her staff to give her the names of students who were couples, heterosexual and homosexual, because she wanted to keep an eye on them to cut down on public displays of affection. She's accused of publicly posting the names of those students, including two boys, Andrew and Nicholas, who had just started dating. The ACLU says that in doing so, Beasley revealed their relationship to other students, teachers and even their parents."
As a result of Beasley's actions, the gay students have been the target of verbal harassment and even discrimination from teachers:
"One of the young men, Nicholas, an 11th grader who just made the Dean's List, spoke with Eyewitness News Everywhere. 'It was actually frightening,' he says, 'to see a list with my name on it where not just other teachers could see but students as well.' Nicholas says his teachers and other students treat him differently as a result of Principal Beasley's decision and that he and Andrew have both had to deal with verbal assaults. Nicholas was also not allowed to go on a trip to New Orleans to help rebuild homes because, as one of his teacher's explained, he would 'embarrass' the school by engaging in gay affection. 'I really feel that my personal privacy was invaded,' Nicholas says. 'I mean, Principal Beasley called my mother and outed me to my mother!'"
Said Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director at the ACLU of Tennessee: "The principal's outing of these two students to their families, classmates, and teachers is unacceptable. Its only purpose was to intimidate not only these students but all gay students at Hollis Price. Educators should be focused on educating their students and not on harassing them because of their sexual orientation or the people with whom they associate."
Memphis Principal Accused of "Outing" Gay Students [eyewitness news]
ACLU Takes On High School Principal For Discriminating Against Male Couple [aclu]
Demand Letter [aclu]
Posted by Andy in ACLU, Education, Gay Youth, News, Tennessee | Permalink | Comments (25)
03/26/2008
ACLU Demands H&R Block Accommodate Connecticut Civil Unions
After a gay Connecticut couple was told by tax preparer H&R Block that "We don’t support Connecticut civil union returns," the ACLU has stepped in to demand they change their policies:
"Through its website, the company said the couple would have to work with one of their professionals, by phone or at one of their office locations, which would be more time consuming and substantially more expensive. 'This is yet another example of the many ways that civil unions just don’t live up to marriage,' said Jason Smith (right) of Hartford, who has been with his partner Settimio Pisu for six years. 'It really stung when I realized it would cost an additional $150 dollars to have our tax returns prepared. We’re saving for a house and hoping to start a family, so every penny counts right now.' According to the letter the ACLU sent to H&R Block, failing to provide gay couples with civil unions the option of filing their taxes online as it does for married couples is in violation of a state law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and civil union status. The letter demands that the company adapt its website to accommodate couples with civil unions and to reimburse all couples who were forced to pay the additional charges due to H&R Block’s discriminatory practices."
As if tax time needed to be any more fun.
H&R Block Tells Gay Couples In Connecticut: “We Don’t Support Connecticut Civil Union Returns” [aclu]
Demand Letter [aclu]
H&R Block screen captures [aclu]
Posted by Andy in ACLU, Connecticut, Gay Marriage, News | Permalink | Comments (6)
02/01/2008
News: Alfie Allen, Huckabee, Alabama, Justin Chambers, Spiral Jetty
Theory that mass grave found in Fort Myers, Florida could be the remains of a serial killer's gay victims gains traction...

Woo! New shrew!
Singer Lily Allen's brother Alfie has taken over Daniel Radcliffe's role in London's Equus. Unlike, Radcliffe, full monty shots of Allen have quickly made it to the internet.
Memorial to gay Holocaust victims in Berlin should be ready within months: "The $890,000 memorial to gay victims will be located in Berlin's Tiergarten Park, across from the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Culture Minister Bernd Neumann said."
Iowa's Quad-City Times celebrates the gay American Idol contestant I posted about earlier in the week, Leo Marlowe: "Gwen Costello, librarian and drama director at Northeast High School in Goose Lake, Marlowe’s alma mater, remembers the young thespian playing the jester in 'Once Upon a Mattress' and receiving awards on the speech team. In his high school yearbook, Marlowe, who was voted 'Most Likely to be Famous' from the Class of 2002, was asked to pontificate on what he would do if he could not sing. 'I don’t know what I’d do,' he responded. 'I guess I’d be lost.'...'He’s just so down to earth and can make anybody laugh,” Costello said. “We noticed that right away last night, how he made everybody laugh and made everybody comfortable. That’s what he does best besides singing.' Costello said Marlowe comes from 'a wonderful family. We’re thrilled, we’re just thrilled. I thoroughly expect him to be schmoozing with the big guys soon. He’ll probably be Simon’s best friend someday.'"

Paula: dancing like there's no tomorrow.
Grey's Anatomy's Justin Chambers admitted to same psych ward as Britney Spears — for sleep disorder.
Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty threatened by oil drilling.
Gay populations booming in Alabama and Utah: "In the past 17 years, Utah's gay population has shot from the 38th largest in the country to 14th. Birmingham, Ala., meanwhile, is now home to all-night gay bars and pride parades; the South's gay tally has outpaced any other region. 'What many of the bigger cities like New York were experiencing during the late '60s and '70s is happening here now, but quietly,' says Danny Upton, the head of Equality Alabama."
Pro-gay bills advance in Virginia legislature.

Jesse Metcalfe: Single, hating it.
Oregon fans target UCLA basketball player with homophobic chants: "The target was Kevin Love, the gifted freshman who grew up near Portland but left his home state last year for Westwood. Some Ducks fans, lost in their immaturity, view Love as a traitor. From the warm-ups to the final seconds, they heaped scorn on the Bruins' No. 42 and his family. There's cheering and booing that is within the bounds of civility. But sometimes it goes out of bounds, into a realm society should not condone. You know it when you see it, know it when you hear it. This was out of bounds. There were stabs at Love's looks, at his mother, father and the history of mental illness in his family. This was disgusting. What drew my ire the most were reports of long, loud, homophobic chants directed at UCLA's young center."
Straight teen sues high school, claiming she was prevented from peacefully supporting gay rights: "Heather Gillman, who is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, filed suit in federal court against the School Board and Ponce de Leon High School Principal David Davis. According to the complaint, Davis suspended several students for 'expressing their support for the fair treatment of gays and lesbians.'...'I think everybody should be able to support what they believe in and not be punished for it,' Gillman said Thursday during a conference call with reporters."
Mike Huckabee on what's beautiful about America: “The beauty of America is that a person can come and even make a disruption, and you know what, that person is not going to be taken out and shot.”
The power of persuasion: reality show supermodels sittin' in a tree...
Posted by Andy in ACLU, Alabama, American Idol, Art & Design, Berlin, Crime, Florida, Iowa, Jesse Metcalfe, Mike Huckabee, Nature, News, Oregon, Reality TV, Sports, Theatre, Utah, Virginia | Permalink | Comments (4)
01/16/2008
ACLU Defends Larry Craig's Right to Have Private Bathroom Sex

The ACLU filed a brief yesterday in support of Idaho Senator Larry Craig, arguing that those engaging in sexual conduct in restroom stalls should be able to expect privacy.
The AP reports: "[The ACLU] cited a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling 38 years ago that found that people who have sex in closed stalls in public restrooms 'have a reasonable expectation of privacy.' That means the state cannot prove Craig was inviting an undercover officer to have sex in public, the ACLU wrote...The ACLU argued that even if Craig was inviting the officer to have sex, his actions wouldn't be illegal. 'The government cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Senator Craig was inviting the undercover officer to engage in anything other than sexual intimacy that would not have called attention to itself in a closed stall in the public restroom,' the ACLU wrote in its brief. The ACLU also noted that Craig was originally charged with interference with privacy, which it said was an admission by the state that people in the bathroom stall expect privacy."
Aside from the sheer absurdity of it, I'm not sure exactly how this argument would help Craig, since he has denied engaging in any sexual conduct.
Last week Craig filed a 27-page brief with the Minnesota Court of Appeals in an ongoing attempt to withdraw his guilty plea.
Previously
Larry Craig Files Appeal in Ongoing Quest to Withdraw Guilty Plea [tr]
A Holiday Visit to the Larry Craig Men's Room [tr]
Idaho Paper Out to Disprove Larry Craig's "I'm not gay" Claims [tr]
Posted by Andy in ACLU, Idaho, Larry Craig, Minneapolis, Minnesota, News | Permalink | Comments (22)
09/17/2007
ACLU Gets Behind Idaho Senator Larry Craig
The American Civil Liberties Union has come out today in the defense of Idaho Senator Larry Craig, whose widely publicized guilty plea for "disorderly conduct" related to his arrest in a Minneapolis men's room led to the lawmaker's resignation from the Senate.
The ACLU contends that "it doesn't matter whether he solicited sex because that's not a crime," according to ABC News.
Said ACLU executive director Anthony Romero: "We believe the sting operation used to apprehend Mr. Craig was unconstitutional. The statute the government is relying upon makes it a crime to use certain offensive words...It is a crime to have sex in public. It is not a crime to propose or solicit sex in public, whether it's in a bar or in a bathroom. We clearly lay out what is the doctrine in terms of what speech is and is not protected. To be able to solicit sex in private, in public spaces, for instance, is constitutionally protected speech."
The Washington Post, in an editorial published over the weekend, said "More than gestures should be required to charge someone with a crime."
Craig reportedly sent a letter of apology to his Senate colleagues late last week: "The letter went directly to fellow senators. It accompanied a copy of the motion that Craig (R., Idaho) filed Monday in Hennepin County, Minn., courts, seeking to undo his Aug. 1 guilty plea to a disorderly-conduct misdemeanor...Craig's spokesman, Dan Whiting, said that he had not seen the letter or the Roll Call article that first mentioned it but that he was aware of it. He described it yesterday as merely a 'simple cover letter' for the legal filings. It went out to Craig's colleagues this week "so that senators, if they wanted, could read it without the media filter," Whiting said in an e-mail.
Meanwhile, more than one person has decided to visit the Minneapolis airport men's room where the whole incident began: "Royal Zino, who works at the shoeshine shop next to the public lavatory, said 'it's been crazy. People have been going inside, taking pictures of the stall, taking pictures outside the bathroom door.'"
ACLU Backs Senator Larry Craig [abc news]
Sphere: Related ContentPosted by Andy in ACLU, Crime, Idaho, Larry Craig, Minneapolis, News | Permalink | Comments (19)
12/05/2006
Mock ACLU Nativity Scene features "Gary and Joseph"
In an attempt to expose the "extremity" of the ACLU, the University of Texas Chapter of The Young Conservatives of Texas has installed an unusual nativity scene on that university's Austin campus to be on display at least through today. A handy explanation is provided on the YCT website:
“We’ve got Gary and Joseph instead of Mary and Joseph in order to symbolize ACLU support for homosexual marriage, and of course there isn’t a Jesus in the manger,” said Chairman Tony McDonald. “The three Wise Men are Lenin, Marx, and Stalin because the founders of the ACLU were strident supporters of Soviet style Communism. The whole scene is a tongue-in-cheek way of showing the many ways that the ACLU and the far left are out of touch with the values of mainstream America.”
So same-sex parents can't have a child, eh? A terrorist shepherd and an angel with the face of Nancy Pelosi also feature prominently.
Said Executive Director Joseph Wyly: "The ACLU and other left-wing extremist groups are working diligently to destroy American’s rights to the free expression of religion. We’ve already seen in Chicago an attempt to censor the nativity by a city government this week. It’s just more evidence that there is a War on Christmas being waged by the far-left in this country."
Now that's the wingnut Christmas spirit. However I don't think "the values of mainstream America" they're trying to promote necessarily agree with those of the Saviour they've chosen to exclude.
Sphere: Related ContentPosted by Andy in ACLU, Christmas, News, Religion, Republican Party, Texas | Permalink | Comments (80)
07/24/2006
ACLU Defends Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist
Saying that a new Missouri law which bans picketing in front of funerals "tries to limit protesters' free speech based on the content of their message," the ACLU is suing Missouri on behalf of Westboro Baptist Church. The Church, whose strategy of getting their hateful message out about gays and lesbians by picketing in front of the funerals for soldiers killed in the Iraq war, has inspired the wrath of families and veterans groups nationwide.
The ACLU wants the ban declared unconstitutional. Said spokes-hag Shirley Phelps-Roper: "I told the nation, as each state went after these laws, that if the day came that they got in our way, that we would sue them. At this hour, the wrath of God is pouring out on this country."
The ACLU is right to argue for freedom of speech, be it the Phelps clan or not. Fred Phelps' message — that the U.S. is incurring God's wrath because of its tolerance towards gays and lesbians — is a message that should be heard if only because it shows the world the kind of irrational bigotry the gay community faces on a daily basis and enshrines Westboro Baptist as a group of certified nutjobs.
Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon says the state has no plans to cave: "We're not going to acquiesce to anything that they're asking for in this lawsuit."
ACLU Sues for Anti-Gay Group That Pickets at Troops' Burials [washington post]
And make sure not to miss!
You Wanna Preach? Let's Preach [tr]
Posted by Andy in ACLU, Missouri, Religion, Shirley Phelps-Roper | Permalink | Comments (33)





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