Christian Leaders to Present Anti-Gay, Anti-Abortion 'Manifesto'

A group of 145 Roman Catholic, evangelical, and Orthodox Christian leaders will present a document today at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. today saying they are in solidarity against abortions and same-sex marriage.

The NYT reports: "The manifesto, to be released on Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, is an effort to rejuvenate the political alliance of conservative Catholics and evangelicals that dominated the religious debate during the administration of President George W. Bush. The signers include nine Roman Catholic archbishops and the primate of the Orthodox Church in America. They want to signal to the Obama administration and to Congress that they are still a formidable force that will not compromise on abortion, stem-cell research or gay marriage. They hope to influence current debates over health care reform, the same-sex marriage bill in Washington, D.C., and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation."

The document was reportedly written by evangelical Charles Colson, Catholic Princeton professor Robert P. George, and the Rev. Timothy George of Beeson Divinity School in Alabama.

Part of the goal is to reach younger Christians who may have more progressive notions about gays and remind them that the church thinks gays are bad.

The 4,700-word document is called the “Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience," according to the NYT.

Says the document: "We will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other antilife act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent...We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence."

Houston Mayoral Candidate Annise Parker Attacked with Anti-Gay Flyer; Warns of City Run by Someone 'Trapped in Homosexual Behavior'

The homophobic attacks against Houston mayoral candidate Annise Parker have begun, and the first is a doozy. It's a postcard mailing to 35,000 people from local activist Dave Wilson featuring a picture of Parker and her longtime partner, which asks, "Is this the image Houston wants to portray?" and reads:

“I have nothing but compassion, respect and sensitivity towards those trapped in homosexual behavior. I have family members and friends who have been ensnared in this behavior, and I know something of the incredible pain and sorrow it has brought to them and their families. With God’s grace, I carefully balance this love and respect for these individuals with warnings about the promotion and demand for legal and political approval for homosexual behavior that will stifle religious freedom and trap millions of more people in its deadly grip. Therefore, I would ask you to vote against Annise Parker for Mayor.”

KHOU reports:

"Dave Wilson, an electrician who has spent years pestering incumbent politicians of both parties, has turned his sights on Houston Controller Annise Parker. He says that Parker should not be mayor because 'homosexual behavior leads to extinction.' Wilson says he is mailing the fliers to 35,000 Houston voters who cast ballots both in the November mayoral election and in the 2008 Republican presidential primary. 'I'd like to energize the conservative Christian base in Houston, and get them to vote,' he said...'I don't see a good family, a Christian family, one man, one woman,' Wilson said. 'It's a picture of her and her mate being sworn in in public and that's the image I have a problem with.' 11 News asked Wilson what he believes is wrong with the city having an openly gay mayor. 'The openly gay lifestyle leads to extinction,' he said. 'You can't reproduce.'"

Aside from the irrational bigoted nonsense and hate behind Wilson's perspective,  what the F does reproduction have to do with running a city?

A poll published yesterday showed Parker leading her opponenet Gene Locke by a margin of 47-34:

"A recent Lake Research Partners survey of likely voters in Houston's upcoming mayoral runoff shows that City Controller Annise Parker holds a strong lead over former City Attorney and lobbyist Gene Locke. In our recent survey, among likely voters with previous participation in past city runoff elections, Parker leads with 47 percent (37 percent strong) to 34 percent for Locke (27 percent strong). A fifth of voters (19 percent) remains undecided. Parker holds this large lead even though the poll simulated high turnout among African American voters. The sample was comprised of 54 percent Anglos, 30 percent African Americans, and 12 percent Latinos. Parker remains the best-known and liked candidate in the race and she maintains her lead even under a simulated attack. Only a substantially negative campaign from Locke can interrupt her momentum. Sixty-seven percent of voters have a favorable impression of Parker and 62 percent think she has done either an excellent (21 percent) or good job (41 percent) as City Controller. Fifty-seven percent of voters hold a favorable view of Locke."

A news report on the flyer, AFTER THE JUMP...

The run-off election is December 12th. Annise Parker's campaign site is HERE.

Gays and Evangelicals Face Off as Fort Worth 'Kiss-in' Gets Rowdy

A "kiss-in" planned by the group Queer Liberaction at Fort Worth Stockyards, which bills itself as "the wholesome western experience of Fort Worth", turned into a loud demonstration on Saturday as counter-protesters arrived and the two groups squared off against one another:

The Star-Telegram reports: "About 40 members of Queer Liberaction said they needed to take a stand against intolerance by carrying out public displays of affection in what they considered an area not traditionally friendly toward gays. The other group, mainly evangelical Christians and also numbering about 40, said homosexuality is a clear lifestyle choice, not a naturally occurring sexual orientation as many scientists believe. They beseeched Liberaction members to abandon their 'kiss-in' and come to Jesus Christ as straight adults. The gatherings broke up peacefully. Joe Remsik, 37, leader of Liberaction’s Fort Worth chapter, said the demonstration was to let the public know about fears within the city’s gay community."

Watch a news report from The 33 TV, AFTER THE JUMP...

Florida Megachurch Dumps Pepsi Over its Positions on Gay Issues

The Bell Shoals Baptist megachurch in Brandon, Florida is making headlines for carting 10 Pepsi machines out of its premises and replacing them with machines from Coca-Cola, because, they say, Pepsi donated to Prop 8, sponsors Gay Pride parades, and runs ads that cater to homosexuals.

10 Connects reports: "'We would like to send them a message,' said Terry Kemple, President of the Community Issues Council that is organizing a boycott of Pepsi products because he says it 'advocates the acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle.' ... 'They (have) begun to utilize the money we've helped them build up to trample on what we consider family values,' said Kemple of Pepsi. He said the company donated more than a million dollars to organizations that fought California's gay marriage-banning Proposition 8. He also says the Pepsi Corporation has sponsored gay pride events and commercials that accept cross-dressing and homosexuality. 'We're concerned about that diminishment of the ability of Christians to speak what the Bible says,' Kemple said. But Nadine Smith, the Executive Director of Equality Florida, called the boycott offensive to her and embarrassing to those who participate. 'The irony is that - in moving from Pepsi products to Coke products - they actually switched from one company that supports full-equality to another company that supports full-equality,' Smith said."

Watch a video report on the Coke-drinking Christians, AFTER THE JUMP...

Wisconsin Couple's Crusade Against Gay Books Leads to Call for Public Book Burning, Tar and Feathering

Jim and Ginny Maziarka, of West Bend, Wisconsin, have been waging a battle against their town's library because there are gay and lesbian-themed books on the shelves:

"With the debate raging, the city council voted in April against renewing the terms of four library board members, in part because council members thought the board was dragging its feet, library director Tyree said. The Maziarkas were still fighting to have books moved, having identified 82 questionable titles -- more than double their original list. Then they stopped targeting a list of books and circulated a petition that asked the board to label and move to the adult section any 'youth-targeted pornographic books' -- including books that describe sex acts in a way unsuitable for minors. The books could still be checked out freely by anyone. 'We're not talking about educational material. We're talking raunchy sex acts,' Maziarka said. One book she objects to is 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower,' in which a fictional teenage boy tells about his freshman year in high school, including rape and homosexual and heterosexual sex between teens."

The Maziarka's battle has spread outside their town, to Milwaukee, where a supporter has called for a public book burning.

Read about the entire, despicable, battle here, and watch two clips — one of Ginny Maziarka speaking at a public hearing, and a Christian talk show segment about the Maziarkas' crusade, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Volcano, Andy Cohen, Generation Gap, Neda, Apple, Bruno

Letter to Obama from People for the American Way calls for him to make major speech on LGBT equality and to move Congress to act.

International Space Station gets lucky shot of erupting volcano.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck sued.

Watch What Happens: Andy Cohen to host weekly live late night talk show.

Boy Culture's visit to Broadway Bares. The event raised over $800K.

Iranians mourn Neda: "To those who knew and loved Agha-Soltan, she was far more than an icon. She was a daughter, sister and friend, a music and travel lover, a beautiful young woman in the prime of her life. 'She was a person full of joy,' said her music teacher and close friend Hamid Panahi, who was among the mourners at her family home Sunday, awaiting word about her burial. 'She was a beam of light. I'm so sorry. I was so hopeful for this woman.'"

It's men's fashion week in Milan.

Barna Study: "People who portray gay adults as godless, hedonistic, Christian bashers are not working with the facts. A substantial majority of gays cite their faith as a central facet of their life, consider themselves to be Christian, and claim to have some type of meaningful personal commitment to Jesus Christ active in their life today." (study)

Anti-gay informercial Speechless: Silencing the Christians, which was stifled in Michigan, resurfaces in California and North Carolina.

NYT goes inside Apple: "Employees working on top-secret projects must pass through a maze of security doors, swiping their badges again and again and finally entering a numeric code to reach their offices, according to one former employee who worked in such areas. Work spaces are typically monitored by security cameras, this employee said. Some Apple workers in the most critical product-testing rooms must cover up devices with black cloaks when they are working on them, and turn on a red warning light when devices are unmasked so that everyone knows to be extra-careful, he said."

New York mag on the gay generation gap.

Austria pissed at Sacha Baron Cohen over Bruno: "So it comes as no surprise that some local media are not happy with seeing Austria become 'the new Kazakhstan', thanks to Herr Bruno. Now these 'fears have become a reality', reads an article in the tabloid newspaper Österreich."

Rapper Eve to appear on Glee in the fall.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have twins through surrogate mother.

60,000 U.S. inmates sexually abused each year: "Inmates who were short, young, gay or female were more likely to be victimized than other inmates."

Manhattan synagogue makes $10K off Westboro Baptist Church protest: "Leaders of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, a West Village synagogue that caters to gays and lesbians, didn't want to ignore a planned visit by members of the rabidly anti-gay and anti-Semitic Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church. Instead, they asked supporters to pledge a dollar or more for every minute that six protesters stood near their synagogue hurling epithets and holding signs that read "God Hates Fags" and "Jews Stole the Land." The final haul after 50 minutes: $10,000."