Montana Lawmakers Receive '21st-Century Sodomites' Handbook as Legislature Considers Bill Decriminalizing Homosexuality

Montana Rep. Ellie Boldman Hill (D-Missoula) posted the above photo to her Facebook page, saying:

"Here's what all Montana legislators received in their Capitol mailboxes today. There are no words for what is going on up here."

Hill's post comes as the Montana legislature considers yet again a bil to remove an unconstitutional statue criminalizing homosexuality from its books.

As Mother Jones notes:

Montana is one of four states, along with Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, that still have laws on the books specifically outlawing gay sex. Ten more states—Idaho, Utah, Michigan, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and (obviously) Florida—maintain a blanket prohibition on sodomy for persons of all sexual orientations.

The state Senate voted on Wednesday by a 38-11 vote to decriminalize it, but the bill, and another anti-discrimination bill, stand little chance of making it through the House Judiciary Committee:

Another bill before the legislature would extend the state's anti-discrimination protections to gays and lesbians for the first time—a more substantive reform that advocates hope would serve as a bulwark against bullying.

But neither proposal stands much chance of becoming law in 2013. As the Billings Gazette notes, a bill to eliminate the sodomy statute passed the Senate in 2011 only to fail in the house. "We are expecting this bill to go to House judiciary, which is a very ideologically driven committee, and we expect it to die in that committee," says Jamee Greer, a lobbyist for the Montana Human Rights Network, an LGBT equality group. "They're not showing a lot of respect to the LGBT community and I don't expect them to pass 107."

Montana TV Viewers Receive Emergency Alert Warning of Zombie Apocalypse: VIDEO

A group of hackers broke into the Emergency Alert System of Great Falls, Montana affiliate KRTV and warned viewers watching the CW network of an impending zombie apocalypse.

"The bodies of the dead are rising from their graves and attacking the living," the alert warned. “Do not attempt to approach or apprehend these bodies as they are extremely dangerous."

The police said they had four calls asking if it was true.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Helena, Montana City Commission Unanimously Passes LGBT Non-Discrimination Ordinance

Helena. Montana City Commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment and many kinds of public accommodation based on sexual orientation and gender identity at a meeting for which hundreds turned out, the Billings Gazette reports:

“I believe, and I felt the commissioners believe, that being LGBT is part of the human condition,” said Commissioner Haque-Hausrath, the sponsor of the measure, speaking of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. “It’s something that people cannot change, and we believe that people should not be discriminated against because of their sexual orientations.”

Some 30 proponents of the measure, including some transgender people, spoke in their allotted hour. Fourteen people spoke against the measure in their hour, with both sides leaving many people still in line when their hour elapsed.

Opponents cited fears of expensive litigation for the city and businesses; inadequate evidence, some said, that anti-gay discrimination is a problem worthy of such a law; and giving what some called “special privileges” to some people at the expense of others.

Eight of the 14 people speaking against the measure mentioned what some called the “bathroom” or “locker room” issue — the concern voyeurs or pedophiles would exploit the protections for transgender people to gain access to women’s restrooms or similar areas demanding privacy, or that transgender people themselves would cause alarm in such situations.

An amendment by Commissioner Dick Thweatt passed by the commission Dec. 4 addressed that concern by mandating that in any place where people “ordinarily appear in the nude,” users may be required to use the facilities designated for their anatomical sex, regardless of their gender identity.

More at the Gazette...

 

Montana Supreme Court Rejects Case Demanding Equal Benefits for Gay Couples in 4-3 Decision

The Montana Supreme Court has sided with a lower court judge who dismissed a case brought by the ACLU demanding equal benefits for same-sex couples.

Judge Jeffrey Sherlock dismissed the case in April 2011, saying that an amendment to the Montana Constitution that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman had already settled the question, adding that the question of granting gay couples the benefits, without allowing them to get married, was best left to the legislative process. Sherlock also said that a ruling to force state lawmakers to write new laws would be an inappropriate breach of the separation of powers between the three branches of government.

In November, the ACLU said that Sherlock "abdicated his responsibility" in dismissing the case. They brought their appeal before the Supreme Court in April 2012.

The AP reports on today's decision:

The court wrote in Monday's 4-3 decision the request was "overly broad" and sided with a lower court's decision last year to dismiss the lawsuit. But the Supreme Court left the door open for the couples to modify their request and try again.

The couples are not asking to for the right to marry. Instead, they argue the state is constitutionally required to let them make the same decisions about their families' health care and finances as married couples.

The state has argued that spousal benefits are limited by definition to married couples. It argues that any decision to expand them needs to be made by the Legislature.

Here's the ACLU's information page on the case.

Montana Conservatives Plan 'Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day 2.0'

The Montana Family Foundation, one of the many conservative groups that idolize Chick-fil-A for CEO Dan Cathy's hideously homophobic politics, plans on launching a second "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day".

D Gregory Smith reports:

Calling it an opportunity to support traditional family values the Montana Family Foundation will open a Chick-fil-A drive through in Billings for one day in September. The chicken will be available for one day only in Billings’ west end on Saturday, September 8th from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. This one-day drive-thru event is called Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day 2.0.

For a suggested donation of $20 per person the public is invited to attend this fund-raising event where hot Chick-fil-A chicken, coleslaw and chocolate chip cookies will be available to the first 1000 people.

It should be interesting to see if the Montana Family Foundation actually brings in that many chicken loving conservatives.

Missoula, Montana Anti-Gay Hate Crime Was Fabricated: Police - VIDEO

An update on the anti-gay assault that was reported to have happened over the weekend in Missoula, Montana.

Joseph Baken, of Billings, had reported to police that he was beaten by three men after spending the evening at the Missoula Club and asking for the location of a gay bar. Now police say they have new information they are following up on and believe that the incident was fabricated.

The Missoula Independent reports:

...the Missoula Independent and MPD obtained video footage that shows Baken doing a backflip on Higgins Avenue and sustaining the injuries, lacerations to his face, that have been depicted on social media sites, during the landing.

Baken will likely be charged for making a false report, according to police. Baken's alleged story spread quickly on the web yesterday after the Wipeout Homophobia Facebook page posted his photo.

Watch the video footage, AFTER THE JUMP...

UPDATED. "Joseph Baken pleaded guilty this afternoon in Missoula Municipal Court to charges of filing a false police report. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and a $300 fine. The jail time was suspended."