Vatican spokesman: There is "a sense of regret" concerning the Pope's meeting with Kim Davis.

Courtesy Yahoo News: 

Pope Francis' meeting last week with an American woman at the center of a row over gay marriage was not something he had sought and should not be seen as an endorsement of her views, the Vatican said on Friday. 

One Vatican official said there was "a sense of regret" that the pope had ever seen Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who went to jail in September for refusing to honor a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and issue same-sex marriage licenses. 

The encounter in Washington was originally kept secret and has sparked widespread debate since it became public this week, proving something of a misstep for the pontiff. 

Looking to smother the fierce controversy, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said Davis was one of "several dozen" people who had been invited by the Vatican ambassador to see Francis during his visit to the U.S. capital. 

"The Pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects," Lombardi said in a statement.

That sort of falls in line with some of the other recent reporting indicating that the Pope may have been tricked into meeting Davis, and that she was just a person among many to have a face to face with the Pope but that it was by no means an endorsement of her position.

Since I thought that overall the Pope's visit to America was very positive, I would like to believe that the Pope simply did not know who this person was, or understand how this interaction would be interpreted.

However I would hope that there was some disciplinary action taken on whoever set this thing up and gave the okay for it to happen in the first place.

Why I Vote Republican.

This is from 2008, but I think it should be shown during EVERY election cycle.

Hawaii may be next state to embrace gay marriage. Am I the only one who thought they already had?

Courtesy of NPR:  

The next state to legalize same-sex marriage may be Hawaii, where the state's Legislature will begin a special session on the issue Monday. The governor called the session so that lawmakers could consider the Marriage Equality Act, which would allow same-sex couples to wed. 

NPR's Nathan Rott reports for our Newscast unit: 

"The gay marriage debate is nothing new to Hawaii. In 1990, gay couples who applied for a marriage license there helped start the national debate that resulted in the Defense of Marriage Act, the law that was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year. 

"Proponents for same-sex marriage, including Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, are trying to ride national momentum, pushing for legislation that would make Hawaii the 15th state to legalize gay marriage. They argue that the bill extends the state's Aloha spirit of equality and would spur tourism. 

"Opponents of the bill have organized protests, saying that Hawaiian voters should decide the issue, not the state's lawmakers." 

Gay marriage was in a legal gray area in Hawaii after 1993, when the state's supreme court ruled in favor of the unions. But a constitutional amendment that was adopted five years later took jurisdiction from the courts and gave it to the Legislature, which then banned same-sex marriages. 

In Honolulu, this weekend has been marked by rallies organized by groups on both sides of the issue, Hawaii News Now reports. More rallies will take place Monday.

I swear Hawaii has GOT to be the most gay state in the US. And I mean that as a compliment.

The entire place smells like flowers, everybody wears brightly colored shirts, and it was there that a 20 year old man-child from Alaska first learned about Mahus.  (Believe me my introduction was not nearly as unsettling as my roommate from Ohio, who received his culture shock only after his date dropped "her" skirt in the hotel room he had rented.)

Like I said I am only surprised that Hawaii was NOT the first state to openly accept gay marriage.

(I guess this is where the Right Wing starts wagging their fingers and exclaiming that "they knew the President was gay, and somehow this proves it.")

P.S. And yes, before anybody starts trying to lecture me, I DO realize that not all transvestites are gay. It just so happened that the few Mahu's I met in Hawaii were.

Internal survey sent to parents and scout masters find that many identify the gay ban as negatively affecting their customer loyalty to the Boy Scouts.

Courtesy of Mother Jones:

In the fall of 2012, months before the Boy Scouts of America announced it would consider overturning its decades-old ban on gay Scouts and scout leaders, the group sent a survey to Boy Scouts, parents, and scout leaders. The survey did not include a question about the ban, but it did ask respondents to explain what impacted their decision to recommend the Boy Scouts to their friends and families. Despite the open-ended nature of the question, around 5,500 (about eight percent) of the 68,441 respondents volunteered that the gay ban negatively affected their "customer loyalty" to the Boy Scouts. Only a tiny fraction of the respondents—a few hundred—expressed explicit support for the gay ban. Now a fight over how to interpret those results is brewing between the Boy Scouts and Scouts for Equality, an independent organization pushing for an end to the gay ban. 

"The biggest takeaway from the survey is that there is a ton of energy in the scouting community for changing the policy," says Zach Wahls, an Eagle Scout raised by two lesbian mothers, and founder of Scouts for Equality. 

But Deron Smith, director of public relations for the Boy Scouts of America, tells Mother Jones that since the survey didn't include any specific questions about the ban, and only nine percent of respondents brought it up in an open-ended question about why they would or wouldn't recommend the Boy Scouts, "it is insufficient to accurately predict the beliefs of our membership as a whole." 

This Deron Smith guy may only be able to argue this point for a few more weeks because there is another, much more focused survey coming soon, and I predict that it will substantiate a,d expand on the findings of the earlier survey.
 
What Scouts, leaders, and parents think about the ban should be clearer soon. A 2013 spring survey specifically addressing the ban was sent to about 1.1 million scouts and their families earlier this month. It includes questions like, "David, a Boy Scout, believes that homosexuality is wrong... Steve, an openly gay youth, applies to be a member. Is it acceptable or unacceptable for this troop to deny Steve membership in their troop?" The results of that survey are expected​ April 4, just over a month before 1,400 members of the group's national council will vote on whether to end the ban.

This. much like the ban on gay marriage in this country, is essentially a done deal. The Boy Scouts have been doing their best to fight the inevitable, but I believe that once this new survey is returned that the organization will have no choice but to openly accept EVERYBODY regardless of who and how they love.

You know the thing is that the Boy Scouts already have a number of gay scouts and scout leaders, all this will do is allow them to no longer have to hide that fact from their peers.

Gee the freedom to be who you are without fear of discrimination or penalty. Does it GET any more American than that?

Google supports marriage equality, so anti-gay American Family Association decides to boycott them. Oh yeah, THAT'LL teach them!

Courtesy of The New Civil Rights Movement:  

Buster Wilson today suggested conservatives boycott Google for the search engine and advertising giant’s recently announced “Legalize Love” campaign to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Wilson, general manager of the American Family Association‘s radio stations and technically Bryan Fischer‘s boss, acknowledges a boycott against Google “is going be tough,” and will “test the meat of our convictions.” 

"I said that I did not want to support any efforts like this, in fact, we are a part of boycotting efforts similar to this with other businesses. This is going to be hard for a lot of us. A lot of us are so integrated into Google and Google products, this is going to be a tough one. It’s more than just a search engine — many of us have Android phones the Android system is a Google product. Many of us use Google calendar and Google task, and Gmail, and all those kinds of things. YouTube and all the other things — it’s not just the search engine. So this is going be tough. This one’s going to be one of those situations where I guess we’ll test the meat of our convictions."

Okay does the term "test the meat of our convictions" sound totally gay to anybody else?

Well anyway, this is absolutely hysterical in my opinion. The idea that these idiots will be able to get their supporters to boycott the most powerful search engine in the world in 2012 is simply ridiculous. They would have more success forcing their church going men to give up the porn we all know they are watching at night after their wives go to sleep. Ain't gonna happen.

You know if you think about it, this could be framed as a battle between the forces of God versus the forces of Google.

I don't know about all of you but MY money is on the equal rights endorsing search engine. I don't think that God even has a chance here.

All hail the great and glorious Google, blessed be thy name!

Well THIS is certainly not going to make the Religious Right very happy.

For those who were not certain that the White House was fully committed to defending the President's newly evolved stance on gay marriage, I believe the fact that you can now find items like the ones below being sold at the Obama Campaign's online store should remove any doubt.

On a personal note I have to share with you that my daughter came flying into my office the other day all jubilant and bouncing around like a hyperactive puppy due to the excitement she felt that Obama had come out in support of same sex marriage.

My daughter tends to like to play it cool, so it is unusual to see her so uninhibited in her enthusiasm.

She said that her gay friends are equally energized and that many of them are volunteering to help with the Obama reelection campaign in response to his historic support of equal rights.

I asked her what it means to her, and she replied that it means that not only does her daddy love and support her just the way she is, but for the first time in history so does the President of the Untied States.

I have to admit that kind of choked me up.

By the way, you can ignore the people on the Right who are saying that Obama is going to lose some of his support from the Black community over this.  The facts are that the African American community is ALL IN for Obama, and are now beginning to follow his lead in accepting gay marriage as well.

So let's take some political inventory shall we?

Right now the President is polling 5at 4% among women to Romney's 34% (And we know that will only go up for the President as we get nearer the election), Blacks support the President 90% to Romney's pathetic 5%, 42% of Independents also favor Obama while only 30% like Romney, and of course the gay vote is now solidly in Obama's corner.

The only place that Romney out performs Obama is with the white male vote, and even that is even higher among white males who did NOT finish college.

In other words Romney has the ignorant Caucasian heterosexual man vote all sewn up. Color me unsurprised.

This is beginning to look like a very interesting election indeed.

Now if you will excuse me I have a t-shirt to buy.

President Obama comes out in support of gay marriage. By a show of hands who did NOT see this coming?

Am I for marriage equality. Hell yeah!

Courtesy of NBC News:  

In an interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, the president described his thought process as an “evolution” that led him to this decision, based on conversations with his staff members, openly gay and lesbian service members, and his wife and daughters. 

“I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together; when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama told Roberts in an interview to appear on ABC’s “Good Morning America” Thursday. 

Excerpts of the interview will air tonight on ABC’s “World News With Diane Sawyer.”

And people say that evolution is a myth. Hah!

I think that most intelligent people already understood that the President was for equality of marriage.  However it is good that he finally came out firmly so that the idiots who keep bringing this up as an issue can finally move on to another thing to be disappointed about.

Of course this now gives the GOP their newest attack against the President, and one that will probably carry them through all the way to November.

I certainly hope that THIS will bring the gay community out in droves to vote for Obama, because you KNOW it is will fire up the Evangelicals like nobody's business!

Just a reminder that MOST people in Anchorage, Alaska are nothing like Sarah Palin, Mayor Dan Sullivan, or Pastor Jerry Prevo.

Courtesy of Bent Alaska:

Christians for Equality stand united for Equal Rights Initiative 

A group representing a number of religious and faith-based organizations in Anchorage is standing in support of an Equal Rights Initiative that will appear on the Municipality of Anchorage’s April 2012 ballot. More than a dozen ministerial leaders who are members of Christians for Equality announced their support of the One Anchorage campaign and initiative at a press conference on Thurs., Dec. 8, 2011. 

“Equality is a core value of our Christian faith,” said Rev. Michael Burke, pastor of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and convener of Christians for Equality. “That’s why we firmly support the One Anchorage initiative, because it calls for equal treatment of one another and protects those in our community who have no legal rights against discrimination today.” 

Christians for Equality was organized to support the Equal Rights Initiative. “We are speaking out so that the full voice of the Christian community is heard on the issue of equality,” said Burke. 

Christians for Equality is comprised of faith leaders, lay and ordained, from a variety of different denominations and faith communities united in our conviction that no one should be discriminated against in employment, housing, or public accommodations simply because they are gay or transgender. 

The group’s members include Rev. Peter Perry, St. John United Methodist Church; Rev. Martin Eldred, Joy Lutheran Church; Rev. Susan Knight, Immanuel Presbyterian Church; Rev. Dan Bollerud, Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church; Rev. George Blair, First Congregational Church; Rev. Sara Gavit, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church; Rev. Beatrice Hitchcock, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship; Rev. Ron Myers, First United Methodist Church; Rev. Glenn Petersen, Central Lutheran Church; Rev. Paul Boling, First Christian Church; Rev. David Boling, First Christian Church; Rev. Julia Seymour, Lutheran Church of Hope; Rev. Drew Phoenix, The United Methodist Church; Rev. Johnathan Jones, Church Life AK; Rev. Gayle Nauska, Nauska Counseling; and Rev. Susan Halvor, Chaplain. 

“The biblical message is an ethic of love,” said Rev. Peter Perry, senior pastor of St. John United Methodist Church. “When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus responded, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ We affirm that we are all made in the image of God and are therefore called to honor the dignity and equality of all persons. Discrimination and unfair treatment are never loving.”

Now THIS is the kind of Christianity that this old combative atheist can embrace without any hesitation whatsoever.

Take THAT Rick Perry!

Gloria Steinem on the false feminism of Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann.

Courtesy of New York Magazine:

Gloria Steinem, a leader of the women's liberation movement of the seventies, was feted at a luncheon on Wednesday in celebration of the HBO documentary about her life, Gloria: In Her Own Words. We were curious what the feminist icon thinks about women like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, who are not housewives, yet support traditional values and oppose abortion. "They’re there to oppose the women's movement. That's their job," Steinem said, accusing the two politicians of "selling out" the women's movement. "That’s just the way it is; it's inevitable. Think about Phyllis Schlafly; there have always been women like this." 

 Later, during a speech, Steinem elaborated. "I can testify, the very same things people were telling me 30 or 40 years ago — it's against nature, you can’t do this, my wife is not interested — all these [people] are now saying, well, feminism used to be necessary, but it's not anymore. That is the new form of obstruction. And, of course, it’s accompanied by the other natural thing that happens if you have a big social justice movement: You make jobs for people who sell it out. So we have Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, who are on my list of 'the women only a man could love.'" 

 "But it’s important to remember that though they are in the news, they are not in the majority," Steinem continued. "And though they get elected, there's a huge race and gender differential on who votes for them. And if you were to add the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, they are the people our founders came to this country to escape," she told the lunch crowd. "They’re the same people, right? They're trying to say God looks like me and not like you, and to use that politically to make a religious base. And so it is really a kind of rerun."

As a man observing the Sarah Palin phenomena, and immediately recognizing that she was single-handedly dismantling decades of hard work by the feminist movement, I have been particularly interested in how a person like Gloria Steinem deals with watching her receive so much media attention.

This response is kind of what I would have expected, though to be honest part of me would like her to go all "Jerry Springer" on Palin's ass and rip that fright wig and those fake glasses off her head and then turn to the media and say "How do you like her now America?" (And yes as I was typing that I realized that it was totally a stereotypical anti-feminist thing to write. Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see it though.)

BTW if you are a Gloria Steinem fan (And if you are a modern woman or man completely comfortable with his masculinity (Like me) how could you not be?) you might be interested in watching her appearance on the Colbert Report last night. It was pretty interesting, not to mention funny.

Lawrence O'Donnell presents Al Franken's masterful take down of Focus on the Family's Tom Minnery.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I think we can all agree that what Al Franken did was a thing of beauty!

God I cannot tell you how often I wish my Democratic Senator demonstrated that kind of skill while doing his job.

Minnesotans are a lucky bunch!

The New York State Senate JUST passed their same sex marriage bill!

Courtesy of Bay Windows:

The New York Senate voted to legalize same-sex marriage in the state Friday, June 24 with a vote of 33 to 29.

The measure needed just one more supporter in the Republican-controlled Senate. Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) called the body back into session after it expired Monday, June 20 to continue debating the issue. The governor expressed his support for legalized same-sex marriage, and spent the past few weeks personally lobbying senators on the matter.

The bill, which had been passed by the State Assembly, includes measures that would exempt religious groups who don’t support legalized marriage equality from having to officiate or otherwise participate in same-sex unions.

Now that is a pretty great way to wrtap up my blogging this Friday evening!

Obama extends protections to gay couples covered under Medicaid.

Courtesy of Washington Blade:

The Obama administration is set on Friday to issue policy guidance to states expanding their ability to offer same-sex couples the same protections afforded to straight couples when they receive long-term care under Medicaid, the Washington Blade has learned exclusively.

Under the new guidance, dated June 10, states have the option to allow healthy partners in a same-sex relationship to keep their homes while their partners are receiving support for long-term care under Medicaid, such as care in a nursing home.

Medicaid kicks in for a beneficiary to receive care after an individual depletes virtually all of their money. To pay for the beneficiary’s expenses under Medicaid, a state could impose a lein, or take possession, of a beneficiary’s home to pay for Medicaid expenses.

However, federal law prohibits imposing this lein if beneficiaries are married to someone of the opposite-sex who’s still living in their home. The new guidance, signed by Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Cindy Mann, clarifies that states can offer this protection to the healthy partner of a Medicaid recipient in a same-sex relationship.

My eyes are bleeding after reading through so many Palin e-mails. So I thought it might be very soothing for our psyches to turn our focus to a much more uplifting story.

Every day, little by little, our President is making this country a more welcome and supportive place for ALL Americans. And THAT is what we hired him to do.

The overturning of Proposition 8 is incredible news! And the ONLY person to turn to for an explanation of exactly what happened must be Rachel Maddow.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I cannot tell you how much I wanted to write about this yesterday.  I saw news reports on it as I was writing my Team Levi post and I was frustrated that I could weigh in, but I just felt that post needed to be finished first since I had promised it over a week ago.

However as many of you know I am a huge supporter of equal rights and I could not have been happier at hearing this news.

If you live in Anchorage (or close by) you have a golden opportunity to stand up for equal rights. Just think how jealous your friends will be.

Event: Protest of Sullvan's ordinance veto at McGinley's pub
Host: Melissa S Green
Start Time: Today, August 21 at 8:30pm
End Time: Today, August 21 at 11:30pm
Where: McGinley's Pub downtown Anchorage, 645 G StreetTo see more details and RSVP, follow the link below: http://tinyurl.com/me8jvl

Sadly I cannot make it to this protest, but trust me if I could I definitely would.

For those who do not know, Sullivan is part owner of McGinley's, so standing outside with protest signs could really hurt him in his pocket book.

You know nothing upsets a Republican as much as interfering with his source of revenue. Well except for raising his taxes of course.

So please, if you can, show up so that the people of Anchorage will be reminded that their mayor is a homophobe who kisses Jerry Prevo's ass and turns his back on a population that sufferers discrimination on a daily basis.

Perhaps the comments section could be used to come up with some good ideas for signs. I know how creative you all can be.

Did the massive tide of red shirts kill the chances for prop 64 to pass? Did hate win out over love? Only time will tell.

The prospect of a gay rights ordinance passing under the watch of a supportive city administration are narrowing as Anchorage Assembly Chairwoman Debbie Ossiander said this morning she will continue to allow testimony from anyone who wants to speak on the issue.

The deadline to pass an ordinance under the support of Acting Mayor Matt Claman, a Democrat, is Tuesday.

If it passes the Assembly on Wednesday or after, Mayor-elect Dan Sullivan, a Republican, will get the issue.

Sullivan, reached this morning, said he's waiting to see the language in the final ordinance before he weighs in with his opinion. Others, including Ossiander, say he is generally opposed.

"I know he is not supportive. I can't categorically state what he's going to do, but I know this is not something that he believes is needed," she said this morning.

City law says whoever is mayor has seven days to veto such ordinances. Sullivan takes office on July 1, seven days after Wednesday.

Nearly 550 people have signed up to testify on the ordinance, which would add "sexual orientation" to the list of classes protected from discrimination. Classes already protected include race, ethnicity, age, sex, marital status, and others.

The Assembly has heard three days of testimony on the matter but still has 200 more people signed up to speak for up to three minutes each. It has been one of the most time-consuming periods of public testimony in Assembly history.

The most the Assembly has been able to get through in one day was 100 people.

The Christianista's brought busload after busload, and van load after van load, of people from the Valley to stack the deck in their favor. Because THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SUPPORT HERE IN ANCHORAGE TO STOP THIS ORDINANCE!

And because Debbie Ossiander, the Chairperson of the Assembly, decided to allow hundreds of people from the Valley to have the opportunity to argue against an ordinance THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM the people of Anchorage may still have to suffer discrimination until the next time somebody is brave enough to try and introduce an ordinance to protect people from being spied on in their own bedrooms. How does THAT seem fair to anyone!

This ordinance is still going to pass. Believe me.

The only question is, will Dan Sullivan bow to his head to Jerry Prevo and his cult and veto it, or will he stand up for the oppressed people of the city that he will soon swear to serve, and let it stand?

Is Dan Sullivan a puppet of the Right Wing Fundamentalists? Or does he in fact possess a pair of balls and the will to use them?

The 'balls" are in your court Mayor-elect Sullivan, let's see what you are made of.

We will be watching.

My daughter makes videos!

This is video that my daughter captured on Tuesday outside of the Assembly meeting that was discussing the so called "gay ordinance".

I did not attend last night's meeting so that we could work on this and get it up this morning.



So the question that has been bothering me since the FIRST Assembly meeting concerning this ordinance on June 9th, is WHY did all of these people come to Anchorage from the Valley to argue against an ordinance that does not have anything to do with them? And why did Debbie Ossiander, the Assembly Chair, allow them to testify and prolong this debate for THREE days?

I apologize for not including my discussion with Jerry Prevo, who seems to be the ringleader of this ocean of red adorned people, but the noise in the lobby was so loud you could not hear much of what we talked about.

His point in a nutshell is that he does not feel that the gays are being discriminated against and that their lifestyle is "perverted" and should not be given "special" rights. You know, the same rights that he and his cult of followers currently enjoy.

My daughter worked hard on this so let us know what you thought of it. I am sorry for the quality but I had to use YouTube to embed it on Blogger.

Last night at the Assembly meeting was emotionally draining and yet quite uplifting. Is that even possible?

My daughter and I arrived at the Loussac Library around 4:30.

Once again the parking lot was packed and the red shirt brigade was out in full force.

Unbeknown to me at the time, Jerry "I hate the gays! I just hate them!" Prevo had sent out this delightful little e-mail to his cult members.

Dear ABT Email Family,

FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, CHURCHES, CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS, WE MUST STOP THIS NEW ORDINANCE IN ANCHORAGE.HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE MORAL LIFESTYLE.IT IS DISEASED AND DEVIANT.HOMOSEXUALS ARE TRYING TO FORCE US TO APPROVE THEIR LIFESTYLE INSTEAD OF JUST ACCEPTING THEM. HOMOSEXUALS ARE NOT BEING DEPRIVED OF JOBS, PLACES TO LIVE OR LOANS. THEY HOLD HIGH POLITICAL OFFICES, WELL-PAYING CORPORATE POSITIONS, AND ARE, AS A WHOLE, IN A HIGHER INCOME BRACKET.

The liberals on the Anchorage Assembly are trying to pass an ordinance to give “special rights” to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and of all things transgender perverts. Last week we surprised them with an overwhelming number of people there in opposition, but they do not believe we can sustain these numbers. They feel like we are a bunch of wimps when it comes to fighting for what is right. To make it even harder, they have scheduled, in addition to the Tuesday night meeting, as to make it even harder, they have scheduled, in addition to the Tuesday night meeting, a special Wednesday night meeting. I am calling off our regular church service Wednesday so we can overwhelm them again on Wednesday night. This is how important this issue is to defeat.Below is some general information and BE SURE TO WEAR SOMETHING RED. (blue is their color) – Pastor Prevo

General Information: The public testimony concerning the proposed homosexual ordinance continues Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We need everyone to attend the Assembly meeting at the Lousacc Library. We need to fill up the Assembly Chambers with people wearing red shirts showing their opposition to the proposed ordinance. If you can arrive by 3 p.m., take a seat in the Assembly Chamber Hall. Bring something to eat or drink and a good book to read. Arriving early is important but coming when you can and being present, even outside, is just as important. We need to show the Assembly Members the voters of Anchorage will not tolerate this scourge. (I received this courtesy of Shannyn Moore.)

So as you can imagine they were there in large numbers and itching for a fight.

I was actually able to interview Prevo, and my daughter captured it on video, so hopefully I will have that up of all of you later today or early tomorrow.

We also captured many conversations and confrontations on video and will put those up as soon as my daughter can edit them together.

This time I sat with my blogger buddies Shannyn Moore and AKM during the often emotional testimony, which always makes these things much easier to take. AKM kept sharing posts on her Blackberry from the liveblogging that was taking place at Mudflats and that helped to lighten the mood a little.

I am not going to go into what happened during the testimony with this post, because like I said I have video and it will be much easier with a visual aide.

I will share that afterward we all went to the wonderful Villa Nova restaurant again, where we all ate too much, laughed just the right amount, and left with our spirits much higher than when we had arrived.

Stay tuned for more.

Come one come all to the second round of the Equal Rights debate at the Loussac Library in front of the Anchorage Assembly.

This is from Bent Alaska (You can visit their website by clicking the title.)

The second round of testimony is on Tuesday, June 16, 5-11 pm. Once again, we want to try to fill Loussac Library with a sea of blue (and don't forget your Equality Works buttons!). You may have already testified, but we still need you to be there in solidarity with those who haven't had a chance. They need to hear you applauding and supporting their bravery just as they did for you.

Please come early! Doors to the Assembly chambers are unlocked at 3 pm, but if you can get there earlier, even better. Bring a book, bring friends, bring your laptop--but be there!

You can bet the Alaska progressive bloggers will be there in force, and this time I have my daughter and her video camera so hopefully I will have some good footage to share in the next couple of days or so.

I think I will stay out of the Assembly chamber itself and instead focus on the crowd, since that is where the action was last time.

By the way this article came out recently which states:

Examples of same-sex behavior can be found in almost all species in the animal kingdom — from worms to frogs to birds — making the practice nearly universal among animals, according to a new review of research on the topic.

In other words being gay is a matter of BIOLOGY, just like I and many others have been saying all along. Once people understand that fact the argument of those on the far Right will fall apart.

It is like hating somebody because of the color of their skin, or their gender, it is something only done by the most ignorant people on the planet......oh.....well maybe we will still have a problem with these morons after all.

I can't help wondering if one of these jerks would give away their son's dog if he exhibited "homosexual" behavior? You know like sniffing a same sex dogs ass or something.