News and Current Events - 2012

[brokebacktom]

Conservatives don't flip-flop because they don't believe in evolution. They put their faith in intelligent design which explains, uh-oh, Mitt Romney.

Ouch!! 

[Lyle (Mooska)]

While I don't subscribe to any particular news organization, whether it is visual or print,
this whole decision of the Prez today raises more questions than answers.

Regardless of what it is called, flip/flop, etc.; the president is a mature and educated individual;
why didn't he take this stand four years ago?   I see this entire move simply as him playing along
with what his political advisors tell him.   It's an election year, if they tell him he can get 50K more
votes out of certain states by hopping around on one leg and barking like a dog; he will do it.

Yup.
kathy

I think these posts say more about you two "Eeyores" than it does about the President. I am
assuming you both are supporters of gay issues and the like since you are on this forum. So, the
first time in the history of the United States a President comes out and affirms and accepts the
notion that gay people should have marriage equality, you both are filled with a sense of...what?
Cynicism at best? You can't even bring yourself to move an inch into the light, to have an iota of
gratitude and enjoy thie profound gift which has been given, even for a sparkling second?

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is."
"And freezing."
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."

[CellarDweller115]

So, the
first time in the history of the United States a President comes out and affirms and accepts the
notion that gay people should have marriage equality

President Obama has done so much for the GLBTQ community, and you just gave me an opportunity to post it.



1. Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (The first federal civil rights law to protect gays and lesbians)

2. He instructed all federal agencies to extend benefits where possible to civilian federal employees with same-sex partners.

3. He issued two Presidential Memoranda (in June 2009 and June 2010) directing federal agencies to extend whatever benefits they could, under existing authority, to the same-sex partners of federal employees. These include sick and funeral leave, long-term care insurance, travel and relocation assistance, child care subsidies, and certain retirement benefits. The State Department extended numerous benefits to the partners of Foreign Service officers, including diplomatic passports, access to overseas medical and training facilities, inclusion in housing allocations, and access to emergency evacuation.

4. He ended the ban on HIV-positive immigrants and foreign visitors.

5. The federal Prison Rape Elimination Commission proposed national standards to reduce sexual abuse in correctional facilities, including standards regarding LGBT and intersex inmates. In early 2011, the Justice Department proposed regulations to implement those standards.

6. The State Department reversed a Bush Administration policy that refused to use a same-sex marriage license as evidence of a name change for passports.

7. Health and Human Services (HHS) Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability reviewed the lifetime ban on blood donation by gay and bisexual men, concluded that it is a “sub-optimal” policy that screens out low risk donors and called on HHS to conduct research to support a move to a policy based on risk behavior, regardless of sexual orientation.

8. The Department of Justice issued an opinion clarifying that the criminal provisions of the Violence Against Women Act related to stalking and abuse apply equally to same-sex partners.

9. The Department of State revised the standards for changing a gender marker on a passport, making the process less burdensome for transgender people.

10. The Department of Labor issued guidance clarifying that an employee can take time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for a same-sex partner’s child, even where the partner does not have a legal or biological relationship to that child.

11. HHS revised its funding guidance around abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education programs, requiring that recipient programs are inclusive of and non-stigmatizing toward LGBT youth, and mandating that they include only medically-accurate information.

12. HHS awarded a $900,000 grant for the creation of a national resource center on LGBT aging issues to Services & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders (SAGE). HHS also awarded a $13.3 million grant to the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center to create a model program supporting LGBT and questioning youth in the foster care system.

13. At the request of HHS, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a lengthy report in March 2011 detailing the range of areas in which more research is needed on LGBT health needs.

14. In March 2011, HHS sent a number of recommendations to the White House for policy and regulatory changes that HHS could undertake to improve the health of LGBT people, including: collection of LGBT health data, guidance for states on including LGBT families in federal welfare programs, and guidance for states on protecting the financial resources of a same-sex partner when his or her partner enters long-term care under Medicaid.

15. He announced new regulations through The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)  that recognize LGBT families for federal housing programs and prohibit discrimination in getting federally insured mortgage loans.

16. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) added gender identity to the equal employment opportunity policy governing all federal jobs.

17. He appointed more than 100 openly gay people in his administration, some of which include the government’s top personnel official and the head of the Council for Environmental Quality.

18. He issued Presidential Memorandum in April 2010 directing HHS to issue regulations requiring all hospitals receiving Medicaid and Medicare to prohibit discrimination in visitation against LGBT people. HHS issued regulations that went into effect in 2011.

19. He awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to gay icons Billie Jean King and Harvey Milk.

20. He hosted a White House summit on bullying and recorded a video message telling young LGBT individuals that “It Gets Better.”

21. He ordered the data to be released of legally married gay couples from the 2010 census, granting legitimacy of same-sex relationships.

22. HHS rescinded provisions of a Bush-era rule which allowed health care providers to refuse to provide any health care service or information for a religious or moral reason.

23. He championed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, a 17-year-old ban barring LGBT individuals the right to serve openly in the military.

24. He wants Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which will prohibit employers from considering sexual orientation in hiring and firing decisions. This legislation however, is currently stalled in the Senate.

25. He also wants to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bars legally sanctioned same-sex couples from reaping Social Security survivor payments, tax breaks and other benefits reserved for straight married couples. This legislation is also being held up in a highly conservative House of Representatives, and will probably not see repeal for at least two years.

[AZ.bbm]

How the hell do they keep track of all these 'wars'? 

They must have an Excel spreadsheet somewhere with linked pages: the War On Christmas, the War On Religion, the War On Incandescent Light Bulbs, the War On Drugs, the War On Our Lady of the One Percent (a/k/a Ann Romney).  Wonder if we'll see drones over Macy's and Mayor's Christmas Trees across the nation this December?

LOL! 

[doodler]

President Obama has done so much for the GLBTQ community, and you just gave me an opportunity to post it.



1. Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (The first federal civil rights law to protect gays and lesbians)

2. He instructed all federal agencies to extend benefits where possible to civilian federal employees with same-sex partners.

3. He issued two Presidential Memoranda (in June 2009 and June 2010) directing federal agencies to extend whatever benefits they could, under existing authority, to the same-sex partners of federal employees. These include sick and funeral leave, long-term care insurance, travel and relocation assistance, child care subsidies, and certain retirement benefits. The State Department extended numerous benefits to the partners of Foreign Service officers, including diplomatic passports, access to overseas medical and training facilities, inclusion in housing allocations, and access to emergency evacuation.

4. He ended the ban on HIV-positive immigrants and foreign visitors.

5. The federal Prison Rape Elimination Commission proposed national standards to reduce sexual abuse in correctional facilities, including standards regarding LGBT and intersex inmates. In early 2011, the Justice Department proposed regulations to implement those standards.

6. The State Department reversed a Bush Administration policy that refused to use a same-sex marriage license as evidence of a name change for passports.

7. Health and Human Services (HHS) Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability reviewed the lifetime ban on blood donation by gay and bisexual men, concluded that it is a “sub-optimal” policy that screens out low risk donors and called on HHS to conduct research to support a move to a policy based on risk behavior, regardless of sexual orientation.

8. The Department of Justice issued an opinion clarifying that the criminal provisions of the Violence Against Women Act related to stalking and abuse apply equally to same-sex partners.

9. The Department of State revised the standards for changing a gender marker on a passport, making the process less burdensome for transgender people.

10. The Department of Labor issued guidance clarifying that an employee can take time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for a same-sex partner’s child, even where the partner does not have a legal or biological relationship to that child.

11. HHS revised its funding guidance around abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education programs, requiring that recipient programs are inclusive of and non-stigmatizing toward LGBT youth, and mandating that they include only medically-accurate information.

12. HHS awarded a $900,000 grant for the creation of a national resource center on LGBT aging issues to Services & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders (SAGE). HHS also awarded a $13.3 million grant to the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center to create a model program supporting LGBT and questioning youth in the foster care system.

13. At the request of HHS, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a lengthy report in March 2011 detailing the range of areas in which more research is needed on LGBT health needs.

14. In March 2011, HHS sent a number of recommendations to the White House for policy and regulatory changes that HHS could undertake to improve the health of LGBT people, including: collection of LGBT health data, guidance for states on including LGBT families in federal welfare programs, and guidance for states on protecting the financial resources of a same-sex partner when his or her partner enters long-term care under Medicaid.

15. He announced new regulations through The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)  that recognize LGBT families for federal housing programs and prohibit discrimination in getting federally insured mortgage loans.

16. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) added gender identity to the equal employment opportunity policy governing all federal jobs.

17. He appointed more than 100 openly gay people in his administration, some of which include the government’s top personnel official and the head of the Council for Environmental Quality.

18. He issued Presidential Memorandum in April 2010 directing HHS to issue regulations requiring all hospitals receiving Medicaid and Medicare to prohibit discrimination in visitation against LGBT people. HHS issued regulations that went into effect in 2011.

19. He awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to gay icons Billie Jean King and Harvey Milk.

20. He hosted a White House summit on bullying and recorded a video message telling young LGBT individuals that “It Gets Better.”

21. He ordered the data to be released of legally married gay couples from the 2010 census, granting legitimacy of same-sex relationships.

22. HHS rescinded provisions of a Bush-era rule which allowed health care providers to refuse to provide any health care service or information for a religious or moral reason.

23. He championed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, a 17-year-old ban barring LGBT individuals the right to serve openly in the military.

24. He wants Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which will prohibit employers from considering sexual orientation in hiring and firing decisions. This legislation however, is currently stalled in the Senate.

25. He also wants to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bars legally sanctioned same-sex couples from reaping Social Security survivor payments, tax breaks and other benefits reserved for straight married couples. This legislation is also being held up in a highly conservative House of Representatives, and will probably not see repeal for at least two years.

Wow!


And the other side of the flipflop coin... he could have NOT changed his mind on the subject.

[AZ.bbm]

^^^
-All well and good.  -However, IMO, Obama continuing to preside over gulags like Guantanamo and assuming dictatorial power to assassinate American citizens at will, without due process, cancels out all of the good will, above, sorry.

[Sandy]

Well, at least he did some good things to balance out the bad. What about Dubya who set up the gulags, set up torture chamber and went after Al-Qaeda operatives, but has little good to show for two terms?

[Lyle (Mooska)]

-All well and good.  -However, IMO, presiding over gulags like Guantanamo and assuming dictatorial power to assassinate American citizens at will, without due process, cancels out all of the good will, above, sorry.

Are you afraid of being assassinated?

Given the two choices, I am enthusiastically supporting President Obama in this election
despite the six months to come of your posting the above sentiments and you can support
or not support whomever you want.

***

Why are these theme song lyrics entering my head:

"You take the good, you take the bad,
you take them both and there you have
The Facts of Life, the Facts of Life.

When the world never seems
to be livin up to your dreams
And suddenly you're finding out
the Facts of Life are all about you, you."

[Lyle (Mooska)]

assuming dictatorial power to assassinate American citizens at will, without due process,

By the way, a different opinion than yours:

Federal courts have concurred with the president. The constitution
was never meant to safeguard those who would kill to overthrow it.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Meanwhile, I'm still going to enjoy what the President did yesterday.

[janjo]

President Obama has done so much for the GLBTQ community, and you just gave me an opportunity to post it.



1. Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (The first federal civil rights law to protect gays and lesbians)

2. He instructed all federal agencies to extend benefits where possible to civilian federal employees with same-sex partners.

3. He issued two Presidential Memoranda (in June 2009 and June 2010) directing federal agencies to extend whatever benefits they could, under existing authority, to the same-sex partners of federal employees. These include sick and funeral leave, long-term care insurance, travel and relocation assistance, child care subsidies, and certain retirement benefits. The State Department extended numerous benefits to the partners of Foreign Service officers, including diplomatic passports, access to overseas medical and training facilities, inclusion in housing allocations, and access to emergency evacuation.

4. He ended the ban on HIV-positive immigrants and foreign visitors.

5. The federal Prison Rape Elimination Commission proposed national standards to reduce sexual abuse in correctional facilities, including standards regarding LGBT and intersex inmates. In early 2011, the Justice Department proposed regulations to implement those standards.

6. The State Department reversed a Bush Administration policy that refused to use a same-sex marriage license as evidence of a name change for passports.

7. Health and Human Services (HHS) Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability reviewed the lifetime ban on blood donation by gay and bisexual men, concluded that it is a “sub-optimal” policy that screens out low risk donors and called on HHS to conduct research to support a move to a policy based on risk behavior, regardless of sexual orientation.

8. The Department of Justice issued an opinion clarifying that the criminal provisions of the Violence Against Women Act related to stalking and abuse apply equally to same-sex partners.

9. The Department of State revised the standards for changing a gender marker on a passport, making the process less burdensome for transgender people.

10. The Department of Labor issued guidance clarifying that an employee can take time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for a same-sex partner’s child, even where the partner does not have a legal or biological relationship to that child.

11. HHS revised its funding guidance around abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education programs, requiring that recipient programs are inclusive of and non-stigmatizing toward LGBT youth, and mandating that they include only medically-accurate information.

12. HHS awarded a $900,000 grant for the creation of a national resource center on LGBT aging issues to Services & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders (SAGE). HHS also awarded a $13.3 million grant to the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center to create a model program supporting LGBT and questioning youth in the foster care system.

13. At the request of HHS, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a lengthy report in March 2011 detailing the range of areas in which more research is needed on LGBT health needs.

14. In March 2011, HHS sent a number of recommendations to the White House for policy and regulatory changes that HHS could undertake to improve the health of LGBT people, including: collection of LGBT health data, guidance for states on including LGBT families in federal welfare programs, and guidance for states on protecting the financial resources of a same-sex partner when his or her partner enters long-term care under Medicaid.

15. He announced new regulations through The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)  that recognize LGBT families for federal housing programs and prohibit discrimination in getting federally insured mortgage loans.

16. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) added gender identity to the equal employment opportunity policy governing all federal jobs.

17. He appointed more than 100 openly gay people in his administration, some of which include the government’s top personnel official and the head of the Council for Environmental Quality.

18. He issued Presidential Memorandum in April 2010 directing HHS to issue regulations requiring all hospitals receiving Medicaid and Medicare to prohibit discrimination in visitation against LGBT people. HHS issued regulations that went into effect in 2011.

19. He awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to gay icons Billie Jean King and Harvey Milk.

20. He hosted a White House summit on bullying and recorded a video message telling young LGBT individuals that “It Gets Better.”

21. He ordered the data to be released of legally married gay couples from the 2010 census, granting legitimacy of same-sex relationships.

22. HHS rescinded provisions of a Bush-era rule which allowed health care providers to refuse to provide any health care service or information for a religious or moral reason.

23. He championed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, a 17-year-old ban barring LGBT individuals the right to serve openly in the military.

24. He wants Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which will prohibit employers from considering sexual orientation in hiring and firing decisions. This legislation however, is currently stalled in the Senate.

25. He also wants to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bars legally sanctioned same-sex couples from reaping Social Security survivor payments, tax breaks and other benefits reserved for straight married couples. This legislation is also being held up in a highly conservative House of Representatives, and will probably not see repeal for at least two years.

The cynics always like to say that politicians never do anything for them, even when, as detailed above, it isn't true.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Is anyone else enjoying the stories of Michele Bachmann and her
Swiss citizenship?

[huntinbuddy]

Is anyone else enjoying the stories of Michele Bachmann and her
Swiss citizenship?

What difference does it make?   At least she most likely has a valid U.S. birth certificate.

[fritzkep]

Which was probably faked by the same one who did President Obama's. 

[huntinbuddy]

Which was probably faked by the same one who did President Obama's. 

Probably not, she is five or six years older than him, provided both aren't lying about their ages also; her's would have been faked first!