Hank Gilbert, Democratic candidate for Texas Governor has just issued a statement in which he sets forth the following goals:

• proposes allowing civil unions in Texas, and repealing the Texas Defense of Marriage Act.
• proposes legislation prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
• proposes legislation prohibiting insurance companies from considering a history of transition treatments as a reason to deny coverage
• proposes legislation allowing Texas public and governmental institutions—including all universities, public school districts, municipalities, and all governmental entities to offer same-sex domestic partner benefits.
• proposes prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression in housing, public accommodations, and real estate transactions.
• Ending Discrimination For Public School Employees.
• proposes legislation prohibiting the electronic sharing of information related to a person’s sexuality on medical records
• proposes legislation establishing the authority of domestic partners in medical decision making
• Ending baseless lawsuits challenging the veracity of medical powers of attorney for LGBT couples.
• proposes tough anti-bullying statutes.
• proposes removing the requirement stipulating that adopted children must have both male and female parents on their birth certificate.
• proposes expanding the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act to include gender identity or expression.
• proposes making it less difficult for transgender individuals to change the gender marker on birth certificates and state identification cards.
• proposes repealing §21.06 of the Texas Penal Code, the “Homosexual Conduct Law,” which was declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 2005.
• proposes affirmative defenses to protect gay teens from disparate treatment under the Texas Penal Code.      

And this personal message:

Fellow Texans:

I introduce this policy for two reasons.

Number one, it is what I believe. I was raised in a home where discrimination had no place. I was raised to treat all people equally. For me, knowing that discrimination exists in Texas and doing nothing about it goes against everything I stand for. It also makes all those who remain silent passive participants in discrimination.

The office of governor is, among other things, a position from which to lead the state toward innovations in public policy which will lead to a better future for all Texans.. For someone to seek that office—let alone attain it—and stay quiet on an issue they strongly believe in, because it is perceived as controversial or untimely, is unconscionable.

Number two, this is what is right for Texas. The issue of equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals is the new civil rights battle of the 21st century. When it came to the civil rights battles of the last two centuries involving African Americans and Latinos, Texas came to sit at the table of equality very late.

It is a mistake we cannot repeat. LGBT citizens in Texas deserve more. Our state must not relegate any Texan to the status of second-class citizens.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have ourselves a candidate.

We lost in Maine. We won in Kalamazoo and Washington state. Openly lesbian Annise Parker is in a run-off for mayor of Houston. So, things could be worse. As in all things political, we won some and we lost some.

I think though, that there is room for hope. Despite the fact that Maine voted 53 to 47 to repeal same-sex marriage, on the University of Maine- Orono campus the results are telling:  81% No, 19% yes. Time is on our side.

The struggle for LGBT rights is not over. We, allies and LGBTs alike, need to remain vigilant. We need to be open and visible. We need to continue to voice our concerns and our demands. Too many are silent.

The results reminded me of a song. Jo Dee Messina had a big hit a few years ago with this song by Billy Montana and Helen Darling. I give you, "Bring on the Rain":
 

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So SyFy, the cable channel formerly known as Sci-Fi and forever more as sih-fee in my house, has remade that 80s mini-series great "V".

Remember the reptiles masquerading-as-humans who liked to eat small mammals whole? Who wasn't enthralled by that special effect? How they took over the planet and only a brave band of resistance fighters saw through their masquerade and tried to save us all? Didn't they seem rather Nazi-like to you? Brown shirts and youth led groups of thugs police seemed pretty much like my history lessons on Nazis.

Well, apparently, I was wrong. In reality, this new incarnation of "V" is a thinly veiled smack-down of Obama. Take a gander at this critic's "analysis":

"Imagine this. At a time of political turmoil, a charismatic, telegenic new leader arrives virtually out of nowhere. He offers a message of hope and reconciliation based on compromise and promises to marshal technology for a better future that will include universal health care."

Yes, that's right. Glenn Garvin of the Chicago Tribune believes that "V" is all about Obamania and how gullible we've all been to drink the kool-aid. Never matter that this was written and began pre-production while W. was still in the White House. This is so clearly about Obama and his slick salesmanship that has duped America.

I suppose that Garvin thinks we'll all wake up and realize that Obama is just like the aliens - intent on our destruction and total domination.

I kinda think SyFy just wants to cash in on the trend of remaking 80s classic TV in major productions. Seems to have worked for a them before. Can anyone say "Battlestar Galactica"?

-guaranteed 100% toaster-free-

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H/T to Joe.My.God.

It's Tuesday. Time for another enlightening round of randomness. Grab the button and join the fray at the Unmom's.

So, let's start with the ugly and move our way towards better things, shall we? Have you heard the latest from the world of sports? Seems that CNBC's Darren Rovell thinks that Meb Keflezighi, who recently won the New York Marathon is, and I quote, "an American citizen thanks to taking a test and living in our country" and thus his victory, hailed as the first American win in over two decades, is "not as good as it sounds".

After the shit storm that his comments stirred up, Rovell wrote this as way of apology:

"I said that Keflezighi's win, the first by an American since 1982, wasn't as big as it was being made out to be because there was a difference between being an American-born product and being an American citizen. Frankly I didn't account for the fact that virtually all of Keflezighi's running experience came as a US citizen. I never said he didn't deserve to be called American."

 Hmm, maybe not. But you sure as hell implied that being a naturalized citizen is somehow less than an authentic American. And as for the idea that African-descended folks are better distance runners and that 's what you really meant. Let me ask you this. If Keflezighi's spouse is also African-descended, will their children, who will certainly meet the "American-born product" notion you so inelegantly propose, qualify as American enough for you?

Just so you know, Keflezighi was born in Eritrea and immigrated at age 12 to escape that nation's civil war. And thus did almost all of his training for distance running here. Thus making him about an American an athlete as one can be.

Moving on to the Bad. That would be me. Bad as in spending way too much time on Facebook playing poker. (Farmville is so yesterday's news). Not blogging, not working out on the Wii, not even vegging out on the sofa. I have been bad.

Also. I will most likely skip voting today. Nothing on the ballot but a gazillion amendments to the state constitution. Which really should  just be tossed out and a new one started from scratch. But it would take an amendment to get that to happen...

And the best for last. We saw a victory last week with the signing of the Hate Crimes legislation and the lifting of the HIV travel ban. Both important steps in the ongoing civil rights struggle for LGBTs. Now if the Maine vote goes our way, this week will be even better. Seems that the turn-out there has been better than expected so far, so that's point in the progressive column.

Go visit the Unmom for better randomness. You'll be glad you did.

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Well, it's been a long, long time since I've participated in the Spin Cycle. Let's hope I remember how it works.

Ugandan MP David Bahati has introduced a bill that could impose the death penalty upon gay and transgender citizens for acts of "aggravated homosexuality". It also calls for citizens to report any person they know to be homosexual to authorities.

Uganda already has some of the toughest anti-gay laws on the planet but this proposed law has sweeping implications for HIV/AIDS programs and gay rights organizations. "The bill would criminalize the promotion and dissemination of materials that are affirming of homosexuality". Its feared this could be applied to any charity that helps a known homosexual for any reason.

Many Christianists have praised Uganda for its tough laws and open and institutionalized homophobia. It seems that once they journey there they feel free to speak in ways that would get them into serious trouble here at home but reveals their true beliefs. One such is President of Defend the Family International Scott Lively. If you can stomach it, go read his "Report from Uganda" on his website. He equates giving those convicted of the "offense of homosexuality" the choice of undergoing "reparative therapy" instead of prison to choosing therapy after being arrested for drunk driving to avoid prison time. He also thinks that things would be much worse in Uganda if it wasn't for the fact that homosexuality is illegal in Uganda since the "international gay movement" is trying to befoul this proud pro-family Christian nation.

It's embarrassing that we're exporting this kind of filth.

When we hear the Christianists spout their madness and rail against LGBT rights, same-sex marriage or transgender "bathroom bills" this is kind of thing their belief system would bring about. If they could, they would criminalize homosexuality and transgenderism in the US. They would seek to roll back the tide of human rights in order to preserve a way of life that never really existed.

When we hear stories about the abuses heaped upon LGBTs in Uganda and other countries in the name of Christianity or Islam, we cringe. The extreme cases are so obviously egregious that they are easy to condemn but while we are safe in our outrage for the problems "over there" we fail to equate the equally egregious events in our own backyard.

From discrimination faced by someone like 8-year-old Josie Romero who couldn't attend school in Arizona because she was transgendered to Christianist activists spreading lies in the fight for marriage equality in Maine, we stand on the precipice of the infamous slippery slope. While we slog our way towards an enlightened way of thinking about and dealing with our LGBT sisters and brothers, the impetus to fall back into the depths of hate are ever present. They are present in the voices of those on FreeRepublic.com who screech hate towards Josie's parents; present in the ads of Stand for Marriage Maine and others like them that try to stop same-sex marriage; present in the violence and verbal abuse that are sad facts of life for far too many LBGTs in our country.

As long as we stand idly by and allow those who hate to continue unchallenged, they win.

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act has passed in  the Senate and President Obama will sign it before the month is out!

The legislation will provide for federal grants and assistance to local law enforcement investigating and prosecuting hate crimes and gives federal authorities jurisdiction where local law enforcement refuses to step up.

It's a good day.

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Instead of John Carter, I want Alan Grayson as my Rep. in Congress. Here's another Congressman unafraid to stand up for what he believes and tell it like it is.

He has created a new website called Names of the Dead for people to add their stories about loved ones who died for lack of health care in America. This is a fantastic idea and comes as we approach November 1, All Saint's Day, a day traditionally set aside by many Christian faiths to remember those who have died. I'd love to see the list of names that this site will generate read in every church across this nation.

Won't happen, of course, but it's a worthy goal.

Grayson's idea here is simple and powerful. Let the people most affected by our broken health care system speak. As their stories come out it becomes harder and harder for those against reform to sound like sane, reasonable people.

There's also a link on this site to sign Grayson's petition to Harry Reid that tells him to get off his butt and lead. Even if you have no story to contribute to the site, I encourage you to visit and sign the petition.

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