| christian grantham | |||
| Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later was a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD. | |||
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latest posts
October 30, 2003
As story out in Arizona points to the sad state the institution of marriage has been brought to in our country by fundamentalists. Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard is seeking to create a "safe haven" for young girls either forced into marriage or abused by polygamists in Colorado City, AZ. The move was intended to encourage young girls to break the silence.
If AZ officials want young girls to really come forward, they ought to make the entire city of Colorado City a safe haven from child abusing polygamists by locking them up. Instead, the choice of AZ officials is to create a temporary place of refuge from these criminal perpetrators who are destroying people's lives.
The local town ought to be ashamed for not identifying these known perpetrators themselves and protecting their own children. Apparently, Colorado City, AZ's definition of marriage allows for this type criminal behavior.
What would a state do to a hypothetical enclave of homosexuals forcing young boys into polygamist relationships in the name of God? To the best of my knowledge, no such homosexual enclave exists like the heterosexual versions in Colorado City, AZ. Most gay and lesbian Christians reject the use of religion to justify injustice.
What Arizona needs to do in way of inspiring young girls to come forward is provide swift justice. These criminals should be put behind bars by officials who aren't afraid of the fundamentalists responsible for these crimes.
Arizona's ginger handling of criminal behavior at the hands of fundamentalist polygamists is exactly what is wrong with the institution of marriage today. While gay and lesbian Americans seek equal marriage rights to protect their monogamist relationships and their families, states like Arizona would rather deny those rights while letting crimes against children of Biblical proportions continue at the hands of criminal polygamists and people who don't take seriously their responsibility to their family.
Arizona AG wants safe haven established in polygamous town
By BETH DeFALCO
Associated Press
October 30, 2003
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October 23, 2003
While many gay and lesbian Americans bounce happily through their day, religious conservatives are on the front lines of a culture war. Gays aren't the only ones in their cross hairs. Supporters of a constitutional amendment denying equal marriage rights to gay and lesbian Americans want to now do away with common law marriages.
The Christian conservative group Family Research Council (FRC) is asking lawmakers across the country to sign a pledge to discriminate by supporting laws that ban equal marriage rights and common-law marriage. The measure would enforce a religious definition of marriage that seeks to exclude others.
One Republican Colorado lawmaker warned "Politicians who make excuses for not signing this will do so at their peril." Dave Schultheis (R-Colorado Springs), also pledged to release a list of all those who signed the pledge. There are now 96 Republican co-sponsors to the Federal Marriage Protection Amendment launched by Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.). The numbers are growing thanks to Republican leadership and the party's core Christian conservatives.
The Republican party's idea of protecting marriage is to turn their backs on the very principles of equality on which this country was founded. The expedient appeal seeks to rally public hatred of gays and lesbians within the party's ultra-conservative voting base in time for the 2004 elections. The tactic solicits support from the worst of America's hatred, and Republicans are increasingly showing little concern for their party's direction.
What's more regrettable is that President Bush, who painted himself as a "uniter, not a divider" in the 2000 presidential elections, has pledged his support two weeks ago for these core voices of hate within his party. Remarks from RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie, and a cadre of Republican leaders, all illustrate that the denial of equal marriage rights has become as important to Republicans as the economy, health care and the war on terrorism.
What is the basis for these conservative attacks on American families, and where are the moderate voices in the Republican party?
There is no research showing any relationship between the loving families created by gays and lesbians and the current divorce rate, single parent families, and un-adopted kids. The fact that nearly 100% of gays and lesbians were raised by straight parents undermines any notion that gay and lesbian parents will have any say over their children's innate sexual orientation. If heterosexual families were all that's needed to convince children to go "straight," then heterosexual marriages have failed miserably on forcing their sexual lifestyles on their children. That isn't fixed by denying rights to anyone.
Absent from the core of conservative Republican objections to equal marriage rights are the facts. Conservatives bent on denying equal rights want to deflect responsibility and accountability in a morally destructive manner more characteristic of people in a crisis of faith. Rather than focus on those problems that are the domain of those seeking to limit equal rights, gay and lesbian Americans have become a scapegoat for Christian conservatives who have lost faith and who harbour a need to focus the blame on the blameless.
Christian conservatives will ultimately loose the battle to deny rights to gay and lesbian Americans. As long as the Republican party embraces politics of hate, the Republican party will miss an opportunity to lead and unite our country behind the principles of fairness and equality that continue to make our country great.
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October 21, 2003
Today's Republican party continues to display its compassionate side with recent comments from Tennessee Republican Rep. Zach Wamp attacking gay and lesbian Americans. In a speech given yesterday, Wamp said homosexuality was a "sin" and a "sickness" that "needs to be dealt with."
Wamp, who the Commercial Appeal describes as a "onetime cocaine-sniffing real estate dealer turned family man, Sunday school teacher and congressman," is seeking Senator Bill Frist's (R-TN) seat if Frist holds to his promise to serve only two terms.
In his speech Monday, Wamp didn't get into proposals of how the government should deal with the sin of homosexuality. Wamp recently became the 96th Republican to co-sponsor a proposed constitutional amendment in U.S. Congress, however, denying gay and lesbian Americans equal marriage rights.
Wamp consistently cites his inspiration for getting politically involved was to fight "the liberal 'grow-the-government-to-solve-the-problems'" mentality in politics. Wamp is merely the latest Republican to illustrate how expedient and disposable this and other core philosophies have become for a party determined to proactively deny American citizens equal rights.
Wamp's recent comments continue to illustrate a party bent on rallying the party's core hatred toward fellow Americans as a short-term strategy to gain votes in 2004.
The sentiments of hatred he and other Republicans continue to whip up in the country over denying equal rights to gay and lesbian Americans are not being challenged by Republican leadership, but rather are being actively supported. President Bush's recent support for a voter mobilization effort of Christian conservatives through "Marriage Protection Week" is yet another example of the kind of "uniter, not divider" Republican leadership prefers to be.
Republicans hope their attacks against equal marriage rights will help galvanize hatred in America against the founding principles of fairness and justice. With voices like Wamp leading the Republican charge, it is hoped the issue of President Bush's absent domestic policy will not share the spotlight with distractions. The politics of hate may distract America in the short-term, but the long-term effects of embracing such politics will ultimately haunt the party of Lincoln.
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October 19, 2003
In July 2000, I was very fortunate to join the broadcasting family of GAYBC after spending the previous three years on special events. The Internet webcaster provided the lgbt community a voice online not heard on mainstream radio, and it was an exciting opportunity to do a different kind of work with pioneers in our community. Like many dot-coms at the time, however, GAYBC filed bankruptcy in November of 2001.
Since then, the Outlet Radio Network came into being with the help of our partner, Steve Lambert, the program director of our easy-listening channel The Green Lounge. Working together over the past year, Outlet Radio has now grown beyond the audience size of our predecessor, GAYBC, as reported by Arbitron. We are very proud of our steady progress, and that progress has come against tough odds and great sacrifice.
In 2002, the Outlet Radio Network joined an intensive effort to help shape the webcasting industry's use of copyrighted material. Webcasters joined record labels in accepting more fair terms on copyright royalty payments than were originally proposed. The Small Webcasters Settlement Act of 2002 helped pave the way for the future growth of our industry.
In late 2002, Outlet Radio Network learned that Viacom's proposed name for an all gay cable channel in the works was the same as ours. We defended our rights to the name through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and under significant pressure from Viacom executives and lawyers to sell those rights. In June 2003, Viacom announced they were placing the project on hold. Outlet Radio Network continued looking ahead.
Developing our talk content has always given us great joy and a pleasure to provide the community. Outlet Radio was also proud to provide rebroadcasts of Nancy Nangeroni and Gordene MacKenzie's Gender Talk, but our music content has increasingly become a driving force behind our growing audience. In September we increased our content offering to include two 24 / 7 music channels.
Last week, Apple released a windows version of their popular iTunes. The current application features both "Circuit Candy" and "Green Lounge" channels. We are very proud of the work Apple continues to provide in pioneering a successful model for online digital music.
Soon, Outlet's channels will be heard on Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center 2004 under a similar "radio" feature. This access through an evolving home entertainment interface to a new audience for net delivered content provides many more opportunities for the music content on the Outlet Radio Network.
Despite Outlet Radio saying good-bye for now to our talk content, we look forward to the opportunities ahead.
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