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.
	latest posts   "All Politics is Local"   Gay Republicans withhold support for Bush's re-election   A change of Heart   Son of a preacher man   Who is the real enemy?

April 27, 2004

Local Virginia State Delegate Robert G. Marshall has put the most anti-gay peice of legislation in the nation through our state's legislature. The bill goes so far as to put contracts, such as those my partner and I rely on in the absence of equal marriage rights, into question here in Virginia. As far as Republican Robert G. Marshall is concerned, my ability to make medical decisions for my partner should no longer apply in the state of Virginia.

The very idea is unconsitutional, and Mr. Marshall has disgraced the state, his party, our Consitution and his faith. The very language of the Bill is at best a fanciful depiction of a radical "gay agenda." Here is just a sample of the Bill, and leave it to some in the state of Virginia to sign on to a document filled with incorrect verb tenses and missing words. Perhaps this says more about our state's priorities than anything could:

Whereas, if "same sex" unions are a civil right, then legal sanctions and coercion will be imposed against persons and institutions opposed to homosexual behavior or same sex unions. For example, schools in their Family Life and other programs will have to teach that "civil unions" or "homosexual marriage" are equivalent to traditional marriage; churches whose teachings does not accept homosexual behavior as moral will lose their tax exempt status; employers will be ineligible for government contracts unless they will hire and provide benefits to the "married homosexuals" and their "spouses" and "partners;" and homosexual groups helped organize a $100,000 law suit against a private religious school which refused to allow a homosexual 17 year old male student permission to bring his homosexual boyfriend to the school prom as his date; and

When Robert and I spoke this morning about this, he begged me to consider the Attorney General's opinion and his intent. The man clearly doesn't understand that his intent and other people's opinions mean little when the State Supreme Court spends thousands of dollars taking up his terrible legislation and measuring it against principles he's failed miserably in discharging. After I told him his legislation does a great disservice to his faith and our community, he said the law will protect Virginia from Sodomites such as myself and that he was content with that. Sodomites?

State marriage act affects more than gays, lesbians
By Shannon Brennan
Lynchburg News & Advance
April 27, 2004

April 19, 2004

The Republican National Convention, scheduled August 30, 2004 in New York City, will host a spectacular display of issues being protested outside the convention. But one issue that will dominate the convention inside the platform committee will be equal marriage rights for gays.

Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie has already promised to fortify anti-gay positions in the party's platform, calling tolerance for equal rights, "religious bigotry." Gillespie's rhetoric on the issue is a divisive clarion call to a religiously fanatic conservative base eager to divide America. The support of gay Republicans in 2000 is of no consequence to a Republican base determined to make constitutional protections a matter of exclusivity.

Ever since President Bush lent his voice to divisive forces seeking a constitutional amendment denying equal marriage rights to gays, President Bush has steadily lost the support of gay Republicans. That might seem not much of a loss, but when you consider reports by Voter News Service's 2000 exit polling, more than 1,000,000 gay Republicans voted for President Bush. The margin was enough to give Bush a slim victory in Florida.

Not only has the nation's largest group for gay Republicans, Log Cabin Republicans, refused to endorse President Bush, the campaign for re-election is losing its closest gay supporters. Several of the original "Austin 12," a group of openly gay advisors to the Bush's 2000 presidential campaign, are expressing reservations over whether they will support Bush in 2004. Openly gay Republican Party Platform Committee member and one of the Austin 12, David Catania, has promised to draw attention to any attempt by the committee to support a constitutional amendment denying equal marriage rights to gay Americans.

In today's San Francisco Examiner, AP's Sara Kugler sheds some light on this growing story.

Here is what the current party platforms say about equal rights for gay Americans:

REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM (2000)
We support the traditional definition of "marriage" as the legal union of one man and one woman, and we believe that federal judges and bureaucrats should not force states to recognize other living arrangements as marriages.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM (2000)
We support continued efforts ...to end workplace discrimination against gay men and lesbians. We support the full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of the nation. This would include an equitable alignment of benefits.

April 13, 2004

California Republican Senator Pete Knight is in the hospital on medical leave. The announcement today follows a whirlwind of press on the Senator whose openly gay son, David Knight, got married in San Francisco to his partner of 10 years, Joseph Lazzaro.

Knight, who is a staunch opponent of equal rights for gays, was the author of California's Defense of Marriage Act (Prop 22). Last week, Sen. Knight seemed to be expressing a profound and shocking change of heart when he told the Sacremento News & Review that he would consider supporting civil unions.

Perhaps after reading Lisa Leff's April 5, 2004 article, Gay marriage is ultimate wedge issue for father and son, Sen. Knight saw exactly what his regrettable position on the issue was doing to his own family.

Excerpt from "Gay marriage is ultimate wedge issue for father and son"
Knight and his new husband have a reality check of sorts in Lazzaro's parents. Although it took time for them to accept them as a couple, his mother gave them matching rose boutonnieres to wear on their wedding day. Joseph Lazzaro later called his father, a retired auto worker, not knowing what to expect.

"He said, 'Congratulations, I'm very proud of you,"' Lazzaro recalled. "I told him about how it went with David's dad, and my dad said, 'I feel sorry for David's dad because he is just missing out on so much and there is going to be a hollow place in his life."'

Hopefull, Sen. Knight will get better and move toward rejecting a divisive anti-gay agenda. It's time for the Pete Knights of the world to join their freinds, colleagues, and their own children in celebrating love and seeking equal rights under the law.

April 13, 2004

Jamiel Terry isn't your typical young gay man. He's the son of the founder of Operation Rescue, and outspoken opponent of equal rights for gays, Randall Terry. At age 24, Jamiel is finally telling his story of growing up gay in the upcoming May issue of Out Magazine. His father isn't at all happy, but what else is new?

In a disgusting and public response to his son, Randall has published personal details about Jamiel, who he adopted at an early age. Randall's piece assigns blame for his son's "choices" on everything other than Randall's own public record of indoctrinating self-hatred within his openly gay son.

Excerpt from Washington Times April 13, 2004 article by Randall Terry
My son is their latest homosexual "trophy." What they aren't telling — and this grieves me to the core — is that his life is in shambles: He was recently arrested for DWI; he's writing bad checks on a closed bank account; he dropped out of school a year ago; he doesn't have a job; he bounces from house to house; he's racked-up huge bills for friends and family that he cannot pay; he's been taken to court by former friends to get money he owes them; he's lied to friends, saying his "famous dad" was going to send money to pay his debts; and he has a trail of wrecked friendships and family relationships because of deceit, money fraud and crossed boundaries — a mirror image of the home he was in from his birth until he was 8.

As of yesterday, Randall Terry has made himself publicly available for interviews. If the Washington Times story is any indication, I suspect he won't be using the opportunity to speak lovingly of his son.

Randall Terry, pictured here, is a classic example of a parent who thinks it's OK to mentally abuse their own kids by trying to convince them they are "evil" and undeserving simply for being gay. Randall Terry is the kind of parent willing to sacrifice their own family for a selfish allegiance to a radical agenda of hate. It simply amazing me how parents like Randall Terry reject their own common sense and use religion to inflict self-hatred on their own children. What results they hope to yield are beyond reason and completely antithetical to his faith.

Hopefully, Jamiel will continue to reject the kind of self-hatred his own father mercilessly inflicts on his own family and society. No thanks to Randall, Jamiel will likely deal with his life problems the best he can without a father who loves him. That's not a choice of Jamiel's. That's a sad choice made by a misguided and hate-filled father, Randall Terry.

April 11, 2004

Mr. McCaffrey, why does your irrational fear of homosexuals serving in the military continue to trump national security and a rational fear of the real enemy? Isn't it time to review and repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) and allow all American citizens to serve their country with honor and dignity?

"We need 80,000 or more troops added to the U.S. Army."
Ret. General Barry McCaffrey
TIME.com
April 19, 2004

There are no more U.S. troops to send to Iraq. That's why we need 80,000 or more troops added to the U.S. Army. Congress is allowing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to dig in his heels and try to maintain a foreign policy based on a grossly undermanned U.S. military. The key question isn't whether the 1st Cavalry Division is going to get run out of Baghdad—it's not. The key question is, if you've got 70% of your combat battalions in the U.S. Army deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq, South Korea and elsewhere, can you maintain this kind of muscular presence in that many places? The answer is no. But if we take action now to increase the size of the Army by 80,000 soldiers, we'll be able to handle this global reach. The key would be to activate nine National Guard brigades in the next 18 months and convert them into active-duty soldiers, allowing the reservists to go back to their communities.

April 09, 2004

Republicans in Texas are attacking their own. Sam Walls, a 64 year old favored to win a run-off election for Texas House District 58, is being asked by some of his fellow Republicans to withdraw from the race after photos of Walls cross-dressing found their way into the race.

Although his opponent, Rob Orr, has denied any involvement in bringing the photos to light, Mr. Orr has to believe the constituents he wishes to represent are unreasonably stupid. The results of March's primary says it all:

State House - District 58 - 52 of 52 precincts reporting
Sam Walls - 3,516 41.6%
Rob Orr - 2,773 32.8%
Scott Cain - 2,157 25.5%

Despite calls from the Johnson County Republican Party, Sheriff Bob Alford and others, who have benefited from years of Walls significant community contributions, Walls stands resolute. Walls also has support from respected GOP party leaders. The run-off elections are April 13.

Send a letter to the editor of the Star-Telegram: letters@star-telegram.com

GOP cross-dresser supported
WorldNetDaily.com
April 9, 2004

Pictures of candidate in women's clothes surface
By Jay Root
Star-Telegram
April 6, 2004

Cross-dressing candidate stays in GOP race
Associated Press
Apr. 6, 2004 01:20 PM

Candidate to Stay in Race Despite Photos
Gaurdian (UK)
April 6, 2004 9:16 PM

April 07, 2004

Laura Migliorino of Minneapolis has had it with elected officials seeking to deny her equal rights. When Republican Senator Michele Bachmann proposed a measure banning equal marriage rights for gay residents of her state, Migliorino knew she wouldn't change Bachmann's mind. So, Migliorino sought to push Bachmann's constituents into action with a boycott.

In a letter to the chamber of commerce for the city of Stillwater, Migliorino wrote,

"Sen. Bachmann has hung a huge 'Not Welcome' sign on the town of Stillwater. If Sen. Bachmann's attitude toward our community is a reflection of how Stillwater businesses and residents feel toward our community, then we need to re-consider where we spend our money. If her views are not a reflection of the Stillwater community, then her constituency needs to voice their opposition, and ask that she withdraw her amendment proposal."

According to Pioneer Press (04-07-04), Diane Rollie, executive director of the chamber, feels the more than 30 people who have so far taken Migliorino's lead are misdirecting their anger.

Is Migliorino misdirecting anger? Migliorino may, at most, deny Stillwater a few bucks. Stillwater, however, has delivered the Minnesota State Senate an elected representative who seeks, on behalf of her constitutents, to deny Migliorino much more. Migliorina has chosen to spend her money where it's wanted.

Business leaders of Stillwater have a very simple business choice. They can either denounce their elected Senator's proposal to deny rights to residents of Minnesota or they can allow their silence to keep the "not welcome" flag proudly unfurled over their city.

Sen. Bachmann won't listen to those whose rights she views as inconsequential in the first place. No matter how much gays and lesbian want their friends and family to take a vocal stand for American principles fairness, Stillwater, like most cities, remains predominently silent as the rights and lives of their friends are reduced to second class citizenship.

It's time business owners and residents of Stillwater to decide whether fairness and equality are unimportant principles or whether they want to make certain that all Americans are welcome to Stillwater. More importantly, it's up to Stillwater to decide whether Sen. Bachmann's proposal accurately reflects their values.