christian grantham
Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD.
	latest posts   Non-Constituency   GayPatriot, The Movie   Schwarzenegger: Perfection!   Rosie and Cher a Flop With Florida Voters   LGBT GOTV in FL

November 16, 2004

The evangelical base of the Republican party is gearing up to alter the United States Constitution with the Federal Marriage Amendment. To kick things off, Bob Knight wants President Bush and the Republican Party to dismiss gay Republicans as a "non-constituency." You just can't be bothered with the morality of codifying discrimination against "non-constituencies." Besides, you can fit all the gay Republicans in an oven and it really won't affect anything.

Bob Knight of Concerned Women For America's Culture and Family Institute says it is time for the Bush administration and the Republican Party to re-evaluate the efficacy of outreach to the Log Cabin Republicans, a homosexual wing of the GOP.

Knight says the LCR "had a fit" when Bush endorsed a federal marriage amendment, and said they might not support him. "Obviously, it didn't matter," the CFI spokesman says, adding, "You can fit all the gay Republicans in a closet and it really won't affect anything ... it's a non-constituency."

According to Knight, the administration and party leadership need to spend their time seeking what the Republican base wants, not what the fringe element desires. The pro-family leader says there is a time to take advice and a time to ignore advice, and right now, he feels Bush is being inundated with bad counsel. "He needs to ignore it and get some very important things done," Knight says, "like appointing judges who will uphold the rule of law and not tear up our constitution to make radical social change."
[Agape Press - Bill Fancher - 11-16-04]

filed under: Gay Vote , Moral Majority

November 16, 2004

If you've ever wondered how a gay Republican could vote for President Bush and can't find the answers in the blogosphere, now there's GayPatriot, The Movie!

"Gay Republicans" (World of Wonder) examines the schism created this year in Log Cabin Republicans -- the national gay Republican club -- when Bush called for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Bush seems to be a politician who is a born divider, even among his supporters.

The film contains more heat than light, but that may not be the filmmakers' fault. The arguments between the splintered gay Republicans, those determined to stand up for their civil rights and those equally determined to support the president, mirror the rhetoric in the rest of America. In other words, they talk and in some cases scream past each other. Americans no longer seem capable of civil debate.
[Film Review: Gay Republicans - Reuters - 11-15-04]

filed under: Gay Vote

October 27, 2004

First, the Log Cabin Republicans of California declared Governor Schwarzenegger's record on gay rights as "fantastic!" and encouraged their members to write him to say "Thank you."

Now, Equality California, a group which in the current election endorses zero Republican candidates (including none of the 7 gay Republicans running) gives the GOP Governator a perfect score for his record signing gay rights bills. That record is better than his predecessor, Gray Davis, who was ousted in a recall election one year ago.

Speaking of new Republicans [California Insider]

filed under: Gay Vote

October 24, 2004

Many Democratic 527s have spent millions of dollars to register new voters and project high voter turnout at the polls November 2. But if this weekend's disappointing turnout to two voter rallies in Florida is any indication, George W. Bush will win by a landslide.

According to Matt Drudge, Cher and Rosie O'Donnell openly expressed dismay this weekend directly to their audiences when hardly anyone showed up. The events were separately sponsored by Democratic 527s MoveOn.org and Americans Coming Together.

The harshest criticism came from Cher.

"There were supposed to be thousands of people here tonight. I'm not sure why that didn't happen, obviously the people putting on this thing were just not very good at it," Cher reportedly told the crowd. "When I was coming down the steps, I thought 'Oh shit, well I'll just go out there and give it my best.'"

The press release for both the events issued by D.C.-based Fenton Communications boasted "an estimated crowd of 2,000 young Americans" would attend Cher's appearance at Miami's trendy Crobar in South Beach. As Cher took the stage, only 200 people bothered to show up.

"I am aware that she was very disappointed," Fenton's Kawana Lloyd told Outlet Radio. "We did the PR for the event and were expecting a lot more people. I think it was probably poor planning. We were told about Cher's appearance late Thursday night." MoveOnStudentAction event organizers did not return our calls.

Despite Rosie O'Donnell's venue located within minutes from Florida Atlantic University, the event, sponsored by Americans Coming Together (ACT) and Emily's list, was even more disappointing.

"You know, there's only like, you know, maybe 38 of us here and maybe we can just like tap a keg and put on some disco, and totally party," O'Donnell reportedly joked with the audience.

If Cher, Rosie and threats of disco are hardly a draw for gay and lesbian Florida voters, let's hope 527s have spent their money wisely turning them out for Kerry.

filed under: Exclusives , Gay Vote

October 23, 2004

Gays and lesbians in Florida are aiming to bring more than 350,000 lgbt voters to the polls by November 2. In the 2000 Presidential race, 44,723 gays in Florida voted for George W. Bush. That's not likely to happen, again.

The get-out-the-vote effort began to be designed shortly after Bush's 2000 victory, organizers said. Their main challenge was that no comprehensive list existed of gay voters, leading them to approach gay-owned businesses and social groups.

By reaching out to groups as diverse as the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and local Metropolitan Community Church congregations, the outwardly nonpartisan effort being led by Equality Florida turned a voter list from 2000 of 50,000 people into one containing more than a half-million names. About $500,000 will be spent on the drive, called TurnOut Florida.

Both TurnOut Florida and the Kerry campaign have phone banks to target gay voters, particularly those who do not consistently go to the polls. The campaign also has been going to gay bars and events such as the recent international gay swimming competition in Fort Lauderdale to encourage voting and sign up people to receive voter guides.
[Democrats push for gay turnout - Sun-Sentinel - 10-23-04]

filed under: Gay Vote

October 13, 2004

• Gay spokesperson works for anti-gay Republican Supreme Court candidate
  
• Candidate's wife to speak at anti-gay marriage rally Oct. 21

The elections in Illinois are heating up on the issue of gay marriage. No, it's not the losing anti-gay campaign waged by hypocritical moralist Alan Keyes, whose own daughter, Maya, is a lesbian. There isn't even a gay marriage measure on the November ballot. The focus of angry gay marriage opponents is on the race for the Illinois Supreme Court's 5th Judicial District seat.

Angered that the state legislature failed to place a gay marriage amendment on November's ballot, Christian conservatives are now setting their sites on the election of a Republican Supreme Court Justice in the state's 5th district.

Christian conservatives fear that Illinois Justices will continue appointing "activists judges," and that the high court itself could hear challenges to the state's law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The race has attracted a lot of attention and a lot of money. A Colorado based film maker, Wayne Ewing Films, is making a documentary on the election, and state parties and special interest groups have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the race.

Because of laws prohibiting Supreme Court candidates from expressing their views on issues that might come before the court, Republican Supreme Court Justice candidate Judge Lloyd Karmeier is very careful in how he expresses his position on gay marriage.

"What Karmeier has said is Supreme Courts in other states have gone too far in their actions and that he believes the court is to interpret the law, not make laws," Karmeier Campaign Spokesperson Steve Tomaszewksi told Outlet Radio.

When asked how Tomaszewski feels as a gay man working for a Supreme Court candidate who advocates positions denying him and his partner equal rights, Tomaszewski asserted, "I have no problem speaking for Shimkus and Karmeier on these issues and supporting their positions both personally and professionally." Tomaszewski added that Outlet Radio was the first media outlet ever to ask him about being gay.

Tomaszewski has lived with his partner, Jerry Dial, a hairstylist in Collinsville, IL, at various addresses for years. Thomaszewski is also the spokesperson for Representative John Shimkus (R-IL), who recently voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment in the United States Congress.

As a spokesperson for Karmeier's campaign, Tomaszewski answers to Campaign Manger David Luechtefeld, a conservative Republican state senator in Illinois who opposes equal rights for gays.

Even the candidate's wife is in on the gay bashing. On October 21st, Judge Karmeier's wife Mary will attend an anti-gay marriage rally in Effingham, IL and plans to speak about the issue of gay marriage. The rally is one of 14 occurring across the state in a one week period titled "United We Stand--Defending Marriage."

The rallies are hosted by Christian conservative groups Illinois Family Institute, Concerned Women for America Illinois, Walsh Forum, Catholic Citizens Illinois and others.

"We are just a bunch of Christians in Illinois who aren't giving up on the grassroots battle to end gay marriage," Effingham Protect Marriage Rally coordinator Pammette Balda told Outlet Radio. "We don't want the bestiality, pedophilia and gay marriages that liberal activist judges are forcing on America. We're organizing and telling Illinois that the Christian majority won't stand for this."

Renew Illinois, one of the sponsors of United We Stand--Defending Marriage, has endorsed Judge Lloyd Karmeier for the Illinois Supreme Court.

Another even co-sponsor, Catholic Citizens of Illinois, has placed radio spots reminding voters not to vote for politicians that support equal marriage rights.

"Across the country, pro abortion gay rights politicians are masquerading as Catholics and asking for your vote, while the clear teaching of the Catholic Church is that abortion and homosexual acts are gravely sinful.Politicians who promote these errors, and the voters who put them in office, participate directly in this evil. This November, don't leave your Catholic Faith behind when you go into the voting booth. Your vote is a matter of life... or DEATH"
[Catholics Vote Catholic - listen to the MP3]

Balda said she heard Karmeier speak at a Greater Effingham Chamber of Commerce luncheon on the subject and is confident Karmeier will stand up against the gay agenda and activist judges.

"Liberals are trying to get this gay agenda into our schools so kids who haven’t hit puberty will question themselves," Balda added. "Krameier won’t let that happen."

Citizens in the 5th district of Illinois will vote for either Republican Lloyd Karmeier or his opponent, Democratic candidate Judge Gordon Maag, on November 2, 2004. The documentary is scheduled for release January 2005 and will be distributed in theaters, television, schools and universities.

filed under: "W" is For Wackos , Equal Marriage Rights , Exclusives , Gay Vote

October 11, 2004

They're traveling across the country from California to Washington, D.C. promoting equal marriage rights. The San Francisco Chronicle is sharing very good daily reports about the National Marriage Equality Express, and a film crew is documenting the trip for Q Television. The national tour culminates today with a rally in Washington, D.C.

Over the weekend, the caravan's documentary filmmaker mysteriously disappeared in Wyoming, forcing the caravan to leave without him.

Sometime after midnight Wednesday, Anthony Perez, a documentary filmmaker following the journey for the new gay and lesbian channel, the Q Television Network, walked out of his Denver hotel room without his cell phone or card key. He did not show up when the riders met in the hotel lobby the next morning. He didn't make it to the breakfast meeting with local gay and lesbian supporters or to the rally in Denver's Civic Center Plaza. When Perez still hadn't shown up by 11 a.m., the scheduled departure time, the bus left without him. Bewildered, Roland Torres, the other half of the documentary team, stayed behind and notified police. [Tension grips gay rights caravan - San Francisco Chronicle - 10-08-04]

What happened? Perez's story is the police tossed him in a detox center when he was found drunk. The entire episode brought the caravan to tears. I can't wait to see how the filmmakers portray that in the film.

In another episode, the caravan seems surprised the welcome carpet isn't rolled out for them in Ohio with last minute calls.

The gay and lesbian community in Cincinnati didn't exactly respond with enthusiasm when activists fighting for same-sex marriage rights called to say they were swinging by on a cross-country crusade.

Thanks, Cincinnati told them, but we don't want your help. In Kentucky, so many unreturned phone calls later, the activists got the picture: No go. Utah? Gay organizers politely explained that 44 gay outsiders -- Californians no less -- piling out of a bus wearing tuxedos and wedding dresses weren't going to help the cause.
[Marriage rights caravan gets lots of 'no thanks' from gays along road - San Francisco Chronicle - 10-10-04]

filed under: Equal Marriage Rights , Gay Vote

October 10, 2004

The Austin 12, a group of gay Republicans who helped deliver Bush more than 1,000,000 votes in 2000, were betrayed by Bush. Now Bush is set to betray the ideals of his party and American principles of fairness and equality with a political calculus that banks on short term gains from bigotry.

One is leaving the party. Another resigned his Bush administration post. Their leader refuses to talk to the media. Few will even vote for President Bush. Most feel profoundly betrayed.

For the Austin 12, as they call themselves, Bush squandered a precious chance to broaden the GOP and deliberately harmed the gay civil rights movement at a historic turning point.

Bush may win re-election because of his stance, the members of the Austin 12 say, but they are certain the damage to gays and their party will take years, if not decades, to reverse.
[How gay GOP group lost its faith in Bush - San Francisco Chronicle - 10-10-04]

filed under: Gay Vote

September 20, 2004

The power of numbers:

"We're talking about a few thousand votes that could decide this election," said Chrissy Gephardt, the gay daughter of Rep. Richard Gephardt (news, bio, voting record) of Missouri, a former Democratic presidential candidate. She is traveling the country to mobilize gay voters for the party.

"Given how close these elections have been -- look at Florida in 2000, even the state of Pennsylvania, it's so close -- for gay and lesbian voters to come out makes a huge difference," she said. The 2000 presidential race was finally decided for Bush when he won Florida by 537 of the nearly 6 million votes cast.
[Angry Gays Seek Key Role in Presidential Vote - Reuters - 09-20-04]

filed under: Gay Vote

September 10, 2004

They're here. They're queer. They're packin' heat!

"The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is the cornerstone of civil society," said Badnarik in a statement. "It's the ultimate recourse, not only against foreign invasion or repressive government, but against bigotry when bigotry becomes aggression."

Pink Pistols, which boasts of 43 chapters in 29 states, describes itself as a "national organization dedicated to educating the alternative sexual community on the need for armed self-defense."
[Gun-toting homosexuals for Badnarik - WorldNetDaily - 09-10-04]

filed under: Gay Vote

September 08, 2004

Voter News Service (VNS) reported that more than 1,000,000 gays and lesbians voted for Bush in the 2000 elections. According to VNS exit polls, the number represented about 25% of the 4,000,000 gay and lesbian votes cast.

In 2000, some states came down to a difference of a few hundred votes. Does the gay vote make a difference? In 2000, Florida gays delivered 59,592 votes to Bush. That's close to 50,000 votes President Bush will have to find somewhere else.

Gay Vote compared to other minority blocs
VOTING BLOC	OVERALL (2000)	GORE	BUSH
African Am.	10%	90%	9%
Latino	7%	62%	35%
Gay	4%	70%	25%
Jewish	4%	79%	19%
Asian	2%	55%	41%

The national board of Log Cabin Republicans voted 22-2 Tuesday night to hold back the endorsement and called Bush "disloyal" to the 1 million gay men and lesbian women who it said supported his candidacy four years ago.

"It is impossible to overstate the depth of anger and disappointment caused by the president's support for an antifamily constitutional amendment. This amendment would not only ban gay marriage, it would also jeopardize civil unions and domestic partnerships," Log Cabin political director Chris Barron said.
[Log Cabin Republicans withhold endorsement of Bush because of gay marriage opposition - AP - 09-08-04]

also read: BoiFromTroy, Stonewall Democrats United

filed under: Gay Vote

September 01, 2004

At the conclusion of Vice President Dick Cheney's speech tonight, he was joined on stage by his wife, Lynne, their daughter Liz and her husband and children for the picture perfect family photo ending.

But where was Mary Cheney and her partner? They were there at the convention. What does this say about a party that prefers families divided for partisan politics? Is this the Republican vision of America? Are Alan Keye's caustic comments calling Mary Cheney a "selfish hedonist" the kind of America the Republican party wants?

aslo read: American Prospect, Atrios

filed under: Gay Vote

September 01, 2004

I don't see anything wrong with CNN refusing the LCR ad (hi-bandwidth RealOne) over an image of Fred Phelps holding signs that say "God Hates Fags." If we would demand CNN reject the ad being used to promote intolerance, why wouldn't we respect the decision not to use it promoting tolerance?

CNN said Tuesday that it would run the ad if the group that produced it, the Log Cabin Republicans, removes one photo. That image, on screen for about two seconds at the end of the ad, shows Fred Phelps, an anti-homosexual Baptist minister, holding two signs that say "God Hates Fags" as he protested outside the funeral of Matthew Shepard. Shepard, a 21-year-old gay college student, was brutally murdered in Wyoming in October 1998.
[Gay GOP group criticizes CNN's rejection of ad - USA Today - 09-01-04]

also read: BoiFromTroy

filed under: Gay Vote

August 30, 2004

The Log Cabin Republican's have quickly issued an awesome television commercial (hi-bandwidth RealOne) featuring Ronald Reagan and an online message drawing a line in the sand.

The Republican Party Platform is an outrageous insult to all of us and our families. The platform not only calls for an anti-family Constitutional amendment, but it also opposes civil unions and domestic partnerships. While thousands of courageous gay and lesbian Americans are fighting to win the war on terror, the platform also says, "Homosexuality is incompatible with military service."
[Log Cabin Republicans - 08-30-04]

Oxblog's David Adesnik is not happy with an environment within the Republican party he says prevented NY Gov. George Pataki from saying the word 'gay' at a Log Cabin Republican event. Adesnik is in New York blogging the Republican National Convention.

Still, what he said just pissed me off. Talking about diversity is total bulls**t. I don't believe in gay marriage because I want affirmative action and political correctness in the bedroom. I believe in gay marriage because it is about equality before the law.
[Blog Cabin Republicans - Oxblog - 08-30-04]

Also blogging the RNC: BoiFromTroy

filed under: Gay Vote