Generational Gaps, Polls & Gay Marriage

In past classes we discussed a divide when it came to technology, but there are many other types of divides when it comes to generations. According to a new poll by CNN most Americans still oppose Gay Marriage, however, as the poll indicates, individuals under 35 are solidly for gay marriage legalization. The poll also notes that "just 44 percent back gay marriage, compared with 58 percent of those under 35" which is quite astounding to think about when you take into account another statistic in the poll that "only around 4 in 10 Americans ages 35 to 64 back gay marriage, and the number drops to 24 percent for those above age 65."

Now, what do all these numbers mean to the average person in the bracket range of "under 35" besides a huge headache, lots of questions and proof that polls are very difficult to breakdown a lot of the time? Besides the fact that there are tons of polls conducted all the time which can show a large amount of support for one side, as opposed to the other. I believe that the future of Progressive ideals, and support for things like gay marriage are driven by the youth vote. When I see a poll like the one conducted last week by NBC/Wall Street Journal which shows people support gay marriage now more than in 2004, and more that more people support gay marriage, then oppose it, I feel very optimistic about where our country is heading. I think it shows that our country is slowly moving in a different direction and becoming much more tolerant towards people who in the past they may have deemed "different." It is a wonderful thing to see and hopefully it can continue and also be driven by the same youth movement that the first poll showed has a sharp contrasting view on issues that might have seemed divisive in the past.

Where's The Outrage?

The title of this blog comes from the tag line for a movie that premiered earlier this week at the Tribeca Film Festival about outing gay Republicans who vote against the interest of gays and lesbians. The film, which caught me interest months back, sounds very interesting, and is by a filmmaker named Kirby Dick, who is no stranger to these types of documentaries. He did another film called "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" which shows the hypocrisy of the rating system in films, which I would highly recommend. His movie Outrage, which I have not yet seen, but I would like to, is a documentary that openly shows the bias Republican lawmakers express by staying in the closet, while voting against the interest of everyday gay and lesbian people. In the film, Kirby, who never hides his feelings on a subject asks politicians why and how they can do this and whether they found this hypocritical. Obviously people had differing opinions on this type of film, and it set off some very strong responses. Florida Governor and potential running mate to John McCain, whose sexuality has been questioned on a regular basis, and was interviewed in this movie did not return phone calls asking for comments, along with other people called out in this film.

I really look forward to seeing this movie sometime in the future because I like Kirby Dick's documentary films, and I think he is doing a service to people who are fed up with double talk by politicians. It is not just on this topic, but I think people are tired of politicians who say one thing and do another thing. If there was more transparency, and more honesty coming from Washington these types of exposes would not be neccesary, but until that happens, this is the only way to see through the lies. Of course, you have to understand any bias that you are watching, reading, or looking at when you make your decision, but I think Kirby Dick's films are usually spot on and show the true bias and idiocy that he is trying to uncover.

Why Certain Speech Should Not Be Tolerated

I am in favor of free speech and think that people should be allowed to express themselves however they see fit. However, there are certain exceptions where free speech ends and a person needs to be careful with what they say, and how they express themselves. Obviously people know the exception to the rule where someone cannot scream fire in a crowded theater, but I feel free speech should not just end at that. I think when people spew hateful, vile things at someone, whether it is to their face, or over cyberspace, it should be censored. Representative Virginia Foxx is an example of hate speech that I believe should not be allowed to go unchecked. She claimed that the story of Matthew Shepard who was murdered for being gay, was a hoax, when in fact that is completely false according to a report in 1998 from the New York Times.


As stated from the New York Times in 1998, via the Huffingtonpost:

"According to the local police and prosecutors, the two men lured Mr. Shepard out of a bar by saying they were gay. Then, the Laramie police say, the pair kidnapped Mr. Shepard, pistol-whipped him with a .357 Magnum, and left him tied to a ranch fence for 18 hours until a passing bicyclist spotted Mr. Shepard, who was unconscious."

I believe hate speech does not just harm gay or lesbian people, either. I think speech that is hateful, or derogatory should not be used at all. As Rep. John Lewis stated, a black senator from Georgia, who was a victim of a hate crim during the struggle for civil rights "She should be ashamed...That is unreal, unbelievable. "The law enforcement people and almost every reasonable person I know believes he was murdered because he was gay."

I think it is pretty unbelievable that someone could say something like this and also a bit insensitive to the family and friends of Matthew Shepard. I can remember hearing about it when it happened and how horrifying the news of his murder was. I hope she apologies for her comments and understands her comments where not the proper things to say.

This is the video of her comments.

Gay Marriage In Maine

Every generation dreams and aspires to be a part of a move, cause, or fight that highlights something positive, something that will be remembered for centuries and written in textbooks for future generations to see. When I read this story about Maine introducing a bill to allow Gay Marriage, I admit I got a little choked up, and not just because more states are starting to join in on the recent wave of acceptance, but rather because of the warm, standing ovation the senator who introduced it received. This part of the story also made me feel very happy and that our generation was standing up for a population I personally felt was being discriminated against.

"The time has come to recognize same-sex marriages." That one sentence, in my opinion says it all, and I think it is long overdue to accept same-sex marriage, too. The senator also stated in the article that his proposal "recognizes the worth of every man and woman among us and that it is backed by 60 co-sponsors."

I really do think this is a beautiful thing and the fact that it received such a warm and welcoming response gives me a renewed sense of optimism for an end to discrimination and for a more welcoming society. When the people we elect can work together like this and pass legislation that works for a minority group it is fantastic. I really hope New York state can heed this example and also pass a bill that allows same-sex marriage.

Pageantry and Politics Collide

This weekend after watching my Pistons succumb to their inevitable defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Playoffs, and then watching my Red Wings win their second playoff game in the NHL Playoffs, I decided to take some well deserved time off from sports and watch the Miss USA Pageant. It was a great display of talent and beauty, and I enjoyed every minute of it until politics unfortunately had to be thrown in and ruin it. Perez Hilton, known for his gossip blog, was one of the guest judges during the pageant, and asked Miss California, who was in a tight race with Miss North Carolina, who ended up losing, a question on her views about gay marriage. As I have stated before on this blog, I am 100% in favor of gay marriage, gay and lesbian couples having the same rights as heterosexual couples to be married and be recognized as such. However, in my opinion, it belittles the movement to legalize gay marriage when you blindside someone like that, who worked very hard to get to that moment and when she actually gave an honest answer to penalize her. Just because I do not agree with her views does not make me any better than her. I can try and change her views, or convince her in other ways to be more accepting, but the way Hilton acted was really obnoxious and does not help anyone. In fact I think it might have done a little bit of damage because it might show people who are in favor of gay marriage as intolerant of other people's views or overreaching in what they want. It will at least, sadly, give Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity something to play for the next week until they find something else to get angry about.

New York to Introduce Same-Sex Marriage Bill

As I mentioned in my previous blogs 2009 has gotten off to an amazing start. So far this year two states have passed legislation that legalizes same-sex marriage bringing the total to four states in the entire country. The New York Times is reporting that Governor Paterson will introduce similar legislation on Thursday which would make New York State the fifth state to legalize same-sex marriage, if passed.


"Mr. Paterson has said in recent days that the State Legislature should move ahead now with the legislation regardless of whether it can muster enough votes. His reasoning, which some gay rights advocates have challenged, is that New York should make a statement that it is committed to treating same-sex couples the same way it treats opposite-sex couples."

That statement alone is something I think speaks volumes for any group of people. We should treat all people equal regardless of their religion, creed, or sexual orientation. Paterson is doing the right thing by introducing this bill and hopefully it will not be met with the same opposition the same-sex marriage bill had when the Republican Governor vetoed it. Luckily in that case there were enough votes to override his veto, but it was an unnecessary bump in the road to having equal protection and equal rights under the law. I really hope this passes here in New York and we can become the fifth state to join in on this progressive wave of acceptance and inclusion, rather than divisiveness and hate.

The Power of New Media

There is no denying that the way we communicate with one another has changed and will continue to change constantly. I think the fact that technology continues to improve has more of a positive affect on society, rather than an adverse affect on it. Even though there are lots of negative aspects, I believe the positive ones out weight the negative ones. I can live with the fact that Steve Jobs has a new Mac product or two each and every year. As Professor Daniels pointed out on her blog via the New York Times and as we discussed in our previous class, new media like Twitter and Facebook makes it easier for people to communicate and organize for something.

This type of organizing can come in handy when something like this happens , on Amazon and stirs enough outrage in people for them to use media out lets like Twitter to vent their anger and disgust and try to put an end to it by using new media. It is great to see things like this happen almost instantaneously and people react in real time with other people. When I first heard about Twitter last year I thought it was a very silly idea because I did not think anyone would care about what I was doing every second of the day, and I thought anyone who had the time to tweet all those updates was crazy, but now I am a little less skeptical about it. I never thought about using Twitter, or Facebook as a way to organize people, or communicate with them so they could be somewhere, or they could get information almost instantaneously. Along with the excellent power point presentation from the last class, I have learned quite a bit of very fascinating information about technology and how it has advanced in such a short amount of time. If people can vent their anger about this, then there is no telling how else this new media can be used for the good of humanity and society. I am excited to see where else new media leads us in the coming years.

Continuing The Progress Made

Now that Iowa and Vermont have joined Connecticut and Massachusetts in allowing gay marriage, we need to continue to support the idea that equality, love, and respect comes in all different shapes, forms and discriminates against no one. Proposition 8 was a referendum added to the California ballot during the November presidential election which overturned same sex marriages in the state of California. Nate Silver, a blogger and creator of the site fivethrityeight.com which represents the number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency became famous during the election for having the most accurate exit polling during the 2008 election between John McCain, and Barack Obama, calling the election even more accurately than mainstream media outlets, wrote a blog about the historic Iowa ruling. In this blog post on his website he took into account the history of things like this happening and how often a state referendum has happened. Something I found even more fascinating, was towards the bottom of the blog, he estimated when every state in the country would pass a similar law. In my personal opinion, and I would love to be see it happen in my lifetime, I am a little skeptical that gay marriage will be passed in all 50 states during my lifetime because of how divisive and issue it is today. To see people get so worked up about it when it is actually legal in only 4 states, and the religious right feeling like they are being backed into a corner makes me feel like 2009 is the start of something that will hopefully be finished by the next generation. I really hope we can keep the momentum going, and hand off a more caring and understanding world to the future generations.

Texas Christian University Takes An Extra Step in Compassion

Being in a new environment is never easy and having to acclimate yourself to new surroundings can test the nerves of anyone. When someone is gay it can be an even more difficult task to not only fit in, but also find people who accept you, or are just like you. Texas Christian University has taken the unusual, and wonderful step of providing separate housing for gay and lesbian students, along with students who support their rights.

The article goes on to quote Sam Wunderl , a TCU junior, who favors a gay-friendly housing and thinks this is "a big step forward" for TCU, and believes most students are fine with the idea.

Wunderl, who is straight says "I just think it's important for gays to feel included."

I know how difficult it can be to fit in and how uneasy a process it is to make friends, especially if you are a minority of the population. For gay and lesbian students to have a specific area of the student housing reserved for them is a very good idea, and way for students to bond with kids who are just like them and are going through the same exact things they are going through. It is already difficult to deal with having to move away from home, and transitioning into college life, so this makes things at least a little bit easier.

A Brighter and More Hopeful Future

So far 2009 has been looking very good for gay marriage proponents and their hope of having it same-sex marriage one day being legal in the entire country. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, more and more states are changing their minds on gay marriage, and with today's decision in Vermont to allow same sex marriage, four states in the United States of America recognize gay marriage. It was not an easy battle, with lawyers and activists from both sides of the issue fighting one another, but the decision to allow gay marriage was passed into law today after the House voted to override a veto by the Republican Governor. Even though everyone in the state of Iowa and surrounding areas may not be completely 100 percent behind gay marriage, it seems like a tide is turning in the debate over gay marriage, and that is a wonderful thing to witness. This blog post highlights a wide variety of the differing views people have on the decision to legalize gay marriage. There are plenty of battles to be won, and battles that will probably be lost in the future, but it is amazing to see changes like this slowly happening. It is definitely going to be interesting to see what happens in California when the Supreme Court decides the Prop 8 decision. If this is repealed, and Prop 8 is not allowed, I think this will be one of the biggest victories of the year because this was a referendum that overturned an opinion that was deemed legal, which was that marriage between people of the same sex is just as acceptable as a heterosexual couple. I really hope the progress made in Iowa and Vermont is continued, and that 2009 continues to show we have progressed as a nation, and not regressed.

Iowa Legalizes Gay Marriage

The Iowa Supreme Court today ruled in favor of legalizing gay marriage, joining only Connecticut and Massachusetts in recognizing same-sex marriages.

"We are firmly convinced the exclusion of gay and lesbian people from the institution of civil marriage does not substantially further any important governmental objective," the Supreme Court wrote in their opinion on the case. A Des Moines attorney who represented a gay and lesbian couples said "this is a great day for civil rights in Iowa."

I am very happy about this decision and hope for similar rulings in the future. I believe that if a state like Iowa can legalize gay marriage, so can New York, and eventually the entire country can see how wrong it is to deprive someone the right to be happy and be with the person they love. It is a slow battle, but it seems to be picking up momentum and the tide is turning. It makes me very happy to think that during my lifetime we might see a real change in the way we treat other human beings.

Local Fight Against Don't Ask, Don't Tell

The very contentious and heated debate over Don't Ask, Don't Tell and whether or not gay and lesbians should be allowed to serve in the military has always drawn heated debate from both sides of the issue. I could never understand why people who bravely and heroically chose to put their life on the line would be treated like second class citizens and not allowed to serve honorably with their fellow men and women. I think this blog post, by a fellow student illustrates very nicely the insanity that goes on in the military, and how silly it is to force gay and lesbian recruits to stay closeted.

While I was checking out the local Westchester paper I came across a very interesting and local story which I wanted to blog about. The first sentence really jumped out to me because of the amount of disappointment and anguish it made me feel inside.

Twice while she was a cadet at West Point, Becky Kanis was investigated for being a lesbian. She was asked point-blank if she was, she said, "and I lied." I really feel awful that she had to be investigated for being a lesbian and that she felt she needed to hide what she was, although I do not blame her since West Point had to investigate her sexuality, like it was such a huge deal. I think it is fantastic that she wants to fight the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and use her own experiences as a learning tool. Hopefully she can help future recruits who had to deal with what she and a couple other had to with little support. My hope for the future is that we will never have to deal with this at all, and can be much more accepting to everyone, no matter what their sexual preference, or religion.

Political Double Speak

It really annoys me when politicians, or someone in general is willing to sacrifice their own personal beliefs to get ahead. Meg Whitman, who was the former CEO of eBay before stepping down was a staunch supporter of Mitt Romney before he bowed out of the Republican Primary and then supported John McCain. In February she announced she would run for Governor of California, against a crowded group of Republicans. Her rhetoric, which was echoed by the McCain campaigned did not please me, and made me an even bigger supporter of Barack Obama. However, double speak like like this drives me up a wall, especially when it is something I am passionate about and an issue that I do not think a candidate should be allowed to have both ways. I think she should be called out on this and someone should demand where she stand on this issue. I feel this is especially true since she wants to be Governor of California and this is an important issue for the state. I really hope people hold her feet to the fire and call her out on this.

Barney Frank Vs Antonin Scalia

Earlier in the week Barney Frank, who is one of two openly gay members in the House of Representatives called Supreme Court Justice, and one of the more Conservative leaning members, Antonin Scalia a homophobe. At first Frank only justified his reasoning for doing so by saying that Scalia had always written dissenting views that attacked gay rights when he was in the minority, like in the case of Lawrence Vs Texas. Frank also stated that he was glad that certain gay rights issues had not come up when a majority was held by the Conservative because he knew he would not be able to count on them for support. Representative Frank decided to clarify his remarks and contributed to the Huffington Post, with some examples which included Scalia's dissenting opinion in the Lawrence Vs Texas case.

There is no denying how intelligent, well read, and well spoken, Justice Scalia is and how that translates to the opinions and decisions he is responsible for. However, I do not agree at all with his views or ideals and would consider myself to be on the complete opposite end of the political spectrum to him. I remember seeing him interviewed on 60 Minutes and vehemently disagreeing with his views. I think Representitive Frank is correct about Justice Frank being homophobic and not caring one bit about gay rights, but I do not think his view will change during his time on the Supreme Court so it is futile to attempt to have him "see the light." Hopefully, and this is a reason why I voted for Obama, there will be some openings on the Supreme Court and he can fill them with Progressive Justices, and not just for their views on gay rights, but other issues that relate to them.

Chuck Schumer Reversing Self on Gay Marriage

As I expressed in previous blog posts, my hope for a more progressive New York State may be coming true with the announcement that Chuck Schumer not only supports same-sex marriage, but would back the repeal of the Defense Of Marriage Act, which would be a huge 180 degree change from his previous statements. I not only am thrilled to hear this, but it makes me feel proud of my state for wanting to put an end to the hatred and close-mindedness gay and lesbian couples are still subjected to in this country.

Schumer said about this topic "It’s time. Equality is something that has always been a hallmark of America and no group should be deprived of it. New York, which has always been at the forefront on issues of equality, is appropriately poised to take a lead on this issue." And I could not agree anymore, especially about New York being on the forefront of issues relating to equality. I really hope this gains traction, despite our economic troubles, and we can make this happen. I know people have a lot on their minds, but we can still make this country and world a better place for everyone, and lead by example, by showing people that we care for everyone no matter what their sexual preference, and love does not discriminate.

More Progress Throughout the Nation

Image via Flickr

As I mentioned in my previous blog post about Connecticut changing the wording in their laws to acknowledge and accept gay and lesbian couples, another state is moving forward to join them. The Huffington Post, reports that their state Senate committee has already unanimously approved a gay marriage bill today, which puts same-sex couples one step closer to having the ability to legally be married in the state.

"It provides ... gay and lesbian couples the same rights that I have as a married heterosexual," said Sen. John Campbell, vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and chief sponsor of the bill.

If this is approved, Vermont will join Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only U.S states that allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. If this measure is passed, it would replace Vermont's first in the nation civil unions law, which was passed back in 2000, and permitted same-sex partners to marry. This would be a huge step in the right direction in my opinion, but the only thing that really stand in its way is the Republican Governor who could veto the measure if it reaches his desk. He has not said whether or not he will do so, but I really hope he does not stand in the way of true progress and love. There are so many other things he could be an obstructionist about and try to hold up, but this should not be a partisan issue. I really hope he does not try to make it one, and does not veto it if it becomes law.

Equal Rights Fight in Connecticut

Image via flickr


Lawmakers in the State of Connecticut are considering an updated bill, which would comply with a court ruling that allows same-sex marriage. This surge in hope and optimism was brought on by a State Supreme Court ruling a few years ago that said gay and lesbian couples have the right to bed wed in the state of Connecticut, making it the only other state, besides Massachusetts, to recognize gay marriage. This is very important for gay couples because this updated measure would strip gender references in the current state laws and also change the language of same-sex unions, into same-sex marriages.

As usual, opponents of such legislation worry about how this would affect schools, their children and traditional marriage. Peter Wolfgang, executive director of The Family Institute of Connecticut said the proposed changes could be interpreted by “some enterprising judge” or others as encouragement to teach about homosexual lifestyles in schools. He went on to say that “We don’t want this misread as some sort of affirmation, some sort of mandate, that things that are opposed to in parental rights or traditional public beliefs will now be taught in the public schools,” Wolfgang said.

It is unfortunate that there is so much opposition to allowing gay and lesbian couples, but I really hope they do finally recognize gay marriage under the law in Connecticut. I also get very annoyed by hearing the same, slippery slope argument, which is complete nonsense from groups who are against gay marriage. When they say that gay marriage will destroy marriages, and next people will want to marry within their family, or marry goats, it is not only offensive, but a complete straw man theory which is simply not true. I am going to continue to watch this and hope that it passes.

OLPC

After watching the Nicholas Negroponte speech on giving impoverished children a laptop, at the cost of $100, I have mixed feelings. I am not really sure if that is their top priority when it comes to their needs, according to Maslow and his hierarchy of needs as we briefly discussed in class. There are many things that you could probably put ahead of needing a broadband Internet connection and the need to Skype. The need to end disease, feed, cloth and bath themselves would be high on the list of needs I would imagine.

On the other hand, I believe that laptops have the power to pull people out of poverty by educating them, and helping them learn. That way they can go on to live a productive and leave their impoverished lives. They can also use these laptops to communicate with other countries if and when an emergency occurs, or a national disaster happens and they need some assistance. This way they will have a lifeline to the outside world and be able to communicate quickly with either skype or their broadband Internet. And most importantly, and I think this goes along with my first point, they can educate themselves on diseases, and other health issues by using the Internet.

A Very Scary Story

Image via flickr

In my previous blog posts I expressed my disappointment and dismay over the lack of progress the United States had made when came to gay marriage, civil rights for gay and lesbian couples and being on the forefront of liberal, progressive ideology. However, when I see a story like this, I am not only deeply concerned about what is going on in other parts of the world, but I am also reminded that the fight for equal rights for everyone is a process that will take a long time. This is not something that can be solved over night, or resolved after one generation. The women in this country are constantly living in fear of being raped just for their sexual preference and can not rely on their government to help them. In the article it said that the country's 'macho politics' lead to a lack of action which is very confusing since I don't understand what macho politics would have to do with anything, or why anyone would not just want to lend a helping hand out of the goodness of their heart. It is almost unimaginable to me that according to the article 86% of black lesbians from the Western Cape said they lived in fear of sexual assault. The group also said it deals with up to 10 cases of "corrective rape" every week.

"What we're seeing is a spike in the numbers of women coming to us having been raped and who have been told throughout the attack that being a lesbian was to blame for what was happening to them,"

I really do not know how any group of people can live like this. It makes me very sad to read this and very pessimistic about the views and ideology of this area. I give a lot of credit to this group, who is really doing such amazing work and trying to defy the odds, given the amount of work they have each week. They are really wonderful people, and I hope they can help all the women who see them.

Final Arguments In Prop 8 Fight

As I mentioned in my previous blog about prop 8 returning to the Supreme Court in California, the fight for equality under the law for gay and lesbian couples did not end on November 4th when people went to the voting booths and passed Prop 8. Today the California Supreme Court heard the final arguments from both proponents of the legislation and those who oppose it. Now the justices who heard from both sides have 90 days to make a final ruling on whether to uphold the original decision to ban gay marriage, or overturn it.

I am really hopeful that the Supreme Court in California can overturn this hateful proposition and show how truly progressive California can be. I can not begin to imagine how scary it is must be for gay and lesbian couples to have to sit and wait for these justices to make a decision about their lives. This decision will have such a huge impact on their lives and whether or not they are able to get married and be recognized under the law in the state of California. I really hope this proposition is struck down and the rest of the country watches as we progress as a nation that accepts people, rather than knocking them down because they are different.