Friday, June 12, 2009
Homo No One Could Have Predicted
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 6:56 PM
Folks who read the DOMA brief the Obama administration filed in California this morning—the one that compared gay marriage to incest and child rape and rehearsed numerous anti-gay arguments favored by the religious right—said that it read like it was written by the Bush administration. It went way beyond the half-hearted perforce defense of DOMA that folks were braced for. It was breathtakingly bigoted, like something written by a graduate of Jerry Falwell's madrassa, Liberty University. Well guess what? It was written by the Bush administration.
W Scott Simpson, a Bush administration holdover, [filed the DOMA brief]. You can read a previous decision of his here (PDF) from 2008. So it becomes clearer. The harsh rhetoric, the gratuitous attacks on our relationships ... they were written by someone who was given an award by Alberto Gonzales for his defense of the Partial Birth Abortion Act.
And guess what else? He's a Mormon.
Do you think the Obama administration is letting Bush holdovers work on healthcare reform? Do you think they're letting Bush holdovers work on Iraq policy? Do you think they're letting Bush holdovers work on economic policy? Do you think they're letting Bush holdovers manage Sotomayor's confirmation process? Of course not. Because all of those things matter to the Obama administration. They give a shit about healthcare and Iraq and the economy and the Supreme Court nominee. They don't give a shit about gay rights—they don't give a shit about gay soldiers being hounded out of the military or gay spouses being turned away from their partners' sickbeds or binational gay couples facing deportation or the HIV travel ban or gay parents or anything else that touches our lives. Or as the always-cooler-headed-than-me Andrew Sullivan put it...
I suspect that this was a function not of malevolence but of negligence. The truth is: this administration is not hostile to gay equality; it just doesn't give a damn about it.
Politics Signing Referendum 71 Will Cure Cancer, Bring About World Peace, Lower Taxes, and Give Every Girl a Pony
Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 6:07 PM
This morning, a thick envelope arrived in my mail box containing the Referendum 71 petitions that I requested last week. I already knew it would have a lot of fine print. But what struck me was the larger print. At the top of the petition—above the ballot title and official legal summary of what the measure does—there is a box titled "Highlights" with large bold type. Here they are:
• The legislature just passed a law that effectively makes same sex marriages legal. By signing R-71 we can reverse that decision and protect marriage as between one man and one woman."• If same-sex marriage becomes law, public schools K-12 will be forced to teach that same-sex marriage and homosexuality are normal... even over the objections of parents. Sign R-71 to protect children.
Both statements are false, of course. The state Attorney General's office wrote the ballot title to accurately describe what the domestic-partnership bill, which R-71 attempts to repeal, actually does. The bill extends the rights of marriage, but, the ballot summary says, "Registered domestic partnerships are not marriages, and marriage is prohibited except between one man and one woman." The second claim is completely out of left field. "There is nothing in the bill that forces schools to teach homosexuality or that same-sex marriage is normal," says state Representative Jamie Pedersen, who sponsored the domestic-partnership bill in the state house. And state Senator Ed Murray, the bill's prime sponsor, adds: "There is nothing in the bill that requires anyone to teach anything."
Nonetheless, the lies are in larger, bolder type than the ballot summary—essentially upstaging the facts. How can they do that? Gary Randall, spokesman for the Referendum 71 campaign, did not return calls to answer that question.
"What you see here is the radical right doing what it does best, which is trying to create fear in the public by creating a parade of horribles which in fact does not exist," says Josh Friedes, spokesman for Equal Rights Washington.
But it's legal. Secretary of State's office spokesman David Ammons says, "The state supreme court has said you can lie in campaign utterances and campaign materials. We have no jurisdiction over extra words and sales pitches that sponsors choose to put on petitions." In other words, the Referendum 71 petitions could claim that the measure would ban abortion, impeach the governor, guarantee salvation... almost anything (short of threats or bribery) to persuade people to sign it.
"We are all for truth in advertising and voters getting clear and accurate information," says Ammons. "But we simply don’t have police power of what campaigns say about their ballot measure."
City On the TeeVee
Posted by Eli Sanders on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Would it surprise you to know that Stranger news editor (and politics wonk extraordinaire) Erica C. Barnett spent this beautiful day of her vacation taping a show about local politics for the Seattle Channel?
Me neither. If you want to hear Barnett's take on the races for County Executive, Mayor, and City Council—which you do—tune in tonight on Channel 21 at 7 p.m. (or stream it live here).
News Oh That's Rich
Posted by David Schmader on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 4:35 PM
The NEW Miss California USA also believes marriage is between a man and a woman.
So shut the fuck up about being dethroned because of your beliefs, Carrie Prejean.
You too, NOM.
Politics / Homo What They Said
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 3:56 PM
There's a completely decent reason to keep DOMA in place for the time being, especially in the federal courts right now—where bad precedents could wound us in the future. But to file an actual brief re-stating some of the worst and most denigrating arguments against gay civil equality is just bizarre. They could have argued for a narrow ruling or kept the "reasonable" arguments to a minimum. What they did—without any heads up to any of their gay supporters and allies—is unconscionable. Citing incest precedents? Calling gay couples free-loaders? Arguing that our civil rights are not impinged because we can marry someone of the opposite sex? Who on earth decided that that was a great idea? [This] will be simply incomprehensible to most gay people. To have unloaded it after refusing to do anything on DADT, after failing to lift the HIV travel ban, after punting on even pure symbolism like hate crimes - well, it's no way to treat those who worked their butts off to elect you.... I'm baffled by this, I really am. The content of this brief is a massive political error from an administration that is making it impossible for its gay supporters to stay supportive.
Today is the anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision that struck down state laws against interracial marriage. How has the Obama administration recognized it? By lobbing this bomb right into the civil rights of gay and lesbian couples. This is a President who said he is a "fierce advocate" for our rights. This doesn't look much like an advocate, it looks more like an enemy pulling the pin on the grenade and tossing it at us. While this may not be the perfect test case for DOMA, the Obama administration, in its defense of the Act, has filed a brief that is a roadmap for every fundnut anti-gay argument against the right of same-sex couples to marry.
Happy Stonewall anniversary everybody!
Reading the arguments the DOJ makes to defend DOMA really makes me angry and I wonder if this is what President Obama or the higher ups in the White House really think. It's the same arguments the Republicans and religious right have been making for years—with even a few new ridiculous ones thrown in. The only thing I can conclude is that we've been thrown overboard by the Obama administration or by presenting such ridiculous arguments, this is a really clever way to throw the case.For instance they argue that restricting rights is a legitimate action of the federal government because it can save the federal government money. What federal court accepts the principle that you can deny rights because there's not enough money to administer them. By that reasoning we can close down polling places in poor neighborhoods or Democratic neighborhoods and say we don't have enough money to keep those places open.
[The] mere fact that the Obama administration sees fit to try to justify the constitutionality of DOMA is very troubling. When Obama ran for the Democratic nomination for President, he distinguished himself from other front-runners by declaring that he was for DOMA’s full repeal. That contrasted with Sen. Hillary Clinton’s position of advocating for only partial repeal of DOMA and leaving intact the provisions allowing states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. When Obama became president, the new White House web site repeated his call for repealing DOMA. But that commitment has since been quietly dropped when the web site was revamped in April.
UNfuckingbelievable.
Homo Should Slog De-Friend Barack Obama?
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 3:21 PM
Barack Obama has been listed on "Friends of Slog" for nearly two years. A commenter suggested that after today's bombshell—gay marriage is like incest and child rape!—we vote on whether Obama gets to stay on the list of Slog's friends or joins KUOW on Slog's enemies list.
This poll, like all Slog polls, is scientifically sound and legally binding.
City Six Things You Can't Say in Seattle
Posted by Eli Sanders on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 3:14 PM
There were all kinds of things on the agenda for this morning's Weekday—health care reform, Amanda Knox, Swine Flu—but we got quite distracted by this.
So did the listeners, who called in with their own lists of things you can't say in Seattle: "I love Seattle," "I'm on dial-up," "Baseball is boring," "Get your dog out of this bar."
Host Steve Scher also read aloud a competing list of Six Things You Can't Say in Seattle that was offered by Slog commenter Objective observer. That list included:
6. "I hate you"; "I'm happy"; any expression of pure emotion rather than attempts to follow moral rules and codes.5. "You know, you're too uninformed and mistaken to make a valid contribution to this discussion, so we won't include your views in the final report. Please sit down and shut up, you're just blocking progress." ...
1. "Actually, the rain does suck!"
Clearly, however, we have not arrived at the final and definitive list. I trust the commenters of Slog can provide additional help.
Life / Housekeeping Photos From Last Night's Slog Happy
Posted by Megan Seling on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 3:09 PM
All photos by Matt Hickey, many more after the jump.
Tech BoneRemote
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 3:08 PM
This Panasonic concept remote lies flaccid, glowing with a pulsing, internal light until a human hand gets near it, whereupon it engorges and becomes stiff, ready to use.
Soon we will all be having sex with our living rooms.
(Via.)
Homo This Isn't Happening, Right?
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 2:46 PM
No self-respecting fag or dyke is going to turn up at this event, right?
You're a self-respecting fag, Barney. You're canceling, right? Tammy? Jared? Hello?
Music The Ultimate Summer Jam of 2009
Posted by Eric Grandy on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 2:37 PM
...Now has its own music video.
Politics / Homo / News Big Gay Groups To Obama: Fuck You
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 2:27 PM
They didn't use those exact words, of course, but in a group statement signed by the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Lambda Legal, the ACLU, and other big national organizations—organizations that are typically cautious and concerned about preserving their access—they come as close to "FUCK YOU" as they're ever going to get:
LGBT Legal And Advocacy Groups Decry Obama Administration's Defense of DOMA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 12, 2009We are very surprised and deeply disappointed in the manner in which the Obama administration has defended the so-called Defense of Marriage Act against Smelt v. United States, a lawsuit brought in federal court in California by a married same-sex couple asking the federal government to treat them equally with respect to federal protections and benefits. The administration is using many of the same flawed legal arguments that the Bush administration used. These arguments rightly have been rejected by several state supreme courts as legally unsound and obviously discriminatory.
We disagree with many of the administration’s arguments, for example that DOMA is a valid exercise of Congress’s power, is consistent with Equal Protection or Due Process principles, and does not impinge upon rights that are recognized as fundamental.
We are also extremely disturbed by a new and nonsensical argument the administration has advanced suggesting that the federal government needs to be “neutral” with regard to its treatment of married same-sex couples in order to ensure that federal tax money collected from across the country not be used to assist same-sex couples duly married by their home states. There is nothing "neutral" about the federal government’s discriminatory denial of fair treatment to married same-sex couples: DOMA wrongly bars the federal government from providing any of the over one thousand federal protections to the many thousands of couples who marry in six states. This notion of “neutrality” ignores the fact that while married same-sex couples pay their full share of income and social security taxes, they are prevented by DOMA from receiving the corresponding same benefits that married heterosexual taxpayers receive. It is the married same-sex couples, not heterosexuals in other parts of the country, who are financially and personally damaged in significant ways by DOMA. For the Obama administration to suggest otherwise simply departs from both mathematical and legal reality.
When President Obama was courting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender voters, he said that he believed that DOMA should be repealed. We ask him to live up to his emphatic campaign promises, to stop making false and damaging legal arguments, and immediately to introduce a bill to repeal DOMA and ensure that every married couple in America has the same access to federal protections.
Signed,
ACLU
GLAD
Lambda Legal
NCLR
HRC
NGLTF
Barack Obama's record on gay rights so far: disturbing, unsound, false, discriminatory, damaging, nonsensical. Before today you could argue that the Obama administration was too busy with the economy and the war and health care to focus on making good on his campaign promises to gays and lesbians, that Obama simply didn't have the time to take up our issues. But you can't make that argument anymore. The Obama administration has the time to take up gay rights issues—but only, it seems, to do harm.
I can't take my vote back. And I'm not sure I would if I could. But I sure as hell would like to have my money back.
Drugs Another Pot Initiative
Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 2:12 PM
Yesterday I made a bold prediction: Based on a pot decriminalization initiative that passed in Massachusetts last November by a landslide, the announcement that California would likely run a measure to legalize marijuana next year, and that Washington is in a position to run its own ballot measure, I argued that we'd see several states running initiatives to reform pot laws next year. Here's what commenter giantladysquirrels said:
Dominic, you are frequently too willing to forecast broad trends based on a single incident (and in this case, the incident hasn't even happened yet). There's a single initiative planned in a single state. I can't see how that means we should prepare for states around the country to enact new pot laws by the end of next year.
Dear Miss Big Squirrels, I shall instruct the blogosphere to stop forecasting broad trends. However, my prediction wasn't based a single initiative (or even two), but lots of things going on—bills in state legislatures, a new federal administration that probably won't lobby against pot initiatives, polls that show more support for decriminalizing pot, and an economy that's forcing states and voters to rethink spending priorities. And then there's this news in today's Las Vegas Sun:
The Marijuana Policy Project has set up its first state chapter in Las Vegas, launching another effort to get voters to legalize pot in Nevada.
But my prediction may still be off: The group won't run an initiative in Nevada until 2012. Which state will be next to announce a campaign to legalize pot?
Celeb Has Gene Simmons Ever Shut Up About Being Straight?
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 2:11 PM
Adam Lambert opened up about his sexuality for a Rolling Stone cover story this week—confirming that he's gay after weeks of fan speculation—but at least one person wishes he would shut up about it already: Kiss rocker Gene Simmons.Lambert performed with Kiss on the "American Idol" finale show and while Simmons is a fan of his voice, saying Adam has, "a future if he wants to sing in Queen or be on Broadway," in a recent TV interview... "Mostly he should shut up about his sexual preferences. We, America, the rest of the world, really don’t care," Simmons said, adding, "I mean, if the story becomes ‘I prefer farm animals to,’ you know, who cares?"
Because being gay is a lot like fucking farm animals—hey, does Gene Simmons work for Obama's Department of Justice?
Books Today in E-books
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 2:08 PM
Simon & Schuster has signed a deal with e-bookseller Scribd. Scribd's e-books are readable on just about every device except the Kindle. Some are wondering if this is the first step in a move by Simon & Schuster to pull their books, including books by hyper-popular authors like Stephen King and Dan Brown, from Amazon's device.
Amazon's format is proprietary — it doesn't move to other e-readers (Scribd's does) — and Amazon maintains control over prices and the percentage of profits publishers will take away. The online bookseller reportedly shares only about half of the profits with publishers — while Scribd will keep just 20%.
A spokesperson for Simon & Schuster denied that they want to take the books off the Kindle, saying that they wanted their books on all platforms. But this certainly gives them leverage against Amazon that they certainly didn't have, say, last week.
Homo Right Speech, Wrong Venue
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 2:03 PM
John Berry is the head of the Office of Personnel Management and "the highest ranking openly gay person to serve in the executive branch." Berry delivered a speech today at the Justice Department's annual celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month—which was cancelled during the Bush years—calling for equal treatment for gays and lesbians.
The OPM director said his first partner, who died after a prolonged battle with HIV/AIDS, showed him the importance of supportive family and of policies that allowed Berry to care for him and be with him when he died, even though they were not legally married."My family has never known divorce," Berry said. "Were we married? No, but I dare anyone to say that we were not in love.... Where do you stand? Honoring love as precious and true wherever you find it, or with those who would demean or deny it? I urge you: Stand where you can be proud. Stand with service and truth. Stand with love. Stand for liberty and justice for all."
Great speech, John. But you should've delivered it standing in front of your boss's desk in the Oval Office. But, hey, it's "Pride Month" all June you can still stand and deliver it—and your resignation—to the president in person.
Film Summer Movie Success: Drag Me to Hell
Posted by Lindy West on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Being a fallible and sometimes foolish human, I missed the screening of Drag Me to Hell. Instead, I did something else that I can't remember but was probably stupid.
However! Intrepid film intern Alex Hagenah has seen the film, and wrote up a li'l something! For you! His verdict: Drag yourself to Drag Me to Hell.
When summer movie season arrives, we can’t help but hope for the best. All we want is that one perfect cinematic confection to complement these dreary, amorphous days. Wait a sec—is that an annoying MIDI version of “Happy Birthday” I hear? It’s the ice cream truck! And look, they have Drag Me To Hell pops!Sam Raimi’s horror treat is a succulent, intoxicatingly escapist summer movie. It’s reassuring that this kind of adroit playfulness can still come out of big-time Hollywood directors. Raimi, who was probably as sick of Spiderman as we were (but all the more financially equipped because of it), teams up with his brother Ivan to plunge back into the occult silliness of the Evil Dead trilogy. This time, the dead prey on Christine Brown (Allison Lohman), an insurance agent who is cursed to hell by a gypsy witch after she rejects a payment extension on the witch’s house in the hopes of getting a promotion.
After being sadistically fucked with for three days by misogynistic minions of hell, Christine Brown’s explosions of frustration and anger are impressive. But the Raimi brothers maintain their rich tradition of hilarious, crowd-rousing one-liners and a pulpy cast of characters (who are all in on the joke). The special effects display a harmonious marriage of spectacular makeup and subtle CGI that will make you question the PG-13 rating. Drag Me to Hell is proud (and well-deservedly so) of its sheer ridiculousness, and up against so many robotic, business-as-usual summer movies, it’s tremendously refreshing.
Thank you, Alex, and thank you, Sam Raimi.
Chow The Ice Cream Wars Continue: Full Tilt to Open Columbia City Location Next Month
Posted by Megan Seling on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 1:56 PM
Full Tilt Ice Cream will open a second location in Columbia City on July 3rd. The store will be at 5101 Rainier Ave S, #105, and just like their current location in White Center, they'll have over a dozen pinball machines and host all-ages shows on the weekends.
Full Tilt offers a rotating menu of about 16 flavors (with some vegan options), including raspberry ripple, toasted coconut, corn and chili, margarita sorbet, vanilla bean, mint chocolate chip, and more. They also serve beer and paletas.
Follow Full Tilt on Twitter for updates about the new store and to hear about what flavors they're currently serving and/or concocting.
(Photo via Full Tilt's Twitter.)
Games In Soviet Russia, Games Play You
Posted by Sam Machkovech on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 1:41 PM
...but in Nintendo's world, video games will soon play themselves.
Beginning with the upcoming New Super Mario Bros. Wii (due this holiday season), players will be able to pause a game during a particularly difficult level and let the game take over to complete the level. Press a button at any time to resume playing. This will help reduce barriers of entry for new or younger players — without purchasing a strategy guide or resorting to cheat codes.
Unavailable for comment: The dork at Gamestop who always asks if I want to pre-order a bunch of strategy guides.
Chow Headline of the Day
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Whoever writes the Dining Deals headlines over at the Seattle Times is on a roll. On the heels of last week's "Queen Sheba on Capitol Hill Is Mildly Pleasant," we have:
Kristos Eastlake: It's Greek, Sleek, With Deals Worth a Peek
Books Breaking: Hack Author Swedish, Stupid
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 1:01 PM
The Smoking Gun reports on the guy who wrote the sequel to the Catcher in the Rye that Salinger is suing over. He's written a bunch of cheesy joke books, he's self-publishing 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye, and he's surprised that Salinger sued him because "I'm Swedish, we don't sue people here."
In conclusion: U!S!A! U!S!A!
??!! / Film Hey, Here's a Totally Pointless Question
Posted by Lindy West on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Are Betsy Baker (a.k.a. Linda from Evil Dead):
And Becky Ann Baker (a.k.a. mom from Freaks & Geeks):
...sisters? The Baker sisters? Cousins, identical cousins!? Does a hot dog make Becky Ann Baker lose control? Are they Doppelgangers (and I mean that in the sense that if they were to meet by chance upon a foggy street corner, surely for one it would be an omen of DEATH)? Are they, in fact, the same person leading a pointless double life, in which both lives have the same job only one is slightly less middlingly successful than the other!?!?
So far the internet has not answered my question (except that...um...apparently they were born three months apart in Iowa and Kentucky respectively, which technically makes their popping out of the same birth canal impossible, BUT STILL, WHO ARE YOU, THE WOMB-LOGIC POLICE!?). It drives me crazy when people who clearly should be siblings ARE ACTUALLY NOT.
Man. I really wasted a lot of time thinking about this.
Chow / Nightlife New in Restaurant/Bars!
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 12:51 PM
• Azzurri is Fremont's new wine and soccer bar that, as of last week, was only serving two kinds of wine and, to be frank, needed the attention of a broom. Also, the panini are not that good. Yet it is kind of a great place! Find out why over here.
• The Feedback Lounge in West Seattle is rock 'n' roll-themed. Food is pub grub plus. They have "the SUNNDECK, a 40-foot long outdoor lounge area," and a music-related happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. every day. Today is AC/DC “high voltage” Friday. Wear rubber-soled shoes.
• The Tiger Lounge in Georgetown is "Seattle's only go-go bar," which means lava lamps and beaded curtains. Outside, there is a fire pit, which may or may not be go-go in some way. Pub grub and gourmet pizzas are available.
• Sinners and Saints is right near Azzurri in Fremont. Intriguing detail: Goldfish races are occasionally held in an upside-down, water-filled fluorescent light fixture (has PETA found out yet?). Food is Spanish—tapas, paella.
• Hudson in Georgetown is brought to you by the Smarty Pants people and has homestyle Southern food.
• Captain Blacks on Capitol Hill is already famous for its chicken and waffles (it's boneless kosher breast meat, all sliced up for you, which you may find to be suboptimal, and it costs $11, but it's pretty damn good). There are two outdoor decks, front and back. The Stranger has recently learned that the apostrophe in "Blacks" was lost at sea.
• Snoose Junction Part Dieu is the Ballard pizzeria's new Greenwood outlet. Lots of video games, and LPs you can choose from for them to play upstairs in the bar. (Did they mean Part Deux?)
Enjoy the weekend!
Questionland Burning Question
Posted by Megan Seling on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Now that you've had time to sample both...
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