Ref. 71 is still up in the air; but then there's Maine

Yeah, Maine.

Mr. Obama's Organization for America sat Maine out, ignoring Question 1 so hard that their get-out-the-vote push in Maine didn't even mention the biggest issue on the ballot - but did find time to ask Maine voters to help out in New Jersey with phonecalls.

Some of you may say or think that it's not appropriate for Mr. Obama to comment on a state measure - particularly not a queer rights measure - or that it's not politically smart, or safe. Fuck that. Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and then-sitting president Jimmy Carter all weighed in against a goddamn anti-gay measure in California in goddamn 1978. Queers? Not real popular at the time. But here it is THIRTY. ONE. YEARS. LATER. and Mr. Obama and his party organisation play it further to the right than Ronald Reagan. Fuck. That.

One Catholic's letter resigning from the church after the church there did things like have second collections to fund anti-gay ads in the state and loaned staff full-time to the anti-gay campaign. Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight says he's going to have to seriously consider a Bradley Effect on GBLT issues. Andrew Sullivan notes without attribution that before Referendum 71 is even decided that anti-gay activists in Washington State are planning another anti-gay campaign. I haven't seen that anywhere else yet, tho', so I don't know what he's seeing; maybe this bit here about the fundamentalist movement declaring itself revived and [p]lans are under way for a new and greater resolve to be present during the 2010 session and future elections. Pam Spaulding talks about how glad she is her rights aren't subject to a vote every couple of years, and how the fundamentalists and social right use it to rake up anti-gay hate over, and over, and over again. (There's also a nice quote from Matt Barber, formerly of Concerned Women for America, coming out again and saying that domestic partnerships are just as bad as marriage.)

Truth Wins Out has a column that's been quoted around a lot today, I'm gonna quote a bunch of it:

It is time we wake up and acknowledge that the GLBT fight for equality is the world’s first “Civil Likes” movement. Each year, a popularity contest is held somewhere on the map and if the locals find us likeable our families are protected. If the natives have a negative view of gay people, we remain second-class citizens.

Given this reality we have to make a major choice.

We can declare the current process a disgusting and humiliating insult to our humanity and opt out of all future referendums. The movement would make the case to the nation why such votes are anathema to American values and in the process educate people about our families and quest for equality. A powerful campaign of continued and sustainable civil disobedience would have to supplement this strategy.

Or, we can continue to participate in degrading referendums. But, if we do so, we have to stop pretending that the majority of the American people understand the U.S. Constitution, much less the notion of equality. Those who vote against GLBT rights simply do not like gay people and their antipathy, often masked by religious bigotry, overrides the idea of equal protection. What our public relations experts will have to figure out ways to make us more likeable and overcome such objections.

This idea of sucking up to voters is as nauseating as it is un-American. Reality, however, necessitates unless we opt out of the process, we have to sober up and admit that we are perennially running for Prom Queen, yet have failed to take home the crown.

You should read the whole thing, not just this excerpt, because it's not as simplistic as your first reaction will lead you to think.

Also, courtesy Slog, go read David Mixner's column, "Enough, No More, Enough":

First and foremost, Enough!

We have poured over $100,000,000 in the last two years into efforts where Americans feel it is there obligation to vote on our freedom. The entire concept is repugnant and disgusting....

Second, call this campaign against us what it is - Gay Apartheid.

Refuse to allow any of our fellow Americans, President Obama or our allies to view this as a political issue who time hasn't quite come. America is in the process of creating a system of Gay Apartheid. We will not quietly sit and accept it. All over the place, this nation is creating one set of laws for LGBT Americans and another set for all other Americans. That is the classic definition of Apartheid. Either our political allies are for Gay Apartheid or against it. If they are against it, they must fight with us and no longer duck like President Obama did in Maine and Washington. There is no half way in fighting Apartheid....

Third, it is clear that the political establishment in Washington doesn't understand that we no longer willing to wait until it meets their timetable or political needs.

President Obama standing on the sidelines in Maine and Washington was appalling. The failure of our national organizations and leaders to demand his involvement was equally appalling. The outrageous act of the Democratic National Committee sending an email into Maine asking Maine Democrats to call into NEW JERSEY instead of to support the fight against bigotry was unbelievable. No one gets to sit on the sidelines in an epic battle against apartheid and no one gets a free pass. If you want our support, you have to earn it...

Does anyone think after yesterday election results and the upcoming 2010 election, Obama has the ability to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and "DOMA" next year? Does anyone really believe we haven't already missed a historic opportunity in the first 10 months of this year? Only a courageous fighting President and Congress can now help turn us this around and that we have not seen so far. Enough.

There's going to be a Part II of this column, but it's not posted yet.

oh here's some other crap

The second circuit court of appeals has thrown out the torture lawsuit of Canadian citizen Maher Arar against the US government. Mr. Arar was tortured not directly by the US but was abused in US custody, after which he was rendered to Syria for torture at American request. PM Harper has apologised to Mr. Arar for the lack of action to protect him by his government.

The court ruled 7-4 that, "even if the government violated Arar's Constitutional rights as well as statutes banning participation in torture, he still has no right to sue for what was done to him" if someone thinks it might affect national security secrets. Mr. Obama's legal team didn't argue this case, but has been using the same secrecy-must-prevail defence in a variety of other cases, including those against the illegal domestic spying programme, and so on.

Meanwhile, an Italian court has tried and convicted 23 US agents in absentia on torture and extraordinary rendition charges. Charges against three others were rejected by the Italian judge. The US refused extradition of all those charged, so the trial is mostly symbolic, tho' I imagine all those involved should stay out of Italy and possibly the entire EU for a while.