I’m happy to report that the same judge who, one month earlier, ordered a stay on Oregon’s domestic partnership bill has reversed his own ruling! Now gays and lesbians here in Oregon can get legal benefits almost but not quite exactly like straight couples. It’s not called “marriage” though, because gay marriage was voted down a couple years ago. To be honest, I’m perfectly fine with that. Marriage is a religious institution anyway and has no business being muddled with by the government.

But when has the government taken the separation of church and state seriously lately? Oh well. Go and get yourselves happily domestically partnered all you lovely Oregon queers out there! Yayness all around!

elle jo

With only four days before domestic partnership rights were to be bestowed upon us Oregon queers, U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman, in his right-winged wisdom, threw a grenade into the works. I wonder if he thought to himself, “Lets wait until the last possible second to make this ruling just so that I can fuck with people’s heads.”

As it turns out, a conservative out-of-state organization called The Alliance Defense Fund brought the issue of Oregon’s domestic partnership bill to the U.S. District Court.  The ADF is a conservative group started by nutters like James Dobson and James Kennedy. Tell me that an out-of-state group, a conservative one at that, and a federal court imposing its agenda on what is supposed to be a state issue doesn’t sound suspicious.

Thankfully the ruling doesn’t affect the other rights that will be bestowed unto us Oregon queers beginning January 1. Rights such as protections from discrimination and equal housing. Nevertheless, the blatant federal attack on one of the biggest issues in the LGBT alphabet soup is just disgraceful. Basic Rights Oregon is already fighting the ruling but the injunction pretty much ensures that the law won’t go into effect until February 1 (unless Dobson and his cronies gets their way).

I’ll be attending a vigil on January 2 to protest this ruling. And I’m pretty certain my comic will be addressing this issue as well.

elle jo

Gay marriage is legal in Iowa. In Iowa! The ban on gay marriage in the land of corn and straw polls was declared unconstitutional by Judge Robert Hanson. Unfortunately, the ruling barely lasted a day before the wingnuts pushed for a stay on the ruling until it was appealed.

Fucking freepers. Fortunately there were a lucky few who took advantage of the ruling and got themselves legally hitched. In Iowa!

I’m sure the nutters in Jesusland will be up in arms about this, calling it a ruling by a so-called “activist judge.” No, this was not a decision made by an activist judge. This was a decision made by a judge who recognizes injustice and inequality when he sees it.

It was a pink letter day in Iowa. In fucking Iowa! Damn!

el jo

The YouTube question posed by Reverend Reggie Longcrier was absolutely brilliant! John Edwards claimed that his religious background is the reason why he still opposes gay marriage. (His highly enlightened wife supports gay marriage. Why isn’t she running for president?) Rev. Longcrier asked Senator Edwards why it was still okay to deny a group of Americans equal rights under the law based on religious views, especially since very similar views were used to deny women the right to vote, to deny interracial couples from marrying, to endorse slavery, and so forth. Mr. Edwards then proceeded to dance around the issue, never actually coming right out and answering the good Reverend’s question.

Ohh, and then when Anderson Cooper announced that Rev. Longcrier was in the audience, John-boy’s sphincter must have really cinched up! The Reverend’s question was not answered in a satisfactory manner. In fact, when Edwards discussed how his wife “supports … uhh … gay marriage,” he was visibly uncomfortable with it. This guy does not support gay marriage. Nor does Obama, or Clinton. Oh sure, they support “civil unions,” but you and I know full well that a civil union is little more than a drinking fountain with a sign marked “colored” hanging off it.

Separate is not equal. It has been proven before, why must we prove it again? The only candidate who truly supports gay marriage, Mike Gravel, is unfortunately about as stable as H. Ross Perot.

On the upside, Edwards did say that he doesn’t support the enforcement of one set of religious values over another. If he were president, he would not let his Southern Baptist upbringing influence his political decisions.

Yeah, and I’ve got a bridge in New York City I want to sell you.

el jo