Spending a Friday evening watching legislative “debate”, and I’m using that term very loosely, probably isn’t something I’ve ever done before last night.  If I did do it before last night, I’ve successfully repressed the memories with good cause.

The outcome of last night’s New York Senate session however was fascinating and exhilarating.  I wasn’t sure until very near the end if I was watching a train wreck or photo-finish win.  For me it was Senator Grisanti’s speech explaining his vote that convinced me  it would be the latter.

The man gets it. Marriages like mine and Randy’s do not hurt either his own marriage or his faith. The question is about the legal rights and obligations of citizens, not who will call him a flip-flopper, and no politician should be so afraid of evolving they become an impediment to progress.

Neither of us are even in AARP yet, much less ready for Social Security.  I have to admit I’m not really expecting much to be left of Social Security by the time I get there, if I get there, in 20 years or so.

[via Towleroad]

It’s not just about that particular benefit though – it’s all the benefits of marriage and equal treatment under the law for everyone.

Meep.  Meep.  Meep.

In case the linked article at Boston.com disappears:

The utterance favored by bungling lab assistant Beaker of “The Muppet Show” has been banned at Danvers High School in Massachusetts after students said it to repeatedly interrupt school.

Principal Thomas Murray says the word was part of a disruption planned using Facebook.

The Salem News reports that parents recently got an automated call about “Meep!” from Murray. He warned them that students who said or displayed the word at school could be suspended.

Murray says the warning was needed because students didn’t heed his “reasonable request” to stop the meeping.

Somehow a high school principal in the United States believes a “request” to stop saying a non-profane, non-obscene, non-derogatory word should be enforceable through suspension? I don’t think it’s the students there who need to hit the books. This is not a Bong Hit 4 Jesus – this is just silly.

One of the self-appointed gay leaders shot me a fundraising e-mail this afternoon (one of at least a dozen similar messages received since the Supreme Court’s Prop 8 decision was announced). He used words like courage and fearless to try and guilt a donation supporting a 2010 ballot initiative. Then of course he caved, and despite being the leader of a well-positioned, well-intentioned and well-funded group promised that the final decision to actually do something would only be made “in collaboration with our partner organizations and allies in the growing California movement for marriage equality.”

Tired of consensus builders and do-gooders who want to use the Supreme Court’s ruling to pad their coffers. Their focus groups lost us the battle in November.  While I want Prop. 8 repealed now, and want to see something on every ballot until it is repealed, I’ll wait until an actual leader emerges before I give again.  Hopefully it will be someone like these people: Good gays willing to work hard and take personal risks, not just liberals with a spam bot at their disposal.

Fighting for rights by the light of the full moon.  [via]  Amazing the amount of damage a simple word can cause, isn’t it?

Went through the roof seeing this in the final paragraph in a late press release today from the official No on 8 “leadership”.

We achieve nothing if we isolate the people who did not stand with us in this fight. We only further divide our state if we attempt to blame people of faith, African American voters, rural communities and others for this loss. We know people of all faiths, races and backgrounds stand with us in our fight to end discrimination, and will continue to do so. Now more than ever it is critical that we work together and respect our differences that make us a diverse and unique society.

No. They’re wrong. There must be consequences for those who financed and supported this assault on the rights of thousands of Californians. From not returning to the corner gas station that proudly displayed Yes on 8 signs, to supporting groups like Californians Against Hate and their dishonor roll, fair-minded people should not be spending money with those businesses that will take that same money and use it to mount similar campaigns against others in the future. There may be a time in the future for kumbayas and group hugs, but we aren’t there yet and advocating otherwise puts these so-called leaders in the position of the turtle vis a vis the scorpion. Ignoring the known and demonstrated nature of those who supported Proposition 8 is simply self-destructive delusion.

Five thousand words about last night’s No on 8 rally are over in the photo gallery. Maybe a few more than that if you count the captions.