We have listened to 16 months of lies, distortions, fear mongering and just plain nutty crap from the Right Wing, from paid corporate funded “grass roots” groups, from Fox News and all their toadies and lickspittles and from rich white men who fear losing control.
 
Well today the entire text was posted for public review, and being the nerd that I am I immediately downloaded the entire document and started looking for the truth. 
If you are like me, and prefer to read the words for yourself - here is the link - 
http://docs.house.gov/rules/hr4872/111_hr3590_engrossed.pdf
If you don't have a spare 6-8 hours you are welcome to read the exerpts I will post below the fold.  These are 'cut and paste' exact words in the bill.   
 
 

******Federal funding for abortion??? Nope. Not here****** 
 PROHIBITION ON FEDERAL FUNDS FOR

2 ABORTION SERVICES IN COMMUNITY HEALTH IN3

SURANCE OPTION.—

assures, in accordance with

15 applicable provisions of generally ac16

cepted accounting requirements, circu17

lars on funds management of the Office

18 of Management and Budget, and guid19

ance on accounting of the Government

20 Accountability Office, that no Federal

21 funds are used for such coverage;
 
 

******State Laws???  Yup, you can keep your Puritanical restrictions -*******

APPLICATION OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS RE11

GARDING ABORTION.—

12 (1) NO PREEMPTION OF STATE LAWS REGARDING

13 ABORTION.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to

14 preempt or otherwise have any effect on State laws re15

garding the prohibition of (or requirement of) cov16

erage, funding, or procedural requirements on abor17

tions, including parental notification or consent for

18 the performance of an abortion on a minor
 
 

******Worried that you might be “forced to perform an abortion?  Nope.  Here it is ********

NO EFFECT ON FEDERAL LAWS REGARDING

20 ABORTION.—

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act shall

22 be construed to have any effect on Federal laws

23 regarding—

24 (i) conscience protection;

VerDate Nov 24 2008 09:39 Dec 29, 2009 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00125 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\SENENR\H3590.EAS H3590 wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with BILLS

126

HR 3590 EAS/PP

1 (ii) willingness or refusal to provide

2 abortion; and

3 (iii) discrimination on the basis of the

4 willingness or refusal to provide, pay for,

5 cover, or refer for abortion or to provide or

6 participate in training to provide abortion.

 
 
*****”Death Panels for Granny”?  Nope…his is the ONE AND ONLY reference to “end of life care” in the entire document******
 

PROTECTING ACCESS TO END OF LIFE

5 CARE.—A community health insurance option

6 offered under this section shall be prohibited

7 from limiting access to end of life care.

 
*******Illegal Aliens will be covered, though, won't they?  I mean Joe Wilson went to all that fuss during the State of the Union speech and all….******
 

ACCESS LIMITED TO LAWFUL RESIDENTS.—

12 If an individual is not, or is not reasonably expected

13 to be for the entire period for which enrollment is

14 sought, a citizen or national of the United States or

15 an alien lawfully present in the United States, the in16

dividual shall not be treated as a qualified individual

17 and may not be covered under a qualified health plan

18 in the individual market that is offered through an

19 Exchange.

(*****Hmmm. “May not be covered…” that must be code for “Will get free insurance paid for by angry white people…”****)
 
 
 
 

Read the rest of this entry »

From Yahoo:
As the House gears up for this weekend’s dramatic vote on health reform legislation, Democrats are taking flak from all sides. In southern Ohio, opponents of the bill have created a blowback effect by airing an ad targeting Rep. Steve Driehaus to stand firm as a “no” vote on the legislation. The ad prominently featured the congressman’s young daughters, in violation of the unwritten law that forbids dragging lawmakers' family members – most especially their underage children – into the fray.
Once Driehaus took note of the ad, and told a reporter from the Cincinnati Enquirer that its content was “outrageous,” the group trying to stymie the bill, the Washington-based Committee to Rethink Reform, issued an apology.
“Politicians' children should not be involved in public political debates and we deeply regret this mistake,” it said. A spokeswoman said the group had also offered a direct apology to Driehaus.

The anti-Dreihaus ad apparently was a print ad that:
included a large photo of him with his two young daughters 
Driehaus was upset by the advertisement, which appeared Wednesday in The Cincinnati Enquirer, his spokesman said Thursday.
“Rep. Driehaus thought the ad was outrageous,” said the spokesman, Tim Mulvey. “He can take more than his fair share of political attacks, but this one crossed the line.”
The ad was paid for by the Committee to Rethink Reform, a Washington-based group. Committee spokeswoman Sarah Longwell said showing the children was a mistake and that the group was taking out another ad to apologize. She said the committee already apologized directly to Driehaus.
Mulvey confirmed the apology. The Enquirer ran its own full-page retraction and apology Thursday.

Of course, lets get real: If it was the candidate - particularly a pro-corporation candidate - using his/her own spawn as props, all would be okay.  
I could go for the low-hanging fruit and and fill up several paragraphs with rants about a certain half-baked-term Alaska governor used all of her minor children (and one child that may or may not be hers; again: if Obama needs to show is birth certificate, I think certain members of the Palin family need to show their DNA.) 
I've always wondered why Norm 'don't you dare question my heterosexuality' Coleman was able to get away with ads like these in 2002:

The fact that anyone was willing to vote 'hollow man' (as Garrison Keillor termed Nahm) after that second one still amazes me. 
Ice cream???
And yet, if the Wellstone campaign (or the successor Mondale campaign) had gone after the little weasel-ette (I leave it to the reader to determine if I'm referring to Nahm or his daughter) for dumbing down the issues even more than anyone thought was possible, that would have been considered out of line.
It just makes me happy that Nahm will go down in history not just as a pathetic Bush-junta rubberstamp, but as the person who lost to both Jesse Ventura and Al Franken.

Read the rest of this entry »

My spouse and I were arm-in-arm, walking on Church St. in Burlington (biggest and arguably the most liberal city in gay-friendly, equal-marriage Vermont, about 40,000 population, with a downtown pedestrian area) a couple of days ago. It was still daylight, full sun, warm (54 degrees!) for Vermont, although the street was in shade in the late afternoon.
Walking toward us came another couple. Now, please forgive me for mashing up concepts that ordinarily wouldn't go together, but it's descriptive: they looked like middle-class Blade Runner wannabes. The guy wore a tight-fitting black tee shirt, military-style dark olive drab cargo shorts down to his shins, some kind of metal beadwork on a short leather cord around his neck, and had tied down his dreads with a wide bandanna from the top of his head to behind his neck. His high-end sunglasses were perched atop the bandanna. He wore a newish backpack color-coordinated with his outfit.
He was accompanied by a black and gray German Shepherd-type dog on a short, heavy leather leash and a wraith-like young woman dressed in the same color scheme.
As we approached each other, he hawked, perhaps clearing his throat for a profound observation about the lovely weather or to offer a St. Patrick's Day greeting. What came out of his mouth was an epithet usually applied by bigots to gay men.

“Cock suckers!” he yelled as we passed each other.
I'm short and round, my spouse is tall and curvy, and we're both women.
There were a lot of visual cues that we are women, only a few that were androgynous, mainly my fedora. I was uncertain at first whether he was talking to us, since he had so plainly gotten it wrong. He'd missed the central fact of two lesbians together: no cocks involved at all. He was, as they say, unclear on the concept.
It's not like I've never been “sirred” before, especially when I wear a hat. And a couple of decades ago, it was fairly common for young punks to yell “faggots!” at two women not showing deference-cues to their maleness.
I had a strong urge to turn around and catch up to the guy, remove my hat, and say, “Excuse me, but were you talking to me? I haven't sucked a cock in 40 years. Perhaps you should look before exposing your ignorance. And, by the way, you should try it before you condemn it — I'm sure your girlfriend there has.” But instead, I let myself be mildly amused and not in the least bit threatened as I walked on with my sweetie to our martial arts class.

Read the rest of this entry »

Trenton was buzzing yesterday after the press conference announcing the latest twist in the gay marriage equality debate.  Here’s a highlight reel, see for yourself.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hot:

ATTENTION US RESIDENTS!!! Wouldn’t it be nice to know you’re not alone. Click here to receive a FREE sticker that can’t be ignored for your US Census packet!
The sticker is free. Stickers are 4.5″ x 6″ (about the size of a postcard). Make sure you order your sticker before midnight March 22nd so you get it in time to mail with your census form on April 1st!
Be sure to reblog this to get the word out!

Similar Posts:

TLL Limited Sticker
Help Support The Lesbian Herstory Archives
Contest: $20 Gift Card to Babeland!
Would you, Could you, Won’t you Sponsor The Lezzys?!

Read the rest of this entry »

You might remember from before, but I have recently dipped my toe into the deep and scary pool that is online dating. It’s really such an amazing thing to be a part of! There are really all sorts of weird and wonderful people online…
First of all, I should explain that I am not at all sporty or outdoorsy, at all…in no sense of the word. I have almost no hand-eye coordination, I don’t know the rules to any sports and, on most days, putting one foot in front of the other and staying upright is a fair challenge. Add to this the fact I am a bit of a perpetual student. I have spent a fairly long time studying and as a result have a pretty decent grasp of grammar and spelling and look for similar qualities in any potential mates. To reflect these values, my profile is quite specific about the fact I am looking for someone who understands these things about me. I think that every person has some fundamentals that they require in a partner, and trying to force something between people who aren’t on the same page is just a waste of time for all involved. It’s nice to feel that love will conquer all, I just don’t buy it.
Considering that, why do I get so many messages from girls who “Talk lie k DiZ”?! Do you think it is because the sender chooses to ignore the actual text of my profile and is someone who is just hoping for a random bang and decided I would fit the role? Or do you think they believe there is a deep, spiritual connection there, they are just too inarticulate to explain that? Similarly, why does someone who lives and breathes sport and fitness want to hang out with me? I will never kick a ball around in a park, or go watch a sports game. I have tried these things and I know I don’t like them. I can’t even say knowing I’d get lucky afterwards would make a great deal of difference.
The other wonderful thing about online dating are the girls I have met. I’ve added a few lovely ladies to my Facebook friends and I love browsing mutual friends. Brisbane, where I live, is a reasonable size city but our scene is small. The first girl I spoke to knew my Ex when she was with her previous girlfriend, another of the girls is the Ex of one of my current friends – but they weren’t together when I first met the friend and another girl is friends with the Ex of the first girl I met online. Six degrees of separation must be so lovely, around here it’s much closer to three degrees! It is nice in a way because I have no drama or baggage regarding previous partners so it is kind of like everyone is just a big, extended group of mutual friends, but I imagine it’s much less fun when things haven’t ended well and every new girl you meet at a link, however loose, to a person you’d rather forget.
So ladies, tell me stuff… Any success stories? Horror stories? Words of warning? Am I being mean by not replying to the girls who clearly don’t read my profile, or should I let everyone have a fair chance? Does anyone happen to live in Brisbane?? We should become friends on the wonderful Book of Faces and see how many links we share!

Read the rest of this entry »

Hot:

In light of the Jesse James and Sandra Bullock issues I can’t help but wonder if marriage, and it’s notions of “forever” are human or religious based. Growing up I saw many  friend’s parents go through divorces. It was normal for one of my friends to have a step mom, step siblings, and get more on Christmas because of this. Needless to say, divorce has never been taboo to my generation. I would also like to say that I grew up in Leave it to Beaver land. My parents met when they were 13, married at 18, and had 34 great years together before my Dad passed away in 2007.
I have always felt that love is the last magic left on Earth. When you love someone your mind fills with euphoric chemicals and thoughts of the future are bright, exciting, and dare I say foreveresque. We are programmed to the tune of dating, monogamous relationships, marriage (although at times not recognized by the state), kids, and till death due us part. Sure, there are variations on this, but you get the picture.  With that said, divorce is many times looked upon as a failure. I tend to disagree.
I believe that two people genuinely enter into a relationship hoping for forever. It is only with marriage, after all, that the old adage, “nothing lasts forever” gets thrown out the window. And marriage in and of itself is a very religious union. And as with many things religious, if you don’t follow the rules you are screwed!
Let me first say that I am 100% against cheating. If the person I marry needs to be with someone else on an emotional or physical level, then please leave me accordingly. However, there are those that have open marriages and in their case cheating is no longer cheating. That’s another post.
I am in a relationship now. It’s very new, but we have already discussed moving in together, marriage, and having kids. It’s part of the package. But so are the following thoughts.
If I buy this house and she leaves me can I afford it on my own?
If we have kids together and we separate what are my legal rights?
Who get’s the 50 inch flat screen we just bought together?
Am I tainting our new and blissful relationship by thinking about these things already, or am I just being a realist. I tend to be a fan of marriage and all that it stands for, but I don’t tend to believe in it. I feel this way because I also know that as humans we change. Change is a part of life.
So lets say three years from now my girlfriend and I are still madly in love. Insert wedding bells here and put us in a state that recognizes our same sex commitment. For me to think about anything but forever on that day would be an abomination. Though I’m sure people do and I’m sure they keep that shit to themselves.
Lets fast forward to eleven years from our wedding date. I’ve been waking up next to her and not feeling the same. The spark we had int he beginning has mutated and then mutated again. I know marriage is work, but isn’t love supposed to have something to do with it? Have I fallen out of love? Have I changed? How do I fix this? Should I continue on with the promise of forever if I’ve fallen out of love? Do I stay because of the kids? Have I failed myself, my family, and my wife due to emotions I have no control over?
I don’t condone Jesse James for cheating on Sandra Bullock. What I do is wonder why we do the things we do. It gets even more complicated when someone cheats and still loves the person they are married to. I guess my question is, do we stay if we’re no longer in love. And if I’m no longer in love with someone why will I get looked upon as a failure for ending the marriage? I’m not saying that I am going to throw my hands up at the first sign of struggle, but is it not human to change? Is it not normal to fall out of love as magically as I fell into love? Do the religious pressures of a union created when people’s life expectancy was 30 still hold true?
Your thoughts are welcome via comments…

Similar Posts:

Gay Marriage: A Blessing or a Curse?
Why Marriage Equality is Important to Me
The Wedding
TLL Q & A Advice Panel Installment #59

Read the rest of this entry »

Today, my girlfriend told me that she just wants to be friends. She’s my best friend and I’ve had a HUGE crush on her for AGES. She told me she felt the same, so we got together (in secret). She took my virginity, and today she told me that she just wants to be friends.
She’s been texting this guy, and been ignoring me the past few days. I think she has a thing for him, but she says that she loves me and that she’s all mine in the future.
She says she doesn’t like lying to her family (we’re both in the closet), and that she needs freedom and that she can fight her own battles.
So… is she breaking up with me or not? I’m heartbroken because I thought what we had together was special, she says it’s her life and I agree but I just can’t help but cry. I think she thinks I’m going to be okay, but I feel like I want to die.
What will I do if she goes out with someone new? I don’t feel like I could accept it…

Read the rest of this entry »

 To explain: Rev. Jim Wallis of the liberal Christian organization Sojourners has invited Glen Beck to have an open discussion about his comments about Christians leaving churches that fight for social justice. Beck has not only refused Rev. Wallis' invitation, he's insulted the Reverend and Sojourners on his radio show.Now, Reverend Wallis is not a big fan of our community from what I've heard, but I do think he needs to hear this. So does the President of our country.
Reverend Wallis-Beck is a bully. That's all he is. He has no other discernable talent other than making himself look like a major league a$$hole over broadcast television and radio. And he will bully you through his TV show and radio show until you either cave in to his agenda or shut up and give up trying to bring him to the table-because he'll never show up. And then he'll chortle and call you names that insult your manhood because you DID NOT stand up to him, kinda like he does with every 'progressive' that doesn't challenge him directly. Bullies don't understand reason. They don't understand civility. They only understand someone in their face screaming obscenities at them, at best. 
YOU CANNOT REASON OR DISCUSS ANYTHING RATIONALLY WITH BULLIES. IT DOESN'T WORK. THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS  CHALLENGE THEM. 
We in the LGBT community-which you ignore at best and revile at worst-know all about people like Beck. Most of us either ignore the bullies and do nothing about them, or we rise up-kinda like we're doing now, if you haven't noticed. You think the sit-in at Pelosi's office and the protest in front of the White House with LT. Choi is bad? Just wait. We created ACT-UP. and ACT-UP is now coming back. Maybe not in it's original form, but it will be something similar and with the same tactics. We're about to show you how to handle a bully, Rev. Wallis. Take notes, and hopefully, you'll come to your senses, recind that invitation to Beck, and thank us later. 
 
 

Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know how this site works, I’m a new member… just got here via Google. I’m lesbian and have been ignoring it. The problem is how does one realize that? I’m 20, doing my 3rd year at university. I’m in a relationship wit a man but lately things changed. On campus there’s this 1st year chick, she doesn’t know me, we’ve never talked. I only see her during mornings and lunch occasionally… She is driving me crazy; I really don’t know where these feelings are coming from because I never felt something like this before.
I haven’t told anyone and I’m scared of losing my boyfriend. I want to tell my friend but I’m scared she’s not going to understand and maybe I will chase her away since we spend most of our time together.
Since I shaved my hair this year all my friends were like: no no no, just admit that you are a lesbian! What should I do about this chick? She acts tomboy-ish but what if she isn’t? The other time she caught me looking at her… Can anyone please explain what’s up with me? Maybe I’m crazy?

Read the rest of this entry »