Free Republic

THE screen's first official gay bar," as it was labeled by the film historian Vito Russo, appeared in the 1962 political potboiler "Advise and Consent." Its most prominent visitor was a conservative United States senator. As sheer coincidence would have it, Otto Preminger's adaptation of Allen Drury's best seller about a brutal confirmation fight was released on a sparkling new DVD last week just as the John Bolton nomination was coming to its committee vote. Like Hollywood's other riveting political movie of 1962, "The Manchurian Candidate," "Advise and Consent" is fallout from the McCarthy era: the controversial nominee for secretary...

With 15 years' worth of failed gubernatorial races behind them, Massachusetts Democrats are gathering in Lowell this weekend for the party's platform convention, where prospective candidates will take center stage and the state party is expected to formally endorse same-sex marriage. ADVERTISEMENT The delegates will get to take the measure of three candidates who say they will probably seek the party's 2006 gubernatorial nomination: Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, former federal civil rights enforcer Deval Patrick, and Secretary of State William F. Galvin. Another potential candidate also emerged or perhaps reemerged this week -- US Representative Michael Capuano, who stepped...

HAGERSTOWN - The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland passed by a "substantial majority" four resolutions dealing with same-sex issues, including one that opposes any constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Episcopal Bishop Robert W. Ihloff announced the passage of the resolutions in a written statement on Tuesday. The diocese also held a press conference on the resolutions Tuesday at the Diocesan Center in Baltimore. The votes were cast during the diocese's 221st convention, which was held Friday and Saturday at the Clarion Inn and Conference Center Antietam Creek in Hagerstown. Rectors of several Episcopal churches in Washington County did not return phone...

My previous column, 'Denying The Obvious And Becoming Stupid And Depraved," dealt with how moral truth and reality are knowable to us by virtue of the four witnesses: the witness of design in nature, the witness of our own design, the witness of deep conscience, and the witness of natural consequences. These four witneses used in conjunction with common sense (empirical historic knowledge) lead us to the principle of 'how things are meant to work.". Things naturally work correctly in certain ways and wrongly in others because of the existence of transcendant inbuilt disciplines that function as laws. In short,...

NEW YORK - Vampires are usually her passion, but Anne Rice is getting biblical in her next book, due out in November from publisher Random House. "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" will tell the story of Jesus' early years in his own words. Excerpts of a lengthy letter that will accompany advance review copies of the book this summer are published in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine. "For over 10 years I've wanted to do this book — Jesus in his own words," Rice writes. "For five years, I've been obsessed with how to do it, and...

We admit it, we're stuck on The L Word, Showtime's frothy drama about fantasy lesbians getting it on in swimming pools and showers all over Los Angeles. Granted, some of us have it worse than others. Some of us only go so far as to meet Sunday nights for viewing parties with friends. In the morning we rehash over e-mail and phone. But we leave it at that. There are others among us who go that infatuated extra mile, overwhelming dozens of websites with nitpicking analysis, swooning fantasies and cries for help. Starved to see images of themselves on TV,...

Same-Sex "Marriage" Is Not a Civil Right return to full navigation Summary: Homosexual activists continue to hitch their caboose to the civil rights train, but the fact is, same-sex marriage is not a civil right. Today's homosexual activists are seeking not to fulfill, but to overturn, the principles of family that were enshrined in nature from the beginning of the human race. by: Mr. Peter Sprigg Mr. Sprigg delivered the following remarks at a "Defend Maryland Marriage" rally at the State House in Annapolis, Maryland, on January 27, 2005. Good afternoon. My name is Peter Sprigg and I serve as...

SEATTLE (AP)--After being criticized for dropping support for a state gay-rights bill, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told employees Friday that management would publicly support such legislation in the future.

Curiosity seekers joined the faithful today to view what some said was an image of the Virgin Mary at an underpass of the Kennedy Expressway on Chicago's Northwest Side, CLTV reported. About 20 people were among the first to perceive the image shortly before midnight on a concrete wall of the Fullerton Avenue viaduct in the city's Bucktown neighborhood, officials said. By this morning, television news crews were on the scene and media reports were spreading the word of the alleged apparition. People milled about, taking photos and shooting video of what some were calling "Our Lady of the Underpass,"...

Washington -- Twenty-two gay and lesbian rights groups, smarting in the aftermath of the November election and bracing for President Bush's second inaugural, issued a unity statement Wednesday insisting they are not backing off marriage equality but will simultaneously push for other "common priorities." These include hate crimes legislation, employment protection, immigration rights for gays and lesbian partners, overturning the ban on gays in the military and continuing battle against constitutional bans on same-sex marriage in states and Congress.

Here's the link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0109leg-poll09.html

Columbia House, famous for its "12 CDs for a penny" record clubs, will launch its own adult video club with Playboy Entertainment at the end of this month. The service, called Hush, will sell pornography through direct mail and a Web site. While 50-year-old Columbia House is eager to cash in on the $12 billion porn business, officials are pretty hush hush about Hush.

In a new video to be distributed to 61,000 schools across the nation, homosexual activists are using popular children's TV characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Barney the dinosaur to surreptitiously indoctrinate young children into their lifestyle, a pro-family activist group charges. SpongeBob Squarepants is one of the popular children's TV characters appearing in a new 'tolerance' video. Based on the 1970s hit song "We Are Family," the video will be distributed to public and private elementary schools nationwide March 11, along with lesson plans for teachers, points out the American Family Association. The distribution, sponsored by FedEx, will coincide...

Lambada, anyone? Exemplars of Jesuit Life "They were more concerned about rumors of documents from Rome regarding the suitability of gay men as priests than they have been affected by the current sexual scandals. In general, I think they are doing well, and I would urge you to attend closely to these men if they are in your community." That's Fr. Tony Sholander, S.J., Assistant for Formation of the California Jesuit Province, writing to heads of houses about a meeting of recently ordained priests in 2003, quoted by Robert Kumpel in this month's San Francisco Faith. Historian Henri Bremond...

ITHACA--According to the Ithaca Journal (which cannot be reposted here thanks to the cretins at Gannett news), fifty gay Ithacans, and the City Government, are suing New York State to overturn the ban on gay marriage.Yes, you heard right. The City is using taxpayer dollars to advance the cause of gay marriage.This is especially egregious when you consider, as the article notes, that these challenges have tossed out of court all over the state already.

The confusing thing about the word "intelligentsia" is that it sounds like it has something to do with intelligence (the being smart kind, not the military information kind). It doesn't. Readers who don't already understand this will after they finish "Intellectual Morons."

SAN FRANCISCO -- Like many gay couples, Brian Cornell and Alberto Rulloda long ago established a legal framework for their relationship to match their commitment to each other. They drew up wills naming the other as beneficiary, property agreements and powers of attorney, among other documents. The couple of 27 years wanted to spell out the specifics that would have been presumed if they were married. Come Saturday, such improvised arrangements will be less necessary for them and nearly 29,000 other California couples -- the majority same-sex partners. A law taking effect with the new year gives gay couples who...

With much still to be decided, the homosexual "marriage" debate reached new heights in 2004, starting with President Bush's State of the Union Address. "Activist judges ... have begun redefining marriage by court order, without regard for the will he people and their eqqqlected representatives," he said. "On an issue of such great consequence, the people's voice must be heard." A few weeks later, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that homosexuals have a state constitutional right to "marry." Shortly thereafter, the mayor of San Francisco, in a particularly disturbing display of civil disobedience, began "marrying" homosexuals, an act a...

First it was the rainbow flag, now it is a pink triangle that bothers some parents of school children. At the Dec. 14 School Committee meeting, 30 parents voiced their opposition to the committee about a pink triangle sticker that appears on windows of some classrooms. The upside-down pink triangle marks a "safe zone" for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth (GLBT) and their adult allies. A place where GLBT students can seek support and advice from someone willing to offer assistance. The stickers have been targeted by parents for a variety of reasons including what they say are health...

Grassroots movement wants to get beyond single-issue politics: For too long, many in the gay rights movement neglected their other identities — as women, as people of color — in the struggle for equality, according to some local activists. That’s why a grassroots movement is seeking to establish a “Queer-Centered Progressive Agenda in Georgia” that will not only fight for basic equality for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons, but also for basic human rights for all people. “Our whole society and structure is about oppressing one group to get the rights for another group,” said Deepali Gokhale, who...