GayPolitics.com reports that the city of Gainesville, FL elected openly gay Craig Lowe mayor by a razor thin margin, which will automatically prompt a recount. The closely watched campaign became ugly when Lowe's opponant resorted to anti-gay smear tactics.
"City Commissioner Craig Lowe will become the first openly gay mayor in the northern Florida, and one of fewer than 30 openly LGBT mayors serving in the U.S., if he survives an automatic recount, triggered by the winning margin of just 35 votes.
Gainesville joins municipalities as diverse as Houston, Texas, with 2.2 million residents, and Dillon, Colorado, population 800–both of which have elected openly LGBT mayors in the past year."
Some interesting developments have come out of last week's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) convention. It all really started back in December when the gay conservative group GOProud announced it would be a co-sponsor of the event, prompting some arch-conservatives to withdraw their support for the event.
On Thursday, former VP Dick Cheney made a surprise visit to the CPackers on the heals of his interview last weekend where he voiced his support for ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell and he was resoundingly not booed.
On Friday, Alexander McCobin of Students for Liberty thanked the American Conservative Union for welcoming GOProud (which he referred to as "GOPride", but thanks for the effort) as a cosponsor and was greeted with boos.
Next, Ryan Sorba, of Young Americans for Freedom, was booed off stage by a bunch of "unruly gays that are trying to infiltrate the party and ruin it." Yes, that's right, folks. If you want to ruin a party, invite the gays.
But perhaps the most bizarre news to come out of the convention were some of the results of the polling of participants. Each year the organizers conduct a straw poll of likely presidential candidates. The winner was former GOP presidential hopeful and libertarian-leaning Ron Paul. Paul's former rival for the White House, former Mass. Governor and rabidly anti-gay Mitt Romney came in second, with Sarah "I didn't quit, dammit" Palin coming in third.
The results of polling of the most pressing issues for conservatives showed that, like liberals, respondents were least concerned about gay marriage, with just 1% saying it was a priority. The most fascinating thing is that when each of these findings were announced at the convention, they were greeted with boos. Yes, folks, they booed themselves. Conventioneers largely brushed off the polling results due to the fact so many younger people were "allowed" to take part. Excuse me, but weren't these young upstarts raised in conservative, "family values"-type families? ("Bristol Pain to the white courtesy phone!")
The big story this weekend is that Congress passed what some are calling a watered down version of the Health Care Reform Bill late Saturday night. Now it's on to the Senate, where more negotiations will go on. The president needs this victory almost as much as the American people need affordable health care. Politicos are saying this could be signed into law by the end of the year.
"WASHINGTON — Handing President Obama a hard-fought victory, the House narrowly approved a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system on Saturday night, advancing legislation that Democrats said could stand as their defining social policy achievement.
After a daylong clash with Republicans over what has been a Democratic goal for decades, lawmakers voted 220 to 215 to approve a plan that would cost $1.1 trillion over 10 years. Democrats said the legislation would provide overdue relief to Americans struggling to buy or hold on to health insurance.
“This is our moment to revolutionize health care in this country,” said Representative George Miller, Democrat of California and one of the chief architects of the bill.
Democrats were forced to make major concessions on insurance coverage for abortions to attract the final votes to secure passage, a wrenching compromise for the numerous abortion-rights advocates in their ranks."
In a post on DailyKos this week, Sen. Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY), who replaced Hilary Clinton in the U.S. Senate, announced that she will be introducing legislation calling for the repeal on Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the Clinton era ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the U.S. armed forces.
"To that end, I've secured the commitment from Senator Carl Levin, Chair of the Armed Services Committee, to hold the first hearing on the policy since it began 16 years ago. Chairman Levin expects to hold the hearing soon and it's my hope that it will be instrumental in demonstrating the level of support that exists for repeal not only throughout the country -- where polls consistently indicate that solid majorities oppose the policy -- but within the military itself.
I'm happy to see that, as the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing approaches, there are signs of momentum building toward repeal.
On September 24, Majority Leader Harry Reid sent letters to the President and Secretary Gates reiterating his support for repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and requesting their recommendations to Congress on the policy. I agree with Senator Reid. I know the President opposes DADT, and I am confident he and his Administration will work to engage Congressional and military leaders in this debate."
The Interwebs are once again abuzz with the latest scandal concerning a conservative, homophobic, southern politician accused of being a down-low nancy-boy.
Blogger Michael Rogers of BlogActive.com wrote Monday that he has confirmed that South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer is secretly gay.
"I am now able to confirm a rumor that has circulated in South Carolina for years. South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer is a closeted anti-gay politician who stands to replace Mark Sanford should Sanford resign or be impeached (a real possibility as Sanford is caught in his own sex scandal.)
So, what is the deal with Bauer? I have confirmed and spoken to four individuals who I have no doubt are telling me the truth. These men have been hit on by Bauer, with one of them telling me it happened at least five times since Bauer's election in 2003. To a varying degree I have met with and believe the sources."
Rogers writes that when he interviewed one source who claimed he knew for a fact that Bauer is gay. When asked how he knew, the source replied, "Because I've had sex with him on two separate occasions.
Rogers claims a 100% track record that includes outing Sen. Larry Craig ten months before he was busted in an airport men's room soliciting an undercover cop for sex. He also blogged about disgraced Florida Congressmen Mark Foley's affinity for very young men a year and a half before Foley's indecent e-mails and text messages to underage congressional pages were made public. Rogers says he only targets closeted gays who are actively working against full equality for LGBT Americans.
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I'm happy to see that, as the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing approaches, there are signs of momentum building toward repeal.
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