Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors issued the following statement:

“Today we are overjoyed, not only for all of the committed couples who are finally able marry as well as for their family and friends, but also because a fundamental constitutional freedom has been restored. This case has definitively proven that extending the freedom to marry to same-sex couples causes no harm and is in line with our country’s core values of equality and liberty. Today is a monumental step forward for our entire nation.

“There is no doubt that this decision was due, in part, to Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Brown asking the court to lift the stay. To ensure the State of California maintains its position against this discriminatory measure throughout the appellate process, Equality California will intensify its efforts to elect a pro-equality governor and attorney general.”

Restore America was in back of the failed effort to put both Oregon’s Domestic Partnership and Statewide Anti-Discrimination laws back on the ballot in an attempt to reverse them.

As you read below, you may also get the sickening sense that their cultish leader, David Crowe, has such contempt for gays and lesbians, that he secretly wants to get in a guy’s pants. Just my opinion David.

Here is the article in the Oregonian that he is referring to.

Here’s the email from them today in light of Basic Rights Oregon starting a statewide conversation on marriage equality.

Oregon’s Sodomites Can’t Take “No” For An Answer

On November first, Bill Graves of The Oregonian reported that Basic Rights Oregon, the political front group for the sodomite community in Oregon, is planning another attack on traditional marriage, er go, Oregon’s Constitution, and the clearly expressed will of the people of Oregon.

The self absorbed child is throwing another tantrum…in public

No matter how many subjective videos, TV tear jerkers, poor me stories, and claims of discrimination they are going to throw at Oregonians, Basic Rights Oregon has an agenda of intolerance shaped in Washington D.C. that parallels that of the Obama Administration and his radical democrat friends in Congress.

Basic Rights and their rejection of traditional American values is simply another organization in a wider political scheme to reshape America into a nation representing their vision, not that of our Founders, and certainly not the majority of Americans, including Oregonians.

Traditional marriage is inviolable

A committed, natural, and God ordained relationship between a man and a woman, for the purpose of procreation, child rearing, the blessing of family, intimate relationship, and the growth of a moral society, is the only form of ‘marriage.’ There is no other. Any other relationship between men and men, and women and women, is not marriage, nor will it ever be. Calling an immoral relationship any other name – especially mariage – is an illusion of already deluded, deceived and emotionally troubled people who recognize they are missing what a normal committed relationship produces. Unwisely, they believe that governmental benefits and forced societal acceptance will provide that, making what they do, acceptable to those around them.

So called ’same sex marriage’ is oxymoronic and immoral

The current swirl of fashionable political manipulation, media ’shove’ and social pressure to make marriage anything else, particularly to those who cannot procreate, and who can only confuse children, is nothing more than the sorrowful figment of morally fragmented minds, the anti God elites who manipulate them for their own purposes, and troubled souls who want acceptance and benefits, from the taxpayers – a majority of which have a legitimate conscience problem with their tax dollars being used to cater to a behavior that is in fact, and by consensus, now, and in millennia past, immoral.

In short, this effort in itself is immoral, shortsighted, self centered, and juvenile, and will cost Oregonians millions, not only financially, but in the years ahead with confused children, multiplied division, and the loss of free speech if Basic Rights Oregon, and a small special interest group get their way.

Do not be deceived Oregonians. We have seen this all before.

Via Ben and Jerry’s:
BURLINGTON, Vt.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ben & Jerry’s, known for its euphoric ice cream flavors and dedication to social justice, celebrates the beginning of the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont with the symbolic renaming of its well-known ice cream flavor “Chubby Hubby” to “Hubby Hubby.” In partnership with Freedom to Marry, Ben & Jerry’s aims to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and, to show its support, will serve “Hubby Hubby” sundaes in Vermont Scoop Shops throughout the month of September.

Ben & Jerry’s has a long history of commitment to social justice, including gay rights. Its partnership with Freedom to Marry, a national leader in the movement for marriage equality, aims to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and to encourage other states to follow the blazing trails of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, and Maine. Freedom to Marry promotes the national conversation about why marriage equality matters and brings together partner organizations into a larger whole – a shared civil rights campaign.

“At the core of Ben & Jerry’s values, we believe that social justice can and should be something that every human being is entitled to,” said Walt Freese, Chief Executive Officer of Ben & Jerry’s. “From the very beginning of our 30 year history, we have supported equal rights for all people. The legalization of marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont is certainly a step in the right direction and something worth celebrating with peace, love and plenty of ice cream.”

To kick off the celebration, Ben & Jerry’s and Freedom to Marry will be publicly supporting the first marriages of gay and lesbian couples in Vermont and raising awareness for marriage equality and how to take action by driving consumers to freedomtomarry.org. By logging onto the site, people can show their support, sign a Marriage Resolution Petition, have conversations about why marriage matters and learn more about how they can support the cause.

“It’s not polite to talk with your mouth full, but the most important thing that all us ice cream lovers can do to support the freedom to marry is speak with the people we know about why marriage matters and the need to end marriage discrimination in every state”,” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry. “Thanks to Ben & Jerry’s, starting those needed conversations has never been sweeter – and thanks to Freedom to Marry, we all now have a great excuse to eat more ice cream.”

During the past eight weeks, same-sex marriage advocates like Dominguez have knocked on 17,000 doors around the state. Unlike most political campaigns, the volunteers and handful of paid workers turned out by Basic Rights Oregon (BRO) and youth voting group the Oregon Bus Project are not aiming to get money or convince voters to support a specific ballot measure. Instead, as their Marriage Matters campaign aims to put same-sex marriage on the ballot as soon as 2012, the groups are trying to spark conversation with a random sample of voters. The first weeks of a three-year campaign in Oregon are gauging opinion on same-sex marriage while trying to win hearts and minds.

In 2004, 57 percent of Oregonians voted in favor of Measure 36, a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. BRO challenged the ban in court, but unlike in Iowa, the state courts came down against the LGBT cause. To overturn the constitutional amendment and legalize same-sex marriage, BRO has to get its own statewide measure on the ballot.

That, says BRO Organizing Director Thomas Wheatley, means a massive campaign with years of groundwork. While BRO spent $56,000 lobbying state legislators in the first three months of this year, now they’re focusing on regular Oregonians.

Read the entire article over at the Portland Mercury.

Via Blue Oregon:

Blue Oregon editor (and Staff Assistant to Multnomah County Commish Jeff Cogen) Karol Collymore is considering adding her name to the list of those to be considered to replace retiring State Senator Margaret Carter.

Carter is resigning in order to take a newly-created post as deputy director of the Department of Human Services.

Collymore, 31, has worked for Commissioner Cogen since January of 2007. She has previously worked with NARAL, Basic Rights Oregon, and as a fundraiser for Supreme Ct Judge Virgina Linder.

For those of you lucky enough to have had to opportunity to get to know her, or even if you don’t, join the Facebook group and show your support for this amazing candidate!

President Obama hasn’t changed his policy, but he is softening his tone. Today, the Department of Justice filed a response to a legal challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act for the second time since Obama took office.

When DOJ first did this, its brief was full of rhetoric that appeared to supporters to be over-the-top and anti-gay. The White House — and the Justice Department — seemed to have taken the criticisms to heart. Their challenge in this case defends the idea that the government must defend constitutional laws — even wrong-headed ones, but notes that the Obama administration opposes the substance of the policy.

The White House issued a rare statement in the name of Obama himself and distributed it to gay rights groups:

“This brief makes clear, however, that my Administration believes that the Act is discriminatory and should be repealed by Congress. I have long held that DOMA prevents LGBT couples from being granted equal rights and benefits. While we work with Congress to repeal DOMA, my Administration will continue to examine and implement measures that will help extend rights and benefits to LGBT couples under existing law.”

Equality California had this to say in response:

“Although we are pleased that the Obama Administration has stated that DOMA is discriminatory and that same-sex couples are as good parents as heterosexual couples, we are troubled by the Obama Justice Department saying that discrimination based on sexual orientation does not raise serious constitutional issues and that such discrimination is rational,” Kors said. “Discrimination against same-sex couples is never rational, and laws that discriminate must be reviewed carefully to ensure that the majority’s animus toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is not the motive.”

“I hated what happened,” Clinton said about DADT. “This policy should be changed.” But he said that gays and lesbians didn’t deliver the Congressional support his administration needed to allow gays and lesbians to openly serve. The compromise as first proposed, he said, would have allowed gays and lesbians to attend Pride Parades and political events without consequence.
As for DOMA, Clinton said it was necessary to head off the possibility of Congress passing a Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage.

The video is at Good As You.

At HuffPo, Lane Hudson explains in his own words.

Here’s the transcript, via Pam’s House Blend:

Lane Hudson (screaming from the audience): Mr. President, will you call for a repeal of DOMA and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell right now? Please.

Bill Clinton: … You want to talk about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, I’ll tell you exactly what happened. You couldn’t deliver me any support in the Congress and they voted by a veto-proof majority in both houses against my attempt to let gays serve in the military, and the media supported them. They raised all kinds of devilment. And all most of you did was to attack me instead of getting me some support in the Congress. Now that’s the truth.

Secondly — it’s true! You know, you may have noticed that presidents aren’t dictators. They voted — they were about to vote for the old policy by margins exceeding 80 percent in the House and exceeding 70 percent in the Senate. The gave test votes out there to send me a message that they were going to reverse any attempt I made by executive order to force them to accept gays in the military. And let me remind you that the public opinion now is more strongly in our favor than it was 16 years ago, and I have continued supporting it. That John Shalikashvili, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under me, was against Don’t Ask — was against letting gays serve — is now in favor of it. This is a different world. That’s the point I’m trying to make.

Let me also say something that never got sufficient publicity at the time: When General Colin Powell came up with this Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, it was defined while he was chairman much differently than it was implemented. He said: ‘If you will accept this, here’s what we’ll do. We will not pursue anyone. Any military members out of uniform will be free to march in gay rights parades, go to gay bars, go to political meetings. Whatever mailings they get, whatever they do in their private lives, none of this will be a basis for dismissal.’ It all turned out to be a fraud because of the enormous reaction against it among the middle-level officers and down after it was promulgated and Colin was gone. So nobody regrets how this was implemented any more than I do. But the Congress also put that into law by a veto-proof majority, and many of your friends voted for that, believing the explanation about how it would be eliminated. So, I hated what happened. I regret it. But I didn’t have, I didn’t think at the time, any choice if I wanted any progress to be made at all. Look, I think it’s ridiculous. Can you believe they spent — whatever they spent — $150,000 to get rid of a valued Arabic speaker recently?

And, you know, the thing that changed me forever on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was when I learned that 130 gay service people were allowed to serve and risk their lives in the first Gulf War, and all their commanders knew they were gay; they let them go out there and risk their lives because they needed them, and then as soon as the first Gulf War was over, they kicked them out. That’s all I needed to know, that’s all anybody needs to know, to know that this policy should be changed.

Now, while we’re at it, let me just say one thing about DOMA, since you — the reason I signed DOMA was — and I said when I signed it — that I thought the question of whether gays should marry should be left up to states and to religious organizations, and if any church or other religious body wanted to recognize gay marriage, they ought to. We were attempting at the time, in a very reactionary Congress, to head off an attempt to send a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to the states. And if you look at the 11 referenda much later — in 2004, in the election — which the Republicans put on the ballot to try to get the base vote for President Bush up, I think it’s obvious that something had to be done to try to keep the Republican Congress from presenting that. The President doesn’t even get to veto that. The Congress can refer constitutional amendments to the states. I didn’t like signing DOMA and I certainly didn’t like the constraints that were put on benefits, and I’ve done everything I could — and I am proud to say that the State Department was the first federal department to restore benefits to gay partners in the Obama administration, and I think we are going forward in the right direction now for federal employees.

But, actually, all these things illustrate the point I’m trying to make. America has rapidly moved to a different place on a lot of these issues, and so what we have to decide is what we are going to do about it. Right now, the Republicans are sitting around rooting for the president to fail, as nearly as I can see.

Although Californians living with HIV and AIDS will still have access to lifesaving medications, more residents will be at risk of infection because of dramatic cuts to education and prevention efforts.

“These cuts are both fiscally short-sighted and immoral, given the grave human cost,” said Geoff Kors, executive Director of Equality California (EQCA). “More people will contract HIV and some will die from AIDS earlier or have a harder time managing their disease because we are not investing in early intervention, testing or counseling. People will lack support in their homes and communities, where they often receive the best and most culturally competent care. And low-income people living with HIV and AIDS will be more likely to become homeless. The Governor is dismantling a proven model of wrap-around care for HIV that has made California a leader. The Governor shouldn’t try to solve California’s fiscal crisis on the backs of our state’s most vulnerable,” Kors said.

Backers of Referendum 71 brought in what they estimate are 138,000 voter signatures on Saturday, hoping to win a November ballot spot for a public vote on the state’s new “everything but marriage” domestic partnership bill. State election crews opened the Secretary of State’s executive offices on Saturday, the deadline for submitting referendum petitions. Several dozen backers and foes attended the turn-in at 3 p.m., which was low-key and without speeches on either side.

Crews counted 9,356 petition sheets, each of which can accommodate up to 20 voter signatures. The Elections Division will have the petitions “imaged” by the state Archives before counting the number of signatures, and could not independently verify the sponsors’ estimate. Crews will begin checking signatures by mid-week. The process could take a week or two.

The only other citizen measure that has been certified to the ballot is Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1033, dealing with revenue caps for state, county and city general funds, and property tax relief.

R-71 would ask voters to either affirm the Legislature’s decision to pass Senate Bill 5688, or to reject it. The law would have taken effect on Sunday had not the referendum been submitted. If R-71 qualifies for the ballot, the law would remain on hold until the election is held and certified. If voters affirm the new law, it would take effect in December. If they measure doesn’t make the ballot, the law would take effect immediately.