Best Gay Blogs » Ted Kennedy

Give Some R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

James — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Can we spell D-I-S-R-E-S-P-E-C-T-F-U-L ? – I am certain that Senator Kennedy’s family is SO happy to see a sign like this so soon after the poor mans’ passing.

“Obama Lies – Grandma Dies” – It should be “President Obama Lies” you disrespectful piece of crap. AND how happy the families of those victims of 9/11 must be to have these wankers putting their ‘cup full of stoopid’ posters next to images of 9/11.

Seriously – these people actually make a case FOR death panels.

I am literally stunned shitless by the level of sheer ignorance of the right in America nowadays.

I’ve said it already but I will say it again – these people REALLY don’t like being told what to do by a Black Man.

Sad………………. sad………………………. sad.

Kennedy Dies at 77

James — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:42:24 +0000

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, the last surviving brother of the Kennedy political dynasty and one of the most influential Senators in U.S. history, died last night at his Cape Cod home.

Kennedy died after loosing his battle with brain cancer. Kennedy, the youngest of nine children was born in 1932. He was 77.

Since 1962, Ted Kennedy served as a U.S. Senator for almost 50 years. He served under 10 presidents, one being his own brother, John Fitzgerald Kennedy who was assassinated in 1963.

Ted is the only one of the four Kennedy brothers who died of natural causes.
Kennedy’s eldest brother, Joseph, was killed in a plane crash in World War II. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Los Angeles while he was campaigning for the 1968 Democratic presidential nomination.

During his years in the Senate, Ted Kennedy proved to be a champion for middle-class America by compiling an impressive list of legislative achievements including health care, civil rights, education, and immigration.
His legislative legacy includes bills which provided health insurance for children of the working poor, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, Meals on Wheels for the elderly, abortion clinic access, family leave, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA.

On foreign issues, he was knows as a driving force for peace in Ireland, a huge advocate of ending apartheid in South Africa, and more recently, a constant critic of the war in Iraq.

Ted Kennedy was also well known for his stance on GLBT rights including co-sponsoring a 2007 legislative bill that would provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees.

His voting record also earned him a 100% rating by the Human Rights Campaign.

Here is a brief overview of his gay-rights voting record:

* Voted YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes.
* Voted YES on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation.
* Voted NO on prohibiting same-sex marriage.
* Voted YES on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation.

The death of Ted Kennedy not only marks the end of an era in U.S. History, but the end of family of lawmakers who stood up for civil rights for all.

Drop the Washington Crack Pipe

James — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:00:00 +0000

I understand the magnetic allure of Washington, DC. I worked there for several years and it could, at times, be mesmerizing. I’ve attended press conferences on the steps of Capitol Hill with Ted Kennedy and marveled that I was standing next to the real icon, not a replica from Madame Tussauds wax museum. I have stood only a stone’s throw from President Clinton, as he greeted foreign dignitaries on the White House lawn. (I might have actually thrown the stones at Bush)

It makes one feel, well, important.

From a media perspective, there is also nothing like being swept into the tidal wave of presidential politics. Last year, I made national news by slamming candidate Barack Obama for sponsoring a South Carolina gospel tour featuring “ex-gay” singer Donnie McClurkin. My second foray into the spotlight involved Sarah Palin’s church promotion of an “ex-gay” conference in Anchorage.

Getting thrust into the national storyline means hundreds of news stories that feature your name and the bright lights of television. Of course, such massive media hits are important and serve a larger purpose. But, the downside is our movement can become intoxicated with Washington at the expense of broader issues.

Let me be clear, it is crucial that the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender movement have a strong voice in Washington. It is vital that we support our national lobby groups. Solutions at the federal level are often preferable because they apply to conservative states where it may take decades to achieve equality.

To Bridge or to Define

James — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:00:26 +0000

A religious contingent in the streets warned Democrats variously that they were doomed to hell and that they should follow the dictates of the Bible. Among their banners: “Homo-Sex – A Threat to National Security.”

Obviously the way the Democrats are framing their message on GLBT issues is more palatable to the general public than looking at them from the fantastical point of view of national security. The question is whether the Democratic message of bridging the divide can go head-to-head with the Republican strategy of either ignoring these issues or framing them in terms of the definition of marriage, an issue I think the Democrats will ignore.

Read the rest of this blog at grand-divisions.blogspot.com.