TIME covers Battle of the Bathroom

Coming out this Friday is an amazing piece on the bathroom battle from TIME.

Washington Bureau Chief Michael Scherer gets into the heart of this battle and why the Obama administration took action

From their press release

Scherer writes: “In a divided country, the social battle lines have been drawn once again in our most private of public places. State legislatures have been besieged, and school committees have split. Pastors have become politicized in the pulpit, and the gay-rights lobby has abandoned its past hesitancy to embrace the transgender cause. Courtrooms are filling with legal motions that are certain to end up at the Supreme Court. The fight—­political and legal, personal and ­collective—is just getting going…. Like all great political battles, this one is distinguished by the decision on both sides to commit loudly and completely, to elevate the issue and to force it on the American public…. The 2016 battle over bathrooms is, after all, about far more than public ­facilities—it’s about gender roles, social change, federalism, physical danger, political polarization and, most strikingly, a breakdown in the ability of anyone in this country to speak across our divides, or appeal to common humanity.”

Please check it out, it's going to something that you have to read again.

In Houston: Civil Rights Proposal packs Council Chamber

Yesterday, a packed crowd attended Houston City Council chambers for a hearing on Houston's civil rights ordinance proposal.

It was great to see our folks represent

Michael Brown: Ellen DeGeneres Proves That Gay Rights Are Nothing Like Civil Rights

NOM's Brian Brown compares Anti-Gay Hate March to the Civil Rights Movement

Yesterday, Brian Brown had the nerve, the nerve to compare their hate rally to the civil rights movement. No joke folks, that bastard said that.

The words:

We were hoping for 5,000 people and we ended up with over 10,000. We filled the whole area in front of the court when we marched. It was a diverse coalition, we had African American leaders, Hispanic leaders, State Sen. Ruben Diaz brought 30 buses from the Bronx; it was just amazing. What I was most happy about, we talked about this before the rally, the way everyone conducted themselves. We were chanting, we were united but when folks tried to get in our way, there were some gay marriage protesters who tried to get in front of the march and stop us even though we had a permit, everyone just knelt down and started praying. I was not alive during the Civil Rights Movement but this is what it must have felt like, people were just so ecstatic to stand up and they did it in a loving, respectful way but they weren’t going to be silenced. I couldn’t be more happy with what happened today, I think it’s a huge step forward for the pro-marriage movement and I don’t think it’s going to be lost on the Supreme Court justices that we were there and we were there in force.

Brian, there are big differences between the two.

• In the CRM, folks were marching for their right to be humans, equal and treated like American citizens. What you and your fools are marching for is the right to discriminate and hate.
• In the CRM, people were dying and fights for their rights, you and your fools are trying to take rights away.
• The CRM supported equality, you are supporting bigotry.
• Brian, you are representing the past, the CRM was representing the future.

 It is a mockery and an insult for Brian to compare the two. I hope he thinks about what he said and maybe in the future, takes this foolish belief back.

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Why Marriage Equality is a Civil Rights Issue - WATCH

MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts and Jonathan Capeheart talks about the 2 issues and the similarities they have.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie (kinda) Apologizes for Civil Rights Statement

Chris Christie tried to apologize for his insensitive remarks about civil rights. This is watch he said during some radio show last night:

"I also recognize that my job, one of my jobs as Governor, is to clearly communicate to people what I’m thinking, every time I open my mouth. And I try to be very good about being very direct about what I say so that there’s no ambiguity but obviously when I was talking last week at the town hall meeting about the civil rights movement in the South, I wasn’t clear enough. I just wasn’t.

"And what I did was, by saying those things, I left them open to misinterpretation and obviously there are some folks out there whose feelings I hurt or sensibilities I offended. And I apologize for that, because that’s my job. My job is to clearly communicate all the time. And so to those folks out there who were somehow offended or concerned about the ambiguity in my statement, I apologize for that because very clearly what I was trying to say, I said yesterday at the press conference about 5 or 6 times."

Whatever....

Pat Buchanan claims Militant Gays and Van Jones got him Fired from MSNBC!

Pat is upset! He was fired from MSNBC and he believes he knows why. It's Van Jones' fault, it's the people of color fault and how can I forget the gays

Listen

Oh Pat, maybe your bigot ways got you fired.

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Remembering Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth

Yesterday, we lost a hero. Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth was warrior in the Civil Rights movement and his contributions to the cause were paramount. Here's some background on this powerful man:

He has a legacy we can learn from.

Thank you, Victor from 'MOC Blog' (NSFW) for mentioning this to me.

More info is here

Jim Renacci is an Asshole

This human dunce cap believes that Civil Rights should be up to the states to decide

Listen here


Mr. Thompson responds

NAACP President Benjamin Jealous talks about Civil Rights and Rand Paul

Rand Paul trying to Remix his view on Civil Rights

As soon as he opened his mouth, Rand has been the example of mess. His stance on Civil Rights and private business has landed him into scolding water.

Now, he's trying to clean it up...

Rachel Maddow talks to Rand Paul about Civil Rights

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

NOM claims they are the New Civil Rights Movement

Lord, somebody give me a 15-piece Buffalo wing platter and Appletini... NOM has lost their goddamned minds.

On their blog, Brian Brown claims to be a part of the New Civil Rights Movement.

Dear Friends of Marriage,

Do politicians have a right to strip you of your constitutional right to vote?

Now there's a real burning civil rights question, and it was front and center this week in D.C., both inside and outside the federal courthouse doors.

Outside the courtroom of the D.C. Court of Appeals, we pro-marriage forces rallied under the leadership of Bishop Harry Jackson. "This is the new civil rights movement!" I told a crowd of 250 enthusiastically cheering marriage champions!

Inside the courtroom, Alliance Defense Fund attorney Austin Nimocks was awesome! The D.C. charter, Austin told the full nine-judge panel assembled before the packed courtroom, clearly states, "electors of D.C. may propose laws (except laws appropriating funds)." "The council cannot undermine a right that's expressly granted in the charter," Nimocks said outside. "The people's right to vote is granted in the charter."

Yet local D.C. courts had rejected the people's right to vote for marriage, so now here we were in federal court, asserting core constitutional rights on behalf of the people of D.C.

So hate is the New Civil Rights Movement? This is a Messquake!

Dorothy Height, One of the leading voices of the Civil Rights Movement has Died

The great Dorothy Height has died. She was 98 years old.

Dorothy was a very strong voice in the civil rights movement and an icon to many of us.

Height, whose activism on behalf of women and minorities dated to the New Deal, led the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years. She continued actively speaking out into her 90s, often getting rousing ovations at events around Washington, where she was immediately recognized by the bright, colorful hats she almost always wore.

She died at Howard University Hospital, where she had been in serious condition for weeks.

In a statement, President Barack Obama called her ''the godmother of the civil rights movement'' and a hero to Americans.

''Dr. Height devoted her life to those struggling for equality ... and served as the only woman at the highest level of the Civil Rights Movement -- witnessing every march and milestone along the way,'' Obama said.

Dorothy was also a strong LGBT supporter

Height, chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women (in a photo here by Michael Collopy), has a history of supporting LGBT rights. For instance, Height and her friend Coretta Scott King, widow of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, were among those LGBT allies who worked the halls of Congress in 1996 with Elizabeth Birch, then-president of the Human Rights Campaign, when the Employment Non-Discrimination Act faced its first vote on the Senate floor. Vice President Al Gore was on standby to cast the deciding vote if necessary – but the Senate rejected ENDA 50-49.

She has accomplish so much and will be greatly missed.

For more of the story, please go here

Thomas Perez ain't Playing: Vows to step up Hate Crimes Enforcement

This is news I'm glad to hear! Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez said that he will beef up Hate Crimes enforcement.

He said that he was “shocked” at learning that hate crime prosecutions went down during the Bush Administration years. His statistics say that hate crime cases peaked in 1996 with forty nine and had a low of twelve in 2006. Perez added that so far in 2009, twenty five hate crime cases have been filed, the largest number since 2001.

To meet the demand, Perez plans on hiring 100 additional staffers, which will include more than fifty attorneys. The new staffers will also be assisting with the expanded federal hate crimes law that now includes protecting those that are targeted because of their sexual orientation.

That's what I'm talking about. Hopefully, more people will support his efforts.

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Interesting Quote: Taylor Harris

"To be clear, (Julian) Bond has used this line several times, and when he says "equality," he isn't talking about the right to vote, the right to eat at a public restaurant, the right to attend an integrated school or the right to a fair trial. He is talking about the right to change the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples."

I disagree with some parts of this article, however, both groups could do better in reaching out and understanding each other's pain.

It's an interesting article to read.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks thinks Mormons are suffering like Black folks did in the 60s

There is NO comparison, sweetie!

This man cracks me up. The nerve of some people.

When Pulling Out ain't a Good Thing: My response to Gay Leaders boycotting the DNC Gay Fundraiser

This is crazy!

Folks are pulling out of the DNC gay fundraiser as a way to protest the DOMA briefing and the Obama Administration. Marty Rouse, the Human Rights Campaign's National Field Director is out, Alan Van Capelle, Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda and Foundation is out and a couple of others as well.

But is this wise?

I don't think it is. Folks need to be there to push the message and present our frustrations. We can't protest in a closed quiet space. We need to be in the face of our "oppressors" (being very sarcastic here) so they know what's really going on.

Not attending could backfire big time, these folks are suppose to be our leaders. We need them at the table. Our leaders are suppose to tackle the hard stuff, not run from it. Now, there are plenty of gay peeps attending, but it's imperative that we have a strong front in that room.

If I could attend, I would and I would express the concerns of my people. As I said before, if we are talking about a civil rights movement, then we need to come on with the come on. Stop playing and get down to business.

So in all, I believe pulling out this fundraiser is not a good move. But that's just me.

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Question of the Day: Are we Prepared for a Civil Rights Movement?

We have all heard about how the gay rights movement is the same as the African-American civil rights movement. I go back and forth with this issue a lot. I believe they are similar, but not the same. I’ll touch on that another time.

However, my question of the today is this…Are we really ready for a civil rights movement?

Last week, I attended 2 important gay rights rallies in Los Angeles. And while the message was loud and clear, I was not completely convinced that we were ready. Here’s why I’m feeling what I’m feeling.

· The civil right movement was more than celebs speaking at an event or a few marches. It was a real grassroots movement. Everyday people spoke and the validity of their words wasn’t questioned. Everyone was welcomed to participate and give what they could.

· Back then, people knew that change was hard. We shall overcome was more than a song, it was an anthem for hope. It was a true example of faith that one day, things would be different. Now, it seems that folks want a microwave version of change. The idea of hope is almost a fantasy and if some people don’t see the “change” happening fast enough, they are ready to turn the backs on their leaders and whine.

· Back in the day, folks risked everything to make change happen. They went into the “Whites Only” neighborhoods, they planned sit-ins and boycotts. People were attacked by dogs, bombed, constantly harassed during these rallies and murdered. They knew that they could die from these events and yet, they kept on going.

Our fight for civil rights will not be easy. We need to ask ourselves: Are we ready for that? Are we willing to go the extra, extra mile? Do we have faith in the act of change?

We have to see that this movement is bigger than DOMA and DADT. This will take everything we got and then some. I have questioned myself lately about my commitment to the cause. I realized that it’s going to get deep and I got to be ready. Because it’s going to get tough, y'all! I just hope we are really prepared when it does.

Is Steve Schmidt the future of LGBT relations for the GOP?

Steve Schmidt, the former designer of the McCain's campaign, is stepping it up. In the midst of their failures, missteps and foolishness, Steve could be creating a new direction for the GOP.

Today begins Steve's return to the spotlight. He's speaking to the Log Cabin Republicans, hoping to change their stance on gay marriage. Steve will challenge them on their views and encourage an different approach to the GOP's mission.

In his speech, he will say:

"There is a sound conservative argument to be made for same-sex marriage. I believe conservatives, more than liberals, insist that rights come with responsibilities. No other exercise of one's liberty comes with greater responsibilities than marriage."

"It cannot be argued that marriage between people of the same sex is un American or threatens the rights of others. On the contrary, it seems to me that denying two consenting adults of the same sex the right to form a lawful union that is protected and respected by the state denies them two of the most basic natural rights affirmed in the preamble of our Declaration of Independence — liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, I believe, gives the argument of same sex marriage proponents its moral force."

It seems that Steve is moving forward. He sees the opportunity of changing the game, reaching out to the new and determined generation of voters. It also seems that Steve could be, possibly, running for office? I wonder...he has the skills and lite baggage than most politicians.

Could he be the new face of the GOP?

Who knows, but it seems like the perfect time for a new voice to speak.

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