Wish Pam A Speedy Recovery!

Pam Spaulding is one of the great treasures among bloggers and netroots activists, and someone I'm honored to call a friend. Many of you who listen to the show know her as a regular contributor, someone who gives us a lot of insight on LGBT politics, race, gender and and all the other "third rails" that the bloviators, politicians and pop stars are often stepping on. Pam and I have spent many hours IMing about the absurdity of it all, often cracking up at the computer screen. It's what I love about her: In addition to offering sharp political analysis she just plain makes me laugh. She does her job well and she has fun doing it.

I'm thinking about Pam today because she's heading into surgery and I'm happy to be part of a blogswarm sending her love and best wishes. My thoughts are with her and her wife Kate, and their doggies, as Pam recuperates. Please send her some good vibes and well wishes, and if you can, make a contribution to PamsHouseBlend as Pam is going to be on unpaid leave for a month. The work Pam does on PamsHouseBlend, in addition to having a day job, provides an incalculable service. As a citizen journalist and blogger she's done an enormous amount to foster truth and advance LGBT rights. We love you Pam! Get well soon!

Congrats to Pam!

Pam Spaulding has been honored by Women's Media Center, along with Christiane Amanpour, Rachel Maddow, Tina Fey and others.

Pam is one of the most committed LGBT bloggers I know, and I am privileged to have become a friend in recent years. I rely on her point of view and, honestly, we also have a lot of laughs! I love, above all, people who not only are committed to the work we all do, but who also have fun doing it.

Pam, you are a great asset to us all and I salute you.

Should Prop 8 Go Back to Ballot?

It's a question that Pam Spaulding poses, after posting Evan Wolfson's excellent piece on Huffington Post about the injustice that would prevail if the California Supreme Court doesn't overturn Prop 8. Pam isn't so sure we should bring this back to a ballot and thus buy into a system that that allows a minority's rights to come up for vote by the majority. I completely agree on how wrong the latter point is, but how else will Prop 8 ever be overturned if it's not a ballot measure? Do we have a choice? Says Pam:

The matter of "letting the people decide" is why I'm personally not keen on trying to put the whole matter back onto the ballot in 2010. Why do we want to legitimize an illegitimate process of putting civil rights up for a majority vote? In NC, we're fighting to keep an amendment off of the ballot because of the very principle that our rights shouldn't be determined by mob rule. The proposition system in California obviously works to our disadvantage, but that's not going away any time soon. The bottom line is that if the California Supreme Court is not ready and able to see the error it seemingly is about to make, it means we have to look to other states, rather than setting a precedent of putting the matter on a ballot. We have to pick the battles that place us on firmer, not shakier, legal ground. Ballot initiatives that go our way only lay the groundwork for the opposition to try to repeatedly overturn what it doesn't like, as we've seen with the anti-discrimination ordinances. The last thing our movement needs to have to do is re-win rights that have been won, then overturned because we affirmed majority rule in this important case.

And then there's the very real possibility we will lose as well. Then what? I will bring this up for a discussion the show today.

Obama Invites Fundies into White House

Pam Spaulding's got the story on how Obama has invited antigay groups into the White House, including Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America. Pam notes:

Well, folks -- the gloves are off. Right Wing Watch reports that Joshua DuBois, head of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, will welcome representatives from the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America, two organizations being monitored by the Southern Poverty Law Center for their anti-gay, womb-controlling activities, into the Obama White House to discuss policy.

Pam Live Blogs the Haas Interview

Pam Spaulding pretty much live blogged the interview with Grant Haas today. And she got into many of the most fascinating and twisted details.

I will post some video of it, but it is just too long to post the whole damn thing.

New Advocate Column, and Some Context

I've started a new column for the Advocate, the gay newsmagazine that is now going monthly.

This first column was written shortly after my interviews with Rachel Maddow and Pam Spaulding, but before the Rick Warren controversy erupted. I stress that because Rachel did a highly commendable job on that controversy -- and I gave her kudos right here --- but the coverage wasn't indicative of her coverage on Prop 8 and LGBT issues before Pam's criticisms of her and before her appearance on my show. The column went to pres two days before the Warren controversy, and I did add a note to the online version as you will see. Just wanted to give some context to this, as I'm sure many will say, "Wait, look at what she did with Rick Warren." But again, that came after the criticisms, and I would say back to them, precisely -- an example of how powerful Rachel can be, how I hope she covers gay issues from here on, and how thankful I am that we have her.

P.S. The comments do seem to be back up, but don't count on it. And many have lost while many people are still telling me they can't post. We'll be going to Js-kit fully in few days and saying good-bye to haloscan forever.

Kudos to Rachel Maddow

Rachel Maddow did an excellent job tonight in talking about Barack Obama's huge mistake: having Rick Warren give the invocation at the inauguration. It was her opening story, and it was passionate, personal and so on-the-money regarding the politics. It was a thorough report which included an interview with Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, the first time Rachel has spoken with a Prop 8 player since its passage, and the tone was pitch perfect. Rachel at her best, as she is with all the important issues.

As many of you know, I had a sometimes difficult discussion with Rachel when she came on the show just last week about what I and others have seen as poor coverage of gay issues. (I also interviewed Pam Spaulding who'd criticized Rachel for her Huckabee interview.) But I hoped that that discussion -- always respectful if uncomfortable at times, since we've know each other for several years -- was something we would both think about. I know I did, a lot, and perhaps Rachel did as well.

Only last night she was seeming to trivialize this Rick Warren story and I noted it on the show today, comparing her mention of it to Anderson Cooper's thorough coverage and his interview with Hilary Rosen, who was very powerful in articulating the problem with Obama's choice. Pam noted Rachel's "lame toss off" last night as well (though also has now heaped praise on her in an update.) But today, the story blew up bigger, running in heavy rotation on cable news, and it heated up on the liberal blogs, Rachel got the magnitude of it, and I'm glad. I'll post the video once it's up.

UPDATE: Here is the video.

Rachel Maddow and Pam Spaulding Interviews

My interview with Pam Spaulding re: the post below is on Pam's site. The full Rachel Maddow interview is here. Let me just say that I have enormous respect for Rachel, who is brilliant and someone I admire a great deal. It was a difficult interview but the issues were important and timely and had to be aired. We're both very passionate about our beliefs and about the work, and I think that is something to keep in mind. I have even greater respect for Rachel for coming on. Let me know your thoughts.




UPDATE: Here is the full Pam Spaulding interview too, below.

On Today's Show

Blogger Pam Spaulding and talk show host Rachel Maddow will join me on the show, separately, to talk about some differences they've had over Rachel's recent interview with Mike Huckabee, which Pam outlines over at her place.

Rachel didn't ask Huckabee anything about his positions on LGBT rights, let alone his comments from just two days before his appearance on her show, when he said on The View that gays haven't experienced violence against them in addition to making some ludicrous comments on Prop 8.

The discussion raises a larger question: What is to be expected of an openly lesbian, openly progressive pundit on these issues now that someone like Rachel Maddow has her own show? Why, after all, are Ellen DeGeneres and the women on The View often better on these issues than many of the political pundits, though they are not political talk shows? Think Progress had criticized Rachel not as a lesbian but, as TP's Ali Frick told me, as "an open progressive," for not bringing the issues up with Huckabee.

I have a lot of say about all of this, and I'll discuss my thoughts with both Rachel and Pam today, as well as with listeners.

Pam Spaulding will join me at about 2:20 ET today, and then Rachel Maddow will come on the show to respond at about 3:10 ET. Should be an interesting discussion, and we'll take calls on it afterward, in addition to going through all the big news of the day.

Tips On Protesting Prop 8

Tonight is the big protest at the Mormon Temple in New York. I think these tips on protesting are useful and important. Let's not be anti-religious bigots and, as you've heard me many times talk about on the show, let's not engage in this divisive race-blaming game. And it should also go without saying -- but sadly, must be said again and again --- no ugly racist rhetoric.

We're together and marching on a political institution and global antigay empire that happens to be a church. It's not their beliefs and practices we protest -- it's what they have done to us, forcing their ideology into politics and taking away our rights, that is important and the reason we are there tonight.

On the issue of race, and the media meme that the black community was somehow more responsible for Prop 8 -- a false claim taking off from an overblown story -- I've spoken on the show with Pam Spaulding about the scapegoating, and we've discussed it with many listeners, and I've been heartened by the discussion. It's an important discussion that needs to aired. Today, Rod McCullom will join me on the show to discuss this issue further, including a discussion of racist outbursts that occurred at protests in LA.

This is important to talk about and certainly it's not something we want to see tonight. Tonight is about directing and focusing our outrage on an institution that in fact exploited many people's misinformed views and lack of education on our issues, whether those people were black, white, male, female, young or old. It's the source of the lying ads that we're taking on tonight, the power center that raised the money and spewed the propaganda. Let's stay focused on that. See you all there!

Giving Voice

Pam Spaulding has some great videos up of young people at a local Gay Straight Alliance in Chapel Hill, North Carolina which she visited. It's really great to see them talk about their issues and it's important for all of us to hear from them. Go and check it out.

Log Cabin Responds, Pam Eviscerates

The Log Cabin Republicans have responded to the John McCain/Mark Buse hypocrisy revelation, and it is pretty lame and ridiculous. Pam Spaudling exposes the contradictions in their argument, as they still seem to be trying to couch John McCain as pro-gay, even as he is opposed to every gay rights measure! Go read Pam now! I'll be weighing in later with my own response.

Racist Crap Peddled at Value Voters Summit

This shows precisely the hatred that is the radical right mindset. Pam Spaulding has the lowdown on the Value Voters Summit, where the fundies were hoping McCain or Sarah Palin would show up. Gary Bauer, Stephen Baldwin, kooky Rep. Michele Bachman and and the rest of the gang were there, however, and now Family Research Council, which runs this summit of hate, is freaking out, sending out a press release trying to distance the group. Says Pam:

Fomenting an Aunt Jemima stereotype along with the Obama-as-Muslim smear in one nice package -- what would Jesus do?

Indeed.

Congrats to Pam

Pam Spaulding of PamsHouseBlend, a good friend of the show who we have on often, got another endorsement from a wingnut, this one from James Hartline, who called her a "twisted lesbian sister." Way to go Pam!