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Boxing day news roundup includes the signing of DADT repeal and the hilarious Barney Frank

Congressman Barney Frank may look like a muppet but he's tough as nails and funny as anything Jim Henson ever dreamed up

Sorry for the hiatus folks, you have evil domain empire GoDaddy to thank for that. This was originally supposed to be a Christmas Eve news roundup but here we are at Boxing Day, the day to return all the horrendous sweaters we got yesterday. So if you’re still trying to avoid the long arms pf the family here’s a little roundup of good news you have have missed over the last few days of Christmas cheer. (And stay tuned for a New Year’s roundup!)

Obama signs the reapeal of DADT with video below. “That’s done!”

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“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repealed in the Senate!

Today the Senate passed the standalone bill to repeal the ban on gays in the military. Who knew we had to be alert on a Saturday? Congress has been working overtime. In a bill that seemed close to dead this repeal of the 17-year-old Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policynow heads to President Barack Obama‘s desk where he will most certainly sign it into law.

From Politico:

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No gay sex for soccer fans at the 2022 World Cup

Sheikha Moza, wife of Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad stands next to FIFA President Sepp Blatter. Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters

When the The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced that the 2022 World Cup would be held in the Middle Eastern country Qatar gay soccer/football fans were not only upset but angry, announcing boycotts and talking of protests.

Homosexuality is illegal in the tiny Middle Eastern country — reports indicate that Qatar residents who are caught engaged in gay sex receive the death penalty. The punishment for foreigners, while not fatal, is also severe: in 1995, an American citizen was sentenced to six months in prison and 90 lashes for violating Qatar’s taboo against homosexuality.

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Standalone “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal bill introduced

Senator Leiberman (L) and Senator Collins

Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, and Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine introduce a bill to end the ban on gays in the military. From the Advocate:

Two prominent senators introduced a bipartisan bill Friday to end the ban on gay and lesbian troops serving openly in the military.

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Statement by the President on the Senate Vote on the National Defense Authorization Act

I am extremely disappointed that yet another filibuster has prevented the Senate from moving forward with the National Defense Authorization Act.  Despite having the bipartisan support of a clear majority of Senators, a minority of Senators are standing in the way of the funding upon which our troops, veterans and military families depend. This annual bill has been enacted each of the past 48 years, and our armed forces deserve nothing less this year.

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Benefit to be held for hate crime victim Tim McCubbin

Sketch of the suspect

Last week we told you about the man who was brutally beaten Halloween night and asked for your help in locating the perpetrator. Now we not only know the name of the victim, Tim McCubbin, but there is also a benefit concert scheduled for this Saturday to help fund his extensive medical expenses.

McCubbin reports that on top of a broken nose, and a surgery to repair his left eye socket, he has undergone several surgeries for his developed diverticulitis – an additional injury sustained while his groin was stomped while unconscious, and which has resulted in the loss of a third of his colon and two lacerations on his intestines.

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Jiffy Lube coupon addressed to ‘Turd Burgler’ makes headlines, spurs lawsuit

The coupon in question

In a news of the weird what may have been anything from homophobia to a childish prank to a mistake has taken on a life of its own when a $16 coupon for Jiffy Lube’s “signature service” addressed to a “Turd Burgler” sparked a $150K discrimination lawsuit.

Laremy Eck, who received the piece of mail, recently went to his local Jiffy Lube and believes the coupon was sent to him because he’s gay. The Jiffy Lube claims the coupon was sent by mistake and was intended for the resident’s previous occupant, an acquaintance of the shop known as the “Turd Burgler” (their spelling, not ours). Even though the incident could be a mistake the suit pressed on in a court filing in late November.

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An update on Tuff Luck and the Deli

I knew that the unfortunate dissolution of the Tuff Luck Deli would cause quite a rift in a tight need community. I hesitated to publish Tuff Luck’s detailed letter to the community but in the end decided that they deserved to be heard even if it did come with a cost.

Indeed it did, and many discussions on Facebook showed clearly how upset people were. Some comments were thoughtful, others merely angry, but they were almost all passionate. I had hoped some of that discussion could happen here on this blog, as it is a more public forum but instead it was mostly confined to the semi-public gossip realm of FB.

So I would like to say, once again, that not only do I welcome discussion, but would happily publish and opposing editorial. I had hoped this would be a discussion starter and not a proclamation.

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Keeping track of Prop 8 appeals arguments

Arguments for and against the constitutionality of Proposition 8 began today in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeal is of an August ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who ruled after a trial that the 2008 ballot measure defining marriage as only between a man and a woman violated the U.S. Constitution.

The San Francisco based court drama is seeing protesters from both […]


Where we stand on DADT from Jon Stewart’s ‘Gaypocalypse Now’ perspective

Spotlighting John McCain‘s flip floppy nature of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (as if that’s his only contradictory issue) Jon Stewart gives an update on DADT with his segment “Gaypocalypse Now” which I’ve embedded below. This comes directly after the release of an extensive Pentagon survey that found repealing the policy would have little to no negative effect on our armed forces. There is no “queer and present danger” to speak of but I like that bit of humor.

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