A North Carolina supervisor of elections has quit her job rather than put a same-sex marriage ban on the ballot there.

Sherre Toler had been Director of Elections in Harnett County for 11 years before she submitted her resignation on January 3, saying she could no longer act objectively, as the law required her.

"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, 'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,'" she noted in her resignation letter, as posted on Pam's House Blend. "I simply could not continue in the position of Director of Elections and remain silent on this important issue."

Toler cites the 1967 Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia, which dealt with the legality of a marriage between a mixed-race couple as part of what gives her such a principled view, having been in a relationship with a man of another race herself. (Read more about the case here.)

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/11/North_Carolina_Election_Official_Refuses_to_Put_Marriage_Up_for_Vote/
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I love this lady. She is on Facebook. I friended her and sent her a nice note. If you have a FB account, send her some love!

Also titled "Teh Stoopid, It burns!"

First off, having Ann Coulter on the board of any Gay rights organization is like David Duke being on the board of B'nai Brith, but that is another story.

I can't even force my brain to repeat the arguments espoused here they are so idiotic.

Just sayin'... Love this cartoon

I dont think it lies on any disputed territory. Its out in Israel's southern desert. Seems like a paradise to me.

This is horrible!

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/287-124/9218-american-paradox-185-million-vacant-homes-and-35-million-homeless

his is usually one of my favorite times of the year - the holidays are approaching, the aromas of cinnamon, orange and cranberry are in the air and it's time to rest and watch old movies on TV. One of those old movies invariably on at this time of year still resonates today - It's a Wonderful Life. In this 1946 Jimmy Stewart film, a small town in crisis comes together to prevent George Bailey, the benevolent loan man, from being imprisoned at the behest of the millionaire slum landlord Mr. Potter.

In the last few days, the US government census figures have revealed that 1 in 2 Americans have fallen into poverty or are struggling to live on low incomes. And we know that the financial hardships faced by our neighbors, colleagues, and others in our communities will be all the more acutely felt over the holiday season.

Along with poverty and low incomes, the foreclosure rate has created its own crisis situation as the number of families removed from their homes has skyrocketed.

Since 2007, banks have foreclosed around eight million homes. It is estimated that another eight to ten million homes will be foreclosed before the financial crisis is over. This approach to resolving one part of the financial crisis means many, many families are living without adequate and secure housing. In addition, approximately 3.5 million people in the U.S. are homeless, many of them veterans. It is worth noting that, at the same time, there are 18.5 million vacant homes in the country.

My two day out prediction of what the results will be of the Iowa GOP Presidential caucus:

1. Rick Santorum
2. Mitt Romney
3. Ron Paul
4. Rick Perry
5. Newt Gingrich
6. Michele Bachmann
7. Jon Huntsman

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/dec/22/bachmann-huntsman-santorum-not-on-va-primary-ballo-ar-1563033/

Bachmann, Huntsman and Santorum are out, Gingrich and Perry may have squeaked by but could be tripped up if enough of their signatures are invalidated (You need 10,000 valid signatures, it's suggested you get at least 15,000 to be sure, Gingrich and Perry both are in the 11,000's.

Schadenfreude, I gots it! ROFLMAO

I don't see an issue with this. David Badash has a negative opinion of it though,

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/if-youre-gay-anderson-cooper-please-dont-use-sweeps-week-to-come-out/news/2011/12/15/31917

If You're Gay, Anderson Cooper, Please Don't Use Sweeps Week To Come Out
by David Badash on December 15, 2011



Anderson Cooper, the highly-​successful CNN anchor and now host of two shows on the formerly-​pioneering cable news network, has long been thought to be gay. Rumors surround Cooper and the man many believe to be his same-​sex partner, Benjamin Maisani. But now Gawker’s Brian Moylan is reporting that Cooper may be paving the way to come out publicly, and step one — according to Moylan, who often writes about LGBT-​related issues at Gawker — is happening today.

Moylan writes that a “tipster” is alleging that Anderson Cooper’s show Anderson “is prepping Anderson’s big coming out episode for February sweeps.”

Here’s what the tipster had to say.

Daytime talk show “Anderson” is having their first Christmas party tomorrow night, 15 December, at the Russian Tea Room. Anderson Cooper is bringing Benjamin Maisani. And introducing him as his “boyfriend” to the staff. The staff is prepping Anderson’s “coming out” show for the next sweeps. Check the ratings. They’re getting desperate.

http://www.democratsforprogress.com/2011/12/13/repeated-harassment-is-not-bullying-its-stalking-lets-prosecute-it-that-way/

(Cross posted in the LGBT group)

By Steven Leser, on December 13th, 2011

When teens, preteens and children harass each other, even when that harassment rises to the level of utter cruelty and violence, we have this desire to give it a cutesy name that suggests the idea that this is “just something that kids do.” There is nothing cutesy about the repeated, willful and malicious following and/or harassing of another person. I use that description for this kind of behavior because it both fits what some people refer to as bullying and also is the most common description for stalking.

What we refer to as bullying is not a one-time act. If it were a one-time act, it would be mere simple assault and/or battery, or perhaps not a crime at all. No, the behavior we are really talking about when we refer to bullying or stalking is repeated and unwanted acts by one person or group against another person or group for the purpose of creating an ongoing climate of fear for the target person or group. There are many reasons a particular person or group can be singled out for harassment. It can be because the target person or group dresses a certain way, acts a certain way, is of a certain economic background, nationality, religion or ethnicity, or is perceived to be a member of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered) community.

Horrific Stalking of the LGBT community

The young members of the LGBT community and those who are perceived to be members of that community have experienced and endured some of the most vicious stalking behaviors of any group. Suicides of LGBT children who have lost hope of their lives ever becoming better have become a nearly weekly occurrence. The stalking of these children needs to be stopped. Ideally, all children and all people should be educated and receive training, much as the military has given to its members, that the members of the LGBT community are human beings, equals, and should be treated as such. Regrettably, the government does not have the right to compel people outside of the military to receive such education and training. The only thing the government can do is prosecute unlawful behavior.
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(more at above link)