Germany passes marriage equality

Whilst Australia continues to wait on our politics to allow the likes of David and I to get married, Germany has become the latest country to give the human right of marriage to it's LGBT.

Notably, it comes after Merkel allowed a conscience vote for her own party, in which around 70 of her own ministers would have had to have voted in favour. The vote was bought forward swiftly.

The way was paved for a vote on Monday night when Merkel said she wanted the issue to become one of "conscience," suggesting that she would allow a free vote among her own divided party.

Her Social Democrat rival for the role of chancellor, Martin Schulz, pounced on Merkel's comments the next day, advocating an immediate vote in parliament, before September's elections. The bill was put on the agenda for the last day before the summer break by the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Left party. Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc had criticized the SPD's move, saying that they had previously agreed not to hold a parliamentary vote on the issue during their coalition.

Schulz was quick to hail the outcome of the vote, saying that marriage for all meant "unity, justice and freedom" for all Germans who love each other, quoting from the German national anthem.

 ......................................

 Schulz had forced the speedy vote, saying he would "take the chancellor at her word."

 However, while some would consider the chancellor and CDU to have been wrong-footed, an alternative theory - that Merkel wanted to remove same-sex marriage as an election issue - has been floated. After all, Monday's comments did appear to be her laying foundations for a vote on the same issue in the next legislative period.

All three potential partners in government with the CDU - the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and pro-business Free Democrats - had declared same-sex marriage as a red-line 

demand for entering into any future coalition. DW

This of course highlights the absolutely pathetic state of the Lieberal party here. The majority of MP's in Canberra are in favour of marriage equality, but the Lieberals are bound to vote no as a block. If Turnbull allowed a free vote we could have marriage equality in Australia just as rapidly as Germany has got it.

However the Lieberals seem so obsessed with the horrific proposition that David and I might actually be able to marry like they all can, that they appear to be willing to risk gov to deny us our rights. Yes, it's that serious. 

Community frustration about this is running deep in Australia, including in the straight community. People can't understand WTF the problem is with the Lieberal party making such an issue out of something that to the great majority of Australians is a complete non-issue.

Ignorant homophobes apologise to lost loved ones - London Pride (video)

An ad from those involved in the upcoming London Pride march. Real stories from real people who've driven away their loved ones because of their homophobic hate.

I'm signing up for an HIV+ book project - Sydney

Facebook

I got an email from Positive Life yesterday about this new project putting together a book of stories of people with HIV. I thought it sounded like a bloody marvelous idea, so I emailed them and they replied promptly, happily wanting to interview me for the book. Wow, marvelous. Looks like the interview will happen during August.

This is right up my ally. I've always thought that the way to remove stigma and HIV discrimination is to provide personal human stories about our lives. People will realise that we're not monsters infecting the world, but simply people just like them.

You can find their Facebook page here. Their email is hivmodelenquiry@gmail.com

George Pell charged with sex offences - 3rd most senior Catholic, Vatican (video)

George Pell lunching with Tony Abbott

A young George Pell

The Victorian police here in Australia have charged Cardinal George Pell with sexual assault offences dating back years ago. He is the third most senior Catholic in the Vatican and Australia's most senior.

The decision to charge Pell comes after a long drawn out string of allegations against him being reported in the media by men stating what he'd allegedly done to them. He gained attention on the issue as well during the royal commission into child sex abuse by religious bodies. The royal commission sumarised that 7% of Australian Catholic priests were paedophiles. He has and continues to deny the allegations.

Pell is known to have regularly lunched with Tony Abbott before his appointment to the Vatican, as Abbott is Catholic and took advice from him.

Cardinal George Pell, Australia's highest ranking Catholic, will face at least three serious child sex assault charges, including at least one count of rape.

 Victoria Police has confirmed Cardinal Pell has been charged on summons over multiple allegations against multiple victims and is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18 for a filing hearing.

.............................................

Cardinal Pell was a priest in Ballarat before becoming Archbishop of Melbourne and then being appointed as a Cardinal.

The Catholic Archdiocese in Melbourne has been contacted for comment.

 When it comes to historical sex abuse prosecutions, the charge an alleged offender faces, and the applicable maximum penalty, is determined by when the alleged offence occurred.

 There have been several overhauls of sexual offence laws since the 1980s. Buggery was repealed as a crime in 1981. But offenders accused of crimes before that date will be charged with laws relevant to the time of the alleged offence.

 For offences committed prior to February of that year, rape was punishable by a maximum prison term of 20 years, and buggery with a term of 15 years. ninemsn

George Pell, Catholic Cardinal, charged with historical sexual assault offences https://t.co/a3qXxNJHiL pic.twitter.com/YobyQj35ya

— ABC News (@abcnews) June 29, 2017

Petition update - link

Trump is the end of US "exceptionalism"

I've always been highly insulted by the whole idea of "American exceptionalism". The idea that simply because of a chance of birth that you're better than anyone else on the planet, just because you were born in the US. Apart from being entirely absurd, it gave Americans the notion that it was actually true.

It has lead to extreme arrogance on their part to the rest of the world, including Australia and New Zealand. Even though we've fought along side them in wars, particularly Australia, Americans still arrogantly think they're better than us just because they're Americans. 

Am I wrong? I'd like to think that by foreign people now engaging with US citizens on the internet that this attitude of theirs is changing. Who knows?

It was never true, and never should have been. The US borrowed many ideas from European history, including the Enlightenment and the Magna Carta from France which became the basis of independence. Hence the statue of liberty gifted from France. The US wouldn't have had independence if not for France.

Anyway Trump has pretty much ended the idea, outside of the US at least, that America is "exceptional".

At times President Trump has shown his ability to merit the mantle of the American presidency: his plans for mending our infrastructure, his concern for those thrown into unemployment by the faceless forces of globalization, his nudging of allies to carry their fair share of the burden. However, by his proposed ban of Muslim immigrants from selected countries, he has erased the words of Emma Lazarus from the Statute of Liberty. With his erratic tweeting, he has shown disregard for the necessary machinery of democracy and has promoted a democracy of chaos and distraction. By slashing the budget of the Department of State and increasing that of the Department of Defense, and by his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson—in a public speech—placing interests over universal rights, Trump has magnified the idea of might makes right at the expense of the idea of might for right. By his labeling of the media as the “enemy of the people,” he has taken a page—however unwittingly—out of the totalitarian handbook of the 20th century. By not revealing his income tax returns, he has shown contempt for a vigilant, free-thinking citizenry. And by his coarse words and actions, he has promoted the vulgarization of American society. Raw Story

Angela Merkel wants free vote on marriage equality - Germany

Oh look, Merkel is pushing for a free vote on marriage equality in Germany. Why can't this happen here so David and I can be married? 

Oh yes, Turnbull has no spine to stand up to his lunatic christian back bench ..... Even though if a free vote were held in Canberra there are enough pro marriage equality MP's to pass the legislation here.

Angela Merkel has signalled a change in her party’s opposition to gay marriage after stating MPs should be allowed a free vote in the German parliament.

 Speaking at an event organised by the magazine Brigitte, the German chancellor said she felt aggrieved that debate was mainly carried out along party lines and that she hoped it would be “headed towards a conscience vote”.

 It is widely believed the Bundestag would legalise gay marriage in a free vote on the issue. The Guardian

Original newspaper story Stonewall riots - pic 1969

*click to see full image if not fully viewable

For the full story you can go to JoeMyGod here, but above is the original newspaper article about the Stonewall riots and the ongoing hostility of the police to the gay community back then. The article is homophobic and entirely making fun of gays, particularly concentrating throughout the story on drag queens. I guess that's how they viewed gays back then, as girlie men.

We owe so much today to those that have come before us and fought against such prejudice and bigotry.

Xenophon's Energy Assistant Payment - Carers don't get it (the fine print)

What a bloody con job this whole Energy Assistant Payment (EAP) has been. Either Xenophon was in cahoots with the gov to provide some sort of token gesture in exchange for a $50 billion tax cut for businesses that don't need it (because he agreed with trickle down), or he was really stupid and the gov did a full on con job on him.

So to explain, David and I are both on pensions. I'm on the Disability Support Pension, and David is on the Carer Payment for me. His pension is exactly the same amount as mine.

It was reported that Xenophon negotiated this deal that and Energy Assistance Payment would be paid to pensioners. Naturally one would think that that would be all those on a pension, whatever type of pension it's called. Of course after I got the $62.50 half payment for the $125 couple thing, we assumed David's payment would be following shortly after.

It never arrived. I got an email today letting me know MyGov had a letter in my inbox with them. The letter was a short explainatory note about me getting the EAP, and provided a link to more explanatory stuff about the one off EAP here. Of course with this gov the details haven't been widely explained at all, and if not for the link (which I had to manually type in BTW as it wasn't a hyperlink) I'd have had to wade endlessly through layers of the very user unfriendly Centrelink site to find it. Believe me I've done that many times with other issues.

And then I saw it; the eligibility criteria for getting this EAP for pensioners:

Link

Yes folks, as David's pension is called "Carer Payment" he's not eligible for the EAP. 

What's more, however you look at it, we're a couple both on pensions. However in the end all we've gotten was my $62.50 for both of us. Less than what a single person would get, but for both of us. What a fuckin con job!

This would affect thousands of carers across Australia, as indeed I expect they're just finding out now.

Xenophon, you are a dead set fuckwit.

"China is Buying Australian Politics" - US perspective (video)

If you watch this video in the hysteria that is currently Trump's US, then you'll be panicked and appalled. He talks in a way that's it's the West vs China, or more particularity the US vs China (under Trump that is). You have to take what he says with a grain of salt if you're looking at it from our Australian perspective. We're in the middle, both politically and geographically. 

Yes we need to change our foreign political donations to political parties here. The Chinese have obviously taken advantage of it recently. But honestly the way this US guy talks here it's like the Chinese are the reds under the beds. Get a grip!

Particularly now that Trump is the loony tunes US president. Would Australia like to deal with a nutter country bend on turning itself into some kind of theocracy lead by Trump in perpetual war, or with a country where the leaders are all atheists and don't care less about some mythical sky man? Who would any reasonable person trust more in such a circumstance?

The fact remains Australia does huge business with China, our biggest trading partner. That can only be beneficial as long as it's fair trade. China is not Australia's enemy. They have their system, we have ours. Both have lead to the abuse of human rights, like Australia's offshore detention centres for example. Who are we to point the finger and say we're so much better?

Trade, peace, and understanding of each other is always better than confrontation. Friends can co-operate and work to a more humanitarian goal together. Enemies cannot.

Convicted rapists murderers can get married in jail - David and I can't

Big headlines from New Zealand today about a convicted rapist who was married in a maximum security jail to his former lawyer. 

Corrections Minister Louise Upston is "revolted" disgraced former lawyer Davina Murray is allowed into prison to marry her former client, convicted rapist and murderer Liam Reid.

 The pair tied the knot at Auckland's maximum security unit at Paremoremo Prison today - six years after Murray was caught smuggling an iPhone, cigarettes and a lighter to Reid in prison.

 "I just find it revolting," says Ms Upston. "I find that particular marriage absolutely distasteful, and I think most New Zealanders would too."

 Murray was acting as Reid's lawyer after he was sentenced to a minimum of 26 years for the 2007 murder and rape of Christchurch woman Emma Agnew.

 Sources have told Newshub that Reid's best man was a convicted killer and sex offender, and a drug smuggler was among the guests.

 It's understood that the prison chaplain officiated the ceremony, and the prison kitchen provided catering at the expense of the bridal party.

 "I'm thinking of Emma Agnew's family because they won't ever get to see her get married," says Ms Upston.

 "For her family, it will be an absolutely tragic day for them because they know they will never see their daughter get married." ninemsn

Whatever your opinion is, the fact remains that it's within NZ law for inmates to marry in jail.

So what you may say? Surely that's not the case here? Well it is:

Corrective Services NSW believes that incarcerated persons should not be deprived of the right to enter into marriage. Marriage may take place unless there is a legal restriction. Marriage in correctional centres will not entitle the inmate or spouse to any additional privileges other than those available to other inmates. The General Manager may decide not to give approval to a marriage taking place in the centre if the guidelines are not satisfied by the parties involved. Corrective Services NSW

Yet David and I, never jailed, good citizens worked for many years, I even bought up my daughter whilst caring for my late wife before the end, cannot get married in Australia. Even after ten years of polling saying that Australians are fine with us doing so.

What a disgrace, what a failure this gov has been in stalling the inevitable. Outrageous.

Lieberals implode again over marriage equality (video)

The festering sore that the Lieberals have made for themselves over marriage equality has continued to ooze, with Christopher Pyne making an apparent statement behind closed doors to the party faithful that marriage equality could happen "sooner than everyone thinks". Also saying friends of the Lieberals in Canberra were "working on getting marriage equality laws passed".

Well it didn't take long for the howls of heretic! from the back bench were sent forth, from the usual source Abbott. His words were particularly galling considering all the broken promises the Abbott/Turnbull gov has made and how many Australians have had their faith in the party breached by said broken promises.

“We took a policy to the election — it was a very clear policy — that there would be no change without a plebiscite,” Mr Abbott told Sydney radio station 2GB this morning.

 “To dump the plebiscite, to do anything without a plebiscite, would be a breach of faith with the people.” The Advertiser

Not to be out done Treasurer Scott Morrison chimed in that it didn't matter about LGBT human rights because the gov wasn't talking about them. 

“We’re not actually talking about it — we’re talking about power prices, passing the Budget, schools funding going up by $23 billion,” Mr Morrison said when quizzed about the reports on Channel Seven’s Sunrise program this morning. The Advertiser

Honestly, why is this such an important issue to Abbott and his churchie mates? What does it matter to him if David and I get married? It's none of his business. He has no more right to stop us being married than I'd have had to stop him and his wife getting married. 

So once again we have Turnbull without a spine trying to please the lunar right and refusing to allow his party a free parliamentary vote. 

The courts have said it's the job of parliament. The senate has said it's the job of parliament. Nobody except the Lieberal far right and Turnbull says our human rights should be decided by asking the rest of Australians if we can have them. 

Would straight people want to have to go through that to be married?

Another broken promise

Cloe becoming a lovely little lady - pics

Her and Casper are past the kitten stage. Casper has a very warm personality like Cloe, but Cloe has a real little lady thing happening with her. When she sort of half purs sort of thing she sounds like a Tribble from Star Trek.

Labor opposes Lieberals new citizen language test (video)

OK, although I never got school certificate in English in New Zealand, I was able to migrate to Australia (in 1985) without having to undergo some kind of humiliating citizenship test in the early 1990's. 

It didn't exist back then, as it was only after the Howard gov nightmare came in to power in the late 1990's when they came up with this racist bullshit. One of the questions in those early tests was about cricketer Bradman FFS who had died many decades before. Were new citizens supposed to worship Australian sporting heroes? 

The new citizenship test, courtesy of the Abbott/Turmbull gov demands language skills beyond what many Australians would be capable themselves. Labor is opposing this.

Australia has the highest immigrant population per capita in the world, much higher than even the US. Those migrants helped build this country and were a part of it being the most successful multicultural country on earth.

I myself don't mind if they have a bit of trouble with English. Their intentions to hard work and contribution are just the same as mine was when I came here from New Zealand in 1985.

Jim Bakkers best efforts (at lunacy) - video mashup :)

17 minutes of complete hilarity. I honestly could not stop laughing. Particularly at the tribulation buckets of slop. Yum :s

Remember this was the Jim and Tammy Bakker thing that got busted for fraud and sent Jim to jail over it. Well he's out now and just look at the results......

I can't believe people actually believe him. Who are these stupid nutters? OMG they can vote and all! 

Got the one off Xenophon energy bribe for pensioners today

*click to enlarge

*Update: Oh, the $62.50 is gone already before the end of the day. We were embarking on another 4 dayer without a cent before Wednesday, so it didn't go far.

This is the one off energy payment to pensioners that Xenophon was bribed with by the gov. In exchange for what you may ask? Just that little thing of $50billion tax cuts to businesses that don't need it. 

As we're a couple it's $125 for both of us. They've paid me half and David will get the other. 

So that's it folks. This is supposed to make those tax cuts to the well off just fine and dandy.

Meanwhile I hear electricity prices in NSW are going to increase from July 1st by about 17% or something ridiculous, because there's no stable energy policy coming from Canberra. Well apart from worshiping coal in parliament.

So I look at that payment and think what a rip off. Xenophon may as well just join the Lieberal party and be done with it. 

They get $billions they don't need. We sick and old and poor, the most in need, get a few token crumbs from their table. This must be trickle down....?

What has become of this country? We have just about the lowest pension rates in the OECD, then get chucked crumbs whilst the well off make laws to give themselves riches. Whilst they try and dismantle our Medicare public health system. We might as well be Africa:

Stop the stigma against HIV in the gay community

Most discrimination cases involving an HIV+ person in Australia happen in the health profession, I learned a few years back. For example a while back I attended the local hospital here after splitting my forehead open falling out of the bath onto the toilet (with the lid up). Blood everywhere. I waited in Emergency with David to be treated, and David overheard a nurse at the front counter when he was going out for a smoke: "I'm not going near him, he's infectious". Lovely :s

Likewise, stigma against HIV is unfortunately very high in the gay community itself. "Are you clean?" is a regular question asked of a possible hookup. The below video people read out conversations from Grindr.

BTW years ago somebody asked me that question in a sex club "Are you clean?" I actually didn't know what he was talking about at the time, so I said "Yes I've just had a shower". Fuck even I get astounded at my own naivety at times. Ha ha ha....

Three gov ministers facing contempt of court have apologised groveling to the court

After publicly criticising the Victorian court of appeals and refusing to apologise to the court for doing so, the three gov ministers involved have about faced  and issued a public and groveling apology to the court. Albeit a very late one.

The court has accepted the unreserved apology and will no longer proceed with contempt of court charges. However the court is anything but impressed with the three:

"We have realised we should have offered an unconditional apology to the court.

 "We offer that apology now and unreservedly withdraw all comments.

 "It's clear just how inaccurate our understanding was."

 The court accepted their apology and will not refer the ministers for contempt of court, but Chief Justice Marilyn Warren said the comments were "fundamentally wrong" and that the delay in apologising was "regrettable and aggravated the contempt".
 Chief Justice Warren said the court was "gravely concerned" there was a prima facie case that the ministers and The Australian had committed contempt. She described the hearing last week as "stern", noted that the ministers had sent the comments to the journalist who wrote the article unsolicited, and that they had publicly confirmed they stood by the comments within 48 hours of the first hearing.

 "There is one matter we emphasise," she said.

 "The court has accepted in this instance the apologies and retractions proffered. It should not have come to this, namely two court hearings.

 "But for the apologies and retractions we would have referred the groups, namely the ministers and The Australian ... for prosecution for contempt of Court." The Age

WTF were they thinking? All three are qualified lawyers FFS They could have bought down their own gov by their stupidity, arrogance, and stubbornness. The fact that it took two court hearings and the serious threat to the gov to get them to apologise says volumes about their character. They honestly seemed to think they were above the law.

And WTF was Turnbull thinking in supporting his ministers in their public criticism of the court? Did he too think him and his gov were above the law?

We all know of course Tudge's view of the law with Centrelink, leaking private information about Centrelink clients to the media to support robodebt, under very questionable circumstances of the legality of doing so. 

Probably for the first time ever, I find myself in 100% agreement with @GregHuntMP. #auspol pic.twitter.com/39L8YMVTle

— John Wren (@JohnWren1950) June 23, 2017

Istanbul youth party - gays want to stop straights having sex :s

Well I guess it's a change from straights wanting gays to stop having sex, which has been the case in conservative churches for zonks. Strange that straights would now accuse us of the same thing but in reverse. I suspect they're projecting.....

I note in the picture they all have beards to protect themselves from gayness.

So the loony tunes nationalist youth party of Istanbul is all a fluster over an upcoming Pride march there and have vowed to stop it any way they can. Despite the fact that there's been years of Pride marches there before. The reasons for this severe hostility to the LGBT are explained by them thus:

Speaking on June 19 during a news program aired on the minor Cultural TV (KRT TV) station, Mican complained that LGBT individuals had “started to organize in every neighborhood … destroying the unity of the family.”

 “Their project is to create a structure in every neighborhood. We are warning our intelligence agencies. This is part of a project by capitalist, communist and imperialist powers. By popularizing homosexuality, they want to destroy the unity of family, stop reproduction, end relations between wives and husbands, and prevent children born in such relations from growing up to be propitious to their land and country,” he said.

 “This is dynamite to the foundation of the family structure. They have especially started to work on the neighborhood level,” Mircan added.

 “Under no circumstances will we allow them to march. I call on the Turkish people: These structures are very dangerous. We need to prevent this immorality or it will expand very seriously,” he also said. Daily News Turkey

OMG! They're onto us!

It's been 10 years of Australian majority wanting gay marriage

Whilst we continue to wait for Turnbull to stand up to his back bench that's holding the entire country to ransom of their outdated notions, yesterday was the ten year anniversary of the main stream media announcing majority support by Australians for marriage equality.

Nothing has changed in those ten years. Poll after poll has shown more and more support for gay people to be married. How out of touch can the Lieberal party be to ignore that in favour of their own religious beliefs? They're supposed to be there to serve the people, not shove their religion down our throats.

Gay marriage now has majority support in Australia, according to new research findings that suggest a huge shift in mainstream opinion.

 Nearly three in four people say they want gay couples to have the same legal rights as de facto heterosexual partners in areas such as health care and superannuation.

 In 2004, both major parties rushed to declare their support for outlawing gay marriage.

 The findings will put pressure on the Federal Government as it considers a report from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission urging greater equality for same-sex couples.

 A Galaxy poll, commissioned by the progressive political movement GetUp! and obtained by The Age, surveyed 1100 people last weekend.

 It found that 57 per cent of Australians agreed that gay couples should be allowed to get married, with 37 per cent opposed.

 The poll suggests a 20-point jump in support since 2004, when Newspoll found 38 per cent in favour and 44 per cent against. The Age 2007

Robodebt senate inquiry verdict - suspend robodebt

The verdict is in on the senate inquiry into robodebt, the inquiry recommending that the whole system be shut down until it's huge problems are fixed. The list of recommendations is here. There are 21 of them. Recommendation 20 is of particular interest, as in normal proceedings the creditor owed money has to leave you enough to live on. The full senate report is here.

Everyone is in agreement with this, apart from the gov of course, stubbornly insisting it's OK. Of particular concern to GetUp is that from July 1st robodebt will be targeting old aged pensioners and people on the disability support pension surviving on bugger all. GetUp has set up a web page here where you can blast your Lieberal MP or senator over robodebt.

Other organisations are equally concerned that the gov wants to continue with this flawed and unfair system.

The inquiry began hearings in March, and its chair, Greens senator Rachel Siewert, said it had exposed serious flaws in the system.

 “The evidence presented to the committee as it travelled across the country was compelling, consistent, and showed a program that was putting huge pressure on some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” Siewert said after the report’s release.

 “Procedural fairness is lacking in every stage of the robo-debt program; whether it be the forcing of people to reach back through their paperwork from six years ago, sending debt letters to the wrong address and/or not engaging with concerned recipients, or averaging out of income data, often producing incorrect results.”

 The Department of Human Services used the inquiry to highlight the changes it had made to the system, which it said had largely resolved the problems. But others say the changes don’t go far enough.

 The Australian Council of Social Service chief executive, Cassandra Goldie, said on Wednesday said the system is unworkable and must be abolished.

 “Since its adoption 12 months ago, robo-debt has issued thousands of debt notices in error to parents, people with disabilities, carers and those seeking paid work, resulting in people slapped with Centrelink debts they do not owe or debts higher than what they owe,” Goldie said. “It has been a devastating abuse of government power that has caused extensive harm, particularly among people who are the most vulnerable in our community,” she said.

 Anglicare Australia released a similar statement on Wednesday, saying the system has unfairly shifted the onus of disproving debts onto vulnerable Australians.

Its executive director, Kasy Chambers, urged the government to pay heed to the significant evidence the inquiry heard about the hardship caused by the system.

 “The shift in the onus of proof onto recipients, the barriers to people trying to fix these problems through the Centrelink system, and the growing stigmatisation of welfare, is a step towards the criminalisation of poverty and disadvantage,” Chambers said.

 “Let’s suspend this failing system and work together to design one that works for people – not just the government,” she said. The Guardian

Moby's new song pisses off Trumpets - so watch and share (video)

I've always liked Moby. This new music video is really pissing off all the Trumpets, so all I can say is watch and share :)

Inside a Chechen gay torture jail - Chechnya (video)

Vice has this video of the Chechen gay gulags they have operating there. Of course the Chechen regime denies completely any such thing. Note the grinning faces of the soldiers when asked if any such order had been given to arrest and torture gays.

Shocking and heart wrenching. The views and attitudes expressed by the Chechnyans against gays are so ignorant and anachronistic as to indeed be from the stone age.

Gay marriage caused bush fires - Paramedic, South Africa

Yet another reason why the christians don't want us to be married. According to a christian paramedic in South Africa, gay marriage caused bush fires. Apparently it was all too much for his loving invisible sky man who lost it and wrathed all over the place in the form of bush fires. Didn't realise David and I had that much wrathing power.....

Can you remember last year when Knysna was made up in pink and 12 homosexual marriages took place on one day?

 It was only after the election of the Dutch Reformed Church when they approved gay homosexual marriage.

 It was all over the newspapers. It dared god.

 They mustn’t cry now about the fire.

 God doesn’t let himself be mocked. Independent

He got suspended after the Facebook post and has deleted his account.

I started ALL OUT world campaign for marriage equality in Australia

It was more out of sheer frustration than anything else. A way of letting off steam and giving people a chance to respond if they feel so inclined. 

It is indeed pathetic that both major party leaders in federal parliament agree with marriage equality (including the prime minister Turnbull) and this parliament has for the first time a majority of MP's who would vote yes for marriage equality. Yet Turnbull made a deal with the lunar right of his party to gain the prime ministership, that the Lieberals wouldn't be allowed a free vote on the issue and would all have to vote no. 

All Turnbull would have to do is let his party have a free conscience vote and we'd have marriage equality tomorrow. Yet he's too gutless to stand up for our human rights as it may cost him his prime ministership. Absurd. This is about our lives, not his career aspirations.

ALL OUT is a worldwide platform so you can sign this wherever you are in the world. I have no idea if it will get a response, but it certainly makes me feel better putting it out there :)

Malcolm Turnbull, There are no more excuses for your party not to vote for marriage equality in a free vote than your tenuous grip on the leadership. Marriage equality is about our lives, not yours.


We're sick of waiting for your party to drag itself kicking and screaming into this century, or your leadership fortunes to improve. All polling shows huge and widespread support for marriage equality across Australia. Yet your party has managed to delay and obfuscate to the point of absurdity, where now even with overwhelming community support marriage equality under your one vote majority in the lower house is in limbo.

 Recently a gay couple in Sydney reached their 50th anniversary and wanted to marry for the occasion. Not being able to one of them passed away from illness, both of them forever denied marriage because of your gov's cruelty.

 The plebiscite was rejected by the senate. It's time now for politicians to do their jobs and amend the marriage act to include all people. No more excuses. No more delays. Sign petition here

Beards protect you from gay temptations - Russian priest :s

More lunacy from the christians......

Sitges Bears Week, Spain

He's obviously never heard of gay bears, who are bigger sized hairy gays often with beards (as the picture shows). But yes, a priest in Russia says that beards will protect you from gayness as they're part of being the natural god given thing that is being a man, or something like that. 

What about women then? How are they supposed to ward off evil lesbians?

I note his position in the church is called "Primate", which about sums him up completely :)

A religious leader for Russia's Old Believers has called on Russian men to stop shaving to “protect themselves from homosexuality.”

 Metropolitan Kornily, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church (RPSC), said that men with beards were less likely “corrupted” by same-sex relationships.

 "God set down certain rules. The Lord created everyone with a beard. No man can resist his creator,” Kornily told Russia's National News Service. "It's made a monstrous thing to see men's clothing and hairstyles changing."

 Metropolitan Kornily also lamented that the beard's special status had "completely disappeared from the Catholic West." Moscow Times