Category Archives: California
[VIDEO] Adopted Son of Two Gay Dads: Daniel’s Letter To Chief Justice Roberts
Proposition 8 is an issue that I am very much interested in seeing resolved. Being a lesbian myself, with a wedding planned for 6 months from today, I want nothing more than to be able to LEGALLY wed my fiancee on that day. Unfortunately, even though same-sex marriage was legalized in California, it had been overturned on appeal and a final decision is being considered as of now. In fact, the hearings have already begun and a decision is to be expected by the end of June. I am very hopeful that this day will happen and I will truly be marrying the love of my life as opposed to showing a symbol of our affection (at the same cost ha).
[for more information on the case, scroll to below the video]
The video below is of a young man, Daniel, who was adopted by two gay fathers. This extraordinary kid decided to write a letter to Chief Justice Roberts, after discovering that he, too, adopted two young kids.
The justices will hear arguments Tuesday on Prop. 8′s constitutionality, followed a day later by a hearing on the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that denied federal benefits to married same-sex couples. Rulings are due by the end of June.
The court said Tuesday that it would release same-day audio recordings of the hearings in both cases, the first time it has done so since last year’s arguments on the federal health care law. It does not allow hearings to be televised.
The Obama administration will take part in both hearings, arguing that laws discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation should be considered suspect because gays and lesbians have been subject to persecution.
Despite recent gains, they are still unable to marry in most states, are unprotected by discrimination laws in many states and lack substantial political power, the Justice Department said.
That argument was disputed Tuesday by Prop. 8′s sponsors, a conservative religious coalition called Protect Marriage.
While “gays and lesbians have been subject to a regrettable history of discrimination,” the prejudice has “waned dramatically in recent years,” the pro-Prop. 8 lawyers wrote.
“Aside from redefining marriage, it is difficult to identify any objective that gays and lesbians in California have not achieved,” the lawyers said, citing the state’s domestic-partner and antidiscrimination laws.
Lower federal courts have ruled Prop. 8 unconstitutional, saying the denial of marriage to gays and lesbians would not benefit opposite-sex couples or the institution of marriage and was ultimately based on moral disapproval of homosexuality. Backers of the measure disagreed.
Marriage was never intended to be “genderless” and was meant, instead, to “channel potentially procreative sexual relationships into enduring, stable unions” to raise children, the Prop. 8 lawyers said.
[VIDEO] Hilarious: Brick Stone Really Pisses Off Westboro Baptist Church
The Westboro Baptists Church has been in California lately, and luckily, Californians have been waiting. At a Santa Monica High School, students retaliated by forming their own protest which ultimately led Wetboro members to bow their heads and retreat from the scene. Now we have another video coming from the protest at the Malibu Presbyterian Church and Our Lady of Malibu Catholic Church the morning of Feb. 24th 2013. Brick Stone (comic Dave Sirus) was there to ruin their day and entertain us as well 
Connecticut Catholic Priest, Kevin Wallin, Arrested For Dealing Meth
This seems like a story right out of Breaking Bad (great show). Last month, the Monsignor Kevin Wallin, 61, was arrested for dealing crystal meth, and his colleagues are trying to explain it away by saying he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Sure, that makes sense; You’re competent enough to run a meth dealing business that earns you over a very large income, but you’re a Catholic Priest, so you must have something psychologically wrong which makes you act in such a sinful way.
Wallin, a now suspended Roman Catholic Priest, was arrested on Federal drug charges for “allegedly” having methamphetamine mailed to him from co-conspirators in California and making more than $300,000 in drugs sales from his apartment in Waterbury during the second half of last year. This man of God also bought a small adult video and sex toy shop in North Haven. The shop was called ‘Land of Oz & Dorothy’s Place,’ and was apparently purchased to launder all the money he was making.
One of his friends discussed Wallin’s own drug use and stated he looked like ’a refugee from a concentration camp’.
This man was previously the pastor at St. Augustine Parish in Bridgeport, CT for nine years until he resigned in June 2011, citing health and personal problems. According to some, he began questioning his faith and they feel that’s what led to his current situation. One of the church workers had said that ‘(h)e had become disillusioned with the bureaucracy of the church.’ This worker and many others had mentioned that the priest had also been having sex with men for quite awhile.
Five men were arrested and are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. This crime could get them 10 years to life in prison.
Also charged in the case were Kenneth Devries, 52, of Waterbury; Michael Nelson, 40, of Manchester; Chad McCluskey, 43, of San Clemente, California; and Kristen Laschober, 47, of Laguna Niguel, California. Authorities say McCluskey and Laschober were involved in the shipping of methamphetamine to Wallin.
[VIDEO] Break’s Halloween 31 Days Of Scare Contestant: Please Go Like on FaceBook
Seeing as Halloween is fast approaching, I’d like to share with you this amazing Halloween prank. These ladies are a finalist in a contest and are hoping for more votes. Please do them a favor, go to THIS LINK on Break and LIKE on FaceBook. If these ladies win, they have promised to pull a prank of your choosing. You let us know what you would like to see, and they will make it happen.
This was eloquently titled “How To Traumatize Your Friend For Life”
How to Traumatize Your Friend for Life Video – Watch More Funny Videos
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[VIDEO] Time Lapse: Shuttle Endeavour Traverses Los Angeles
Seeing the Space Shuttle fly over Los Angeles, CA the other day was one of the most memorable experiences I think I’ll have in my lifetime. I love Los Angeles, and I love the chaos that comes with this city. Sure, the traffic can be a royal bitch, but at least I get to live through some pretty memorable events in history and will have that to look back on when I’m older. This video is an awesome time-lapse that shows Endeavour‘s journey through the streets of LA. So rad!
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Jason Russell, KONY 2012 Filmmaker, Addresses Naked Meltdown and Gay Rumors With Oprah Winfrey
NY Daily News - SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO BELOW
Seven months after he became a household name, Jason Russell is hoping to be a viral sensation once again – preferably with his clothes on this time.
After shooting to fame with the release of his film “Kony 2012” in March, which racked up 100 million YouTube views in less than a week, Russell eclipsed his own project just 10 days later when a video of his naked meltdown on a San Diego street corner exploded online. (Click here to see that video)
Now the controversial filmmaker is back with a new movie about the Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, and he wants to set the record straight about his former flameout.
“It’s hard to explain if people have never had an out of body experience, but it really wasn’t me,” he told Oprah of his meltdown, in an interview for “Oprah’s Next Chapter” that aired on Sunday. “That wasn’t me, that person on the street corner ranting and raving and naked, is not me. That’s not who I am.”
Russell says the wild success of the video led him to feel intense pressure that caused him to break down.
“My mind couldn’t stop thinking about the future. I literally thought I was responsible for the future of humanity,” he told the “Today” show on Monday. “It started to go into a point where my mind finally turned against me and there was a moment where, click, I was not in control of my mind or my body.”
Though he says he only remembers a few details of his dramatic public episode, Russell believes he was trying to hitch a ride.
“I thought, ‘I have to get to New York in the next 12 hours.’ That’s what I thought,” he told Oprah. “’Because I have to stop the war.’ So I ran out to the front and I think I was trying to ask cars to take me to the airport. In my underwear.”
Russell says he has no idea why he was naked.
“It was just very out of control,” he told Oprah, showing her that he pounded his hands on the street so hard he actually dented his wedding ring. “I look at that video and I think, how sad for him.”
When asked if he was gay, he said he was simply “theatrical” and denied rumors that he had performed a lewd act during his meltdown.
“There were rumors of masturbation, but no one who was there ever said that that was happening,” he told Oprah, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m naked so it’s not a far extension of imagination that that would be happening but, no, I don’t remember any of that, and no one we knew there said that I was. I don’t remember anything except like a half-second. I don’t.”
Russell was later diagnosed as having a psychotic breakdown that caused temporary insanity, and says he has been doing yoga and therapy to recover.
“It’s hard for my wife to even talk about it still because it was so scary and traumatizing,”he told the Today show.
He says he’s going to be more watchful of his health this time around, as he promotes Invisible Children’s new film “Move,” which made its YouTube debut on Sunday. The film, which promises a behind-the-scenes look at KONY 2012, asks supporters to march against Joseph Kony on Washington on November 17.
“I don’t think anything can compete with the perfect storm of KONY 2012,” he said, “but we do hope that millions of people do see this next film and know that we’re still committed.”
What do you think? Is he being honest or doing his best to cover up a completely embarrassing story that may have impacted his KONY 2012 campaign of sorts. It’s hard to know because, as he said himself, he’s “theatrical”:
Hollywood Reporter - When Winfrey asked the married filmmaker about rumors he’s gay (“that you were running in the streets nude because you were gay”), he laughed, saying: “I grew up in theater, my parents started a large children’s theater organization, so I am animated, I am … theatrical. That’s me by nature. So when you take me, times it by ten … .”
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‘Boy Scouts: Don’t let your anti-gay policy deny my son his Eagle award’
A friend of mine brought this story to my attention and asked that I share it with all of you. Obviously, the mistreatment of homosexuals is something that I am particularly interested in changing, and this mother’s plea is rather touching. Ryan’s mother, Karen Andresen, is looking for people to help her son acquire his Eagle award, which he has earned. Below is Mrs. Andersen’s letter and a link to sign the petition. Please read and I urge you to help this young man by showing him the compassion of his peers is stronger than the hate of those who disagree with who he is.
My son Ryan needs your help.
Ryan joined the Boy Scouts when he was just six years old, and since then, he’s dreamed of earning his Eagle award — the highest rank in the Boy Scouts.
Ryan is now a senior in high school, and just completed the final requirements to earn his Eagle Award. He’s an honor student with great SAT scores, who’s hoping to attend the University of San Francisco. But because he recently came out to his friends and family as gay, leaders from our local Boy Scout troop say they won’t approve his Eagle award.
A Boy Scout gets his Eagle by earning many badges, completing all lower Scout rank requirements, and carrying out an approved final project. So Ryan decided to build a “Tolerance Wall” for his school, to show bully victims — like Ryan — that they are not alone. Ryan worked countless hours with elementary students to amass a wall of 288 unique tiles, all illustrating acts of kindness.
But when leadership in Troop 212 (San Francisco Bay Area) found out that Ryan was gay, the Scoutmaster said he refused to sign the official paperwork designating Ryan as an Eagle Scout, despite the fact that Ryan completed all of the requirements.
Many troops around the country are standing up, choosing to reject the Boy Scouts’ discriminatory policy. I sincerely hope that Ryan’s troop will become one of them. And with your help, they just might.
It hurts me so much to watch Ryan suffer for being who he is, because to me, he’s perfect. Ryan has worked for nearly 12 years to become an Eagle Scout, and nothing would make him more proud than earning that well-deserved distinction. I hope that if enough people come together, we can convince my son’s troop leaders to help him feel proud of who he is and all he’s accomplished.
“Citizenship in the Community,” a merit badge earned, means standing up for what is right, and I am proud of Ryan for doing just that. Will you stand with him too, and join this campaign?
Petition Letter
Ryan joined the Boy Scouts when he was just six years old, and since then, he’s dreamed of earning his Eagle award — the highest rank in the Boy Scouts.
Ryan is now a senior in high school, and just completed the final requirements to earn his Eagle Award. He’s an honor student with great SAT scores, who’s hoping to attend the University of San Francisco. But because he recently came out to his friends and family as gay, leaders from your troop say they won’t approve his Eagle award.
This is unfair and wrong.
A Scout earns his Eagle by earning many badges, completing all lower Scout rank requirements, and carrying out an approved final project. So Ryan decided to build a “Tolerance Wall” for his school, to show bully victims — like Ryan — that they are not alone. Ryan worked countless hours with elementary students to amass a wall of 288 unique tiles, all illustrating acts of kindness.
Many troops around the country are standing up, choosing to reject the Boy Scouts’ discriminatory policy. I sincerely hope that Ryan’s troop — Troop 212 — will become one of them.
“Citizenship in the Community,” a merit badge earned, means standing up for what is right, and I am proud of Ryan for doing just that. Will you stand with him, too?
Sincerely,
[Your name]
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Atheism and Religion: Logical Insight
As many of you may already know, I am an Atheist. This doesn’t mean I dislike people who are religious, the same as I don’t dislike Conservatives (Republicans), just disagree with some of their opinions. I have many friends and family members who believe in religion and although I think it’s harmful to society, I would never disrespect them for coming to a different conclusion than I have come to on my own. But, seeing as I am a passionate person, I like to share what I believe with others, urge them to think differently and open their minds. I encourage myself to do the same, which just so happens to be the reason I have come to this conclusion.
A friend of mine, Anastasia, wrote something the other day that I found to be pretty great. I asked her if I could share it here and would like to know what some of you think, as well as express my support for everything that was said. I have shared it exactly as it was written below:
“I’ll tell you what else is on my mind. I recently watched the episode of “Louie” where, as a child, he attends a Catholic school and the teacher brings in a doctor to explain, from a medical stand point, the process of Jesus’ crucifixion. It’s brutal and horrific, and the best piece of mind-fuckery out there. How in the world does the idea that one man being physically tortured cancels out the “sins” of the world? (more on “sins” later. okay right now- not raping people is not one of the ten commandments. not using the lord’s name in vain is. uhm. what.?) Really think about that. More importantly, think about how many people have been physically/mentally/
I know that many people are getting tired of the political and religious posts that are on Twitter, FaceBook, etc; But personally, I think it’s great that our generation is becoming so involved and choosing to think for ourselves as opposed to just take what was told to us, as truth. Granted, there are definitely many people who still do this, it’s great to know that thanks to the advancement in social media, our generation is able to meet people who share the same views, values, morals, etc. and are open to discussing how they could be right and/or wrong.
Thank you Anastasia for allowing me to share your message and I hope others can see the humanity in your words as opposed to the “religious attack” you made “against” them.
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[VIDEO] Expedia Made Me Cry: Find Your Understanding
Expedia has shared its support for same-sex couples before, but this time, they have come out with a rather heartfelt video that definitely made me cry. This video is a portion of Expedia’s “Find Yours” ongoing campaign, and shares Artie Goldstein’s story. This father explains how he feels a bit uneasy when traveling to his daughter Jill’s same-sex wedding in California, but then goes on to show his support.
“My expectations of what Jill’s life was going to be included a husband,” Goldstein recalls. “So when Nikki came to ask permission to marry our little girl, that startled me. I told her, ‘This is not the dream I had for my daughter.’ I didn’t say yes, I didn’t say no.” Stunning footage of Jill and Nikki’s nuptials accompany Goldstein’s emotional narration. “You come to terms with it…it’s supposed to be this way,” Goldstein observes.
The two beautiful brides wrote to HuffPost Gay Voices and shared their appreciation of Expedia featuring their journey in this campaign.
“Our hope is that all families can experience this type of closeness and support, regardless of sexuality,” Nikki and Jill Weiss-Goldstein said. “We are extremely proud of our father and his personal journey that has led him to his understanding.”
Expedia was able to portray a message of tolerance, understanding, and family all entangled with the unique experience of travel. They didn’t focus on the physical journey that Artie Goldstein took, instead paid more attention to the emotional journey he was embracing. Goldstein was able to overcome his unease and make a trip to walk his little girl down the aisle. Thanks to the love for his daughter and the ease of Expedia getting him where he needed to go, you see how this man’s journey was a good one, all while highlighting Expedia’s support for same-sex couples.
Well done Expedia, well done.
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[VIDEO] This Old Man Can Still Do It.
I really never thought I would see a music video, starring an 83-year-old man who is rapping about still being able to “do it”. Our generation is fortunate enough to be blessed with these random gems thanks to the wonderful internet. And to think, I use to just chat with strangers in chat rooms, which was far less entertaining.
The one and only Kwayzar, is at it again, with his first hit single “I Can Still Do It” Coming out of Southern California, Kwayzar is 83 and still driving the girls crazy. He’s got the internet going wild. Holla at a playa. Follow @KwayzarTheSeer
Like! www.facebook.com/KwayzarTheSeer
iTunes: Kwayzar
Blog: kwayzar.blogspot.com
Beat produced by Scotty Chevelle
@YeeItsScotty scottychevelle@gmail.com facebook.com/ScottyChevelle
Filmed and edited by @CodyKlintworth
Starring Kwayzar, the world’s only and oldest cyber rapper
Film model : Crystal Moxy
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