Melanie Nathan – August 28  2010;

JERUSALEM — Israelis demonstrated in Jerusalem in the thousands in support of Gilad Shalit, marking the soldier’s 24th birthday and his fifth as a captive of Palestinian Islamists in the Gaza Strip.

He was a child when captured – surely there is a fiber of compassion – something that would show the world that these Palestinians could end this torture of a human life and find peace for a family who have done little more than love a son.

Shalit’s mother Aviva called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do everything he could to secure freedom for her son, who was seized by Gaza-based militants in a deadly cross-border raid in June 2006.

“You have the chance of freeing Gilad,” she told a gathering from a makeshift podium outside the premier’s residence. On August 3, the soldier’s father Noam appealed in an open letter to Palestinians in Gaza to pressure their Hamas rulers to agree to release his son in a prisoner exchange.

And where is America? Where is the outcry? There is no reason to hold a boy turned man; a child captured for what – to make little men look powerful? It is nothing more than an act of cowardice sustained by the continued oppression and a human right infraction that renders the Palestinian’s own case unworthy.

It is terrorists who capture and kidnap and threaten and abuse.

Hamas and other militant groups have demanded a swap involving hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including several top militants. Yes thousand for one. Gilad you rock! Happy Birthday you will come home.

Israel made its most recent offer late last year through a German mediator, but Hamas has yet to formally respond to the deal. Each side has blamed the other for the failure to reach an agreement.

On Saturday, Aviva Shalit said she would continue a sit-in in a tent outside the Netanyahu residence, begun two months ago, and would not return home until her son was free.

Both France and Britain marked the birthday of Shalit -- who also has French citizenship — by calling for his release. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in a message read out by a French diplomat, said Paris was working hard for his freedom.

“Gilad is not a prisoner of war, for POWs have rights such as visits from humanitarian organisations or exchanges of mail with their loved ones. Gilad does not have these rights because he is a hostage,” Sarkozy’s message said. He denounced “this revolting way of treating a human being which provokes our collective indignation, in Israel, France and across the globe.”

Britain also used the occasion of Shalit’s birthday to condemn his “unjustifiable” detention. But where is President Obama? Can you please speak up Mr. President? Leader of the free world.

“The thoughts of many in Britain are with Gilad Shalit and his family as he spends his 24th birthday in captivity,” a Foreign Office spokesman said in London.

“His detention is unjustifiable and unacceptable. The British government demands his immediate and unconditional release.”

President Obama we await your response!

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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Posted by Mel Nathan; 8-20-10 ; From someone who knows nothing about ISLAM- at all.  I am having a difficult time fully understanding this Video explanation of Islam.   The narrator compares Bible and Torah’s aptitude” for interpretation to the Quran’s “requirement” to be read literally.  This could be construed as an anti-Islam piece of work – or …..?   Please comment.

Do these three points take you by surprise…. Welcome a discussion…

LGBT Interest – The narrator says that Q’uran requires action against homosexuality – is that an interpretation?

08/18/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Dr. Laura is quitting her radio show! YAY! The hate filled right winger announced on Larry King that she is quitting her show to protect her first amendment rights. Does that make sense? No, but neither does Dr. Laura.

Dr. Laura was called out for using the N word on her show last week. In an effort to help Dr. Laura understand what she did wrong, King points out that it’s ok when a group goes after each other but it’s not ok when someone outside the group does it. Dr. Laura defended her actions by saying she was trying to help her guest by saying the n word to illustrate a point about hypersensitivity. She said she realized she wasn’t helping, apologized to the guest later that night and that she had policed herself without media help.

She went on to say that her contract with the network is up at the end of the year and she has made the decision not to do radio anymore. “The reason is I want to regain my first amendent right…without some special interest group…attacking.” She feels “stronger and freer to say the things that need to be said,” now that she is ending her program. She also says that times have changed, and ‘now if people don’t like what you say they threaten sponsors. These are angry hateful groups that don’t want to debate but to eliminate.” Or one can look at it as, hateful speech is no longer recepted well in this country because we want to encourage acceptance, tolerance and diversity. But hey, what do I know?   

Don’t worry, Dr. Laura will still be around, speaking, writing books and blogging. “This is the era of the internet!” She crowed triumphantly to a confused Larry King, “My career isn’t over!”

Unfortunately.  

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Melanie Nathan; 08-16-10

Many of  our readers have asked that we spread the word.  I only wish there were more we could do, at a time when we must wonder if life means so little especially if a woman?

Given Cultural and religious beliefs one may be apt to think, ‘well that is the way it is;’ however we have seen too much of oppression of women in the name of religion and cultural belief and that is all it is – violence and flagrant  disregard for the lives of women.

Seen often as mere chattels and under command, for a use, of body mind and soul,  we must speak out for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43 year old mother of two, was convicted in May 2006 of having an “illicit relationship” with two men and received 99 lashes as her sentence. Despite already having been punished, she has now been further convicted of “adultery” and she and sentenced to death by stoning.

She is currently being held on death row in Tabriz Prison, north-west Iran, and faces imminent execution. Around July 7th , following international protests, officials in Tabriz asked the head of Iran’s judiciary to agree that her sentence of stoning to death be converted to execution by hanging.

On 10 July, the head of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights said that her case would be reviewed, although he affirmed that Iranian law permits execution by stoning.

On 14 July Sajjad Qaderzadeh, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s son, was summoned to Tabriz’s Central Prison, and is believed to have been questioned by Ministry of Intelligence officials who possibly threatened him not to give further interviews about his mother’s case.

It is clear Sakineh remains in grave risk… PLEASE sign this petition which calls on the Iranian authorities to clarify her current legal status, demands that the authorities enact legislation that bans stoning as a legal punishment, and eliminates other forms of the death penalty for “adultery” such as fogging or imprisonment.

Sign Petition: http://freesakineh.org/

If you have not signed this or sent a note to Secretary Clinton now is the time.

I wish I could do more – I will promise though, that on Friday night I will Pray on my Sabbath in my Synagogue for the life of a sister and the goodwill of her children.

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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Anti-Gay Laura Schlessinger, now apparently a racist too?  Someone should strip that mean spirited ego centric piece of dangling doo-doo apology for a human of her doc-tatorship – or whatever the hell it is she has placed before her name “DR.”   She is Dr. NO or NO Dr.!

Who would have dreamed it?  “DON’T NAACP ME” asserted ‘the better than thou’ Schlesinger, in a tirade exposing her for exactly who she is – an angry bigot – no more no less… or maybe  more – time will tell.   “I thought once we had a Black President the attempts to demonize whites hating blacks would stop.  But it has not I don’t get it.  Its hasn’t and It’s all about power: She ranted on after the shocked caller, a self described “black woman married to a white man” called for advice about being treated with disrespect through racist remarks perpetrated by family and friends.

The conversation went haywire when Schlesinger challenged the caller ‘s gripe and proceeded to throw out three consecutive “N’” words – what is this woman thinking.  No surprise to me.  I have listened to her show and am astounded by her popularity. She berates most of her callers anyway with her condescending pernicious soliloquies  - all in an attempt to elevate her sorry nothingness to an attempted something-ness.

Goodness, who sponsors this trash?

Read/ hear audio  - you be the Judge.   I think she should be banned off the air- if they did it to The guy with the cowboy hat – why not do it to the woman with the wig?

After a break, the caller said she was appalled by Schlessinger’s use of the word. “Oh, then I guess you don’t watch HBO or listen to any black comedians,” she said. “My dear, the point I am trying to make…we’ve got a black man as president and we’ve got more complaining about racism than ever. I think that’s hilarious.”   Schlesinger and the caller then got into an exchange about the use of the word:

CALLER: Is it OK to say that word? Is it ever OK to say that word?
DR. LAURA: It depends how it’s said. Black guys talking to each other seem to think it’s ok.
CALLER: But you’re not black, they’re not black, my husband is white.
DR. LAURA: Oh, I see, so a word is restricted to race. Got it. Can’t do much about that.
CALLER: I can’t believe someone like you is on the radio spewing out the n***** word, and I hope everybody heard it.
DR. LAURA: I didn’t spew out the n***** word!
CALLER: You said “n*****, n*****, n*****” and I hope everybody heard it.
DR. LAURA: Yes they did, and I’ll say it again: n*****, n*****, n***** is what you hear on HBO.
[Crosstalk]

DR. LAURA: Why don’t you let me finish a sentence? Don’t take things out of context. Don’t NAACP me, leave them in context. “If you’re that hypersensitive about color and don’t have a sense of humor, don’t marry outside of your race,” Schlesinger said after hanging up with the caller.

She apologized the next day, opening her show with an apology.

“Yesterday, I did the wrong thing,” she said. “I didn’t intend to hurt people, but I did. And that makes it the wrong thing to have done. I was attempting to make a philosophical point, and I articulated the “n” word all the way out – more than one time. And that was wrong. I’ll say it again – that was wrong.”

Schlessinger said she “was so upset [she] could not finish the show.”

“I pulled myself off the air at the end of the hour,” she said. “I had to finish the hour, because 20 minutes of dead air doesn’t work. I am very sorry. And it just won’t happen again.” Boo Hoo Laura Remember your an-gay days – when you said the following and now you want us to believe YOU ARE NOT a Bigot.

And so it should not get her outa here!  She is NOT qualified to Counsel a fly!

According to various sources, Dr. Laura Schlessinger has said or written the following anti-gay slurs, which promoted the website - http://www.stopdrlaura.com/laura/

“A huge portion of the male homosexual populace is predatory on young boys.”

“If you’re gay or lesbian it’s a biological error.”

“I call homosexual practices deviant.”

“The First Amendment is not the 11th Commandment. Its protection does not extend to ALL speech.”

“When we have the word ‘homosexual,’ we are clarifying the dysfunction, the deviancy, the reality.”

“….[reparative] therapies which have been successful in helping a reasonable number of people become heterosexual.” 7

“…I believe that homosexual behavior is deviant; that when homosexuals adopt children, these children are intentionally robbed of a necessary mom and dad…”

“I’m sorry, hear it one more time perfectly clearly: If you’re gay or a lesbian, it’s a biological error that inhibits you from relating normally to the opposite sex.  The fact that you are intelligent, creative and valuable is all true. The error is in your inability to relate sexually intimately, in a loving way to a member of the opposite sex – it is a biological error.” Quoted from Dr. Laura’s Website, 1998-DEC-8

ON MATTHEW SHEPARD

“You know what was largely responsible for that guy’s [Matthew Shepard's] death? Those two guys who killed him did not go out looking for a homosexual to kill that night. They were shooting pool. He went to the bar. He left with two guys he thought he was gonna have sex with. He got murdered. How many women has that happened to? How many women have left bars thinking they were gonna get some action with some guy who raped and murdered and tortured and murdered them?

Far more women than homosexual men have ended up dead that way, I would guess. Is that a hate crime against women? I think so but they specifically picked the woman who was willing to leave for sex. If Matthew hadn’t been willing to leave for sex, he might still be alive. That certainly doesn’t make him responsible for his own death but when you put yourself into a situation of going off to have anonymous sex with people you meet at a bar, what kind of person is gonna leave with you? Usually scum…. This was a terrible tragedy but it’s also one that might have been avoided if he had simply gone home with his friends instead of thinking he was gonna get a little.” – Dr. Laura radio show, April 16, 1999 (quoted by CBSC).

By the way – her apology weights low against the extent  of the Tirade. “I should not of said that” in no way excuses the lengthy and non stop verbosity of the rant.  Its not as if she said mere words – here insensitivity and her lack of basic sense outweighs her nebulus apology.  Fire her- its about time!

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SAN FRANCISCO – Alameda County is home to a former Roman Catholic priest Patrick Joseph McCabe, 74, from Ireland,  who is now in jail  in Dublin California’s Santa Rita Jail, awaiting possible extradition to Ireland to face charges of sexually abusing six boys, in proceedings in Federal Court in San Francisco.

The extradition stems from nine counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted indecent assault with six boys between 10 and 14 years old, allegedly occurring in Ireland between 1973 and 1981.

The extradition bid was filed on behalf of the Republic of Ireland and McCabe voluntarily surrendered to U.S. Magistrate Maria-Elena James in San Francisco on July 30.

He was placed on house arrest until Aug. 4, when James ordered he be held in custody while awaiting extradition hearings. Ironically he is in a Jail in Dublin,  California.

According to the extradition papers McCabe, forced to leave the priesthood, was accused of abuse by Irish police in 1988.

Interpol tracked him and in 2003 reported that he was living in Alameda.

No date has been set for hearings on the extradition request, but McCabe is due to return to court on Sept. 2 for a status conference.

McCabe’s lawyers are appealing to allow him to be released on bail on grounds of ill health, including diabetes and heart problems, in a hearing on tentatively scheduled before the U.S. District Judge   in San Francisco at 3 p.m. Friday.

Federal attorneys opposing his bail say that he can be sufficiently cared for in custody.

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A JetBlue flight attendant found a unique solution for AAWPS (Attendant angry with passenger syndrome) – he became a “jumper.”

A passenger allegedly cheesed off (polite for pissed off) the flight attendant, Steven Slater, 38, after knocking him with his luggage which he was retrieving from the over head compartment. Apparently, requesting an apology, the passenger refused, prompting the angry attendant to grab the PA system, as a means to conveying obscenities to the entire plane load of passengers aboard, and then without further ado, the well trained in safety procedure attendant activated the plane’s emergency chute, jumped and slid his way down to the tarmac, poised for healing from a bad case of AAWPS.

The exercise, in freedom from passenger antic, occurred aboard JetBlue Flight 1052 from Pittsburgh to John F. Kennedy airport Monday, at Terminal 5, Gate C an airport official told news media.

Slater made his way to his car and drove to his residence in Belle Harbor, Queens, the official said. JetBlue officials waited until about 25 minutes after the chute was deployed before they notified Port Authority Police. The wait enabled Slater to make the getaway, the airport’s police force. Steve Stampley, a jetBlue spokesman, declined to comment on the alleged reporting delay.

BUT  unfortunately the freedom was short lived and Slater went from GO to Jail, without collecting 200. Instead he collected an immediate 600 plus firneds ion the new FaceBook site created called “Free Steven Slater Club.

Authorities picked the flight attendant up at his home on Beach 128^th Street Monday afternoon and brought him to the Port Authority Police station at JFK airport for questioning. The official said that Slater was calm when arrested and remained calm throughout his interrogation and the booking process.

He was charged with reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. He was awaiting arraignment Monday night. Attempts to reach Slater’s relatives were not successful. (No word on whether the flight attendant was one of the many former NYPD officers in jetBlue’s employ.)

Stampley said that jetBlue’s corporate policy prohibits the company from divulging information about crew members.

“At this time, we are working with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to investigate this incident. At no time was the security or safety of our customers or crew members at risk,” Stampley said.

By Melanie Nathan,   8-09-10

The Long awaited Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010 (SB 3307) has passed the Senate, after a push by the ADA membership and other advocates, urging Senators to get the job done!  The Act, which passed the Senate unanimously now moves to the House where it is expected to pass.

This now makes a strong investment in our children’s future. It will provide local school districts with resources to improve the quality and nutritional value of meals served to students; require the USDA to strengthen nutrition standards for foods sold in vending machines, a la carte lines and school stores; and require the USDA to implement standards based on current nutrition science.

“If current trends continue, one in three children born since the year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in their lives. In order to curb this epidemic, we need to promote healthy lifestyles at school, where our children spend a large part of their day. The passage of the Act has indeed put us that much closer to putting a stop to this dangerous epidemic. “  www.diabeteshealth.com

The Full Text of the Act can be found here:- http://ag.senate.gov/site/legislation.html and http://ag.senate.gov/site/ComLeg/s3307.pdf

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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Back in 1978 new to America and in New York City for the first time, I found a postcard in a little shop in Greenwich Village; for some strange reason it spoke to me.  Feeling the freshness of my new home, America, loving it, despite the alienation at times; an Egyptian-Iraqi Jew who rarely saw her trajectory mirrored.

So here was a cool card embracing my old and now my new worlds; it featured BOTH the Twin Towers AND the Pyramids!  I felt mirrored by the intersection of cultures that I identified with. The New York Twin Towers, looming from the desert floor towered over the Pyramids, a fact of modernity – while both stunningly beautiful—Modern New York juxtaposed with its Mid-Eastern equivalent, Ancient Egypt.

In l978 America had yet to lose her innocence. My perception of course; coming from my stateless childhood; Baghdad to Egypt, then India, and refuge in Japan, marred by a traumatized Nagasaki and the horror of Hiroshima.

Never could I have imagined a ‘9/11,’ all that time ago when I found my 3D treasure, the Card, the type that changes according to movement and positioning impacted by reflection.  This card shimmered and shone, depending on how one moved it and so I shared it with friends who came over to the house: “hey look at this cool card I found in the Village. That was then way back in the 70’s.

By the time 9/11 occurred I had probably shown this card to most of my friends if not all of them.  On that dreadful day the Cool Card suddenly became something totally different. Its significance took on a meaning that shed its beauty with one foul new look.

Just as it would if positioned at any angle, the Card changed when those buildings toppled; and my relationship to it factored in my work as a psychotherapist.  I have studied envy.

America has not had the envy phobia that we Middle Easterners have. It’s a new country built on hope and freedom that asserts “Why would what I have, diminish you, if you can go out there and make it happen for yourself? Right?  (I am not commenting here on how viable this hope is, just that it is much more alive and possible than in many old tradition bound countries).

At any rate, speaking envy: “I hate you because you have or you are something that makes me feel less than you, hence, you DIMINISH my sense of Self. I have two options: to get rid of you (the offending object) or  get rid of me (the diminished subject.)

Islamic fundamentalists have found an even more satisfying solution: get rid of you and me— by using brainwashed homicide bombers to do the job. They don’t get to live and tell or regret or change their tune. They are gone along with the offending objects.

In this case the tallest most powerful buildings in America were intolerable.  In magnificent financially powerful New York,  homicide bombers on a mission to restore self esteem  and idealization of a culture suffering from low self esteem — experiencing themselves as victims of a disrespected and wronged Islamic world. What better solution for a restoration of Idealization by brainwashed self sacrificing homicide bombers pumped up with promises of heroism, eternal salvation, and most important: a restoration of worth for self and the greatness of God/Islam.

In the process of getting rid of the offending mirror that cannot tell a lie any more than Snow White’s stepmother’s mirror could, what else can the devastated do? How else to avoid the feeling that Snow White’s survival DIMINISHES the aging BEAUTY of her stepmother, shattering her faltering SENSE OF SELF. Snow White must go. The stepmother’s sense of self as the most beautiful must be restored.

Snow White’s stepmother could not bear to no longer be the BEST MOST BEAUTIFUL in the Land.  Her mirror told the truth. The Twin Towers told the truth. America was on top.

America is a vibrant country, flourishing, and a slap in the face to Islamic fundamentalist mentality.

Snow White’s stepmother had to get rid of her stunning daughter. The mirror refused to lie.  Islamic fundamentalism is diminished by a flourishing Western culture.  It is diminished by women showing cleavage and walking free. The list goes on.   Now look at the postcard again.  After 9/11 it took on a deeper meaning for me. I see it as a stark portrait of the inability of Islamic Fundamentalism to tolerate the success of the West. The pyramids are sinking in the sand. Although they are beautiful and nothing short of stunning they no longer command the power of an ancient civilization.  And in the eyes of the envious (and the Middle East  and North Africa understand the Evil Eye of Envy), the contrast is intolerable.

Like Snow White’s envious stepmother’s  mirror didn’t’ lie, the towers had to be destroyed in a flaming burst of seething raw rage of envy.

Now masking as peace loving community building stalwarts, there is an attempt to put a mosque in the shadow of those Towers, at ground zero.    Is this the icing on the cake? A slap in the face, unmitigated chutzpah, and disrespectful at best, where is the sense of shame to even have such an idea?

The worst part of this is that this action of attempting to build an Islamic Center next to Ground Zero, forces us, the United States, to put up boundaries and conditions a “free” Country abhors, running against the grain of what we hold so dear, our freedoms – including that of religion.

At the same time we can no longer bask innocently as an open society. Better we face head on the misguided calls of “racism” by those who think being blown up by hateful Islamic Fundamentalists who cannot bear to see us thrive is ‘just dessert’ for the West –and in this case America.

So perhaps by saying “NO Not Here,” we have to let go of some of the open society we have so valued and protected in order to keep what we still can have: self respect and no apology for taking care of our own. I see no other choice. Build the mosque and all its trimmings someplace far away from Ground Zero.   After all like the Anti-Defamation League notes – the stress and pain it would cause to victims and family far outweighs the very freedom which ADL usually services so vigorously.

Rachel Wahba

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08/04/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Screw…why does this sleezeball have to be on our side? Madam Kristin Davis, best known for supplying disgraced former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer with hookers, now is making her own bid for NY Governor. Her chances? Less than a snowball’s chance in hell but slightly higher than Governor Paterson getting reelected. Luckily, she only has a week to get herself officially on the ballot, something she hasn’t done yet.

Ms. Davis is running on important issues, such as marriage equality, legalization of pot and prostitution and highlighting and fixing the racial and class inequities in our criminal justice system. Doesn’t sound bad to me…but then you have to remember that she sells young women for a profit. Watch the video of her making her case for running below.

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07/29/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Politicians everywhere are lauding the Federal Judge who blocked key elements of the xenophobic Arizona Immigration Law into effect. NYC Council speaker and civil rights advocate Christine Quinn released a statement saying she is pleased with the decision, but we still have a long way to go.  
“This decision is a victory but make no mistake that the battle continues. I want to thank the U. S. District Court for their decision and the Obama administration for taking action on such a serious issue.”  Christine C. Quinn 

 Quinn’s statement was backed up by other NYC politicians.

Statement from Council Member Danny Dromm, Chair of the Immigration Committee:
 
“I support the federal judge’s decision to block key elements of Arizona’s immigration law from going into effect because these types of draconian measures against our immigrant population are totally unacceptable. It is our duty and our obligation as people, and as citizens of the United States to ensure that everyone’s rights are respected and that everyone is protected under the law. What these provisions of the Arizona law were essentially going to do is allow the police to use racial profiling to enforce the law and that is wrong and unconstitutional.  I’m glad that the judge had the good sense to prevent this from happening.”
 
Statement from Council Member Julissa Ferreras:
 
“I commend Judge Bolton for rejecting Arizona’s unjust law, and thank Attorney General Holder, a son of East Elmhurst, Queens, for his leadership and action in this case.  We now need to move ahead towards comprehensive reform of our broken system.  Millions of immigrants must be allowed to attain legal status.”
 
Statement from Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito:
 
We were very pleased to learn of the United States District Court Judge Sarah Bolton’s decision to place a preliminary injunction on those parts of the Arizona’s draconian immigration enforcement law that were most likely to encourage racial profiling and discrimination.  Since Governor Jan Brewer signed this law in April, so many of us in the City Council have roundly denounced Arizona’s actions, making it clear that this was simply the wrong approach to addressing our broken immigration system.  We were equally concerned that other states and localities would pass similar laws that go against the values we hold so dearly as a nation.
 
Fortunately, Judge Bolton’s decision today represents an important step toward what we hope will amount to a decision to fully strike down, at the very least, all parts of the law that threaten the civil rights and civil liberties of immigrants and communities of color in Arizona.  We would like to thank the United States Department of Justice, under the leadership of President Obama, for filing a lawsuit against the State of Arizona in response to this law.  We would also like to thank all of the advocacy groups who have filed lawsuits and the organizations and immigrant communities in New York City and throughout the U.S. who have stood so strongly against this law.
 
While today does represent a victory for immigrant communities, our fight is far from over.  Even if Arizona’s immigration law is struck down, Congress and the President must remain focused on enacting sweeping comprehensive immigration reform legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants across the United States, as well as other critical reforms such as the DREAM Act and the Uniting American Families Act.  In the absence of such reform, so many local governments will continue to seek to enact piecemeal legislation on an issue that should be regulated by the federal government.
 
Here in New York City, we take the utmost pride in being a city that welcomes immigrants from all over the world and truly values the enormous contributions they make to our social and economic life each day

I’m proud to be represented by these men and women and proud to be a New Yorker.

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Inviting Random  Arrests and Banishment of Undocumented Residents

LINCOLN, NE – The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU Nebraska filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of landlords, tenants and employers in Fremont, Nebraska challenging a discriminatory law that seeks to banish persons alleged to be undocumented immigrants from rental homes in the 25,000-person town. The law also mandates that businesses performing work in Fremont enroll in an error-ridden federal program for verifying work status. Like the recently passed law in Arizona, the Fremont law invites racial profiling against Latinos and others who appear “foreign.” The group will file a motion shortly requesting that the court block the law from going into effect while the case is litigated.

The ACLU’s lawsuit charges that Fremont’s law is at odds with the clear constitutional mandate imposing a uniform federal immigration enforcement system and has a discriminatory effect on those who look or sound “foreign.”

“This law encourages discrimination and racial profiling against Latinos and others who appear to be foreign born, including U.S. citizens,” said Amy Miller, Legal Director of ACLU Nebraska. “We’re going to do all we can to make sure this extreme law, which would lead to individuals losing housing and jobs because of their appearance and language accent, never goes into effect. Nebraska doesn’t need a law on its books that like Arizona’s, is completely out of step with American values of fairness and equality.”

The Fremont ordinance, which passed on June 21 and is scheduled to go into effect on July 29, requires prospective renters to provide the Fremont Police Department with information about their citizenship or immigration status prior to renting any home. Employers are required to check the status of would-be hires using E-Verify, a flawed federal electronic verification program that Congress has repeatedly declined to make mandatory.

U.S. citizens who have family members who cannot prove their immigration status are worried about the impact the law will have on their ability to live together as a family, and employers are concerned that the error-ridden employment verification program will force them to turn away lawfully authorized workers. Residents of the town have already felt the discriminatory impact of the law.

Mario Martinez, a U.S. citizen of Mexican descent who lives in Fremont, is studying for his bachelor’s degree and working part-time to support his family. His wife is a legal U.S. resident from Mexico and they have a young child together. He has lived in Fremont for over 13 years and is profoundly disturbed by the hostility towards Latinos in the town and worries that he and his family might be evicted from their home as a result of the ordinance.

“Fremont feels like a completely different town now,” said Martinez. “I’m as much a part of this community as anyone but now I get hostile looks from people like they want me to get out and my wife has been told to go back to Mexico because of her accent. I’m so disappointed that a law like this could have passed here. I always thought in this day and age laws are meant to prevent discrimination, not encourage it.”

The controversy over the Fremont law has been closely watched across the country, and the ACLU’s challenge is the latest in a national fight against discriminatory laws like the one recently passed in Arizona requiring police to demand “papers” from people they stop who they suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S.

“Divisive ordinances like these tear communities apart,” said Jennifer Chang Newell, staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. “It’s time to stop promoting discriminatory policies like these so that we can come together to find a national approach to immigration.”

The ACLU has successfully challenged local anti-immigrant laws across the country, including in California, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Attorneys on the case, Martinez v. Fremont, include Newell and Tanaz Moghadam of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, Miller of ACLU Nebraska and Nebraska trial counsel Alan Peterson of Lincoln and Michael Nelsen of Omaha.

The complaint in support of a preliminary injunction and permanent injunction can be found at: www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/martinez-v-fremont-complaint

Melanie Nathan:  “Imagine sitting in a Restaurant Bar and watching World Cup Soccer – and waving a Mexican Flag- ALL people in the BAR would according to these laws be “detainable” and the local police could have license to raid. Stepping on the toes of ICE and FEDS.  What is going on in America today?”

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7-22-10  Melanie Nathan -
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Colorado filed a lawsuit in a Denver federal court today against the sheriff of Jefferson County in Colorado arguing that he unjustifiably and illegally imprisoned a Colorado resident for 47 days last year with no charges pending against him simply because federal immigration officers suspected that the man was in the U.S. in violation of federal immigration laws.

“Without any legal authority whatsoever, Sheriff Ted Mink imprisoned our client and kept him in legal limbo for 47 days with no charges pending, no opportunity to see a judge and no opportunity to post bail,” said Mark Silverstein, Legal Director of the ACLU of Colorado. “Our fundamental constitutional values prohibit depriving any person of liberty without due process of law.”

Luis Quezada, the ACLU’s client, was arrested and taken to the Jefferson County Jail where he was held for three days in May 2009 for failing to appear in court on a traffic charge. He promptly resolved the traffic charge, and the county court judge ordered him released.

Quezada was not released, however, because Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent the jail an immigration detainer advising that it was investigating whether Quezada was violating immigration laws. An immigration detainer instructs a jail or prison to hold a particular detainee an additional 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) after the detainee’s release date. The detainer states that its purpose is to provide adequate time for ICE agents to determine whether to take the detainee into federal custody and begin formal deportation proceedings. Yet after the 48 hour detainer expired, the Jefferson County sheriff continued to unlawfully hold Quezada for an additional 47 days.

When ICE finally took Quezada into custody in mid-July 2009, the agency immediately allowed him to be released on bond while he defended himself in immigration court.

“By allowing Mr. Quezada to post bond and be released, ICE determined that our client poses no danger to the community and is not a flight risk. Those same facts existed when our client was originally detained,” said Dan Williams, an attorney with the law firm of Faegre & Benson and cooperating attorney for the ACLU of Colorado. “No right is more firmly ingrained in our Constitution and our understanding of freedom than the right not to be left in jail indefinitely without charges filed or an opportunity to post bail, yet that is exactly what happened here. This lawsuit seeks to compensate Mr. Quezada, and we hope that it will serve as a wake-up call to law enforcement throughout Colorado to stop this lawless deprivation of liberty.”

The ACLU of Colorado has received multiple complaints of similar cases in which Colorado jails held suspected immigration violators without legal authority. To address the recurring issue, the ACLU of Colorado wrote to all Colorado sheriffs in the fall of 2008, advising that any legal authority of an immigration detainer expires after 48 hours. The ACLU also asked Colorado sheriffs for copies of any written policies instructing jail deputies on how to proceed when the jail receives immigration detainers. The Jefferson County attorney responded that the sheriff’s office had no applicable written policies.

ICE routinely issues immigration detainers to law enforcement agencies around the country as part of part of ICE enforcement initiatives involving state and local police such as the 287(g) program, Secure Communities and the Criminal Alien Program. In addition to causing racial profiling and harming public safety, those initiatives raise the risk that agencies and officers will face increased claims for damages as a result of cases like Quezada’s.

“ICE is issuing detainers by the thousands in an attempt to use state and local police and sheriffs as adjunct federal immigration officers,” said Omar Jadwat, a staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. “However, police officers and jailers are always required to obey the Constitution and simply cannot imprison a person in this way, even if an immigration detainer exists. States and municipalities open themselves to liability when they treat ICE detainers as if they were sentences imposed by a court.”

Attorneys on the case, Quezada v. Mink, include Jadwat of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project; Silverstein and Taylor Pendergrass of the ACLU of Colorado; and Williams of the law firm of Faegre & Benson.

A copy of the complaint can be found at: www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/quezada-v-mink-amended-complaint-and-jury-demand

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
see me on FaceBook

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With thanks to Miss New York Claire Buffie!

Guess what – you can be a beauty Queen and you can be Pro-LGBT rights. Yes You Can!  Move over anti-  Carrie Prejean is OUT , and the newest Miss New York, Claire Buffie is IN,  (well lezzies you may prefer it the other way around or ? Oh whatever! )

This is the first Miss America contestant, ever, to use LGBT rights as her contestant platform.

Her platform is “Straight for Equality: Let’s Talk”

Ms. Buffie tells The Advocate “that it’s really important to promote equality for all people, ‘all’ being the main word. As a straight ally, I think it’s so necessary to have that straight allies’ support for the LGBT community.”

Bringing equality to such a high profile platform is a courageous indictment of the hostility many straight people feel toward gay people, reminiscent of the Earlier Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s.  Twenty -50 years from now, if you are not carrying a banner “Straights for LGBT Right” you and your children will be ashamed.   If my Parents would not have carried their Pro Black Civil Rights Banner – today I would be ashamed.

So – That Said Thank you from Lez Get Real  and the pits of discriminatory hell to Claire Buffie – AND if you need any education as to what our movement in fact needs- have your peeps call us (Nathan@privatecourts.com) and we will tell you all about the new  GAY CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT  – The American Equality Bill and Uniting Amrican Families Act.  It is not about gay marriage it is about Absolute and unequivocal  Equality.

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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Melanie Nathan from Lezgetreal wrote an earlier article on this topic article – repeated below.

Before you re-read it or read it for the first time or ignore it here is some update by The ADVOCATE”:

“The man behind a proposed law banning divorce in the state of California has been given the go ahead to start collecting signatures.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced Tuesday that John Marcotte can start collecting petition signatures for the measure, according to KGO-TV. Marcotte has 150 days to collect 694,000 signatures before the measure can be put to a vote.

Marcotte began the petition after Prop. 8 passed at the polls. He said he thinks if gay marriage is a threat to the sanctity of marriage, divorce should be considered threatening as well.”

Article Re-print November, 2009;
“Considering Maine and Reflecting on California”

by Melanie Nathan

Does marriage equality and more specifically same-sex marriage hurt traditional marriage? This most confounding question has yet to be answered by anyone, especially those who expound the rhetoric while seeking to ban same-sex marriage.  The derogatory impact of same-sex marriage on straight marriage has yet to be quantified.  I wonder how one would be able to figure it out.

Could it be that for every 4 gay marriages one straight person will not marry his fiancé; could it be that for every 4 gay marriages one straight couple will divorce?  Could it mean that allowing gay marriages will result in less straight people marrying and thereby reduce the numbers of married people?  I am trying so hard to come up with a formula, can someone please help me?

Proposition 8 succeeded in California, and effectively removed a fundamental constitutional right, as endorsed by the Courts by way of popular vote – the right for any couple in California to marry regardless of gender was stripped.  Prop 8 was initiated in direct response and its mantra was  to “protect the institution of marriage” by keeping lesbians and gays out.

After the barrage of voracious advertisements led 51% of voting Californians to believe that gay marriage would by its mere legality threaten straight marriages. Churches poured their money into the advertising coffers, tacitly claiming the interests of their God.   Silly them there is a better way to save the institution of marriage and just think it can be done without stripping other Americans of their inherent rights, as well as the advantage of quantification.  The obvious, unambiguous and only one absolute vehicle to sustain the precept of marriage is clearly the “The outlawing of Divorce.”  We must bring a new proposition to the voters in this earnest quest and that would be  ahh maybe -Proposition 9 – “Repeal of the Legislative Right to Divorce Act.”

Notably, divorce, unlike same sex marriage, can be easily quantified.  I believe in California the divorce rate is approximately 1 in 3. There you go – for every 60,000 marriages ending in Divorce, we can save 60,000 saved – see how easy that was. Not like our difficulty when we attempted to quantify the impact of same-sex marriage on ‘ traditional marriage.’ – that means we would have 60,000 out of every 180,000 marriages saved… How powerful is that!

This is a call to all those who truly believe in the sanctity of marriage. Support the rescue of marriage by ending divorce for good. Here is a safer and better plan – how about making that retroactive.  Anyone who has been divorced consider your good-selves remarried.

Indeed the next obvious step is legislation that prohibits one’s right to divorce.  Divorce is not an inherent right; it is one that is granted by specific statute. For example in California there would be no divorce if the Family Law Code did not deal create it. It gets worse – Divorce involves one spouse suing the other for divorce.  In California the first paper served by a plaintiff spouse on a defendant spouse reads “SUMMONS- You Are Being Sued.”  How bizarre – to separate church and State in this fashion.  It is an abomination to the sacred right of marriage to think that after spouses have said “till death do us part” that one may sue the other for divorce and that our law allows that to happen.

If Maine supports the ban of same-sex marriage tonight, I profess this to be the nest obvious step there too.

Is this ban on Divorce a joke?  Not according to a Sacramento man, John Marcotte who is collecting signatures to place a new piece of legislation on the 2010 ballot for the people of California to decide on. He wants to make it illegal to divorce in California. Read his petition here.

Why? He contends that this is a natural extension of what religious conservatives did when they voted “Yes” on a ballot measure to ban gay marriage so that they could “protect traditional marriage”.

From John Marcotte’s Rescue Marriage website, here’s the statement announcing the new ballot measure:

“I loved Proposition 8, but felt it did not go far enough. So fresh from the office of our legal counsel, I present the 2010 California Protection of Marriage Act.

SECTION 1.  Title.  This act shall be known as the “2010 California Marriage Protection Act.”

SECTION 2.  Section 7.6 is added to Article I of the California Constitution, to read:

No party to any marriage shall be restored to the state of an unmarried person during the lifetime of the other party unless the marriage is void or voidable, as set forth in Part 2 of Division 6 of the Family Code.”

Marcotte has just launched his first couple of PSAs on the 2010 California Marriage Protection Act. Here they are:

Few Choice Quotes From the PSAs:

“My kids are being taught in school that divorce is all right.”

“You said ‘Till death do us part’. You’re not dead yet.”

“Hell is eternal, just like your marriage is supposed to be.”

“If we allow anyone to get divorced, before you know it, people will be divorcing their dogs.”

Lock Step-lock-jaw-Republicans-and conservatives- and those on the right – do not fail – put your money where your mouth is and support the BAN on DIVORCE.

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Diabetes Mobile- iPod iTouch iPhone Applications

Nadia Al- Samarrie - Publisher of Diabetes Health

Jay Hewitt has traveled miles and miles and more miles in a nineteen year period, racing Ironman triathlons in Australia, Europe, the Carribean and all over North America, climbing and camping at the top of 14,000 foot Mt. Whitney, and of course dozens of family vacations and business trips.

Packing equipment and supplies for an Ironman triathlon and 3 weeks in Australia requires a bit of planning and preparation, but when you have diabetes you feel like you do that for just a weekend out of town.  Meters, strips, insulin, syringes, infusion sets, pump supplies, snacks . . . a simple weekend trip becomes a lunar expedition.

Who could be more qualified than Jay to provide traveling tips such as these and if you want to read more then I highly recommend DIABETES HEALTH Magazine where this article was first published and reprinted here with permission of King’s Publishing Inc.

“Here are JAY’s  top five tips for traveling with diabetes.

1. Bring Extra of Everything. Adopt the NASA triple redundancy system.  If one thing breaks or is lost, you have a back up, and another back up.  If I will be out of town two nights and will need to change my insulin pump infusion set once, I bring one set plus 3 extras.  I bring syringes for a day just in case the pump malfunctions or is damaged.
2. Keep Your Diabetes Critical Pouch Packed. My diabetes travel kit stays packed in my home with insulin pump infusion sets, syringes, alcohol swabs and other miscellaneous supplies.  I call this my diabetes “critical pouch.”  I periodically use and replace each item.  Life is too busy to remember to pack each thing every time you leave the house for a night.  I just grab that little pack and check the inventory and go.  I keep it in a quart size clear plastic freezer bag perfect for airport security and for me to see the contents, and keep it in my carry on bag.  I also bring several glucose meters as well.
3. Prescriptions at a National Pharmacy. Keep prescriptions for insulin, strips, syringes and any other supplies updated and on file with national pharmacies such as Walgreen’s, CVS, or other chain, even if you get your every day supplies from a local pharmacy or mail order.  When you live in Maryland and lose your insulin in Florida, those national chains can refill you there.
4. Pack Supplies in Separate Luggage. My diabetes critical pouch stays with me in my carry on bag on a plane and in the car.  This pouch contains my insulin so that it is not exposed to heat when my suitcase is left outside or in a car.  Packed in my suitcase with my clothes I keep extra supplies such as an extra meter and strips, pump supplies or syringes.  Now you are prepared if you get there, but your luggage does not.
5. Pack Travel Snacks. My briefcase or backpack always has at least 2 sport bars or other snack to munch on the plane or in the car when my blood sugar gets low.  I have extra sport bars packed in my suitcase, and even my glove box.  I like sport bars such as Clif Bar because they are packaged and sealed and travel easily in my bags.  I also keep a non perishable high carbohydrate drink in a plastic bottle in my car to sip when needed.

When flying across the country or internationally be sure to adjust the time on your insulin pump for your basal rate or injection of long acting insulin to correspond to that new time zone.  I make sure I have a bottle of juice or other carb drink in my hotel room.  Nothing is worse than waking in the middle of the night with low blood sugar and having to dress and roam the hotel halls for a vending machine.   When I travel alone I prefer to err a bit on the high side of normal blood sugar when sleeping because no one is in my hotel room to help if I have a severe low.

Traveling usually means eating different foods, and often at different times, so I tend to test more frequently on the road.  A little exercise on the road is always a great way to stabilize blood sugar and refresh your body and mind, especially on a business trip.  You knew I would recommend exercise, didn’t you!  I always pack my running shoes and clothes on a business trip with a packed schedule just so I can feel better, and enjoy a nice dinner.  I love to have dinner within walking distance of my hotel in major cities like Washington or New York so I can walk back and enjoy the conversation and post meal exercise.

A little planning will make for a good trip.  Have fun!  ( © Diabeteshealth.com 2010)”

Traveling with the  recently launch by Diabetes Health Apple Applications, by the California based King’s Publishing Inc. :- This could be a travel savior for those with Diabetes – Imagine being able to take  a compendium of Diabetes Related issues and TV broadcasts on your travels.  read more  at ……..   http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2010/06/29/6740/diabetes-health-is-the-first-diabetes-magazine-to-launch-iphone-and-ipod-touch-applications-dh-mobil/?isComment=1

Please let us know if you are interested in more health related articles here on LGR that specifically relate to lesbian interest ….In 1999, lesbians were identified as an underserved minority by the Institute of Medicine. Some health issues for lesbians are different from those of heterosexual women, and clinicians need to be aware of these differences in order to provide culturally-appropriate care, since at least 5% of their female patients are lesbian.

Articles of interest:
Abstract   Objective: This New Zealand study set out to measure the self-assessed health status of a snowball sample of lesbians in New Zealand, focusing on how lesbians use health services and perceived barriers to accessing health care.  In New Zealand-laws forbidding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation have been in place since 1993, yet 5 years later this study suggests lesbians may have poorer health, and their delaying consultation requires further study. Conclusion: This study supports overseas research showing that lesbians delay seeking health care and find barriers to health care that are different from a random sample of women.  http://www.springerlink.com/content/g8501u5750t752lu/ Percentages were calculated on the general questions and a standardized set of questions and calculated scoring was used to measure the self-assessed health of respondents.

******

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2009/07/21/6285/gay-men-and-women-with-diabetes-find-a-voice-through-the-diabetes-and-gay-dang-foundation/

Posted by Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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St. John Fernando & Greg at SF Pride 2010

Fans ecstatic as Radio Personalities attend SF Pride;

Little did famed radio personalities, St. John, and team Greg and Fernando know that  being outlawed from the 2010 Pride festivities, by complicit Clear Channel and Pride San Francisco (2010) would in fact turn out a ‘blessing in disguise.”

St John has been  a San Francisco Pride feature  celebrity  DJ each Pride for the past fourteen years,  Greg and Fernando have been bashing on doors trying to get a spot, year after year and to no  avail.   It seemed their unwelcome fate was sealed when they quit the airwaves of Pride sponsor  Clear Channel.

Joining CBS, the two sets of scorching talent  brought their magnetic pull to CBS, their new home, willing to shake fist in the face of  what may well have been the homophobic culture generated by Clear Channel home to the likes of mega –right wing stars Limbaugh and Beck.

St John, as host and creator of San Francisco’s longest running global dance radio show HouseNation  and  on air personality  for CBS Radio’s MOViN99.7… nominated at WMC for mix show of the year, has performed at SF Pride for the past fourteen years.  From the airwaves to the dance floors of the hottest clubs and undergrounds, St. John’s energetic style has made him a staple internationally from Brazil to Canada, and nation-wide from New York’s Limelight to San Francisco’s Ruby Skye. With multiple CD releases on major labels such as Thrive and UBL Recordings, St. John has sold over a quarter-million albums and in 2010 , contributed to HIV/AIDS funding and cast Pride on a community of teens confused by coming out.

In complimentary contrast, and with standing fan base as profound, is beloved duo, team “ Greg and Fernando” who shake the morning commuters with humor and rancor, so unique in its gay-straight blend that their own ‘bridge’ belies that of the reach of the very Golden Gate most commuters cross each of those blaring CBS mornings. Be assured that despite the hefty $6.00 toll (or is it $7 yet?) these fans are adding laughter and fun to the beauty of that extraordinary Bay Area commute.

In the week leading to 2010 San Francisco Pride, Lez Get Real published an article, exposing, exclusively, the impending ban excluding the iconic hosts from performing at the SF Gay Pride Festival.

Despite the article’s virility and the hullabaloo it caused, Pride did not change its stance and nor did it answer our specific e-mail questions calling for an explanation.

After the Pride Festivities, we spoke to St. John as well as Fernando, on behalf of illustrious duo Greg and Fernando.  Clearly the sentiment was unified – annual San Francisco LGBT festival and parade crossed the implicit boundary from Pride to corporate control, delivered through exclusionary terms and conditions in sponsorship contracts, that not only excluded these superb talents but the very saints of “gay is okay!”, and hence served to tacitly disparage them in the eyes of fans and populace alike.

When Lezgetreal.com broke the story in its exclusive article, St. John’s fans were shocked.  The internet and St. John’s Facebook site, spiraled into the world of viral and the comments came pouring in, via email, bloggers, and the usual fan channels.

Feeling the pulse and camaraderie, nothing could keep the famed verbally flamboyant duo, Greg and Fernando, nor the LGR featured and talented magic-mix-machine St. John, away from Pride San Francisco and so of course they showed up; after all they are family.  They  were about to find out, however, that they were there not for themselves but for Pride after all, because the FANS did not let them forget that! They were there- for the fans, who recognized and all but swarmed both sets of talent.

Sparked by the previous article, they were incensed and happy to see the guys!

St. John told us that together with Greg and Fernando, and keen CBS interns, the band of  buddies attended San Francisco Pride, as any ordinary members of the population would have the right to do. “We made our rainbow signs and went to Pride,” quipped St. John.

“Truthfully,” says St. John, “I had the best time in memory of any of the San Francisco Pride events that I have attended, always as performer.  In all my fourteen years attending I have been on a stage performing, but this time I was amongst my fans and able to connect on a personal basis.  It was an extraordinary experience. “

St. John told me that he spoke to a young fan coming out at this Pride for the first time. The youngster was so grateful for the help when St. spent time talking to the young person.  “If that was all I accomplished with just that one person, this year at Pride” said St. John, “it was humbling and made the ban worthwhile.”

But that was clearly not all that they accomplished.  “I really felt like I was there for the people this time.  It was a very personal Pride experience for me.  Fan after fan came up to me and ironically while I was having a great time, they were reminding me and commiserating about the ban on my performing at Pride; many were sad and angry with San Francisco Pride Organizers and Clear Channel.”  According to St. John.

When I spoke to Fernando, he echoed the same sentiment, both he and Greg had a fantastic time; invited to the mike as they passed almost every performer and stage.  It seems it will be hard to keep them off future gigs  especially as their fame is growing exponentially.

St John said that the Lezgetreal Article had generated huge publicity for him and CBS and that awareness and recognition had increased “a hundred times. The number of people who came up to me at Pride was incredible and I had no idea how much buzz the article had generated.”  But it is much more than that – all tree hosts are much beloved and have given so much to the gay community that their presence would undoubtedly have NOT gone unn

St. John Spinning Despite BAN

oticed, regardless of the controversy.

Then came the unexpected, a coup of sorts, as they passed the Clear Channel Group, who had been pivotal in the Ban, the buddies sensed a  tasteless discomfort as their fellow DJ’s who, while perfectly entitled to replace the ex- clear channel and now CBS icons, must surely have been uneasy about the out and out ban.

Passing the Toyota Stage, fans rallied around and the next thing St. knew he was behind the controls and spinning the reputable mix to the delight of fans and all around.  Unplanned, and impromptu he found himself, not only caught in a united throng of festivities but showcasing his formidable talent nonetheless. No he had the best of both worlds.

While, St. John, has been the mix spin of Pride gig for fourteen years, the refusal to comment by Pride organizers, has prompted an omission begging for its own spin, any spin;   “Hey SF Pride- pray tell – who is pushing the buttons – what is going on here?” This is the resounding common denominator- a roar from comments generated by my earlier Article. “Has Pride been bought to the extent that the People of San Francisco are compelled to celebrate without their heroes? Is Pride the San Francisco Pride or is it now the Corporate Who has More Money Pride.

I do not know about you fellow queers, but as for me I have marched and paraded and celebrated in the name of San Francisco pride for many years and when I see those who model excellence for our community I feel good about myself and proud that my maker made me the perfect lesbian.

With this all said, I will be featuring an article in the next few days that will bring more of the Fernando Interview (Greg and Fernando) interview. Please visit our FB Page and make sure you subscribe.

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Article  by Melanie Nathan and Lezgetreal © -  Can be re-blogged with the following accredation:
Article  at www.lezgetreal.com, by Melanie Nathan. (Include direct Link)

©Photos. Copyright  N. Collins /Melanie Nathan.

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6-28-2010  Melanie Nathan

Sadly all that is left of  icon Marilyn Monroe’s body parts (well sort of) is a set of three X-rays of her chest taken during a 1954 hospital. The X-rays, sold at a movie memorabilia auction at Planet Hollywood, had a $3,000 (£2,000) pre-sale estimate. They fetched a buxom $45,000 today in Las Vegas.

What would a lesbian do with such a purchase; frame it? If you had ownership of this desirable item how would you honor its existence? Any ideas?

A higher higher auctioned item was a dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in musical Funny Face fetched $56,250 (£37,360).

A crystal-studded glove which belonged to Michael Jackson fetched $190,000 (£126,000) at an earlier music sale at Julien’s Auctions at Planet Hollywood.

By Melanie Nathan
Nathan@privatecourts.com

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5-15-10 Melanie Nathan

Delaying mail and stealing mail are both federal offences in the US

SO thats why she never wrote back!

Reuters reports that about 20,000 pieces of mail – many more than a decade old – were recovered from a postman’s garage in Philadelphia, after the US Postal Service worker missed several days of work and supervisors visited his home.

The FBI said it took more than three postal vans to remove the mail, some of which dated back to 1997.

Investigators are still trying to find the postman so they can question him.

Delaying mail and stealing mail are both federal offences in the US.

The missing mail is said to have included large numbers of cheques, bills and official letters. Many have since been delivered to bewildered residents of Bustleton, a north-eastern suburb of Philadelphia.

“I got mail today from 2007,” Kevin Carpenter told ABC News. “Pay-cheques, things like that that I needed – stuff from the social security administration and the IRS.”

“I asked Dave [the postman] and Dave said he hadn’t seen it but as soon as he got it he’d call me,” Mr Carpenter added.

If I were his lawyer I would use the “DOG” Defense !   Afraid-of-biting-dog Syndrome!

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Donald Trump sought to defend the pictures of the  Miss USA women he calls the “girls.”  The most provocative of pictures yet in the history of Miss USA. Is this Victoria’s Secret or Penthouse warm up, Donald?

Oh it is just ART!  Nah Carries Prejean was different she had other issues.

The Donald: “I am a parent also and I can tell you a lot about parenting; and those are beautiful photos; and the ratings will soar through the sky.”   AH HA -two big oopses Donald- 1. you condone such poses for your own daughter and 2. its all about the ratings.  Out of your mouth Mr. Trump, I heard it.  Cannot rewind that tape. But one thing is for sure and that is if I could I would – say three words-

“YOU ARE FIRED!”  okay 3 more …”DIRTY OLD MAN”

I guess ratings are always the bottom line and hypocrisy collateral damage, when you “sell” some other daddy’s daughter.

Now that you have chosen to bring parenting into the discussion – would you agree to your daughter posing in that stance – ‘er perhaps for Celebrity Apprentice ratings – or your son – mmm also for ratings – what about you Donald- take that ridiculous suit off and lets see your tummy!  Maybe those ratings will really soar!

“These girls are not virgins,”  says one  justifying past-contestant commentator,  on Showbiz tonight (sorry missed her name.)  “This is not racy,” says another, “these are just woman comfortable in their skin; no big deal – just raising the bar!”

Okay I am not going to say what I really think -  I leave that for you all to guess – one little reminder – North of my waist I am feminist and South I am Lesbian… okay okay…. GIRLS!

By Melanie Nathan

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The oil is spilling out of a broken pipeline which ruptured when the rig that it fed sank.

Officials are offering help from the military to try and keep the oil from reaching land since BP is struggling to contain what even it admits was beyond their worst nightmare scenario. BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles has stated simply “We’ll take help from anyone.” This, of course, came after a news conference yesterday in which Suttles and Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry disputed over how much oil was spilling. According to Landry, 5,000 barrels of sweet crude were spilling out of the breach instead of the 1,000 estimated by BP. However, by Thursday morning, Suttles admitted that it was likely closer to the government’s estimates. “Using the satellite imagery and our overflights, we can now say it looks like it’s more than a thousand. It’s a range,” Suttles stated.

Currently, the Coast Guard and BP are setting test fires where possible to burn off some of the oil that has risen to the surface. The oil is expected to reach Pass a Loutre wildlife area Friday night, Breton Sound on Saturday and the Chandeleur Islands on Sunday. Plaquemines Parish officials hope to deploy volunteers in order to stem the oil that is threatening oyster and shrimp businesses along the coast. “We’ve got oystermen and shrimpers who know this water better than anyone. Hopefully the Coast Guard will embrace the idea,” Plaquemines Paris President Billy Nungesser said.

This accident comes in the wake of a decision by President Barack Obama to open oil drilling along the coast, including in the waters off of Virginia. While an ecological disaster like this might not effect the coast of Georgia too much where two centuries of industrial pollution has already wrecked havoc to the ecological system there, much of the coast is home to millions of people who live off of ocean either through tourism or fishing in one form or another. Many of the areas being proposed for opening oil fields are also near many shipping lanes which would disrupt transport of goods if there was a major spill. This spill has now traveled almost the fifty miles from the platform to the coast, and is seriously making people wonder if “Drill, Baby, Drill” is a bad idea.

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Billions of dollars have been spent treating the consequences of child abuse and maltreatment. Very little has been spent on prevention and many would rather look the other way. But child abuse and maltreatment is a societal problem and preventing it requires universal support. Child abuse is also often a vicious cycle. Typically, abusers have histories of abuse in childhood.

On April 1st, President Barack Obama said:

Our children are our most valuable resource, and they need our support to thrive and grow into healthy, productive adults. During National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we renew our unwavering commitment to protecting children and responding to child abuse, promoting healthy families, and building a brighter future for all Americans.

Every child deserves a nurturing family and a safe environment, free from fear, abuse, and neglect. Tragically, sexual, emotional, and physical abuse threaten too many children every day in communities across our Nation. Parents, guardians, relatives, and neighbors all share a responsibility to prevent these devastating crimes, and our government plays a critical role as well.

My Administration is committed to helping future generations succeed. We are focused on engaging parents in their children’s early learning and development, ensuring the safety and well-being of all families, and creating opportunities for all Americans. We are also partnering with Federal, State, and local agencies to better coordinate early childhood services and improve the lives of young children and their families.

Together, we can ensure that every child grows up in a safe, stable, and nurturing environment, free from abuse and neglect. I encourage all Americans to visit: www.ChildWelfare.gov/Preventing to learn what they can do to stop child abuse in their communities.

As the publisher of Lez Get Real, I am joining the President and calling upon our government officials, educators and religious leaders to halt this epidemic of child abuse by significantly increasing their investment in prevention and as an acknowledgment to this commitment, I will be displaying blue ribbons on my posts.

The color blue was chosen to represent the bruised, battered bodies and scared souls of the victims and I am requesting that my fellow contributors to this site and those on other LGBT news and opinion sites to join me in displaying this support for those innocent ones who have been harmed.

On Tuesday, I am also inviting everyone to dedicate two minutes of silence at noon to remember those most affected by child abuse.

Thank You.

Paula S Brooks
Publisher and Executive Editor
Lezgetreal.com

Paula’s Quote of The Day:

“There is no more fundamental test of a society than how it treats its children.”~ Ronald Reagan

Justice Stevens was expected to retire soon, and it is not surprising that he has chosen to do so. He has only hired one legal clerk for the next year, and that is typically a sign that a Justice is planning on retiring.

There are two big losses with the retirement of Justice Stevens. The first is that he has been in the court so long, he is practically an institution. Basically, Justice Stevens has known the ins and outs of the Court for so long, he is the memory of the Court. The second is that, by retiring, his successor will not have the clout to help block a hard push to the Right out of Chief Justice John Roberts and those surrounding him. His retirement is not expected to change the Liberal/Conservative makeup of the Court.

According to the Labor Department, the nation added 162,000 jobs in March, the largest one-month jump in job numbers in three years. But the unemployment rate still remained unchanged at 9.7 percent, the Labor Department reported.

The job growth last month was due in part to 48,000 temporary hires by the Census Bureau for the 2010 Census, jobs that will remain in place for the next few months. Nevertheless the private sector also added 123,000 jobs, surprising many analysts.

President Obama said the “worst of the storm is over,” and U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis called the numbers an “encouraging sign.”

Solis credited the Recovery Act for the bounce back, citing numbers from the Congressional Budget Office that the Act created between 1 million and 2.1 million jobs through the end of 2009 and upped the gross domestic product by 1.5 percentage points to 3.5 percent in the fourth quarter.

“Today is an encouraging day,” said President Obama, addressing a town hall crowd in Charlotte, N.C. “We learned that the economy actually produced a substantial number of jobs instead of losing a substantial number of jobs. We are beginning to turn the corner.”

Obama added: “We have to be mindful that today’s job numbers, while welcome, leave us with a lot more work to do,” he added”there are some limits to what government can do. … The true engine of job growth in this country has always been the private sector.”

Secretary Solis also emphasized the need for additional job growth. “Fifteen million Americans are still unemployed, and 6.5 million have been looking for work for more than six months,” she said. To help out the situation, Solis encouraged Congress to extend the provision of COBRA health coverage and unemployment benefits.

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By Melanie Nathan.   3/7/10. In Hollywood, female film directors are still the exception, said the LA Times, and tonight Kathryn Bigelow the ex wife and co-nominee  of Avatar’s James Cameron, won the Oscar for the coveted  best Director.

Bigelow-,  “The moment of a Lifetime”  -  is now the first woman to win an Oscar for directing, for ‘The Hurt Locker.’  What an amazing achievement.  Maybe we should make her our honorary lesbian of the Month.  But then there is Sandra Bullock who was the only winner to mention the notion of equality, when referring to sexual orientation in a positive light in her acceptance speech for best female actor.  Oh and not to mention the fact that she considers Meryl Streep a great kisser and her (okay she was just kidding) ‘lover”.   Did I hear right? Well bottom line – she is an approver!

From LGR we say YOU ROCK  our world GIRL!

Bigelow and her ex-husband collaborated on a film, the commercial mega-flop “Strange Days,” four years after their 1991 divorce.  She even asked him to peruse the script of “The Hurt Locker” before committing to the low budget amount of  $11 million for the project.  Cameron’s Avatar was a whopping $230 million spending fest. Apparently he ” told her to immediately drop what she working on and go for it.  ” Will Cameron, the usually severely ego-driven director  twist this advice to his credit now that the “The Hurt Locker” beats out Avatar.  James don’t do that, please! She did it on her own.

Melanie Nathan LGBT Advocate /Activist

Happy Night, Good Night, from this PJ Blogger

Posted by Melanie Nathan

nathan@privatecourts.com

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Such is the story of Israeli and the scientist Ada Yonath, who now at age 70, was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry, sharing the prize worth 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.4 million) with Americans Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Thomas Steitz. She is the first Israeli woman to ever win the most prestigious of awards for intellectual achievement.

“As ribosomes are crucial to life, they are also a major target for new antibiotics,” the Nobel Committee for Chemistry at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in a statement.

When Yonath  heard rumor that she had won, she thought it an elaborate practical joke, and her doubts remained until received the official phone call notifying her of the award. “When I saw the +46 Swedish country code on my phone screen, I thought, they’re really taking this prank far,” she said.

A renowned scientist, Yonath serves as the director of the Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly at the Weizmann Institute of Science.  She was a co-recipient of the 2006 Wolf Prize in Chemistry, along George Feher, and in 2008, became the first Israeli to win a lifetime’s achievement award from L’Oréal and UNESCO for her vital work identifying how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.

Referring to her ground-breaking study she said, “The topic was such that if a breakthrough could really be achieved, it would have Nobel-winning potential. It was considered difficult to the point of impossible.” She added: “People were skeptical and I myself wasn’t sure we would make it – but indeed we did.”

President Shimon Peres called Yonath and congratulated her on the win. “We are so proud of you, it’s hard to describe just how much. You are extremely deserving of the Nobel and the award is an achievement to the entire country, we are all excited together with you,” Peres said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated her, saying: “I, as all other Israelis, am extremely proud of you. The Nobel Prize is the true Olympics of mankind.”

Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni emphasized the feminine aspect. “I was excited, and I am proud that it’s a woman winning the prestigious prize. I know that when women reach achievements, particularly such an achievement, it gives strength to other women to dare and succeed.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said “Her win helps present Israel’s real image as one of the world’s leading countries of science and technology. Prof. Yonath joins an honorable list of Israelis who have won the most important international recognition.

 The State of Israel, which is a tiny country, has a  respectable representation among Nobel Prize recipients.

 Imperative is the importance of this award; it is a newfound light to Israel’s image; a brief interlude from the focus on Middle East Conflict. This compelling image, may be new for most, but  many of us  have been privy to personally witness the accomplishments of an extraordinary country of people.     Maybe a transformation can be found in the work of this Laureatte – as in the words of Livni to Yonath ” it  strengthens Israel’s image beyond the conflict, Israel as a country which nurtures science and manages to illustrate through women like you its contribution to science and humanity.”   Israel’s contributions to the world and its well being is enormous and can no longer go unnoticed.

Mazeltov Professor and Todah Rabah.

Blogged by Melanie Nathan
Nathan@privatecourts.com

AP is saying that, “The dramatic image of a president on the tarmac was a portrait not witnessed in years. Former President George W. Bush spent lots of time with grieving military families but never went to Dover to meet the remains coming off the cargo plane. Obama did so with the weight of knowing he may soon send more troops off to war.”

The solemn process of transferring remains of 15 soldiers and three Drug Enforcement Agency agents unfolded in four separate movements. Obama took part in all of them. as a chaplain offered prayers for the fallen, the crews that brought them home, the families who lost a loved one, and a nation embroiled in war.

President Obama Pays His Respects As Fallen Americans Return Home – The Two-Way – Breaking News, Analysis Blog : NPR.

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The suit was brought on behalf of Janice Langbehn who lost her partner, Lisa Pond, of seventeen years to an aneurism. According to Ms Langbehn, a social worker would not let her see her partner because Miami is an “anti-gay city in an anti-gay state.” Garnett Frederick, the social worker, has denied making that statement.

Spokeswoman Jennifer Piedra on behalf of Jackson Health System,”we have always believed and known that the staff at Jackson treats everyone equally, and that their main concern is the well-being of the patients in their care. At Jackson Health System, we believe in a culture of inclusion. For more than 90 years, the institution has taken great pride in serving everyone who enters its doors, regardless of race, creed, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. We also employ a very diverse workforce, one that mirrors the community we serve.”

The question is if this statement is true. Would a heterosexual married couple be denied visitation? Would a child of a straight couple be denied visitation?

Jackson Memorial is a non-profit hospital which is supported by the people of Dade County with a half-cent sales tax. It is also affiliated with the University of Miami as a teaching hospital. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult to do things like boycott the hospital since it is largely funded by the county, and it is unlikely that the local government is going to defund the hospital.

The ball is in the court of Jackson Memorial Hospital, though. The lawsuit may have been thrown out, but there is still the probability that this decision can be appealed, especially since the court did not decide on the issue of whether or not the couple were discriminated against. It should be up to the hospital to prove that they have treated straight couples with the same callousness as they did Ms Langbehn and Ms Pond.

A similar incident occurred in Vermont earlier this year with the LGBT Community threatening to take their business into New Hampshire. For many in the southern part of Vermont, it is a roughly equal distance between the two major medical centers.

Court dismisses suit by lesbian who couldn’t see dying partner at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital

Another 16-month-old boy was in the house during the shootings but was not hurt.

According to the report, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief of Operations Perry Rushing said deputies were called to the home in Holden, about 30 miles east of Baton Rouge, around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, were they found Donna Carter, 49, and Dennis Carter Jr., 26, dead inside. Dennis Carter Jr.’s pregnant wife, Amber Carter, was badly hurt and their son, Mason Carter, 2, was found dead outside.

Rushing said deputies spotted Dennis Carter Sr. about 20 minutes later driving on a highway. When they tried to pull him over, he shot and killed himself.

”It’s very unusual to have this many victims,” Rushing said. ”This is an anomaly by any stretch of the imagination.”

The shootings appeared to stem from an ongoing dispute between Carter and his wife, 49-year-old Donna Carter, who had a restraining order against him.

As of publication time, there has been no word from the National Organization for Marriage or its spokeswoman, Maggie Gallagher, revealing how same-sex marriage may have caused this tragic breakdown of the Carter family….

The seven-count indictment was handed down yesterday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, charged von Brunn with first-degree murder, killing in a federal building and bias-motivated crime.

Four of these charges make him eligible for the death penalty.

District of Columbia Law Enforcement Officials say the 89-year-old shot and killed museum guard Stephen T. Johns on June 10 as the guard was opening the door for him. Von Brunn was then shot in the face by other guards in a sequent shootout that sent panicked tourists, including groups of schoolchildren, diving for cover. A note found in his car and signed by Von Brunn that lashes out at Jews said, “Obama was created by Jews. Obama does what his Jew owners tell him to do. Jews captured America’s money. Jews control the mass media.”

Von Brunn survived his wounds and has been in custody at a DC a hospital since last month.

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