Florida Agenda

FORT LAUDERDALE – What a difference a year has made to the policy positions of Rep. Allen West (R-FL), at least in terms of marriage equality. On Friday, April 6, the freshman congressman, who represents Florida’s 22nd Congressional District—which includes parts of Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors—was asked by CNN host Kyra Phillips if he believed that gay marriage was an issue for the federal government to decide.

West, a social conservative who is seeking to win the newly created 18th Congressional District seat created by the redistricting that followed the 2010 U.S. Census, surprised the news anchor by sidestepping the question, saying that there “are a lot people that try to take you down a rabbit hole to discuss things that really aren’t that important.”

Registering both her shock and her familiarity with West’s previous public comments on the issue of marriage equality, Phillips interrupted the House member. “Wait a minute. “Are you saying gay marriage is not important?” she asked.

Said West, who appeared uncomfortable with the question, “I think if you poll the American people—I don’t think they’re going to bring up gay marriage as one of the top concerns. The American people are concerned about where they’re working.” That answer marked a departure for the former Army lieutenant colonel, who told the Eagle Forum Collegians 2011 Summit in Washington last year that gay marriage was a slippery slope with one destination: the end of society as we know it.

“The term ‘gay marriage’ is an oxymoron,” West told the Forum last June. “Because marriage is a union and a bond between a man and a woman to do one thing: the furtherance of society by procreation, through creating new life.” He cautioned that by continuing to permit the existence of nontraditional institutions, “it just becomes a matter of time before you don’t have society.”

By CLIFF DUNN

WASHINGTON, DC – A subtle cultural shift may be underway on the part of the highest ranks of the Republican Party and their unofficial but no less powerful greybeards, with GOP Congressional leaders blocking passage of a number of measures that would have strengthened the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the federal ban on same-sex marriage.

Even cultural conservatives including Rep. Allen West (R-FL), whose district encompasses portions of Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors, have made drastic shifts in their on-record statements.

Last week on CNN, West— whose previous statements warned that marriage equality would be a signpost of the decay of society and that homosexuality is a “choice”— said “I want my daughters to have the opportunities that I had, and that’s what concerns me. That’s what keeps me up awake at night, not worrying about who’s sleeping with whom.”

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)—who voted “no” in 2007 on federal legislation that would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, and was rated 0% by the Human Rights Campaign, indicating opposition to gay-rights—told Politico.com, “That’s not something we’re focused on now.”

During the 2010 House floor debate on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Gohmert predicted that permitting openly-gay military servicemembers would sound America’s downfall. The Congressional Record reported the four-term lawmaker as saying that “when militaries throughout history … have adopted the policy [of] ‘fine for homosexuality…’—they’re toward the end of their existence as a great nation.”

Congressional Quarterly quoted an aide to a ranking House Republican who said that GOP lawmakers are concerned that the conservative social agenda that has been driving the Republican presidential primaries will alienate independent and socially moderate voters in their home congressional districts.

“There is a debate in the Republican conference on whether defense of marriage is a winning issue politically,” the unnamed aide said. These concerns have touched the top echelon of GOP leaders, who have been sending mixed signals to social conservatives—to the displeasure of the latter.

In 2011, President Obama instructed the Justice Department to stop defending DOMA in court. At that time, House Speaker John Boehner and the Republican House leadership formed the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) to step into the void and defend the law in court. Attorney Paul Clement was hired to defend DOMA, and given a $1.5 million budget by BLAG.

Marriage equality opponents expressed satisfaction with Boehner and BLAG. They have recently begun to sharply criticize what they perceive as lackluster performance on the part of Boehner and the GOP leadership, and accuse them of paying lip service to mollify religious and social conservatives.

“They hired Paul Clement, and they think their job is done,” complained Tom McClusky, senior vice president of the Family Research Council, to Congressional Quarterly. “While the Obama administration ignores DOMA, Speaker Boehner has forgotten that the checks and balances also include Congress,” he added.

The possibility of a social realignment within the GOP echoes an actual shift that occurred during the 1948 presidential election, when the Democratic Party split on the issue of civil rights for African Americans.

Addressing the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia that year, Minneapolis mayor Hubert Humphrey urged party leaders to “get out of the shadow of states’ rights and walk forthrightly into the bright sunshine of human rights.” That call resulted in a walkout by Southern Democrat delegates, who subsequently nominated then-South Carolina Gov. Strom Thurmond as the candidate of the States’ Rights Party, or Dixiecrats.

“Republicans are cognizant of where the public is moving,” said Brian Moulton, the legal director of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBT rights organization, concerning the mixed signals. “The Speaker’s defense of the law helps us show the harms that the law has caused,” and, he added, “at the end of the day, his action perpetuates the harms.”

In response to the Cover Story, “A Tale of One City Divided” in the Florida? Agenda, August 11, 2011.

Dear Editor,

Let me understand what happened…

Businesses in Wilton Manors are struggling. Unless they are alcohol related they seem to be closing faster than new business opening. Many spaces promote Coming Soon but realistically they have been Coming Soon for so long I have doubts the doors will open.

WMBA, a private organization of WM businesses, invites Representative Allen West to speak to them. Being a member of a small business committee in Washington DC he could enlighten the WM businesses on government programs and opportunities to help them survive during these challenging economic times.

What bothers me most is that a group of individuals decided that the WM business community should not have this opportunity. An opportunity to collectively hear what assistance is in place and what Washington DC has learned in what works and what does not in assisting the business community, helping Wilton Manors.

Instead this group of individuals threatens OUR struggling businesses with boycotts and a “gays built this town and can destroy it” attitude. Really? When I read that in your previous article I fell out of my chair. Is that what we are about? As you travel down The

Drive, ask yourself how that is working out for us?

Look, I consider myself a Democrat and am NOT an Allen West supporter, never voted for him, never will. I think it sad that our business community, that we need for our tax base and growth for the Island City to prosper, had an opportunity for help and others with another agenda took that away.  Hopefully we all learn from this experience.

Thank you.
Michael Helms

Please send all your comments and letters to Editor@FloridaAgenda.com

Photo: To view the rally and listen to all the speakers at the “Allen West: In His Own Words Rally”, watch the complete VIDEO Here!

By BOB KECSKEMETY

WILTON MANORS, FL – A rally against U.S. Representative Allen West (R) held on Monday, August 8, drew approximately 150 members of the community. The rally, titled “Allen West: In His Own Words,” was organized by a new community organization, Coalition for Fairness & Equality (CoFFE).

The rally was organized just one week ago in response to the congressman’s scheduled appearance before the Wilton Manors Business Association (WMBA), which was originally scheduled for that date. When the LGBT community was informed of the scheduled appearance of West and that the meeting would be closed to only members of WMBA, community leaders decided to protest outside the meeting, which was going to be held at the Hagen Park Community Center, behind the Wilton Manors City Hall.

But, after seeing the outrage of many members of the LGBT community and threats that the gay business community would be resigning from WMBA, West’s appearance was cancelled. Despite the cancellation, the CoFFE was formed as an educational organization “designed to protect citizenship diversity and inhibit public officials from bullying the LGBT community in order to advance their own political and personal agendas.”

The rally was held in the parking lot near Wilton Drive at the Wilton Manors City Hall. Participants held signs quoting West from various appearances he has made in the past. There were about 50 different quotes from West, such as “[Homosexuality] breaks down the military,” and “[Beating children with belts] enabled us to raise men of character and integrity.” Also included in the placards were the words West used recently in reference to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) as being the most “vile” and “despicable” member of congress. Wasserman Schultz is a very popular member of congress with the LGBT community and represents District 20. West represents District 22 and Wilton Manors is split between the two districts.

Attorney and former Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Dean Trantalis reminded the crowd that Rep. West voted against the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and the repeal of “Defense of Marriage Act” and “everything that stands good and right in our community.”

Stuart Milk, Wilton Manors resident and nephew of the famed Harvey Milk, former San Francisco Supervisor and the first openly gay politician in the United States, said that the Prime Minister of  the Czech Republic recently quoted West in saying how much he hates diversity and inclusion. West also said that he is a “tolerant person and that he’s willing to tolerate his constituency. Who wants to be represented by someone who tolerates you?” Milk then said that the philosophy of the LGBT community is not about
tolerance but about acceptance and  inclusion of all communities. “We, as a community, know that we are stronger when we have the full rainbow of colors and we have the full diversity of our  community and celebrate everyone.”

Mitch Caesar, chair of the Broward County Democratic Executive Committee, said that the “Democratic Party stands with the [LGBT community] on the easy issues and the tough issues and frankly [West] is an easy issue. We have to judge candidates and office holders not only by their words, but by their deeds. If you look here, you see his words – we know of his deeds.

You can’t escape all his venom, the angry hostility not only to [the LGBT] community, but to every community that is anything but the narrow group he represents.”

“We did not form this group,” said attorney Norm Kent, “in order to censor Allen West. It was to censure Allen West. And he has earned, richly, that censure and condemnation, not just from the LGBT community, but from the mainstream population he represents.”

Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick said that he doesn’t believe Allen West had ever been in Wilton Manors and that when Resnick met with West in his chambers in Washington, he was cordial and they spoke about issues concerning Wilton Manors. Resnick assured the crowd that the invitation to West to speak before the Wilton Manors Business Association was not made by the Association itself or the City of Wilton Manors, but by WMBA’s president, Celeste Ellich unilaterally. He then read a proclamation from the City of Wilton Manors proclaiming August 8th as “Equality Day” in the City.

Eddy Sierra, president of the Log Cabin Republican Club of Dade County, said that the “Republican Party does not stand for intolerance and bigotry and what Allen West represents, and we are here together as one community and we want to make sure that everybody knows that we have not sponsored Allen West.” He also made it clear that it was the Tea Party of Broward County that was West’s biggest donor in the county. He then asked that LGBT Democrats and Republicans stand together to bring an end to Allen West.

By Cliff Dunn

In this column last week (Open for Business, August 4, 2011, “Go, West!”), Your Kindly Writer advised you, Gentle Reader, to “Stay tuned for the fallout,” a reference to the after effects of what began for some as a polite invitation to a Member of Congress to address the monthly meeting of a local business guild.

Following a firestorm of protest  (and now, the counter-protest), U.S. Congressman Allen West was dis-invited from speaking at the August 8 meeting of the Wilton Manors Business Association (WMBA, or “Wimba”), a meeting he had been invited to address. The de-invitation came after gay rights activists threatened a boycott of the Island City association’s member-businesses.

The announcement about two weeks ago that West, who represents portions of Wilton Manors as part of Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, would address WMBA on matters related to business and the economy, drew protests from a number of vocal LGBT activists.

Among them was Michael Rajner (seen in photo), Legislative Director of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, who wrote to WMBA members with an ultimatum: if the invitation for West’s planned visit wasn’t rescinded or declined by the Distinguished Gentleman, “community leaders and other social justice advocates” would “boycott any and all businesses” belonging to WMBA.

Reaction in Wilton Manors’ business community was mixed. Two individuals who asked not to speak on the record said they agreed with a July 30 South Florida Sun-Sentinel opinion piece in which that publication’s editorial board chides Rajner and others for “pressur[ing] the business group to drop its invite to Rep. West.”

Commercial photographer Michael Murphy of Oakland Park, a member of WMBA, said he was “pleased” with the board’s decision. “As a business owner and a member of WMBA, I want to do things that bring business to us rather than drive it away,” Murphy offered. “Although the decision to bring a sitting member of Congress to speak was probably made with good intentions,” he reasons, “the moment it created a firestorm, the decision needed to be rescinded; period.”

As to the congressman’s opposition to a number of issues which concern a sizable minority of residents of his district, Murphy is unambiguous. “As a gay man, I find his opinions un-educated and his words hateful. Congressman West does not even attempt to represent all of his constituents. He panders to a fraction of the people in his district, then insults the rest with his bigoted comments towards women and gays.”

West, who serves on the House Committee on Small Business, did not go gently into that good night, either. In a letter to Ellich written prior to the August 1 board vote in which he defends his right to speak at the WMBA meeting, West wrote: “I am concerned about individuals or organizations that would call upon a boycott and try to hurt hard-working small business owners only because an association wants to be better informed on business related issues that are taking place in Washington, D.C.”

After the meeting was cancelled, West emailed Ellich thanking her and WMBA for the invitation. He also cited the Sun-Sentinel editorial, objecting, as the newspaper wrote, to Rajner’s “demand that the business group withdraw its invitation to Rep.

West. One form of intolerance simply does not justify another.”

Taking up the refrain, West spoke of his support for “public discourse,” even when individuals don’t always agree with his, or other Members’ of Congress’, policy positions. “These are the foundations of our nation and what makes the United States of America an exceptional nation,” he wrote.
He has a point. But whatever goodwill West may engender by beating his breast and calling for a more tolerant and “civil society” would seem to be squandered by his caustic parting shots in last week’s letter to Ellich and WMBA. In what reads like equal parts truculence and petulance, West seems
to sneer from the page: “Clearly, we have learned who really are the intolerable individuals in South Florida.” (Presumably the Distinguished Gentleman meant intolerant rather than “intolerable.”)

As for the fallout over “Wimbagate,” Murphy remains sanguine, even philosophical. “I am glad it’s almost over; [now] we can get back to helping our local businesses in these difficult economic times.”

If you’re “Open for Business”, you can contact Business Writer and Director  of Sales, Cliff Dunn, with your story at Business@FloridaAgenda.com

By Cliff Dunn

Playwright Tony Kushner’s award-winning “Angels in America” is coming to Andrews Living Arts (ALA) in Fort Lauderdale for a four-week run. The play, set in New York City during the mid-1980s, follows the interconnected lives of several people affected by the AIDS crisis, including former Nixon and Reagan advisor Roy Cohn, who died in 1986 claiming to the very end that he was suffering from liver cancer.

ALA producer and “Angels” director Robert D. Nation says the production “will feature some of the finest actors in the South Florida area.”

The production first appeared on Broadway in 1993 and was included in Harold Bloom’s controversial 1994 list of the most important works in literature. “Angels” – which has not been seen in South Florida in over a decade – previews August 11, opens August 12, and plays through September 4, with shows on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

In Vino Veritas

To celebrate their establishment’s One- Year Anniversary, owners Scott Kraft and Paula Pace of The Mason Jar Café invite you to partake (responsibly) of their halfprice wine special – by the bottle or by the glass – throughout the month of August (just try not to overdo it).

Go, West!

South Florida Congressman Allen West was hoping for more of a warm welcome when he was invited by the Wilton Manors Business Association (WMBA) to address its members at a meeting in Hagen Park on August 8. Instead, the invitation drew heat (the prickly kind), including sharp criticism from gay activists.

Michael Rajner, Legislative Director of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, wrote to members of WMBA saying that anything short of a cancellation of West’s visit would result in “community leaders and other social justice advocates” “boycott[ ing] any and all businesses” that are members of the business association.

The Republican West, a retired Army lieutenant colonel elected to the U.S. House in 2008 (his 22nd Congressional District represents the eastern part of Wilton Manors, then loops around to more politically conservative environs), opposes gay marriage, as well as the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell ban on gays serving openly in the armed services.

Rajner said that West’s scheduled appearance at the Island City organization would fly in the teeth of the type of diverse community that Wilton Manors represents.

The association’s president, Celeste Ellich, said that West’s opposition to a number of gay rights issues shouldn’t disqualify him as an invited speaker asked to discuss matters related to business, debt and the economy. But Ellich, who ran unsuccessfully last year for a seat on the Wilton Manors City Commission, called a previously unscheduled meeting of the WMBA board on Monday, August 1, to determine the best course of action.

A source close to Open for Business says that as of this column’s writing, the August 8 meeting had been cancelled (which would seem to void the need to rescind West’s invitation, or put the embattled lawmaker in the equally awkward position of having to decline it at the last minute).

For his part, West didn’t sit out the controversy watching from the sidelines. In a letter to Ellich, West wrote: “I am concerned about individuals or organizations that would call upon a boycott and try to hurt hard-working small business owners only because an association wants to be better informed on business related issues that are taking place in Washington, D.C.” Stay tuned for the fallout.

Domestic Partner Tranquility

A report released last week by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics says that about a third of all workers in the U.S. has access to health care benefits for samesex partners. The findings, which were released July 26, are part of the first comprehensive count of domestic partner benefits by a federal agency.

Philip Doyle, the Bureau’s assistant commissioner, says that the results came about after officials added two questions about domestic partner benefits for samesex couples to the National Compensation Survey. The Survey – a sample of 17,000 businesses and local governments – found that 33% of state and local government employees have access to domestic partner health benefits for same-sex couples; in the private sector, that number is 29%.

The findings reveal that access to benefits varies depending on the type of job. Among the highest rates of access were had by business and financial managers, at 52%; in the service industry, only 17% of employees had access. (In total, 42% of service workers have access to health care; about a third of those had access to domestic partner health benefits.)

Among private employers, the regions of the country with the greatest access were the Pacific region (California, Oregon and Washington State), the Mountain region (including Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico) and New England. The South is among the regions with the lowest access.

Among other things, the findings will allow researchers to track whether laws on same-sex marriage affect the availability of domestic partner benefits.

By the Numbers

According to the Urban Institute (“Facts and Findings from The Gay and Lesbian Atlas”), Wilton Manors ranks 3rd in the U.S. for percentage of gay residents, as a proportion of total population. (Wilton Manors has approximately 1270% more gay men per capita than the national average.) The Fort Lauderdale area in general ranks 4th in Metro areas (per capita). Oakland Park is ranked 6th.

If you’re “Open for Business”, you can contact Business Writer and Director of Sales, Cliff Dunn with your story at Business@FloridaAgenda.com

By Bob Kecskemety

Photo: Activist Stuart Milk and Attorney Miriam Richter at the meeting of the newly formed Coalition for Equality and Fairness.

Differences Split Wilton Manors into Two Camps

The announcement last week that Congressman Allen West will be speaking in front of the Wilton Manors Business Association deeply divided the residents and businesses in the city. So deeply, in fact, that earlier this week, the Congressman was disinvited by the board of WMBA.

West, who represents Wilton Manors east of Dixie Highway in the U.S. House of Representatives, was scheduled to speak at a meeting of the Wilton Manors Business Association (WMBA) on August 8 at the community center at Hagen Park in Wilton Manors.

Many in the gay community

were upset that West was invited to speak at a WMBA meeting considering West’s attitudes towards the gay community. West, a Republican, has been an outspoken critic of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which allows gays to openly serve in the U.S. military. West has also taken a stance against other pro-gay issues.

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat, represents the city of Wilton Manors west of Dixie Highway and has been a favorite of the LGBT community for many years. A very small area of western Wilton Manors is represented by Congressman Alcee Hastings, who is also a Democrat.

The gay community has split as to whether or not West should be speaking at a WMBA meeting considering his stance on gay issues, while some believe it’s a matter of West’s freedom of speech. Many of those against West’s speaking had called for a boycott of businesses (gay and straight) that are members of WMBA should West speak, and a number of gay-owned businesses threatened to drop out of the business association if West attended the meeting.

Celeste Ellich, president of WMBA, says she was caught off-guard by the public’s reaction to West’s speaking to the group. Ellich told Florida Agenda that she was preparing a memo to the members of WMBA announcing that West would be speaking on August 8th and somehow the memo got released to the Sun-Sentinel prior to her sending it to the members via the organization’s newsletter – which hadn’t even been printed. Many WMBA members found out about West’s appearance when they read it in the newspaper or by emails sent out by members of the community.

Ellich explained that West’s office contacted WMBA about speaking before the organization last June and, when the original August speaker cancelled, she contacted the congressman’s office inviting him to attend.

“It’s not supposed to be about social issues,” Ellich told a group of WMBA members during a pre-planned lunch at Humpy’s Pizza.

“I don’t always agree with what he says either, but he is our Congressman and represents a section of Wilton Manors and he wants to speak before us. Maybe I’m naïve in thinking that we can all come together and he would be well-received. I had no idea this was going to happen.”

Also caught off-guard was the Wilton Manors City Commission. In a written statement, the Commission said “[They] would like to make clear that while they do not support Congressman West’s positions on equality for the GLBT community, the city is against the threatened action to call for a boycott of local businesses.” The statement was issued by Wilton Manors City Manager Joe Gallegos.

In the past, Ellich has volunteered her time helping out at gay-sponsored events in the city, such as the Stonewall Festival and Wicked Manors.

“I’m obviously a friend of the gay  community and have been for years,”  said Ellich at the Humpy’s gathering. “Everybody who knows me knows that I’ve worked on gay campaigns. To me, it’s not a gay/straight issue; it is a matter of happenstance.”

Now she is worried about her safety.

“I do feel bullied right now. Maybe that’s how the gay community has felt in the past, I don’t know. But I’ve been bullied, I’ve been threatened, I’m holding back tears, I’m trying not to get upset, trying to hold it together,” she said.

Some members of the gay business community are also stunned by the reaction, saying that it’s simply a matter of West practicing his right to free speech, while others have either already quit WMBA or are considering doing so.

Steve Dejong, owner of Humpy’s Pizza which hosted the recent WMBA lunch meeting, said that the lunch date was set long before the West controversy sprung up. He said that when West’s appearance was made public just the day before the WMBA lunch, he wasn’t sure that if there was going to be demonstrators in front of his restaurant. He was hoping that, during the lunch, Ellich would announce that West had cancelled or that the organization uninvited him.

Ellich closed her talk in front of the WMBA members with:

“I don’t want to hurt the association and, at this point, the congressman still wants to speak before the group. His chief of staff wants to make sure it’s just the association; he didn’t anticipate this being a giant circus for the Wilton Manors’ residents. He wanted it to be a business association meeting. That’s one of the things he works with is small businesses in his district. He wants questions about the debt, the economy and other business issues.”

“It wasn’t meant to do any harm, and I say that from my heart; that’s all I can say to you guys. I didn’t mean for anybody to be harmed, and I’m sorry if I did. The board has not made any decision to cancel this or disinvite this man. But he is a Congressman, he does want to speak and, at this point, that’s where it stands.”

However, over the weekend the furor of West’s scheduled appearance blossomed into almost a revolt between the two sides of the issue and, on Monday morning, Ellich cancelled the planned August 8th meeting fearing, hostilities over the possibility of demonstrating groups: those opposed to West’s appearance and those who favor his appearance.

Later on Monday, West’s office released a letter thanking WMBA for the invitation to speak and expressing his disappointment in the meeting’s cancellation.

“As I stated in my letter dated July 27, 2011,” wrote West, “as a member of the House Small Business Committee, I was looking forward to meeting with business owners to discuss issues such as access to capital, the national debt and the economy, as well as hearing directly from them on their concerns operating a business in South Florida.”

“Once again,” he ended his letter, “I am disappointed I will not be able to speak in front of the Wilton Manors Business Association; however, I will always stand-by to provide any assistance to all small business owners in Wilton Manors and
to all constituents of the 22nd Congressional District.”

WMBA President Celeste Ellich speaking before members at Humpy’s Pizza.

Later Monday evening, a group of concerned citizens formed The Coalition for Equality and Fairness to better help educate the general community on LGBT issues. They released the following statement:

“A non-partisan group of community and business leaders was formed today, entitled ‘The Coalition for Equality and Fairness (CEF)’, to create an organization designed to protect citizenship diversity and inhibit public officials from bullying the LGBT community in order to advance their own political and personal agendas.

“The first order of business for the CEF will be to conduct an open and public educational rally next Monday, August 8, at 6 p.m., in Wilton Manors, entitled ‘Allen West: In His Own Words’. Our purpose is not to censor anyone; it is to censure those who attempt to abuse us.

“The Coalition will be issuing a mission statement on Wednesday evening defining and articulating its purpose and objectives, at which time the venue for the community rally and gathering will also be announced.

“To participate in the rally or the initial organizing efforts of the CEF, please send an expression of interest to norm@normkent.com, coordinating outreach at the present time.”

ELECTION DEBATE CONTINUES …

While Matthew Tsien and Peter Ryskewecz have every right to place an ad in this newspaper urging Floridians to “Dare To Be Different” and vote Republican on November 2, given the slate of Republican candidates in this election cycle, a more apt title for this ad directed to gay people or anyone concerned with human rights might be “Dare To Be Stupid.”

Marco Rubio never saw a gay issue he supported. Rick Scott thinks gays should be banned from adopting, AND foster parenting.

The Democratic candidate for Attorney General, Dan Gelber, would accept the court ruling ending the Florida gay adoption ban. Republican Pam Bondi said she would appeal it to the Florida Supreme Court.

Democratic Congressman Ron Klein voted to end the military ban on out gays. Republican Allen West doesn’t think gays belong in the military at all, closeted or otherwise.

For most self-respecting gay men and women, LGBT rights are not the only issue we vote on, but they ARE a part of the mix. Messrs. Tsien and Ryskewecz fail to understand this.

MARC PAIGE

It is assumed that all Gays are Democrat voters except for a very few who are super rich. I am neither; but I am a Gay Republican business woman who recognizes that finally a greater number of gays and lesbians know that the GLBT political class and the Obama Democrats will say anything to scare us into the voter’s booth determined that we pull the Democrat lever.

“No funding for AIDS!” “No marriage equality!” “Rampant homophobia…”… goes the mantra. But most of it is a big lie and just because I am a lesbian does not mean I have to live a life of relentless left-wing lies. AIDS funding does not disappear with GOP majorities, and at least half of Republicans believe in civil unions. In fact, the lead attorney in overturning California’s Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage is also an out-spoken movement conservative.

We need a dramatic reduction in the federal government. The Post Office is technologically obsolete. The Commerce Department and Small Business Administration create neither jobs nor business; they are merely edifices of pretentiousness. The Health and Human Services Department is already duplicated at the state and local level. The Department of Education in Washington, D.C. has no student contact while its only real interest is in keeping inferior performing teachers employed in order to get their union dues, which are aimed at running class warfare ads during campaign time.

I want a country that is driven by ethical, democratic capitalism and puts people back to work. Our federal and state governments are out of control and run by greedy public-sector employee unions. Our government has tens of billions of dollars of unfunded pension obligations for which we, the taxpayer are liable. The career politicians have bankrupt Social Security and Medicare to the point where the government is the equivalent to 200 Enrons.

When all the votes are counted, we are going to find out that a lot of Gays and Lesbians became politically mature, wised up and voted Republican.

– D. A. ROBERTSON

To read the diatribe of “former Democrat”, you might believe that the economic history of the U.S. extends back only to January 20, 2009 (the day that President Obama was inaugurated.)

The fact is (Glen Beck notwithstanding) that the U.S. economy was under the policies and oversight of Republican Congressional control from 1995 to 2009, and the Presidency also was controlled by Republicans from 2001 to 2009.

Federal taxes are now the same rates as during the Bush years. And, deficits? Despite the fact of a budget surplus at the end of the Clinton presidency, and at least six Bush years of (artificially) booming economy, the Republican Congress and President always turned in annual deficits of several hundred $$Billion…and that was in good economic times!

Bailouts? Those were largely initiated by Bush, and his Goldman Sachs Treasury Secretary Henry Paulsen, to the tune of $700 Billion…all cheerfully funded and added to the deficit (lent back to us!) by the heirs of Mao Tse Tung of modern day China! (Take a look in the mirror, next time you shop at Wal-Mart, if you are looking for someone to blame for 10% unemployment in the U.S.! Try to find something at Wal-Mart that is not made in China!)

The shameful $150 Billion dollar bailout of AIG, by President Bush, ended up largely in the pockets of fat cat hedge funds and banks, and Wall Streeters, as payouts, after AIG stupidly “insured” the value of junk bonds, (which were magically rated AAA by Moody’s et al.) Our Bush-era economic system was raped and pillaged over and over, without a single kiss…no flowers…and obviously no respect the next day…since the same cast of characters wants yet another chance to stick it to us.

Mr. Former Democrat is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts. A huge herd of elephants roamed this country for most of the past ten years, and left massive dung piles everywhere. And, who is left to clean up the mess, and who is to be blamed for the lingering stench? Mr. Former has invented his own facts on that.

– FRED REISSNER

By Kevin Miller

Click on Image to View Full-Scale

“Unfortunately, They are Serving “

On September 21, 2010, I attended a candidate’s forum hosted by the Pompano Beach Civic Association to listen to a friend running for the Florida State House. I showed up dressed in jeans and a polo shirt and upon entering the auditorium; I quickly realized that there was going to be more to the evening’s line up. I had then just learned that Allen West was going to be speaking, well it explained a lot, including the need to mentally prepare myself to brave the insanity and to sit through an evening in an auditorium with hate-filled fear-mongering homophobes and tea baggers.

While I can’t wait for this election season to end, until it’s over, I’m mustering up the energy to help pro-equality Congressman Ron Klein get re-elected to Florida’s 22nd Congressional District. His right-wing extremist challenger, who actually lives in Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz’s district and can not vote for himself, decided to try and carpetbag his way into the district. It’s been reported that West has been showered with Tea Party campaign funds from all over the country. The fight for this congressional district has the potential to serve as a barometer as to whether LGBTQI-Americans have any hopes to advance legislative efforts for equality in the next session of the United States Congress.

While Congressman Klein was in Washington, D.C. performing the job he was elected for, his opponent, disgraced Colonel Allen West, spoke to the civic association about his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. In my question [to West], I included Eric Alva’s name when I spoke about LGBT-men and women risking their lives, why should they not have the same right to serve? West’s response, as expected, just infuriated me and all I could think was “run fat boy, run.”

Below is a transcript of my question and West’s response:

Michael Rajner:

There are men and women risking their lives on a daily basis for this nation, just like you did. Why should they also not have the right to serve in our nation’s military?

Allen West:

Well unfortunately, they are serving, you just said that. But the thing I think you are looking at is, the military, the mission of the military is not to accommodate sexual behavior. Let me tell you something as a commander. I fined people for not having the proper haircut.

And so I appreciate any American that goes in and serves, but let me tell you something about me as a heterosexual in the military. I couldn’t even walk in my uniform holding my wife’s hand unless it was an official formal ceremony. So there are some rules and restrictions.

You know how many years you can go to jail in the military for committing adultery? Do we have that in the civilian world? You can go to a military prison for 18 months for committing adultery. The United States military is a different society then the society we have here and I think the most important thing that we need to be focusing on, we have been in Afghanistan for 9 years and we are still fighting major combat operations, that is where the focus should be so that we don’t have double amputees, be it heterosexual or gay, coming back to the United States of America.

Please help me re-elect one of our proequality champions in the United States Congress. Congressman Klein has stepped up to the plate when it comes to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV/AIDS-related issues. Now it’s time for the LGBTQIA-community to step up to the plate and make certain we send our pro-equality champions back to the Unites States Congress for our community to move forward.

Like you, I’m angry and I’m frustrated, but now is not the time for the pity party. Now is the time to channel all that anger into something constructive. Misdirected anger will only get us a Congress being strangled by the Tea Party right-wing extremists who would rather us be shunned from society to die unemployed, homeless and ill.