Introducing Sluts For Obama 2012

In recent weeks, the television and internet has been inundated with news regarding women's health and reproductive rights.  

It all started (this most recent battle anyway) earlier this month, when Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown University student Sandra Fluke a slut, after she was barred from testifying before a congressional panel on the issue of contraception.  Since then, nearly 200 companies have pulled their ads from his radio program.  

Then, Virginia passed a bill effectively mandating state-sanctioned rape by trans-vaginal wand.  Protesters of that legislation were met with assault weapons and officers in riot gear.

And, earlier today, the Arizona state senate voted down a bill that would allow an employer to fire a female employee, simply if they used birth control against the employer's wishes.

Jessi and I finally said "Enough".

Over the years, the two of us have both been vocal advocates for LGBT rights and marriage equality.  It was time for us to take a much more visible stance on women's rights.  

Two weeks ago, we started Sluts For Obama 2012.  It's a way to provide information on the issues concerning the GOP's war on women.  As we approach closer to November 6th, it's also an avenue to promote and encourage voter registration.  The way we see it, if 99% of American women have used birth control, we're all sluts.

Women have a right to healthcare.  When an employer's health insurance covers Cialis and Viagra prescriptions for their male employees, but refuses to pay for contraception for their female employees, it is immoral.  When politicians find it acceptable for employers to pay for prostate exams, while defunding women's clinics for procedures like mammograms and pap smears, it is immoral.  When a candidate for the President of the United States goes on television, and proclaims that a vaccine, designed to prevent cervical cancer, makes little girls mentally retarded, that's just plain ignorant. 

Wake up, people.  It's 2012.  We're no longer in Salem, MA, circa 1692.  Women are no longer considered livestock.  They're not expected to be in a subservient position to their husbands.  Women's healthcare is not "witchcraft", though to many Republican law makers, it might as well be.  Government is designed to serve the needs of the people, not just old, rich, straight, white men.

Make your voice heard.  Vote.

You can go to Sluts For Obama 2012, by clicking this link, or by clicking the link at the left of the page.

Photos Of The Day

Today, I couldn't settle on just on photo.  There were three, all taken at the same location, that quickly captured my attention.

The above photos were all taken Saturday, March 3, 2012, at the Virginia state Capitol building.  In Richmond, Virginia.  In the United States.

Approximately 20 State Police officers were called in to break up a group of roughly 1,000 people, mostly women.  They were protesting new legislation that requires women to receive an ultrasound before an abortion.  The bill passed both the state senate and house last week.  It is expected to be signed by governor Bob McDonnell at any time.

31 protesters were arrested after locking arms and refusing to vacate the area.  State Police came in, dressed in riot gear, and warned the crowd to leave or face arrest.  Most officers carried semi-automatic weapons and tear gas.  

THIS IS HAPPENING IN AMERICA, PEOPLE.  What the fuck has happened to our country?

You can view many more photos from the protest at Style Weekly's Facebook page.  They also have a well written article on their website.  

Saudi Women Given Right To Vote

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah granted women in the country the right to vote.  He also gave women the right to run for public office.  In a statement on state television, he said:

“We refuse to marginalize the role of women in Saudi society in every field of work.  Women have the right to submit their candidacy for municipal council membership and have the right to take part in submitting candidates in accordance with Shariah.”

As it stands in 2011, due to the way Saudi's interpret Sunni Islam, women are highly restricted in their day to day life.  Saudi women are not allowed to drive.  Men and women are segregated in all aspects of activity.  Law mandates that women go to their own schools, restaurants, and even shopping malls.

Women are forbidden from holding positions in many fields in the job market.  This is, unless they are servicing the needs of another woman, of course.  

So, it remains to be seen how this is going to play itself out.  This was a nice gesture on the part of King Abdullah, but, unless monumental changes to women's rights take place in Saudi Arabia in the next few months, his actions will be nothing more but that - a gesture.

How will a Saudi woman win a public office, when she's legally not allowed to work the sales counter at a men's clothing store, or even cut a gentleman's hair in a salon?  How will women in Saudi Arabia have a say at the polls when they have to rely on their husbands to drive them to cast their ballot?

Republicans Want To Bring Back Slavery

They don't, but if you saw this headline in tomorrow's newspaper, would it really surprise you?

**OK, I'm going to be honest.  I am so angry right now, I don't even know where to start.  I'm going to be very critical of a certain group of people here, but I'm being 100% honest with the way that I feel.  If you're offended, I'm sorry, but you don't have to continue reading my blog if you don't like it.**

Republicans are pissing me the fuck off.  Who else can they fuck with....really??  They have it their mission in the last year to do anything they can to take as many rights, privileges, and benefits away from gay Americans.
Republican Senators and Congressmen are vowing to push through a bill in this session repealing the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell (follow me).  States that have approved gay marriage, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, are fighting tooth and nail not to have it repealed by GOP state legislatures.  California is fighting in the courts to get gay marriage back after it was approved and then repealed by Republican voters.  Wyoming passed a bill today refusing to recognize gay marriages performed in OTHER STATES!!  And other states are merely cutting domestic partner benefits arbitrarily for the sake of "budget cuts", while not making any cuts to the benefits of married partners.

As February approached, rumors started to circulate as to how drastic Republicans would want to cut the budget on things like the arts, women's services, and health care.  It was much worse than anyone could have imagined.

The GOP has declared an all out war against Planned Parenthood.  Today, the House voted to strip the entire $327 million in annual Title X federal funding that it receives.   By law, none of the federal money they receive can go to fund abortions.  They have a private donor fund for that already.  Congressmen know that.  It's been that way since the mid-90s.  The $327 million they receive go to education, birth control, STD testing, HIV tests, cancer screenings, and gynecological exams, amongst other things.  I have used Planned Parenthood on numerous occasions for free STD and HIV testing about 10 years ago when I lived in Denver.  They were an excellent resource for contraceptives when I didn't even have enough money in my pocket to buy a pack of condoms.  They were always kind, accommodating, and never judged me.  My wife used their services when she was younger, was uninsured, and needed Depo shots. She received them at no charge from Planned Parenthood. They are an excellent resource for both men and women.  Abortions account for only 3% of the total procedures done at their clinics.  The things they do save more lives than the babies that die in their locations.  If they lose almost a third of a billion dollars in funding, over 800 locations nationwide risk being closed.  That means the possibility or more unwanted or unplanned babies, the spread of various STDs or HIV unknowingly being spread in those communities, and lower income women not being able to get gynecological care at little or no cost in their neighborhood.

Oh, and to make things worse, Republicans in the state of South Dakota, (which I'm going to just refer to as Dumbfuckistan from now on) introduced a bill making the defending of a fetus "justifiable homicide".  This opens the doors to being able to legally kill abortion providers.  House Bill 1171 states that murder is legal if defending your unborn child, or the unborn child or your spouse, partner, parent, or child.  So, even if the mother is going into the clinic with the intent of having the abortion, that woman's husband, boyfriend, son, daughter, father, or mother could, in theory, kill the abortion provider justifiably.  And, get this, the Dumbfuckistan state House has also introduced a bill requiring mandatory gun ownership for everyone 21 years of age and older.  It's not expected to pass, obviously, but could you get any dumber.

OK.....next point.  Today the fuckers voted to repeal Obama's health care reform.  They claimed it was because the budget, but we all know they hated the thing back when Hillary Clinton tried to get everyone on board with it back in the 90s.  They call it "Socialist" and "Marxist", but I call it "necessary".  Even with insurance, I can't even afford my medical bills.  They're over $500 a month sometimes, minimum.  My parents filed bankruptcy twice because of hospital bills.  One stay in the hospital can literally break a family for years. It's how the poor stay poor.  Just when they start to get on their feet again, there's another emergency, and they're back on their knees.  You're required to have insurance on your car.  You're required to have insurance on your house.  Heck, I have to have insurance on the things I have in my storage unit.  Isn't my health more important than a few totes full of hoodies and office supplies in my storage unit?  I think so.  Not only did House Republicans vote to repeal health care reform, but they also voted to refuse to pay any federal employees that were working on the health care reform project.  So, thousands of people...out of work.

Congress also voted to strip roughly 25%, or $20.6 million, from the National Endowment for the Arts.  It's the biggest cut the NEA has received in 16 years.  Don't forget, there's also talk that they want to remove funding for NPR and the Corporation for Public Brodcasting (PBS).  Hopefully, your kids are old enough to already have enjoyed Sesame Street.  Mine isn't.

At the same time, Republicans voted to keep in funding for abstinence only programs.  These are programs that have been proven not to work.  They paint false realities and unrealistic futures.  When students have sex, and they eventually do, they are unprepared and know nothing regarding STDs, HIV, or safe sex.  This is an example, although a little strange, of the content of some of the abstinence only curriculum being taught today.  This is your tax dollars at work:



Congressmen also reversed $1.5 billion in funding cuts that Obama made to combat efforts in Iraq.  Evidentially, the GOP thinks we're still in combat operations there.  Let's not forget that Tea Party Republicans are fighting to eliminate the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency.  Not make budget cuts, but eliminate the entire department from the government.

After all of this bullshit, what have Democrats done?  We've made phone calls.  We have organized online.  We have rallied using social networks like Facebook and Twitter.  We have blogged our frustrations.  We have called our Senators, asking them to vote against the budget cuts that the Congressmen have just made.  We have been civil.

Then we have the incident yesterday at Rep. Betty McCollum's (D-Minn.) office.  Last week, she submitted an amendment to the budget to cut $7 million from the Pentagon budget by discontinuing the Army's sponsorship of the #39 car in NASCAR.  A couple of days later, she received the following fax in her office:

Um..yeah...they called our President the N-word....and they're dragging him behind a pick up truck with a noose.  A death threat to a Congresswoman over a $7 million sponsorship deal.  This isn't something that would cripple NASCAR mind you.  If that car lost the Army sponsor, he would pick up a new one.  Instead of being the "Army" car, he would be the "Oreo" car, or the "Applebee's" car.  It wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.  Fucking rednecks.  I swear, it's like "Fuck women.  Fuck the gays.  Fuck the Mexicans and the Blacks.  I don't want my tax dollars goin' to that gay art stuff, but you better not touch my fuckin' NASCAR.  What are you?  A communist?"

What is wrong with this fucking country?  Who's next?  Who haven't we fucked over as a nation?  Hispanics, check.  LGBT community, check.  Women, check.  The poor, check.  Minorities, check.  Children, check.  The Environment, check.  Who's left....oh.

Rich, old, white, straight, married males.  Wow.  Sounds a lot like....Republican members of Congress.  Coincidence?