and then complained that the school was getting bad publicity.

Another lesson on what can happen to people of intelligence and integrity who do the right thing in the current "Plymouth Colony" mentality in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Too sad the Board of Visitors would not stand up to the bullies in the General Assembly.

The William and Mary community has sustained a grievous loss.

A civic institution exists.
A portion of the population eligible for entry is excluded.

You want all people to be treated fairly.

Do you:

1) Open the doors of that institution and let everyone in, or
2) Build a new institution from the ground up, adjacent to the existing one, intending that it include everything the original institution includes, though it is difficult to guarantee success, open it to that segment of the population, but remind them that they are barred from entering the original institution that everyone else will continue to use.

I hope you can see how the experience would be quite different for the segregated minority.

This is what I heard yesterday evening while on my knees on the sidewalk as two young men went through my wallet.

I was mugged on the way home last night as I walked the two blocks from my bus stop to my house. Right off, let me tell you I'm all right, other than fairly sore from rough handling and lack of cooperation on my part. I was not a well-behaved victim and fortunately they weren't too good at what they do either. Oh, yeah--I'm a little hoarse from yelling for help and my very serviceable dress coat has a big rip in it. They had finally wrestled me to a dark area between a car and the solid brick wall of a house and were going through my pockets and my wallet and were getting angry that I didn't have more to offer them. They had made a grab for my shoulder bag as well, separating the shoulder strap at one end and I held onto it like death. They had handed me my wallet back so I could show them where the rest of the money was (?) when they said they guessed they would have to kill me and I was hoping they were just talking shit. Several cars had passed without seeing us and finally one slowed as they noticed what was going on. My guys then thought they had better get out of there and took off down the alley.

A neighbor showed up right then and when I told him what happened he handed me his cell phone and ran after them. I called 911 and in no time several cars and a motorcycle had brought officers and detectives to the corner. They questioned both of us for a ten minutes or so and then got a report that they had a suspect. Minutes later they reported they had a second suspect. The detective put me in the car to take me by to see if I could make an ID. They took them in to custody and the detective later called to say they had confessed to robbing me and to an identical incident the night before.

I still haven't got my head around how I'm feeling about it. I have ruled out joy, by the way, but I feel really different now and I'm not sure what's going to last and what is going to get better. I think I did a lot of things right, but a situation like that can go in any number of directions in an instant for no good reason at all, so I understand I was damn lucky for something with that kind of potential to have turned out as well as it did.

Thank you for all you have been doing. I am truly happy and proud to have you represent me in the House of Representatives.

I am writing today because I have heard that a version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is going forward that excludes transgendered persons by separating the issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. I am gay and I have been waiting for the day that I and others like me could no longer lose a job simply for being gay. But I will wait longer, if need be, in order that my transgendered brothers and sisters be included in the Act.

This is a time to do what is right, rather than what is expedient. Please do all you can to ensure passage of a version of ENDA that extends this basic respect and human right to the transgendered persons in the United States.

I have been left out for too long to see them left out. Thank you so much for your able and exemplary representation.

Yours truly,

(swimboy)

you have received sufficient responses from posters to answer your question if you are willing to accept their comments honestly.

Kids don't have to be protected from encountering heterosexual families in books, movies or real life. Their minds don't go directly to wondering what goes on in the bedrooms in those households. But you appear to state that children need to be protected from encountering the concept of homosexual families.

It doesn't make me feel accepted at all that someone wouldn't want their young child exposed to my family.

Please think about the ramifications of saying that you don't believe children should be exposed to a family like mine and reflect on whether or not that is truly an unbigoted stance.

That's not what you chose to stress. Again, I'm not going after your swiftly fading in-law. I'm questioning your judgment. You think we progressive gays should find it funny that you chose to post this here for a laugh.

Now you add to your testimony the accusation that anyone who takes issue with the laugh potential of picturing unpopular world leaders engaged in anal sex is "sanctimonious and hollow"

How many times have you had someone call you a fucking faggot? Did you share a laugh? That's not how it goes. You usually do a quick evaluation of your physical safety and potential escape route and decide on fight or flight.

If you search posts, you'll see this has come up an incredible number of times and it will surely come up again and it will still be offensive.

People are free to express offensive ideas, even to post those ideas on a progressive forum. Just don't be surprised when people find the offensive post offensive. That's not politically correct; it's simply correct.

and feelings are not real.

Sorry. I'm not sure exactly how your sister felt when she was barred from visiting her partner in the hospital, but I REALLY REALLY hope you pretended that her feelings were real, at least to her face.

You have access to marriage and defy us to prove to you our case for wanting that access? Sorry, you've already stated that "legally" is meaningless and that "feelings" are not real. I'm not sure how to couch my arguments for you.

I'll say this much. Marriage is a legally recognized form, universally. Civil unions are being mapped out and defined as a "separate" institution. The simplest thing for anyone unopposed to equal rights to desire is that all would have access to the existing legal form, not to invent a new one to prevent that access.

Ask someone in New Jersey or even Massachussetts whose partner is from another country if they think this patchwork of civil unions works for them. If two couples go to a City Hall in New Jersey and one couple gets a civil marriage and the other gets a civil union (based solely on which set of sexual equipment they profess to have)they do not all four have the same rights. It is limited, it is unequal, it is progress, but it is a consolation prize and it is not enough.

and my brother:



and my parents:



and my in-laws:




and back full circle:

One-stop shopping for single-issue activists.

It's a little like Scotch Boutique, that store Gilda Radner had that sold only scotch tape.

Snickers issues aside. Here is my bottom line, DU GDers:

Can I count on you to support me if I seek equal rights?

Now take your hands off my cock. Now.

What is a five-letter word for idiot?

Many years ago I was in Charleston SC for a conference on historic preservation and there was a group there to discuss minority issues in Hist. Pres. in SC. I was interested in hearing about their issues and wanted to attend. I went to the meeting room and before long I could tell there was a little bit of a stir. I was surprised at first that it had to do with my being there and my white entitlement subconscious was trying to override but as they asked me why I wanted to be there I told them I was interested in listening and learning and after a brief discussion, they let me stay. I'm happy I got to stay because I got to hear things I would not have heard in VA about issues I didn't have a window on but was interested and concerned about. I am also happy they had that discussion even though I was present. I also have a much better understanding now that it was an important forum--important enough to protect its sanctity so that the needed discussions could take place. In this instance, they balanced that sanctity with their discomfort at excluding an individual (and one of no account). I do understand the need for sanctuary for discussion of shared concerns and setting goals and agreeing on agendas. THEN, you go out and try to work with everybody.

There is no need for you to deny that you were angry and passionate. There is nothing wrong with either of those. He just didn't enjoy being on the receiving end.

He is really struggling to make his case. Here's my take: Yes, Haggard could have been merely a sinner. Yes, Haggard could have been merely weak. But when I think of a person who truly believes in his values and is honest about how his own behaviour fails to measure up to them, I would expect to see in that religious and honest person a measure what I will call HUMILITY. And I just didn't see that. In fact, I see a great deal of arrogance. Regardless of the sincerity of his belief in moral standards, he failed to realise that he was no longer in a position to exhort or serve as an example to others. He loved his position and influence more. One may quibble on the exact definition of hypocrisy, but I definitely see it here.

Please, you go on being angry and passionate. That is what spurs us to act for change.