By now you have heard the following good news:
The United States will begin using American foreign aid to promote gay rights abroad, Obama administration officials said on Tuesday.
President Obama issued a memorandum directing American agencies to look for ways to combat efforts by foreign governments to criminalize homosexuality.
The new initiative holds the potential to irritate relations with some close American allies that ban homosexuality, including Saudi Arabia.
But Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton underscored Mr. Obama’s remarks, in a speech delivered in Geneva in connection with International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.
“I am not saying that gay people can’t or don’t commit crimes,” she said. “They can and they do. Just like straight people. And when they do, they should be held accountable. But it should never be a crime to be gay.”
This has the Godbotherers all in a tizzy, and some neanderthal in the Perry campaign pumped out this ill-advised response:
“Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t get any more out of touch with America’s values, AP reports his administration wants to make foreign aid decisions based on gay rights.
“This administration’s war on traditional American values must stop.
“I have proposed a foreign aid budget that starts at zero. From that zero baseline, we will consider aid requests based solely on America’s national security interests. Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money.
“But there is a troubling trend here beyond the national security nonsense inherent in this silly idea. This is just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith in this country. Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many Americas of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong.
“President Obama has again mistaken America’s tolerance for different lifestyles with an endorsement of those lifestyles. I will not make that mistake.”
Please note that Perry claims this is all about “promoting special rights” for gays and lesbians. It isn’t. In many of these nations that will be impacted by this administration move, the “special right” the administration is defending is the right to not be jailed and executed. This summary of gay rights (actually, the lack thereof) in Africa might serve as some eye-opening reading, and here is what Perry is fighting against:
One month after the conference, a previously unknown Ugandan politician, who boasts of having evangelical friends in the American government, introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, which threatens to hang homosexuals, and, as a result, has put Uganda on a collision course with Western nations.
Donor countries, including the United States, are demanding that Uganda’s government drop the proposed law, saying it violates human rights, though Uganda’s minister of ethics and integrity (who previously tried to ban miniskirts) recently said, “Homosexuals can forget about human rights.”
The Ugandan government, facing the prospect of losing millions in foreign aid, is now indicating that it will back down, slightly, and change the death penalty provision to life in prison for some homosexuals. But the battle is far from over.
Rick Perry is incensed that our aid dollars might prevent Uganda from hanging gay people.
And I know my timid betters like Sullivan might get the vapors and nominate me for some award or something, but when Perry says that defending gay rights (which in many of these countries means their lives) is an assault on people of faith, it is EXACTLY the same thing as Fred Phelps and his clan of troglodytes going from city to city holding up signs that state GOD HATES FAGS. It is precisely the same thing. Period.
Trainrunner
For the record, Andrew Sullivan knowingly and deliberately solicited unsafe sex while HIV-positive.
I just think that should be the first thing everyone knows about him.
(Google “Sullivan milky loads” for details. Apologies in advance.)
joes527
Rick Perry is still alive? Who knew? Is Abe Vigoda still alive too?
Steve
Of course, Israel has a much better record on gay rights than pretty much all of those Islamofascist countries hated by Perry and his ilk, so this policy will tend to benefit the bottom line of our traditional allies at the expense of some of the sketchier countries we deal with. It’s possible Perry hasn’t really thought the issue through, however.
Baud
Good. I’m glad Perry’s saying it, and I hope the rest of the clown show does as well. I hate whey they speak in code words designed to mask their hate. I prefer them when they are honest.
cathyx
Perry makes it sound as if everyone who proclaims to have faith also hate gays. And that’s just not true.
John Cole
@Trainrunner: Is that really necessary? Does that add to this conversation in any way?
You know who else obsess about this shit? Frothing right-wingers.
General Stuck
Perry is a clown, like Palin, his female soul mate in religious whackery, blended with barely disguised accusations of traitorous activity based on inaccurate information, that is sure to pique the violent tendencies of the Jesus plus gun nuts crowd. They scare me, and I just hope the SS is being vigilant and doing their jobs, and that will go double if it looks like Obama is going to win a second term, and triple if he does.
Litlebritdifrnt
My local RWNJ Radio Host was railing about this on my drive home from work this evening. It was really funny listening to his pretzel moves from “no one should dictate a country’s sovereign rights” to “we shouldn’t be giving them aid anyway” stance. I am sure if the stance was “we will only give aid to nations that promote Christianity” the RWNJs will be all for it.
Chet
Jesus wept.
Litlebritdifrnt
@Trainrunner:
And how many hetrosexuals knowingly had sex with other people while a) being infected with aids b) being infected with an STD c) being infected with Herpes? Your point is pointless to be honest.
Erik Vanderhoff
Goddamn right, John.
Litlebritdifrnt
@John Cole:
Speaking of Santorum…..
Villago Delenda Est
@Steve:
Understatement of the day.
Jenny
but, but, but… how can this be… our progressive betters told me Obama is a homophobe
lamh35
Actually John, I suspect that you won’t find any disagreement from Sullivan on this one. Gay rights for obvious reasons is his one constant where he actually seems to disagree with his GOP betters.
MikeJ
@lamh35: Yes, if it personally affects him, Sullivan can break from orthodoxy.
Jenny
And to rub salt into the wingnut wound, Lady Gaga was a guest at the White House, today:
Roger Moore
@Steve:
Omit needless words.
numbskull
@John Cole: Necessary? Few things are necessary. “Relevant” may have been the more useful word for you to use. Since, AFAIK, Mr. Bare-Back hasn’t chimed in on this, then no, not “relevant.”
It’s a twisted, fucked up world out there, Mr. Cole. Revel in it.
Emdee
Rick Perry is incensed that our aid dollars might prevent Uganda from hanging gay people.
Emdee
Rick Perry is incensed that our aid dollars might prevent Uganda from hanging gay people.
AT
It’s funny how those who deeply object to anything that these right wingers disagree with, endless war, proping up Israels lunacy etc., don’t get to make the same arguement…
The Other Chuck
Actually I think it says a lot about Sullivan and his regard for others, or the lack thereof. What it says about this subject other than that Cole mentioned him, I really don’t know.
Anya
This is a great development. Rick Perry can go and eat a pound of poisonous dicks or DIAF.
OT, I am looking for a legitimate local charity to donate to, that does not spend most of their donations on overhead costs and fundraising. I usually support kiva (easy, I just lend $200), Amnesty International and Medicine Sans Frontiers. This year, I want to add a local charity, preferably one that helps homeless families.
Villago Delenda Est
@lamh35:
Yet, he’s still mooning over guys like Romney.
Gays voting for Rethuglicans are like chickens voting for Colonel Sanders, to borrow an analogy.
Mnemosyne
@Anya:
Where is “local”?
OzoneR
Did anyone else see Glenn Greenwald’s tweet today saying the Obama Administration has been great on gay rights?
I was floored how quickly time has passed since he hated teh gay.
Southern Beale
Raw Story reporting that Perry called campaign donors from the governor’s office…. thought that was a no-no?
Anya
@Mnemosyne: New York. I don’t mind national charities, so anywhere in the country.
AA+ Bonds
Easy one: Perry knows his only hope is the sliver of Iowa that wants to see all gays hung from lampposts.
AA+ Bonds
The cool thing is that this is all non-NH primary talk, because the Republicans have totally lost the gay issue in America.
RedKitten
Hm. I didn’t realize that being allowed to live was considered a special right. That’s news to me.
jrg
I like how Obama’s drawing them in. He’s moved the conversation from gay marriage to forcing right-wingers to defend egregious human rights violations.
Perry is a fucking idiot if the issue of executing gays is the hill he wants to die on.
General Stuck
@OzoneR:
Yes, but Obama is still torturing like GWB, ditto with illegal wiretapping, invading countries with lies, rendition for more torture, and reading John Cole’s twitter feed. Which should be illegal, but apparently isn’t.
RSA
@cathyx:
His metaphor is interesting, too: the administration is “at war with people of faith.” “The war on Christmas”, as stupid as that phrase is, at least is just a war on an abstraction, like poverty or terrorism. Perry turns a policy disagreement into a President who’s at war with people in his own country. I’ll take Perry seriously when tanks roll up to an evangelical church.
AA+ Bonds
Heh, wonder when we’re gonna get the War on Christmas or if it will even be declared with Beck in the doghouse
MikeBoyScout
Remember when Rick Perry was the Teabagging savior of the Republican Party and practically guaranteed to be the NotRomney candidate?
How’s that going ASSHOLE?
Too bad Rick Perry’s campaign imploded faster than Cain’s. Otherwise we could googlebomb him. ASSHOLE!
AA+ Bonds
@RSA:
Perry’s just tipping off Fake Ass “Christians” who show their kids this business.
(I warn that even for me that link is pretty fuckin offensive)
thymezone
Amen.
Threadkiller
These are the same people who see (present tense: Paul, Rand) the Civil Rights Act as infringing upon business owners’ and states’ God-given right to keep the darkies in their place.
Same old song, new verse.
PurpleGirl
Anya: you can look for a charity at a BBB site, or Charity Navigator. Both groups review 990s and annual reports from local and national charities and rate them as to the amount of donations that go to program and over head among other things.
http://www.bbb.org/us/charity
http://www.charitynavigator.org
One comment on Charity Navigator — they work off the annual report alone, so some staffing information may be out of date. But I think they do a good job with their reviews.
PurpleGirl
@AA+ Bonds: The War on Christmas really depends on Bill O’Reilly; I believe he started this year’s battle a few weeks ago. But I forget what the issue was this year.
Bmaccnm
@Anya: I’m late to the party again, but look for your local family homeless shelter and drop off a load of food, formula and diapers. In the People’s Republic of Portland, a family shelter is located at the Presbyterian Church at NE 125th & Halsey. I’m not a Presbyterian,a church-goer, or even a Christian, but this church turns its building over to families every night from November to April. I can support that with some stuff, because that’s what they need.
Wilson Heath, Maj. Depression in the War on Chistmas
I thought “shorter Rick Perry” was Dubya. Live and learn.
Anya
@PurpleGirl: Thanks for the links. It’s easily accesible and handy.
@Bmaccnm: Great idea. Thanks for the suggestion.
PurpleGirl
Anya: From a quick Google search:
Look into http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org
or
http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org
AnotherBruce
“I have proposed a foreign aid budget that starts at zero. From that zero baseline, we will consider aid requests based solely on America’s national security interests.’
So there goes Israel’s moolah, right?
Lyrebird
To John Cole:
Thank you.
to Anya:
This isn’t for homeless folks, but I adore Puppies Behind Bars, and they definitely operate at the Bedford Women’s Prison (in Wchstr). (inmates raise puppies and train them for work as helper dogs… builds transferable skills and the inmates get loyalty and affection from teh puppehs.)
Mike in NC
Rick Perry is incensed that our aid dollars might prevent
UgandaTEXAS from hanging gay people.In other earth-shaking news, Willard Romney is about to pick up the endorsement of J. Danforth Quayle. Feel the Mittmentum.
The Republic of Stupidity
@Steve:
Now THAT is funny…
The Republic of Stupidity
Sooooooooo…
Does this mean that Perry has picked up Phelp’s endorsement?
That oughta work out well for Rick…
amk
Methinks perry does protesteth too much. Come out of the closet, perry.
greennotGreen
Someone please point out to Rick Perry that Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” And that I said, “Rick Perry, you ignorant slut, STFU.”
Mike G
While spending hundreds of billions a year overseas to kill brown people, which many Americans find so deeply objectionable, is doing the work of Jeebus and providing jobs for Texas rednecks and defense-contractor leeches.
Sly
It’s Rick Perry. Are you surprised he thinks that this is a special right?
Pseudonym
Why does Rick Perry hate freedom?
Maybe Obama should add birth control as another thing to promote, and let Santorum and the rest of the GOP attack that too.
AxelFoley
@John Cole:
At first, I thought you were gonna say ‘Hitler’.
AxelFoley
@OzoneR:
PicsTitsLink or GTFOJoey Maloney
@John Cole:
Linkified for your entertainment.
celticdragonchick
Actually, I think Sullivan would agree with you.
r€nato
While Rick Perry is certainly mining the rich vein of Republican fear and loathing of gays, he’s also playing on wingnut hostility towards foreign aid. They believe with all their heart and soul that the US is showering fortunes upon furriners. It’s actually 1% of the US budget, and 1/3 goes to Israel and Egypt… which promptly comes right back home because most of it is military aid, so basically it’s a gift to domestic military contractors with politicians and generals in Egypt and Israel skimming something off the top.
I have a family member who believes that the first thing the next GOP president should do, is cut all foreign aid. I’ve tried explaining to him the facts outlined above, and that no president whether GOP or Democratic is going to cut aid to Israel or foreign aid which amounts to subsidies for military contractors.
It makes absolutely no difference how often I tell him this. He keeps repeating the same talking points. Perry knows his audience well.
r€nato
@Litlebritdifrnt:
I take it that Mr. RWNJ Radio Host supports the sovereign right of Iran to develop a ‘peaceful’ nuclear program, then.