anticapitalist:

Our real first gay president

The new issue of Newsweek features a cover photo of President Obama topped by a rainbow-colored halo and captioned “The First Gay President.” The halo and caption strike me as cheap sensationalism. I realize airport travelers look at a magazine for 2.2 seconds before moving on to the next one. I grant that this cover will probably get Newsweek a 4.4 second glance. I also understand that Newsweek is desperate for sales. Nevertheless, I doubt that the Newsweek of old, before it was sold for a dollar, would have pandered as shallowly.

The caption is a superficial way to characterize an important development of thought that the president — along with the country — has been making over recent years. It is also entirely wrong. Like the mini-furor a couple of months back about the claim that Richard Nixon was our first gay president, the story simply ignores that the U.S. already had a gay president more than a century ago.

There can be no doubt that James Buchanan was gay, before, during and after his four years in the White House. Moreover, the nation knew it, too — he was not far into the closet.

Today, I know no historian who has studied the matter and thinks Buchanan was heterosexual. Fifteen years ago, historian John Howard, author of “Men Like That,” a pioneering study of queer culture in Mississippi, shared with me the key documents, including Buchanan’s May 13, 1844, letter to a Mrs. Roosevelt. Describing his deteriorating social life after his great love, William Rufus King, senator from Alabama, had moved to Paris to become our ambassador to France, Buchanan wrote:

I am now “solitary and alone,” having no companion in the house with me. I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any one of them. I feel that it is not good for man to be alone; and should not be astonished to find myself married to some old maid who can nurse me when I am sick, provide good dinners for me when I am well, and not expect from me any very ardent or romantic affection.

pantslessprogressive:

Bristol Palin thinks President Obama’s decision to support same-sex marriage makes him an inferior parent. Via POLITICO:

“While it’s great to listen to your kids’ ideas, there’s also a time when dads simply need to be dads. […]

In this case, it would’ve been helpful for him to explain to Malia and Sasha that while her friends parents are no doubt lovely people, that’s not a reason to change thousands of years of thinking about marriage. Or that – as great as her friends may be – we know that in general kids do better growing up in a mother/father home. Ideally, fathers help shape their kids’ worldview.”

Yes, Bristol, it would be detrimental to change marriage laws if it undoes the status quo.

I welcome Ms. Palin to raise her own children in the interest of regressive, narrow-minded social values.

“Sometimes dads should lead their family in the right ways of thinking. In this case, it would’ve been nice if the President would’ve been an actual leader and helped shape their thoughts instead of merely reflecting what many teenagers think after one too many episodes of Glee.”

It is obtuse, at best, to suggest that a man is not a strong father figure if his opinions evolve at the consideration of his children. If anything, I’d say that makes one a stronger parent.

Argentina JUST PASSED a groundbreaking gender identity bill!!!

From now on, people will be able to change the name and gender on their ID without needing psychiatric permission or any body modifications. Furthermore, anyone who does want hormones or surgery will be able to access them for free through the public and private health system.

It was passed unanimously today by the Senate

UNANIMOUSLY

(Source: genderqueer)

thedailywhat:

Follow-Up of the Day: Reactions to Obama’s Gay Marriage Announcement: The fallout from President Obama’s announcement Wednesday that he backs gay marriage:

• Nationwide polling shows support for gay marriage outweighs opposition, according to genius pollster Nate Silver.
• House Republicans voted to add an amendment to a $51.1 billion spending bill that prohibits the Justice Department from using taxpayer dollars in any future fight against the anti-gay rights Defense of Marriage Act. Which means the Obama administration’s hands are essentially tied as far as opposing DOMA.
• Mitt Romney toed the GOP line: “My view is that marriage itself is between a man and a woman.” He said Wednesday that he still believes states should be able to decide whether to offer certain legal rights to same-sex couples.
• In the first 90 minutes after news of Obama’s position surfaced, spontaneous donations to his campaign totaled $1 million.
• Some argue that Obama’s announcement is BS. “He now believes that gay couples should be able to marry. He doesn’t believe they have a right to do so,” points out Aaron Cook, writing for Gawker.
• Log Cabin Republicans, the gay arm of the GOP, gripes ”that the president has chosen today, when LGBT Americans are mourning the passage of Amendment One, to finally speak up for marriage equality is offensive and callous.”
• Obama breaks his silence on Vice President Biden:  ”He probably got out a little bit over his skis.”
• Jon Stewart throws a party on The Daily Show.
• The “Jeep Party” scene from Zoolander beats out the competition for the No. 1 GIF.
• Twitter — predictably — explodes.

thedailywhat:

Marriage Proposal of the Day: In what is believed to be the first proposal of marriage between two gay men — and war vets — on a U.S. military base, Navy vet Cory Huston asked Marine Avarice Guerrero to marry him Tuesday at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. Here’s the story:

Under a bright Southern California sky at Camp Pendleton’s Camp Del Mar near Oceanside, California, a full two hours before his boyfriend’s return from the badlands of Afghanistan, Cory Huston waited nervously. Huston, who was discharged under the former Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, chain smoked as he rehearsed the simple proposal he would deliver when Guerrero would arrive.

Finally, luggage in tow, Guerrero emerged with a smile on his face. Upon seeing Huston, Guerrero dropped his bags; aimed a kiss toward Huston’s lips; and opened his arms to his boyfriends waiting embrace. The time and distance of 10 months’ separation evaporated in a public show of affection that less than a year ago would have been cause for court martial. After a few minutes of emotional holding and kissing, Huston went anxiously down on one knee; looked up at Guerrero, who was dressed from head to toe in military fatigues; and produced an engagement ring and the time-honored phrase, “Will you marry me?”

Huston’s mild tremble, a result of hours and days of anticipation about this day, was quickly quieted by the one word every hopeful fiancé wants to hear: “Yes.”

[hypervocal]