We thought Michael Steele promised a more inclusive GOP. Then why is House Minority Leader John Boehner continuing the same tired anti-gay arguments that Republicans are notorious for? Because that’s how he was born. You see, Boehner’s convictions — his faith, if you will — are an “immutable characteristic.” Your being gay? Not so much, which is why you shouldn’t be given hate crimes protections!
Having already made clear he won’t support the Matthew Shepard Act, Boehner is now being asked to explain this apparent contradiction: he supports federal protections for race and religion, but not for sexual orientation.
How to explain? Because your religion is an “immutable characteristic,” which the government must defend against assailants! Your sexuality, however, is not some innate thing. Yes, you read that correctly. According to Beohner, your loyalty to Jesus cannot be changed because that’s the way you were born (hahaha), while your sexuality is fluid. An openly Roman Catholic devotee, Beohner cannot just up and ditch the Cross. But if he wanted, he could choose to sleep with men. Brian Montopoli quizzes the Ohio Republican:
[Hate crimes] law as it now stands offers protections based on race, color, religion and national origin.
In an email, Boehner spokesman Kevin Smith said Boehner “supports existing federal protections (based on race, religion, gender, etc) based on immutable characteristics.”
It should be noted that the current law does not include gender, though the expanded legislation would cover gender as well as sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.
“He does not support adding sexual orientation to the list of protected classes,” Smith continued.
Boehner’s position, then, appears to be grounded in the notion that immutable characteristics should be protected under hate crimes laws. And while religion is an immutable characteristic, his office suggests, sexual orientation is not.
[…]In his email, Boehner spokesman Smith also offered another reason for Boehner’s opposition to the expanded hate crime legislation.
The bill, he said, “could eventually invite the prosecution of Americans for their thoughts and religious beliefs, basic provinces protected by the First Amendment.”
But now that Boehner knows that gender is not, in fact, covered by existing federal hate crimes law, will he push to add it? Or is whether you have a penis or vagina (or somewhere in between) not an “immutable characteristic”?
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Cam
They can twist anything to defend their bigotry but I would probably respect the guy more if he were just honest and said that he doesn’t want gays added to the law because he hates us because we’re different and he thinks gay sex is icky.
scott ny'er
ugh. maybe we should just make a church of gays. i just can’t deal with these religious zealots and their agendas anymore. hateful agendas. i just really am sick of them.
Brian
He’s telling “his” truth Cam. He simply said what he has been taught: homosexuals are wrong, sinful and deviant. He believes that’s what God says. We don’t have anything to trump the “God card.”
He is correct to point out that religion is inherited. 95% of religious people are the SAME religion as their parents. Those who grow up in a non-religious household rarely pick a religion. Religions know they need to “get em when they’re young” or they have little chance.
The group of “non-religious” people in the US is growing rapidly – because they are not infecting their children.
Andrew
“Gay” Catholics must be very proud of this guy.
cr8nguy
just a point….the roman catholic catechism teaches that sexual orientation IS innate and immutable…see catechism #2358. maybe mr boehner should know what he is talking about BEFORE he speaks….
B
Brian wrote, “He simply said what he has been taught: homosexuals are wrong, sinful and deviant.” Really? Since the Catholic Church also disapproves of premarital sex in general, why don’t you find some statistics about “preach time” spent on premarital sex versus homosexual sexual conduct? You’ll probably find more time spent on the premarital sex. Then you can explain why you think Catholic rantings about homosexuality would have a significant effect when Catholics in such large numbers ignore their church’s proscriptions against premarital sex. Did you ever ask why it is that the Bible Belt has the highest rate in the U.S. for teen pregnancy in spite of all the preaching about the evils of premarital sex? Why would preaching about homosexuality be any more effective? Obviously some other factors are involved. It is more likely that anti-gay preaching is simply amplifying existing prejudices.
As to your claim, “He is correct to point out that religion is inherited. 95% of religious people are the SAME religion as their parents,” you got that wrong too – it is what is called a path dependency. Most “religious people” (I presume you mean people who go to a church) show up on Sunday morning running on autopilot, and just go through a familiar ritual. Sometimes they go simply because a spouse or parent expects it. Switching to a different sect involves learning a different ritual, which actually takes some effort. So, they stay where they are out of laziness – there has to be a significant advantage to shifting before they would do it. It’s no different that people using MACs versus PCs based on what they used in school – after learning how to use one, they don’t want to spend time learning a different way of doing the same thing.
J
*Shaking head* First-Let me point out it’s impolite to bash others beliefes or posts B. Second-I love my church, I’m not highly religous, and I was taught (and I’m teaching my daughter) that Jesus himself preached acceptence and tolerance of others not hate. Let me also point out that hate for homosexuals is mostly in the old testment (it’s been a while since I read the bible so there might be some hate in the new testement but none that I can remember). Christian, those who follow christ, should (I stress that word) follow more to what the new testement says about accepting others, rather then taking the old testement to heart becuase in the new testement Jesus really does throw out a lot of the rules from the old. Sorry for rambling about religion but it’s simple hiding behind religous rule that they shouldn’t really be following if they call themselves christians.
And on the point to teaching childern relgion…eh…my whole family stands back and lets you choose for own path, could in their church or out of it doesn’t really matter it’s the family that does, I agree with the no forcing children to choose yours.
jarvisbearcub
The concept of original sin, and the notion that Christians have to practice their faith, because it is not in their nature to follow God’s law, proves that religion is not immutable, or something you’re born with. Otherwise, children wouldn’t need to be taught about it! And there wouldn’t need to be any ex-communications or procedures for people of faith to leave the church.
Oh wait, the church makes them be ex-communicated…
terrwill
Its all a big crock ‘o shit. The blowharts who spew the largest amounts of poo from their orafices are usually the most morally corrupt members of the rightwing-nutbags. Think of all who have pontificated about how “wrong” everything about the Gays is.
Jimmy Swaggart: Whores in a cheap motel
Rush Windbag: Oxyaddict
Larry Craig: Bathroom slut
Ted Haggard: Whore and crystal meth in a cheap hotel
Ted Stevens: Tax cheat
and so on and so on and so on………….
I sleep easy at night knowing I did not chose to be Gay, yet these subhuman scumbags chose to be hateful bigots………
Jake the libertarian
I had no idea that the congressman is so opposed to evangelism. One of the main tenants in Christianity is to preach the Gospel and bring the unwashed to Christ, yet if your religion is ingrained at birth then there is no hope of conversion to the Church and therefore the tenant of evangelism is worthless.
Personally I am offended by his heresy. In a better time he would have been burned at the stake.
Me being a homo though? Yeah I picked that “lifestyle” when I was about 13. I then spent the next 15 years hiding this “lifestyle” and basically hating myself. I really don’t know why I decided to do that… You know, it seemed like the “in” thing to do.
Chuck
Gay bashing is freedom of speech??? Not only Boehner but Indiana’s Mike Pence said this as well. So we got Boehner, Pence, Mean Jean Schmidt, and McConnell, as proof that Greater Cincinnati is Hate Central, USA. Here’s a call to action: boycott all P&G products!
YellowRanger
The stupid…IT BURNS.
B
J: “*Shaking head* First-Let me point out it’s impolite to bash others beliefes or posts B.” ….then you should really complain about Brian’s continual religion bashing with no distinction between religions or religious sects, and about him calling me
“delusional” on a number of occasions for suggesting that 100% of
Christians are not the enemy!
Brian aside, though, it would seem appropriate to criticize the Catholic Church given how it has inserted itself into political campaigns that impact the civil rights of others. As Harry Truman once said about politics, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
Orpheus_lost
It must be nice for a politician to be able to spew out whatever illogical bullshit comes to mind so long as it ends with the oppression of others. That’s what his base wants, really. They want to feel like they’re higher up on the ladder of success than somebody else. Anybody else. So, if you’re willing to tell them that you’ll hold down the gays or the blacks or the Muslims or the Mexicans or the Atheists, or the Jews or the communists or the socialists or the anarchists or the long hairs or the short hairs, they’ll keep you in office for a lifetime.
SteveMD2
Everyone should read The End of Faith by Sam Harris. Where he explains the basic irrationality of most of religion.
Now I have no objection to someone praying to a pet rock (remember that craze from the 80s) or an idol etc. As long as they don’t hurt other people.
But when their beliefs interfer with other people’s rights, yes it is time to disgrace these people, and expose them for the fools they are to buy into their shit.
Which btw has been the cause or a supporting cast in most of mankinds most horrible adventures, like wars. All because people “believe”. And because most religions live in the past, where the most lurid of practices were sanctioned as being per the bible.
B
terrwill wrote, “Larry Craig: Bathroom slut” Larry still claims he is straight, so let’s let the straight guys claim him. They can amortize his negatives over a much larger population base. Maybe make it “straight bathroom klutz,” if only so his wife doesn’t make him sleep on the couch. We can still laugh at him.
Besides, we have “proof” that he is not gay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zzf049rgMI (don’t hold a hot drink in your hands while watching this.)
mark
You can decide that, fortunately no man I can imagine would have the same thought about you Boehner
macca
Mark, you’re right – not even with a huge paper bag over his head and a few shots of Jack could get me to eeewwwww I can’t even bear to say it!
Z
What a douchebag!! Dumbass!
Robert, NYC
Actually it wasn’t God who condemned “homosexuality” but men, the Leviticus quote comes to mind. Jesus Christ made no mention of it in the new testament. Check out the rest of them http://www.fallwell.com
The roman cult frowns upon premarital sex, yet in its abject hypocrisy willing marries and solemnizes straight marriages where the bride wears white, a symbol of virginal purity, when we all know the majority of women having a religious ceremony are definitely NOT virgins. The hypocrisy of these cults knows no bounds.
Religion isn’t immutable, huh? Since when does anyone come into this world naturally religious? What a fuckwit Boehner is!
pogobock
If Boehner hates teh gays so much, why does he keep getting that spray-on tan?
hyhybt
tenant: a person who occupies rented property.
tenet: a principle of belief.
georgie girl
American,listen to what your saying that people don’t have the right to speak how they feel,we would rather have someone say what they are against but yet treat people with kindness. You people that don’t believe in some faith or higher being like Jesus or God,then why is it when things go wrong people say,God help us? We all believe in something some just try to bring in other faith’s and shove them down your throats, like the President and his illegals so he’ll have his deck sacked to pass everything he wants. thats what you should be worried about and this health plan of his,thats going to jack our taxes up and meds with your HMO if you have one or a special Doctor’s you go to. As we are doing now paying for everyone that has never supported them self and all the illegals that don’t make enough to pay for all the children , our schools our suffering kids don’t have great teachers and we have a gay person in education dept that putting gay movies in schools, we don’t need that parents must except their responsibilities to check on what their teaching in school today and they sure don’t need to sing praise to any president or for his health plan now in sitcoms this is like a dictator ship if thats what you people,then don’t read what he is doing with all our money and don’t ask why we don’t see him play our National Anthem or our pledge in schools or games everywhere in America,you people didn’t listen to the people he was involved with and how much money he has been spending of ours and he don’t care did he talk to us when jobs were closing all around us No he went over seas and to Mexico to bring illegals here and they are every where taking American born and payed citizens jobs. Do you see your Mayor’s -Senator – Governor looking out for us or our children,NO it’s like they all have been payed off not to rock the boat,to help the Americans in anyway as long as we pay for his children education and our children get politics in k to the 9th grades they can ask about Communism-Socialism-verse-Capitalism in college.As for the Gays they should get a good Living Trust Will and every job hospital and others should except that as a legal document that is cheaper than a divorce believe us.If you Love your freedom of speech and whom you can listen to on the TV or radio and that illegals should be finger printed and pictures and background checks of everyone that comes to this State and health records,before they are let in and pay for their citizenship like others have done and those that are here and didn’t do it should be fined and do it but we don’t have a great homeland security and the president doesn’t want that he and all the rest of them are safe with the secret service we pay for. Yes we spend more on this President than even Bush spent so it’s been said and Obama don’t stop spending and sending our tax dollars over seas for abortions that will last for everyone lifetime and he is helping get water and farm land so they can plant and we can’t do any thing here anymore only low-income families will be here isn’t that get for us and our children to never get a better education like those in private schools get. WE’RE UP SET BECAUSE OUR SOCIAL SECURITY HAS BEEN USED BY OTHERS AND NOW WE WON’T GET ANY INCREASE,it’s like everything that has been going on for years to us only worse now wake up America do you want a Government that cares for America and loves her heritage and laws and great educations for your self and kids now or after we’ve been flooded with illegals and they chaage everything this county stands for God on are money and in our song and our bible they should swear on not a Koran they aren’t pledging their allegiance to America or to us,it’s to the Muslim faith. Listen to what he calls us and how he acts,he said he would drill for oil here were is it if we can’t build business or farming here that means every thing we get will be from others places over seas or Mexico. Read he want his friend in the UN have this area called NAFTA SUPERHIGHWAY AND WE WILL BE KNOWN NOT AS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WE WILL BE NORTH AMERICAN UNION FROM MEXICAN BORDER AT LAREDO,TEXAS TO THE CANADIAN BORDER NORTH OF DULUTH,MINNESOTA, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT ALL THE DRUG DEALERS AND ILLEGALS WILL TAKE OVER BECAUSE NO GOVERNMENT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT US TRUE AMERICANS ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS BLAMING AMERICANS FOR ALL THATS WRONG IN MEXICO AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRIES OVER SEAS,I’D RATHER OUR MILITARY WOULD COME HOME AND PLEDGE THE SELFS TO AMERICA NOT TO ANY PRESIDENT EVER AND OUR KIDS FROM 18- TO 25 HE WANTS TO DO CIVIAL WORK TO BUILD THEIR SELF ESTEEM AS LONG AS THEY DON’T HAVE TO SWEAR TO HIM OR ANY ONE BUT THE USA THATS GOOD.WHY DO OTHER COUNTRIES TAKE CARE OF THEIR KIDS SCHOOL ALL THOUGH COLLEGE OURS OUR IN DEBIT OVER THEIR HEADS AND HES NOT HELPING THEM IN ANY WAY. THIS COUNTRY IS HEADING DOWN A ROAD OF HURT BIG HURT UNLESS EVERYONE WRITES THE WHITE HOUSE NO AMNESTY EVER MUST BE DONE THE LEGAL WAY OR GO HOME- STOP THE BABY BOOM AND IF THESE PEOPLE AREN’T PAYED LEGALS THEIR CHILD GETS THEIR MOTHERS BIRTH PLACE NOT OURS. PEOPLE MUST SPEAK AND READ ENGLISH AND THEY MUST NOT BREAK OUR DRESS CODES AND SCHOOLS SHOULD HAVE BETTER LOOKING DRESS CODES TO NO LOW NECKS OR PANTS SO TIGHT YOU SEE EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY NO EARRINGS ALL OVER THE FACE OR TATOO’S THEY DON’T WEAR HIGH HEELS TO SCHOOL OR COLLEGE AND BOYS MUST WEAR PANTS ON THEIR HIPS AND NOT BAGGY OR DRAGGING AND NO MIDRIFFS SHOWING AND BIKINI’S MUST GO THE MONEY THAT PEOPLE PAY FOR NOTHING IS HIGH ROBBERY NO VEILS ANYWHERE WE HAVE TO HAVE PRIDE AND RESPECT FOR OUR SELF AND OUR AMERICA AND LET NO BODY BREAK OUR LAWS OR CHANGE ARE CONSTITUTION FOR ANY REASON SPECIALLY THEIR OWN,WHY DO WE HAVE TO GIVE TO EVERYONE WHEN OTHER COUNTRIES OUR GETTING RICH OFF ALL THE BUSINESS THAT WENT OVER SEAS AND ALL WE BUY FROM OUT OF OUR AMERICA. WAKE UP SAN FRANCISCO -OAKLAND AND BLACKS -MEXICO- THEY WANT YOU BECAUSE YOU WORK FOR CHEAP WAGES FOLKS,WHY DO YOU THINK THEIR IS STILL 12% JOB LOSS AND OBAMA SAYS IT’S NOT. TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT WHO IS IN OUR USA WORKING AND COMING IN FROM OVER SEAS AND TAKING CITIZENS JOB,IS OBAMA FOR THIS AMERICA AND HER PEOPLE,START PROTESTING,WE NEED PEOPLE THAT WANT TO MAKE ECONOMY GROW WITH COMPETITION IN EVERY FIELD OF JOBS AND HEALTH CARE FIX THE THINGS THAT ARE WRONG FIRST BEFORE GOVERNMENT PLANS AND OUR PRESIDENTS FROM NOW ON SHOULDN’T GET TO SPEND SO MUCH OF OUR MONEY AND THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE SO MUCH MONEY IF WE CAN’T THE LOAN AIG-ACORN-FANNIE MAE-FREDDIE MAC-WALL STREET-CEOS PRESIDENT’S 0F BIG BUSINESS AND BANKERS GET WAY TO MUCH A DAY AND THE BONUS SHOULD BE TO THEM IT SHOULD TO OUR AMERICA FOR EDUCATION ROADS AND CHECKING OUR HOMELAND SECURITY WHICH NOBODY IS DOING AND A LOT MORE TO BE DONE HERE. PEOPLE HAVE TO LEARN NOT TO GO OVER THEIR HEADS IN SPENDING AND BUYING SAVE AND BUDGET THATS WHAT THE OLDER FOLKS HAVE DONE AND LOOK NOW THEY HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK BECAUSE THEY LOST THEIR INVESTMENTS AND IF OBAMA HAS HIS WAY EVERY ONE OF US WILL BE HELPING OTHERS IN SOME WAY OF CIVIL SERVICES,THOUGHT THESE WERE OUR GOLDEN YEARS TO DO WANT WE WANT. THE PEOPLE WE MADE FAMOUS THEY DON’T EVEN LIFT A FINGER TO BACK US THEY ARE SO GREEDY AND SELFISH AND THATS THE WAY ALL OUR GOVERNMENT IS. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND THOSE THAT LOVE HER AND I FEEL SAD TO WHAT OUR LOVED ONES WILL FIND WHEN THEY COME HOME,IT’S SAD NEVER THOUGHT WE’D SEE THIS MESS AND BROKEN LAWS BY THE PEOPLE RUNNING THIS STATE
hyhybt
@#23: http://homepage.mac.com/feudfan/au/100107Timer.m4a
Robert, NYC
Georgie Girl or Boy, whatever you are, you’re an idiot, so typical of right wing republican. You wouldn’t know what communism or socialism is if it bit you in the ass, let alone socialized medicine, moron. Government run health care is NOT socialized medicine, don’t you know the difference? I guess not, you’re not that bright. As far as I know, there are NO doctors on the government pay roll, if there are, provide the evidence. That’s what socialized medicine is, you idiot.
Your republican representatives, congressmen and senators all get to enjoy government run health care, go check. They have the best government run (not socialized) health insurance in the country, often referred to as the cadillac of health insurance. If they don’t like government run health care, why are they using it? I don’t see them rejecting it, going out and buying their own private insurance now do we, plus they get government provided pensions once they retire? While we’re at it, why aren’t senior rethuglicans not turning in their medicare cards to the federal government if they don’t like government run health care? Do explain?
greenmanTN
If religion is an “immutable characteristic” then what’s up with proselytizing and “missionaries?” Isn’t the whole POINT of “witnessing,” membership drives, missionaries, going door to door, etc. that they want you to CHOOSE to join their religion? Don’t people choose to convert from one religion to the other all the time, daily in fact? Sounds to me like it’s religion that’s clearly a choice, unlike being gay.
Despite their rhetoric I’ve never known a single gay person who said they “chose” to be gay. Off the top of my head I can think of several people who converted to a different religion in order to marry a person of that faith or for personal reasons. And they really need to STFU about the “ex-gay” thing. I have yet to meet anyone who answered the question “So you’d encourage someone you care about to marry a person who says they ‘used to be gay?'” in the affirmative. Even the proponents of “reparative therapy” don’t really believe in it. It’s just politically convenient to say they do.
Joanaroo
“Boner” and his GOP assholes think their piece of fiction is going to save them. HAH! May they all rot in Hell and the sooner the better! Whatever the fuck that Rethuglican shit was a few comments ago, may your motherfucking God keep you from fucking cancer because your goddamn insurance may either get too fucking expensive or the insurance CEOs the GOP sucks on may throw your ass out of your policy and you DIE QUICKLY! Goddamn religion and GOP!