Controversy Over Rhee Now to Include Sex, Congress
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The D.C. Council has voted 12-1 in favor of a bill that recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry (D) was the lone dissenter.
The vote sets up a situation where Council member David Catania (I-At Large) will now have to wait and see how Congress reacts to this decision before deciding when to introduce a second bill that would allow same-sex marriages to be performed in the District. D.C. laws are subject to review by Congress, although that doesn't necessarily mean that Congress would have to approve this bill for it to become law. If they take no action at all, the legislation will become law automatically after 30 days.
UPDATE: Barry had more words for reporters after today's vote, including a prediction of a "civil war" within the District if Catania goes forward with plans to introduce a broader gay marriage bill later this year. He did, however, offer a rebuke of those anti-marriage equality protesters who raised their voices in the halls of the Wilson Building today. "That kind of conduct sets it all back,” he told reporters.
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I just really, really wish they held off on this for a month until the Vote has been voted on. However, I have pretty much lost all hope that there will be any movement on that.
Thank goodness that a moral politician like Marion Barry had the courage of his convictions and relentlessly stood by his beliefs.
This week.
Well there we go.
Won't somebody think of the children?
Take that, Churchies!
Where does the single guy fit into this puzzle? Where did my last comment fly off to? I make a comment and then it goes flying off somewhere? Where has it gone to? Who can I turn to. (I don't want to turn into PIGMAN.)
Is Barry even married?
Many times has that man been married.
But he still has a duty to protect the sanctity of marriage, right? Right?
OK. here's the more complete answer to woodstock's question from last week about how gay marriage harms straights and engrish major's comment about the sanctity of marriage.
1. "Sanctity" means holiness, saintliness, or godliness. Being married threfore gets one closer to God. Getting married more gets one even closer still.
Some, like Barry, do it serially. Others do it concurrently (polygamy). The more one gets married, the closer one gets to God. Barry has been married four times, which puts him closer to God than David Catania (0 marriages) and Jim Graham (1 marriage), but further than Elizabeth Taylor (8 marriages; both Richard Burtons count) and way behind Calamity Jane (12 marriages). This is why God-fearing Republicans that love their country divorce so often - so they can marry again. Atheistic Democrats mate for life and will never get close to God.
2. Since gays cannot marry, they cannot get closer to God, therefore they get pushed further away from God. Letting gays marry will allow them to be closer to God, possibly crowding out the straights.
Unless they marry someone of the opposite gender like Jim Graham, which just confuses the issue. Much like the sperm that races all the others to be the first to the egg, every other person around you is a competitor. You need to take every advantage lest the pearly gates close and the "No Vacancy" sign is put out right in front of you.
3. And even here on Earth, allowing gays to marry will impoverish straights ultimately leading to their extinction.
Straight weddings are expensive because straight girls insist on lavish weddings. More marriages overall also increase the total cost of all weddings as demand exceeds supply of hotel banquet rooms. Wealthy gay guys put particular pressure on high-end venues, pushing prices up. (Lesbians are too poor to matter.) Having to fund a larger number of increasingly expensive weddings will put the straights in a state of permanent decline. In a few generations, they will probably die out.
Fascinating. This completely vindicates my theory that bachelorhood leads to sterility, insanity, and death. All the anti-PETA types make a big deal about how Hitler was a vegetarian. But y'know what? He never got married either. Think about it. I'm hoping to pitch this to NIH as a multi-year longitudinal study of sterile nazi bachelor mice and the effects of prolonged exposure to narcotics, alcohol, steaks, pornography, and images of Megan Fox bending over things. The control group will be composed of me.
Thank you for that well-thought-out explanation, SP. Since I'm straight and never married, I'm thinking it's a 50-50 proposition as far as me getting closer to God. Therefore, I'm trying to increase my chances of "touching the hem of His garment" through hallucinogens like peyote and mescaline. And I'm pretty sure that last couple grams of 'shrooms got me damn close!
Barry is the Council member your mother warned you about. Dangerous. Plays by his own rules. A rebel. A rogue. Makes the ladies swoon from Congress Heights
to the PG county line.
So don't call him former Mayor and current Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry. Call him Daddy.
Barry is always relevant. Moral compass and all. Family values. Great statesmen. And he tips strippers well.
As Barry slowly creeps into his twilight years, with the inevitable decrepitude and senility and bloodlust for fresh organs, I kinda feel sorry for him. Like when Dracula finally gets staked at the end of the movie. Complaining about him being a doubletalking, racebaiting hypocrite is like women complaining about the size of their asses: that's just how they were built. Instead of complaining, you need to find someone who worships your faults. Kinda like how Barry found Ward 8. But trying to force Barry to not act like a clown is like trying to get guys to not stare at slutty teens.
love me some strippers.
Huffers and Inhalers all love them Paint Strippers.
Marion Barry has many lives. PIGMAN has many nipples.
...Congress would have to approve this bill for it to become law. If they take no action at all, the legislation will become law automatically after 30 days.
Amidst the swine flu, Spector-fallout, econogheddon and automotive restructuring, this is as good a time as any to slide laws under their radar.
Despite all of the REAL problems facing this Congress, you can be sure that some mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging red stater won't miss this opportunity to show his/her electorate what a moral and righteous legislator they've sent to DC.
Senator Kyl speaks for ALL of us, don't you remember?
You can bet a certain diaper fetishist Senator will be soiling his britches with rage over this piece of legislation. Too bad certain parttime men's room goblin is no longer in office to register his righteous, hipocritical indignation.
AMEN! Sneak 'em in now cause if the NRA get's wind they might try to "score the vote" and we'll have another repeat of the Voting Rights Travesty!
So, does that "D" in "Marion Barry (D)" stand for "dildo?"
I hope this passes. I'll be proud for DC to join Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts and Iowa in their respect for civil rights.
I was fortunate to be able to attend the session vote today, along with other supporters in white clothing who showed up. I was absolutely humbled by the compassionate words said by Mr. Catana and Mr. Mendelton which brought a few tears to my eyes!
What Marrion Barry had to say was pitiful and shameless; he had only one thing on his mind...reading his newspaper! While he gave his dispassionate speech about being unfairly labled a biggot, everyone paid as much attention to him as they could without bleeding from their ears--AND YET--while others gave their passionate pleas for justice and equality, M.B. was sitting there reading his newspaper, he wasn't even facing the people he has turned his back on! Whatever good Marrion Barry may have done in the past is completely voided by his words and actions as of late--as far as I am concerned, he is a biggot, no if's, and's, or but's about it!
What's even sadder is that after the vote, a "real marriage" began to take place just outside the Wilson building to show DC what a "real marriage" is supposed to be--again, shameful! Grown men and ministers throwing a tantrum both in the hallway outside the hearing chamber and on the street! I wonder if those same men and ministers remember being on the other side of the marriage inequity fence back in the 60's before inter-racial marriage was finally fought for and won...
I have placed some pictures and twitter bits of this morning:
http://www.twitter.com/matt3470
Thank you for the recap and analysis.
And then, to show what a "real marriage" is all about, the groom made another call to the hookers he banged at his bachelor party! And even better, to show what "real conservative values" are all about, the minister then went and buggered two little boys while waving his church's tax-exempt form in the air! Ahhh, good times.
I wonder if those same men and ministers remember being on the other side of the marriage inequity fence back in the 60's before inter-racial marriage was finally fought for and won...
Ah, but that was totally, totally, totally, totally, totally, totally, totally, totally different, and how dare you even bring it up, you racist.
Did I mention "totally?"
Sure about as different as beige and khaki...
On the off chance you were seriously calling me a racist, I should have put in there that I made the comment because none of the ministers present were white, in fact, I think maybe only a handful of the opposition were white. One would think (but can never assume, I suppose) that people who have struggled for rights, would not be the first to try and prevent others from attaining equal rights as well. Although in retrospect a similar phenomenon took place in California where much of the Prop 8 support was found within the latino community... Perhaps it is true that those who are oppressed, in term oppress others with much more effeciency because someone else always has to be lower than the bully.
Just my $0.02, however un-PC it may seem.
latinos voted with prop 8 bc latin america is heavily catholic
Not all black people think the same way you know. I'm black and I support gay marriage. It pisses me off when people group me with the bigots.
Hey Sommer, how about we change that "Congress" tag to read "Congre$$". Pretty please??
Most interesting thing I learned during the debate: Jim Graham, back in his hetero days, was married to a woman.
File that under "Things I Didn't Know About Jim Graham."
Most interesting thing I learned during the debate: Jim Graham, back in his hetero days, was married to a woman.
Pre- or post-op?
First Marion Barry voted for the measure; the second time he voted against it.
Does this mean he wants recognition of marriages between bisexuals?
YES! This is really exciting. Hopefully all turns out well :)
Marion Barrry: crack smokin', tax evadin', ho bangin' moralist
And the protesters outside were horrible - all "God's gonna smack you". I thought they meant smite, but I could be wrong.
In the "In Other News" and "People We Love to Hate" categories:
"At a state level, it's up to them. I don't want it to be a federal thing. I personally still think it's wrong.... Queer means strange and unusual. It's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that.... I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing." ~ 'Joe the Plumber'
and I bet Joe isn't a racist either, because he has black friends!
Exactly, but I wonder if he thinks "It's not like a slur" when he provides a name for them.
I find it weird that he calls his supposed gay friends "homosexuals." That seems so formal and so pointed. Who calls their gay friends that?