Burnt Orange Report

Just through I drop a line and give you all a heads up - while also venting a little frustration alone the way - sorry!

This morning, my day began with a phone call (one of those All American prerecorded messages - that we all love to get) from a Mr. Paul Bettencourt the local ASSESSOR AND COLLECTOR OF TAXES for HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS - a true down to earth office holder and one who of course would should be above politics.

His friendly message was a simple one - he just want to remind me to get out and vote for the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages and civil unions in Texas - just the thing that I a gay man really wanted to hear!

Having spent the last 20 years living in San Francisco and only just having relocated back home to Texas, last year, so I could better support my aging folks (now there some real family vales at work) - I’m not really equipped to handle the fact that Texas office holders would or could allow themselves to take such a stand on a public issue - if you can call it that!

But this is Texas and Homophobe rules!

Anyway, keep up the good work and say a little pray that there are enough good people here in Texas to stop the right wind cultist from inacting this latest hate bill!

And by the way did you all watch Jimmy Carter go off on his church and on “W the wonder boy last night on the Larry King Show - it was some really good television!

Thanks again and I guess I feel a little better now

Just through I drop a line and give you all a heads up - while also venting a little frustration alone the way - sorry!

This morning, my day began with a phone call (one of those all american prerecorded messages - that we all love to get) from a Mr. Paul Bettencourt the local ASSESSOR AND COLLECTOR OF TAXES for HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS - a true down to earth office holder and one who of course would be above politics.

His friendly message was a simple one - he just want to remind me to get out and vote for the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages and civil unions in Texas - just the thing that I a gay man really wanted to hear!

Having spent the last 20 years living in San Francisco and only just having relocated back home to Texas, last year, so I could better support my aging folks (now there some real family vales at work) - I’m not really equipped to handle the fact that Texas office holders would or could allow themselves to take such a stand on a public issue - if you can call it that!

But this is Texas and Homophobe rules!

Anyway, keep up the good work and say a little pray that there are enough good people here in Texas to stop the right wind cultist from acting this latest hate bill!

And by the way did you all watch Jimmy Carter go off on his church and on “W the wonder boy last night on the Larry King Show - it was some really good television!

Thanks again I feel a little better

Our family will of course vote no.

In my job I have access to lots of middle class, fairly conservative texans. Knowing I'm not going to convert homophobia in the short time I have with them, I have used the following argument with a great deal of success.

I point out to them the Constitution already defines marriage between a man and a woman.

Then I give them the Politics 101 about how when you want to build or energize a base, you propose crap like this and the faithful come a runnin'.

Then I ask them why are they; texas taxpayers, footing the bill for someone's base building on something already in the constitution? It makes them suspcious and turns them off to the idea.

I hate using the man and a woman only argument for anything, but I will continue to do my part as long as this approach is effective.

Paul Bettencourt -

Big-time religious right guy. Not a lot of people realize it, because it's a non-partisan election. You see it if you go to a Republican Party Convention. Anyway, here's what he said in October, per the Houston Pastors council press release,

"This amendment is needed because radical activists in our culture, assisted by activists on some judicial benches, have attempted to 'undefine' an institution that has been the bedrock throughout the history of western civilization."

Yeh, he's a big supporter of Amendment 2, alright. He also supported Terri Leo for State Board of Education. Terri is one of the ringleaders of attacks on the proper treatment of evolution in biology books. Pretty much the whole nine yards of the Republican Party platform, he's behind in spades. I just wish more people realized it.

First of all let us do away with the term homophobic. I am not afraid of homosexuals and I don't know anyone else who is either.

Like it or not boys and girls, a simple anatomy lesson is enough to shoot down your claim of normality. So whatever arguments you want to continue to put forth are rendered meaningless by your own bodies. Damn, what a betrayal huh?

And an additional thought for you. Every argument used to normalize homosexuality can be, and have been used to support pedophila as well. Would you also like to welcome them into the fold of picked on/misunderstood minorities?