We've settled for fractions for equality. And I think that that is going to end —Cleve Jones, pictured.
"Homosexuality is seen as a violation of this natural creative order, and it is an offense to God. ... Leviticus 18:22 says: 'You shall not lie with a man as one lies with a female. It is an abomination.' Leviticus 20:13 says, 'If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act, and they shall surely be put to death.' ... When we create laws that goes ( sic ) against what biblically we are supposed to stand for, I think we are agreeing, or allowing to go forward, a sin which should not be treated by government as something that is legal. ... We are taking sins and making them to be legally OK, and that is wrong. That is an abomination. ... And I'm not saying that this is the only sin that's out there. Obviously, we have sin. We have murder, we have all sorts of sins. We have adultery. And we don't make laws making those legal. ... All sin is equal. That sin there is as equal to any other sin that's in the Bible." — Colorado state Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, on the floor of the Senate Feb. 23 during debate on a bill to allow gay state employees to share health benefits with their partners. The bill passed.
"If he ( Obama ) keeps half the promises he made to us—repeal DADT, repeal DOMA, support adoptions by same-sex couples, use the bully pulpit of the White House to argue for our equality and humanity—we'll have to canonize the guy. Bill Clinton screwed us—DADT and DOMA—and yet gay Americans remember his presidency rather fondly. I expect that Obama will deliver on some promises, try but fail to deliver on others, and not even make an attempt on one or two. But I expect that with what he does manage to deliver—coupled with his Supreme Court appointments—he will ultimately do more to advance the cause of gay equality than any other president before him. Sadly, though, that's not too high a bar to clear." — Gay writer Dan Savage to this column, Jan. 15.
"I feel 'cautiously optimistic' ( about Obama ) , to borrow a phrase. I would be ecstatic and beside myself, of course, if it weren't for the Rick Warren fiasco. ( An aside: Does anyone believe that Gene Robinson, per the Obama team, was part of their Inauguration Day plans all along? It certainly didn't sound like Gene knew anything about it when Warren was selected and he was handing out the bitter quotes. And the Obama team's post-Warren talking points—mocked here, there, and everywhere—mentioned that big gay marching band, but not Robinson. Hmmm. I'm thinking the talking points would've been a good time to bring up Robinson, had he been part of the plan all along, so it seems pretty clear he wasn't. ) For the country, though, I'm giddy. Even if Obama shits all over GBLT Americans for the next 4-8 years, anything Obama does will be better—for all Americans—than 4-8 more years of Republican misrule. Say he shits all over the TGBL Americans but somehow manages to rescue the economy: BTGL Americans will be able to find jobs too, and get mortgages too. Say he shits all over LBTGs but takes steps to protect the environment and consumers and moves on climate change—it's not part of our specifically TGIF agenda, of course, but we'll be able to breathe cleaner air and drink purer water and our kids will be able to play with less-toxic toys. An office mate—a straight woman upset about Warren—said this morning that she's getting 're-excited' about Obama. I guess I'm feeling that way too. Re-excited—and it feels so good." — Gay writer Dan Savage to this column, Jan. 15.
"Well, I think the gay people have always liked me because I have always been myself, I'm not intimidated by how people perceive me, I don't judge nor criticize people. I think that's another reason they at least know that I'm sympathetic. I think all people have a right to be who they are. We're all God's children and God should be the one to judge, not other people. So I have a lot of gay friends, lesbian friends. I work with a lot of people. I am not gay. I have been accused of that. But I have been happily married for 42 years to the same man. And he's not the least bit, you know, threatened by the fact that I may be gay. And he knows I have a lot of friends. But I love everybody. It doesn't matter to me." — Dolly Parton to CNN's Larry King, Feb. 21.
"I never knowingly slept with a Windows user. Ever." — San Francisco Chronicle sex columnist Violet Blue in the movie MacHeads as quoted by CNN.com, March 2. The 2008 film is enjoying a second life at Amazon, where it's the No. 4 top-selling documentary.
"I do not want to add to the acceptability of asking every candidate, 'Are you straight or gay or lesbian?' and make it a legitimate question, so I don't submit to that question. I don't care if people think I'm gay because I don't answer it. I'm flattered that at 84 people are interested in my sex life—and, it's quite limited." — Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch to The New York Times, Feb. 28.
"It's a monster book. ... It's an attempt to put us ( gay people ) back in history from the beginning. No history book ever recorded anything about us, and researching this book I found out that both ( Abraham ) Lincoln and George Washington were gay. ... I have stuff that will go beyond anything that has ever been written or said." — Veteran gay and AIDS activist, author and playwright Larry Kramer discussing his upcoming book, The American People: A History, with the Montreal newspaper Hour, March 5.
—Assistance: Bill Kelley
