BuzzFlash Exclusive: Margaret Cho Reacts to Being "Uninvited" to Human Rights Campaign/GLBT Event During Democratic Convention
A BUZZFLASH INTERVIEW


If you missed the news cycle last week, Margaret Cho -- comedian, champion of civil liberties and a BuzzFlash fan -- was "uninvited" from performing at the premier Gay, Lesbian and Transgender event being thrown at the time of the Democratic Convention on Monday night.

Apparently, some Democrats got skittish because the Republicans made their usual double standard whines about a raunchy Whoopi Goldberg riff at a New York Kerry fundraiser. As we noted just on Saturday, the media and the Republicans have an inexplicable hypocrisy when it comes to comic values. Dennis Miller can imply that Kerry and Edwards are gay (not that it would matter, right), but let a Democrat go down and dirty on Bush and we have a moral values crisis! Hey, Dennis, was that Wayne Newton we saw you pawing?


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Clergyman calls for gay marriage equality after blessing
Ben Townley, Gay.com UK


The minister who blessed a Scottish gay couple in a ceremony held in a pub last week, has said he supports marriage equality rights for all same-sex couples.

The blessing of Robert Wicksted and Alex Valentine took place in Edinburgh's Phoenix Bar over the weekend, with Rev Iain Whyte, a Church of Scotland chaplain from the Edinburgh Community Mental Health Chaplaincy, officiating.

Although Rev White is not contravening any Church of Scotland laws by conducting the blessing, he admitted last week that the ceremony could anger some hardline traditionals within the faith.

However, he said the blessing was part of his "pastoral" care for the couple, specifically since former Royal Scots serviceman Wicksted is suffering from leukaemia. He has been told he has just one year to live.


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Boston: Gay Rights Protesters will Picket 'Unity 2004' Gay Reception for LGBT DNC delegates, Monday, July 26 at 8:30 PM
DontAmend.com Asks Performers Not to Cross Picket Lines in Support of Margaret Cho


BOSTON, July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Citing Senator John Kerry's support for an anti-gay amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution which could take away equal rights in the one state that has them, organizers with the DontAmend.com activist network will protest outside a reception for Democratic convention Delegates. The protest will begin at 8:30 PM, Monday, July 26 outside the Avalon nightclub, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston.

Since the protest was called, the Human Rights Campaign disinvited comedienne Margaret Cho, fearing that the biting and brilliant comic would cause a media firestorm like Whoopie Goldberg did. Robin Tyler, Executive Director of dontamend.com, a Democrat and previously a professional comic, said, "This is a terrible insult to a great performer. Although Margaret is taking it graciously, we believe that it is a matter of both 'freedom of speech' and lack of trust. Since when does criticizing an administration cause such fear? Are we returning to the oppressive days of Lennie Bruce, when a comic could have their careers destroyed if they spoke the truth? Were they afraid that Margaret would utter the same word that the Vice President of the United States said (F-you) on the floor of the Senate? Well, when one performer is silenced, other performers should withdraw."

DontAmend.com has been outraged that the National Organizations have demanded nothing around equal marriage rights from the Democrats.

"Rather than forthrightly saying that the civil rights of millions of Americans should be defended, most Democratic politicians have treated our equal marriage rights as at best, an unfortunate 'diversion' in their election campaigns," said Andy Thayer, National Action Coordinator for DontAmend.com.


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House vote doesn't only threaten gays
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


Every politician has -- or should have -- a line that he or she will not cross just to gain political advantage. Even for the most ambitious and ruthless, there should be some things that are off-limits, some steps that aren't worth taking because the potential damage to the nation outweighs any political gain.

But like many Americans, I have a sneaking suspicion that the line has shifted considerably. In fact, after last week's events in the U.S. House of Representatives, you have to wonder if it still exists at all for some people.

Frustrated by the Senate's failure to produce even a majority of votes in favor of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, House leaders decided to take a more controversial approach. Citing an obscure and largely untested provision of the U.S. Constitution, the House voted 233-194 to bar the Supreme Court from considering the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law dealing with gay marriage.

That is a power grab of breathtaking consequence. If Congress has the authority to tell the Supreme Court that certain issues are off-limits, it would give legislators a free hand to do whatever they wished, without worrying about whether it violated the Constitution. The whole idea of a separation of powers could be rendered null and void if that happened.