War President, indeed


When President Bush calls himself a "war President" he's talking about his so-called war on terror, but he could just as easily be talking about the war against LGBT Americans that is raging in this country. It is a war he condones, an attack on a group of citizens that is politically expedient for him.

Right now in Michigan, anti-gay petitioners are claiming to have the required number of signatures to get one of the most divisive, mean-spirited, and damaging ballot measures the LGBT community has ever been up against on the Nov. ballot. At issue is whether or not to amend the Michigan Constitution to ban not only marriage for same-sex couples, but to also ban civil unions and strip LGBT families of domestic partner benefits. Bush and his supporters couldn't be happier. For him, it means higher numbers at the polls, same-sex couples and LGBT families be damned.

After all, we're not his base. Our families have become political cannon fodder for a campaign that relies on the public mistaking support of Bush and his policies with patriotism; a public willing to sacrifice civil liberties under the guise of safety; a public that does not pay attention or ask hard questions.

Thankfully, there are some people who are paying attention, and who are outraged at what they see.

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Red contingent joins parade


Dan Margolis

For the first time the Communist Party USA and the Young Communist League had an official contingent in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trangender Pride March. The CPUSA/YCL contingent was led by a large black pickup truck draped with pink banners reading: “Dump Bush! An injury to one is an injury to all.”

Harlem YCL leader Estevan Nembhard said, “All along the route, people were applauding for us when they saw our banner. We started chants and the crowd chanted with us, and at other times, the crowd started chants for us. They chanted ‘Dump Bush!’ when they saw our banner.”

“This is a struggle that is important to us,” said Jessie Marshall, YCL national co-coordinator. “We’re not going to let Bush or anyone else use it as a way to divide us from other young people. This is about beating Bush first, but for us it’s also about building up unity among all young people.”