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Title: Austin becomes first Texas city to endorse marriage equality (Hook Em, Horns!!)
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Published: Sep 30, 2012
Author: as
Post Date: 2012-09-30 09:44:04 by tom007
Keywords: None
Views: 318
Comments: 11
Austin becomes first Texas city to endorse marriage equality By Stephen C. Webster Thursday, September 27, 2012 13:51 EDT Print A famous piece of graffiti in Austin, Texas, painted by the partner of the business's owner. Photo: Flickr user ms.akr, creative commons licensed. Topics: Austin City Council ♦ Equality Texas ♦ marriage equality The Austin City Council made history Thursday, becoming the first group of city leaders in the deeply conservative state of Texas to endorse marriage equality. The council’s strongly worded resolution (PDF) condemning the Defense of Marriage Act, the nation’s ban on same sex marriage, was supported by a diverse coalition of civil rights groups, including Equality Texas, the NAACP, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Anti-Defamation League and the Human Rights Campaign. The resolution was also backed by a petition signed by more than 1,800 people living in and around the Austin metro area. It passed by unanimous vote shortly after 11 a.m. central, which happened to coincide with events in Washington, D.C. promoting National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. “I’m very happy that I live in a community that continues to demonstrate that it respects the equality and the value of all of its residents,” Chuck Smith, interim director of Equality Texas, told Raw Story. “It is consistent with the principles and policies of the City of Austin to ensure that everyone who lives here is treated fairly.” The resolution says in no uncertain terms that the Austin City Council will no longer abide discriminatory practices that deny the “powerful and important affirmation of love and commitment” that is civil marriage. ”BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN,” the resolution concludes. “[We] support marriage equality in the State of Texas.” Though Austin is a liberal stronghold that’s unique among Texas cities, even in the dark red areas of the map there have been signs of changing attitudes in the lone star state. Although voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2005 banning same sex marriage, an openly gay man nearly won a race for Dallas mayor just two years later, and his sexual orientation didn’t even come up as a campaign issue. Voters in Houston also didn’t seem to think it was an issue in 2009 when they elected their first openly lesbian mayor. Additionally, five Texas mayors — from San Antonio, Galveston, Kyle, Austin and Shavano Park — signed a marriage equality petition created by the group Freedom to Marry. The mayor of El Paso, similarly, risked his political career earlier this year to vocally support health benefits for unmarried domestic partners. “Texas is not different than the rest of the country in terms of its evolution on the freedom to marry,” Smith said. “The initial pushback we get from opponents is, ‘We settled this in 2005, what don’t you understand?’ And the reality is that 2012 is not the same as 2005. There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of people who have had some sort of personal evolution on this issue… who now recognize that the world is not going to end and [equal rights] will not affect their relationship.” —— Photo: A famous piece of graffiti in Austin, Texas, painted by a gay business owner’s partner. Credit: Flickr user ms.akr, creative commons licen Raw Story (http://s.tt/1oxih)
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#1. To: tom007 (#0)
Queers and steers, no place but Austin.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
That being said, I've always wondered, is Bevo a steer or a cow? Cattle are females, cows (the young are heifers) and males, bulls (the young are yearlings, and if then castrated are called steers). I assume that the current Bevo is a steer. (More than anyone wanted to know this fine morning) “The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
I asked because it was my understanding that the females of that subspecies grew the largest horns. Hence Longhorns. But it is totally understandable and entirely appropriate that the primary mascot for Austin be a castrated male. ; ) Huh! I'll have to research that after a run to the neighborhood HEB for provisions.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
That's OK Loddy, it's afternoon here. The Texas Longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to 7 feet (2.1 m) tip to tip for steers and exceptional cows, and 36 to 80 inches (0.91 to 2.0 m) tip to tip for bulls. “The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
Austin/Houston/Dallas/San Antonio can go straight to hell, their "enlightened" style of government is offensive to decent folks.
#2. To: Lod (#1)
Queers and steers, no place but Austin
the quality of a man’s life is directly proportionate to
his commitment to excellence.’
#3. To: Buzzard (#2)
#4. To: Lod (#3)
I assume that the current Bevo is a steer.
the quality of a man’s life is directly proportionate to
his commitment to excellence.’
#5. To: Buzzard (#4)
#6. To: Lod (#3)
(More than anyone wanted to know this fine morning)
Mike Flaherty: Yeah, it's been there a long time. I wish I knew which corner.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
#7. To: Buzzard, 4 (#4)
i learned something today - from wiki -
#8. To: tom007 (#0)
“Texas is not different than the rest of the country in terms of its evolution on the freedom to marry,”
-Alex Kurtagic
#9. To: tom007 (#0)
The world is going to shit, the rouge US nation won't stop invading other nations , .. the biggest concern to us is the marriage rights of less than two percent of humanity . ......
____________________________________________________________ . . . The US government has declared civil war on itself. Its lust for war grew so great... Liberty before death. We run , we live, We fight again, till we win. We did not start this fight. We damn sure did not willingly pay our taxes to buy the bullets and drones that shall be used to kill us. We will correct the violations of this rogue nation....our rogue nation. We will fix this because nobody else can. You will work to help me help us all to fix this failure. After you're done educating yourself, Action!!!
#10. To: Lod (#7)
Buzzard stands corrected. That's what I get for obtaining my longhorn breed information from a Michener novel. i learned something today
the quality of a man’s life is directly proportionate to
his commitment to excellence.’
#11. To: Buzzard (#10)
If wiki is to be believed, James and you are correct; the Longhorn steers and exceptional cows (that I have yet to meet) grow the largest horns. Who knew? Normally, the male of any specie have the largest, if any, horns/antlers.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
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