Excerpted from Hawaii Elects Nations Highest-Ranking Openly Transgender Official, published Nov 8, 2006, by Associated Press:

Kim Coco Iwamoto, a 38-year-old attorney, did not tout her gender status in the campaign but has advocated for transgender youth and related issues. She came in third Tuesday in the competition for three seats on the 14-member board, which governs the islands’ 285 public schools.

Iwamoto would be the highest-ranking openly transgender person elected in the United States, said Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Victory Fund, a Washington-based group that tracks lesbian, gay and transgender candidates and helps fund their campaigns.

Continue reading at Fox News…

From by Daniel T. Zanoza, National Director of Republicans for Fair Media, on Nov 8, 2006:

Tuesday’s election results in the state of Illinois is a lesson I thought Republicans learned long ago. Moderates cannot win statewide high-profile campaigns–like those for Governor or the U.S. Senate–without the wholehearted assistance of the religious right. No matter what individuals like Joe Birkett say, Judy Baar Topinka did not have a snowball’s chance in Hades to defeat her extremely vulnerable Democratic foe on Tuesday without the support of social conservatives. But don’t worry, individuals like former Republican Governors “Big Jim” Thompson and Jim Edgar will fight to their last breaths to defeat social conservatives in the primaries and, during the last decade, they have developed a strategy to do so.

Social conservatives were on a roll after the unexpected victory of Al Salvi versus Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra, the Republican Party’s establishment candidate, in 1996. Even though Salvi was a disappointment (after his primary victory) running up to the general election, the ground work had been laid for pro-life, pro-family candidates to succeed in Illinois.

Peter Fitzgerald took the ball to the end zone when he also surprised his establishment foe, Loleta Didrickson, in the 1998 GOP primary for the U.S. Senate. This time, Fitzgerald went on to become the United States Senator from Illinois, but this set off alarm bells among the powers that be and they developed a strategy to ensure this would never happen again.

The Republican establishment then infiltrated the rolls of the conservative ranks from that point on, in some cases, with the assistance of well known conservative politicians. The strategy became “divide and conquer” and that’s just what happened in every gubernatorial or U.S. Senate Republican primary since Fitzgerald’s victory.

Here’s what the homosexual activist group Human Rights Campaign wants you to know about the woman from San Francisco who will soon be Speaker for the US House of Representatives: Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

(GREEN indicates a position that supports HRC’s pro-homosexual goals.)

Military Issues

H.R. 1059 – Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2005

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

Faith-based Initiatives

H.R. 27 – Job Training Improvement Act

• HRC: OPPOSES
• Pelosi: NO

Hate Crimes

H.R. 2662 – ‘To provide Federal assistance to States and local jurisdictions to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes.’

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

Boy Scouts of America

H.R. 1337 – Support Our Scouts Act of 2005

• HRC: OPPOSES
• Pelosi: NO

Workplace Discrimination

H.R. 3128 – ‘To affirm that Federal employees are protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and to repudiate any assertion to the contrary.’

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

H.R. 1445 – Workplace Religious Freedom Act

• HRC: OPPOSES
• Pelosi: NO

Domestic Partners

H.R. 3267 – ‘To provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees.’

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

Family Issues

H.R. 475 – Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

Immigration

H.R. 3006 – ‘To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide a mechanism for United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to sponsor their permanent partners for residence in the United States, and for other purposes.’

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

Education

H.R. 2295 – ‘To prohibit a State from receiving Federal education funds unless the State has certain policies and procedures regarding the purchase or acquisition of library and classroom-based reference, instructional, and other print materials for use in elementary schools, and for other purposes.’

• HRC: OPPOSES
• Pelosi: NO

From Human Rights Campaign:

WASHINGTON — This year, the Human Rights Campaign flexed its political muscle in unprecedented and strategic ways that helped alter the political dynamic in key races across the country. With victories for strong pro-equality candidates like Florida’s Ron Klein and Arizona’s Gabrielle Giffords, the 110th Congress promises to be the most fair-minded in history. Voters in Arizona also made history last night, defeating that state’s discriminatory domestic partnership ballot initiative.

Out of the 225 candidates that HRC endorsed, 208 proved triumphant, with several races still too close to call. HRC was involved in 18 Senate victories, 179 House wins and 11 successful governors’ races. HRC also helped to defeat some of the most anti-gay voices in Congress such as John Hostettler and Rick Santorum, signaling that the era of gay-bashing for political gain is coming to an end.

“Last night we saw unprecedented victories for fair-minded candidates and for equality; we also witnessed a stinging rebuke of anti-gay elected officials in this country,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “The historic rejection of the domestic partnership ban in Arizona is a symbolic turning point in the march toward marriage equality. We congratulate Arizona Together for their work in defeating the discriminatory, un-American measure.”

HRC Helps Candidates Win in ‘06

Human Rights Campaign — the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization — aggressively targeted races and leveraged millions of dollars and extensive staff resources to ensure victories for pro-equality candidates. And those efforts paid off, with wins in some of the most closely watched campaigns this year.

“American voters sent a clear message yesterday that the era of gay-bashing to win elections is over, as voters flatly rejected anti-gay and divisive candidates,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

Conservative extremists pulled a chapter out of their 2004 campaign playbook to exploit the gay community for political gain, but their efforts fell flat with an electorate angry and disillusioned by rampant corruption and the Iraq war quagmire. The failure of right-wing candidates to mobilize their base with anti-gay messages this year is a clear sign that scapegoating GLBT Americans for political points is a recipe for failure.

Although some races are still too close to call, including the Virginia Senate race, HRC’s efforts successfully helped the following candidates make historic wins:

Key Senate HRC Endorsee Victories:

* Sherrod Brown (OH)
* Maria Cantwell (WA)
* Ben Cardin (MD)
* Bob Casey (PA)
* Amy Klobuchar (MN)
* Robert Menendez (NJ)
* Debbie Stabenow (MI)

Key House HRC Endorsee Victories:

* Michael Arcuri (NY)
* Melissa Bean (IL)
* Bruce Braley (IA)
* Gabrielle Giffords (AZ)
* John Hall (NY)
* Ron Klein (FL)
* Tim Mahoney (FL)
* Harry Mitchell (FL)
* Patrick Murphy (PA)
* Ed Perlmutter (CO)
* Joe Sestak (PA)
* Chris Shays (CT)
* Tim Walz (MN)

Statements by Some of the 2006 Election Winners:

Said Senator-Elect Bob Casey (Pennsylvania):
“HRC got behind my campaign early and has been a tremendous help. The energy and commitment they put behind our campaign was extraordinary. I look forward to working with HRC’s incredible staff and membership, especially to advance hate crimes legislation in the Senate.”

Said Senator-Elect Sherrod Brown (Ohio):
“HRC’s presence throughout the state of Ohio during this election was nothing short of extraordinary. It demonstrated the best that we can achieve when we work together and stand up for what is right. I was proud of HRC’s financial and grassroots support for my campaign, it made a difference in the larger fight for social and economic justice for every American.”

Said Congresswoman-Elect Gabrielle Giffords (Arizona):
“I have stood up for equality in Arizona, and I am grateful that HRC and the GLBT community stood with our campaign during the primary and the general elections. We can accomplish so much for our families when we work together. Fairness is an essential American value, and when we champion fairness, we can win decisive victories in even the most competitive congressional districts.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Sandy Rios, president of Culture Campaign, explains what is wrong with homosexual behavior, whether it is Gerry Studds, Barney Franks, or Mark Foley.

Not That There’s Anything Wrong with That [Mark Foley and the GOP]

Originally broadcast Oct 5, 2006, on Moody Radio

How much is this lengthy debate costing Alaska taxpayers?

Excerpted from Same-Sex Benefits Dispute, by Andrea Gusty, published Nov 1, 2006, by KTVA:

Same-sex benefits for state and municipal employees: it’s been a seven-year debate in Alaska. The governor’s even called a third special session about it. The debate over same-sex benefits has been raging for the last seven years.

This summer the Alaska Supreme Court ordered the State of Alaska and the Municipality of Anchorage to provide health and retirement benefits for same-sex partners of state employees and retirees by the first of the year. What is being debated now is what the eligibility requirements for those benefits will be…

Earlier this week, the Anchorage Superior Court ordered the state commissioner to rewrite state regulations to include same sex couples–a move the Alaska attorney general [David Marquez, pictured left] says is, “inappropriate.”

Continue reading at KTVA…

Thanks to passage of the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, the homosexual partner of former Congressman Gerry Studds, D-Massachusetts, will not be receiving federal death benefits or congressional pension. The pension alone is estimated at over $114,000 annually. Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth discusses DOMA, Studds, and the drastically different treatment by homosexual activists of the Studds legacy versus their treatment of former Congressman Mark Foley, R-Florida.

Click HERE to listen.

From Homosexuality & Pedophilia, by Cliff Kincaid, published Nov 2, 2006, by Accuracy in Media:

In connection with media coverage of the Mark Foley sex scandal, the pro-homosexual media enforcers have been attempting to refute the idea that there is any connection between homosexuality and pedophilia. Yet Foley targeted young boys. This is something you are not supposed to write or talk about because it undermines the cause of homosexual rights.

Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth says, “…isn’t it telling most of the tiny number of homosexual male U.S. Congressmen have been caught in sex scandals-remember Barney Frank, who let his male lover, a hustler, run a prostitution ring out of his D.C. apartment? And Massachusetts Rep. Gerry Studds, who had sex with a 17-year-old boy and then turned his back on fellow House Members during the censure vote against him? And Bob Bauman, who in 1980 was charged with soliciting a 16-year-old boy for sex?”

Adding it up, LaBarbera says, “Let’s see: three homosexual Congressmen involved in sexual seductions of minor boys-ages 16, 17, and 17 (Foley). And yet homosexual activists ridicule anyone who suggests there is a predatory or pedophilic component to male homosexuality…”

On October 2, when the supposed right-wing Fox News Channel aired a “debate” on the matter of the Foley scandal, the two sides were represented by liberal Democrat Bob Beckel, who got caught in a prostitution scandal, and lesbian Republican Tammy Bruce.

“Being homosexual has nothing to do with attraction to children,” declared Bruce. “I agree. I agree,” Beckel said.