Yes, California and Florida recently codified the stigmatization of gay and lesbian folks by branding them not marriage worthy. It was a huge victory for one of the most powerful groups in America and in the world (Christians) too many who, despite their Prince of Peace leader's teachings, just love Old Testament passages that validate their bigotry. No attention is ever paid by these people, however, to Bible references stating that women who do not cover their heads in a place of worship are sinning, and thus condemned to hell. Bare-headed church-attending women will be dodging hot pokers in the next life just like the gays, according to the good book, but in this country, in this life, the pokers are reserved for the same-sex loving.
While the United States has no federal law that specifically makes illegal crimes targeting gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered individuals, new laws passed just yesterday will protect these people in Hungary. (Note: Republican and now ex-Senator Gordon Smith from Oregon and Massachusetts' Ted Kennedy tried last year to amend the federal hate crime law to include sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, but the measure was defeated in large part because President Bush threatened to veto it). International gay news organizations are spreading the news. This from PinkNewsUK:
Two landmark measures extending protections to LGBT people have been adopted by the Hungarian parliament.
The counrty's hate crime laws will be altered to a general formulation of a "violent act against a member of a social group," which is believed to include sexual orientation.
The second piece of legislation makes it possible to initiate civil proceedings against a person who engages in degrading or intimidating behaviour towards groups based on nationality, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.
So on this issue of human rights, gay Americans are falling further behind the rest of the world. With the election of the nation's first biracial and self-identified African-American president, I asked myself this question, which I pose to you: