Thursday, June 30, 2011

Chicago Mayor Pushes Same-sex 'Marriage'

President Obama's former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, now mayor of Chicago, wants to see homosexual 'marriage' enacted in Illinois, just a few weeks after the new civil unions law has taken effect.

For background, read Illinois Civil Unions Not Enough; Must Destroy Marriage



Illinois residents, take action to Reverse the Gay Agenda in Illinois Law (click here)

-- From "Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Discusses Daily Exercise, Supports Marriage Equality" posted at Huffington Post 6/30/11

. . . Emanuel, when asked about New York's recently approved same-sex marriage law, said he would support a similar law in Illinois. Earlier this month, Illinois' civil union law went into effect, allowing same- and different-sex couples alike to enter into marriage-like unions, though many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists remain focused on marriage equality in the state.

"I would hope that the state would move in that direction" Emanuel told Blitzer. "Tremendous progress has been made across the country on a value statement and I think that's very important."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Emanuel hopes Illinois will follow New York in same-sex marriage legislation" by Laura Klairmont, CNN 6/29/11

As a mayoral candidate and mayor-elect, Emanuel advocated for civil union legislation in Illinois, which went into effect in early June. The law gives more limited but similar protections to same-sex married couples, including health care benefits.

"Within the first 30 days, I see a union between my senior advisor, he and his partner," Emanuel said. "Later that day, the governor and I went to a ceremony in Millennium Park where 30 couples, another member of my cabinet was getting married to her partner. They were getting joined in a civil union."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Gay Civil Unions Passes in Rhode Island

Governor says bill is "incremental step" toward same-sex "marriage," but homosexualists oppose it because it allows too many freedom of religion exemptions.
“We support common-sense exemptions. But no government should ever grant a religion or organization the autonomous authority to operate outside the boundaries of the law.”
For background, read Rhode Island Punts Same-sex 'Marriage' to Civil Unions

UPDATE 8/15/11: So Far Only 9 Couples Get Civil Unions in RI

UPDATE 7/3/11: Governor signs Rhode Island civil union law, but pleases no one

-- From "RI Senate passes civil unions bill" by Ian MacDougall, Associated Press 6/29/11

The Rhode Island Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, a measure that Gov. Lincoln Chafee says he's inclined to sign.

State senators voted 21-16 to endorse the bill, about two hours after it was voted out of committee. The legislation, which already has passed the state House, allows gay couples to enter into civil unions that offer the same rights and benefits given to married couples under Rhode Island law.

Several gay marriage advocacy groups have urged Chafee to veto the bill because of what they call overly broad exemptions that would allow religious institutions to ignore rights given through civil unions. The measure would, for instance, let religious hospitals refuse a civil union spouse the right to make emergency medical decisions.

Those groups and some state senators on the floor Wednesday have also said civil unions don't go nearly far enough and treat gay couples as second-class citizens.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Rhode Island Lawmakers Approve Civil Unions" by Abby Goodnough, New York Times 6/29/11

Gay marriage advocates initially had high hopes for success in Rhode Island this year. . . .

But M. Teresa Paiva Weed, a Democrat and the State Senate president, opposes gay marriage, and Mr. Fox [the openly gay House Speaker] ultimately threw his support to civil unions instead, saying that was a more realistic goal.

After the committee vote, Ms. Paiva Weed said that she did not expect the Legislature to vote on a same-sex marriage bill next year, either.

In an interview, Mr. Chafee said Rhode Island’s large elderly and Catholic populations helped explain why same-sex marriage has not gained traction.

If Mr. Chafee signs it, Rhode Island will become the fifth state with a civil unions law; Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois and New Jersey already allow civil unions for gay couples.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read New York Same-sex 'Marriage' Pits Christians vs. 'christians'

'Hateful' MN School Won't Indoctrinate Gay Agenda

The Anoka-Hennepin school district's long-standing neutrality statement concerning sexual orientation has caused homosexualists to label the district as being hateful toward "gay students" and to threaten lawsuits.

For background, read ACLU Threatens Schools: Must Teach Homosexuality and also read White House Says Gay Recruitment of Kids Successful as well as Moral Values Cause Teen Suicides: Study

Previously this year, this school district accepted a lesbian exhibition maneuver.

UPDATE 2/14/12: Minnesota School Succumbs to Gay Agenda Bullying

UPDATE 3/6/12: School settles federal lawsuit agreeing to pay $270,000 to six student plaintiffs who accused the district of creating a hostile, anti-gay environment

-- From "Anoka-Henn. school officials meet with civil rights groups over gay harassment claims" by Tom Weber, Minnesota Public Radio 6/14/11

The Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights said last month Minnesota's largest school district must address anti-gay harassment or face a federal lawsuit.

The two sides agreed to a meeting in hopes of avoiding legal action. The groups want compensation for their clients, and also seek repeal of a district policy that requires staff to be neutral in dealing with sexual orientation curriculum issues.

District leaders have said they have no plans to remove that so-called "neutrality policy."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Anoka-Hennepin policy aims to respect all families and students" by Dennis L. Carlson, Superintendent, Anoka-Hennepin School District 6/8/11

For the past year, the Anoka-Hennepin school district has been repeatedly asked by members of the public and special interest groups to eliminate our sexual orientation curriculum policy, which requires staff in the course of their professional duties to "remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation." They believe the policy has prevented staff from intervening when LGBT students are bullied or harassed and prevented staff from helping students who are struggling with their sexual orientation.

Wishing to respect all families and all students, the school board believes neutrality is the best option. The board adopted a religious activities policy years ago requiring "neutrality in matters of religion." The sexual orientation policy is similar. When speaking with students during class time, teachers do not advocate homosexuality, nor do they condemn it.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Bullies attack 1 in 5 gay students in state, survey finds" by Jeremy Olson, Minneapolis Star Tribune 6/28/11

A federal school safety report in 2009 estimated that one-third of students ages 12 to 18 were bullied at school. Advocates [a.k.a. homosexualists] believe that gay students are bullied at a rate higher than other students.

Concerns about the safety of GLBT students in Minnesota heightened with the suicide last July of Justin Aaberg, an Anoka High student. His mother, Tammy, criticized the district for a policy that she said limited how staff could support gay students. Aaberg was one of six students in the Anoka Hennepin School District to die by suicide in a recent 12-month period. A district review found bullying wasn't the principal issue, but many parents and students believe that it was a key factor.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Conservative group to Anoka-Hennepin: Keep sexual orientation policy" by Elizabeth Dunbar, Minnesota Public Radio 6/28/11

The Alliance Defense Fund, a group of Christian attorneys who have worked in several states on efforts to ban same-sex marriage, sent a letter to the school district on Tuesday. In it, Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco said the civil rights groups' arguments have "no basis in law."

"The district should not allow SPLC and NCLR to browbeat them into abandoning its sensible policy of requiring district personnel to remain neutral on issues regarding sexual orientation," Tedesco wrote. "Neutrality does not equal hostility. Rather, neutrality respects all sides of a controversial issue, and advocates none."

Leaders from the Southern Poverty Law Center and National center for Lesbian Rights argued in an op-ed this week that the school district's policy in practice is not neutral because it silences gay students and keeps historical content about gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people out of the curriculum.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read We Recruit Kids for Sexual Deviancy: Gay Activist

Congress Duped on Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal

A previously undisclosed report by the inspector general of the Department of Defense concludes that the fix – maybe even handed down by the White House – was in before the military ever started asking soldiers and sailors about how opening the ranks to homosexuals would affect the nation's defense.

For background, read Homosexual Behavior in Military Would be Deadly

UPDATE 2/22/12: Navy sued over manipulation of 'gay' data

-- From "How Congress was duped into repealing military homosexual ban" by Frank J. Gaffney Jr., The Washington Times 6/28/11

We now know [the repeal] was a gambit made possible by deliberate efforts by senior executive branch officials to mislead Congress into taking a step that the administration’s own surveys had established would be deeply injurious to the U.S. military. Thanks to the release of a previously undisclosed Defense Department inspector general’s (IG) investigation report . . .

Evidently, this misconduct was deemed necessary because, even with control of both the House and Senate in friendly hands, President Obama required Republican votes in the upper chamber to secure passage of his repeal initiative. In order to garner the support of swing GOP senators, they would have to be given political cover on a key question: How would the military respond to such a dramatic change in its traditions, culture and code of conduct?

The IG report makes clear that a skewed response was manufactured and leaked to friendly journalists by top Pentagon and White House officials. Specifically, an executive summary of a Defense Department survey was written by the department’s general counsel, Jeh C. Johnson, before the survey was even begun on July 7, 2010. It prompted one reviewer - a “former news anchor” whom Mr. Johnson allowed to see his draft over the July Fourth weekend - to tell the IG he was “struck by how many members of the United States Armed Services thought this was just fine.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Probe into leak of ‘don’t ask’ report fails to identify Post’s sources" by Jason Ukman, Washington Post 6/28/11

A Defense Department investigation has failed to identify the individuals who leaked information to The Washington Post about a draft report on the potential impact of allowing gays to serve openly in the military.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates ordered an investigation into the leak in November shortly after The Post published a front-page story saying that the report had concluded that the military could lift the ban on gays serving openly in uniform with only minimal and isolated incidents of risk.

The report had been closely guarded, and officials condemned what they described as the premature release of its findings.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "'Don't ask' leak can't be traced by Department of Defense Inspector General" by Burgess Everett, Politico 6/28/11

The investigative report, which was written in April but surfaced online Monday via the Center for Military Readiness is labeled “for official use only.” It shows numerous emails from Washington Post reporters Ed O’Keefe and Greg Jaffe under scrutiny from investigators.

O’Keefe and Jaffe wrote on Nov. 10, 2010, a story sourced by two people with close knowledge of what the IG called an “eyes-only” report, made available to several dozen people either in draft form or orally. The Post story reported that a Pentagon group had concluded that overturning the 1993 military policy during wartime posed minimal risk. Because that “Eyes-Only” report was for official use only, the Department of Defense investigated the leak - unauthorized disclosure of such information is prohibited.

As early as July 4, 2010, DoD General Counsel Jeh Johnson read some of the draft to a friend, a former television news anchor, according to the IG report, which concluded that there was “no evidence that the Secretary of Defense approved the sharing of information with this former news anchor.”

The IG investigation also revealed that in addition to 55 “eyes-only” readers and 26 additional authorized readers who were exposed to the Pentagon report, 15 people not authorized to read the report had access to the draft or had the report read to them.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Feds find fix was in on 'study' of homosexuality in ranks" by Bob Unruh, World Net Daily 6/27/11

It was that [November 2010 leaked] report that famously was quoted as affirming "70 percent" of the nation's military members believe the repeal of the long-standing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" practice of allowing homosexuals to serve as long as they kept their sexual lifestyle choices to themselves would have either "a neutral or positive impact on unit cohesion, readiness, effectiveness and morale."

A source provided the IG report, which aimed to determine who prematurely released information about the study, to Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness. Donnelly analyzed the documentation and warned that it suggests Congress was deceived, probably deliberately, by those with a pro-repeal agenda.

Congress then voted during its lame-duck session last winter for the repeal.

"Contrary to most news accounts, the 'Comprehensive Review Working Group' process was not a 'study,'" [Donnelly] told WND. "Its purpose was to circumvent and neutralize military opposition to repeal of the law."

According to her analysis, the study "was a publicly funded pre-scripted production put on just for show."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Aborted Fetus Landfill Dumping Boycott

Truck rental companies are refusing to allow their trucks to be used for hauling "medical waste" that includes baby corpses from abortion clinics.

UPDATE 1/6/12: Medical waste giant Stericycle serviced abortionist charged with 10 counts of murder

UPDATE 12/12/15: Ohio Abortionists Dump Babies in Kentucky Landfill

-- From "Connection between abortion, rental trucks" by Charlie Butts, OneNewsNow 6/28/11

A campaign against a hazardous waste company by evangelical organization Repent America is gaining ground in its fight against the abortion industry.

The organization, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, launched the campaign against Stericycle for its collaboration with the abortion industry.

. . . Stericycle has denied picking up aborted babies, but [Repent America spokesman Michael] Marcavage says that is not true. In fact, in Austin, Texas, Stericycle admitted picking up remains of aborted children and illegally dumping them in a landfill, but stated that the boxes picked up were improperly labeled.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Ryder to abortionists: 'Not with our trucks!'" by Michael Carl, World Net Daily 6/25/11

In a major victory for the pro-life movement, Ryder System, Inc., one of the nation's leading truck leasing companies, has notified the Campaign to Stop Stericycle that the corporate giant no longer will allow medical waste disposal company Stericycle to use its trucks to service abortion clinics.

Campaign to Stop Stericycle director Michael Marcavage, also the leader of Repent America [said] . . . "We hope the remaining truck leasing [companies] will follow Ryder and Penske's lead to stop providing resources to Stericycle to assist abortion facilities in carrying out their evil deeds."

"Stericycle, the nation's leading waste management company, depends entirely upon truck leasing companies like Ryder to provide vehicles for its waste collection routes, which include a reported 586 Planned Parenthood locations and hundreds of other abortion facilities nationwide," the campaign said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Planned Parenthood Defunded by More States

With several states defunding America's largest abortion corporation, causing multiple clinic closings across the nation, Planned Parenthood's response sounds familiar: seek activist liberal judges to overturn the will of the people.

For background, read Planned Parenthood Shutting Down in Indiana & Minnesota and also read States Will Defund Planned Parenthood

UPDATE 3/10/14: Arizona Defunds Abortionists, but Supreme Court Forces Funding Anyway

UPDATE 3/26/14: Court OKs Defunding Planned Parenthood in Kansas

-- From "Planned Parenthood Wins First Victory Against Defunding Laws" by Laura Bassett, Huffington Post 6/27/11

After a month of court hearings, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt decided to grant a preliminary injunction against a new [Indiana] law that blocks Planned Parenthood of Indiana (PPIN) from participating in the Medicaid program. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services already denounced the defunding law . . .

As a result of the injunction, PPIN will immediately resume serving its Medicaid patients, many of whom had been using it as their primary health provider.

Planned Parenthood said its victories in court and with the federal government bode well for the legal battles it plans to fight in other states. The Kansas-based chapter filed a lawsuit in federal district court on Monday that seeks to block the enforcement of a defunding amendment recently passed by the Kansas legislature. Unlike the Indiana law, the Kansas law cuts off all Title X funding to Planned Parenthood, so that it will no longer be able to provide family planning and preventive health care services on a sliding-fee scale to more than 5,700 low-income patients.

Planned Parenthood is also considering legal action in Wisconsin and North Carolina, the third and fourth states to pass defunding laws this year

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Planned Parenthood Fights Kansas’ Move to Cut Off Funds" by Timothy Williams, New York Times 6/27/11

[Kansas], long a battleground on abortion, has also approved legislation requiring Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers to pass state inspections before they are granted operating licenses. The rules, which could take effect as early as Friday, dictate the size of rooms at abortion clinics; the stocking of emergency equipment, medications and blood supplies; and ties to nearby hospitals.

Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, which filed the lawsuit against the state in Federal District Court in Kansas City, is contesting a provision of the recently approved state budget that requires federal family planning money to go to hospitals and public health departments, rather than to Planned Parenthood and similar groups. It says the provision would endanger the group’s ability to provide services in the state.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Planned Parenthood asks judge to block cut in funding" by Brad Cooper, The Kansas City Star 6/27/11

The provision was contained in [Kansas] Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget proposal and sailed through the Kansas Legislature with barely a hint of controversy.

The state budget targeted so-called Title X funds, which go toward family planning activities. Kansas gets about $2.9 million in Title X funds for family planning services. The money can’t be used for abortions.

Olathe state Rep. Lance Kinzer said he thinks the Legislature set up reasonable parameters for distributing the money to social service agencies, such as county health departments, that aren’t involved in abortion.

States across the country have been trying to do what Congress failed do earlier this year — cut funding for Planned Parenthood.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Kansas loses one of its three abortion clinics due to new regulations" by Ashley Lopez, The Florida Independent 6/27/11

The Aid for Women abortion clinic in Kansas City, one of the three abortion clinics left in Kansas, has lost its license to operate in the state. All three clinics had to meet new regulations that were part of a bill aimed at shutting down abortion clinics, and so far Aid for Women did not.

The new law signed by the governor set standards for all clinics that includes “having an emergency door that can accommodate a gurney … maintaining proper emergency equipment, drugs and protocols, having proper lighting and ventilation, lavatory areas, and spaces for the sterilization of surgical equipment. Clinics must also have a licensed nurse in the clinic when abortions are done.”

This leaves only the Planned Parenthood clinic, which has expressed that it will be able to meet the stringent requirements. However, The New York Times reports that the president of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri believes the clinic will be “denied a liscense anyway.”

“We believe without question that the intent is to shut down abortion clinics in Kansas, so we are preparing to be in court,” he told the Times.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Texas votes to defund Planned Parenthood" by Sarah Kliff, Politico 6/27/11

The Texas Legislature approved a bill Monday that would both compel the state to push the Obama administration to convert Texas’s Medicaid program into a block grant and defund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.

The omnibus health bill also includes a number of other controversial provisions, including plans to save $400 million over the next year by increasing the use of Medicaid managed care.

The legislation now goes to the desk of Gov. Rick Perry, who has been generally supportive of both the Medicaid reforms, as well as anti-abortion language.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "WI Cuts Planned Parenthood Funds — Judge Rules Against Indiana Law" by Dave Bohon, The New American 6/27/11

Even as conservative Governors and state lawmakers target Planned Parenthood’s lucrative abortion franchise for elimination, activist judges are working diligently to make sure the group’s deadly business continues. On June 26, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed a state budget that cuts a $3 billion shortfall (without raising taxes) by, among other things, cutting funding to Planned Parenthood. But on the same day Wisconsin became the fourth state to defund the “family planning” organization (following the lead of Kansas, Indiana, and North Carolina), a federal judge temporarily blocked the Indiana de-funding law as unconstitutional.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Wisconsin Department of Health reported that the state’s BadgerCare health plan, from which the Planned Parenthood cuts will come, saves the state some $140 million per year. . . .

Pro-life leaders have noted that Planned Parenthood could retain its funding for non-abortion “family planning” services if it would simply divest itself of the murderous portion of its business, something the organization has steadfastly refused to do. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

UPDATE 7/8/13: Abortionists Lament Ever-greater State Limits

Sunday, June 26, 2011

IVF Babies Aborted: 'Oops, Changed My Mind'

Around 750 women in Britain who had become pregnant through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) in the past 19 years aborted their babies, the country’s fertility watchdog has said.

-- From "750 British women pregnant through IVF had abortions" posted at iNewsOne 6/26/11

Most of the abortions were within weeks of the test-tube baby being implanted because of a ‘change of heart’ by the mothers, said the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

A small number were due to medical complications, the Daily Express reported.

Half of the terminations were a result of ‘relationship breakdown’ or fears over motherhood.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Following God's Will: Michele Bachmann for President

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., says that she prayed to God about whether or not to run for political office and that those prayers provided her with a "sense from God" of "assurance about the direction" she was taking.




For background, read
Media Prepare Anti-Christian Campaign for 2012 as well as ABC News Scrutinizes Faith of GOP Candidates

UPDATE 8/27/11: Bachmann's Florida sermon encourages Christians to follow God's will

-- From "Bachmann: Got 'sense' from God to run for office" by Lucy Madison, CBS News 6/26/11

"I am a Christian, as is my husband. I became a Christian when I was 16 years old. I gave my heart to Jesus Christ," Bachmann told CBS' Bob Schieffer. "Since that time, I've been a person of prayer. And so when I pray, I pray believing that God will speak to me and give me an answer to that prayer.

"That's what a calling is," continued the Tea Party favorite. "If I pray, a calling means that I feel like I have a sense from God."

Bachmann says she asked God about running for political office.

Bachmann also reiterated her opposition to same-sex marriage, noting that "I stand for the proposition that marriage is between a man and a woman."

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Major League Baseball for Gay Agenda

The Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants have joined the effort to indoctrinate public school students and normalize deviant sexual behavior, all under the guise of a nationwide anti-bullying campaign.

For background, read White House Says Gay Recruitment of Kids Successful and also read ACLU Threatens Schools: Must Teach Homosexuality as well as Obama, Dems Celebrate Deviant Sex Month



-- From "Cubs go to bat for LGBT youth" by Rex W. Huppke, Chicago Tribune reporter 6/22/11

The Cubs are sending a message of support to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, becoming only the second professional sports team in the country to join the anti-bullying "It Gets Better" campaign.

The video joins thousands of others posted on the itgetsbetter.org website, launched in 2010 by syndicated columnist Dan Savage [see video interview below] and his partner as a response to the high rate of suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens.

The San Francisco Giants were the first professional sports team to join the "It Gets Better" campaign, and several other Major League Baseball teams have signed up to produce similar videos.

This is another in a string of recent events in the world of sports that indicates changes in attitudes toward gays and lesbians.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Chicago Cubs go to bat for kids' homosexuality" by Bob Unruh © 2011 World Net Daily 6/24/11

Critics, however, say they wonder just where the team and its players will be for those who pursue a homosexual lifestyle and later develop one of the consequences, such as related health problems of HIV or AIDS.

Peter LaBarbera, president of the ministry Americans for Truth, told WND the slogan may sound nice, but it "doesn't match the reality."

"It doesn't get better. … There are not just the physical complications. We can't ignore the biblical reality that we're dealing with eternal judgment," he said.

He said the other complications are that baseball, previously associated with wholesomeness and competition, now is "rushing headlong into the embrace of immorality."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Video interview with Dan Savage (author of "It Get's Better," a homosexual supported by Obama administration):

Marriage Essential for Children: Studies

Proving what we've always known, studies show that children benefit when raised by a mother and father, joined in holy matrimony.

For background, read Marriage Trend: Confined within Church and also read Liberalism Causes Poverty in America: Study as well as 'Intact Family' Nearly Extinct among Blacks

UPDATE 3/4/13: White House Says Kids Don't Need Mom, 2 Dads OK

-- From "The argument for marriage: Unwed parents are six times more likely to split by the time their child is five" by Sarah Harris, UK Daily Mail 6/17/11

Unmarried parents are six times more likely to split by their child's fifth birthday than those who are married, say researchers.

The study from the [Cambridge-based] think-tank the Jubilee Centre will reignite concerns that Britain is fast becoming a nation of broken homes.

The trend is particularly worrying because other research shows that children brought up by couples, especially married couples, are likely to do better than youngsters in single parent homes.

Last year Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith warned that children from broken homes are nine times more likely to commit a crime than those from stable families.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Dad, mom in home is essential, Americans say" by Cheryl Wetzstein, The Washington Times 6/16/11

The majority of [American] children - nearly 70 percent, or 51.8 million - lived with two parents. However, about 27 percent, or 19.8 million, lived with only one parent, in most instances their mother. Another 4 percent, or 3 million, had neither a father nor a mother in their homes.

The Obama administration has announced the “Year of Strong Fathers, Strong Families” as part of its Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative. . . . [details] are at the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse at www.fatherhood.gov.

In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services has released public service announcements about how fathers play a unique role in the lives of their children . . .

Separately, the Pew Research Center’s Social and Demographic Trends released a report . . . that found 69 percent of Americans believe having a father in the home is essential for “a child to grow up happily.” A slightly higher 74 percent said the same about mothers in the home.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Children Suffer from Divorce, Not Bad Marriage

Will Obama End Bush's Faith-Based Initiative?

Members of the religious left, homosexualists, and assorted liberals are calling on President Obama to end the allowance for religious organizations receiving federal money to hire whom they choose, but also a leading conservative Catholic voice has joined the chorus, albeit from a different perspective.

UPDATE 7/28/11: White House partners with churches in several cities to help needy



-- From "Critics push Obama to change faith-based hiring rules" by Lauren Markoe, Religion News Service, posted at USATODAY 6/22/11

A group of clergy and lawmakers is trying to overturn a nearly decade-old policy that allows faith-based organizations that receive federal funds to hire and fire employees on the basis of religion.

Critics say President Obama has reneged on a campaign promise to repeal the policy, which was put into place by President Bush in 2002.

Bush introduced the policy to advance what he deemed a more faith-friendly federal approach toward charitable organizations that receive federal contracts for social services. Previously, groups that received government money were forbidden to consider religion in their employment decisions.

Bush, however, argued that while an organization accepting federal support could not refuse to help people based on their religion, it should be able to take religion into account when hiring and firing employees.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "The Time is Now to Stop Faith-Based Hiring Discrimination" by Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, President of Interfaith Alliance 6/23/11 (member of President Obama's taskforce on the reform of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships)

Seventy years ago this week, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802 marking the first time a president took steps to ensure equal employment opportunity in federal defense contracts -- affirming that an individual's race, color, religion or national origin should not deny that individual an equal employment opportunity in federal defense contracts. Across 70 years, almost every president has expanded and reaffirmed the nondiscrimination principles of Roosevelt's Executive Order.

. . . However, in December of 2002 President George W. Bush simultaneously issued Executive Order 13279 to enact his Faith-Based Initiative and with a stroke of a pen, eroded 60 years of civil rights history by exempting religious organizations from the prohibition on religious employment discrimination by federal contractors.

. . . Our First Amendment and civil rights laws have always protected the integrity of religious organizations to make staffing decisions in line with their respective faiths and values. I support and defend their religious freedom to do so. But this freedom, this right, should not stand when government money comes into play. Federal financing changes the rules.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

From "Are Faith-Based Hiring Policies a Social Evil?" by Bruce Hausknecht, CitizenLink (Focus on the Family) 6/23/11

What really caught my eye about the letter that these groups delivered to the White House, however, is how they justify their argument. Instead of a typical “wall of separation between church and state” liberal talking point memo, which I would have expected to see, they instead used a curious and insidious argument: Faith-based hiring is the same as refusing to hire someone because of their religion.

. . . By casting faith-based hiring as equivalent to invidious discrimination, these liberal organizations are either guilty of illogic on a grand scale, or they are intentionally painting faith-based organizations as perpetrating a social evil via their hiring practices.

. . . I note with interest that a fairly significant percentage of the signatories to the letter are gay and transgender activist organizations, which commonly argue that the religious hiring rights of faith-based organizations equate to hate and bigotry. I’m wondering if there’s a connection between these GLBT groups’ participation in this liberal coalition and the new, harsher arguments against faith-based hiring. Is it just a coincidence, or are they calling the shots?

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

From "Shut Down Faith-Based Programs" posted at Standard Newswire 6/24/11

Catholic League president Bill Donohue explains why he is opposed to funding faith-based programs under President Obama:

President George W. Bush sincerely wanted to end discrimination in awarding federal contracts to social service agencies by including faith-based programs. When Sen. Obama was running for president three years ago, he pledged support for faith-based programs provided they were emptied of any faith component: he opposed the right of faith-based programs to maintain their integrity by hiring only people of their faith.

. . . When faith is gutted from faith-based programs -- when Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Jews can't hire their own -- we are left with a carcass. It would be better to save the money (Obama's faith-based program received $140 million in stimulus money last year) than to pretend that we are helping religious social agencies. The goal, obviously, is to convert these religious entities into full-blown secular organizations. It would be better not to let them hijack these programs in the name of assisting them, thus it makes sense to shut them down.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Obama's Same-sex 'Marriage' Position: Who Knows?

President Obama spent a few hours rubbing elbows with wealthy supporters of homosexual rights Thursday night in New York, but stopped short of endorsing same-sex marriage, instead, calling for equal rights for gay couples.
"This is clearly, financially, a very important group for the president."
For background, read Obama Knows America Opposes Gay Agenda and also read Homosexualists to Buy White House, Say Media



UPDATE 6/30/11: Obama again rides fence on "gay marriage" (video):


-- From "Despite pressure from activists, Obama sidesteps gay-marriage debate" by Perry Bacon Jr., Washington Post 6/23/11

As a few in the crowd shouted “marriage” and “Do you support it?” at him, President Obama on Thursday evening avoided taking a position on a measure being considered by the New York state legislature that would legalize gay marriage [that passed late Friday evening]. Instead he said, “I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country.”

“We’re going to keep on fighting until the law no longer treats committed partners who’ve been together for decades like they’re strangers,” Obama told a crowd of more than 600, many of whom had come from other states to attend his first fundraiser specifically for gays in the 2012 election cycle.

It was not clear how many people in the room were shouting at Obama on gay marriage. But they were loud, at one point yelling “marriage” enough times that the president stopped speaking and said, “I hear you guys.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Obama extols gay rights, stays neutral on gay marriage" by David Jackson, USA TODAY 6/24/11

The president said New York "is doing exactly what democracies are supposed to do," debating tough issues and proving "the power of our democratic system."

"It's not always pretty," Obama said. "There are setbacks. There are frustrations. But in grappling with tough and, at times, emotional issues in legislatures and in courts and at the ballot box, and, yes, around the dinner table and in the office hallways, and sometimes even in the Oval Office, slowly but surely we find the way forward."

In terms of outright advocacy, Obama cited efforts on partner benefits, repeal of the military's restriction on gays and his administration's refusal to make legal arguments on behalf of the Defense of Marriage Act, which strictly defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "President enters N.Y. same-sex marriage fray" posted at CBS News 6/24/11

Most of his words were met with applause from a packed room of 600 well-heeled gay and lesbian campaign donors. But mid-speech, members of the audience began chanting, "Marriage. Marriage. Marriage," protesting over what Mr. Obama didn't offer -- an endorsement of same-sex marriage.

The president replied to their chants, "I heard you guys."

The president openly supports civil unions for gay couples, but not gay marriage, a position The White House describes as "evolving." Some at the fundraiser said it's not evolving fast enough.

Politico White House reporter Julie Mason said of the president's position, "He doesn't want to alienate some moderates who are not really comfortable with the president taking that strong a stand on gay marriage. So it's a bit of a political calculation. Also, I'm just not sure he personally believes it. He has never indicated that has."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Obama 'Evolving' but Stops Short of Endorsing Same-Sex Marriage" by Paul Stanley, Christian Post Reporter 6/24/11

The president’s comments were given as the New York Senate is one vote shy of legalizing same-sex marriage [but, in fact, did pass late Friday evening]. The state’s Assembly passed the bill by a vote of 80-63 last week. As of this afternoon, supporters are still one vote shy of passage.

Obama spent the first half of his speech talking about typical issues such as jobs, the killing of Osama bin Laden and issues relating to the middle “class.” Although his aides continue to use the term “evolving” when they reference the president’s position on same-sex marriage, Obama stopped short of endorsing gay marriage.

Obama is often described as the most “gay-friendly president in history,” a phrase formally used to describe President Clinton, so many in the audience were looking for more.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Obama's Advancement of the Gay Agenda Enumerated for a list of 39 accomplishments by the Obama Administration in advancing the Gay Agenda.

Same-sex Household Count Tiny: U.S. Census

Even as the mainstream media uses the census data to imply that America is going gay, the census actually proves, again, that the homosexual population of the nation is minuscule.

For background, read American Homosexual Population is Tiny: Study

UPDATE 7/15/14: Federal government survey finds only 1.6% are homosexual

UPDATE 6/4/12: Media Admit Propaganda Overstating Gay Population

UPDATE 10/6/11: Same-sex married households comprise 0.2% of all married households

UPDATE 9/28/11: Fewer 'Gay Couples' per Census Revisions

UPDATE 8/25/11: UCLA's "same-sex advocacy think tank" analysis of census data shows well under 1% of U.S. households are same-sex couples

UPDATE 8/18/11: Florida same-sex households well under 1% per census

UPDATE 8/10/11: Same-sex couples in Maryland & Virginia about 1% of population

UPDATE 9/20/14 - Census: 'Gay Marriage' Official, but Fewer Marry

-- From "Census 2010: One-Quarter of Gay Couples Raising Children" by Susan Donaldson James, ABC News 6/23/11

Advocates [for the Gay Agenda, such as Stuart Gaffney] say census counts matter in these political debates. They argue that the data is important for understanding their needs and forming policies in the best interest of their children.

"It's something we find out when they are lobbying in legislatures like Albany right now and reps say they don't have someone in their district who it matters to," he said. "That's why it's so critical to show we are in every state, every city and every county in the United States. There are constituents and they need to know we are here."

For the first time ever, the census counts same-sex couples and their children, and as data trickles out state by state, more gay families are being tallied in the South.

In Alabama, there are 11,259 same-sex couples, representing 5.98 couples per 1,000 households [or about one-half of one percent] in the state.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Census shows self-identified gay households among Wyoming's fastest-growing demographic groups" by Mead Gruver, Associated Press 6/23/11

Figures from the 2010 census show 1,147 same-sex households in Wyoming, up from 807 in 2000.

Statewide, about 0.4 percent of Wyoming households identified themselves as gay. The Williams Institute estimates 73 percent of those are lesbian couples and 27 percent gay couples.

Wyoming has more self-reporting gay households in its bigger cities: Between 0.5 and 0.6 percent of households in Cheyenne, Casper and Laramie, and close to 0.7 percent in Rock Springs. The census showed Riverton with the biggest share of reported gay couples, 1.2 percent.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Census statistics show quarter of California same-sex couples raising kids" by Matt O'Brien, Contra Costa Times 6/23/11

[A local Contra Costa County] family of four is among nearly 1 percent of California households -- about 126,000 homes -- headed by same-sex couples, according to statistics from the 2010 census being released Thursday.

. . . San Francisco remains a gay hub -- the city has more than 10,000 gay and lesbian couples . . .

Demographers caution that the numbers may overcount same-sex couples because of opposite-sex couples who miscoded themselves on a confusing form. The errors are amplified because there are far more opposite-sex couples than same-sex couples.

Three percent of San Francisco households and slightly more than 2 percent of Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville households are headed by same-sex couples, making these the Bay Area cities with the highest concentration of gay and lesbian partners. Other East Bay cities run close behind, and most of the neighborhoods outside San Francisco with the highest number of same-sex couples, according to the census, stretch along the foothills of East Oakland.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Census finds growing gay community in Allentown" by Andrew McGill, Matt Assad and Eugene Tauber of The Morning Call 6/23/11

Allentown is still the welcoming community they remember from the '80s, they said, with a bigger heart than you'd expect from a city of only 118,000.

Census numbers released Thursday show Allentown has 405 same-sex households . . . [a tiny percentage of the city].

That makes Allentown the state's third-largest home to gay couples, behind only Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Same-sex couples find a home in Delaware" by Mike Chalmers, The News Journal 6/23/11

Still, same-sex couples make up just 1 percent of the state's 342,297 households. Unmarried male-female couples make up about 6 percent of the households, while married couples, single people, roommates and others make up the remaining 93 percent.

Growing acceptance of same-sex couples allows more people to answer that census question honestly, rather than hiding behind the term "roommates," said Steve Elkins, executive director of CAMP Rehoboth, a nonprofit gay and lesbian community group.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Same-sex homes in the Valley on the rise" by Kurtis Alexander, The Fresno Bee 6/22/11

. . . in Fresno County, about 8 of every 1,000 households [well under one percent] are headed by a same-sex couple . . .

Statewide, the greatest concentrations of same-sex couples are along the coast, particularly in the Bay Area, according to the census. San Francisco County topped the list, with 3% of households identifying as same-sex. In the Valley, the figure remains below the state average of 1%.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "California families are changing, U.S. Census data show" by Kate Linthicum, Ari Bloomekatz and Scott Gold, Los Angeles Times 6/23/11

New census figures show that the percentage of Californians who live in "nuclear family" households — a married man and a woman raising their children — has dropped again over the last decade, to 23.4% of all households. That represents a 10% decline in 10 years, measured as a percentage of the state's households.

Those households, the Times analysis shows, are being supplanted by a striking spectrum of postmodern living arrangements: same-sex households, unmarried opposite-sex partners, married couples who have no children. Some forms of households that were rare just a generation ago are becoming common; the number of single-father households in California, for instance, grew by 36% between 2000 and 2010.

. . . families that were once called "broken" — are increasingly the standard.

To read all of this very lengthy article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Marriage Essential for Children: Studies

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Same-sex 'Marriage' via IRS Regulations

Eight Democrat U.S. Senators have called on the Internal Revenue Service to promulgate tax regulations to accommodate homosexuals as couples "married filing jointly."

-- From "Senators call on IRS to clear up rules for same-sex couples" by Allison Linn, senior writer msnbc.com 6/23/11

In the letter, the senators noted that some state tax laws recognize same-sex marriages or domestic partnerships, even though the federal government does not. That’s creating confusion for couples who want to file accurate returns but are classified differently by state and federal tax regulators, they said. They asked the IRS to offer guidance.

This isn’t the first time the tax issue has come up. The National Taxpayer Advocate, an independent organization within the IRS that seeks to help taxpayers, also noted in a 2010 report to Congress that the confusion between state laws that recognize same-sex marriages or domestic partnerships, and federal rules that do not, were creating complications for taxpayers.

The senators say some of the confusion would be cleared up if the Defense of Marriage Act were repealed. That’s a federal law that specifies that marriage is between a man and a woman only.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Senators to IRS: Fix the Gay Tax Mess" by Scott James, The Bay Citizen 6/23/11

A change last year, originally meant to help same-sex couples in some states take advantage of tax rates offered to heterosexual couples, instead required gay couples to follow complex new rules to file their returns.

The rules were so confusing, most had to hire professional accountants, paying as much as $4,000 for expertise to file their returns. An estimated 60,000 gay couples in California are impacted.

The senators’ intervention comes less than two weeks after another problem related to the situation was exposed: Hundreds of gay couples who followed the new rules had their returns rejected anyway by someone named “J. Bell” in the Fresno IRS office because the couples were not straight.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Abortion Genocide Billboards Unwelcomed in Calif.

"Black & Beautiful" billboards calling attention to abortionists' targeting of minorities are going up in Oakland even as Hispanic activists successfully pressured the billboard owner to yank similar ads addressing Latinas in the Los Angeles area.

For background, read Abortion Targeting Blacks: Exposed in Media Campaign and also read Black Genocide in New York City (nearly 2 of 3 killed in womb) as well as Will Next Black President be Aborted Instead?



UPDATE 6/28/11: Billboard company declares ad NOT offensive -- it will stay!

-- From "Racial specific anti-abortion billboards arrive in Oakland" by Paul T. Rosynsky, Oakland Tribune 6/22/11

A national anti-abortion advertising campaign targeting inner-city minorities with racial-specific billboards reached Oakland this month with at least 25 "Black & Beautiful" signs plastered in East and West Oakland.

While the Radiance Foundation and groups associated with it call the billboards educational, abortion rights and civil rights organizations have labeled them racist, offensive and misleading.

Although [Walter Hoye III, president of the Issues 4 Life Foundation], an African-American minister, said he did not think the billboards were racist or offensive, the California NAACP said they were and urged groups to pressure any billboard company that decides to conduct business with the Radiance Foundation or any group affiliated with it.

[Alice Huffman, president of the California NAACP,] said she was disturbed that the billboards attack Planned Parenthood, a health care provider that, in many cases, is the only source for health care in poor minority communities.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Anti-abortion billboard stirs controversy in community" by KTVU/CNN 6/19/11

"They stigmatize African-American women, they're not a positive message," [local Congresswoman Barbara] Lee said. "All women should have a right to make their own decisions without anyone interfering with those personal decisions."

Billboard supporters are firing back, defending the anti-abortion billboard.

"What about saying our children are black and beautiful is an attack on black women," asked Catherine Davis, with the Black Pro-Life Coalition.

The "Issues for Life Foundation" says the billboards will stay up until July 10.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Anti-Abortion Billboards Targeting Latinos in Los Angeles Removed Under Pressure" by FoxNews.com 6/17/11

An anti-abortion group says that an advertising company bowed to pressure by removing jumbo billboards in Los Angeles that portray abortion as a form of genocide in the Hispanic community – a sequel to a billboard campaign that targeted the black community in New York and Georgia.

"The most dangerous place for a Latino is in the womb," reads the three signs on billboards space the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles purchased from CBS Outdoor.

The billboards went up last Friday and were supposed to stay up for a month. But they are being taken down Friday after the group said supporters of abortion rights complained, calling the billboards racist.

The Los Angeles chapter of Planned Parenthood cheered the removal of the billboards.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pro-Abortion Hispanic Groups Take Down Pro-Life Latino Billboards" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 6/17/11

Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, announced the new pro-life billboards recently, saying “It’s clear that Latinos are being targeted by organizations that promote abortion like Planned Parenthood. Many of their clinics are in Latino neighborhoods and communities.”

The new billboards read, in Spanish and English, “El lugar mas peligroso para un Latino es el vientre de su madre/The most dangerous place for a Latino is in the womb.” The ads were part of a kickoff for a Sunday event called “Unidos por la Vida” (United for Life) at the LA Sports Arena sponsored by the pro-life group Manto de Guadalupe. The event featured Governor Rick Perry of Texas and pro-life activist Lila Rose of Live Action Films.

Gabriela Valle, senior director of California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, is one of the pro-abortion zealots taking on the billboards and told Orange County Weekly that she believes they are racist.

The left-wing Center for American Progress also aggressively attacked the ads . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Mega-porn Convention Lands at O'Hare Chicago

Billed as the "adult circus," Exxxotica Expo 2011 is expecting to draw 20,000 people to a convention center in so-called family-friendly Rosemont, Illinois but has run afoul with the National Football League over promotions.



-- From "Ron Jeremy, 2 Live Crew attending EXXXOTICA Chicago" by Luis Gomez, Chicago Tribune 6/15/11

EXXXOTICA Chicago will take place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center July 8-10 and will include a performance by rap group 2 Live Crew and appearances by adult film stars Ron Jeremy, Sunny Leone, Brandy Talore and Jenna Haze, among others.

The adult entertainment expo, which calls itself “the nation’s largest consumer show for love and sex,” will feature meet-and-greets with adult film stars, booths with the latest sex-related products and a variety of stage shows, including the Ms. EXXXOTICA competition.

Click here for the above Chicago Tribune article.


From "Family-friendly Rosemont hosts porn convention" by Madhu Krishnamurthy, Daily Herald 6/18/11

Having lost its bids to land a casino, Rosemont has worked to promote itself as a family-friendly destination with events like comic book conventions, family movie nights at Muvico Theaters, a new professional softball team and plans for a youth sports academy.

It's not the first time Rosemont has hosted a sex industry convention. Last year's Exxxtacy 2010, put on by New York-based Taboo Entertainment, brought to town more than 100 sex-themed vendors and dozens of adult film stars — including the mistresses of high-profile celebrities.

Rosemont has been most receptive of the event, which is not your typical porn convention, said organizer Victory Tradeshow Management director J. Handy.

Handy said the event offers sex seminars as well as 24 hours of live entertainment with rap music performances, bondage and burlesque entertainers, fire breathers, sword swallowers, midgets, as well as women performing on swings, poles, stages and trampolines.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Adult entertainment convention says it was unaware of ads" posted at NFL.com 6/21/11

Victory Tradeshow Management, the owner and operator of the adult entertainment convention known as EXXXOTICA Expo Miami Beach, released a statement on Monday making it clear the company had no part in the production of the ads that featured current and former NFL players . . .

"EXXXOTICA and/or Victory Tradeshow Management was not the producers or promoters of the party in question," the statement read. "The event was listed as an “Official After Party” of EXXXOTICA Miami Beach due in part to a licensing agreement to use the Expo’s trademark, but there was no knowledge of the alleged involvement of the players or use of any images in question. Once discovered, all offending ads were promptly removed."

The players featured in the ads were quick to disassociate themselves from the event last week.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Por-no: Bears’ Wright apologizes" by Neil Hayes, Chicago Sun-Times 6/16/11

Bears safety Major Wright issued an apology after his likeness was used on a promotion that included the world’s largest gathering of porn stars, even if the general manager of the Miami Beach, Fla., nightclub advertising the event claims it was all a misunderstanding.

“I authorized my name and likeness to be used in conjunction with other NFL players at a party I believed to be hosted by other NFL players,” Wright said in a statement released by his agent, Mitch Frankel. “I had no knowledge and never would have given authority for my name or likeness to be associated with Exxxotica Expo 2011.”

Former Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget, who was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the NFL draft, also appeared in the ad. Wright and Liuget are from the Miami area. Liuget and the other players appearing in the ad issued similar apologies.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Orgasm Live Demo in College Classroom: Chicago

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Planned Parenthood Shutting Down in IN & MN

Defunding of abortionists is having the desired effect as six clinics will close in Minnesota and eight in Indiana.

For background, read Indiana Taxpayers vs. Planned Parenthood and also read States Will Defund Planned Parenthood

UPDATE 12/15/11: Feds to reconsider if Indiana defunding violated federal law

UPDATE 6/24/11: Federal judge blocks Indiana from defunding Planned Parenthood; Indiana will appeal on behalf of taxpayers

-- From "Planned Parenthood Stops Seeing Medicaid Patients" by The Associated Press 6/21/11

A state law that took effect May 10 denied Planned Parenthood the Medicaid funds it uses to pay for general health services it provides to low-income women at its 28 Indiana clinics. The group is seeking a preliminary injunction to block Indiana's law, and a ruling is expected by July 1.

[Absent a favorable ruling, Planned Parenthood] plans to begin closing health centers and reducing staff. All but one of its 28 statewide clinics will be closed Wednesday -- and most employees will be on a one-day unpaid furlough as a cost-saving step.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Defunding efforts cause cuts in Planned Parenthood services" by Heather Gillers and Andrew Scoggin, USATODAY 6/21/11

In Indiana, Planned Parenthood will stop treating Medicaid patients and lay off two of three specialists after $100,000 in donations it had been using to replace state money ran out this week.

Legislatures in Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina and Wisconsin have voted to defund Planned Parenthood. The moves are law in the first three. Republican Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin is expected to sign a state budget with a similar provision by June 30.

Cuts in federal funds mean six Planned Parenthood clinics in Minnesota will close Aug. 1.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Planned Parenthood runs out of money for Medicaid customers" by John Paul, WSBT-TV (Mishawaka, IN) 6/21/11

Medicaid patients can continue receiving their services at Planned Parenthood, however, it will be on their own dime.

Two Disease Intervention Specialists lost their jobs Tuesday. On Wednesday, all but one of the Planned Parenthood locations in Indiana including the Grape Road location will shut their doors for a mandatory furlough day.

The Indianapolis location will close for a furlough day on Thursday.

If the [US District Court] judge does not issue a ruling by July 1st, Planned Parenthood will have to close almost a dozen locations throughout the state, including a clinic in Michigan City.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Planned Parenthood clinics to close" by Elizabeth Baier, Minnesota Public Radio 6/20/11

Planned Parenthood will close six clinics in Minnesota due to federal funding cuts.

The closings comes after a nearly 5.5 percent cut to Title X funding agreed to during the 2011 congressional budget debate.

Sarah Stoesz, president Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota said staffing and hours at other Minnesota clinics will be expanded to serve the needs of rural Minnesotans.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Minnesota Planned Parenthood to Close Six Locations in August" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 6/21/11

While [Minnesota Planned Parenthood CEO Sarah] Stoesz claims the Title X cuts are the reason for the closings, Bill Poehler, a spokesman for Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the statewide pro-life group, told KFGO there are other federally funded health clinics, Community-Based Health Centers, that offer legitimate medical care to women without having to go to an abortion business.

Minnesota state legislators hoped to curb the number of abortions further in the state by passing legislation to stop taxpayer funding of abortions and to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, but pro-abortion Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed both bills.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Indiana Planned Parenthood cuts hours, may shut down clinics after defunding" by Peter J. Smith, LifeSiteNews.com 6/21/11

Planned Parenthood has already lost access to $1.3 million in family planning funds that Indiana used to pay to the abortion provider. Those payments came to an end when HB 1210, a law signed by GOP Gov. Mitch Daniels, went into effect, barring family planning groups that provide abortions from being eligible to receive the state grants.

Planned Parenthood operates 28 clinics in the state, including four abortion sites, but may sacrifice eight clinics rather than sever the abortion business from family planning, as a Texas Planned Parenthood had done.

State officials are defending the changes, saying every one of Indiana’s 92 counties will continue to have family planning services for Medicaid recipients.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.