To be or not to be, that is the question

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Shirvelling has its consequences … and its price

Over the past two years, I’ve been following the story of former assistant Attorney General and confirmed stalking homophobe Andrew Shirvell as he made a mockery of our legal system. To recap, he was stalking University of Michigan student body president, Chris Armstrong, posting offensively Photoshopped images on an anti-Armstrong website, writing defamatory things about Armstrong (an openly gay man) and conducting one-man protests outside the home of Shirvell and his friends and family. It got so bad the Shirvell was eventually banned from campus.

Armstrong obtained a personal protection order from Shirvell. He asked for a new judge because the judge he had was the sister of someone who didn’t like him. That was denied. He was fired from his Asst. AG job and then counter-sued Armstrong for that. He tried to have his deposition sealed but was denied that. Armstrong eventually sued him.

Yesterday, a jury awarded Armstrong $4.5 million.

This is unlikely to get much fanfare but it’s big new for the fight to protect the LGBT community all over the world. It’s an Presidential Memorandum mandating that U.S. Government agencies step up their efforts to protect the rights and safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people all over the world. The memorandum directs agencies to: Combat […]

Who said this? “For all the girls who think tradition should be continued, go back to the kitchen, stop having sex before you’re married, get out of school and job system, don’t have an opinion, don’t own any property, give up the right to marry who you love, don’t vote, and allow your husband to do whatever he pleases to […]

Local control, local government, local self-determination. These are the hallmarks of the tea party Republicans and conservatives in general. Recent efforts by Michigan Republicans prove conclusively that this is a lie. They are not interested in local control; they are interested in conservative control. Period. In September, I wrote about two bills passed by the House to limit domestic partner […]

I want to take a moment to appreciate the readers that I have at Eclectablog. While I don’t get scads of comments, the ones I do get are generally high quality, even from those that disagree with me. Yesterday I got what I consider to be the best comment I’ve ever received on this site. I was in regards to […]

Hooray! A Wisconsin man who left his Presbyterian ministry in California more than 20 years ago after telling his congregation that he is gay was welcomed back into the church leadership on Saturday as its first openly gay ordained minister. In a quavering voice ripe with emotion, 56-year-old Scott Anderson told the hundreds of friends and backers who packed Covenant […]

Thank Goddess this man is president. The ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military will end in 60 days, President Barack Obama said on Friday after notifying Congress that all the requirements to repeal it have been met. The armed forces are ready to set aside the 18-year-old “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that forced gay recruits to […]

Well, at least the Catholic church is consistent. A senior adviser to the Vatican, who is a theology professor in Detroit, is blasting the Catholic governor of New York for his strong backing of same-sex marriage, saying he should be punished for his “brazen” violation of Catholicism by being denied Holy Communion, a key part of the Catholic faith. Edward […]

I ♥ New York.

I have written about the pathetic excuse for a public servant that is Andrew Shirvell before (here and here). To recap, he was stalking University of Michigan student body president, Chris Armstrong, posting offensively Photoshopped images on an anti-Armstrong website, writing defamatory things about Armstrong (an openly gay man) and conducting one-man protests outside the home of Shirvell and his […]