"At least two California newspapers and the openly gay mayor of West Sacramento knew anti-gay ( California ) state Sen. Roy Ashburn was gay and yet they said nothing. On Wednesday, Ashburn was arrested for DUI while leaving a Sacramento gay bar. ... Christopher Cabaldon, the openly gay mayor of West Sacramento, told KOVR he has spotted Senator Ashburn at gay hot spots a number of times. ( The ) hypocrisy ( of Ashburn's having a horrible anti-gay voting record and his hanging out in gay venues ) apparently didn't bother Mayor Cabaldon enough to actually fucking say something. And you know that if Cabaldon knew, many other queers in Sacramento knew. If I lived in West Sacramento, I'd want to have a long angry talk with my mayor." Blogger Joe Jervis ( Joe. My. God. ) , March 5. Actually, Cabaldon did mention it on his Facebook page several months ago, but no one did anything with it.
"There is a lack of leadership from the top ( on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell ) . Our largest LGBT advocacy group ( the Human Rights Campaign ) is in Washington to demand it for us, and needs to stop making excuses for our self-described 'fierce advocate' and demand that he ( President Obama ) be that." Blogger Andy Towle, Towleroad.com, Feb. 16.
"My ( scores of anti-gay ) votes reflect the wishes of the people in my district. And I have always felt that my faith and allegiance was to the people there in the district, my constituents, and so as each of these individual measures came before the Legislature, I cast 'no' votesusually 'no' votesbecause the measures were almost always about acknowledging rights or assigning identification to homosexual persons. I felt my duty, and I still feel this way, is to represent my constituents. There's never been a doubt in my mind on the position of the vast majority of people in my district." California state Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, in a March 8 coming-out interview on KERN radio, five days after he was arrested and charged with drunk driving after leaving a Sacramento gay bar.
"Whenever someone speaks out against gays, the first question they should be asked is, 'Are you gay?'" Writer Dan Savage's friend Scott, quoted by Savage on Savage's blog, March 5.
"I have no more tolerance for any religion in any way. They are all obsolete and harmful. We need to start groups where people can just hang out and help each other and no believing is required." Roseanne Barr on her blog, March 6.
"The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. In Leviticus it says: 'If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.' The Bible is pretty black and white. I feel like God himself created mankind and he loves everyone, and he has the best for everyone. If he says that having sex with someone of your same gender is going to bring death upon you, that's a pretty stern warning, and he knows more than we do about life." Lauren Ashley, "Miss Beverly Hills 2010," to Fox News, Feb. 23.
"The City of Beverly Hills today denounced statements made by Miss California USA contestant Lauren Ashley, the self-described Miss Beverly Hills. Ms. Ashley resides in Pasadena and is currently a contestant for the Miss California USA title. She does not represent Beverly Hills in any capacity. The City of Beverly Hills strongly condemns Ms. Ashley's recent statements and has contacted pageant officials to determine ways to formally prevent any beauty contestants claiming the title of Miss Beverly Hills in the future. The City of Beverly Hills does not sponsor a beauty pageant and has no association with Miss California USA. As such, there should be no individual claiming the title of Miss Beverly Hills." City press release, Feb. 24.
"The City Council was shocked to see statements made by a beauty pageant contestant under the name of Beverly Hills who does not live in nor represent our city. We are dismayed by any potential association with the City of Beverly Hills, which has a long history of tolerance and respect." Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne, Feb. 24.
Assistance: Bill Kelley