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The Bush administration likes to spin a tale about how Iraq has become a much more democratic and safer country since the 2003 invasion by U.S. forces, but that is definitely not the case for LGBT Iraqis.

CNN.com has a story up detailing the horrors faced by LGBT people living in Iraq including the story of “Kamal” who at 16 years old was kidnapped and raped repeatedly for two weeks.

Gay members of Congress Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin have urged the State Department and the Pentagon to take action to prevent the widespread violence against LGBT people living in Iraq to no avail.

Their failure to take action here is further proof that the invasion of Iraq was not about democracy or human rights. It was about oil pure and simple.

LGBT people in Iraq deserve much better than this and America deserves political leadership that does more than mouth empty platitudes about democracy and human rights.

Someone finally let’s us in on how the game is played insurance company style where they can do whatever the hell they want.

The buzz about The Dark Knight has been incredible. That’s partially because it is Heath Ledger’s final performance and partially because the first movie was well received.

Ledger’s performance as the Joker is phenomenal, but the rest of cast including Morgan Freeman, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Aaron Eckhart more than hold their own.

This is hands down the best film that I have seen all year. See it immediately on the biggest screen possible. You will not be disappointed.

Okay, that;s not exactly the message the Human Rights Campaign is sending in this video, but its something that we all need to hear.

Vote because you believe that every American should be treated equally under the law.

Vote because the last time you didn’t we got George W. Bush in the White House. Twice.

Vote because the blood, sweat and tears of our forefathers and mothers made it possible for us to do so.

Vote because hundreds of thousands of gay kids are counting on you to stand up for them.

Vote because you’re pissed off and sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Vote because bitches need to recognize that they may not love you, but they damn well have to respect.

Register to vote

The cool kids at JibJab strike again with this spot on clip about the current presidential election.

Republican Ron Paul liked to present an image of himself as a kind of presidential candidate different from the twelve angry white men that competed in the GOP primary. Paul railed against politics as usual and promoted an anti-Iraq war message that capture the attention of some voters who felt disaffected from the political system. Paul’s innovative use of online communications and social networking sites, while not on par with Barack Obama, definitely set him apart from conservative also rans like Rudy Guiliani and Mike Huckabee. Recent reports of the death of Paul’s openly gay campaign manager Kent Snyder show that Paul subscribes to the same “I got mine and you’re damned if you don’t” brand of self-centered politics that has infected the heart of the modern Republican Party.

Snyder died of pneumonia on June 26 after being hospitalized for two months and running up more than $400,000 in unpaid medical bills. The Paul campaign did not provide him, or any of its staff with health insurance.

Yes, you read that right. Dr. Ron Paul did not provide the man who masterminded his presidential campaign and raised him tens of millions of dollars with health insurance.

And, as the Washington Blade points out, Paul hasn’t met a pro-LGBT bill that he didn’t oppose.

I can’t speculate on what drove Snyder to work himself to the bone to advance the political ambitions of a man who opposed equal rights for LGBT Americans and who saw fit not to provide health insurance for his employees. By reported accounts, Snyder was a well respected person by friends and co-workers. But Ron Paul has proven himself to be no more of a political maverick and no more interested in the needs of working Americans than Republican standard bearer John McCain.

This Nike ad featuring members of the Spanish soccer team pop on my radar via the indispensable Jockohomo a couple of weeks ago. What I love about this ad, besides that it shows five hot shirtless boys writing on their bodies, is that it is a damn cool way of communicating what could otherwise be boring data.

The Spanish national team won its first major title in 44 years by defeatng Germany 1-0 to take Euro Cup 2008.

Michelle Obama is fierceness personified and with her speech to the Democratic National Committee’s Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council she makes clear that if her husband is elected president, he will fight for LGBT rights.

Sens. Larry “Toe-Tapper with a Wide Stance” Craig and David “I Heart Hookers” Vitter are original co-sponsors the new version of the Federal Marriage Amendment. I am so not making that up.

Called the Marriage Protection Amendment, the bill aims to write anti-gay discrimination into the U.S. Constitution by stating marriage as “shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman.”

Page One Q has more.

The full text of S. J. RES. 43 follows:

John McCain tells the world how he really feels about LGBT people.

Thanks to National Stonewall Democrats for helping to spread the word.