Cali Assembly Repubs: 'If you honor those gays, we're gonna take our Blackberries and go home!'

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08/15/2006

by Jeremy Hooper

According to News 10 in Sacramento, some Republican members of the California Assembly walked out yesterday in protest of a ceremony honoring six gay and lesbian people who've made contributions in their respective fields (among them Reichen Lehmkuhl and Esera Tuaolo). And adding insult to evacuation, Republican Assembly Leader George Plescia (pic.) is quoted as saying before of the first annual Pride Recognition Awards:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I rise to point out the ridiculousness of the exercise" ..."We're wasting a lot of time we have a lot of bills on the floor."

As opposed to grown adults boycotting and walking out of a benign awards ceremony recognizing gay individuals, which is a totally non-ridiculous exercise and in no way a time waster! Good showing, guys! After all, why should those who likely could benefit from the message the most be bothered by exposing themselves to its reality?

Lawmakers Walk Out Over Gay Recognition [News 10]

ADDITIONALLY: KGO TV quotes Assm. Dennis Mountjoy (pic.) as saying of the gays:

"What they want is to be considered a protected class, and they're not going to have it. And we ought not to be honoring people for their behavior in the bedroom. End of story."

To which we say: "With all due respect, Mr. Mountjoy, these weren't the 'Simultaneous Orgasm, Bravo' Awards. The ceremony was to recognize homosexual folks who have made a contribution to a community of people who are collectively struggling to achieve societal parity. The awards weren't recognizing bedroom behavior anymore than you guys are when you honor those who are fighting for 'protecting traditional marriage,' a custom that at its core is based around heterosexual intercourse. As long as gay people face a struggle BECAUSE THEY ARE GAY, there will be a valid need to recognize those who are helping us reach a day when such sexuality-centric celebrations will no longer be necessary."

Republican Walks Out After Gays Honored [ABC7/KGO]

AND ANOTHER: Agape Press is running event criticism from Assm. Jay LaSuer (whose name they spell incorrectly):