From Express Gay News, normally known for sleazy, sensationalist, minimally-researched and non-proofread journalism, finally something worth reading.
HALL OF FAME
- Commissioner Dean Trantalis Co-author of Broward County’s domestic partnership law, Trantalis was elected Fort Lauderdale’s first openly gay city commissioner in March.
- The Florida Marlins In August, the Marlins became the first professional sports franchise to sign and long-term advertising contract with a gay newspaper, The Express.
- Justice Anthony Kennedy A Reagan appointee, Kennedy surprised many high court observers with the progressiveness of his opinion in Lawrence v. Texas.
- Bill Rettinger and Derrick Hankerson For their persistent efforts in fighting to save the Medicaid Medically Needy Share of Cost program from the budget ax.
- Connie Hines For her courage in speaking out against anti-gay hate crimes after being named Teacher of the Year.
- Jeffrey Woodard The Jupiter Christian School student who was expelled after a teacher found out he was gay. Woodard and his family have shown courage by showing up at the Gay and Lesbian Foundation of South Florida’s Recognition Dinner and by suing the school.
- Vicky Keller For fighting with Rettinger and Hankerson to save the Medically Needy program.
- Nadine Smith For her tireless efforts in leading Equality Florida in the fight for dignity and respect for GLBT students throughout the state. The Dignity for All Students Act has still not been passed, but it received a reading this year in the Republican-controlled state Senate, a first for such a bill.
- Sen. Mandy Dawson For fighting in the state legislature to save the Medicaid Medically Needy program.
- Wilton Manors Mayor Jim Stork for his high-profile leadership and for making sure gay businesses are included in the Main Street Program.
HALL OF SHAME
- Sen. Anna Cowin For her snide and mean-spirited efforts to kill the Dignity for All Students Act. Cowin introduced amendments referring to bestiality, necrophilia and phone sex as part of a devious strategy to block debate the bill.
- Sen. Rick Santorum “Man on dog.” Need we say more?
- Michael Savage Fired from his job at MSNBC after telling a caller to “get AIDS and die,” Savage is the most extremist person to ever be given his own show on a major U.S. network. Shame on MSNBC.
- Judge Roy Moore The mainstream media ignored Moore’s virulent homophobia when reporting on his Ten Commandments crusade, but The Express did not. In a court opinion denying a lesbian mother custody of her children in February 2002, Moore went as far as to suggest that gays and lesbians should be confined and executed to protect children. Thou shalt not use the judicial bench as a political pulpit. Good riddance.
- Gov. Jeb Bush For his lack of compassion in eliminating funding for the Medicaid Medically Needy program in his state budget proposal without even warning anyone that he was going to do it.
- President George W. Bush The most anti-gay and right-wing president in history, he jumped into bed with the radical right with his support for the anti-gay “Marriage Protection Week.”
- Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) Not only for not having the courage to disclose his sexual orientation during his campaign for the U.S. Senate but for posting a statement on his Web site praising rabidly anti-gay Judge Roy Moore. Shame on you Congressman.
- James Dobson the “co-host” of Larry King Live has declared the hurricanes are caused by sin and gay marriage will destroy Western Civilization.
- The Rev. James Kennedy For inviting some of the most extremist, anti-American, anti-democratic ideologues to his “Reclaiming America for Christ” conference in Coral Ridge.
- Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) For being the chief sponsor of a proposed constitutional amendment declaring that marriage is reserved for one man and one woman.