Not content to just let it rest this short session — reserved, I’ve heard it said, for “emergency” issues — anti-gay legislators had signaled that they’d let the Indiana Youth Group license plate matter rest. Despite that, there were rumblings that they’d try to jam it into an end of session conference committee despite the fact the provision hadn’t passed either house on the first go round.
Presumably spurred on by their masters at the American Family Association of Indiana and Advance America of Indiana, it looks as if these legislators are apparently urging the State of Indiana to subject the group’s contract to special scrutiny based on the content of their speech and their sexual orientation.
Mary Beth Schneider reports:
While legislative leaders did not officially declare the effort to pass a bill dead, Senate President Pro Tempore David Long said another “solution” had been found: Voiding the Indiana Youth Group plate.
Long said he believed the Indiana Youth Group had violated its state contract and that it should be cancelled.
“There’s a contract clause apparently which I just saw today which apparently says you cannot remarket those for value and they’re doing that clearly on their internet site,” Long said. “And if they are it says you ‘shall’ terminate the contract.”
Apparently they gave out a couple of low numbered plates to some donors; something the BMV has traditionally allowed other groups to do.
I love the smell of an equal protection lawsuit in the morning. Smells like victory.
When Martin Jischke was president of Purdue, his license plate was “PB 1”. Surely he didn’t luck into that. I guess we’d better cancel Purdue’s plates, too.
Looks like the Colts once held the same type of license plate auction: http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=15964. I bet Sen. Long, et al. aren’t gunning for the beloved Horseshoe plate.
Does this behavior toward a group working on behalf of gay teens constitute bullying?
Gosh Don, it sure does. Looks like they’re trying to find any way they can to get rid of IYG’s plate. Why the hard scrutiny on THIS organization’s plate? Why not other organizations? I find it so sad and pathetic that a group of so-called adults are picking on children. How low can you go?
4-H offers plates to members of its giving club; are they going to take 4-H on too ?
http://in4h.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Fall-2011-Final-Draft-101311.pdf
I love how they just can’t let it go.. Just like the people who seem to obsess about gay sexual practices…MORE than the gays. Unbelievable..
You are correct – they really doth protest too much, don’t they?
Kind of interesting that the nut case who introduced this issue is a good buddy of Phil Hinkles….just saying
Just got word that the Bureau of Motor Vehicles has received an application from an organization known as The Indiana General Assembly for its own speciality license plate. The application asks for a special examption from having to sell 1000 plates, and only seeks the low numbers to match its popularity statistics.
Having retired from the PR business, I can assure you that Hoosier gaysters could use a makeover.
A face lift involves the annual gay pride parade. Marching through Indianapolis in underpants will not endear you to state legislators.
For a body makeover the Hoosier gays would be advised to replace Bilerico with a more civil go-to site. Most view Bilerico, quite frankly, is nothing more than a christophobic, pornographic hate site; the motto of which seems to be: “Let’s piss off everybody.” Their license to cyberbully is long expired.
My suggestions are:
1. Wear pants at your next pride parade.
2. Organize children’s activities. Show up dressed like Mormons.
3. Found a website that’s not run by emotional 13 year olds.
4. Build positive bridges to conservative legislators. Smile. Play nice. Try it. It actually works.
5. Form a ‘right out’ group. That is, a conservative gay group that could ingratiate itself to Ann Coulter. Not all GOPers will love you, but you may only need 2 or 3 votes on a given committee.
Insensate snarling may make you feel good; even empowered. And there’s a place and time for that. But 24/7/365 pissed off won’t get you what you want. Unless being ignored is what you want.
Retired PR Guy:
As far as your suggestions 4 & 5 – there is a group that is doing that now and has for years. Its called the Log Cabin Republicans. And guess what…….ITS NOT WORKING!
As far as Pride….Really? Thats your impression? The GLBT community like the straight community is very diverse. The “no pants wearing” comprises a very small percentage of the parade and the community as a whole. They are expressing themselves and they live in a country that allows them to do that. Isn’t freedom a Hoosier value?
Bilerico is no longer an Indy based blog. They live and work in DC now. But again, they are exercising their free speech. Advance Indiana is a locally based gay political blog that might be more to your liking.
“A face lift involves the annual gay pride parade. Marching through Indianapolis in underpants will not endear you to state legislators.”
Pride is a non-partisan, in fact, non political, event.
I really don’t see the complaints of “dress” at Pride as valid. These same state legislators, and probably the super Moral Majority conservatives, attend Colts and Pacers games where the cheerleaders are decked out in outfits meant to show off their assets.
If you don’t like it, don’t look. Don’t go. The actual parade is only a small part of Pride as it is.
You’ve been complaining about Bilerico and trolling the blogs for a year or two and its pretty much been ignored. Maybe you should take after your own name and “retire”.
And your advice really does fall flat. Conservative state legislators are going to be anti-gay until the day they die. This is reflected in polling in regards to same-sex marriage. Young people are fine with it, across almost all demographics and political affiliations. Older people, across almost all demographics and political affiliations, are against it. There’s no point in trying to compromise with someone who only will accept their way.
“Conservative state legislators are going to be anti-gay until the day they die. This is reflected in polling in regards to same-sex marriage. Young people are fine with it, across almost all demographics and political affiliations. Older people, across almost all demographics and political affiliations, are against it. There’s no point in trying to compromise with someone who only will accept their way.”
Umm, there are some serious logic errors in this post, unless we assume that all conservative legislators are old and non-conservative legislators are young. Depending on your definition of old, that doesn’t seem very accurate.
Being a conservative that has attended a gay pride parade or two, I believe Retired PR Guy’s advice (except #2) makes significant sense.
I think it might be useful to have legislators commit to telling whether they believe homosexual activities to be “sinful” or not. Those who do aren’t going to help gays or even be indifferent. They’ll be actively opposed to gay interests. Anyone else, you can try to work with.
I guess. Perhaps we should just make a list, and we can also ask the legislators whether drinking alchohol is sinful, whether smoking tobacco is sinful, and whether dancing within county lines is sinful. I guess we’d need to define “sinful” though.
Personally, I don’t see the value in such a survey, as I could easily see a legislator believing that homosexuality might be sinful, but that such conduct should not be discriminated against any more than clothing that shows ankles. I am pretty sure most legislators would consider “lying” to be sinful, but unless you are under oath, that type of behavior is not actionable by the govt.
The politics of relative morality is a fools game….on both sides. I fail to see how one person’s opinion of “sinful” is relevant, as do I have difficulty reconciling the politics of I am proud of what I do with my genitals, so I’m going to tell you about it and you must then accept me, damn it!!! with anything resembling a topic of national, or even statewide importance.