Cartoon: Screw Blue

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Yes, I'm playing cartoon catchup again--this one ran over a week ago in print. I must admit I've been a bit busy preparing for the arrival of the Cartoonist SuperBaby (as in, Masheka and I are both artists and packrats, and we have to get rid of over 1/3 of our earthly posessions and furniture to make room)...

Cartoons on Haiti coming this week of course.

By the way, you may remember this nameless couple--they've appeared a few times over the last year or so, starting with the election. Maybe at some point they'll get actual names.

Toon: The HETEROmance Wedding Package

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A Tasteful New Tradition for Old-Fashioned Couples!

Inspired by this ridiculous photograph of a couple getting married as part of an anti-gay protest. Can you imagine this couple showing their grandkids the wedding album thirty or forty years from now? "Grandpa, how come you were against equality?"

Some questions about this photo:

• Why are these bigots so damn happy? Does it really give them that much joy to be joined together in matrimony as part of a "screw you" to same-sex couples?
• Why did the NYTimes caption this picture "A protest on Wednesday over the Washington City Council’s vote to recognize same-sex marriages from other states included a traditional wedding ceremony" (emphasis mine)? What part of any traditional wedding ceremony involves gay-bashing signage? That totally wasn't in the wedding planning manual I used...

New Hampshire! (almost)

New England's still on a winning streak for marriage equality. Rhode Island might be a while yet, though.

The National Organization for Marriage’s “Rainbow Coalition”!

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Drew this after those ridiculous NOM ads first popped up on YouTube.

The actual quote I'm referencing from NOM's ridiculous gay-bashing "Storm is Coming" ad: "But we have hope...a rainbow coalition of people of every creed and color are coming together in love to protect marriage."

Marriage Equality in Maine!

New England keeps getting more awesome!

Colbert's Big Gay Storm Ad

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Colbert Coalition's Anti-Gay Marriage Ad
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

If you haven't already seen it...

Toon: Apocalypse Iowa!

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Even the happiest heterosexual homes will not survive the unstoppable juggernaut of... LEGAL GAY MARRIAGE!

Obviously I drew this before Vermont joined the equality party--they'll get their own cartoon next week. (Maybe something about how it's a short slippery slope to the evils of man/maple-syrup marriage!? But seriously...)

Hurrah for Vermont!

The good news just keeps rolling in!

Hurrah for Iowa!

So Massachusetts, Connecticut—and, now, Iowa!—are officially the three coolest states in the union. I'm totally embarrassed for New York. Aren't we supposed to be, like, trendsetters or something? Lucky for me I'm really from Massachusetts. From Bay Windows:

The state supreme courts in New York, Maryland, and Washington State have ruled that laws banning gay marriage are rational even though the states’ reasons wouldn’t pass many people’s laugh test. New York, for instance, said banning gay marriage provided an inducement for straight people to marry. Washington said it "furthers procreation" among straights.

So banning gay marriage puts straight people in the mood? Like a fancy over-priced homophobic perfume?

Toon: The Florists' Rights Movement!

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"Back off lesbos—you're getting gay germs on my gardenias!"

Seriously, this story is FOR REAL. There was a more in-depth piece in the Hartford Courant online, but it seems to be unavailable now, all I can still find is this editorial response.

Tearjerker "Don't Divorce Us" Video

I saw this video from the Courage Campaign (petition here) over on Pam's House Blend and had to share. It's mostly just simple family photos sent in by same-sex couples in California (and/or their friends and kids and parents) holding up signs reading "Don't Divorce Us." Sniff... Best have tissues to hand for this one.

Toon: The Blame Game

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I'll have more thoughts on Proposition 8 and all of this divide-and-conquer bullshit later.

In the meantime, Barry has three excellent roundups of links/posts/articles about the awful "blame black folks" meme and the nasty "black people are all homophobes" meme or the ridiculous "there's a black vs. gay war" meme: "If you call me a faggot, I will call you a...", "Two more posts on blaming the brown," and "Prop 8: The Rush To Blame The Brown People."

Toon: Defenders of 1913!

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This cartoon probably seems a bit obscure if you don't live in Massachusetts (or possibly New York). Basically, although same-sex marriage has been legal for Massachusetts residents since 2004, out-of-state couples have been out of luck—until now.

An archaic 1913 law still on the books prohibited couples whose marriages were not legal in their home states from marrying in Massachusetts. The law (which ex-Governor and wouldbe Vice President Mitt Romney was a big fan of!) was likely designed to prevent out-of-state interracial marriages.

I drew this cartoon when a repeal was being considered. Since then the Senate has repealed it and now it's up to the House. It's believed that thousands of New York residents would get married (and spend their wedding dollars) in Massachusetts. Good riddance to bad legal rubbish!

Toon: And now for a brief moment of sunshine...

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Longtime readers may find this hard to believe, but when I heard Obama would be the nominee, I TOTALLY had a brief moment of optimism... which was only compounded when I heard California had gone for marriage equality and that New York Governor David Paterson had decreed that California/Canada/Massachusetts marriages would be legal in New York.

Seriously, I was upbeat and smiling and dancing around my apartment for nearly a MINUTE before I remembered that the economy is collapsing, the planet is warming and we're all DOOMED.

Also, I like drawing (and wearing) stripes and spirals. That is all.

Marriage Equality Victory in Caliornia!

The California Supreme Court has ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriage is unconstitutional!

R.I.P., Mildred Loving

You've probably all heard about this already, but Mildred Loving (of the famous Loving vs. Virginia Supreme Court case that legalized interracial marriage) died last Friday. Here's a snippet from a much-quoted recent statement by Ms. Loving, "Loving for All", made on the 40th anniversary of her landmark case:

Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the “wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.

Toon: Our Sexy President

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Obama's great on LGBT rights in general (and even speaks out specifically about gender identity and discrimination against transgender people), but he really sucks when it comes to marriage equality. Same with Hillary. Yes, I'm catching up and posting my cartoons from the last month or so.

marriage equality victory

I've of course been silent here because Masheka and I are getting married in a few days myself, so I was SOOOOO excited to hear about Lambda Legal's successful case in Iowa. The Supreme Court in Iowa has ruled that a same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional.

Aside from that, have I mentioned I have FOOD POISONING? (my advice: stay AWAY from salad bars). But nothing's going to stop me from having some of the delicious wedding cake my mom is making.

You'll hear more from me in a few weeks!

Correction: It wasn't the Supreme Court--and I think it's been overruled somehow now. Sigh.