You probably didn’t realize it today but May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). Founded in Canada by Foundation Émergence  in 2003, the yearly event advocates social acceptance of homosexuality and fighting homophobia in all it’s forms.

From their website:

An International Day Against Homophobia belongs to no one individual. It’s about all people hoping for a prejudice-free world that can provide a place at the table for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation. Inspired by all world theme-days, the day set aside to fight homophobia needs to be appropriated by all of those actively involved in civil society: gay and lesbian community organizations, those organizations focusing on other types of sexual diversity, unions, employers, private businesses, governments, public administration, professional associations, and all individuals seeking equality.

In an effort to help promote the event, gays.com put out this great video starring LGBT folks from around the globe proclaiming their pride. Watch.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Rp8ep_ezE[/youtube]

IDAHO unfortunately  has garnered little press here in the United States.

SaveCalifornia.com is a pro-family, anti-gay group leading an effort to derail SB 572 which would institute an official Harvey Milk Day here in California. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to serve in political office, and was later gunned down by former city council member Dan White at San Francisco City Hall in 1978.

SaveCalifornia.com is urging concerned parents to send an email to Governor Schwarzenegger which describes all the horrible things that will happen to their children if SB 572 is passed, including:

SB 572 pressures public schools — from kindergarten on up — to perform “suitable commemorative exercises” promoting what homosexual activist Harvey Milk believed in: the entire homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual agenda and anti-religious values.

If SB 572 becomes law, schoolchildren would have positively portrayed to them homosexual experimentation, homosexual “marriages,” sex-change operations, and anything else that’s “in the closet.”

All doors of sexual experimentation MUST be opened: “If a bullet should go through my head let that bullet go through every closet door.”

SaveCalifornia.com is led by anti-gay bigot Randy Thomasson. There’s plenty of dirt on him over at goodasyou.com so I won’t repeat it here.

Milk screenwriter Lance Black testified in Sacramento today supporting SB 572. To counter SaveCalifornia.com, please sign this petition at Equality California urging the governor to support Harvey Milk Day.

To get an unpleasant taste of what SaveCalifornia.com is all about, watch the video below:

[pro-player width=’480′ height=’200′ type=’FLV’ image=’https://inlookout.com/video/savecalifornia.jpg’]https://inlookout.com/video/savecalifornia.flv[/pro-player]

Over at OneNewsNow.com, our favorite homophobe Peter LaBarbera drops some pearls of wisdom on the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), viewing it as yet another attempt to grant special rights to homosexuals. If only UAFA had a “reverse” provision to ship folks like him OUT of the country.

“We don’t need to start providing government benefits and special treatment to relationships based on homosexuality, which many people regard as a sin,” says LaBarbera. “I think this is an egregious example of special rights for homosexuals.”

The pro-family activist contends that homosexuals and their supporters are using this case to push for the passage of the Uniting American Families Act (H.R. 1024), which would give homosexual Americans the right to sponsor foreign-born partners for residency.

“This is a ridiculous piece of legislation,” exclaims LaBarbera. “Americans are already concerned over illegal immigration. I don’t think most Americans want to give incentives to bring more homosexual activists into the country, which is what this case embodies.”

I’m all for yanking soap boxes out from under homophobes and bigots, denying them the  attention they so desparately crave. Many suggested I should have done that instead of posting Joe the Plumber’s outrageous but totally in-character quote yesterday… But I think in some cases, letting these outrageous statements run wild in the media/blog echo chamber marginalizes these creatures further.

And that’s a good thing.

From Christianity Today…

Christianity Today
In the last month, same-sex marriage has become legal in Iowa and Vermont. What do you think about same-sex marriage at a state level?

Wurzelbacher
At a state level, it’s up to them. I don’t want it to be a federal thing. I personally still think it’s wrong. People don’t understand the dictionary–it’s called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It’s not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we’re supposed to do–what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we’re supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I’ve had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn’t have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they’re people, and they’re going to do their thing.

Please, please tell me when his 15 minutes are up!