Rosie O'Donnell is heading to San Francisco today to marry girlfriend Kelli Carpenter as a reaction against President Bush's endorsement of a constitutional amendment barring gay marriage:
- "We, too, have a dream of equality for all families," the comedian said in a statement. "The only way changes are made in society is when people like Mayor Gavin Newsom have the courage to stand up against injustice."
....She said the president's call is what inspired her to come to San Francisco, where city officials continue to perform same-sex weddings even as state courts are considering the legality of those marriages.
"I think the actions of the president are, in my opinion, the most vile and hateful words ever spoken by a sitting president," O'Donnell said on the program. "I am stunned and I'm horrified.
"I find this proposed amendment very, very, very, very shocking. And immoral. And, you know, if civil disobedience is the way to go about change, then I think a lot of people will be going to San Francisco. And I hope they put more people on the steps to marry as many people as show up. And I hope everyone shows up." [AP]
She brings up a very specific issue I had forgotten about regarding equal rights and marriage:
- O'Donnell said she decided to marry Carpenter, a former dancer and marketing director at Nickelodeon, during her recent trial in New York over the now-defunct Rosie magazine.
"We applied for spousal privilege and were denied it by the state. As a result, everything that I said to Kelli, every letter that I wrote her, every e-mail, every correspondence and conversation was entered into the record," O'Donnell said. "After the trial, I am now and will forever be a total proponent of gay marriage."
That is absolutely stark discrimination with very tangible ramifications. I have never been much of a Rosie fan, but I'm more of one now.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Natalie Davis
Mazel tov, Rosie and Kelli! Much love and many blessings to their family.
2 - HW Saxton Jr.
Considering Rosie's stagnant career and
recent Broadway bomb,this reeks of cheap
"Publicity Ploy".
3 - Natalie Davis
Yeah, she couldn't possibly be in love, could she? (Grrr.)
Whatever. Even if it is a PR move, a pro-equality publicity stunt works for me.
4 - Eric Olsen
Given the level of emotion at the magazine trial, I have no problem believing that she made the decision then - all of those documents would have been exempt had they been married.
5 - Mac Diva
I agree with Eric. Being exempted from spousal privilege opened the door to not just embarrassment for Ms. O'Donnell, but damage to her case that would not occur if she were heterosexual.
I don't believe the marriage will be just a publicity stunt. They've been together for years. And, whenever a wealthy person marries someone who is not, even with a prenup, the person is taking on legal and economic disadvantages. Besides, these are fully grown women. I don't expect an "Oops!" the next day like Britney Spears did.
6 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Mac, I figured a lawyer would note that.
7 - Natalie Davis
And so we see the tragedy of second-class citizenship made visible. What a goddamned shame.
I am so happy for Rosie and Kelli, but I am also glad for those of us who believe in equality. Should the forces of evil win this battle, Rosie has the bucks to take on the bigots in court.
8 - Roger
ATTENTION!!!
ROSIE O'DONNELL is a fat loud mouthed Dyke Whore. She's such an obnoxious,whiny, no carrer-having,"my pussy hurts",degenerate, over weight peice of FAT SHIT!!! She's not getting any attention show she had to show her big fat ass. YOU THINK DIVORCE IS BAD NOW? Imagine two super gay flaming Queers in their femanine vocies in a gay cat fight in front of a divorce judge.
DEBAUCHERY is all I can say. Even if you don't beleive in God, what goes on in nature should be a pretty good indicator that nothing "productive" can result from bumping cunts or buttfucing.
9 - Eric Olsen
Hey, now that you mention it, she IS overweight - I hadn't noticed that before.
The funny thing about nature is that there seems to be a consistent level of same-sex activity all across it - it appears to have a strong genetic component in all sexual species, including humans.
10 - BRICKLAYER
Yo, her wife is a hottie, too. I'm all for gay marriage. Why should our non-het brothers and sisters get to esacape the wrath of the mother in law?
GO KUCINICH!
11 - BRICKLAYER
I meant "escape", in case any of the grammar police are watching. Did I mention her wife is hot? Not as hot as Page Davis, though.
GO KUCINICH!
12 - Roger
I apologize for offending anyone. I actually have a couple of good dyke/lesbian friends.(They don't mind me calling them dyke). I just get sick of these loud mouths every time they come "out of the fucking closet". For at least a year afterwards that is all that is talked about. Just like Elllen. Well at least Ellen isn't the raving bitch that Rosie is, she's actually pretty cool.
I work indepenently as a Private Investigator. Mostly in child custody where I work for who ever has the childs best interest. I also snoop around on married people and just as you think you've seen it all you get blind-sided by something even more far out than the weirdest thing you've already experienced. I can only imagine if a flaming dude wanted me to follow and set up suveillance on his Bo at some Transvestite/Drag queen show. DAMN!!! It would be fun video to watch to show if I would'nt get in trouble. (Ethics).
13 - bhw
Um, Roger? That's a half-assed apology, dude.
14 - Roger
bhw.
Are you just a big Rosie fan or can you not read clearly??? I think I made my point perfectly clear. If not please correct me...
15 - bhw
Oh, I can read clearly, Roger. I don't really have strong feelings about Rosie one way or the other. Your comments about gays in general in your first post were very offensive and not nearly erased by your second "I have a couple of dyke friends" post.
16 - Roger
bhw,
If I still wasn't clear enough on the above, my 2 friends TAMMY and ANGEL both are gay. Tammy and Angel both (especially Tammy)have insisted that I not refer to her as "lesbian" "I'm a fucking dyke" Her Quote! She also owns a large twin cab truck and when some of us were going out for something she'd often say "lets take by big dyke truck".
You don't know any of us. Even when she worked for me catering she insisted that if I introduced her to my friends(ones who were cool)that I introduce her as "my friend Tammy shes a Dyke". Not gay or lesbian. You don,t know any of us.
17 - Roger
bhw,
As far as the other remarks, they were more specific to gay men. I Private Investigate and you my have heard a term referred to as "cruz'n. That's an epidemic where gay men all across america go in to clean public parks looking for sex. In short,a park in my former hometown has been raided in undercover stings two times in eight years. As a result the park had to be closed because it was too filthy for any decent human being. Their was hundreds of used condoms all over the park. Their was even comdoms and feces on the damn tables. Beleive it or not this is something that just about every major city has a police task force for. My point is that gay guys especially don't like to be stereotyped. This kind of activity doesn't help. Even in adult book stores when on camera they can't resist. Why make things harder on their gay community?
Everyone has a heart and soul. Some people make themselves much easier targets. I hate no one. I was just really tired of hearing Rosie's mouth when I wrote that first posting. I'm sorry. That's all I have.
18 - bhw
No, I don't know you, Roger. I just know what you said:
YOU THINK DIVORCE IS BAD NOW? Imagine two super gay flaming Queers in their femanine vocies in a gay cat fight in front of a divorce judge.
DEBAUCHERY is all I can say. Even if you don't beleive in God, what goes on in nature should be a pretty good indicator that nothing "productive" can result from bumping cunts or buttfucing.
Hilarious.
19 - Natalie Davis
Heartbreaking.
20 - Roger
You don't have to quote me. I said sincerely that I was sorry. I was setting at my computer two days ago doing background screens when all that I could hear in the background on CNN was Rosie.
Did you read both sections I just wrote?
I spoke(actually wrote)in the heat of irratability listening to Rosie. Kinda like speaking before you think about what you are saying.
The gay community would better benefit from good role models as apposed to attention getting loud mouths and the perverts in the parks that are responsible for bringing scrutiny to the good people in their community.
The divorce thing? Based on the infedlity investigations that I've done, I think honestly that it would be a bit more dramatic with two really flaming guys going at it. I say this because I've caught married men cheating with another man, and you'd be surprised at the crap I would get from the "gay mistress" as opposed to a straight affair.
If I didn't feel bad about some previous remarks,then I would not have wasted my time responding, much less saying "sorry". That's all I can say. Apparently you're without fault and a better person than me.
21 - bhw
Roger, I was writing #18 while you were writing #17. So my #18 is in response to #16. Okay, enough numbers.
And yes, I'm perfect. But I'm the only one who thinks so.
22 - Roger
bhw,
Peace.
23 - Mac Diva
The gay community would better benefit from good role models as apposed to attention getting loud mouths and the perverts in the parks that are responsible for bringing scrutiny to the good people in their community.
What is it with majority group people believing they should be the one to choose leaders for minority groups, pray tell?
24 - Roger
If it looks like a Dog, barks like a dog then it's probably a dog. My point is that no matter who you are it's generally you or your group that brings it's own scrutiny. The thing about the public parks is an epidemic in nearly every major city. Read my comments throughly. It caused what was a family park in my old hometown to be closed and over $50,000.00 to clean. Even in the fitness center I belong to, there have been at least three seperate caeses where gay men have been kicked out of the facility for inappropriate conduct.(Sexual conduct) Two men were arrested because several people including a 11 year old boy witnessed the two masturbating each other in the steam room. After that incident friend of mine who was openly gay and a good person wouldn't return to that particular fitness center.
Guess why? He felt that he couldn't avoid discrimination and embarressment because two people who susposed to be a part of his community
couldn't find some place private to have consentual sex.
PLEASE don't compare this to African American or other ethnic minorities. Some punk mayor in NY State signed a local bill allowing gay marriage and in the process made some remarks comparing this to Rosa Parks and Alabama in the 1960's. YOU DON'T COMPARE THOSE TWO.
Further, I have some gay friends(mostly lesbian) and in the past worked with a large number of gays,probably more than most people. I'm not a 34 year old white guy who grew up in a big house on the hill. I've been around diverse groups of people since I was young I grew up and lived only about 2 miles from the inner-city.
25 - Roger
Mac Diva & bhw,
I Love you both.