Compiled by Howard Israel
"Evangelical leaders have told me that homosexuality is the single greatest threat to the family. But with one of two heterosexual marriages failing, with 70 percent of the Internet dedicated to the degradation of women through pornography and with a culture that is materially insatiable even as it remains all-too spiritually content, can we straight people say with a straight face that gays are ruining our families? We've done a mighty fine job of it ourselves."
– Shmuley Boteach, in his column titled "No Holds Barred: The Jewish view of homosexuality," The Jerusalem Post http://www.jpost.com, October 19.
"Don't Ask Don't Tell is a discriminatory policy that has forfeited over 13,500 able-bodied men and women from our military while requiring others to hide who they are in order to serve their country. I strongly believe we must allow our military to recruit and retain any qualified, patriotic, and courageous American who wants to serve our country. During my service in the United States Navy Reserve, I served with many brave, patriotic, and dedicated men and women who were always ready to serve their country. I was never concerned about their sexual orientation, just their ability to serve the United States honorably."
– Congressman Gary Peters (D-MI), in a statement about the judicial decision to halt enforcement of the military's DADT policy, http://www.peters.house.gov, October 12.
"If candidates can mobilize the gay community and get them out to vote, it could make all the difference in the world in some of these key races. This year's election is a stark contrast to 2008, when the gay community turned out in droves to elect Obama and help Democrats regain control of Congress. People were clamoring and very excited about the change that then-candidate Obama promised America. Now I see lethargy at best and disgust at worst."
– Rick Garcia, director of public policy, Equality Illinois, in an article titled "Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election," Associated Press http://hosted.ap.org, October 24.
"'Proud to be lesbian' 'Support homosexual love' '100% Gay Pride.'"
– Messages handwritten on a t-shirt, worn by 15-year-old Sommer Collins, an openly gay 15-year-old 9th grader in Arkansas, suspended from school for three days because of the t-shirt, and because a teacher thought it supported an immoral cause, http://gayrights.change.org, October 14.
"As good Christians and Jews we must work to change the religious thinking, rhetoric, and practice that communicates to our LGBT children that they are despised by their Creator. These bullying behaviors would not exist without the undergirding and the patina of respect provided by religious fervor against LGBT people. It's time for 'tolerant' religious people to acknowledge the straight line between the official anti-gay theologies of their denominations and the deaths of these young people. Nothing short of changing our theology of human sexuality will save these young and precious lives."
– Bishop Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, in his column titled "How Religion Is Killing Our Most Vulnerable Youth," http://www.huffingtonpost.com, October 15.
