# Gay DOJ update **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 20, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183 "2003-06-20T15:22:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/1 "2003-06-20T15:22:27Z")
With apologies for not reviving or linking the original thread but the hamsters seem to be on strike today. Brief recap, the Dept of Justice banned the DOJ gay employee association from holding a Pride event at the DOJ because Gay Pride Month had not been proclaimed officially by W. Pretty much every other federal department is having an observance even without the proclamation. DOJ then rescinded the ban and tried to pretend they’d never actually banned it in the first place. [Now](http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=9022&sd=06/20/03) the event is being moved by DOJ Pride to Capital Hill. Why? Because not only is the DOJ refusing to sponsor the event, it is requiring DOJ Pride to pay $1000 if it wants to use the Great Hall of Justice for the event. No other group has ever been required to pay a dime for using the hall. Ya gotta love the irony of being compelled to move an event about social justice out of the Great Hall of Justice because you’re being treated unjustly. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/2 "2003-06-20T15:32:57Z")
Hmm, it seems Justice can be bought. Or at least rented. Buncha jerks. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/3 "2003-06-20T15:46:48Z")
And this, the same week that Pres. Bush addresses the Southern Baptist Convention, calling them “faithful servants” and asking God to bless them. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/4 "2003-06-20T15:52:27Z")
**Eve** , why don’t you give it a rest? You have a whole thread about the SBC, why drag them into this fight? Do you believe the SBC controls the DOJ? And that proclaiming to gays that “Jesus loves them” is equivalent to what the DOJ is doing? I’m not trying to defend the SBC statements - but is it necessary to drag them in to every case of gay discrimination that turns up? ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/5 "2003-06-20T15:59:41Z")
**Skammer** , with the DOJ directly under the authority of John Ashcroft and the Bush administration, Bush’s actions in relation to the SBC speak **volumes** about his administrations handling of gay and lesbian matters. **Eve** only mentioned the SBC because they were the ones making this “proclomation” or whatever the hell it was. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/6 "2003-06-20T16:25:20Z")
Thank you, **carrot**. Yes, **Skammer** , if you’re not involved in this fight it may be difficult to make the connection: but to have the President _congratulate_ a group for condemning gays _the same week_ that the DOJ pulls this says a lot about this administration’s repeated pro-fundamentalist, anti-gay agenda. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/7 "2003-06-20T16:27:30Z")
Oh, and while I’m dragging things into the thread: this is also the administration that stood behind one politician for making anti-gay remarks, after throwing another out on his ass for making anti-black remarks. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/8 "2003-06-20T16:28:12Z")
Okay, on further reflection, **Eve** post seems to be more of an indictment against W. than specifically the SBC. That the SBC is evil is just the underlying assuption; her point is that W’s agenda is clear by the comments he makes regarding them. I don’t buy that assumption, but I withdraw my objection to **Eve** ’s point. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/9 "2003-06-20T16:32:37Z")
. . . and **Eve** lovingly waves her magic wand over **Skammer** , diffusing happy Friday pixie dust his way. ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/10 "2003-06-20T16:45:06Z")
I don’t disagree with your post, **Eve** , but I’d like some happy Friday pixie dust, too. 🙂 While you’re at it, why don’t you send some to Washington? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/11 "2003-06-20T17:21:29Z")
The Hall of Justice? So the Superfriends are homophobic? Damn…and I coulda sworn Batman and Aquaman were gettin’ it on! ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/12 "2003-06-20T17:23:26Z")
Nah, Robin will kill Aquaman if he tries anything. ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/13 "2003-06-20T17:30:20Z")
Kind of a pervy superhero-fancier, aren’t you? Mmmm…superheroes (and heroines)… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/14 "2003-06-20T17:31:39Z")
Still not Batman yet. ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/15 "2003-06-20T17:34:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skammer \* > **That the SBC is evil is just the underlying assuption;** I don’t think that is the assumption. I think that the assumption is that the SBC is entirely removed from reality in regards to the situation of homosexuals. And, by his actions, Bush has shown himself to be in the same boat, which is **not** something you want in a president. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/16 "2003-06-20T17:45:01Z")
Good, now maybe we can work on getting rid of all the other crap “celebrations” we have to go through at work. I don’t agree with the administrations reasons for not supporting Gay Pride events in the workplace, but I also don’t support Gay Pride events in the workplace. I don’t support Bring Your Kids to Work Day events in the workplace. I don’t support Christmas Party events in the workplace. I don’t support Some Really Big Hindu Holiday events in the workplace (we had one here last year). I don’t support Sopranos Viewing Parties in the workplace. Go to work, to work. Go elsewhere to enlighten others or to socialize. But the administration is still being a prick. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/17 "2003-06-20T18:35:58Z")
Are you now or do you ever post from work **obfusciatrist**? ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/18 "2003-06-20T20:02:09Z")
I honestly do not understand the double standards imposed on many members of society by this administration. I say let’s get the Dopers together financially, round up the $1,000 through donations, let DOJ Pride use the hall. But while they’re there, let’s get the crew from _Trading Spaces_ in there to redecorate it. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/19 "2003-06-20T20:05:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Homebrew \* > \*\*Are you now or do you ever post from work **obfusciatrist**? \*\* Absolutely. And as soon as I start forcing everybody else here to read what I post. Or it starts interefering with their work, I will stop doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183/20 "2003-06-20T23:33:33Z")
**obfusciatrist** > [@](#): > > Go to work, to work. Go elsewhere to enlighten others or to socialize. And we all take a moment to watch the point sail serenely over **obfusciatrist** ’s head… **Sauron** > [@](#): > > I say let’s get the Dopers together financially, round up the $1,000 through donations, let DOJ Pride use the hall. But while they’re there, let’s get the crew from Trading Spaces in there to redecorate it. …and marvel as it grazes **Sauron** ’s without quite connecting… **obfusciatrist** , this observance is being held during **lunch hour**. It’s not interfering with anyone’s work. **Sauron** , it’s a nice thought to donate the funds to cover the cost, but the group can afford the $1000. The point is that no other group has ever been asked to pay to hold their observance in this hall. Whether one agrees or disagrees with holding observances at work, to target one group by first denying it permission to hold its observance when no other group is denied, then to relent (while lying about it) only to require that it pay for something everyone else gets for free is disgusting. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-doj-update/183183.md?page=2)