GODLESS WEDNESDAY: Let Reason Prevail...

The Freedom from Religion Foundation is making banners available this holiday to combat the overwhelming religiosity of the occasion. One of these appeared in San Diego's Balboa Park next to a nativity display The banner reads:

 “There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. 
 There is only our natural world.
 Religion is but a myth & superstition that hardens hearts & enslaves minds.”

For lots of people, seeing such thoughts expressed in public may seem shocking or disrespectful but from my perspective as a godless person this reaction demonstrates how prous the wall between the church and the state have become.

VIDEO: EQCA Encourages LGBT Community To Vote In June 7 California Primary

It's exactly two weeks until California's 2016 Statewide Primary Election on June 7th. Equality California, the state's largest LGBT political advocacy organization, is urging the LGBT community to vote, and will be running PSA on television in important markets like Los Angeles, San Diego and Palm Springs.

SATURDAY POLITICS: Toni Atkins Sworn In As 1st Lesbian Speaker Of CA Assembly

History was made this week as openly gay Speaker of the Assembly John Perez presided over the swearing in of another openly gay Speaker of the Assembly, the first time the head of a state legislature has transitioned between two openly LGBT people. The new Speaker of the Assembly is Toni Atkins from San Diego.

Here is an excerpt of what Speaker Atkins said after she was sworn in:

We want to restore the Golden State that provided our kids the best education and good jobs. We want to ensure that the California Dream is alive and well for everyone in our state, and for everyone who, like me, comes here to achieve their dream. We want the Golden State to be the Gold Standard that others strive towards. 

For the last decade, and especially in light of the Great Recession, we’ve had to work our way back. And, California has finally turned the corner. 

We are still the 8th largest economy in the world. And members, regardless of how it may be misrepresented, we aren’t really in competition with Texas. We are in competition with Brazil and Italy and France. We are a $2 trillion dollar economy. We are the number one state for venture capital. We have 3.4 million small businesses that provide more than half the jobs in California. And last year we enacted 18 new business-friendly laws that will help business owners by removing regulatory burdens, restoring some investment tax breaks and by creating the “Made in California” program.

Hat/tip to Karen Ocamb 

LOOK: Davis Cup Teams For America and Britain In San Diego Now

The First Round Davis Cup is happening this weekend in San Diego. John Isner is injured so Donald Young will be facing off against World #6 Andy Murray.

The above photo shows the smartly dressed British team in blue suits contrasted with the casually dressed American team, in blue jeans.

CELEBRITY FRIDAY: Toni Atkins Elected 1st Lesbian Speaker Lesbian of CA Assembly

Toni Atkins of San Diego has been elected by the Democratic caucus of the California Assembly to be the next Speaker.

Frontiers L.A. reports:

Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins of San Diego has been chosen by her Assembly Democratic colleagues to succeed Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez as the next Speaker of the Assembly.  “I am humbled, grateful, and ready to get to work,” says Atkins.  “From the drought we are experiencing to ensuring a healthy business climate and a world class educational system, California is facing important issues in the near future.  I look forward to leading the State Assembly in working with the Senate and the Governor to meet our challenges and to move our great state forward.  I thank my Assembly colleagues for their confidence and support. I also am very grateful to Speaker Pérez for his support and mentorship and I look forward to working with him on a smooth transition.” With her selection as Speaker, Atkins becomes only the second Democratic woman and second member of the LGBT community to hold the post.  As Majority Leader, she is already responsible for the day to day operation of the Assembly Floor and has served as a member of Speaker Perez's leadership team. Atkins represents a coastal San Diego district and was elected to the Assembly in 2010 following eight years on the San Diego City Council.

Atkins is the second Democratic woman to be elected Speaker, after Karen Bass, who is African-American and now a Congressperson representing California's 37th District; Bass was Speaker from 2008-2010. Congratulations to Speaker Atkins!

San Diego County Clerk Files Suit To Revive Prop 8

The heterosexual supremacists are taking the return of marriage equality to California pretty badly. The Proponents of Proposition 8 have been rebuffed by the U.S. Supreme Court and the California Supreme Court so far.

Now it is a county clerk from San Diego County named Ernest Dronenburg (the level of government which actually is responsible for the issuance of marriage licenses in California) filing a petition before the California Supreme Court asking the Court to issue an immediate stay to prevent him (and all county clerks) from continuing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

As I said before, there is some truth to what the heterosexual supremacists say about the state of marriage equality in California right now. The text of Proposition 8 is still contained in the California Constitution. But it is also true that two couples filed a federal lawsuit and won an injunction against the enforcement of Proposition 8 in Alameda and Los Angeles Counties by the Attorney General and the Governor. This federal injunction is now in force.

Attorney General Kamala Harris (love her!) issued a statement in response to the San Diego County Clerk's lawsuit:

"The filing offers no new arguments that could deny same-sex couples their constitutionally protected civil rights. The federal injunction is still in effect, and it requires all 58 counties to perform same-sex marriages. No exceptions."

At some point the California Supreme Court is going to have to make a definitive decision on the merits on what legal effect Proposition 8 has now that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that no one who supports Proposition8 has standing to appeal its loss in federal court, or the people of California need to vote to remove the discriminatory language from the sate's founding document in an election. There happens to be two statewide general election next year, in June 2014 and November 2014. I say, go for it!

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

FOOD REVIEW: Burger Lounge (San Diego, CA)

While I was visiting San Diego for a conference recently I stumbled across a burger joint called Burger Lounge in the Gaslamp quarter. I had not heard of the chain before and was surprised to see that it was primarily a Southern California-based institution, with two locations in two gayborhoods (Hillcrest in San Diego and West Hollywood in Los Angeles).

As longtime readers of this blog know, I have been on a quest to find the best burgers in America for quite awhile. Some of the excellent ones I have previously found are brgr:shack (Arlington, sadly now closed!), Ray's Hell Burger (Arlington), Lazy Ox Canteen (Los Angeles) and Burger Joint (New York City). These are all in the burgeoning category of "better burger" joints with often higher quality ingredients and very modern and sleek dining environments. These are not your average $5 burger. For that, #1 on my list is still In-N-Out burger (Five Guys is close behind, but no one can beat In-N-Out for it's quality:price ratio.

But let's talk about Burger Lounge.  I generally try to order the same thing at burger places that I am trying out for the first time, usually some kind of cheeseburger. At Burger Lounge I had The Lounge Burger™ ($7.95) which consists of "100% American Grass-Fed Beef, Lounge Bun, Crisp Lettuce, Fresh Tomato, House-Made 1000 Island, Organic American Cheese and Grilled Onion." I added the small French Fries ("Fresh-Cut, Twice-Cooked in the Belgian Tradition") for $2.99 and the delightful Organic Cane Sweetened Maine Root Soda ($2.25).

The burger was excellent with the bun impressively light, but slightly toasted. It was too much bread for me, so I actually ate the burger as an open-faced sandwich, which worked quite well. It was grilled exactly to my specifications (amazingly some places do not know what medium-rare means: light pink in the center and moist throughout the patty). No single ingredient overwhelmed any other and they all blended well together; the only thing that could have improved it would have been the option of adding bacon (but then again, doesn't bacon make everything taste better!?)

Many of the better burger joints often lose points with me for neglecting to maintain the quality of their sides in their single-minded focus on the burger. But, to me, it is about the combination of burger plus fries plus beverage. Here, Burger Lounge really outdoes itself. The twice-cooked fries are simply excellent. Piping hot, very crunch and in a cute very solid paper box (like a chinese take-out container for rice). My one quibble is that they cut them into pieces which are slightly too small. The fries, combined with the drink (high-quality soda over shaved ice) make Burger Lounge one of the best of the better burger joints I have sampled. I would definitely rank it among one of the best burger experiences I have had on the West Coast, and in the upper echelons of burgers in the country.

Name: Burger Lounge (Gaslamp Quarter).

Location: 528 5th Avenue, San Diego CA 92101.

Contact: 619-955-5727.

Visit: January 11, 2013.

AMBIANCE: A-.

SERVICE: A.

VALUE: A.

FOOD: A+. 

OVERALL: A (4.0/4.0)

Nearly 100 U.S. Mayors Support Marriage Equality

On Friday, Freedom To Marry launched a new initiative called Mayors for the Freedom to Marry to demonstrate the wide and non-partisan support for marriage equality across the country. The 5 lead co-chairs of the effort are the mayors of New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Boston and San Diego which include 3 of the Top 5 cities in the United States.

Here's the press release announcing the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry initiative:

Bipartisan “Mayors for the Freedom to Marry” Launches

Independent Michael Bloomberg of New York City, Republican Jerry Sanders of San Diego and Democrats Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Thomas Menino of Boston, Annise Parker of Houston and Rahm Emanuel of Chicago Among Key Backers

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide, is launching Mayors for the Freedom to Marry at a press conference held at the 80th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington, D.C.  Mayors for the Freedom to Marry is a bipartisan group of 80 mayors who have pledged to support the freedom of same-sex couples to marry.

“If we truly believe in family values, we should value all families,” said Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Los Angeles Mayor, Mayors for the Freedom to Marry chair and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “Denying gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry weakens society by hurting our communities, neighbors, and families. We hope other mayors will sign the pledge and join Mayors for the Freedom to Marry.”

The group includes mayors from cities and towns—large and small—with diverse geographic, ethnic and political backgrounds. The list includes the mayors of America’s four largest cities—Michael Bloomberg of New York, Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, and Annise Parker of Houston. It also includes mayors from cities including Juneau, Alaska; Des Moines, Iowa; and Bloomington, Indiana. View the full list of signers here.

Mayors for the Freedom to Marry is part of Freedom to Marry’s federal campaign to expand public support for ending marriage discrimination. Mayors who sign on will employ tailored strategies for making the case for the freedom to marry in their communities. Many mayors who represent cities in states where marriage is not yet a reality will advocate to pass laws to secure the freedom to marry. Others will make the case to their congressional representatives to end federal marriage discrimination by repealing the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). All are making a statement as to why marriage matters in their communities, how it improves the quality of life for their constituents, and how it makes their communities economically stronger.

“A majority of Americans now support the freedom to marry for loving, committed gay and lesbian couples, according to multiple reputable national polls,” said Marc Solomon, National Campaign Director of Freedom to Marry. “Many Americans who for decades opposed the freedom to marry for same-sex couples are rethinking their position, and hearts and minds are changing.  We are proud – and thankful – for the leadership these mayors from across the country are showing in support of this cause.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City, who is also a chair of Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, discussed the positive impact allowing couples the freedom to marry has made in New York.

“In only a season, the freedom to marry has already made New York a stronger state.  This isn’t about partisanship or ideology.  It’s about extending the freedoms of our country to all people, and ensuring equal protection under the law.  Mayors understand that welcoming committed gay couples to the rights and responsibilities of marriage isn’t just the right thing to do.  It’s also the smart thing to do for the diverse, dynamic, forward-looking cities we’re all working to build.”

Republican Mayor of San Diego and fellow chair of the group Jerry Sanders, who became a powerful advocate for marriage when he announced in 2007 that he would sign a city council resolution in support of the freedom to marry told his personal story of how his views evolved.

“Allowing loving and committed couples to join in marriage has benefits not just for couples and their families—but also for society.  Marriage encourages people to take responsibility for each other, provides greater security for children, and helps our country live up to the promises set forth in our founding documents. These are important values for a strong society, and we should encourage them.”

Mayors for the Freedom to Marry chair Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston, highlighted the important role of community leaders working together.

"Everyone here believes in the vital importance of marriage to our constituents, to our communities, and to our country.  Together, we will work to ensure that our cities have what they need to thrive – and in order to keep our cities competitive in business and welcoming in culture, we will work hard to win the freedom to marry everywhere and end federal marriage discrimination once and for all."

Boston Mayor Tom Menino—former President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and a chair of Mayors for the Freedom to Marry—said that extending marriage to gay and lesbian couples has been a benefit to his city’s economy.

“Cities that cultivate diversity are places where creativity and innovation thrive,” Menino said. “We’ve now had the freedom to marry in Boston for almost eight years. Since then we’ve seen more same-sex couples move to the city, and with that economic development, urban revitalization, and a spirit of pride and progress that are hallmarks of Boston.”

U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran also gave remarks.

"Building on our long track record on civil rights, the U.S Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution in 1984 calling for the legal protection of gay and lesbian rights at all levels of government and one in 2009 calling for marriage equality for same-sex couples,” Cochran said. “Our support is unwavering."

Mayors who participated in the launch included Laura Friedman of Glendale, CA; Bill Finch of Bridgeport, CT; Pedro Segarra of Hartford, CT; Joy Cooper of Hallandale Beach, FL; Elizabeth Tisdahlof Evanston, IL; Jeff Slavin of Somerset, MD; Setti Warren of Newton, MA; Paul Soglin of Madison, WI; John Callahan of Bethlehem, PA; Sam Adams of Portland, OR and Craig Cates of Key West, FL.

Saturday Politics: Will San Diego's Next Mayor Be Gay?

Interesting news out of San Diego. There are numerous candidates lining up to replace Jerry Sanders as Mayor of San Diego, and several of them are openly gay. The most prominent of these is openly lesbian Bonnie Dumanis, a Republican who is currently District Attorney and has been endorsed by Sanders as his successor. Other openly gay candidates are Democratic State Senator Christine Kehoeand Republican City Councilman Carl DeMaio. Also running for the mayoral position appears to be U.S. Representative Bob Filner (D-51) and Republican State Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher.

SurveyUSA has a new poll out of the non-partisan race:

City Council Member Carl DeMaio today gets 22% of the vote, and begins the campaign with notable advantages among demographic groups that tend to break for more conservative candidates. DeMaio, one of 5 Republicans running in this non-partisan race, leads today among men, whites, Asians, Republicans, independents, conservatives, and higher-income voters. Among the oldest and traditionally most reliable voters, DeMaio leads by 11 points. Among the small number of San Diego voters who identify themselves as Tea Party members, DeMaio leads his nearest rival 4:1. 

San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis gets 15%, slightly edging DeMaio among women, but not leading among any other group. 

Bob Filner, currently serving his 10th term in the US House of Representatives as a Democrat, gets 14% today, and leads among the youngest and traditionally least reliable voters and among San Diego's relatively small number of African American voters. 

Democratic State Senator Christine Kehoe gets 12%, leading Filner and Dumanis among Democrats, and is significantly ahead among liberals. 

3 other named candidates combine to take 17% of the vote; 6% say they would vote for some other, unnamed candidate. 14% of registered voters today are undecided.

This should be  a very interesting race to lead California's 3rd largest city. The primary election is June 5, 2012 and November 6, 2012.

Conservative San Diego Paper Opposes Prop 8

From blogger/journalist Rex Wockner comes the news that the local conservative newspaper in San Diego, the San Diego Union-Tribune, has come out strongly against Proposition 8, although the same editorial page had previously opposed marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples.

Proposition 8 would repeal the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry. It stipulates, by a one-sentence amendment to the state constitution, that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Our guess is that even voters who may have reservations about gay marriage will be reluctant to repeal a right that now exists as a matter of law. To do so would smack of singling out a particular group for discrimination, a move that offends many Californians' sense of fairness.

Supporters of Proposition 8 make two arguments. The first is that, for thousands of years, marriage has been defined as between a man and a woman exclusively. Considering how Californians historically have been wide open to change, this appeal is not likely to carry much force.

The second argument made by supporters is that children should be raised solely by a father and a mother, not by two fathers or two mothers. Yet the debate over child-rearing is entirely beside the point, because Proposition 8 is about marriage only. It would do nothing to prevent gay couples from adopting children or from having children through artificial means. Indeed, all Proposition 8 would do is ensure that the children of gay couples would be raised in households where the parents were unmarried. Would that be a healthier situation for children?

In the past, this page has advocated civil unions for gay couples rather than marriage. But our thinking has changed, along with that of many other Californians. Gay and lesbian couples deserve the same dignity and respect in marriage that heterosexual couples have long enjoyed. We urge a No vote on Proposition 8.

Woo hoo! It's really starting to look like a consensus of California opinion-leaders who oppose Proposition 8.

Celebrity Friday: Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton and Mad Professah reader Sean Wherley

Bill Clinton attended a fundraiser for his wife at the home of billionaire Ron Burkle in La Jolla, CA the weekend of September 15th. Mad Professah reader and San Diego resident Sean Wherley sent in the picture, with permission to be used on Celebrity Friday. Hillary Clinton did not attend the fundraiser.

San Diego Mayor Switches Position In Favor of Gay Marriage

The Republican mayor of San Diego, Jerry Sanders, gave a tearful press conference on Wednesday in which he announced he had changed his mind and now he was supporting gay marriage. The San Diego City Council had passed a resolution by a vote of 5-3 in favor of joining a lawsuit before the California Supreme Court which challenges the current discriminatory marriage law. Mayor Sanders had initially announced he would veto it, but on Wednesday he indicated he would sign it into law on when it reached his desk. San Diego, California's second largest city, joins Los Angeles (we're #1!), San Francisco, San Jose, Long Beach and Santa Cruz who have passed similar resolutions. Hmmm, if one Republican chief executive can change his mind on the question of marriage equality, maybe Governor Schwarzenegger will also? Rex Wockner, Joe.My.God and Pam have more coverage.