House GOPers, joined by 19 Dems, engage in more legislative gay-bashing

Last night, I concluded my post on New York's marriage victory with this observation:

Seven Senators who were no votes switched to yes during the session. That's 11% of the New York Senate. If we could do that in Congress, it would mean 11 more supportive Senators and 49 more House members on our side. I'd like to think that it's possible -- and in the near future. But, it's going to take a lot of work and a very serious campaign with real leadership. That's how they did it in NY.

Well, it's not going to be any time soon, as demonstrated by the House last night. The GOP-led body, with the help of 19 Democrats passed an an anti-gay amendment to the Defense budget by a vote of 248 - 175. The amendment, offered by the notoriously anti-gay Virginia Foxx, was a reaffirmation of the currently existing law on DOMA. In reality, Foxx and her colleagues just wanted to gay bash with a special emphasis on gay servicemembers.

Six GOPers, including two freshmen from New York (Richard Hanna and Nan Hayworth) voted the right way. The other GOPers who voted with us were Mary Bono Mack (CA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL), Judy Biggert (IL) and Mario Diaz-Balart (FL).

Over at Daily Kos, Scott Wooledge names the names of the homophobic Dems -- and asks: "Homo-bashers? How does this bill make jobs? Don't you have more important things to do?:

So, I encourage you to see if your rep is part of the gay-bashing cabal of the United States House of Representative. From Chris Johnson at the Washington Blade, here are the 19 Democrats voted who in favor of the amendment:

Jason Altmire (D-Pa.)
John Barrow (D-Ga.)
Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.)
Dan Boren (D-Okla.)
Ben Chandler (D-Ky.)
Jerry Costello (D-Ill.)
Mark Critz (D-Pa.)
Henry Cuellar (D-Texas)
Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.)
Gene Green (D-Texas)
Tim Holden (D-Pa.)
Larry Kissell (D-N.C.)
Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.)
Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.)
James Matheson (D-Utah)
Collin Peterson (D-Minn.)
Nich Rahall (D-W.V.)
Mike Ross (D-Ark.)
Heath Shuler (D-N.C.).

The country is moving so far ahead of these homophobes. But, they're too blinded by hate to see it.

Fortunately, seven State Senators in New York found the courage and decency to do the right thing. Courage and decency are in short supply in the US House for those 248 gay bashers.