He's Pennsylvania State Senator John Eichelberger (R-PA-30th).
He says he's all about "integrity."
Here's how he defines that:
(Click on graphic for larger image)
(What? Nothing about putting prayer back in schools and kicking out them there foreigners?)
Well, at least we know that he's serious about #4 on his pledge because he introduced an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution to ban same-sex marriage (it's just not good enough for him that PA law already defines marriage as being between a man and a woman).
Eichelberger said in this interview, ''[This is] not an anti-homosexual bill.''
If despite that, you're still somehow convinced that Mr. Integrity First is "anti-homosexual," you'll be happy to know that he believes in allowing teh gays to exist!
Here he is debating State Senator Daylin Leach (D-PA-17th) who introduced a bill to allow same-sex marriage:
Leach: Should our only policy towards [same-sex] couples be one of punishment, to somehow prove that they’ve done something wrong?Mighty gracious of him if you ask me!
Eichelberger: They’re not being punished. We’re allowing them to exist, and do what every American can do. We’re just not rewarding them with any special designation.
You can read more of his brilliant thoughts on same-sex marriage here and you can hear the entire radio debate here.
You can sign a petition at Keystone Progress here.
And, you can do as Sue @ Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents suggests:
I think you need to do more. You need to call YOUR Senator today or Monday and raise the roof over this outrageous comment. Here's the link to find your Senator. I called Senator Fontana and demanded he address this with Senator Eichelbeger and the Republican and Senate leadership. No way is this okay. I do not exist at the whim of Pennsylvania's Republicans or the hatemongerers masking as the ardent defenders of marriage.But for the sake of real integrity, DO SOMETHING!
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Sounds more like Eichmann than Eichelberger
ReplyDeleteThis typical republican party positions, on issues of the day. He should just come out as a fascist. We need to organized the gay community and arm it so that we can change things with the ballot or the bullet.
ReplyDeleteI especially like the part about how he (or rather "they") assumes the authority to "allow" gays to exist.
ReplyDeleteoh i've been trying to let people know about this bigot/hater!
ReplyDeletehis statement was just breathtaking in it's wrongness!
I hope you have all called your State Senators to tell them this type of discourse is unacceptable. Please do so. This "battle" isn't just about the vote on the marriage equality bills. There's a distinct difference between opposition to marriage equality and "allowing" human beings to exist. Your Senator needs to know you are paying attention to these things.
ReplyDeleteMaria, this post generated nearly 75 hits to my blog since it went up. Thank you for being a staunch ally.
Sue,
ReplyDeleteFYI: A lot of our hits are coming from Topix (news/gay).
Last night they were coming from Politicker PA, Keystone Progress's own web site, and from people googling "Eichelberger."
There has been a diary on this at Daily Kos (see here).
I put a post up at The Pittsburgh Women's Blogging Society this morning.
Anywhere else we can spread this news?
Gee, and I thought we voted Rick Santorum out.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Eichelberger lives the old cliche "Pennsylvania is Philadelphia in the East, Pittsburgh in the West and Alabama in the middle"
Eichelberger must be a real flag-waving, Bible-thumping, Constituion-hating, churchgoing, Republican Ku Klux Kristian. That cold-blooded flaming anus is so gracious in allowing gays to exist. It's sewage like him that gave this state the reputation of being North Alabama/Pennsyltucky, and the white bigot trash that elect scumbag bigots like him to public office are worse. (I wonder when he will slip up and his homosexuality will be exposed.)
ReplyDeleteEichelberger is probably a real flag-waving, Bible-thumping, Republican churchgoing Ku Klux Kristian from North Alabama/Pennsyltucky. I wonder how long it will be before his homosexuality is exposed.
ReplyDeleteThat is pretty scary, when you think about what he is suggesting, which is "we're kind enough to allow them to exist, but God help them if they dare to look for any kind of equality." The insinuation there is that somehow permitting gays to "exist" is in itself an act of generosity because really we don't have a fundamental basic right of existence to start with.
ReplyDeletethis has got to be the worst statement i've heard in years, about anyone or any group.
ReplyDeletei've never used this before because it sounds so over blown but it sounds like "nazi" mindset to me.
it is perverted and unamerican.
and i don't want to hear from his advisors that he"misspoke" nope he waved his bigot/hate flag high!
I’m sharing my thoughts on his poison with Sen. Eichelberger & his staff:
ReplyDeleteEichelberger: jeichelberger@pasen.gov
PR: Jason High jhigh@pasen.gov
Chief of staff: Brian Turk bturk@pasen.gov
Will also contact my Senator, Jim Ferlo.
Below is a copy of the letter I sent to Senator Eichelberger and the co-sponsors of his proposed Constitutional Amendment.
ReplyDeleteJune 20, 2009
You're on the wrong side of history, Senator Eichelberger. As a citizen of the United States; a veteran of U.S. military service and resident of Pennsylvania--and as a gay man--I would like you to know that I do not "exist" at the whim of Pennsylvania's Repuglicans and their hate-mongering political cronies who charade as the ardent defenders of marriage, as you so unflatteringly suggested in your interview on Radio Times on June 19th. Your job description does not give you the authority to "allow" me "to exist."
Your attempt to insert discrimination into the Pennsylvania Constitution and the mean-spiritedness with which you have delivered your punch, will be your political undoing. I predict that you and your cronies will be targeted for removal by the next election cycle and you'll go the way of Santorum! http://www.straight.com/article/sayonara-santorum
You have a terribly misguided sense of "unearned privilege" and "over-inflated sense of entitlement," which is as obvious to the majority of rational voters in this state as are your impoverished moralilty and cretinous intellect. You are a disgrace to the office of a state senator and in my opinion, serve as a clear example of what it means to be unamerican. Shame on you and your cronies who co-sponsered your Bill!
Pennsylvanians simply cannot afford any more stupid, self-serving, lazy, entrenched legislators or judicial officials. There are far too many serious problems facing the residents of this state and you and those of your ilk, who are sponging off the public, are clearly not up to the job!
I hope I have the opportunity to handsomely fund your opposition in the next election cycle and, if necessary, bring busloads of Gay and Lesbian Pennsylvanians into Blair County to campaign against you. And that goes for your cronies too!
Sincerely,
Jude Rene' Montarsi
574 South Fairview Street
Lock Haven, PA 17745
cc:
(1) Senator Alloway (R-33)
(2) Senator Brubaker (R-36)
(3) Senator Corman (R-34
(4) Senator Erickson (R-26)
(5) Senator Folmer (R-48)
(6) Senator Gordner (R-27)
(7) Senator Kasunic (D-32) via mail
(8) Senator Musto (D-14)
(9) Senator Piccola (R-15)
(10) Senator Robbins (R-50) via mail
(11) Senator Scarnati (R-25)
(12) Senator White (R-41)
(13) Senator Yaw (R-23)
(14) Senator Leach (D-17 ) via mail
(15) Senator Farnese (D-1) via mail
Huh...is this man a Christian? Did he ever read the bible? Men marrying MANY woman, incest, rape, animal sacrifice..etc...
ReplyDeleteExist-gate: Gays are allowed to exist AND have a Facebook Group
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=114139050228&ref=ts