Good morning Governor Beshear!

I am very proud to say that my home state of Kentucky last night emphatically rejected the politics of corruption and hate. Despite a last minute barrage of gay bashing by GOP Governor Ernie Fletcher, Steve Beshear TROUNCED him with 58.7% of the vote.

Surely by now, the GOP must realize that beating up on gays is not the surefire way to win an election. If doesn't work in Kentucky, there are few states where it WILL work (I hope).

Today, I am proud to be a native Kentuckian.

Ernie Fletcher is a PIG

From today's Lexington-Herald Leader, a sign of true desperation of Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher of my home state of Kentucky (http://www.kentucky.com/454/story/222641.html):

Voters across Kentucky received automated calls suggesting the calls came from "the homosexual lobby" and supported Beshear.

"Beshear is receiving major support from out-of-state gay activists and has publicly committed to same-gender relationships, employment of more homosexuals in state government, including teachers, and support for homosexual adoption of children," the calls said. "If you believe these rights are fair, please vote for Steve Beshear for governor."

Darryl Weaver of Lexington called the message "a dirty trick." Allen Phillips, a Shelby County dairy farmer, said he was disgusted to find one of the mysterious calls on his answering machine. Phillips said he already had planned to vote for Beshear, and the call cemented his decision.

"I knew they were going to dip to the bottom of the barrel, but man, I never thought they'd scrape this low," Phillips said.

The calls did not state who paid for them. They suggested that voters visit the Web site of the Fairness Coalition, a Louisville civil-rights group for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. The Fairness Coalition's political action committee did endorse Beshear, calling him "tolerant," but the group had nothing to do with the calls, said Darnell Johnson, organizational manager.

"We think the calls are a sad attempt at this late moment to change the vote using a fear tactic," Johnson said.

The Fletcher campaign and the Kentucky Republican Party denied making the calls or knowing who did. The state GOP already has recruited Christian singer Pat Boone to make automated calls accusing Beshear of backing "every homosexual cause" and wanting "Kentucky to be another San Francisco," said party chairman Steve Robertson. In those calls, Boone states who he works for, Robertson said.

This is classic GOP to scapegoat LGBT people when elections aren't going their way. Fletcher is actually touting his history of removing an executive order to prevent discrimination in hiring and firing for LGBT workers. He believes LGBT people in Kentucky have no rights worth protecting or mentioning. He wants to be sure our relationships are destroyed, we are fired from our jobs, and prevented from having children.

This is disgusting. THIS is why the GOP is a clear and present danger to the very lives of LGBT Americans. They are all too willing to gay bash in order to win elections. I am hopeful that Fletcher being 22 points DOWN in the election polls will show up tonight. I am hopeful that Kentuckians will not let gay bashing stand. My home state is often portrayed as backward and stupid. Today, by emphatically throwing the corrupt, immoral Ernie Fletcher out of office, they can make a statement that the stereotype is not true.