US gives Federal funds to anti-gay faith-based groups

US President George W Bush has signed legislation giving USD500m to faith-based groups 'to promote and strengthen opposite-sex marriage'. Speaking at the White House signing ceremony, President Bush said:

"[It] allows faith-based groups that provide social services to receive federal funding without changing the way they hire."

- what this means, in plain English, is that 'faith-based groups are able to circumvent local and human rights laws that are supposed to protect LGBT workers'. In the weasel words of Assistant Health and Human Services Secretary Wade Horn: 'the financial windfall is not intended to specifically oppose same-sex marriage', it's just that, according to Horn: 'none of the money could be used to promote or support same-sex marriage in Massachusetts where gay marriage is legal. The money also could not be used to support gay families where civil unions or domestic partnerships are allowed'. So, that's all right then! Not!

One really does wonder sometimes whether the US is a genuinely democratic country, or a Christain theocracy - oh, I know their Constitution is supposed to keep religion out of government, but frankly it's becoming rather hard, in religious terms, to distinguish between the US and some other theocracies, such as Iran, judging by the policies of this US President.