Saturday, July 3, 2010

via JMG: COSTA RICA: High Court Suspends Gay Marriage Referendum

Costa Rica's highest court has orderd that an upcoming vote on same-sex marriage be suspended because it might violate the nation's constitution.
The Sala Constitucional (Constitutional Court) has ordered the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) to suspend the process of the referendum on same sex marriages that was to have been included in the December 2010 municipal elections. The court order was based on an appeal filed against the referendum. The Recurso Amparo (appeal) was presented by an individual identified only by the last names, Quirós Salazar, alleging that the referendum violates the rights and freedoms of individuals. The referendum was to have let the population decide the fate of a proposal for law that would allow same sex marriages in Costa Rica. Opponents to the referendum have argued that leaving the allowing the majority of the population (93%) which is heterosexual would be a constitutional violation of the 7% of the homosexual population.
Hurray for not allowing votes on minority rights!

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reposted from Joe

I wrote this letter to my LSA to include in a box of things I no longer wanted:

The Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Carmichael

PO Box 60912

Carmichael, CA 95860 0912


Sunday, June 27, 2010


Dear Friends,


Enclosed with this letter you will find a number of books and things. Because I really don’t know what to do with them, nor do I want them anymore, I thought it best to give them to you to decide how to dispose of them in a respectful manner. The rest of my Baha’i library has been donated to the California State University-Sacramento library, much of which I imagine they will sell, as I was told there is little if any interest in the Baha’i collection at California State University, Sacramento.


As you are fully aware, the National Spiritual Assembly recently removed my administrative rights. Though I will always consider myself a Baha’i, this has given me great pause. I harbor serious reservations about being associated with any community that secretively hounds out its gay & lesbian members in such flagrant examples of dishonesty, homophobia and bigotry. My response is posted on my blog found at: http://revoked2.blogspot.com.


I recently attended the Pride Festival on the Capitol Mall, which took place just yards away from where the Master spoke and walked. Anybody walking amongst the many tables and informational booths would have been as impressed as I was by the many religious organizations, ministers and members of numerous congregations walking in the parade and inviting GLBT people to participate in their communities. These very same religions have identical if not similar teachings re: homosexuality, yet despite this are proving to be loving and welcoming to their gay & lesbian brothers and sisters.


So it is that I bid you all a less than fond farewell. Please remove my name from all mailings and notices, despite my core belief in Baha’u’llah, I cannot find it in myself to associate with such hateful people. Despite my deep disappointment in all of you, I assure you, that I carry no malice towards the Faith at large. I do however feel very, very sorry and ashamed of you all, and very sorry indeed for a Faith that once held so much hope and vision, that is now so mired in dysfunction, dishonesty and bigotry. It seems deeply sad that the capitol region of the richest most populous state in one the richest most powerful countries on earth cannot find in itself a way to garner a truly prominent presence here. I am convinced that the intolerance and outmoded practices I experience only continue to keep the Faith from gaining any stature what so ever in Sacramento.


No response to this letter is necessary, as there is little if anything neither you nor I can or will do to ameliorate this disgraceful set of circumstances. I wish you all luck, and hope that at some time in the future this community will live up to the promise the Blessed Beauty promised us all.


Sincerely,


Daniel Clark Orey

Via lezgetreal.com: Colbert Versus The Texas GOP

07/02/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
The Texas GOP has decided that it wants to violate the Constitution and go against the Supreme Court and recriminalize sodomy. Of course, as Stephen Colbert adroitly notes, it all depends on what kind of sodomy. After all, if you declare sodomy illegal, does that mean that straight people who engage in “God sanctioned” sodomy will have to also go to jail? Also, what about all those gays going to jail “where sodomy obviously does not happen”?

In last nights Threat Down, Colbert tackled the Texas GOP, the Spaghetti-O’s recall, AND Dawn Dish Soap, which, according to Colbert, causes oil spills.

make the jump here to read the article