Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Via JMG: BREAKING: White House Backs Equality Act

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The Washington Post reports:
The White House endorsed legislation Tuesday that would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, plunging into the next front in the national battle over LGBT rights. Speaking to reporters, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the administration “has been reviewing for several weeks” the bill. “It is now clear that the administration strongly supports the equality act,” he said, adding it would advance the civil rights of “millions of Americans.”
Earnest added the White House would “work to ensure that the legislative process produces something that balances “the bedrock principles of civil rights with the religious liberty that we hold dear in this country.” Although there is little chance that this Congress will approve the legislation — which was introduced in July by Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) and Cory Booker (N.J.) — President Obama’s support elevates to greater prominence the question of whether lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans need greater legal safeguards.
The Human Rights Campaign reacts:
The unfortunate reality is that, while LGBT Americans can legally get married, millions remain at risk of being fired or denied services for who they are or who they love because the majority of states still lack explicit, comprehensive non-discrimination protections,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “By endorsing the Equality Act, the White House sent a strong message that it’s time to put the politics of discrimination behind us once and for all. Now it’s time for Congress to act. Everyone should be able to live free from fear of discrimination and have a fair chance to earn a living and provide for their families, including people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.”
Note that today’s move comes on the same day that President Obama’s Out Magazine “Ally Of The Year” cover story was issued.

Read this and more at JMG here

Via JMG: Obama Becomes First Sitting President To Pose For Gay Title As Out Magazine Names Him Ally Of The Year

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Out Magazine has named President Obama its “Ally Of The Year” in their annual Out 100 issue. They write:
The 44th President of the United States is our Ally of the Year—a president who came to office on a wave of euphoria, appeared to lose momentum halfway through, and has since rallied, helping us secure marriage equality, among other landmark initiatives that are transforming our place in America.
This is the first time a sitting president has been photographed for the cover of an LGBT title, a historic moment in itself, and a statement on how much his administration has done to advance a singularly volatile issue that tarnished the reputations of both President Clinton and President Bush. It might have tarnished this president, too, but for his late-hour conversion in 2012, which set the stage for the extraordinary succession of events that led to this year’s Supreme Court ruling, on June 26, making it unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples the right to wed.
Many things led up to that decision—“decades of our brothers and sisters fighting for recognition and equality” as the president notes—but once his administration decided to join that fight it created what people like to call a “transformative” moment. It helped tip the balance, and it put our elected leader on the right side of justice.
A slideshow of this year’s Out 100 honorees is here.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 10/11/15

“O verdadeiro seva ou serviço desinteressado, é um fenômeno que ocorre quando você pode seguir o programa estabelecido pela sua alma. Porém, muitos ainda não têm clareza sobre esse programa ou propósito da alma. Isso ocorre simplesmente porque ainda não chegou a hora de ter essa consciência. Mas tudo nesse mundo tem seu tempo. Enquanto isso eu sugiro que se dedique ao seva, seja ele qual for, até que tenha a humildade suficiente para perguntar: Como posso ajudar?”

“El verdadero seva o servicio desinteresado, es un fenómeno que ocurre cuando puedes seguir el programa establecido por tu alma. Sin embargo, aún muchos no tienen claridad sobre ese programa o propósito del alma. Esto ocurre simplemente porque aún no llegó el momento de tener consciencia. Pero todo en este mundo tiene su tiempo. Mientras tanto, sugiero que te dediques al seva, sea cual fuere, hasta que tengas la humildad suficiente para preguntar: ¿Cómo puedo ayudar?”

“True seva, selfless service, is a phenomenon that happens when we are able to follow our soul’s purpose. Many people still lack clarity as to what their purpose truly is. This happens simply because the time has not yet come for them to have this consciousness. But everything in this world has its time. Until that moment arrives, I suggest that we dedicate ourselves to seva, in whatever form that may be, until we are humble enough to ask: ‘How may I be of help?’ ”

Today's Daily Dharma: What Meditation Is About

What Meditation Is About
One must learn how to do [meditation] properly. It’s not just about trying to find a comfortable quiet corner to hide in. There is more to it than that. It is about wisdom awareness, knowing, seeing clearly.
—His Holiness the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, "Awareness Itself"
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