Monday, March 19, 2012

Change Happened

Via JMG: Confidential Magazine, May 1957


Source.


reposted from Joe

Via Think Progress NEWS FLASH:

President Carter: It’s ‘Very Fine’ For Gay Couples To Marry | President Jimmy Carter’s latest book, “NIV Lessons from Life Bible” reflects his continued commitment to teaching Sunday School in a Baptist church. When he challenged Gerald Ford in 1976, Carter was considered the more religious candidate and won much of the Deep South. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Carter reiterated his Biblical support for marriage equality:
Homosexuality was well known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born and Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things -– he never said that gay people should be condemned. I personally think it is very fine for gay people to be married in civil ceremonies.
I draw the line, maybe arbitrarily, in requiring by law that churches must marry people. I’m a Baptist, and I believe that each congregation is autonomous and can govern its own affairs. So if a local Baptist church wants to accept gay members on an equal basis, which my church does by the way, then that is fine. If a church decides not to, then government laws shouldn’t require them to.

Via JMG: Lesbian Proposes At Hockey Game

Towleroad points us to this bit of sweetness:
On Saturday night at Scotiabank Place, a Toronto Maple Leafs fan named Alicia stood on the ice during the second intermission wearing a blindfold. When it was removed, she looked up at the video scoreboard and read a message from her girlfriend, an Ottawa Senators fan named Christina. Schmaltzy music played. Out walked Christina. They embraced and had a brief conversation, as the crowd began to wise up to what was about to happen. Christina dropped to one knee while holding Alicia's hand. The fans roared. She slid the engagement ring on, they shared a kiss and the Senators mascot proudly raised a sign that read "SHE SAID YES."
Would the crowd have roared its approval for two men?



Reposted rom fJoe

Via JMG: SCOTUS: College Christian Clubs Can't Discriminate Against LGBT Students


The U.S. Supreme Court today refused to hear an appeal of a lower court's ruling that Christian student clubs cannot bar LGBT people from membership.
The justices on Monday are leaving in place a federal appeals court ruling that found that the policy doesn't violate the Constitution. The policy says officially recognized campus groups can't discriminate based on religion or sexual orientation. A Christian fraternity and a sorority at San Diego State University sued in 2005, arguing that the policy violates their religious freedom. The groups are restricted to Christian members.
RELATED: In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that it was legal for universities to deny funding to such groups.


reposted from Joe

President Obama's Nowruz Message

Brian and Alfonso Fight DOMA Deportation in Immigration Court After More Than A Decade Together

Enviado por em 15/03/2012
 
"Our life was on a happy, albeit somewhat boringly ordinary, trajectory until one fateful night last summer. That night and the events that followed have brought me to a whole new level of understanding about how precarious Alfonso's life had been up to this point. That night we were pulled over for a routine traffic stop. The local law enforcement did their regular background checks and that is when the train went off of the proverbial rails. Within a few hours I learned that something called an "immigration hold" had been placed on Alfonso's file, so even though he was not charged with any crime by the local authorities and had no criminal record they were not allowed to release him. They took my husband away in chains and put him in a county jail. The day before I was going to have my first visitation they moved him to a different jail. Then the day before I was going to be allowed to visit him at the 2nd jail they transferred him to a 3rd facility, a federal immigration facility. It was there in San Francisco, a week after this nightmare began, that I was finally allowed to visit my husband for the first time since the nightmare began. Even though he is not a criminal, they brought him in to a tiny visitation booth in handcuffs and we sat there talking and crying until they took him away 10 minutes later." www.stopthedeportations.com


Lesbian Grandmothers from Mars

Via Follower of the Buddha: Loving Kindness, Wellbeing and Happiness


‎"In every direction," said the Buddha, "above, below, around, and within, you see things you know and recognize. Put them down. Do not let consciousness dwell on the products of existence and things that come and go, for there is no rest of relief there. When you understand that by taking the objects of the world for granted as total reality, you are tied to the world, then this understanding will release you from your dependence on objects and will stop your craving and your desire for constant becoming. Then you can let go your hold and engage with things as they are, instead."
Sutta Nipata
 
‎"In every direction," said the Buddha, "above, below, around, and within, you s...See More
 

Via JMG: What GOProud Really Wants


Not only does GOProud oppose a federal anti-bullying law, they are cloaking their support for school vouchers by claiming it would protect gay kids. In fact, what GOProud really wants is to further erode the crumbling public education system by having the government redirect funds to private religious schools. Or as in the case of the Santorums, pay the parents themselves for home schooling. All this "protection" talk is just a smokescreen, folks.


reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 19, 2012

One Hundred Percent One

Human beings understand too much. But what they understand is just somebody’s opinion. Like a dog barking. American dog say, 'Woof, woof.' Korean dog say, 'Mung, mung.' Polish dog say, 'How, how.' So which dog barking is correct? That is human beings’ barking, not 'dog' barking. If dog and you become one hundred percent one, then you know sound of barking. This is Zen teaching. Boom! Become one.