JMG HomoQuotable - Paul Kuntzler

 

"It was so revolutionary. It had never been done before anywhere in the world. We all wore coat and ties and we all had pseudonyms. I wasn’t scared. I was intrigued by the idea. But I was intimidated by all the photographers. I was only 23. And as they came across the street they started photographing us. Every time I approached the cameras, I hid behind my sign because I was unnerved by the whole thing. But I don’t think I was scared. I was very open and proud of being gay. People passed by in disbelief. It was written on their faces. It had never had happened before. My sign read, '15 million homosexuals protest federal treatment.' It reflected what I thought. We could not conceive then the astonishing progress we would eventually make as a community. The idea that gay people, gay men and women, could work openly in the government and serve in the military. It was beyond our imagination." - Paul Kuntzler, 73, speaking to ABC News about picketing the White House fifty years ago today on April 17th, 1965. That protest, which included future LGBT rights giants Barbara Gittings and Frank Kameny, is believed to have been the first organized gay rights demonstration in American history.

 

Labels: activism, LGBT History, LGBT rights

Reposted from Joe Jervis 

Via JMG: HOUSTON: LGBT Rights Bill Will Stand

Via the Houston Chronicle:

Opponents of Houston's non-discrimination ordinance failed to gather enough valid signatures to force a repeal referendum, a state district judge ruled Friday, validating city officials' decision to toss out the petition foes submitted last summer. After separate rulings from both a jury and state District Judge Robert Schaffer, attorneys for both sides entered dueling counts of the valid signatures, adding and subtracting voters as Schaffer responded to motions. By early this week, the counts were closer together than ever before, fewer than 1,000 signatures apart. Ultimately, Schaffer on Friday ruled the final count of valid signatures was 16,684, leaving opponents short of the threshold required in the city charter of 17,249 signatures, or 10 percent of the ballots cast in the last mayoral election.

"The jury's verdict and the judge's ruling are a powerful smack-down against the forces of discrimination and intolerance," said Geoffrey Harrison, lead attorney for the city, in a statement. "And maybe, just maybe, they'll reconsider their misguided ways." The law, on hold during trial, is now in effect, according to a city spokeswoman. Mayor Annise Parker released a statement celebrating the verdict. "I would hope that the plaintiffs would not appeal, they lost during a jury trial and today they also lost with the judge's ruling," Parker said. "Now all Houstonians have access to the same protections." But opponents, largely conservative activists and pastors whose objections center on the protections the law extends to gay and transgender residents, say they will appeal the decision. Andy Taylor, attorney for the plaintiffs, said he remains confident they will ultimately take the law to voters.

Stand by for some epic sadz! Read the ruling.

Labels: Annise Parker, Christianists, crackpots, HA HA HA, hate groups, Houston, Jonathan Saenz, LGBT rights, Liberty Institute, religion, Texas, Texas Values

Reposted from Joe Jervis

It Takeis Two Episode 2: "Seriously Part 2?!"

Via Sri Prem Baba: aFlor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 18/04/2015

“O eu inferior age na forma de pensamentos destrutivos gerando angústia, depressão e desespero. Mergulhamos nos nossos dramas e fantasias, e a nossa vida acaba se tornando uma maneira de provar que isso é verdade. Ao se ver identificado com esses pensamentos, fique um minuto em silêncio. Um instante em silêncio faz com que você volte para o seu centro, e se torne uma testemunha silenciosa do que acontece. Nesse lugar não existe sofrimento. Este é o nosso trabalho: desapegar da compulsão de pensar.”

“El yo inferior actúa en la forma de pensamientos destructivos generando angustia, depresión y desesperación. Nos sumergimos en nuestros dramas y fantasías, y nuestra vida acaba tornándose una manera de probar que eso es verdad. Al verte identificado con estos pensamientos, permanece un minuto en silencio. Un instante en silencio hace que vuelvas a tu centro, y te vuelvas un testigo silencioso de lo que sucede. En este lugar no existe sufrimiento. Este es nuestro trabajo: desapegarnos de la compulsión de pensar.”

"The lower self acts through the form of destructive thoughts, which in turn generate anxiety, depression and despair. We dive head-on into our dramas and fantasies, and our lives turn out to be a way of proving that they are true. If we find ourselves identified with these thoughts, we can take one minute of silence. A moment of silence allows us to come back to our center and to become a silent witness of what is happening. In this place, there is no suffering. It is our job to detach ourselves from compulsive thinking."

Via Daily Dharma

No Need to Get Angry | April 18, 2015 We may curse inanimate things like the weather, but it is with animate beings that we most often get angry. If we further analyze these animate causes that make us unhappy, we find that they are themselves influenced by other conditions. They are not making us angry simply because they want to. In this respect, because they are influenced by other conditions they are in fact powerless; so there is no need to get angry with them. - His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Enduring the Fires" Read More →