Friday, December 9, 2011

Via JMG: LOS ANGELES: Elderly Marriage Activist Dies Waiting For Prop 8 To Be Overturned

Ed Watson, above left, has died at the age of 78. Watson made national news this year when he expressed his hope that he would be allowed to marry before Alzheimer's Disease robbed him of the ability to recognize Derence, his partner of 40 years.

Gay rights activists lamented Watson's death as a reminder of the harm inflicted on same-sex couples throughout the state because they are denied the right to marry. "It's ironic that he died on the eve of appeals about peripheral issues around a case that should have been settled more than a year ago," said Richard Jacobs, chairman and founder of the gay rights advocacy group Courage Campaign, as he was en route to San Francisco for a hearing before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "None of this will matter to Ed or Derence."

Here's the clip the couple made in March.

Labels: activism, gay seniors, obituary, Proposition 8

Reposted from Joe

Jesus Responds To Rick Perry

Via JMG: NBA Protects Gays In New Contract

The NBA has followed the recent example of Major League Baseball and added sexual orientation protections to their players agreement.

“I am pleased to announce that we have concluded the collective bargaining process and have reached an agreement that addresses many significant issues that were challenges to our league,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “This collective bargaining agreement will help us move toward a better business model, a more competitive league and better alignment between compensation and performance.”

And now we get another round of outraged press releases from Tony Perkins.

Labels: gay athletes, NBA, sports

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: NOM To Endorse Gingrich?

Newt Gingrich would like to remind everybody that that marriage is between one man and one woman whom you abandon riddled with cancer on her hospital bed while you fuck the shit out of your mistress whom you later marry and cheat on with a third woman while screaming with Godly moral outrage about the infidelities of the president.

And NOM's Brian Brown, one of the nation's leading "defenders of marriage," an allegedly devout Catholic for whom divorce is forbidden, is raising money to make Gingrich president. Brian Brown: "Everybody is allowed to fuck anybody they want, married or not, as long as they tell Jeebus: 'My bad!' after every adulterous encounter. But not homos. Definitely not homos. They belong to Satan."

Labels: adultery, Brian Brown, fascists, GOP, hate groups, hypocrisy, Newt Gingrich, NOM

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma December 9, 2011

Be Still in Your Heart

When we wake up to how human life on this planet actually is, and stop running away or building walls in our heart, then we develop a wiser motivation for our life. And we keep waking up as the natural dukkha [suffering] touches us. This means that we sharpen our attention to catch our instinctive reactions of blaming ourselves, blaming our parents, or blaming society; we meditate and access our suffering at its root; and consequently we learn to open and be still in our heart.

- Ajahn Sucitto, "Turning the Wheel of Truth: Commentary on the Buddha's First Teaching"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Via unicornbooty.com: Newt Gingrich’s Sister Tells Rachel Maddow Why She’s Voting for Obama

Newt Gingrich’s mild mannered sister Candace Gingrich-Jones is the Associate Director of Youth and Campus Outreach for the Human Rights Campaign, and a happily married lesbian woman.

Oh, and a total Obama fan!

Watch in glee as Candace explains to Rachel Maddow why her own brother will not be receiving her vote in the coming election, even if he secures his party’s nomination. Oh, and also feel free to shake your head and make “tsk-tsk” noises at your screen when Candace describes how Newt declined an invitation to attend her wedding.

Candace was at all three of Newt’s (each with a new bride), so it seems like the very least he could do was show up for her one.

make the jump here to read/ listen to the full interview

Via Huffington: Obama: Defense Of Marriage Act Should Be Repealed

President Barack Obama is throwing his support behind a bill that would repeal the federal government's ban on same-sex marriage.

The president has "long called for a legislative appeal for the so-called Defense of Marriage Act which continues to have a real impact on families," White House spokesman Jay Carney announced Tuesday.
The president is “proud to support” the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, Carney said.

The Obama administration announced in February that it believes the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and would no longer defend it in court.

make the jump here to read the full story

Via JMG: Malawi To Review Anti-Gay Laws

While Hillary Clinton's speech may have angered anti-factions in Nigeria, it appears that it may have the desired effect in Malawi.

Malawi will review a series of controversial laws, including a ban on homosexual acts, Justice Minister Ephraim Chiume has said. Mr Chiume said the review was in response to "public opinion". Western governments criticised Malawi last year for jailing a gay couple on sodomy charges. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US would use foreign aid to encourage countries to decriminalise homosexuality. UK Prime Minister David Cameron expressed a similar view in October, saying that gay rights were a human right.

Labels: Africa, Hillary Clinton, LGBT rights, Malawi

Reposted from Joe