Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 23, 2012

Constant Vigilance

The crucial point is to maintain constant vigilance over and awareness of our mental state so that, at the moment that afflictive emotions rise up, they will not trigger a chain of deluded thoughts. Thus, we neither let desire overwhelm our mind, nor do we repress it while leaving it intact in a hidden corner of the mind. We simply become free from its alienating power.

- Matthieu Ricard, “Working with Desire”
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via JMG: SF Gay Men's Chorus: Testimony

Clip description:

In writing TESTIMONY, Stephen Schwartz collaborated with Dan Savage, creator of the groundbreaking "It Gets Better Project." Schwartz has set the heartfelt words from the "It Gets Better" videos to music, weaving them into a breathtaking, emotional new masterpiece that speaks to anyone who has ever felt out of place. The song urges LGBT youth to hang on, telling them they're not alone, and showing them that life gets better. TESTIMONY was recorded and engineered by Leslie Ann Jones, the legendary multi Grammy award-winning Director of Music Recording at Skywalker Sound. Performed by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus under the direction of Dr. Timothy Seelig.

Get a tissue. Get three tissues. Devastating.

Labels: bullying, Dan Savage, SF Gay Men's Chorus

posted by Joe

Via JMG: The Day Of Monologue

Yesterday I posted one of the "conversation cards" that Focus Of The Bully plans to use to bully gay kids on next month's Day Of Silence. Today the Friendly Atheist posts a reader-submitted satire, The Day Of Monologue.

 

 

Labels: bullying, Day Of Silence, Focus On The Family, hate groups, LGBT youth, satire

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: European Court Of Human Rights: Gay People Have No Right To Marriage

In a surprising blow to Europe's same-sex marriage movement, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that gay people have no inherent right to the same civil marriage that their neighbors do. The ruling came in a case in which two French lesbians petitioned the court to jointly adopt a child as a married couple. With their heads up their European asses, the court cited the couple's civil union as proof that they are not discriminated against in France, where only married couples may adopt.

They declared: ‘The European Convention on Human Rights does not require member states’ governments to grant same-sex couples access to marriage.’ The judges added that couples who are not married do not enjoy the same status as those who are. ‘With regard to married couples, the court considers that in view of the social, personal, and legal consequences of marriage, the applicants’ legal situation could not be said to be comparable to that of married couples.’ The French civil partners, Valerie Gas and Nathalie Dubois, tried to secure marriage rights under clauses that prevent discrimination and protect privacy and family life. But the Strasbourg judges said there had been no discrimination against them because they were lesbians.

The ruling is being praised by Britain's religious establishment, which is working to thwart Prime Minister David Cameron's plan to legalize same-sex marriage in England and Wales.

Norman Wells, of the Family Education Trust, said: ‘For too long campaigners have been using the language of rights in an attempt to add moral force to what are nothing more than personal desires. ‘In many cases they have bypassed the democratic process and succeeded in imposing their views on the rest of the population by force of law. ‘We are seeing the same principle at work in the Government’s sham of a consultation on same-sex marriage.’ He added: ‘The ruling from the ECHR will embolden those whose concerns about same-sex marriage and adoption are not inspired by personal hatred and animosity, but by a genuine concern for the well-being of children and the welfare of society.

And as you'd expect, NOM is doing handsprings.

Labels: Europe, European Union, France, gay adoption, LGBT rights, marriage equality

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Madonna

"I will come to St. Petersburg to speak up for the gay community and to give strength and inspiration to anyone who is or feels oppressed. I’m a freedom fighter. I don’t run away from adversity. I will speak during my show about this ridiculous atrocity."- Madonna, announcing that she will break the new law against "promoting homosexuality" during her Russian concerts. LGBT activists have beseeched Madonna to cancel the Russian portion of the tour entirely, but I think they'll be happy with this response.

RELATED: During Madonna's 2006 tour, the Russian Orthodox Church picketed her concerts because she performed Live To Tell wearing a crown of thorns while suspended on a cross.

Labels: gay icons, LGBT rights, Madonna, Russia

reposted from Joe

JMG Tweet Of The Day

Labels: Buddhism, religion, silliness

reposted from Joe

JMG HomoQuotable - Carl Siciliano

"Cardinal Dolan, I pray that you might be able to open your eyes and your heart to the cruel suffering LGBT youths endure when their parents reject them. I invite you to visit the Ali Forney Center, only 30 blocks from St. Patrick's Cathedral, and meet with youths whose Catholic parents drove them from their homes. I want you to hear them tell you what it is like to have their parents be ashamed of them, and tell them that they are against God. I want you to see what their lives are like alone, unloved, and abandoned in the streets. I hope that by meeting our kids you can understand the pain and anguish you help to cause.

"Decent people protect children from harm. I want you to be that decent person. I hope decent Christians will join me in demanding that religious leaders stop promoting homophobia. As the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, and as the President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, you may well be the most influential religious leader in the country, and could make an enormous difference in this crisis of family rejection. I hope and pray that you can stop fighting the acceptance of LGBT people as equal citizens. I want you to understand how LGBT youth suffer because of such a fight. Please see these rejected children through the eyes of a pastor and figure out a way to stop causing them to be harmed." - Carl Siciliano, writing for Huffington Post.

Read the full essay.

Labels: Ali Forney Center, Carl Siciliano, Catholic Church, homelessness, LGBT youth, NYC, religion, Timothy Dolan

reposted from  Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 20, 2012

Practicing With Loss

Loss is a fact of life. Impermanence is everywhere we look. We are all going to suffer our losses. How we deal with these losses is what makes all the difference. For it is not what happens to us that determines our character, our experience, our karma, and our destiny, but how we relate to what happens.

- Lama Surya Das, "Practicing With Loss"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via AmericaBlog Gay:

Catholic church allegedly castrated boys for reporting priests abused them 

Just when you thought you couldn't be more disgusted by a church that lost its moral authority a long time ago. 

But the news isn't all bad. The Pope has commissioned his own personal cologne.

He should call it "Rape."

Change Happened