Via JMG: UTAH: Thousands Protest Anti-Gay Remarks By LDS Leader Boyd Packer

Thousands of protesters gathered in Salt Lake City's Temple Square last night to denounce remarks by LDS Apostle Boyd Packer, who called gay people "impure and unnatural."

Packer’s speech, delivered during the LDS Church’s 180th Semiannual General Conference, hit a nerve, protesters say, because it came after a string of gay teen suicides in the national news. Boys as young as 13 took their own lives after reportedly being bullied by their peers for being gay. On Thursday, protest organizers estimated that 4,500 people ringed the two downtown blocks that make up the LDS Church’s headquarters. Participants wore black, and some carried signs. Lying head to toe or sitting shoulder to shoulder, they encircled Temple Square two times. “Tonight, we are symbolic of all the children who have been killed by messages like Boyd K. Packer’s,” said organizer and Salt Lake City blogger Eric Ethington. “When you hear nothing from [church leaders] but that you are nothing but evil and you need to change the unchangeable nature of yourself, that is only a message kids can take for so long.”

LDS officials shrugged off the protest, merely noting that those thousands of angry people had a right to be there. No apology or retraction is expected from Packer.

Labels: activism, bigotry, LDS, Mormons, religion, Salt Lake City, Utah

reposted from Joe

AC360 - Chris Armstrong On Attacks By Mich. Asst. AG Andrew Shirvell

It Gets Better - Jake Shears

Via JMG: "Ex-Gay" Group Exodus International Ends Opposition To Day Of Silence

Citing the recent spate of suicides among LGBT youth, the "ex-gays" at Exodus International announced yesterday that they were ending their opposition to the Day Of Silence, an annual student-led protest of the bullying of queer kids.

"All the recent attention to bullying helped us realize that we need to equip kids to live out biblical tolerance and grace while treating their neighbors as they'd like to be treated, whether they agree with them or not," said Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, the group that sponsored the event this year. Called the Day of Truth, the annual April event has been pushed by influential conservative Christian groups as a way to counter to the annual Day of Silence, an event promoted by gay rights advocates to highlight threats against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. The Day of Truth, held on the same day as the Day of Silence, "was established to counter the promotion of homosexual behavior and to express an opposing viewpoint from a Christian perspective," according to a manual for this year's event published by Exodus International.

Focus On The Family said yesterday that they would continue to fight the Day Of Silence.

"Without question, Day of Truth is a loving and redemptive way students of faith can express their views positively in response to GLSEN's Day of Silence which only presents one point of view," Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family, said in a statement. "In contrast to the whole idea of 'silence,' Day of Truth has encouraged students to exercise their free speech rights and have an open dialogue while respectfully listening to others," Cushman said.

The Christianist-led Day Of Truth was created by the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund, who handed over media responsibilities for the day to Exodus International earlier this year.

Labels: bullying, Day Of Silence, Exodus International, Focus On The Family, LGBT youth, religion, suicide

reposted from Joe

Surprise Party

Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Bryan Fischer

"The fire department did the right and Christian thing. The right thing, by the way, is also the Christian thing, because there can be no difference between the two. The right thing to do will always be the Christian thing to do, and the Christian thing to do will always be the right thing to do. If I somehow think the right thing to do is not the Christian thing to do, then I am either confused about what is right or confused about Christianity, or both.

"In this case, critics of the fire department are confused both about right and wrong and about Christianity. And it is because they have fallen prey to a weakened, feminized version of Christianity that is only about softer virtues such as compassion and not in any part about the muscular Christian virtues of individual responsibility and accountability." - American Family Association radio host Bryan Fischer on the Tennessee fire department that watched a family's house burn to the ground because they had not paid the annual $75 fire protection fee.

(Via - Right Wing Watch)

Labels: AFA, assholism, Bryan Fischer, Christianists, Quote Of The Day

reposted from Joe

ViaJMG: HomoQuotable - Carl Siciliano

"I dream of a day where every gay youth in our country will have access to safe spaces, where no gay kid will live more than 100 miles from a space where LGBT youth can go to find community and support. But the creation of these life-saving spaces will require the passionate commitment and attention of the adult LGBT community. We need to pay attention to what is available to teens in our local communities. We need to raise funds and resources to support these spaces, and be aggressive in advocating that our tax dollars be used to support spaces where our teens receive the support they need.

"In the last eighteen months, in a city with as large an LGBT population as New York City, the Ali Forney Center lost funding for its emergency shelter, Green Chimney's lost funding for its foster care program, and Hetrick Martin and the LGBT Center lost funding for their after-school youth programs. Our youth need an adult community that is so committed to their welfare that such cuts to lifesaving services for LGBT teens could not occur without a tremendous outcry from our community.

"Too many of our youth are under attack in their homes, schools and communities. Homophobia creates environments that are deadly to our youth. We need to recognize the depth of this crisis and see the protection of our youth as a core responsibility of our movement. We need to build a support system that will save their lives." - Ali Forney Center executive director Carl Siciliano, in a response to the national epidemic of gay teen suicides.

Read Siciliano's four step program for protecting LGBT youth.

Labels: Ali Forney Center, Carl Siciliano, homelessness, HomoQuotable, LGBT youth, NYC, suicide

reposted from Joe

Why I am Voting for Barbara Boxer: Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)

Dear Dr. Orey:

Thank you for writing to me regarding the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).  I appreciate hearing from you, and I share your strong support for this bill.

I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the UAFA, which Senator Patrick Leahy introduced in the Senate as S.424 on February 12, 2009.  This bill would amend immigration law to extend the same benefits to permanent partners as are currently afforded legally married couples under the Immigration and Naturalization Act. Americans in same-sex relationships would thereby be able to sponsor their partners for legal residency in the United States.

As you know, only opposite-sex couples are currently afforded the ability to sponsor their partners for immigration visas.  This discriminatory practice has torn apart many binational families and denied American citizens equal opportunity under the law.  The UAFA would correct this by adding "or permanent partner" to sections of the Immigration and Naturalization Act that apply to legally married couples. 

Again, thank you for writing to me.  Be assured that I am committed to a fair and just immigration policy, and that I will continue to fight for equal rights for all Americans.

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Via Huffington: Paul Raushenbush: Religious People Must Rally to Restore Sanity

AP

Paul Raushenbush: Jon Stewart reminded his audience that all of us can lose sight of the imperative to live a sane political life and engage in sane discourse. Similarly, religious people can be too serious and forget to poke fun at ourselves and laugh. Religious people who attend the Rally to Restore Sanity should look at ourselves to make sure that our own behavior fits sane standards of productive engagement with the "other" and represents a profound search of the best wisdom our traditions have to offer.  

Click here to read more.

Via JMG: Dan Savage Fires Back

"To the angry folks: I admit that IGBP doesn't do the impossible. It doesn't solve the problem of anti-gay bullying, everywhere, all at once, forever. The point of the videos is to give despairing kids in impossible situations a little thing called hope. The point is to let them know that things do get better. For some people things get better once they get out of high school, for others things get better while they're still in high school. And some kids, like the kid above, are helping to make things better for other kids who are in still high school. But things do get better and kids who are thinking about suicide need to hear that.

"And to those who insist that all the videos are just oldies speaking from a place of adult privilege: have you watched the videos? There are tons from teenagers, many still in high school, many who are already out of the closet. And there are tons of videos from people who came out while they were still in middle or high school talking about their experiences good and bad and unimaginable.

"Nothing about letting kids know that it gets better excuses or precludes us from pressing for the Student Non-Discrimination Act, demanding anti-bullying programs, confronting the bigots who are making things worse, or supporting the Trevor Project. But we're not going to get legislation passed this instant or get anti-bullying programs into schools in rural areas—particularly private Christian schools—before classes start tomorrow. Doing all of that is going to take years of hard work and dedicated activism. In the meantime, while we work on all of that, we can get these messages of hope in front of kids who are crisis right now." - Dan Savage. Read his entire piece.

Labels: Dan Savage, LGBT youth, suicide, Trevor Project

reposted from Joe

Daily Quote via HimalayaCrafts:

Changing the world begins with the very personal process of changing yourself, the only place you can begin is where you are, and the only time you can begin is always now.

Dan Savage Blasts Religious Right As Culpable In Rash Of Gay Teen Suicides

It Gets Better: Tim Gunn

AC360 - Ellen DeGeneres Speaks Out On Bullying

Discrimination? Certainly Not!

I have a great US Senator: Thank you Mrs. Boxer!

Dear Dr. Orey:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for repealing the military's discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of S.3065, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010, which would repeal the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and prohibit discrimination of service members on the basis of sexual orientation.

As you may know, a version of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act was incorporated into the Department of Defense Authorization bill for Fiscal Year 2011. Unfortunately, the minority members of the Senate have blocked the defense bill from being considered by the full Senate. I am hopeful that we will have another opportunity to consider this important legislation before Congress adjourns this year. 

Most Americans believe that qualified young men and women should be able to serve their country regardless of their sexual orientation.  Thousands of service men and women have been discharged from the military under DADT, costing taxpayers at least $290 million to replace discharged soldiers. 

Be assured that I will keep working to end sure this hurtful policy as soon as possible and I will continue my efforts to achieve full equality for all Americans both in military and civilian life. 

Again, thank you for writing to me on this important issue.  Please free to contact me again about this or any other issue of concern to you. 

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

I have a great Congresswoman...Thank you Mrs Matsui!

Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui

October 5, 2010

Dr. Daniel C. Orey


Sacramento, California 95821

Dear Daniel:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for the Student Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 4530). I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

You will be pleased to know that I am a cosponsor of H.R. 4530.  As you know, this legislation would prohibit public schools from discriminating against a student on the basis of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. It would provide the federal departments and agencies with the authority to suspend educational assistance to institutions that violate these requirements. 

H.R. 4530 was introduced in the House on January 27, 2010 and referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, where it is pending further action. Please know that as a member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, I have continuously supported efforts that seek to promote civil rights and encourage equality, and I will persist in working with my colleagues towards equal rights for all Americans.  Additionally, I will be sure to keep your support in mind should H.R. 4530 come up for a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives. 

Thank you once again for taking the time to share your views with me regarding the Student Non-Discrimination Act. To learn more about my work in Congress, or to sign up for periodic e-mail updates, please visit my website at www.house.gov/matsui. 

Sincerely,                               DORIS O. MATSUI                     Member of Congress

Via JMG: Margaret Cho & Louis van Amstel - Samba

Via JMG: Celebrities Speak Out On Bullying

Last night CNN's Larry King hosted Nate Berkus, Tim Gunn, Wanda Sykes, Kathy Griffin and Lance Bass for an extended discussion on bullying and gay teen suicide. Bass revealed that he used to bully gay kids himself in order to provide cover to his own sexuality.

Make the jump here to see the full article on JMG and see the videos