Thursday, July 28, 2011
Via JMG: Christianists Turn On Rick Perry
Ever since Texas Gov. Rick Perry declared that gay marriage was a matter of states' rights, Christianists from Tony Perkins to Porno Pete have issued condemnations of the likely GOP presidential candidate's position. Today the strongest words yet come from World Net Daily founder Joseph Farah. I admit it. I've been intrigued with Texas Gov. Rick Perry as a potential GOP presidential candidate. I attended his most recent inauguration in Austin. I've been impressed with what those who know him well say about his character. I liked that he called for a prayer rally in his state with co-sponsorships from the American Family Association, Jim Dobson and Family Research Council's Tony Perkins. I knew he had made mistakes as governor, but the state is prospering while the rest of the nation sinks into an economic morass. I believed he would pose more than a formidable challenge to Barack Obama in 2012. But you can forget all that – and all the nice things I said and wrote about Rick Perry. I'm afraid I've wasted my time and your time. In fact, I was just dead wrong in all of my conclusions about the governor of Texas. I no longer want him to run and no longer believe he is a viable candidate. In fact, I will do all I can to warn the American people away from him. [snip] That's what I would have expected from a prayerful governor of Texas who is flirting with running for the Republican nomination for the presidency of the United States. Evidently I was fooled by Rick Perry. I freely admit it. I feel unclean for the nice things I have said about him to date. Forgive me.NOTE: While Perkins says Perry is wrong about states' rights, he will still appear at Perry's all-Christian prayer rally.
Labels: 2012 elections, Christianists, GOP, Joseph Farah, marriage equality, Rick Perry, Tenth Amendment
Via 365Gay: Relationship Expert: “Is my Christian son homophobic?”
Question:
I was raised Christian and have raised my two teenage boys, 15 and 17 years old, to be Christian.
I have raised them to preach the gospel and never notice color or language or anything else that God doesn’t bother about. They have done all of this.
My youngest came to me the other day and said that there were some boys teasing a boy they thought was gay.
My son asked the boys to stop the teasing - asked at least twice before they left. Then the boy who was being picked on, (he never revealed if he was gay), asked my son if he himself were gay.
My son replied, “No, I’m a Christian, I don’t agree with the gay lifestyle, but my mom always taught me never let bullies get away with it, and never let anyone stand alone. They don’t have the right to deliberately hurt someone else.”
I was raised Christian and have raised my two teenage boys, 15 and 17 years old, to be Christian.
I have raised them to preach the gospel and never notice color or language or anything else that God doesn’t bother about. They have done all of this.
My youngest came to me the other day and said that there were some boys teasing a boy they thought was gay.
My son asked the boys to stop the teasing - asked at least twice before they left. Then the boy who was being picked on, (he never revealed if he was gay), asked my son if he himself were gay.
My son replied, “No, I’m a Christian, I don’t agree with the gay lifestyle, but my mom always taught me never let bullies get away with it, and never let anyone stand alone. They don’t have the right to deliberately hurt someone else.”
Via JMG: Larry Kramer: I Do Want Gay Marriage
"We are being bought off, once again, with only a minuscule fraction of what we are entitled to as equal human beings under our country’s Bill of Rights. Believe me when I say that I very much want to get married to my partner, but only when that marriage is equal to what heterosexual marriages convey by law, the law of the United States, and not just New York State. And I do not disparage those who choose to marry under the present woefully unequal conditions. I just wish that they, and all gay people everywhere, would realize that they are accepting so little when we are pledged so much more by and in this one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." - Playwright and gadfly Larry Kramer, in an Advocate editorial.NOTE: Kramer says that the New York Times heavily edited his quote earlier this week and gave the false impression that he opposes same-sex marriage in general.
Via JMG: Photo Blog: Kids At Hate Rallies
It’s stuff like this that gets gay people murdered. Thank you for letting your child play a part in violence against another human being. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” - Mark 12:31
(**photo from Izismile.com**)
More photos. (Tipped by JMG reader Jeffrey)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Via JMG: Tony Perkins: Gayness Is Not A Choice
"Journalists' 'fact-checking' services can be just as prone to bias and factual error as the politicians they're checking. PolitiFact analyzed former Gov. Tim Pawlenty's statements on the origins of homosexuality. Meet the Press host David Gregory had asked: 'Is being gay a choice?' Pawlenty began his response by saying, 'Well, the science in that regard is in dispute.' PolitiFact rated that lone sentence as 'false.' But the 'choice' question is meaningless unless you also define what you mean by 'gay.' Same-sex attraction is not a choice, but homosexual conduct and homosexual self-identification are choices." - Family Research Council head Tony Perkins, making what appears to be an about-face in his daily email to his followers.NOTE: Italics are Perkins', sentence bolding is mine.
Via Faith In America: N.C. lawmakers who vote for anti-gay marriage initiative will have to answer for harm caused
Faith in America today announced a statewide campaign that will bring awareness about the harm caused to LGBT youth and families to the communities of every North Carolina legislator that votes to proceed with an anti-gay marriage amendment to state constitution.
The North Carolina General Assembly could decide as early as tomorrow on whether to proceed with a vote that would amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage, despite the fact that state law currently recognizes only marriages between two people of the opposite sex.
"Going forward with this vote signals that the North Carolina General Assembly embraces the immense harm that religion-based bigotry places on the lives of this state's gay and lesbian citizens," said Brent Childers, executive director of the organization.
Childers said recent studies, from the American Psychology Association (APA) and one by the Centers of Disease Control have documented a link between anti-gay marriage amendments and emotional and psychological harm to gay and lesbian individuals. In the 2008 APA studies, lead researcher, Sharon Scales Rostosky, Ph.D., at the University of Kentucky, said emotional and psychological harm was "a direct result of the negative images and messages associated with the ballot campaign and the passage of the amendment."
"These studies only document what common sense tells us," Childers said. "Placing a moral and religious stamp of disapproval on someone's very being causes immense and lasting harm to individuals and society. Women, African Americans, Native Americans and interracial couples have all been targets of this vile form of bigotry in the past when religious teaching was misused to justify prejudice and discrimination. Those historical precedents of religion-based bigotry all have been judged as immoral. Yet, a group of ill-intentioned lawmakers want North Carolina to embrace that same form of bigotry today.
Childers said he is hopeful lawmakers will refrain from bringing such harm to North Carolina communities. He said he believes the majority of legislators do not agree with using misguided religious teaching to cause harm to innocent people, especially LGBT youth and families.
"We hope a majority of legislators will decide in favor of human dignity and equality rather than using their vote to bring harm to others for potential political gain or favor. If they come down on the side of causing harm to LGBT youth and families, they will not do so with impunity."
Childers said the organization will conduct public awareness campaigns in the communities of every legislator who votes to proceed with the anti-gay marriage initiative.
"The constituents of every legislator who votes to proceed with the anti-gay marriage initiative are going to learn how these elected officials are promoting a social and religious climate of hostility and violence toward innocent people and children. We plan to reveal to parents, business owners, church-goers and the kids in these legislators 'hometowns the heinous and immensely harmful form of bigotry and prejudice that these legislators are embracing."
Faith in America is a N.C.-based nonprofit organization which works nationally to educate the American public about religion-based bigotry, its harm to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals and its history of oppression toward other minorities in American society. Brent Childers, who himself as an evangelical once identified with the Religious Right and embraced religion-based bigotry toward the LGBT community, serves as its executive director.
Via JMG: Apple Ends Christianist Affiliation
Apple has pulled their iTunes store from a Christianist site that funds anti-gay hate groups like the Family Research Council. This move comes after pressure from petition site Change.org convinced other major companies such as the BBC to end their affiliations as well.
Apple has removed their iTunes store from the “Christan Values Network” (CVN.org) after more than 22,000 people signed a petition on Change.org started by Ben Crowther, a student and Apple customer concerned about CVN’s funding of anti-gay, anti-women organizations like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. The Apple campaign, which picked up significant momentum after 13,000 AllOut.org members signed another petition on Thursday, follows Microsoft’s decision to leave CVN two weeks ago, prompted by another customer-driven campaign on Change.org. Several other companies have removed their online stores since then, including REI, Macy's, Delta Airlines, BBC America, and Wells Fargo.
Coluna de Frei Beto: Os gays e a bíblia
| É no mínimo surpreendente constatar as pressões sobre o Senado para evitar a lei que criminaliza a homofobia. Sofrem de amnésia os que insistem em segregar, discriminar, satanizar e condenar os casais homoafetivos. No tempo de Jesus, os segregados eram os pagãos, os doentes, os que exerciam determinadas atividades profissionais, como açougueiros e fiscais de renda. Com todos esses Jesus teve uma atitude inclusiva. Mais tarde, vitimizaram indígenas, negros, hereges e judeus. Hoje, homossexuais, muçulmanos e migrantes pobres (incluídas as “pessoas diferenciadas”...). Relações entre pessoas do mesmo sexo ainda são ilegais em mais de 80 nações. Em alguns países islâmicos elas são punidas com castigos físicos ou pena de morte (Arábia Saudita, Irã, Emirados Árabes Unidos, Iêmen, Nigéria etc). No 60º aniversário da Decclaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos, em 2008, 27 países membros da União Europeia assinaram resolução à ONU pela “despenalização universal da homossexualidade”. A Igreja Católica deu um pequeno passo adiante ao incluir no seu Catecismo a exigência de se evitar qualquer discriminação a homossexuais. No entanto, silenciam as autoridades eclesiásticas quando se trata de se pronunciar contra a homofobia. E, no entanto, se escutou sua discordância à decisão do STF ao aprovar o direito de união civil dos homoafetivos. Ninguém escolhe ser homo ou heterossexual. A pessoa nasce assim. E, à luz do Evangelho, a Igreja não tem o direito de encarar ninguém como homo ou hétero, e sim como filho de Deus, chamado à comunhão com Ele e com o próximo, destinatário da graça divina. São alarmantes os índices de agressões e assassinatos de homossexuais no Brasil. A urgência de uma lei contra a homofobia não se justifica apenas pela violência física sofrida por travestis, transexuais, lésbicas etc. Mais grave é a violência simbólica, que instaura procedimento social e fomenta a cultura da satanização. A Igreja Católica já não condena homossexuais, mas impede que eles manifestem o seu amor por pessoas do mesmo sexo. Ora, todo amor não decorre de Deus? Não diz a Carta de João (I,7) que “quem ama conhece a Deus” (observe que João não diz que quem conhece a Deus ama...). Por que fingir ignorar que o amor exige união e querer que essa união permaneça à margem da lei? No matrimônio são os noivos os verdadeiros ministros. E não o padre, como muitos imaginam. Pode a teologia negar a essencial sacramentalidade da união de duas pessoas que se amam, ainda que do mesmo sexo? Ora, direis ouvir a Bíblia! Sim, no contexto patriarcal em que foi escrita seria estranho aprovar o homossexualismo. Mas muitas passagens o subtendem, como o amor entre Davi por Jônatas (I Samuel 18), o centurião romano interessado na cura de seu servo (Lucas 7) e os “eunucos de nascença” (Mateus 19). E a tomar a Bíblia literalmente, teríamos que passar ao fio da espada todos que professam crenças diferentes da nossa e odiar pai e mãe para verdadeiramente seguir a Jesus. Há que passar da hermenêutica singularizadora para a hermenêutica pluralizadora. Ontem, a Igreja Católica acusava os judeus de assassinos de Jesus; condenava ao limbo crianças mortas sem batismo; considerava legítima a escravidão e censurava o empréstimo a juros. Por que excluir casais homoafetivos de direitos civis e religiosos? Pecado é aceitar os mecanismos de exclusão e selecionar seres humanos por fatores biológicos, raciais, étnicos ou sexuais. Todos são filhos amados por Deus. Todos têm como vocação essencial amar e ser amados. A lei é feita para a pessoa, insiste Jesus, e não a pessoa para a lei. *Frei Betto é escritor e assessor de movimentos sociais, autor de “Um homem chamado Jesus” (Rocco), entre outros livros.
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Via JMG: NORWAY: Lesbian Couple Saved Dozens Of Campers During Terrorist Attack
JMG reader Homer sends us this story I missed earlier in the week:
Hege Dalen and her partner Toril Hansen were eating supper in the camping area opposite Utoya [sic.] island when they started hearing gunshots and screaming. Dalen and Hansen drove their boat to the island, and fished out of the water people who were in shock and young people who were injured and transported them ashore. Every now and then bullets almost hit the boat. Since they couldn’t fit everyone into the boat all at once, they returned to the island four times. They might have saved as much as forty people from the clutches of the killer.
Via JMG: Bachmann-Affiliated Preacher/Radio Host Sues Rachel Maddow & MSNBC
Right wing radio host and preacher Bradlee Dean has filed suit against Rachel Maddow and MSNBC for a report claiming that Dean had called for the execution of homosexuals. According to the suit, Dean did not and does not endorse executing gay people. Dean and his band have performed at fundraisers for Rep. Michele Bachmann and she has praised his ministry. From a press release issued by the conservative group, Freedom Watch:Tomorrow, You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International, Inc., a foundation dedicated to restoring morality and values in the nation's youth, will sue MSNBC, Rachel Maddow and others who defamed its founder, Bradlee Dean. A press conference will be held to announce the suit at the above location at 11 am on July 27. Bradlee Dean and his attorney will speak at the press conference. Bradlee Dean, a renowned hard metal rocker who came to Christ after suffering a hard life as a young boy, has dedicated his life to this mission, a mission that has been under attack by liberal media since its inception. In the course of his ministry, Dean once made a statement on radio criticizing his fellow Christians for not taking a stronger stand about the gay rights lobby promoting homosexuality in the schools. He made a strong reference to Muslims taking the issue more seriously in the context of Shariah law, but did not condone their practices. It was Bradlee's intent to focus attention on the issue, not to advocate harm to anyone.Here's the Bradlee Dean quote in question:
"Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America. This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination."Below are audio clips of the full quotes in context. In the second clip, Dean calls for the imprisonment of gay people and praises a then-pending Rwanda law that would imprison gay people for life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DOYF2Og1nMI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G3zgw-ssTTI
Via AmericablogGay: The Daily Show on NY’s Wedding Day: "Runaway Pride"
The Daily Show was on the scene at New York's City Hall for the first marriages. Last night, the Daily Show ran its coverage of the big day.
The Daily Show - Runaway Pride
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook
Another great video was produced by the BBC. I can't embed it, but it's worth a watch here.
Via AmericablogGay: NY’s Attorney General supports Edie Windsor‘s challenge to DOMA
Now that same-sex marriages are legal in New York, New Yorkers who get married are facing discrimination from the federal government via DOMA. Today, the Attorney General of New York made it clear that DOMA has to go. Eric Schneiderman's office filed an amicus brief in support of Edie Windsor's motion for summary judgment in her DOMA case.
In papers filed in the case of Windsor v. United States, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today challenged the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”), which redefined marriage for federal purposes to exclude same-sex unions that are valid under state law. The papers—filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York— ask the federal court to accept the Attorney General’s friend-of-the-court brief, which argues that DOMA violates same-sex couples’ right to equal protection under the law as required by the U.S. Constitution. This legal action, which follows Attorney General Schneiderman's pledge last summer to join the court battle over DOMA, follows the historic enactment of the Marriage Equality Act of 2011.
“The federal Defense of Marriage Act clearly violates the principle of equal justice under law as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and improperly intrudes on the traditional role of states in defining marriage,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “The State of New York has long recognized out-of-state, same-sex marriages and the enactment of the Marriage Equality Act further cements our state’s position on this critical civil rights issue. My office will fight every day to defend the fundamental guarantee of equal protection under law for all New Yorkers.”
Schneiderman filed the papers in federal court in support of the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment in the case of Windsor v. United States. The plaintiff, Edie Windsor, was married in Canada in 2007 to her partner, Thea Spyer, who died two years later.
Thank you, Eric Schneiderman. The brief is here.
And, this is how the "Summary of Argument" in the brief begins:
By refusing to recognize for federal purposes marriages that are valid under state law, DOMA intrudes on matters historically within the control of the States, and undermines and denigrates New York’s law designed to ensure equality of same-sex and different-sex married couples. Thus DOMA threatens basic principles of federalism. Moreover, it classifies and determines access to rights, benefits, and protections based on sexual orientation, and also based on sex.
For each of these reasons, considered separately or together, DOMA should be subjected to heightened scrutiny under the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment, and it cannot withstand such scrutiny.
Take that John Boehner and Paul Clement. They must be really wracking up some big-time (taxpayer funded) legal fees defending DOMA.
Good to have the NY AG on the same team as Edie, Roberta Kaplan and the ACLU.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Via 365 Gay: Study: High levels of discrimination for LGBT workers
A new study concludes that LGBT workers continue to frequently report discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
The Williams Institute of UCLA Law School, analyzing studies over the past 40 years, concluded that LGBT employees continue to report discrimination, especially those who are out in their workplaces.
According to the study, the 2008 General Social Survey reported that 42 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual employees had experienced employer discrimination at some point in their careers; 27 percent had experienced it within the five years before the survey.
Rates of discrimination against transgender workers are even higher.
“The devastating results of this discrimination are confirmed by the high rates of poverty and unemployment documented by surveys of the transgender community,” said Williams Institute Executive Director Brad Sears.
In related news, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today released a survey of employee benefits in the United States. Only 33 percent of state and local government workers and 29 percent of private sector workers have access to health care benefits for same-sex couples.
The Williams Institute of UCLA Law School, analyzing studies over the past 40 years, concluded that LGBT employees continue to report discrimination, especially those who are out in their workplaces.
According to the study, the 2008 General Social Survey reported that 42 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual employees had experienced employer discrimination at some point in their careers; 27 percent had experienced it within the five years before the survey.
Rates of discrimination against transgender workers are even higher.
“The devastating results of this discrimination are confirmed by the high rates of poverty and unemployment documented by surveys of the transgender community,” said Williams Institute Executive Director Brad Sears.
In related news, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today released a survey of employee benefits in the United States. Only 33 percent of state and local government workers and 29 percent of private sector workers have access to health care benefits for same-sex couples.
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