Belgium's national election was last summer, but it was only this week that the European debt crisis finally forced the formation of a coalition government. And leading that coalition will be the quietly gay head of the Socialist Party, Elio Di Rupo. In 1996 journalists demanded to know if Di Rupo was gay. His famed response: "Yeah. So?"Mr. Di Rupo, the son of an Italian immigrant, will take office committed to cutting 11.3 billion euros (about $15.2 billion) from the national budget. He has also promised to improve his spoken Dutch, which is glaringly weak in a country where officials and politicians routinely are fluent in both of the country’s main languages, and in English, another tongue that gives Mr. Di Rupo trouble. “If you’re looking for public support for a government, it may be a problem when the leader of that government has difficulty speaking the language of the majority,” Yves Leterme, the caretaker prime minister who will yield to Mr. Di Rupo on Monday, said on Dutch television.The Guardian also worries about Di Rupo's language skills.
At 60, he will be Belgium's first French-speaking prime minister in 30 years, a rare centre-left voice in a European Union that has veered right, and one of few proudly gay world leaders. He's also the first Socialist to take the premiership in Belgium since 1974. But he speaks poor Dutch. This is a serious problem in a country where language is so important and so fiercely protected that, in areas of Dutch-speaking Flanders, town council meetings can find their decisions annulled if anyone is heard to utter a word of French.(Tipped by JMG reader Subtle Knife)
Flamboyant comedian Alan Sues died yesterday at the age of 85. Sues and his over-the-top campy characters had their peak in the 60s and 70s and today his fellow Laugh-In cast member Ruth Buzzi tweeted on his passing.
The New York Times notes that Sues never formally came out, which may surprise those who remember his screamingly queeny persona.He tended to perform with over-the-top flamboyance on the show, displaying stereotypically gay mannerisms. What he did not disclose was that he was gay, Mr. Michaud said, fearing that to tell the truth about his sexual orientation would have ended his career. “It wasn’t because he was ashamed of being gay; it was because he was surviving as a performer,” Mr. Michaud said in a telephone interview, adding that Mr. Sues’ was actually an inspiration to many gay viewers. “Many gay men came up to him and said how important he was when they were young because he was the only gay man they could see on television,” Mr. Michaud said.JMG says, "When I was a kid, three men on television hinted at the world I would one day enter. Dr. Smith (Lost In Space), Uncle Arthur (Bewitched), and Alan Sues. All of them were silly sniggering clowns, but that's how Hollywood used to do it. Some would say nothing has changed on that front, but I fondly recall all three."
UPDATE II: Sydney's gay paper weighs in.Marriage Equality activists have hailed today’s decision by the ALP to support same-sex marriage, with Australian Marriage Equality National Convener, Alex Greenwich, saying: “The momentum towards achieving marriage equality is unstoppable,” Australian Marriage Equality national convenor Alex Greenwich said. Greenwich said a major obstacle to reform has been removed thanks to the efforts of tens of thousands of ordinary Australians. “Today is a day of celebration for those ordinary Australians – gay and straight, young and old, city and country – who have called out for equality and had their voices answered,” he said. “We are disappointed Labor MPs have been given a conscience vote, but the momentum for change is unstoppable because marriage equality is an issue which resonates with fundamental Australian values like fairness and inclusion.
To understand how prayer works, consider the sun, which shines everywhere without hesitation or hindrance. Like God or Buddha, it continuously radiates all its power, warmth, and light without differentiation. When the earth turns, it appears to us that the sun no longer shines. But that has nothing to do with the sun; it’s due to our own position on the shadow side of the earth. If we inhabit a deep, dark mine shaft, it’s not the sun’s fault that we feel cold. Or if we live on the earth’s surface but keep our eyes closed, it’s not the sun’s fault that we don’t see light. The sun’s blessings are all-pervasive, whether we are open to them or not. Through prayer, we come out of the mine shaft, open our eyes, become receptive to enlightened presence, the omnipotent love and compassion that exist for all beings. |
The openly gay adopted son of infamous anti-abortion activist Randall Terry has been killed in a Georgia car accident. When Jamiel Terry first came out five years ago, his father publicly denounced him with cruel scriptural references about eternal damnation and a life doomed to an early and gruesome end from AIDS. Today the senior Terry issued a press release via Christian Newswire. An excerpt:In 2006, Jamiel Terry made national headlines with his announcement that he was a practicing homosexual, and began to promote homosexual marriage. Randall Terry has long been engaged in high profile political efforts to defeat the attempt to legalize homosexual marriage. The rift between Jamiel and Randall Terry was widely exploited and at times misrepresented in print and on TV. However, Randall and Jamiel maintained frequent contact, and were "working through their issues." [snip] Randall Terry: "We beg you for your prayers for our family, and beg you to pray for the mercy of God, and the eternal rest of Jamiel's soul. He will be sorely missed. We still cannot believe this is happening. God have mercy; Christ have mercy."In lieu of flowers, the above-linked press release asks for donations for Jamiel's headstone. That's a typically shameless move, since Randall Terry obviously has the money to purchase gruesome anti-abortion billboards all over the nation.
If I love my son, I can't say to him, "Hey, you're committing suicide on the installment plan. This is a great lifestyle." I have to be honest with him. Take out the word homosexuality and put in alcoholism or put in drug addiction. Would you tell a drug addict, "I accept you. This is your choice, this is your life and I will stand by you"? The average death age of a male homosexual is 42 years old because of disease, because of suicide, because of alcoholism, because of drugs, because of violence. It's just not a good world. It's a self-abusive, self-destructive sexual addiction.
AmericaBlog tips us to today's hilarious shot of Crazy Eyes in the Washington Post. Could this be even better/worse than her infamous Newsweek shot? Get ready for the wingnuts to attack WaPo for "purposely selecting an unflattering photo."Freedom of breath cannot be measured, contained, or punished—as I breathe, my aliveness asserts itself, even laughs at its constraints. Yes, in this place it is an elusive joy, but I feel it now, as surely as I feel the knots of anxiety loosen in my shoulders. |
Our favorite socialist has issued a typically blistering call for lower HIV drug costs. On the official site of Sen. Bernie Sanders, he discusses his innovative HIV drug bill. (My bolding.)By allowing patients to purchase generic versions of HIV/AIDS medicines, the bill would lower prices dramatically. In place of revenues from high prices for prescription medicine, the innovator of the product would be awarded substantial monetary reward from a special prize fund. The legislation would eliminate the monopoly barriers that keep drug prices sky-high and allow those living with HIV and those suffering from AIDS to access the most effective treatments right away. Patents would no longer be used to block generic competition. Instead, they would be used as a claim on significant prize funds for real innovation. The Prize Fund for HIV/AIDS would replace monopoly control of the HIV/AIDS treatment marketplace with a rationally administered prize fund of more than $3 billion that would be awarded based on the therapeutic advantages of new treatments. The cost of this fund would be easily offset by the savings to consumers, private insurers and government insurance programs, which now spend $9.1 billion on HIV/AIDS medicines every year.Considering the power of the pharmaceutical lobby, Sanders' bill likely would not have a chance unless drug companies see a real way to make more money. It would be great, although surprising, to see our major LGBT rights groups get behind Sanders bill. But many of those outfits also benefit from pharma donations, so don't hold your breath.
Joy has many different flavors. It might overflow from us in song or dance, or it might gently arise as a smile or a sense of inner fullness. Joy is not something we have to manufacture. It is already in us when we come into the world, as we can see in the natural delight and exuberance of a healthy baby. We need only release the layers of contraction and fear that keep us from it. |
Exodus President Alan Chambers called a meeting together this past November 16. The subject was quite simply how to keep Exodus International from social and financial oblivion. In attendance were Exodus leadership, prominent religious leaders (such as Gabe Lyons) and lay people. The latter were mostly those who once counted themselves in the ex-gay camp but now are either in the process of changing their views or are fully gay affirming.The above-linked article speculates that Exodus may be in the process of re-branding itself to something less nasty. You know, one that people would give LOTS of money to.
Think Progress notes a Williams Institute study which gave the above results. Women and minorities were the most frequently refused. The linked article also notes that three out of four HIV patients do not receive enough medication to "stay healthy and prevent the transmittal of the virus to others."By setting aside ideas of how productive or efficient we are in our use of time, we can take time to take care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Meditation is the best way to “manage” time, the best way to prevent spills. Spilling something and making a mess can be a signal that we are too concerned about time and all the things we have to do. Developing the skill to recognize that we are distracted and to return the mind to awareness of the present moment enables us to appreciate our self in all activities. |
