Thursday, February 2, 2012
Via JMG: GLAAD: Stand Up For Ellen
Citing yesterday's JMG post about the AFA's attack on Ellen DeGeneres, GLAAD has launched a campaign to thank JC Penney for selecting a popular openly gay spokesperson. Hit the link for a Change.org petition and for JC Penney contact details.
Reposted from Joe
Via JMG: LAUNCHED: Coalition To Repeal DOMA
Freedom To Marry and the Human Rights Campaign have launched a board coalition of organizations who are uniting in the battle to repeal DOMA. Here's the list so far.
Alliance for Justice, American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, American Federation of Teachers, Americans for Democratic Action, Anti-Defamation League, Association of Flight Attendants, Center for American Progress, Coalition of Labor Union Women, COLAGE, Courage Campaign, Communications Workers of America, Family Equality Council, Feminist Majority, Freedom to Marry, GLAD, Gay & Lesbian Medical Association, Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Human Rights Campaign, Immigration Equality, Interfaith Alliance, International Union, UAW, Lambda Legal, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Log Cabin Republicans, MALDEF, National Black Justice Coalition, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Council of Jewish Women, National Education Association, National Fair Housing Alliance, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, National Organization for Women, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Women’s Law Center, People for the American Way, PFLAG, Pride at Work, AFL-CIO, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), Service Employees International Union, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Stonewall Democrats, Third Way, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and USAction.Last fall the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a repeal of DOMA, but the bill was not advanced to the full chamber because it would not pass there. A House version of a DOMA repeal bill would likely not survive its committee. However there is some hope that Democrats may improve their position in Congress this fall.
Via JMG: SPLC Sues To Overturn DOMA
The Southern Poverty Law Center is suing the federal government on behalf of a disabled lesbian veteran and her partner.
posted by Joe
Tracey Cooper-Harris served her country for 12 years in the U.S. Army. She received more than two dozen medals and commendations. She was honorably discharged in 2003. In 2010, Cooper-Harris was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a disabling disease that attacks the brain and central nervous system. The Department of Veterans Affairs denied Cooper-Harris’ request for benefits for her partner, even though their same-sex marriage was recognized by California. The Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of Cooper-Harris and her partner, charging that the Department of Veterans Affairs discriminated against them by denying these benefits but granting them to spouses in heterosexual marriages. It also charges the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional because it bans federal agencies from recognizing such same-sex marriages, denying these couples benefits available to couples in heterosexual marriages
posted by Joe
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma February 2, 2012
The Refuge of Sitting
It is important to sit with the clear intention to be present. At the same time, we need to let go of expectations. In a very real sense, what happens when we sit is none of our business. The practice is to accept whatever arises instead of trying to control our experience. What we can control is our wise effort to be present with what is. |
- Narayan Liebenson Grady, "The Refuge of Sitting"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection
Via AmericaBlogGay:
Marriage bill passes Washington state Senate
The marriage equality bill just passed in Washington state. It now goes to the state House where it is expected to pass, and then to governor who has said she'll sign it. The religious right has already said they'll launch a referendum to repeal it since the only way they can win is by appealing to the bigotry of the masses.
JMG UPDATE: Washington State Senate Passes Marriage Equality Bill 28-21!!!
UPDATE: Under the leadership of openly gay Sen. Ed Murray and with the critical support of several Republican Senators, the bill has passed after failed attempts to attach nasty amendments. One of the failed GOP amendments would have made it legal for any business to discriminate against gay couples. Another would have immediately placed the issue on the November ballot. That will likely happen anyway via a public petition drive, but the Democrats swatted it down. Onward to the Washington House, where passage is guaranteed.Congratulations Washington!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Via JMG: Amazon Supports Gay Marriage!
Online behemoth Amazon has publicly stated their support for the marriage equality bill about to be voted on by the legislature of their home state. Wahoo!
"Amazon is joining other Pacific Northwest companies, including Microsoft, Starbucks and Nike, in support of Washington state's marriage equality bills," Amazon said in a statement released by spokeswoman Mary Osako. "The spirit of these bills is consistent with our longstanding employment practices." Gay marriage supporters believe they have enough votes to pass the measure out of both houses, and Gov. Chris Gregoire has said she'll sign it into law.Do I hear another boycott call? Squeee!
via JMG: It Gets Better Lands MTV Special
MTV will air a star-studded hour-long special about It Gets Better. Among those slated to appear are Zachary Quinto and Adam Levine.It just keeps getting better over at MTV and Logo — and for gay teens on TV. EW has exclusively learned that the sister cable networks are jointly prepping a special titled It Gets Better, which will chronicle the stories of three young people struggling with LGBT issues. The 60-minute special will premiere on both MTV and Logo on Feb. 21 at 11 p.m. Syndicated columnist Dan Savage — who in fall 2010 launched the buzzy It Gets Better Project, which led to an avalanche of more than 30,000 videos of encouragement for LGBT youth — will anchor the hour. The show will include appearances by actor Zachary Quinto, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, comedian Margaret Cho, Dancing with the Stars contestant Chaz Bono, and Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino. Singers Sia and Jake Shears will also contribute video messages of hope and support.
via JMG: ARIZONA: Openly Gay State Rep Declares Candidacy For Giffords' U.S. House Seat
"Moving forward I believe the best thing that we can do is to honor her strength, and conviction, and her leadership, by getting somebody, quickly, because we don’t have much time, into that seat who is going to carry forward in the tradition of moderate, bipartisan, common sense governance that she did so well for Southern Arizona." - Openly gay Arizona state Rep. Matt Heinz, declaring his intent to run in the special election to replace Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.If elected, Heinz would become the fifth openly gay member of the U.S. House. That number will change this fall with the retirement of Barney Frank and with Tammy Baldwin's run for the Senate. Heinz says if Giffords' district director wants to assume the remaining months of the current term, he'll suspend his own campaign until November.
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma February 1, 2012
Watering the Seeds of Good Intentions
Metta practice is the cultivation of our capacity for lovingkindness. It does not involve either positive thinking or the imposition of an artificial positive attitude. There is no need to feel loving or kind during metta practice. Rather, we meditate on our good intentions, however weak or strong they may be, and water the seeds of these intentions. When we water wholesome intentions instead of expressing unwholesome ones, we develop those wholesome tendencies within us. |
- Gil Fronsdal, "May We All Be Happy"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection
Via AmericaBlogGay: TN GOP state senator says AIDS came about from "one guy screwing a monkey"
No, senator Stacey Campfield, that's how you came about. From Mike Signorile:
"Most people realize that AIDS came from the homosexual community -- it was one guy screwing a monkey, if I recall correctly, and then having sex with men. It was an airline pilot, if I recall."
"My understanding is that it is virtually -- not completely, but virtually -- impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex...very rarely [transmitted]."
"What's the average lifespan of a homosexual? it's very short. Google it yourself.”
That last absurd tidbit comes from a discredited hate group run by a man called Paul Cameron. He's been so discredited that the religious right refuses to even mention the guy any more, even though much of their anti-gay "science" is based on Cameron's fake "Nazi" science (that's what the Southern Poverty Law Center called it). (As an aside, John Boehner's favorite lawyer - well, he's also well-loved by Attorney General Eric Holder and Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan - Paul Clement used research based in part on Cameron's work to defend DOMA.)
As for it being nearly impossible to get HIV from heterosexual sex, the majority of new AIDS cases in Sub-Saharan Africa are from heterosexual sex. And over a quarter of HIV cases in Washington, DC occurred from heterosexual sex.
Sadly, this kind of rhetoric shouldn't surprise. The Tennessee Republican party is still racist, in 2012, so we shouldn't be surprised that the state government, run by Republicans, is also virulently anti-gay. Just last year the Tennessee legislature, with the support of its Republican governor and businesses like Comcast, AT&T, FedEx and Blue Cross, repealed every gay and trans rights ordinance in the state, and banned cities across the state from ever passing another civil rights law ever again.
Tennessee is also the proud state where the Tennessee Tea Party, which is little more than a grouping of conservative Republicans, had this to say about Barney Frank's retirement:
"Good riddance you perverted sodomite piece of sh-t!"
Here's a little more about Tennesee's GOP:
GOP Tennessee Lt. Gov calls Islam a 'cult,' says religious freedom may not count for Muslims
TN GOP sends around press release referring to Obama as "Hussein" and showing him in traditional Muslim garb.
TN GOP staffer sends out photo of Obama as a "spook" ("spook" is a racist term to refer to black people).
Then there was the communications director of the TN GOP who distributed the Christmas carol "Barack the Magic Negro."
Or the time racist Tennessee Republicans passed a law that denied a 96 year old black women the right to vote.
Or the time an "unabashed racist" who believes in eugenics, according to AP, won the House primary in Tennessee.
And now Tennessee is trying to ban teachers, and counselors, from ever mentioning the g-word. Which should do wonders to stop schools from helping gay and trans kids who are being bullied. Oh yeah, the TN GOP senator also had something to say about bullying:
"That bullying thing is the biggest lark out there."
"There are sexually confused children who could be pushed into a lifestyle that I don’t think is appropriate with them and it's not for the norm for society, and they don't know how they can get back from that. I think a lot of times these young teens and young children, they find it very hard on themselves and unfortunately some of them commit suicide."
Yes, the evil gays are forcing teens to kill themselves.
Welcome to Tennessee: America at its worst.
"Most people realize that AIDS came from the homosexual community -- it was one guy screwing a monkey, if I recall correctly, and then having sex with men. It was an airline pilot, if I recall."
"My understanding is that it is virtually -- not completely, but virtually -- impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex...very rarely [transmitted]."
"What's the average lifespan of a homosexual? it's very short. Google it yourself.”
That last absurd tidbit comes from a discredited hate group run by a man called Paul Cameron. He's been so discredited that the religious right refuses to even mention the guy any more, even though much of their anti-gay "science" is based on Cameron's fake "Nazi" science (that's what the Southern Poverty Law Center called it). (As an aside, John Boehner's favorite lawyer - well, he's also well-loved by Attorney General Eric Holder and Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan - Paul Clement used research based in part on Cameron's work to defend DOMA.)
As for it being nearly impossible to get HIV from heterosexual sex, the majority of new AIDS cases in Sub-Saharan Africa are from heterosexual sex. And over a quarter of HIV cases in Washington, DC occurred from heterosexual sex.
Sadly, this kind of rhetoric shouldn't surprise. The Tennessee Republican party is still racist, in 2012, so we shouldn't be surprised that the state government, run by Republicans, is also virulently anti-gay. Just last year the Tennessee legislature, with the support of its Republican governor and businesses like Comcast, AT&T, FedEx and Blue Cross, repealed every gay and trans rights ordinance in the state, and banned cities across the state from ever passing another civil rights law ever again.
Tennessee is also the proud state where the Tennessee Tea Party, which is little more than a grouping of conservative Republicans, had this to say about Barney Frank's retirement:
"Good riddance you perverted sodomite piece of sh-t!"
Here's a little more about Tennesee's GOP:
GOP Tennessee Lt. Gov calls Islam a 'cult,' says religious freedom may not count for Muslims
TN GOP sends around press release referring to Obama as "Hussein" and showing him in traditional Muslim garb.
TN GOP staffer sends out photo of Obama as a "spook" ("spook" is a racist term to refer to black people).
Then there was the communications director of the TN GOP who distributed the Christmas carol "Barack the Magic Negro."
Or the time racist Tennessee Republicans passed a law that denied a 96 year old black women the right to vote.
Or the time an "unabashed racist" who believes in eugenics, according to AP, won the House primary in Tennessee.
And now Tennessee is trying to ban teachers, and counselors, from ever mentioning the g-word. Which should do wonders to stop schools from helping gay and trans kids who are being bullied. Oh yeah, the TN GOP senator also had something to say about bullying:
"That bullying thing is the biggest lark out there."
"There are sexually confused children who could be pushed into a lifestyle that I don’t think is appropriate with them and it's not for the norm for society, and they don't know how they can get back from that. I think a lot of times these young teens and young children, they find it very hard on themselves and unfortunately some of them commit suicide."
Yes, the evil gays are forcing teens to kill themselves.
Welcome to Tennessee: America at its worst.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Via Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes:
Via JMG: Washington Marriage Bill Advances
Washington state's marriage equality bill advanced again today after surviving a close 8-7 vote in the House Judiciary Committee. The Senate version of the bill advanced last week. Washington United reacts via press release:
“We thank Chair Pedersen and the members of the Judiciary Committee who supported marriage equality today,” said Lacey All, Chair of Washington United for Marriage. “As the bill continues to progress in both chambers in Olympia, it is clear that momentum is on our side. The stories of love, honor, commitment and family that our legislators are hearing from their constituents continue to be the single most important factor that sets us apart from those who oppose this bill.”The full Senate will debate and vote on the bill this Wednesday. House action should follow shortly after. Gov. Christine Gregoire has promised to sign the bill, but its implementation may be suspended pending the expected November challenge at the ballot.
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