Saturday, February 18, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma February 17, 2012
Change Your Relationship to Pain
You change your relationship to the pain by opening up to it and paying attention to it. You 'put out the welcome mat.' Not because you’re masochistic, but because the pain is there. So you need to understand the nature of the experience and the possibilities for, as the doctors might put it, 'learning to live with it,' or, as the Buddhists might put it, 'liberation from the suffering.' If you distinguish between pain and suffering, change is possible. |
- Jon Kabat-Zinn, "At Home in Our Bodies"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection
Via JMG: NJ Assembly PASSES Marriage Bill
UPDATE: By a vote of 41-33 the New Jersey Assembly has approved its marriage equality bill. That's far below the necessary 54 votes for an override of Gov. Christie's promised veto. Nevertheless, we WON and New Jersey can now be added to the lengthening list of states with legislatively approved marriage equality.UPDATE II: The New York Times says the final vote tally was 42-33 and not 41-33 as displayed by the final tote board in the chamber. That figure matches the 75 reps who responded to the initial quorum call I heard the speaker make.
NOTE: New Jersey has 80 Assembly districts which means that six legislators did not vote. A tipster tells me that one of the missing reps is a Republican who would have been a "yes" vote. As for the other five missing votes, I have no idea. There were no abstentions.
EARLIER: The voting should commence sometime around 1pm Eastern. We need 41 votes to win, 54 to override. Even with Monday's win in the Senate, all this may seem symbolic in the face of Christie's promised veto. But let's not forget the enduring power of the positive press today's vote will get around the nation. Plus we get almost two full years to get those extra votes.
Via JMG: New Jersey Marriage Reactions
Lambda Legal
Today New Jersey's General Assembly rose above the political fray and did right by New Jersey's families. Governor Christie should follow their lead - but if he doesn't, legislators should continue to stand for equality and override his veto. Marriage equality in New Jersey is a matter of when - not if. New Jersey should choose to join the right side of history soon, because loving same-sex couples and their families should not have to wait any longer. We believe there are many paths to justice, and Lambda Legal continues to fight for marriage equality in the courts on behalf of seven same-sex couples, Garden State Equality, and all families in New Jersey.National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
This victory is a victory for New Jersey families. It affirms what millions of people across the country already know — loving, committed same-sex couples and their families should be able to join in the celebration and responsibilities of marriage. This marks an important step in the Garden State’s march toward marriage equality. It has been a long journey of changing hearts and minds, of breaking down walls, and of shining a spotlight on our common humanity. Gov. Chris Christie should take a stand for families by signing this bill.Freedom To Marry
Sadly, Governor Chris Christie has planted his feet on the wrong side of history, and the wrong side of the majority for marriage in New Jersey and nationwide. If the governor sticks with his threat of a veto, Freedom to Marry will work throughout the entire remainder of the legislative session, supporting local families, leaders, and advocates as they make the case and win the extra handful of votes needed to override the veto and do right by these families.Human Rights Campaign
Today, the New Jersey State Legislature sent a powerful message that all its citizens should be treated equally under the law, and that all families deserve the same protections,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Governor Christie may veto this legislation, but he is out of step with the majority of voters on this issue. We will not give up until marriage equality becomes a reality in New Jersey. HRC has been proud to partner with Garden State Equality (GSE) in achieving this historic legislative victory.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Via Nalanda LGBT Buddhist Cultural and Resource Center:
Nalanda LGBT Buddhist Cultural and Resource Center also shared Buddha Sayings's photo.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:For more quotes, visit http://www.buddhasayings.com/Don't forget to "like" and "share" these photos. The purpose of this page is to share the wisdom of some amazing and inspirational people in Buddhism and life. We appreciate helping us spread these messages by re-sharing and liking them.
By: Buddha Sayings
Via JMG: INDIA: Supreme Court Hears Challenge To Decriminalization Of Homosexuality
In 2009 the Delhi High Court struck down laws that criminalized gay sex, a move that was celebrated by LGBT activists around the world. Anti-gay and religious groups immediately appealed that decision. This week the Indian Supreme Court began hearings.
Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri, president of the hardline Indian Islamic group Jamaat-e-Islami Hind said in 2009: “The time has come for all religious leaders to unite on this issue and jointly protest the government’s proposed move to legalise gay rights. A consensus should be evolved for challenging the Delhi High Court order in the Supreme Court.” The case has now been brought and debate began at the Supreme Court yesterday with a petition by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhyaya asked petitioners who had the authority to decide the “order of nature” that gay acts supposedly violate. They asked: “Test-tube babies, surrogate mothers – are they in the order of nature?”RELATED: Anti-sodomy laws were imposed up India over 150 years ago when the British took control. Prior to that no such ban existed.
Via JMG: ANCHORAGE: Christian Hate Groups To Battle Against Proposed LGBT Rights Bill
For 35 years, LGBT residents of Anchorage, Alaska have battled for employment and housing protections. Time after time Christian groups have beaten them back. Last week activists successfully placed a referendum on the November ballot which adds the words "sexual orientation and gender identity" to this long list: "race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, physical disability, and mental disability." The result? Outrage, websites, and a vow to defeat LGBT rights yet again.Via JMG: Stonewall Democrats To Log Cabin: Don't Endorse Anti-Gay Candidates
The National Stonewall Democrats have launched a petition campaign asking the Log Cabin Republicans to refrain from endorsing anti-LGBT candidates this year. Stonewall's executive director Jerame Davis writes: In 2004, Log Cabin Republicans took a principled stand and refused to endorse George W. Bush for his support of a federal marriage amendment alone. These candidates have pledged to go farther than President Bush ever considered. Will Log Cabin Republicans follow its own precedent and refuse to endorse anti-equality politicians? Recent stories in the media suggest they may actually be willing to overlook the anti-LGBT pledges GOP candidates have taken against our community. Sign the petition and tell Log Cabin Republicans they should never endorse anti-LGBT candidates who pledge to deny us equality.RELATED: The other allegedly gay Republican group, GOProud, has already issued a statement declaring that any of the four remaining GOP candidates would make a better president that Obama. GOProud staffers have been photographed brandishing a Romney banner.
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma February 16, 2012
Developing Creative Awareness
It is essential that you cultivate the twin elements of concentration and inquiry in your meditation. Concentration will bring stability, stillness, and spaciousness; inquiry will bring alertness, vividness, brightness, and clarity. Combined, they will help you to develop creative awareness, an ability to bring a meditative mind to all aspects of your daily life. |
- Martine Batchelor, "A Refuge into Being"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection
Via Follower of the Buddha: All phenomena are illusory displays of the mind.
Namo Buddhaya Namo Dharmaya Namo Sanghaya སངས་རྒྱས་ཆོས་དང་ཚོགས་ཀྱི་མཆོག་
Via JMG: COLORADO: Civil Unions Bill Advances
Colorado's civil unions bill today cleared its first legislative hurdle as it passed 5-2 before the state Senate Judiciary Committee. A similar bill failed last year.
Hundreds of people packed a hearing room at the Capitol to plead with lawmakers to give them legal protections traditional couples enjoy. The issue has gained traction as more states have recently passed either civil union or gay marriage laws. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper urged lawmakers to pass civil unions during his State of the State speech last month, and more Republicans have expressed public support for the measure. The bill, passed on a 5-2 vote with one Republican senator joining Democrats, is expected to easily clear the full Senate. The real challenge will be in the Republican-controlled House.One Colorado reacts via press release.
“We applaud today’s vote to ensure that all committed couples have the tools they need to provide for the ones they love. Especially in these difficult economic times, gay and lesbian couples need civil unions to take care of their families. “Today’s testimony reflects the widespread support for this legislation. Business executives and faith leaders, Republicans and Democrats, gay parents and straight allies all realize that passing civil unions is the right thing to do. “With their approval, the Senators on the Judiciary Committee affirmed that all families are worthy of dignity and respect.”
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Via JMG: CHINA: Survey Shows Huge Majority Of Young People Are Not Homophobic
The official news agency of the Chinese government reports that over 80% of young Chinese say they have no problem with gay people. Via Xinhau:
More than 80 percent of Chinese people born after the 1980s hold no discriminatory beliefs regarding homosexuality, according to a survey on marriage perspectives conducted by jiayuan.com, a major Chinese dating website. The survey results, which were published in the Monday edition of the Beijing News, indicate that 83 percent of respondents born between 1980 and 1989, as well as 82 percent of those born after 1990, do not disapprove of homosexuality. The online survey of 85,439 people, most of whom were between the ages of 20 and 50, also revealed that about 15 percent of female respondents would not marry a man who does not own an apartment and a car.As we well know from our own freeping expeditions, online survey can often mean bupkis. What's most interesting here, I think, is the fact that the news was reported on by the Chinese government itself.
Via JMG: WASHINGTON: Activists Launch "Decline To Sign Referendum 74" Campaign
Within minutes of Gov. Gregoire's signing of Washington's marriage equality bill, hate groups filed the paperwork to begin collecting petitions to repeal the law. They haven't yet cleared the procedural hurdles to start accepting signatures, but gay activists have already launched their own decline to sign campaign. IMPORTANT: Should our enemies gather enough signatures by the cutoff date of June 6th, the next step will be to educate the public that they should vote YES on Referendum 74, which asks if marriage equality should be KEPT. And NOT whether it should be repealed. This sort of counter-intuitive wording often appears on ballot measures, dammit.
Via JMG: Gay Death Penalty For Liberia?
Warren Throckmorton reports that a death penalty for homosexuality has been proposed in the Liberian legislature. Former Liberian first lady Jewel Howard Taylor has introduced a bill making homosexuality liable to a death sentence, amid a raging debate over gay rights in the country, a lawmaker said Wednesday. The bill submitted by former president Charles Taylor’s ex-wife, now a senator, also seeks to amend laws to prohibit gay marriage. “No two persons of the same sex shall have sexual relations.Jewel Howard Taylor's ex-husband, the former president of Liberia, is presently incarcerated in The Hague, where he awaits trial for crimes against humanity. Among the charges is an accusation that Taylor forced his soldiers to cannibalize his enemies. The United Nations has ordered Jewel Howard Taylor banned from traveling outside of Liberia.A violation of this prohibition will be considered a first degree felony,” reads the proposed amendment to marriage laws. First degree punishment can range from 10 years to life imprisonment to the death sentence, on the discretion of the judge. Voluntary sodomy is already a criminal offence in the west African country and can result in up to three years imprisonment.
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