Via JMG: Boehner Appeals Latest DOMA Ruling

On Wednesday a federal court struck down Section 3 of DOMA as unconstitutional. Today GOP House Speaker John Boehner ordered that ruling appealed.

In court papers, a group of congressional Republicans defending the federal gay marriage ban revealed they are appealing the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 9th Circuit will become the second federal appeals court to now consider the legality of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 16-year-old law known as DOMA. The Obama administration has sided with Golinski in the case, arguing that DOMA is unconstitutional. Republicans, led by House Speaker John Boehner, have jumped in to defend the law, filing the notice of appeal on Friday. With cases unfolding in several federal courts, many experts predict the issue will wind up in the U.S. Supreme Court.

RELATED: Helping to raise money for Boehner's reelection campaign are Log Cabin Republicans head R. Clark Cooper and former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman, two out gay alleged activists who will co-chair Boehner's high-ticket Washington DC soiree.

Labels: DOMA, feds, GOP, LGBT rights, marriage equality, Ninth Circuit Court., U.S. House

Reposted from Joe

Outtakes from Ellen's JCPenney Commercials!

Via Towleroad: Teen Tells Mom 'I'm Gay', Posts Entire Event to YouTube: VIDEO

YouTuber Mallow610 came out to his mother and posted it online. The must-watch video of the day. Those of you who have been through this process can relate to the nervousness beforehand (I know I can). We should all be so lucky to have a parent like this.

He writes:

"Finally got the strength to come out to my mom. My Mom has been extremely supportive. I could not ask for anyone else. Love you :) Every circumstance is different and you will know when the right time to come out is. Stay strong. Babz and I are here for you. :) Note: I decided to post this so that I could share my experience with you. Hopefully it will be an inspiration to those who do not have such supportive families."

When she says, "I am a great mom," she's absolutely right. Congratulations Mallow610.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2012/02/momimgay.html#ixzz1nJ1Ygzgf

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma February 24, 2012

Awakening to Direct Experience

The work of Buddhism is to awaken, to come out of the sleepy dreams and notions of reality that we hold to be true and replace them with a direct experience of what is more accurately occurring. To awaken in this way, we need to become conscious of what’s actually going on at the very depths of our experience.

- Will Johnson, "Full Body, Empty Mind"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via JMG: Santorum: No Civil Unions Either

Rick Santorum says he opposes civil unions too.

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, a vocal opponent of gay marriage, said today he opposes civil unions, too. In response to a question by Dean Reynolds for the "CBS Evening News," the former Pennsylvania senator said same-sex couples should work through the legal system to obtain rights similar to those enjoyed by legally married couples. "I believe in people's right to be able to contract for whatever benefits that they have," Santorum told Reynolds. "I believe in freedom of contract and people should be able to contract for hospitalization visits, being able to take insurance policies or life insurance," he added. "And I've encouraged folks if they want to build those relationships to do that."

I can't see why this is surprising or even news.

Labels: civil unions, GOP, Rick Santorum

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Ten House Reps Pose For NOH8

Ten members of the U.S. House have posed for the NOH8 Campaign.

"Our nation was founded upon the principle of equality. It is imperative that we work for equal rights for all in order to make that principle a reality. Love isn't gay or straight, tall or short, black or white, it is for everyone," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio's 10th District.

Hit the link for more photos and a way to ask your rep to participate.

Labels: LGBT rights, NOH8, U.S. House

Reposted from Joe

JMG Tweet Of The Day

Buzzfeed notes that Romney actually got the quote wrong.

Labels: Mitt Romney, Seinfeld, tweet of the day

reposted from Joe

Bully - A MUST SEE OFFICIAL LATEST 2012 HD MOVIE DOC Trailer

Via SPLC and Addicting Info:

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/02/22/its-not-the-lgbt-people-who-need-the-reparative-therapy/

Via AmericaBlogGay: Former GOP Senator Alan Simpson calls Santorum homophobic

Sure, he got the grammar wrong, but his heart was in the right place.

Former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wy.) weighed in on the Republican presidential primary on Wednesday, calling Rick Santorum "rigid and a homophobic."

In an interview with CBS News' Bob Schieffer, Simpson faulted the Republican field for making issues like same-sex marriage and reproductive rights central to their platforms, warning that they would lose favor with voters if the conversation does not change.

"I am convinced that if you get into these social issues and just stay in there about abortion and homosexuality and even mental health they bring up, somehow they're going to take us all to Alaska and float us out in the Bering Sea or something," said Simpson, long known for colorful commentary. "We won't have a prayer."

Via AmericaBlogGay:

Bush appointee strikes down DOMA in Golinski case 

Via ThinkProgress and GinnyLaRoe (and here's the PDF of the decision): 

If we lived in Iran, we wouldn't have to worry about all these judges giving people their civil rights.  Who gave them the power to decide these cases anyway?  Oh yeah, that's right, the Founding Fathers and the United States Constitution.  At their core, Republicans and their religious right overlords simply don't like our system of government because when the system is fair and honest and open, conservatives tend to lose, at least the dishonest ones that currently run the GOP do.  It's the same reason they, along with their propaganda arm at Fox, are trying to destroy the US media.  Anything that keeps the system fair keeps them from winning.

Never forget: When Republicans attack judges they are attacking our democracy and arguing that the Framers got it wrong.

More from Geidner.

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma February 23, 2012

The Power of Observation

Although meditation is not thinking, it can be clear awareness of thinking. Thought can be a very useful object of meditation. We can turn the great power of observation onto thought in order to learn about its inherent nature, becoming aware of its process instead of getting lost in its content.

- Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein, "Working with Thoughts"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via JMG: BREAKING: Federal Judge Rules Section 3 Of DOMA Unconstitutional

Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

Today, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued its order finding that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act -- the federal definition of marriage -- is unconstitutional in Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management, Karen Golinski's challenge to the denial of her request for equal health insurance benefits for her wife. Golinski, a federal court employee, brought suit after her request was denied. She is represented by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. Because President Obama and the Department of Justice have stopped defending Section 3 of DOMA in court challenges, the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group -- led by House Republican leadership -- had opposed Golinski's request in court.

Via press release from Lambda Legal:

"This ruling, the first to come after the Justice Department announced it would no longer defend this discriminatory statute in court, spells doom for DOMA," said Tara Borelli, staff attorney in Lambda Legal's Western Regional Office in Los Angeles. "The Court recognized the clear fact that a law that denies one class of individuals the rights and benefits available to all others because of their sexual orientation violates the constitutional guarantee of equality embodied in the Fifth Amendment. The Court agreed with us that sexual orientation discrimination by the government should receive heightened scrutiny under the constitution. It then concluded that DOMA could not meet that standard, and that there was not even a rational justification to deny Karen Golinski the same spousal health care benefits that her heterosexual co-workers receive."

View the ruling.

Politico has more.

White's 43-page decision is similar to a ruling from a federal judge in Massachusetts in 2010, who also struck down an aspect of DOMA. In White's ruling, he also gave an unusual back of the hand to the Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit, Alex Kozinski, who ruled at an earlier administrative stage of the dispute that federal personnel managers had authority to cover Golinski's spouse as a non-spousal member of her family. White called that reasoning "unpersuasive."

Labels: DOMA, feds, Lambda Legal, marriage equality

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: All Dead Mormons Are Now Gay

 

Go make some conversions. (Tipped by JMG reader Rick)

 

Labels: baptism, homosexuality, Mormons, silliness

reposted from Joe

Hot Topics: The "Don't Say Gay" Bill

Via Christians Tired of Being Misrepresented // The Christian Left:

Via MG: Washington State Marriage Poll

Encouraging. But don't forget the Bradley Effect.

Labels: marriage equality, polls, Washington state

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma February 22, 2012

Just Sitting

Just sitting means just that. That 'just' endlessly goes against the grain of our need to fix, transform, and improve ourselves. The paradox of our practice is that the most effective way of transformation is to leave ourselves alone. The more we let everything be just what it is, the more we relax into an open, attentive awareness of one moment after another.

- Barry Magid, "Leave Yourself Alone"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma February 21, 2012

Being Here and Now

When we meditate, we relate to that unsettling, ineffable commodity: the present. We train in letting go of thoughts and feelings as they arise, and settle back into the present: that gap between two concepts—past and future—that don’t actually exist. We’re simply being, here and now.

- Pamela Gayle White, "The Pursuit of Happiness"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection