Via Re-Elect President Obama:

The Obama Same-Sex Marriage Statement: A Religious Analysis

www.religiondispatches.org

‎"Obama’s thoughtful statement sends a different message. It says that values like introspection, compassion, and justice support, rather than oppose, equality for LGBT people. We can interpret Leviticus, Romans, and Corinthians ten ways from Sunday. But what we can’t ignore are the calls to justice and compassion.

"What, according to the statement, led Obama to this position? The right kind of thinking. Over time, he said, he has come to understand the truth of same-sex couples: that they are as capable of commitment, love, and sanctity as opposite-sex ones; and that it is an injustice to deny the benefits of marriage to gay people. Those are religious values, expressed in a personal way. It demonstrates the growth of individual conscience: the president used to feel one way, but over time, in a careful and long process of discernment, he has now come to feel a different way. People on his staff, friends and family—these, not abstract principles, are what shifted his heart and mind. Thinking of his personal responsibility for the lives of soldiers serving our country—this, not some policy point, is the data that weighs into calculations of right and wrong."

— Jay Michaelson

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma May 13, 2012

 

The Safety of our Buddhanature

Love and compassion make us feel safe because they express the safety of their source—the deep buddhanature within us, the unchanging inner space of primal awareness that cannot be harmed.

- John Makransky, "Aren't We Right to Be Angry?"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

HILARIOUS! Jon Stewart Opens Up A Can O' Whoop Ass On Bigots In North Carolina

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Via Occupy Borders (Bi National couples unite) Facebook:

Via JMG: LEAKED GOP MEMO: It's Time To Let Go Of Fighting Against Same-Sex Marriage

Politico has published a just-leaked memo from an insider on Dubya's 2004 reelection team. In the light of Obama's "evolution," this guy now says that GOP strategists should abandon the losing battle against same-sex marriage.

Background: in view of this week’s news on the same sex marriage issue, here is a summary of recent survey findings on same sex marriage:

1. Support for same sex marriage has been growing and in the last few years support has grown at an accelerated rate with no sign of slowing down. A review of public polling shows that up to 2009 support for gay marriage increased at a rate of 1% a year. Starting in 2010 the change in the level of support accelerated to 5% a year. The most recent public polling shows supporters of gay marriage outnumber opponents by a margin of roughly 10% (for instance: NBC / WSJ poll in February / March: support 49%, oppose 40%).
2. The increase in support is taking place among all partisan groups. While more Democrats support gay marriage than Republicans, support levels among Republicans are increasing over time. The same is true of age: younger people support same sex marriage more often than older people, but the trends show that all age groups are rethinking their position.
3. Polling conducted among Republicans show that majorities of Republicans and Republican leaning voters support extending basic legal protections to gays and lesbians. These include majority Republican support for:
1. Protecting gays and lesbians against being fired for reasons of sexual orientation
2. Protections against bullying and harassment
3. Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
4. Right to visit partners in hospitals
5. Protecting partners against loss of home in case of severe medical emergencies or death
6. Legal protection in some form for gay couples whether it be same sex marriage or domestic partnership (only 29% of Republicans oppose legal recognition in any form).

Recommendation: A statement reflecting recent developments on this issue along the following lines:
“People who believe in equality under the law as a fundamental principle, as I do, will agree that this principle extends to gay and lesbian couples; gay and lesbian couples should not face discrimination and their relationship should be protected under the law. People who disagree on the fundamental nature of marriage can agree, at the same time, that gays and lesbians should receive essential rights and protections such as hospital visitation, adoption rights, and health and death benefits.

Read the full memo.

Labels: Dubya, GOP, LGBT rights, marriage equality

Reposted from Joe

Via Facebook:

Gay Marriage- Obama Comes Out for Love. Do You?

The Top 8 Ways To Be 'Traditionally Married' According To The Bible

http://www.upworthy.com/the-top-8-ways-to-be-traditionally-married-according-to-the-bible?c=la2

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma May 12, 2012

Revolutionary Practice

True dharma practice is a revolutionary activity, and you can't do it in a comfortable way. You really have to challenge the whole identity of your life.

- Jack Kornfield, "The Sure Heart's Release"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via Facebook:

Via AmericaBlogGay:

The story of Obama's evolution, starting with a blogger named Joe 

I have to give Peter Wallsten and Scott Wilson credit at the Washington Post for crediting our own Joe Sudbay with being the person who got President Obama to say he's evolving on gay marriage.  A lot of reporters fail to mention who hit was who got the ball rolling on this issue.

Via AmericaBlogGay: More Romney Bullying

Top Romney aide gleefully outed transgender woman, ending her political career 

Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom Eric Fehrnstrom is called Mitt Romney's "most trusted" adviser. Well it seems that Mr. Romney's most trusted adviser is alleged to have "glee"-fully outed a transgender women, ending her career in politics.  This from GQ: Fehrnstrom saved his cheap shots for smaller-time Massachusetts pols. 

 

Via AmericaBlogGay:

Romney defends traditional marriage, which in his family's case means polygamy 

 The Daily Dish has a video of Mitt Romney talking about defending the traditional definition of marriage that's existed for 3,000 years.  In the case of Romney's family, that traditional definition involved polygamy. As the Daily Dish notes, Romney's family even abandoned the United States for Mexico, after the US government clamped down on polygamists over a century ago.Romney says that...

Via AmericaBlog Gay:

Romney flip-flops today on gay adoption, now against 

Romney seems to have decided that the only way can win the general election against President Obama is to swing even further to the far-right than he did during the primaries (I know the primaries aren't over, but they really are).  This is actually quite surprising.  He's going to turn off independents if he keeps pandering to the far right. From CBS News: Republican presidential...

Via Facebook:

Via Freedom to Marry / Facebook

 

Freedom to Marry

Beautiful: The New Yorker Magazine cover celebrating President Obama's support for the freedom to marry.

 

— with T Neverdinner Jacket.

 

Via Formidable Republican Opposition/ Facebook

Numbers unconfirmed, but a powerful statement on elections, their consequences, and the perils of voter apathy. Put yourself in these shoes.

Wall Photos

There are over 6 million registered voters in NC and only 20% (1.2million) voted in yesterdays election. We allowed about 750,000 people or 12% of the registered voters to decide that Amendment One is going to be written into the NC state Constitution.

NC Registered voters:
2.7 million Democrat
1.9 million Republican
1.5 million Unaffiliated
Great find by Davey Wavey Fan Page!

By: Formidable Republican Opposition

Via Inked Buddha

Inked Buddha

If we look at each other superficially, we see differences - and as we place emphasis only on those differences, we grow more distant. But if we look at each other as our our kind, as human beings just like ourselves, we find that we are not that dissimilar.

We are the same human flesh - we all want happiness. From mutual recognition, we can build respect. From respect, we can build trust. From trust, we can build harmony, cooperation, and peace. And from there, we can stop many problems.

Reach out to someone today, that you might otherwise see as "different".

Thank you for being here with me today.... — at I took this photo near Hanoi, Vietnam.

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma May 11, 2012

The Path of Optimism

Buddhism is a path of supreme optimism, for one of its basic tenets is that no human life or experience is to be wasted or forgotten, but all should be transformed into a source of wisdom and compassionate living.

- Taitetsu Unno, "Number One Fool"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection