JMG HomoQuotable - Jeff Whitty

"I spent most of the day with no idea what was happening anywhere beyond a few blocks of my East Village apartment. I had no cellular service or old-fashioned battery-powered radio available. Only late in the day did I find scant wireless Internet access outside a hospital where people were crammed shoulder-to-shoulder. The wireless finally shut down, too, and my phone battery was running low. Rumors abounded on the street -- power would be on in a few hours, in three days, in a week. No clue on water, hot or cold. I peeked into underground parking garages in my complex: the cars appeared to be floating. Alongside many others I scoured shadowy delis with my flashlight, looking for water and food that could keep for unknown amounts of days. All of the battery-powered AM/FM radios had been bought up.

"I had no idea if the power outage was widespread to millions or just in the East Village. Nobody seemed to have a clear idea what was happening anywhere else. But throughout the day I felt a connection that reminded me of 9/11 and the summer night in 2003 when New York City went dark for 24 hours. New Yorkers are awesome. Nobody was an asshole. Nobody was sketchy. People helped each other and shared the misery together. I talked and joked with people in my building I'd only passed before with maybe a 'hello.' In the attached article you'll see a photo of a deli with its awning yanked down by the winds. I passed by it this morning and saw a lot of merchandise available within easy reach through a broken window. I passed by that deli again hours later and nobody had taken anything. New Yorkers." - Avenue Q playwright and Tony winner Jeff Whitty, writing on his Facebook page.

RELATED: Whitty's latest show, Bring It On: The Musical, is now playing at the St. James Theater.

Labels: Broadway, HomoQuotable, Jeff Whitty, NYC

 

Reposted from Joe

Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	Speak not harshly to anyone. Those thus addressed will retort. Painful, indeed, is vindictive speech. Blows in exchange may bruise you. If, like a cracked gong, you silence yourself, you have already attained Nibbana: no vindictiveness will be found in you. - Dhammapada 133-134 More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via JMG: Brad Pitt Donates $100K To Marriage

Brad Pitt has donated $100,000 to the Human Rights Campaign's marriage equality fund.   They report via press release:

“Brad Pitt’s partnership with HRC in this closing week delivers vital resources into these campaigns and we’re proud to be working with him as we show that fundamental fairness will win at the ballot box,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “With his commitment, Brad joins HRC in a tremendous coalition of religious leaders, business leaders, labor groups, civil rights organizations and everyday, fair-minded Americans supporting marriage for gay and lesbian couples.” “It's unbelievable to me that people's lives and relationships are literally being voted on in a matter of days,” said Pitt in an email today to HRC members and supporters. “If you're like me, you don't want to have to ask yourself on the day after the election, what else could I have done?”

Labels: Brad Pitt, HRC, straight allies

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 31, 2012

Accepting Uncertainty

Uncertainty, when accepted, sheds a bright light on the power of intention. That is what you can count on: not the outcome, but the motivation you bring, the vision you hold, the compass setting you choose to follow.

- Joanna Macy, "The Greatest Danger"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through November 2nd, 2012
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Via JMG: New Polls From Nate Silver

Source.

Labels: 2012 elections, Nate Silver, polls

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Supreme Court Sets The Date To Review Prop 8 And DOMA Cases: November 20th

Breaking news from AFER:

The U.S. Supreme Court has announced that it will consider whether to grant review in AFER’s federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.  The Justices will meet to discuss our case, along with several challenges to the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), at their private Conference scheduled for Tuesday, November 20. The Court is expected to either:

• Grant review of our Prop. 8 challenge, at which point AFER’s legal team, led by distinguished attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies, will submit written briefs and present oral arguments by April 2013. A final decision on Prop. 8 and marriage equality is expected by June 2013.
• Deny review, making permanent the landmark federal appeals court ruling that found Prop. 8 UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Marriage equality will be restored in California.

AFER adds: "The Court is expected to release an Order List with its decisions on cases it has granted or denied review from its November 20 Conference by Monday, November 26."

Labels: AFER, DOMA, Proposition 8, Supreme Court

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 29, 2012

Loving Attention

When we are fully present and able to pay attention in a sustained way to our experience we can begin to see directly, uncolored by our ideas and concepts. Placing our trust more in loving attention and less in analyzing the story can allow space for a new way of holding the question.

- Narayan Liebenson Grady, "Questioning the Question"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 31st, 2012
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Via Occupy Borders (Bi National couples unite) / FB:

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 28, 2012

Unfailing Altruism

The practitioner’s mind is likened to a mountain that the winds can’t shake; he’s neither tormented by the difficulties he may come across nor elated by his successes. But that equanimity is neither apathy nor indifference. It’s accompanied by inner jubilation, and by an openness of mind expressed as unfailing altruism.

- Matthieu Ricard, "One Blood, Two Lineages"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 30th, 2012
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Via The Page With No / FB:

Via JMG: GALLUP: Gays May Swing The Election

An interesting note from Gallup:

A new Gallup Report finds that 71% of LGBT Americans who are registered voters support President Obama for reelection, while 22% support Governor Mitt Romney. From June to September, non-LGBT registered voters preferred Romney to Obama by one percentage point, 47% to 46%. However, when LGBT voters are added to electorate, Obama moves slightly ahead of Romney (47% to 45%). These findings suggest that the highly Democratic vote of the LGBT population could be enough to swing a very close election toward Obama. The findings are based on more than 120,000 interviews of adults in the US, which represents the largest representative sample of LGBT men and women ever collected.

Labels: 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Gallup

Reposted from Joe

Via FB:

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 27, 2012

Great Questioning, Great Awakening

The most important part of the practice is for the question to remain alive and for your whole body and mind to become a question. In Zen they say that you have to ask with the pores of your skin and the marrow of your bones. A Zen saying points out: Great questioning, great awakening; little questioning, little awakening; no questioning, no awakening.

- Martine Batchelor, "What is This?"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 29th, 2012
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JMG Headline Of The Week:

Details!

Labels: LGBT rights, Obama administration, SCOTUS

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 26, 2012

Calm and Radiant Balance

Equanimity takes interest in whatever is occurring simply because it is occurring. Equanimity does not include the aversive states of indifference, boredom, coldness, or hesitation. It is an expression of calm, radiant balance that takes whatever comes in stride.

- Shaila Catherine, "Equanimity in Every Bite"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 28th, 2012
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Via Beware of Images:

Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Doug Wright

"I wish my moderate Republican friends would simply be honest. They all say they’re voting for Romney because of his economic policies (tenuous and ill-formed as they are), and that they disagree with him on gay rights. Fine. Then look me in the eye, speak with a level clear voice, and say, 'My taxes and take-home pay mean more than your fundamental civil rights, the sanctity of your marriage, your right to visit an ailing spouse in the hospital, your dignity as a citizen of this country, your healthcare, your right to inherit, the mental welfare and emotional well-being of your youth, and your very personhood.' It’s like voting for George Wallace during the Civil Rights movements, and apologizing for his racism. You’re still complicit. You’re still perpetuating anti-gay legislation and cultural homophobia. You don’t get to walk away clean, because you say you 'disagree' with your candidate on these issues." - Pulitzer and Tony winning playwright Doug Wright, in a message now going viral on Facebook.

UPDATE: I've been unable to find the original posting of this quote, which as I mentioned above has been reposted to many Facebook accounts. Please email me if you find the source and I'll add the link.

UPDATE II: Twitter user DogUnderwater points out that Playbill has posted Wright's message with his permission.

Labels: FTW, gay writers, HomoQuotable, Mitt Romney

Reposted from Joe

Via One Million Strong Against Mitt Romney in 2012 / FB:

Via Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group - Dharma Breeze:

“If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.” 

― Pema Chödrön