Via JMG: Britain To Grant Posthumous Pardon To Gay Codebreaker Alan Turing

Famed WWII codebreaker Alan Turing will be granted a posthumous pardon by the British government. Turing committed suicide after being convicted of gross decency under Britain's anti-homosexuality code.

The government signalled on Friday that it is prepared to support a backbench bill that would pardon Turing, who died from cyanide poisoning at the age of 41 in 1954 after he was subjected to "chemical castration". Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, a government whip, told peers that the government would table the third reading of the Alan Turing (statutory pardon) bill at the end of October if no amendments are made. "If nobody tables an amendment to this bill, its supporters can be assured that it will have speedy passage to the House of Commons," Ahmad said. The announcement marks a change of heart by the government, which declined last year to grant pardons to the 49,000 gay men, now dead, who were convicted under the 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act. They include Oscar Wilde.

Turing is considered by many to be the father of computer science.

Labels: Alan Turing, Britain, LGBT History, science

Reposted from Joe

What I want to be when I grow up: Daniel Orey at TEDxSacramento

Publicado em 17/07/2013:

 

Daniel Orey, PhD, is a professor of mathematics education in the Centro de Educação Aberta e a Distância at the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto in Brazil. A professor for 22 years at California State University, Sacramento, in the College of Education and the Department of Learning Skills, he began his teaching career in 1978. After living and teaching in Guatemala, he completed a Masters degree at New Mexico State University, and earned a Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico. Daniel's Masters work took him to Patzun, Guatemala where he undertook field research with LOGO, computers and Mayan children. During his doctoral research, he served as a consultant at the Colegio Americano de Puebla and for Apple de México. With specialties in mathematics education, modeling and ethnomathematics, he was a Fulbright scholar to the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas; served as a CNPq visiting researcher at the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto; and served as a Senior Fulbright Specialist to Kathmandu University in Nepal. In 2011, Daniel and his husband moved to Brazil where he is currently teaching at Univeridade Federal de Ouro Preto.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 19, 2013

Dealing with Shit

You deal with your shit in Zen by sitting with it. By breathing right into it. You don’t try and ignore it with pleasant thoughts or lofty ideas, and you don’t try and bury it with solutions. You deal with it, you work with it, one breath at a time.

- Steve Krieger, "Growing Ground"

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I say! Well played Your Highness!

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 18, 2013

Deep Acceptance

Implicit in Buddhist compassion is a genuine awareness and deep acceptance of things as they truly are, painful as that may be. From this soil of clarity and connection, compassion is said to arise of itself.

- Allan Hunt Badiner, "Is the Buddha Winking at Extinction?"

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 17, 2013

The Time is Now

Awareness practice is like any other skill-building activity. It is not meant to be casual, or occasional, or reserved for only when convenient.

- Les Kaye, "The Time is Now"

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JMG Quote Of THe Day - Wayne Besen

"There was never going to be an actual ‘Ex-gay Pride Month’ because ex-gays are as rare as the Dodo bird. They simply could not find real ‘ex-gays’ to participate and had to cancel to save face. This was nothing but a desperate publicity stunt intended to revive a failing industry that has repeatedly embarrassed anti-gay organizations.  We challenge [Christopher] Doyle to come forward and release the names of LGBT activists and organizations that have allegedly jeopardized his organization’s security.  Until concrete allegations are made, we can only assume Dole is making an excuse for his organization’s abject failure to produce a viable Ex-Gay Pride Month event." - Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen, "laughing" at the yesterday's cancellation.

Labels: Christopher Doyle, crackpots, ex-gay, religion, self-loathing, still totally gay, Truth Wins Out, Wayne Besen

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 13, 2013

Get Yourself Out of the Way

The more we can get the self out of the way, the more clearly we can see the effect of our thoughts, words, and action upon ourselves and others.

- Andrew Olendzki, “Moral Health”

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Tricycle Daily Dharma July 12, 2013

Not Self-Help

Buddhism asks us to go beyond the self, not to perfect the self.

- Dharmavidya David Brazier, “Living Buddhism”

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Baha'i words, deeds differ

Dr. Gary Wright
Springfield



The official worldwide and local Baha’i position on gay rights is all in favor of glib generalities against generic “prejudice,” but when it comes to taking one baby step to actually help lift our oppression, they will not take it. They will not do one concrete thing that might make an actual difference.
A letter written on behalf of their highest body, the House of Justice, to a gay asking for guidance states their true policy: “...this practice, which like other sexual vices, is so abhorrent to the Creator of all mankind....”
Current ordinances do not equate oppressed LGBTs with other victimized or belittled groups.
People, do not be fooled by Janet Haworth’s muddled opinion piece. (“Baha’is support eliminating prejudice,” July 6)

Make the jump here to read the online text

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 11, 2013

The In-between State

Anxiety, heartbreak, and tenderness mark the in-between state. It's the kind of place we usually want to avoid. The challenge is to stay in the middle rather than buy into struggle and complaint. The challenge is to let it soften us rather than make us more rigid and afraid.

- Pema Chodron, “The In-between State”

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Via JMG: ENDA Passes Senate Committee

Andrew Cray has details at Think Progress:

This morning, the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee voted 15-7 to advance the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) with support from Republican Sens. Mark Kirk (IL), Orrin Hatch (UT), and Lisa Murkowski (AK). The bill, now headed for the Senate floor, is considered instrumental in preventing workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and mending the “broken bargain” of unequal treatment of LGBT workers under the law.

UPDATE: The ACLU cheers via press release:

Coming on the heels of the landmark Supreme Court marriage rulings, today's strong, bipartisan vote in favor of expanding workplace non-discrimination protections to include those who are LGBT is yet another sign that the tide has turned," said Ian Thompson, American Civil Liberties Union legislative representative. "Advocates have been working for nearly 40 years to pass these basic protections to ensure that all American workers, who stand side-by-side in the workplace and contribute with equal measure in their jobs, will stand on the same equal footing under the law. In 2013, it is completely unacceptable to force individuals to hide who they are out of fear of losing their livelihood.

Labels: employment, ENDA, Senate

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 10, 2013

No Return

The solution does not lie in ‘returning to nature.’ We cannot return to nature, because we have never left it.

- David Loy, “Healing Ecology”

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Via Gay Politics Report: Civil Unions aren't Marriages

Civil unions aren't marriages, federal government says
 
Federal workers in domestic partnerships or civil unions won't get the same spousal and family benefits as those who are legally married in states that allow same-sex couples to wed, according to new guidance from the Office of Personnel Management. Memos detailing newly available benefits were released after the Supreme Court's recent ruling overturning a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act. The Washington Post (tiered subscription model)/Federal Eye blog (7/8)

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 9, 2013

Giving Up Getting

We need to give up something. We can’t have it all. We can’t try to layer wisdom on top of confusion. The spiritual path is about what we give up, not what we get.

- Tim Olmsted, “The Great Experiment”

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Via JMG: NOM Board Member Heats Up

 

The Wrap takes note of the campaign to boycott Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game:

The sci-fi action movie “Ender’s Game” isn’t out until Nov. 1, but it’s already the target of an organized boycott. The group Geeks Out has launched an online protest and is asking people to “Skip Ender’s Game” because of anti-gay marriage comments made by Orson Scott Card, author of the 1985 book upon which the Lionsgate film is based.  "Do not buy a ticket at the theater, do not purchase the DVD, do not watch it on-demand. Ignore all merchandise and toys," the site implores. “By pledging to Skip Ender’s Game, we can send a clear and serious message to Card and those that do business with his brand of anti-gay activism -- whatever he’s selling, we’re not buying."

The boycott and petition site is here. (Tipped by JMG reader Neil)
PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Orson Scott Card calls for Christians to overthrow the government over same-sex marriage.  Petition launched for DC Comics to fire Card, who had been hired to write an issue of Superman. Brian Brown gets outraged over threats to boycott DC Comics.  Illustrator pulls out of Superman issue over Card's hiring.

Labels: comic books, DC Comics, hate groups, Hollywood, movies, NOM, Orson Scott Card, religion

Via JMG: Archie Comics Joins It Gets Better Project

 

It Gets Better notes that tomorrow is Kevin Keller Day.

Labels: Archie Comics, bullying, It Gets Better Project

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 8, 2013

Using Technology Wisely

Technology’s value is the value we give it as a society and as individuals, in millions of large and small decisions that are made every day. It reshapes our world into something that can seem unfamiliar and even strange. But we are still in human territory—territory we can navigate with human wisdom and insight, should we choose to do so.

- Richard Eskow, "My Technology, My Self"

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Tricycle Daily Dharma July 7, 2013

Distinguishing Genuine Dharma

We reassure ourselves that the changes we’ve made in Buddhism are all for the best—that Buddhism has always adapted itself to every culture it enters, and we can trust it to adapt wisely to the West. But this treats Buddhism as if it were a conscious agent—a wise amoebic force that knows how to adapt to its environment in order to survive. Actually, Buddhism isn’t an agent, and it doesn’t adapt. It gets adapted—sometimes by people who know what they’re doing, sometimes by people who don’t. Just because a particular adaptation survives and prevails doesn’t mean that it’s genuine dharma. It may simply appeal to the desires and fears of its target audience.

- Thanissaro Bhikkhu, “Lost in Quotation”

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