Via JMG: NEW MEXICO: GOP Lawmakers Join Hate Group In Brief Against Gay Marriage

With the support of the anti-gay hate group Alliance Defending Freedom, two dozen current and former GOP members of the New Mexico legislature have filed a brief against the same-sex marriage case pending before the state Supreme Court.

The Republican lawmakers, represented by a conservative Christian law group called the Alliance Defending Freedom, said anti-discrimination and equal protection guarantees in the state constitution do not provide a legal right to marriage for same-sex couples. The lawmakers said that "the judiciary should exercise caution when asked to divine fundamental and important constitutional rights not expressly provided in the Constitution's text." The gay marriage issue has moved to the political front burner in New Mexico since August when Dona Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins decided independently to allow marriage licenses for same-sex couples. At least seven other county clerks have followed, some because of rulings in lawsuits brought by same-sex couples.

The ACLU filed a supportive brief on Monday. The case will be heard late next month.

Labels: Alliance Defense Fund, GOP, lawsuits, marriage equality, New Mexico, religion

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Barilla Doesn't Want Gay Customers

 

The Italy-based Barilla pasta company has made it clear that they don't want gay customers.

Guido Barilla, whose firm has almost half the Italian pasta market and a quarter of that in the US, told Italy’s La Zanzara radio show last night: “I would never do an advert with a homosexual family…if the gays don’t like it they can go an eat another brand. “For us the concept of the sacred family remains one of the fundamental values of the company.” He added: “Everyone has the right to do what they want without disturbing those around them”. But then the pasta magnate upped the ante by attacking gay adoption. “I have no respect for adoption by gay families because this concerns a person who is not able to choose," he said.

Barilla has already retreated from his remarks, saying that he only wanted to "underline the central role of the woman in the family." Needless to say, the boycott calls have already begun. (Image via Towleroad)

Labels: advertising, Barilla, food, homophobes

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 26, 2013

Gateway to Compassion

The gateway to compassion and loving kindness is to be able to feel our own pain, and the pain of others. If we are able to open in this way, our hearts can melt, and the healing salve of compassion can anoint all our wounds.

- Lama Palden, "Gateway to Compassion"

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Via David CochranThe Rainbow Rose Society / FB:

Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Fred Karger

"In a August 22 blog post the National Organization of Marriage wrote, 'What's the best way to weaken and silence those you disagree with? Intimidation and threats, of course.' That statement also went into a NOM email blast to its claimed list of 500,000. NOM and its president, Brian Brown, have been attacking me ever since my sworn complaint against them in Iowa resulted in another ethics’ investigation of NOM. This was just one of Brian’s latest personal attacks against me. He is very upset because Iowa is the third state to conduct an ethics investigation into NOM’s illegal campaign activities. Ongoing investigations are under way in Maine and California as well, because of sworn complaints that I filed in those states. Just go to Google and search 'NOM threats.' There are 1,710,000 results. Trying 'NOM intimidation' will yield about 1,320,000 results. That’s a lot of NOM threats and intimidation." - 2012 GOP presidential candidate and NOM watchdog Fred Karger, writing for the Advocate. Hit the link and read Karger's 20 examples of NOM's threats, all of which have been reported here.

Labels: Brian Brown, campaign finance, Catholic Church, Fred Karger, HomoQuotable, hypocrisy, NOM, religion, Vatican

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: MAINE: Former President George H.W. Bush Witnesses Same-Sex Wedding

 

 

The Washington Post reports:

Another prominent Republican has come out in support of same-sex marriage — or at least, in support of one particular same-sex marriage. Former President George H.W. Bush served as an official witness this past weekend at the Maine wedding of Bonnie Clement and Helen Thorgalsen, co-owners of a Kennebunk general store. Thorgalsen posted a photo of the 41st commander-in-chief signing a set of documents for them at an outdoor celebration: “Getting our marriage license witnessed!” No big statement from the ex-prez’s office. His rep Jim McGrath confirmed his and wife Barbara’s presence at the wedding: “They were private citizens attending a private ceremony for two friends.”

WaPo notes that other members of the Bush clan, including former First Lady Laura Bush, have endorsed same-sex marriage. Reaction to today's news should prove amusing on right wing sites.

Labels: George H.W. Bush, GOP, marriage equality

 
Reposted from Joe

Touching Gay Story via FB:

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 25, 2013

Rain, the Snow, and Moon

Every day, priests minutely examine the Law And endlessly chant complicated sutras. Before doing that, though, they should learn How to read the love letters sent by the wind and rain,     the snow and moon.

- Ikkyu, "Rain, the Snow, and Moon"

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M5S, Omofobia: "Noi non abbiamo paura"

Some context, for those who don't speak Italian: The person speaking during most of the video is named Silvia Giordano, a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. This protest is happening because, right now, same-sex couples living in Italy have no shared rights to property, social security and inheritance. They also can't get married. A rough translation of what Giordano is saying:

"Mr. President (of the House of Deputies), beyond the thousands of excuses and quibbles, we're talking here of matters of the heart, of feelings, of emotions. Because a kiss and a hug have not and will never hurt anyone. In fact, they are part of what contributes most to making us human. We want to make that clear. And so we're going to pull back the veil and to demonstrate that there is truly nothing to be afraid of. And we, Mr. President, are not afraid."

The deputies, members of the M5S party, then hold up signs protesting a political compromise that's restricting the rights of LGBT Italians — while the rest turn to their colleagues and demonstrate just how unscary a kiss is.

The best line, though, comes from the President of the Chamber at the end. He can be heard saying, "Onorevole Nuti, se ha finito di baciare il collega, faccia ritirare quei cartelli," which translates to:
"Honorable Mr. Nuti, if you've finished kissing your colleague, please take down those signs."

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 24, 2013

Knowing Death

As with many deep truths, people tend to look at the death awareness meditations and say, Yes, I know all of that. I know I'm going to die someday. I know I can't take it with me. I know my body will be dust. And as with other things—as with the law of impermanence itself—I would say we know it and we don't know it. We know it in our heads but haven't taken it into our hearts. We haven't let it penetrate the marrow of our bones. If we had, I can't help thinking we would live differently. Our whole lives would be different. The planet would be different as well.

- Larry Rosenberg, "Only the Practice of Dharma Can Help Us at the Time of Death"

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Via JMG: NEW MEXICO: Attorney General Slams Putting Marriage To A Public Vote

"Here is where some critics have incorrectly interpreted the legal process. Some have said that I am trying to unilaterally disregard state law by not suing county clerks who have elected to issue same sex marriage licenses. Several District Courts have addressed the issue. Two separate judges essentially ordered two different county clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples. Another judge ruled that the state’s prohibitive statutes are unconstitutional, paving the way for another clerk to start issuing the licenses. I maintain that the best way to resolve this issue is for the NM Supreme Court to decide whether our current law is unconstitutional. Finally, some people, including the governor, say that the issue of whether same sex couples should be afforded the same rights as everyone else in our state must be decided by the voters. I urge the reader to consider the following: The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863; The 19th Amendment (Women’s Suffrage) in 1920; the Civil Rights Act of 1964;---none of which were voted upon by the general electorate." - New Mexico Attorney General Gary King, who is expected to run for governor in 2014.  (Via Zack Ford)

Labels: Gary King, marriage equality, New Mexico

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 23, 2013

Spend Some Time with Yourself

I try to encourage my students to encounter the world within themselves, to try to follow the thread as to why they’re writing as deeply as they can into their subconscious. I tell them before they do any research, they should spend time with themselves, however long it takes: it could be a couple of days, or a couple of years. After that, you actually encounter someone else as someone else. You allow the world to enter and to become part of you, to break whatever cage you’ve been rattling around in. That part is interesting, too: we have to see our own cages.

- Nick Flynn, "Real Enough"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through September 24, 2013
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 22, 2013

Dogen’s Cookbook

When you prepare food, do not see with ordinary eyes and do not think with ordinary mind. Take up a blade of grass and construct a treasure king's land; enter into a particle of dust and turn the great dharma wheel. Do not arouse disdainful mind when you prepare a broth of wild grasses; do not arouse joyful mind when you prepare a fine cream soup. Where there is no discrimination, how can there be distaste? Thus, do not be careless even when you work with poor materials, and sustain your efforts even when you have excellent materials. Never change your attitude according to the materials. If you do, it is like varying your truth when speaking with different people; then you are not a practitioner of the way.

- Zen Master Dogen, “Instructions for the Tenzo”

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 21, 2013

Wisdom at Work

The desire to know something is wisdom at work. Being mindful is not difficult. But it’s difficult to be continuously aware. For that you need right effort. But it does not require a great deal of energy. It’s relaxed perseverance in reminding yourself to be aware. When you are aware, wisdom unfolds naturally, and there is still more interest.

- Sayadaw U Tejaniya, "The Wise Investigator"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through September 22, 2013
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 19, 2013

A Ladder Up

How our representatives spend our taxes reveals in stark black and white our nation's values and concerns. And how we respond to their decisions reveals, too, our own souls, our own deepest values. These responses show where we stand in relation to our neighbors and to those across the country who share our humanity, who look to us for a ladder up from the pains of poverty, illness, and hunger.

- Bhikkhu Bodhi, "The Attack at Home"

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 17, 2013

The Virtue of Non-Violence

To face—with open hands—armed, shielded, gas-masked riot police is the greatest form of courage. Non-violence is how you expose the violence of the system, and not seeing as “other” those charged with carrying out physical violence is how you communicate with them directly.

- Paul Hawken, "Upsurge"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through September 18, 2013
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 15, 2013

It's Nothing Personal

Understanding that there is no solid, singular, or permanent 'me' makes it possible to accommodate whatever arises in life without feeling so intimidated by our experience, without rolling over like a defeated dog in a dogfight. We can see that things arise due to our karma playing itself out and that it does not necessarily have to be so personal.

- Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, “Realizing Guiltlessness”

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Via AFER

http://www.afer.org/

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 14, 2013

On the Body

The body that we have is a living body. Mostly we were taught that the body is what we leave here when we die. I think that is a terrible mistake. The body that we have is not a dead body. We don’t know exactly how dead bodies come to be, but it is absolutely clear that this body is the living body. So we need to draw the basic concepts about “the body” from the living process.

- Eugene T. Gendlin, “Focusing”

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