Via JMG: Putin: Gays Are Welcome At Sochi

"We are doing everything, both the organizers and our athletes and fans, so that participants and guests feel comfortable in Sochi, regardless of nationality, race or sexual orientation." - Russian president Vladimir Putin, speaking today to Thomas Bach, the chairman of the International Olympic Committee. Gays are welcome to attend, just don't do anything that might let somebody know that you are gay. Otherwise...

 

Labels: LGBT rights, Russia, Sochi Olympics, Vladimir Putin

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 28, 2013

Sound Meditation

One specific method for practicing mindfulness of body sensations is to focus your attention on sounds. Sounds, like everything else, arise and pass away. Just by listening, you can experience the insight of impermanence, an understanding the Buddha taught as crucial for the development of wisdom.

- Sylvia Boorstein, "Sound Meditation"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 29, 2013
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Via BahaiTeachings.org: Baha’i Principles – Human Rights for All

If all of human history had happened today, the concept of human rights for all would’ve been born about two minutes ago.
 
Scholars have determined that no language on earth even contained a word or phrase for the concept of human rights before the year 1400.  In 1789, the first nations to adopt formal definitions of human rights — the United States with its Bill of Rights and France with its Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen – limited those rights to white, property-owning males.  The first truly egalitarian, global human rights document emerged from the United Nations in 1948 – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Now the basis for international law, the UDHR has become, in the 65 years of its existence, the most-translated document in the history of the world.

 

But almost a century before the UN developed and promulgated the UDHR, the Baha’i Faith became the first religion to call for universal human rights.  Baha’u’llah taught that every country must recognize the common global citizenship rights of all its peoples: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”  Abdu’l-Baha, speaking in Europe and North America in 1911 and 1912, reinforced the Baha’i concept of universal human rights:

Baha’u'llah taught that an equal standard of human rights must be recognized and adopted. In the estimation of God all men are equal; there is no distinction or preferment for any soul in the dominion of His justice and equity. – The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 181.

This early, radical advocacy raised a truly global Baha’i voice for guaranteed rights for all human beings.  In his speeches, addresses and writings Abdu’l-Baha repeatedly pointed out the sheer absurdity of national, racial and gender-based prejudices, which granted rights to some but denied them to others:

…the world of humanity is one race, the surface of the earth one place of residence and these imaginary racial barriers and political boundaries are without right or foundation. Man is degraded in becoming the captive of his own illusions and suppositions. The earth is one earth, and the same atmosphere surrounds it. No difference or preference has been made by God for its human inhabitants; but man has laid the foundation of prejudice, hatred and discord with his fellowman by considering nationalities separate in importance and races different in rights and privileges. - The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 231.

Because of the strong Baha’i emphasis on human rights, the elected institutions of the Baha’i Faith have long made global human rights a high priority.  The Baha’i International Community works closely with the United Nations to extend human rights protections to everyone, including the extremely poor, prisoners of conscience, women and children, the disabled and those who belong to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.  In 2010 The Universal House of Justice, the democratically-elected governing body of the Baha’is of the world, issued this statement on gay rights:

With respect to your question concerning the position Baha’is are to take regarding homosexuality and civil rights… Baha’is are enjoined to eliminate from their lives all forms of prejudice and to manifest respect towards all. Therefore, to regard those with a homosexual orientation with prejudice or disdain would be against the spirit of the Faith. Furthermore, a Baha’i is exhorted to be “an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression”, and it would be entirely appropriate for a believer to come to the defense of those whose fundamental rights are being denied or violated.

Make the jump here to read the full article at Baha'i Teachings

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 27, 2013

Practice Anytime

It’s definitely the case that we can practice at any given moment. We can always try a little more to be kind, to be compassionate and be careful about what we do and say and so forth.

- Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, "Keeping a Good Heart"

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Via JMG: Google Auto-Complete

 

Inspired by a similar campaign about women's rights, the United Nation's human rights office has launched an ad campaign which notes the most common suggestions when Google searches are made on LGBT-related topics. More results are at the link.

Labels: Google, internet, LGBT rights, United Nations

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: KANSAS: Christian Couple Stiffs Gay Waiter, Leave Note Calling Him "Fag"

From WTVM in Kansas:

A 20-year-old waiter provided exemplary service at an Overland Park Italian restaurant, but his anti-gay customers refused to tip him because of his sexual orientation. As word has spread through social media, other customers are coming in to offer words of encouragement and tip the young server extra. The man works at the Carrabba's Italian Grill near 107th Street and Metcalf Avenue. His mother also works as a hostess and she was very upset by what was written on the back of the check earlier this week after he waited on a couple.
"Thank you for your service, it was excellent. That being said, we cannot in good conscience tip you, for your homosexual lifestyle is an affront to GOD. (Homosexual slur) do not share in the wealth of GOD, and you will not share in ours," the customer wrote. "We hope you will see the tip your (homosexual slur) choices made you lose out on, and plan accordingly. It is never too late for GOD's love, but none shall be spared for (homosexual slur). May GOD have mercy on you." The server and his mother declined to answer questions on camera, referring questions to restaurant management.

So they called him a "fag" in the same sentence in which they declared God's love for everybody. (Via Towleroad)

 

Labels: Christian Love, disgusting, Kansas, religion

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: TAIWAN: Thousands March For Marriage

 

Tens of thousands marched in Taipei's gay pride parade today in support of a marriage equality bill under consideration by the Taiwanese legislature. Via Reuters:

Taiwan's legislature on Friday began a review of a gay marriage bill, which has the support of 53 percent of the public, according to a recent opinion poll, though acceptance of a gay family member remains low. "Chinese families are still very traditional," said Jennifer Lu of the counselling group Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association and one of the hosts on the centre stage. "People still emphasise having an heir and passing on the family name." On a cool autumn day, the 11th annual parade was marked by colourful costumes, plenty of exposed skin, musical performances and vendors lining the route to and from the city hall. Spokeswoman Meico Tsai praised the liberal attitudes that have put Taiwan far ahead of its neighbours in terms of tolerance of gays. "Compared to other Asian countries, we're more open, but we still have a long way to go," she said. Sexual-orientation education is a part of the primary school curriculum and LGBT individuals enjoy legal protection from hiring discrimination and other forms of prejudice. "Korea is much more conservative," said South Korean national Carmen Yoon, a first-time attendee. "I hope Taiwan will legalise gay marriage and we can follow their example."

The marriage bill is sponsored by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party and is before the legislature's judiciary committee. 

Labels: Asia, gay Pride, marriage equality, Taiwan

Reposted from Joe

Via Being Liberal / FB:

Via Just a Bahai Blog:

New post on Just a Bahai Blog

Stephen Fry’s docu – “Out There” being gay by justabahai

Stephen Fry's opening phrase on the question of why do people hate gays, "It's like someone who spends their whole life trying to get rid of red telephones" - why bother? They don't hurt anyone. Watch episode 1 of this brilliant 58 minute documentary aired on the BBC on October 14th 2013 and let me […]

Read more of this post

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 26, 2013

Speaking Afresh

It turns out we learned to qualify everything, to say ‘almost’ and ‘perhaps’ and ‘it could be’ and ‘it’s likely’ and ‘maybe,’ maybe too well. As befits the understandings of contemporary physics, Truth became statistical truth and never an absolute. Now, in the wake of wars and tragedies, we can’t seem to find our way back to fresh and vivid ways of saying, ‘Here I take my stand’ and ‘This, I believe.’

- Dick Allen, “Does a Cow Go ‘Mu’?”

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 27, 2013
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Via AmericaBlogGay: Christian couple refuses to tip gay waiter because “Queers do not share in the wealth of GOD”

A “Christian” couple eating at an Italian restaurant in Overland Park, Kansas refused to tip their water because they somehow deduced that he was gay.

Oh but it gets worse. Instead of a tip, they left the 20 year old young man a long note full of anti-gay slurs.



I’m adding asterisks in the note below, as sometimes words like this can kill our ads – the authors of the note made no such hedging:

“Thank you for your service, it was excellent. That being said, we cannot in good conscience tip you, for your homosexual lifestyle is an affront to GOD. Queers do not share in the wealth of GOD, and you will not share in ours. We hope you will see the tip your f*g choices made you lose out on, and plan accordingly. It is never too late for GOD’S love, but none shall be spared for f*gs. May GOD have mercy on you.”

The incident happened this week at Carrabbas Italian Grill, where the kid and his mother both work (she’s the hostess).  Mom told a local new site that the “Christians” were lucky she didn’t see the note before they left, or there’d have been a bit of a scene.

Make the jump here to read the full article

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 25, 2013

The Truth About Gossip

When talking about others is motivated by thoughts of ill will, jealousy, or attachment, conversations turn into gossip. These thoughts may seem to be subconscious, but if we pay close attention to our mind we’ll be able to catch them in the act. Many of these are thoughts that we don’t want to acknowledge to ourselves, let alone to others, but my experience is that when I become courageous enough to notice and admit them, I’m on my way to letting them go.

- Thubten Chodron, “The Truth About Gossip”

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 26, 2013
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Via Nalanda LGBT Buddhist Cultural and Resource Center

 

Via HimalayaCrafts / FB:

The foolish are trapped by karma, while the wise are liberated through karma.

 

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 24, 2013

The Examined Life

Life is profound if you’re awake to see it. It’s one thing to draw from culture, it’s another thing to be drawn so deeply into the culture that your true nature disappears. Wisdom is not merely something to be gained with old age. One can be wise in every stage of one’s life. To manifest wisdom means simply to step back and see—to reflect, inquire, be aware, be disciplined, and be focused not once in a while, but all of the time, moment to moment. This life is precious and fleeting. Pay attention.

- Seido Ray Ronci, "The Examined Life"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 25, 2013
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Via Upworthy / FB:

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 23, 2013

The Exquisite Taste of Plain Water

When we are able to fully appreciate the basic activities of eating and drinking, we discover an ancient secret, the secret of how to become content and at ease. The Zen teachings talk about the exquisite taste of plain water. Have you ever been very, very thirsty? Maybe you were on a long hike, or sick, or working without a break in the summer heat. When you were finally able to drink, even plain water, you remember how wonderful it was. Actually, each sip of liquid and each bite of food can be that fresh and delicious, once we learn again just to be present.

- Jan Chozen Bays, "Mindful Eating"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 24, 2013
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Via JMG: 33% Of Americans Live In Marriage States

 

Largely due to California and New York and pushed over the one-third mark by New Jersey. Adding only three states (FL, TX, IL) would have us at 50%, but we won't hold our breath for two of them. Via AFER.

Labels: AFER, marriage equality, New Jersey

Reposted from Joe

Via Wimp.com / FB: Never!