Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie is expected to sign a bill Wednesday legalizing gay marriage, expanding the state's aloha spirit and positioning the islands for more newlywed tourists. Abercrombie was expected to sign the bill Wednesday morning at an invitation-only ceremony at the Hawaii Convention Center, near the tourist heart of Waikiki. The measure will allow thousands of gay couples living in Hawaii and even more tourists to marry in the state starting Dec. 2. Another 14 states and the District of Columbia already allow same-sex marriage, while a bill is awaiting the governor's signature in Illinois. "I look forward to signing this significant piece of legislation, which provides marriage equity and fully recognizes and protects religious freedoms," Abercrombie said.I'll post a video link to the ceremony this afternoon.
The south-eastern Asian country has officially allowed same-sex couples to organize weddings and have the right to live together. While the unions won’t be legally recognized, gay rights campaigners believe it is a large step on the path to equal marriage. The Government has taken this step after two fines were handed out to gay and lesbian couples who chose to have a marriage ceremony in the southern provinces of Kien Giang and Ca Mau.Last week Vietnam's National Assembly began hearings on removing the ban on same-sex marriage, the first step towards legalization.
Folks, the Confederate flag is no better than a Swastika. It is a symbol of white supremacy, hate and oppression that has no place in American political discourse. That Kanye West wants to co-opt the rebel banner is as noble as it is futile. Meanwhile, the rainbow that is the gay pride flag symbolizes inclusion and acceptance. Oftentimes, usually in other countries, the words “pace” or “peace” can be found emblazoned on it. The rainbow flag is the very antithesis of the Confederate flag. That the latter is deemed more acceptable than the former is deplorable.Defenders of the confederate flag are pouring into the WaPo comments. (Tipped by JMG reader Eric)
Even
on a small scale in daily life situations, such as when we feel bored
or ill at ease, instead of trying to avoid these feelings by staying
busy or buying another fancy gadget, we learn to look more clearly at
our impulses, attitudes, and defenses. In this way dukkha guides and
deepens our motivation to the point where we’ll say, 'Enough running,
enough walls, I’ll grow through handling my blocks and lost places.'
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You
know in Vietnam, when you sat during the war, when you sat in the
meditation hall and heard the bombs falling, you had to be aware that
the bombs are falling and people are dying. That is part of the
practice. Meditation means to be aware of what is happening in the
present moment—to your body, to your feelings, to your environment. But
if you see and if you don’t do anything, where is your awareness? Then
where would your enlightenment be? Your compassion? In order not to get
lost, you have to be able to continue the practice there, in the midst
of all that.
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Pat Robertson, the US televangelist, was named Bigot of the Year at the Stonewall Awards last night. Robertson, the host of the 700 Club and the founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), was given the title after his bizarre theory concerning the transmission of HIV between gay men. In August, he said gay people purposely spread HIV by cutting people with “special rings”. As a response, gay CNN anchor Anderson Cooper criticised Robertson during the ‘Ridiculist’ feature on his show. Robertson beat four nominees for Bigot of the Year including historian Professor Neil Ferguson; Reverend George Gabauer; leading ex-gay activist Scott Lively; and, UKIP Parliamentary candidate Winston McKenzie.Last year's Bigot Of The Year was disgraced Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who campaigned against same-sex marriage then resigned when several priests revealed that he'd been sucking their cocks.
Experiences
are preceded by mind, led by mind, and produced by mind. If one speaks
or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow that never
departs.
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At
times our tendency is to indulge in sadness—we don’t want to get rid of
it, we want more. But there are many other situations in which we can
see clearly how much energy is invested in trying to get rid of sadness.
Lots of energy is literally thrown into the desire to get rid of it. Of
course, I am not referring to those small acts of wisdom in which one
gets together to talk things over with a friend, for example, or goes
into nature. I am referring to something compulsive, something
obsessive—thinking, judging, reacting about how to get rid of this
unpleasant feeling. We might as well talk about total nonacceptance of
sadness; we might as well talk about aversion to sadness. A lot of
energy goes into this desire.
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“GM will recognize a legal marriage for U.S. employees no matter the state of residence,” the automaker said in a statement. “For example, if a GM employee residing in Michigan, where same-sex marriage is not recognized, got married in New York, GM would recognize that marriage.” GM also changed its policies to allow same-sex partners of GM employees to inherit their spouse’s pension when they die. “Because marriage is considered a ‘life event,’ U.S. hourly and salaried employees can add their spouse to their health care coverage at any time within one year from their date of marriage or during the next annual enrollment period with proof of a valid, legal marriage license,” GM said in a statement.Let's see if this prompts a Dump General Motors boycott by NOM.
Celebrating a year of big wins and marking the need to finish the job, Freedom to Marry today announced a new video billboard titled “Love for Everyone” featuring three diverse same-sex families and a message of love and commitment. The billboard will display in Times Square throughout the holiday season up until January 4, 2014. More than 1.5 million people pass through Times Square daily. “With the rapidly expanding importance of digital technology and new media, Freedom to Marry is using every opportunity to communicate our message of fairness for all committed couples and their families,” said Michael Crawford, Freedom to Marry’s digital director.
I
used to think that to become free you had to practice like a samurai
warrior, but now I understand that you have to practice like a devoted
mother of a newborn child. It takes the same energy but has a completely
different quality. It's compassion and presence rather than having to
defeat the enemy in battle.
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“We have always believed this is covered by existing law,” the aide said, adding that it is “not a new issue or a new position — it’s a longstanding position, and, frankly, not ‘news’ at all. This has been his position, on the record, for years, stated publicly many times.”It’s legal under federal law to fire (or not hire, or not promote) someone for being gay or trans. It also legal in 29 states to fire someone for being gay, and in 33 states to fire someone for being trans. Though, gays and trans people in those states would be protected if the city in which they live has outlawed such discrimination.
