James "Wally" Brewster Embajador de los Estados Unidos para la República Dominicana

JMG Guest Post: Carl Siciliano

We deal with a twofold tragedy every day at the Ali Forney Center. The first part is that hundreds of thousands of parents drive their children from their homes because they cannot accept having an LGBT child. The second part is that fewer than one tenth of homeless kids in this country can access a youth shelter bed. Hundreds of thousands of terrified, devastated kids are out on the streets tonight with nowhere safe to lay their heads.

Recently I met a girl in Minneapolis who told me about being out on the streets at 16 in the frozen Minnesota winter. She found a bus driver who would allow her to ride the city bus all night. But one night when he was off duty and she didn't have the bus fare, she shivered in the snow, fearing she would die in the cold. Another boy told me of being thrown out of his home in a suburb of Atlanta by a homophobic aunt. Having nowhere to go, he spent three days and nights in the woods near his house, with no food or water, crying and terrified and wanting to die. Finally he staggered out onto a sidewalk and collapsed of dehydration and was hospitalized.

Many kids turn to prostitution, having no other way to support themselves. Deon became homeless in Houston when he was 15. He also rode the buses all night, and would shower in the morning at a friend's house before heading to school. One night he was propositioned while waiting for the bus, and was offered money for sex. Deeply exhausted from his long nights on the bus, he reluctantly accepted. He told me that he felt so ashamed and humiliated by the experience, that he spent over an hour in the shower at his friends house that morning. He was weeping uncontrollably and didn't want anyone to see him like that. Deon lives with us now. Yesterday he told me that at his job at H&M clothing store, he has a portion of his income taken out of each paycheck. He uses this money to sponsor an orphan in Zimbabwe. He was beaming with pride when he told me this. I am more proud of him than I know how to say.

At the Ali Forney Center we respond to LGBT kids in the most horrifying situations imaginable. We respond with food and shelter, with job training and medical care. We work with kids from all over the country. Last year we cared for over 1,000 kids. As important as it is to house and feed these kids, it is just as important to affirm their basic human worth as LGBT people. It is important to show that they belong to our community, that they are valued and loved.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for the kids who live with us, that they can have the opportunity to be healed of their terrible wounds. And I am thankful for the community of support that allows us to do this beautiful work. I am especially thankful to Joe and the JoeMyGod community for standing by us year after year. I am especially thankful for the amazing support we received last year when Hurricane Sandy destroyed our drop-in center.

I ask you to consider supporting our kids at this time. We have 200 kids on the waiting list for our shelters tonight, and have to rely on the support of the community in this time of sequestration and government cutbacks. Donations can be sent to us by mail at: Ali Forney Center, 224 West 35th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10001. Donations can be made online here.

Labels: Ali Forney Center, Carl Siciliano, good work, homelessness, LGBT youth, NYC

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 29, 2013

Shopping the Dharma

We must become aware of how the consumer mentality functions in us and in our spiritual communities and institutions. We need to revive appreciation for the traditional model of a practitioner who lives a life of simplicity and humility, sincerity and endeavor, kindness and compassion. We must choose teachers with these qualities, cultivate these qualities in ourselves, and guide our students in developing them. We must remember that the purpose of a spiritual institution is not to preserve itself, but to facilitate the teaching and practice of a spiritual tradition. We should have only as much institutional structure as needed to do that, no more. This is essential to maintain the vitality of our spiritual traditions and to prevent them from becoming empty shells.

- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, “Shopping the Dharma”

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A homossexualidade por Chico Xavier e Divaldo Franco

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 28, 2013

Giving Thanks

Gratitude, the simple and profound feeling of being thankful, is the foundation of all generosity. I am generous when I believe that right now, right here, in this form and this place, I am myself being given what I need. Generosity requires that we relinquish something, and this is impossible if we are not glad for what we have.

- Sallie Jiko Tisdale, “As If There is Nothing to Lose”

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Via JMG: BRITAIN: Supreme Court Rules Against Anti-Gay Bed & Breakfast Owners

Britain's Supreme Court has ruled against the owners of a bed & breakfast who were fined after refusing to rent a room to a gay couple.

Hazelmary and Peter Bull refused to let civil partners Steven Preddy and Martyn Hall stay in a double room at Chymorvah House in Marazion in Cornwall in 2008. The couple, who had already lost cases at Bristol County Court and the Court of Appeal, said they were "saddened". Mr and Mrs Bull have said they regard any sex outside marriage as a "sin". The Bulls denied discriminating against Mr Hall and Mr Preddy, who are from Bristol. Sixty-nine-year-old Mrs Bull and her 74-year-old husband said their decision was founded on a "religiously-informed judgment of conscience". Five Supreme Court justices ruled against them on Wednesday after analysing the case at a hearing in London in October.

In September the Bulls announced that they were closing their inn due to a plummeting occupancy rate. (Tipped by JMG reader Paolo)

Labels: Britain, hotels, public accommodations, religion

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: KENTUCKY: Gay Couple Fined One Cent For Trespassing During Marriage Protest

A Louisville, Kentucky gay couple has been found guilty of trespassing for refusing to leave the county clerk's office after being denied a marriage license. But the sympathetic jury fined them only one penny.

After three hours of testimony in which their lawyers hailed them for their civil disobedience, while the prosecution urged jurors to stick to the facts, Blanchard and James were convicted Tuesday of trespassing — but fined only a penny. Blanchard called the penalty a vindication of their protest in support of same-sex marriage. “It shows they understood what we were doing,” he said after jurors returned their verdict following 90 minutes of deliberations.
James’ lawyer, Annie O’Connell, said the fine may have been the smallest ever imposed in a criminal trial in Kentucky. Blanchard’s counsel, Ted Shouse, said in court that he had never tried a case in which the maximum penalty — $250 — “was so low and the stakes were so high.” Jessie Halladay, a spokeswoman for the county attorney’s office, said after the verdict that prosecutors had no choice but to take the case to trial. “We respect the right of the defendants to protest, but we also respect the law, and the law doesn’t distinguish what causes are worth breaking the law for,” she said.

The jury had sent the a judge a note asking if they could convict but impose no fine at all. The judge responded that some fine was mandated by the law. The judge then waived the one penny fine and all court costs. Bonus nicety: The arresting officer testified that he had shaken the couple's hands before taking them into custody. (Tipped by JMG reader Rob)

Labels: activism, Kentucky, marriage equality

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Corte inglesa decide que fé não justifica discriminação

A Suprema Corte do Reino Unido desenhou limites para a liberdade de religião nesta quarta-feira (27/11). O tribunal decidiu que o direito de exercer a própria fé não autoriza ninguém a discriminar outras pessoas. Os juízes consideraram que os donos de uma pousada violaram a legislação britânica ao negar que dois homens gays dormissem num quarto com cama de casal.
 
A corte analisou o apelo do casal Hazelmary e Peter Bull, que mantêm uma pousada numa cidade litorânea na região da Cornualha, costa oeste da Inglaterra. Os dois são cristãos e afirmam procurar, tanto na vida pessoal como profissional, seguir os ensinamentos da Bíblia. Um deles é o de que sexo só pode ser feito dentro do casamento, que é a união entre um homem e uma mulher. Caso contrário, é pecado. E, para evitar que seus hóspedes pequem, o casal impede que duas pessoas que não são casadas durmam em quartos com uma cama de casal.

A política cristã na pousada não parecia causar muito problema com os hóspedes, até que, em setembro de 2008, Martyn Hall e Steven Preddy resolveram se hospedar lá. Os dois são homens, homossexuais e vivem em união civil. Resolveram aproveitar os últimos dias quentes da Inglaterra na Cornualha e pediram para ficar num quarto com uma cama de casal, como fazem os casais. Não conseguiram. Os donos da pousada negaram dizendo que sexo fora do casamento é pecado e, como os dois homens não eram casados, não poderiam dormir juntos.

A briga foi parar na Justiça. Os donos da pousada perderam em todas as instâncias e, agora com a decisão da Suprema Corte, terão de pagar indenização para Hall e Preddy. A Suprema Corte considerou que a política mantida pela pousada, um estabelecimento voltado a atender ao público, é discriminatória. A legislação britânica estabelece que as uniões civis e os casamentos têm os mesmos direitos e deveres e devem ser tratados da mesma maneira.

A maioria dos juízes considerou que, já que o casamento entre pessoas do mesmo sexo só passou a ser permitido neste ano, a negativa de cama de casal para pessoas não casadas é também baseada na opção sexual. Ainda mais se considerado que a visão cristã de casamento é o relacionamento entre um homem e uma mulher.

Os juízes explicaram que a decisão não significa, no entanto, que a liberdade sexual se sobrepõe à liberdade de religião. Se os donos do hotel tivessem negado estadia a possíveis hóspedes por discordar das suas crenças religiosas, a corte também consideraria que houve discriminação indevida.

A Suprema Corte explicou que a liberdade religiosa, direito garantido na Convenção Europeia de Direitos Humanos, não é absoluta. Ela pode ser limitada para proteger direitos alheios.

O casamento civil e religioso entre pessoas do mesmo sexo foi autorizado no Reino Unido em julho deste ano, depois que lei sobre o assunto foi aprovada no Parlamento britânico. A norma deixou a cargo das igrejas decidirem se aceitam casar gays ou não. A previsão é de que os primeiros casamentos entre homossexuais sejam celebrados no meio do ano que vem, já que a nova lei precisa de regulamentação antes de ser posta em prática.

Atualmente, no continente europeu, dez países permitem que os gays se casem. São eles: Bélgica, Dinamarca, França, Islândia, Holanda, Noruega, Portugal, Espanha, Suécia e Inglaterra. A Escócia deve ser o próximo a autorizar o matrimônio entre duas pessoas do mesmo sexo. Na Irlanda, um dos países mais católicos e conservadores da Europa, o governo já anunciou que deve fazer um plebiscito em 2015 para ouvir a população sobre o assunto.

Já a união civil entre gays é mais aceita no continente. Além dos que permitem o casamento, outros 16 países reconhecem a união estável entre duas pessoas do mesmo sexo. Entre esses, apenas três — República Tcheca, Hungria e Eslovênia — são do Leste Europeu, onde os direitos dos homossexuais ainda são pouco reconhecidos.

Clique aqui para ler a decisão em inglês.

Via JMG: Texas Caves On National Guard

Via press release from Lambda Legal:

After increasing pressure to follow U.S. Department of Defense guidelines, the Texas Military Forces today allowed Lambda Legal's client, Alicia Butler the wife of 1st Lt. Judith Chedville to register for federal military benefits at Camp Mabry. "We are thrilled for Alicia and Judith who just wanted to take steps, like all military families, to access critical support networks and benefits provided to families of servicemembers," Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Paul Castillo said. "Texas Military Forces implements a host of federal benefits programs for all National Guard units in the state and it should be no different for married same-sex couples."
In September, Lambda Legal submitted a letter urging the commanding officer of the Texas Military Forces to abide by U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) guidelines and allow married same-sex military couples to register for federal benefits at any military base in the state. Since that first contact, Lambda Legal has engaged in continued aggressive advocacy at all levels to urge this result. I am so pleased to have this spousal ID card and begin to access a range of benefits," Butler said. "My wife served our country and our family needs support like all military families."

The American Military Partner Association reacts:

“We applaud the Texas Military Forces for changing course and the Department of Defense for making sure this issue is resolved in Texas," said Stephen Peters, president of AMPA. "All military spouses, regardless of orientation or gender, deserve to treated with the same dignity, respect, and support for their sacrifices in support of our nation, no matter what state they serve in. We urge the remaining states who have not yet complied with Department of Defense policy to do so quickly and affirm their commitment to all military families."

Labels: gay soldiers, military, National Guard, Texas

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 27, 2013

Concern for Others

For modern Buddhists, the world shows us daily that our own awareness cannot thrive indifferent to what is happening to the awareness of others. As the old sociological paradox puts it, people create society, but society also creates people. Our economic and political systems are not spiritually neutral; they inculcate certain values and discourage others. As our awareness becomes more liberated, we become more aware of the suffering of others, and of the social forces that aggravate or decrease suffering.

- David Loy, "Why Buddhism Needs the West"

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 26, 2013

How to Be

Dogen said: ‘Directly upon encountering the dharma, we will abandon the law of the world.’ In other words, once we discover the true order behind the appearance of things, our lives will no longer be dominated by the conventional values of society—the seeking to outshine, outrace, outgain.

- Henry Shukman, "How to Be in the World"

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JMG Quote Of The Day - Tom Comstock

"I told God, if he's going to save me from death from this and he doesn't send me a boyfriend, I'm going to call a party foul." - Portland resident Tom Comstock, after pieces of lumber speared the cabin of his SUV when he was rear-ended during rush hour traffic. Emergency room doctors gave him a tetanus shot and told him to go buy a lottery ticket. KATU-TV has video and more photos at the link. (Tipped by JMG reader Bobby)

Labels: bears, cars, Oregon, traffic

Reposted from Joe Jervis

The Most Powerful Video on Spirituality and Happiness - Rare Eckhart Tolle Teaching - Must See

Bill Maher New Rules - Kennedy was cooler than Reagan

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 25, 2013

What the Buddha Never Said

When the Buddha speaks, it is said, he always intends his words to lead to the welfare and happiness of the hearers. But his words are not always tied to the theme of “suffering and its cessation.” To insist on confining them to this topic is to drastically narrow the range of the dharma.

- Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, "'I Teach Only Suffering and the End of Suffering'"

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Via Being Liberal / FB:

Via Lady Liberals / FB:

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 24, 2013

How to Become Lucid

If you’ve ever had a lucid dream before, you may have an idea how this unique state of awareness can open up incredible opportunities for discovery, healing, and growth. The idea is not new: Tibetan Buddhists have practiced lucid dreaming for at least a thousand years, referring to it as dream yoga. Dreams often act like mirrors, presenting you with a reflection of yourself. By becoming conscious in your unconscious, you’re able to explore and deepen the connection to your own inner world.

- Dylan Tuccillo, Jared Zeizel, and Thomas Peisel, "Taking Flight"

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His Holiness the Karmapa: The Technology of the Heart

Hmmmm... but it does exist... click below:

http://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_the_karmapa_the_technology_of_the_heart.html