Via JMG: VIRGINIA: Olson & Boies Tell Court To Immediately Rule In Favor Of Marriage

Via press release from AFER:

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), the sole sponsor of Bostic v. Rainey, the federal constitutional challenge to Virginia’s discriminatory Marriage Amendment, issued the following statement regarding U.S. District Court Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen’s order seeking Status Reports from all parties in the case regarding whether oral argument on the issues presented is warranted or whether the Court should rule promptly on the briefs without a hearing: “Every day these discriminatory laws remain in effect is another day gay and lesbian Virginians and their families are harmed and treated as second-class citizens,” said AFER Executive Director Adam Umhoefer. “We urge Judge Allen to proceed immediately to judgment and find Virginia’s laws banning marriage for gay and lesbian couples unconstitutional." The Judge’s order was issued following the compelling Notice from the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia that the Attorney General concluded that Virginia's laws denying the right to marry to same-sex couples violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. If a hearing is deemed necessary, oral argument will be heard at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, January 30, 2014.

Bolding is mine. Zoom, zoom, zoom?

Labels: AFER, David Boies, lawsuits, LGBT rights, Mark Herring, marriage equality, Ted Olson, Virginia

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 26, 2014

The Three Marks

Rather than seeking a sense of peaceful satisfaction with the unfolding of experience, the goal of [preliminary] practice is to produce a state of mind that is highly judgmental, indeed judging this world to be like a prison. This sense of dissatisfaction is regarded as an essential prerequisite for progress on the Buddhist path. Far from seeking to become somehow 'nonjudgmental,' the meditator is instructed to judge all the objects of ordinary experience as scarred by three marks: impermanence, suffering, and no self.

- Donald S. Lopez, "The Scientific Buddha"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 27, 2014
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 25, 2014

Life is Precious

Life is precious, for it is only life—particularly the condition of human life—in which one can attain enlightenment.

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

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 26, 2014
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 24, 2014

The Price of Dignity

Poverty still persists today because we have lost the moral perspective as the polestar of public policy. Instead we follow the law of the jungle, content to abandon the poor to their own devices, demanding that they marshal resources they simply do not possess. And the reason we have moved in this direction, drifting away from the high ideals of the Great Society era, is because the vision and values of corporate capitalism have gained ascendency over those of human solidarity and mutual responsibility. To eliminate poverty, this trend must be reversed. The individualistic vision must give way to one that stresses our essential unity; competition must be balanced by mutual assistance and respect.

- Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, "The Price of Dignity"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 25, 2014
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Via FB:

Via JMG: NIGERIA: Catholic Cardinal Promoted By Pope Francis Praises Anti-Gay Laws

"The church accepts people as they are, we condemn homosexuality, Nigeria is an independent country and we do not beg for food. We have every right to order our social life in any way we think it should go. Our social life should not be organised on the basis of what others think. On this note, I commend our National Assembly and Mr President for resisting all the pressures and enacting a law against homosexuality. Signing the bill into law by President Jonathan in spite of pressures from within and outside the country should be commended by all and sundry. The world is at crossroads and there is nothing new under the sun. `We all know that this is not the first time we have heard about the agitation for gay rights but our position, as a church, has not changed. Even when some sections of society view same sex issues as moral disorder acts, homosexuality has not stopped, it still happens in the open around the world. It doesn’t mean that it should be accepted." - Cardinal John Onaiyekan, speaking to Nigeria's PM News. Onaiyekan got his red hat from Pope Benedict in 2012.  Last July Pope Francis named him the Vatican's Apostolic Administrator (rule enforcer) for the Diocese of Ahaira in southern Nigeria. (Via Bilerico)

Labels: Africa, Catholic Church, Christian Love, gay death penalty, homosexuality, LGBT rights, Nigeria, Pope Francis, religion

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Russian Broadway Shut Down - Government Deems All Theatre Homosexual Propaganda

Via JMG: Stoli Donates $300K To LA LGBT Center

"The responses to the attacks on LGBT rights in Russia show that our lives are global and interconnected. Some responded to the attacks on LGBT rights in Russia by boycotting Stoli. It’s worth clarifying that SPI Group, which is in no way affiliated with the Russian government, has been the owner of the Stolichnaya brand outside of Russia since 1997. The Stolichnaya made in Russia for the local market is owned by a state-controlled entity. We feel it is important to raise our voice again and let the LGBT community know we share the same desire for justice and equality. And we are invested in achieving a brighter tomorrow for all. We are proud to be working with the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center to make our joint vision possible through the Leadership LAB, which empowers LGBT people to defeat prejudice locally, while developing leaders in LGBT communities in the U.S. and around the world. - SPI Group president John Esposito, in an Advocate op-ed announcing a $300,000 donation to the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center.

Labels: activism, boycotts, LA Gay and Lesbian Center, LGBT rights, marketing, Russia, Stoli

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via PinkNews.UK: US: Two key Oregon same-sex marriage lawsuits consolidated by judge

The state of Oregon currently bans equal marriage

In a move which could potentially open the door to more quickly removing a ban on same-sex marriage, a federal judge consolidated two lawsuits seeking just that.

A lawsuit filed in October 2013 on behalf of two women in a 30+ year relationship, and a December lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of one lesbian and one gay couples were merged.

Oral arguments were set for the now consolidated cases for 23 April this year by Judge Michael McShane.

An attorney for the October lawsuit opposed the combining of the two, expressing concern that it might delay the decision, however the lawyers from the December lawsuit supported the decision.

A 2004 constitutional amendment approved by 57% of voters to 43%, defined marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman.

Campaigners have just announced a petition which has over 127,000 signatures towards putting a question on the ballot to reverse the amendment.

Gay rights advocates commended the two possible channels towards achieving equal marriage, hoping for the quickest possible outcome.

The question would go on a November ballot for voters.

 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/01/23/us-two-key-oregon-same-sex-marriage-lawsuits-consolidated-by-judge/

Via GayStarNews: Historic ruling: Judge orders anti-gay Scott Lively to stand trial for crimes against humanity

Extremist anti-gay US pastor is accused of engineering the Uganda 'Kill The Gays' bill, saying LGBT people are the 'new Nazis' and recommending Russia's 'gay propaganda' laws

15 August 2013 | By Joe Morgan

For the first time, a federal US judge has ruled a persecution of LGBT people is a crime against humanity.
This sets a precedent ensuring the fundamental human rights of LGBTI people are protected under international law.
It comes as a Ugandan LGBTI advocacy organization filed a lawsuit against prominent US anti-gay extremist Scott Lively.
Accused of helping to play a part in the persecution, arrest and murder of gay people in Uganda, Lively’s lawyers requested to dismiss the lawsuit.
Michael Ponsor, the US District Judge in Springfield, Massachusetts, said: ‘Widespread, systematic persecution of LGBTI people constitutes a crime against humanity that unquestionably violates international norms.’
‘The history and current existence of discrimination against LGBTI people is precisely what qualifies them as a distinct targeted group eligible for protection under international law.
‘The fact that a group continues to be vulnerable to widespread, systematic persecution in some parts of the world simply cannot shield one who commits a crime against humanity from liability.’
The lawsuit states Lively collaborated with key Ugandan government officials and religious leaders that allegedly resulted in the introduction of the ‘Kill The Gays’ bill.
The founder of Abiding Truth Ministries, Lively has made a career of stirring up anti-gay feelings in the USA and across the world.
He co-authored The Pink Swastika, which suggests ‘homosexuals were the truth inventors of Nazism and the guiding force behind many Nazi atrocities’ and the rainbow flag is a symbol of the ‘end times’.
In 2007, Lively also toured 50 cities in Russia where he is accused of recommending a ban on 'gay propaganda'.
Frank Mugisha, director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, said: ‘Today’s ruling is a significant victory for human rights everywhere but most especially for LGBTI Ugandans who are seeking accountability from those orchestrating our persecution.’
While the court battle is certainly not over, it will allow the Ugandan group to seek justice for what they believe Lively has done.
US law allows foreign citizens to sue for violations of international law in US federal courts under the Alien Tort Statute.

- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/historic-ruling-judge-orders-anti-gay-scott-lively-stand-trial-crimes-against-humanity150813#sthash.gokU4BqR.dpuf

Extremist anti-gay US pastor is accused of engineering the Uganda 'Kill The Gays' bill, saying LGBT people are the 'new Nazis' and recommending Russia's 'gay propaganda' laws

15 August 2013 | By Joe Morgan

For the first time, a federal US judge has ruled a persecution of LGBT people is a crime against humanity.
This sets a precedent ensuring the fundamental human rights of LGBTI people are protected under international law.
It comes as a Ugandan LGBTI advocacy organization filed a lawsuit against prominent US anti-gay extremist Scott Lively.
Accused of helping to play a part in the persecution, arrest and murder of gay people in Uganda, Lively’s lawyers requested to dismiss the lawsuit.
Michael Ponsor, the US District Judge in Springfield, Massachusetts, said: ‘Widespread, systematic persecution of LGBTI people constitutes a crime against humanity that unquestionably violates international norms.’
‘The history and current existence of discrimination against LGBTI people is precisely what qualifies them as a distinct targeted group eligible for protection under international law.
‘The fact that a group continues to be vulnerable to widespread, systematic persecution in some parts of the world simply cannot shield one who commits a crime against humanity from liability.’
The lawsuit states Lively collaborated with key Ugandan government officials and religious leaders that allegedly resulted in the introduction of the ‘Kill The Gays’ bill.
The founder of Abiding Truth Ministries, Lively has made a career of stirring up anti-gay feelings in the USA and across the world.
He co-authored The Pink Swastika, which suggests ‘homosexuals were the truth inventors of Nazism and the guiding force behind many Nazi atrocities’ and the rainbow flag is a symbol of the ‘end times’.
In 2007, Lively also toured 50 cities in Russia where he is accused of recommending a ban on 'gay propaganda'.
Frank Mugisha, director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, said: ‘Today’s ruling is a significant victory for human rights everywhere but most especially for LGBTI Ugandans who are seeking accountability from those orchestrating our persecution.’
While the court battle is certainly not over, it will allow the Ugandan group to seek justice for what they believe Lively has done.
US law allows foreign citizens to sue for violations of international law in US federal courts under the Alien Tort Statute.

- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/historic-ruling-judge-orders-anti-gay-scott-lively-stand-trial-crimes-against-humanity150813#sthash.gokU4BqR.dpuf

Extremist anti-gay US pastor is accused of engineering the Uganda 'Kill The Gays' bill, saying LGBT people are the 'new Nazis' and recommending Russia's 'gay propaganda' laws

15 August 2013 | By Joe Morgan

For the first time, a federal US judge has ruled a persecution of LGBT people is a crime against humanity.
This sets a precedent ensuring the fundamental human rights of LGBTI people are protected under international law.
It comes as a Ugandan LGBTI advocacy organization filed a lawsuit against prominent US anti-gay extremist Scott Lively.
Accused of helping to play a part in the persecution, arrest and murder of gay people in Uganda, Lively’s lawyers requested to dismiss the lawsuit.
Michael Ponsor, the US District Judge in Springfield, Massachusetts, said: ‘Widespread, systematic persecution of LGBTI people constitutes a crime against humanity that unquestionably violates international norms.’
‘The history and current existence of discrimination against LGBTI people is precisely what qualifies them as a distinct targeted group eligible for protection under international law.
‘The fact that a group continues to be vulnerable to widespread, systematic persecution in some parts of the world simply cannot shield one who commits a crime against humanity from liability.’
The lawsuit states Lively collaborated with key Ugandan government officials and religious leaders that allegedly resulted in the introduction of the ‘Kill The Gays’ bill.
The founder of Abiding Truth Ministries, Lively has made a career of stirring up anti-gay feelings in the USA and across the world.
He co-authored The Pink Swastika, which suggests ‘homosexuals were the truth inventors of Nazism and the guiding force behind many Nazi atrocities’ and the rainbow flag is a symbol of the ‘end times’.
In 2007, Lively also toured 50 cities in Russia where he is accused of recommending a ban on 'gay propaganda'.
Frank Mugisha, director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, said: ‘Today’s ruling is a significant victory for human rights everywhere but most especially for LGBTI Ugandans who are seeking accountability from those orchestrating our persecution.’
While the court battle is certainly not over, it will allow the Ugandan group to seek justice for what they believe Lively has done.
US law allows foreign citizens to sue for violations of international law in US federal courts under the Alien Tort Statute.

- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/historic-ruling-judge-orders-anti-gay-scott-lively-stand-trial-crimes-against-humanity150813#sthash.gokU4BqR.dpuf

Extremist anti-gay US pastor is accused of engineering the Uganda 'Kill The Gays' bill, saying LGBT people are the 'new Nazis' and recommending Russia's 'gay propaganda' laws

15 August 2013 | By Joe Morgan

For the first time, a federal US judge has ruled a persecution of LGBT people is a crime against humanity.

This sets a precedent ensuring the fundamental human rights of LGBTI people are protected under international law.

It comes as a Ugandan LGBTI advocacy organization filed a lawsuit against prominent US anti-gay extremist Scott Lively.

Accused of helping to play a part in the persecution, arrest and murder of gay people in Uganda, Lively’s lawyers requested to dismiss the lawsuit.

Michael Ponsor, the US District Judge in Springfield, Massachusetts, said: ‘Widespread, systematic persecution of LGBTI people constitutes a crime against humanity that unquestionably violates international norms.’

Make the jump here to read the full article at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/historic-ruling-judge-orders-anti-gay-scott-lively-stand-trial-crimes-against-humanity150813#sthash.gokU4BqR.dpuf

Extremist anti-gay US pastor is accused of engineering the Uganda 'Kill The Gays' bill, saying LGBT people are the 'new Nazis' and recommending Russia's 'gay propaganda' laws - See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/historic-ruling-judge-orders-anti-gay-scott-lively-stand-trial-crimes-against-humanity150813#sthash.96KeOT8J.dpuf

Extremist anti-gay US pastor is accused of engineering the Uganda 'Kill The Gays' bill, saying LGBT people are the 'new Nazis' and recommending Russia's 'gay propaganda' laws - See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/historic-ruling-judge-orders-anti-gay-scott-lively-stand-trial-crimes-against-humanity150813#sthash.96KeOT8J.dpuf

Historic ruling: Judge orders anti-gay Scott Lively to stand trial for crimes against humanity - See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/historic-ruling-judge-orders-anti-gay-scott-lively-stand-trial-crimes-against-humanity150813#sthash.96KeOT8J.dpuf

Via JMG: Elton John: I'd Like To Introduce Vladimir Putin To Some Russian Gay People

 

Elton John today posted a long message about Russia on his website. An excerpt:

I am deeply grateful for the support of the Russian people who have welcomed and accepted me in their country ever since I first visited in 1979. On my last visit, in December 2013, I wondered whether the new legislation banning “homosexual propaganda” might have changed that. It hadn’t. I still felt the same warmth and welcome from the audiences that I have felt every time I have been in Russia. [snip;
It was very clear to me that, although foreigners like myself who are visiting Russia are not affected by this new law (and President Putin has recently confirmed this), it is a very different story for those living inside the country. As Maria Maksakova told her fellow Russian MPs last month: “We are seeing extremely negative consequences as a result of this law, with the growth of hate crimes.” President Putin asserts that this was not the intention, but it is undoubtedly the effect that this law has had by promoting misunderstanding and ignorance. In particular, it is very disappointing that the law explicitly links homosexuality with child sex abuse, which countless studies have shown to be conclusively wrong.
The people I met in Moscow were decent, kind, patriotic men and women who had no thought of forcing their sexuality on anyone. Whatever the intention of Russia’s homosexuality and paedophilia propaganda laws, I am absolutely clear from my own personal experience that it is proving deeply dangerous to the LGBT community and deeply divisive to Russian society. I would welcome the opportunity to introduce President Putin to some Russians who deserve to be heard, and who deserve to be treated in their own country with the same respect and warm welcome that I received on my last visit.

Read the full statement.

Labels: Elton John, LGBT rights, Russia, Vladimir Putin

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 23, 2014

Hang On to Your Ego

A person devoid of ego functions would be self-destructive: either a beast with uncontrolled impulses, or a neurotic, repressed automaton with no mind of her own, or an infantile monster thrashing erratically between these two extremes. Anyone who tried to abandon ego functioning would arrest his psychological growth and lose all hope of becoming a mature, responsible, trustworthy adult. And as we know, self-destructive people don’t destroy only themselves. They can pull down many of the people and places around them.

- Thanissaro Bhikkhu, “Hang On to Your Ego”

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 24, 2014
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

Coming out of your closet: Ash Beckham at TEDxBoulder

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 22, 2014

Imagination and Reality

Imagination draws its energy from a confrontation with desire. It feeds off desire, transmuting and magnifying reality through desire's power. Fantasy does the opposite; it avoids desire by fleeing into a crude sort of wish-fulfillment that seems much safer. Fantasy might be teddy bears, lollipops, sexual delights, or superhero adventures; it also might be voices in one's head urging acts of outrage and mayhem. Or it might be the confused world of separation and fear we routinely live in, a threatening yet seductive world that promises us the happiness we seek when our fantasies finally become real. Imagination confronts desire directly, in all its discomfort and intensity, deepening the world right where we are. Fantasy and reality are opposing forces, but imagination and reality are not in opposition: Imagination goes toward reality, shapes and evokes it.

- Norman Fischer, "Saved from Freezing"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 23, 2014
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 21, 2014

Clear Thinking

Debating trains you to be clear and gives you an analytical mind. When you study Buddhism you can analyze what really makes sense rather than simply memorizing. And to daily life, you bring skills in analysis and clear thinking.

- Rinchen Khando Choegyal, "Standing as Equals"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 22, 2014
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JMG Quote Of The Day - Brian Brown

"The struggle for civil rights in America as envisioned by Dr. King is ongoing, and I am personally very honored and proud to be able to call some of its greatest leaders my close friends and allies: people like Bishop Harry Jackson, Bishop George McKinney, Bishop David Hall, Pastor Eugene Rivers and so many others. And of course, there is Dr. King's own heroically pro-life, pro-marriage niece, Dr. Alveda King.  The true legacy of the Civil Rights movement cannot be praised too highly. I say the true legacy of the Civil Rights movement because these great men and women know, as well as you and I, how that legacy has been hijacked by those who try to claim it for the purpose of redefining marriage and imposing a radical redefinition of the family on our society. They know — as we all know through simple common sense — that this hijacking is a travesty and an insult." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, declaring that Martin Luther King would have opposed same-sex marriage and LGBT rights.

Here's just three of the inconvenient facts missing from Brown's message: 1) "Heroically pro-life, pro-marriage" Alveda King has had three divorces and three abortions. 2) MLK's widow, Coretta Scott King, was an ardent supporter of same-sex marriage and LGBT rights.  From her famous 2004 speech to the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force: "I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people. But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream, to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people." 3) The chief organizer of MLK's historic 1964 March On Washington was Bayard Rustin, an openly gay black man who last year was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal Of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Labels: Alveda King, American history, Bayard Rustin, bigotry, Brian Brown, civil rights, hate groups, LGBT rights, marriage equality, MLK, NOM, religion

Reposted from Joe Jervis

JMG Headline Of The Day

 

Via Oregon Live:

State labor investigators have determined a Gresham bakery violated the civil rights of a same-sex couple when it refused to make a cake for the women's wedding. The Bureau of Labor and Industries said Friday that it has wrapped up its investigation into Sweet Cakes by Melissa. Spokesman Charlie Burr said investigators found substantial evidence the bakery unlawfully discriminated against the couple based on their sexual orientation. Oregon law bans discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in jobs and in places that serve the public, such as restaurants and bakeries. The controversial case began a year ago. Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman of Portland say they were denied a wedding cake by the bakery's owners, who cited their own religious beliefs. Cryer and Bowman, who are domestic partners, soon lodged a complaint with the state. The state will now oversee a conciliation process between the two parties to see if a settlement can be reached. If not, the labor bureau may pursue charges before an administrative law judge.

 Labels: Oregon, public accommodations, religion

 
Reposted FromJoe Jervis

Via Daily Kos / FB:

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 20, 2014

Remembering MLK

We are caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality. . . . Strangely enough I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way the world is made.

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "A Sangha by Another Name"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 21, 2014
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