Via JMG: Anti-Gay US Preachers Are In Sochi

Anti-gay American preachers are rallying in support of Vladimir Putin on the streets of Sochi. And the cops are fine with that, of course.

On Friday evening, while huge crowds made their way to the Olympic opening ceremony viewing party, the men warned that “Judgment is coming” and shook hands with anyone who would stop to listen. A few locals did. But more significantly, at a time when discussion of the Olympics is dominated by issues of discrimination, none of the large police presence near the station appeared to approach them. Meanwhile, Friday night brought reports that at least four gay rights activists were arrested in St. Petersburg. One of the three men in Sochi—Larry Craft from Rochester, N.Y.—said that earlier in the day, they had spent a few hours at the police station after their banner got them in trouble. It read, “God bless Putin for his stance on homosexuals.” He said that they were allowed to return to the sidewalk if they promised to put the banner away.

Kraft has been arrested several times, including at Southern Decadence 2012 when nine anti-gay preachers were rounded up during "aggressive" street protests.
UPDATE: Queer Nation reacts.

Labels: Christian Love, LGBT rights, religion, Russia, Sochi Olympics, Vladimir Putin

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Catholics Polled On Gay Marriage

 

From a Univision poll conducted in 12 countries: "Two-thirds of Catholics around the world oppose gay marriage. Only in the United States and Spain do majorities of Catholics support it."  Univision also polled Catholics on contraception, divorce, abortion, and female priests. The full PDF is here.

Labels: Catholics, marriage equality, polls, religion

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma February 9, 2014

Change Makes All Things Possible

As Buddhists, we work to accept the impermanence and inevitable decay of the physical body. But it’s not enough to accept it as a fact; we can believe in this and still not want it in plain sight. Nagarjuna said, ‘Change makes all things possible.’ It is only because of change that suffering can end—and it is because of change that our bodies fall apart, like all compounded things. We cannot have one without the other, but we try.

- Sallie Tisdale, “Washing Out Emptiness”

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through February 10, 2014
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma February 8, 2014

Concentration and Inquiry

It is essential that you cultivate together and in harmony these twin elements of concentration and inquiry. Concentration will bring stability, stillness, and spaciousness; inquiry will bring alertness, vividness, brightness, and clarity. Combined, they will help you to develop creative awareness, an ability to bring a meditative mind to all aspects of your daily life. In this way, meditation becomes both a refuge and a training: a refuge into being, and a training into doing.

- Martine Batchelor, “A Refuge Into Being”

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through February 9, 2014
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Dear My Year 7 Self - Straight People Against Homophobia

Gay Mountain | Channel 4

Via JMG: Gay Bashing As An Olympic Sport

Via press release:

The video is the newest fundraising tactic by the Russia Freedom Fund, which aims to raise a million dollars by the end of the Olympics to support LGBT Russian activists. The video was produced by the Fair Games Project, an Indiegogo campaign launched by filmmaker Michael Rohrbaugh. The Fair Games Project also produced a powerful gun violence PSA that received significant attention last year. Athlete Ally is one of the producing partners on the video as well. Other fundraising tactics for the Russia Freedom Fund include a new national initiative called Uprising of Love: Pride House 2014, where restaurants, bars, and clubs will donate $1 of every drink sold from 9 p.m. to midnight to the fund. It takes place during tomorrow's Opening Ceremonies. In addition, Melissa Etheridge released a new single last week and will donate 100% of the profits to the fund. The significance of the Russia Freedom Fund is that it's the only way Americans can directly support LGBT Russian activists.

Wow.




 

Labels: activism, Athlete Ally, gay bashing, PSA, Russia, Russia Freedom Fund, Sochi Olympics

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Google Doodle Slams Russia

Via the Guardian:

Google has nailed its colours to the mast over Russia's gay rights record in a new Google doodle, which is dedicated to the Olympic charter. The internet company's logo was presented in the colours of the rainbow flag and also featured images of Winter Games events. The build-up to the Sochi Games, the opening ceremony of which takes place on Friday, has been disrupted by a debate over the apparent conflict between the central principles of the Games and anti-gay laws in Russia. The doodle linked to search results for "Olympic charter" and quoted from it: "The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."

The message is currently appearing worldwide. Thank you, Google! (Tipped by many JMG readers)
UPDATE: The Human Rights Campaign applauds.

"Google has once again proven itself to be a true corporate leader for equality,” said Griffin. “Alongside Olympic sponsors like AT&T, Google has made a clear and unequivocal statement that Russia’s anti-LGBT discrimination is indefensible. Now it’s time for each and every remaining Olympic sponsor to follow their lead. The clock is ticking, and the world is watching.”

Labels: Google, LGBT rights, Russia, Sochi Olympics

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Rabbis Stand With LGBT Ugandans

From a petition launched by the American Jewish World Service:

Dear President Museveni, I am writing to implore you, respectfully, to veto Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill that was recently passed by the Ugandan Parliament. As a rabbi, I honor the inherent dignity of each and every person. Jewish theology, tradition and history compel me to uphold the values of kavod habriyot, respect for all of creation, and btzelem elohim, the notion that all people--including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people--are created in the Divine image. Tragically, I know from our history that the stripping away of human rights from specific minorities is often a precursor to targeted destruction. If this bill is signed into law, it would be a grave violation of human rights and would be one of the most abhorrent manifestations of discrimination against LGBT people worldwide.

Read the full petition. (Tipped by JMG reader David)

Labels: Judaism, LGBT rights, religion, Uganda

posted by Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Coca-Cola And Chevrolet To Run Gay-Inclusive Ads During The Olympics

From the New York Times:

Some marketers are seeking to respond to the protesters without agreeing to their demand to condemn the Russian law. During the opening ceremony coverage, Coca-Cola plans to run a 90-second version of “America Is Beautiful,” its 60-second Super Bowl commercial by Wieden & Kennedy that salutes diversity, and generated complaints from some viewers who expressed outrage that “America the Beautiful” was sung in multiple languages along with English. Also during that coverage, Chevrolet plans a commercial for its Traverse minivan with diverse families — including two same-sex couples — to illustrate a theme, “The New Us.” The spot was created by the Commonwealth unit of the McCann Worldgroup.

You likely are already familiar with the now-famous Coke ad. I haven't found the Chevy ad yet.

Labels: advertising, LGBT rights, Russia, Sochi Olympics

posted by Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Obama On Sochi Delegation: Of Course We Sent Open Gays There On Purpose

"There is no doubt we wanted to make it very clear that we do not abide by discrimination in anything, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. One of the wonderful things about the Olympics is that you are judged by your merit, how good you are regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love and that I think is consistent with the spirit of the Olympics," - President Obama, speaking to NBC last night.

Labels: Barack Obama, LGBT rights, Russia, Sochi Olympics

Reposted from Joe Jervis

NSFW: The Putin Rap - His Emineminence (feat. V. Piddy)

SOCHI a Song for the Olympic Gays by Tony Mono ("Happy" Parody)

Via JMG: Dilbert Mocks Indian Anti-Gay Law

 

Today's Dilbert comic strip mocks India's recent recriminalization of homosexuality via the strip's Indian intern character Asok, who first appeared in 1996 and is now, apparently, openly gay. (Tipped by JMG reader Mike)

 

Labels: comics, Dilbert, India, LGBT rights

Reposted from Joe Jervis

JMG Headline Of The Day

 

Police are investigating. Doubtlessly a follower of One Million Moms, who claimed victory over Good Luck Charlie and the Disney Channel last week. (Tipped by JMG reader Richard)

 

Labels: Christian Love, Disney Channel, One Million Moms

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Hate Group Leader Peter Sprigg Pens Op-Ed Published By Salt Lake Tribune

"The last few weeks have been a roller coaster for marriage law in Utah. On Dec. 13, U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups vindicated years of slippery slope arguments by opponents of marriage redefinition by declaring the state’s law criminalizing polygamous cohabitation to be unconstitutional. One week later, on Dec. 20, another U.S. District Court judge, Robert J. Shelby, declared that Utah’s state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman violates the U.S. Constitution. Officials in Utah began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples immediately. [snip]

"That problem is solved by the State Marriage Defense Act, which provides that a marriage will not be recognized by the federal government if it is not recognized by the state in which a person lives. Every American’s marital status in the eyes of the federal government would be the same as in the eyes of the state where he or she lives. This is consistent with both the Windsor ruling and what it called the States’ 'historic and essential authority to define the marital relation.' It would also mitigate the confusion and chaos created in Utah by one federal judge and Attorney General Holder." - FRC vice president and hate group leader Peter Sprigg, in an op-ed published today by the Salt Lake Tribune.

RELATED: Sprigg has appeared on national television to declare that "there should be criminal sanctions for homosexuality" and that LGBT Americans should be "exported" out of the country. I encourage you to hit the link and leave some educational comments. And don't forget Sprigg's KKK-affiliated boss, Tony Perkins.

ALSO RELATED: 52 Republicans and one (retiring this year) Democrat have now cosponsored Rep. Randy Weber's so-called State Marriage Defense Act, which Weber openly admits was written by the Family Research Council. Among the latest cosponsors is Rep. Paul "Evolution Is A Lie From Satan" Broun (R-GA.) That brings the total of cosponsors to a pathetic 12% of the US House, almost one month after the bill's introduction.

Labels: bigotry, crackpots, FRC, hate groups, KKK, marriage equality, Peter Sprigg, Randy Weber, religion, Tony Perkins, Utah

Reposted from Joe Jervis

JMG Quote Of The Day - Chris Kluwe

"What is the true price of fame? The price of fame is what you risk when you have the platform. As an athlete, a role model for society, people listen to you. As an athlete, when you make a statement, that statement is heard, no matter what that statement is. Speak up for LBGTQ rights, for human rights, for empathy? The world will pay attention, and take notice. Stay silent, keep your head down, count the money and endorsements? The world will pay attention, and take notice. Either way, you're the one who has to live with what you did or didn't do. I hope that athletes speak out at Sochi on LBGTQ issues, even knowing the possible risks that await them.

"I know that it could cost them their livelihoods, their careers, everything they've worked towards. I know that it can lead to recriminations, harsh words from a public who just wants their entertainment, no matter how much blood it's packaged in. I know that it's one of the hardest steps a person can take, and that there is no guarantee of a reward at the end, other than knowing you did the right thing at the right time with nothing to show for it but angry tweets and emails tempered by the messages of support and affection from those in whose lives you made a difference, those currently being abused by the oppressive and ignorant." - Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe, writing for the Guardian.

RELATED: In the above-linked piece, Kluwe opens by slamming Sochi's corporate sponsors. Among his suggested replacement marketing slogans: "Today's refreshing anti-gay beating brought to you by Coca-Cola!"

Labels: activism, Chris Kluwe, Guardian, LGBT rights, NFL, Russia, Sochi Olympics, sports, straight allies

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Chico Xavier e amigos / FB:

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma February 7, 2014

The Dawn of Virtue

We all enter the spiritual path as ego-based beings, and as such we have ego-based hopes and fears. Practice is virtually never what we expect. We feel like we’ve got it all wrong, thinking, 'The more I meditate, the worse I become.' My teacher, Gendun Rinpoche, always responded to this by saying, 'When you see your own shortcomings, it’s the dawn of qualities. If you only see your qualities, there’s a problem.'

- Lama Tsony, "Facing Fear"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through February 8, 2014
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