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Tricycle Daily Dharma March 7, 2014

The Vulnerability of Truth

Truth has no action. Truth is weak. Truth is not utilitarian, truth cannot be organized. It is like the wind: You cannot catch it, you cannot take hold of it in your fist and say, ‘I have caught it.’ Therefore it is tremendously vulnerable, impotent like the blade of grass on the roadside—you can kill it, you can destroy it. But we want it as a thing to be used for a better structure of society. And I am afraid you cannot use it, you cannot—it is like love, love is never potent. It is there for you, take it or leave it.

- Krishnamurti, “A Question of Heart”

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Via JMG: IRS Posts Help Video For Married Gays

Via press release from the White House:

The Internal Revenue Service released a new YouTube video designed to provide useful tax tips to married same-sex couples. The new video, less than two minutes long, is available in English, Spanish and American Sign Language and can be accessed via IRS.gov. It joins an array of online products, including answers to frequently-asked questions, designed to help same-sex couples file their federal income tax returns. Following last summer’s Supreme Court decision invalidating a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, the IRS ruled that same-sex couples, legally married in jurisdictions that recognize their marriages, are now treated as married for federal tax purposes. The ruling applies to all federal tax provisions where marriage is a factor, including filing status, claiming personal and dependency exemptions, taking the standard deduction, employee benefits, contributing to an IRA and claiming the earned income tax credit or child tax credit.

 

Labels: IRS, marriage equality, taxes, White House

posted by Joe Jervis

Via Middling America: The Latest Marriage Map

Via JMG: Colbert: "Self-Professed" Gays Should Send Rep. Steve King Proof Of Gayness

 

Mediaite recaps last night's Stephen Colbert show:

This past weekend, King told local TV station WHO-TV that these “self-professed” gays could just as easily be straight people “setting up a case” against a business that tries to discriminate them. Colbert recounted that familiar scenario in which someone pretends to come out to their family, then pretends to fall in love, then pretends to get engaged, just so they can sue their potential florist at the last minute. “As Steve King knows, even if gays do exist, it’s nearly impossible to prove it,” Colbert said. That’s why he’s asking gays from around the country to “send photos and/or videos to Steve King, proving that you are gay.” He went ahead and provided to address on screen to make it that much easier for everyone. “Be sure to label your envelope campaign contributions, so you know that he’ll read it,” Colbert added.

Watch the video at the link.

Labels: Colbert Report, Comedy Central, crackpots, crazy people, GOP, religion, Steve King, Tea Party, teabaggers

Reposted from Joe Jervis

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Tricycle Daily Dharma March 6, 2014

Selective Wisdom

To decide that a certain teaching is worthwhile simply because it echoes our established opinion is very unwise. Along that easy course there is no new discovery of truth, only more stale habit.

- Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano, "Selective Wisdom"

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Via Mother Jones:

Make the Jump here to read the full article

Let's Play Grand Theft Auto 5 With Coco Peru

Via JMG: Pope Francis Indicates Catholic Church Could Support Some Types Of Civil Unions

In an interview published in Italy today, Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church could consider supporting some forms of civil unions, but not same-sex marriage.

The Pope reiterated the church's longstanding teaching that "marriage is between a man and a woman." However, he said, "We have to look at different cases and evaluate them in their variety." For instance, civil unions provide financial security to cohabitating couples, "as for instance in medical care," the Pope said in a wide-ranging interview published Wednesday in Corriere della Sera, an Italian daily. A number of Catholic bishops have supported civil unions for same-sex couples, including Pope Francis when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 2010, according to reports in National Catholic Reporter and The New York Times. This is the first time a Pope has "indicated even tentative acceptance of civil unions," according to Catholic News Service.

In January the Vatican denied reports that Pope Francis supported civil unions. Will slippery slope blowhards like Bill Donohue now denounce the Pope?

 

Labels: Catholic Church, civil unions, LGBT rights, marriage equality, Pope Francis, religion, Vatican

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: New Poll: Record Support For Marriage

Via ABC News:

Half of all Americans believe that gay men and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll in which a large majority also said businesses should not be able to deny serving gays for religious reasons. Fifty percent say the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection gives gays the right to marry, while 41 percent say it does not. Beyond the constitutional questions, a record-high 59 percent say they support same-sex marriage, while 34 percent are opposed, the widest margin tracked in Post-ABC polling. The poll was conducted in the wake of a series of rulings by federal judges that state bans on same-sex marriage and prohibitions on recognizing marriages performed elsewhere are unconstitutional.

NOTE: A press release about this story mistakenly linked an earlier ABC/WaPo poll. I've replaced that graphic with today's poll result and corrected the link. The full poll results are here.

Labels: ABC, marriage equality, polls, WaPo

Reposted from Joe Jervis

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Tricycle Daily Dharma March 5, 2014

Kindness is Society

During a lecture while I was interpreting for the Dalai Lama, he said in what seemed to me to be broken English, 'Kindness is society.' I wasn’t smart enough to think he was saying kindness is society. I thought he meant kindness is important to society; kindness is vital to society; but he was saying that kindness is so important that we cannot have society without it. Society is impossible without it. Thus, kindness IS society; society IS kindness. Without concern for other people it’s impossible to have society.

- Jeffrey Hopkins, "Equality"

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 4, 2014

Accepting the Invitation

One way to read the injunction for Right Conduct, an essential part of the Eightfold Path, is to see it as calling us—as citizens—to translate the dharma into specific acts of social responsibility.

- Charles Johnson, “Accepting the Invitation”

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Via JMG: BROOKLYN: Jason Collins Debuts In First Home Game, Sources Claim He Will Get Second 10-Day Contract

Via the Associated Press:

A person with knowledge of the situation says the Brooklyn Nets will sign Jason Collins to a second 10-day contract. Collins signed his original deal on Feb. 23, becoming the NBA's first openly gay player, and it expires Tuesday. The Nets then will re-sign him for another 10 days on Wednesday, the person tells The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the plans haven't been made public. After that, the Nets would have to sign him for the rest of the season if they wanted to keep him.

Tonight's game against the Chicago Bulls starts at 7:30PM. If you're in NYC, the game is being broadcast on Time Warner channel 753, Verizon channel 576, and Comcast channel 212. Hit this link for channel numbers outside of NYC.

UPDATE: Collins sat on the bench until the final three minutes when the crowd began chanting his name. YES Network announcers took note of that. When Collins finally checked in with Nets holding a comfortable lead, there was a huge ovation. His stats: 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 foul, 0 points. I monitored the Nets' stream on Twitter, where there were some really ugly comments. Positive to negative tweets ran about 50-50 overall. But the Nets did win their first home game with Jason Collins.

Labels: basketball, Brooklyn Nets, gay athletes, Jason Collins, NBA, NYC, sports

Reposted from Joe Jervis

George Takei: Arizona Anti-Gay Bill Authors Used Religious Freedom As Cover For Prejudice

This is How its Done: TEXAS: Gay Couple Marries In United Methodist Church After 53 Years Together

NBC News in Dallas reports:

It was a wedding 53 years in the making. Jack Evans and George Harris made their relationship official in the eyes of at least one church. "The marriage of George and Jack is a sign of God's love and their love for each other and our love for one another," said Rev. Bill McElvaney, the minister officiating the marriage. Evans and Harris are in their 80's. They asked several churches to perform the ceremony. Northaven United Methodist Church in North Dallas was the first to say yes. "We're celebrating 53 years and finally saying let's make this... let's call it what it is... what it has been for a half a century," said minister Arthur Stewart. Hundreds of people witnessed the ceremony.

The above-linked article closes with this: "For now, the marriage will only stand in this church."

Labels: Dallas, gay seniors, gay weddings, LGBT rights, marriage equality, religion, Texas, United Methodist Church

 
Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Scotland Offers Asylum To Gay Ugandans

Via the Herald Scotland:

Scotland is to offer asylum to Ugandans facing persecution under the country's oppressive new legislation against its gay population. Humza Yousaf, Minister For External Affairs, has written to UK Foreign Secretary William Hague detailing the Scottish Government's gesture to welcome "any Ugandan" persecuted by the new laws. It comes on the back of an outcry from the international community at the Ugandan anti-gay legislation and concern over the welcome being extended to countries with anti-gay laws during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. With prominent members of the Ugandan government due in Glasgow this summer, the Scottish Government will also meet representatives of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) groups to discuss proposals on handling human rights issues during the event.

Reading the above-linked article, it's not clear if the Scottish government actually has the power to offer asylum independent of UK approval. Readers?

Labels: asylum, Scotland, Uganda, UK

posted by Joe Jervis

Via JMG: NBA To Donate Proceeds From Jason Collins Jersey Sales To LGBT Groups

Via the Associated Press:

The NBA plans to donate proceeds from sales of Jason Collins jerseys to the Matthew Shepard Foundation and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. Collins became the league's first openly gay player when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets last Sunday, and his No. 98 jersey has been the top seller on NBAStore.com. He chose the number in tribute to Shepard, who was killed in a gay hate crime in 1998. Collins met Shepard's parents on Thursday when the Nets played in Denver. The league says Friday the donations will total no less than $100,000, and it will also auction off Collins' autographed, game-worn jerseys to benefit the same organizations.

Collins says he is "thrilled" by the decision. His jersey is the NBA's top-seller since he was picked up by the Brooklyn Nets several days ago.

Labels: basketball, gay athletes, GLSEN, Jason Collins, Matthew Sheppard Foundation, NBA, sports

Reposted from Joe Jervis

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Tricycle Daily Dharma March 2, 2014

The Noblest Path

Walking the path toward the complete ending of clinging and suffering is the noblest thing a person can do. It opens the fist of the mind, and allows a person to walk in the world with gift-bestowing hands.

- Gil Fronsdal, "The Good News"

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 1, 2014

Merciless Compassion

We should be compassionate to all. But compassion sometimes has to be harsh. How else can we pinpoint where the problem really lies? Hatred’s hold on us is so strong. Simple coddling will not do the job.

- Nawang Gehlek Rimpoche, "The Real Enemy"

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Via Instinct Mag: The Dalai Lama Approves Same-Sex Marriage, Says Bullying And Homophobia Is What's Wrong

The Dalai Lama has taken Pope Francis' softened approach to modern civil rights for the LGBT community and raised the stakes. Significantly.

In a sit down interview for Larry King Now, His Holiness says same-sex marriage is fine—it's really bullying and homophobia that is morally wrong.

When asked about homosexuality in general and gay rights (with a lead in from Russia's current War on Gays), the Dalai Lama responds:

"That's a personal matter. People who have a special tradition, you should follow according to your own tradition. ... But non-believer, that's up to them. Different form of sex? So long as it's safe, okay! And fully agreed, okay! Bullied? Abused? That's what is wrong. That's a violation of human rights."

When asked about same-sex marriage rights, the Dalai Lama replies:

"That's up to the countries' laws. It's okay, I think individual business. If a couple really feels that way, practical, satisfaction ... if both sides fully agree, then okay!"

Make the jump here to see the full interview