Via JMG: Oregon AG Files Brief: Ban Serves No Rational Purpose And Harms Citizens

 

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum tonight filed a response brief in the same-sex marriage case, declaring, "The state defendants in this case recognize that the ban on same-sex marriage serves no rational purpose and harms Oregon citizens. This case presents that rare case in which there simply is no legal argument to be made in support of a state law." Last month Rosenblum announced that she would not defend the lawsuit.

Oregon United For Marriage reacts via press release: "We are literally counting down the days until all loving and committed couples in Oregon have the freedom to marry, and we are thrilled that the attorney general is on the right side of history. No one should be told it is illegal to marry the person they love. Freedom means freedom for everyone."

Later in the brief, Rosenblum says this: "Other state attorneys general and governors have reached similar conclusions about the defensibility of state laws, and responded by simply declining to appear in defense or withdrawing and joining forces with those challenging the laws. The Oregon state defendants believe it is more appropriate to remain as parties to this litigation to ensure that this Court has the benefit of the careful legal analysis that the state defendants have undertaken."

The lawsuit was filed in October 2013 by local attorneys on behalf of one unmarried Oregon couple and another couple who married in Canada. The suit is separate from the petition drive to place a repeal of the marriage ban on the ballot. That campaign has been put on hold pending the ruling in the lawsuit. Oral arguments in the lawsuit are scheduled for April 23rd.

Read today's brief in full at my Scribd account.

Labels: Ellen Rosenblum, lawsuits, marriage equality, Oregon

Reposted from Joe Jervis

America's Right-Wing Has Gone Gay Crazy

Sharon Caminneci

www.alternet.org 

The madness has spread from the Christian Right’s talking heads to the leading lights of the Republican Party.

Via http://purpleunions.com: USA, Oregon: AG Says Marriage Equality Ban Unconstitutional, State Ready to Marry Same Sex Couples

In a strongly-worded 35 page brief, Oregon Attorney general Ellen Rosenblum indicated the state is ready for marriage equality.

Edge Boston reports:

Oregon’s attorney general told a federal court Tuesday why she believes the state’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages violates the federal constitutional rights of homosexual couples. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum added that Oregon is prepared to implement gay marriages if a federal judge strikes down the ban. Rosenblum announced last month that she would not defend the state’s same-sex marriage ban in court…. Allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry is not a redefinition of marriage, the attorney general wrote. Instead, she said the plaintiffs in this case “seek the same right to marry that the state offers opposite-sex couples and not a right to any newly invented form of marriage.”

Oral arguments in the case are due in mid-April, so we could have a ruling by May

Find more articles and gay wedding resources in Oregon.

Via Daily Dharma

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Resting Meditation | March 19, 2014

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Many people are doing shamata meditation. This is a kind of resting meditation, also called 'calm abiding.' This is good, but in Buddhist training you must go deeper than this. It is important to go deeper into emptiness—not nothingness, but into understanding emptiness as the nature of mind. This is where wisdom and compassion come from.

—Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, "Trust Through Reason”

 

Via JMG: PERU: Evangelist Michael Brown Exports Anti-Gay Hatred To South America

Jeremy Hooper reports for GLAAD:

The sad trend of American anti-LGBT activists traveling across the globe in order to "warn" them from making the pro-LGBT "mistakes" of America continues. The latest example comes from Peru, where vehemently anti-LGBT activist Michael Brown recently spoke to local members of congress, as well as passed out copies of his propaganda book, A Queer Thing Happened to America. This new trend is chilling, frankly. From Jamaica to France to Russia, and many map stops in between, a who's who of American anti-LGBT activists, feeling defeated and increasingly marginalized here at home, are seizing the chance to stir the pot in any nation that might be willing to see them as soothsayers. It is, to the letter, the strategy we saw in Uganda a handful of years ago, when Scott Lively and other Americans started dropping into the nation and telling locals how downright awful we LGBT Americans are. We all know how that one played out.

 Make the Jump here to watch the video from JMG

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Michael Brown claims gay activists want Christians thrown into prison. Michael Brown claims that Hillary Clinton is controlled by Satanic homosexuals. Michael Brown claims that the Bible is 100% true except for the parts he doesn't like. Michael Brown leads a hate march of hundreds of Christians to disrupt Charlotte's gay pride parade. Michael Brown debuts his book with a video using small children to ridicule gay families. Michael Brown claims he's "honored" to be featured on the SPLC's "hit list." Michael Brown claims he's "outraged" to be featured on the SPLC's "hit list." Michael Brown denounces the "vulgar" post labels on JMG.

Labels: Christianists, hate groups, Michael Brown, Peru, religion, South America

posted by Joe Jervis

Via Upworthy / FB:

Via JMG: Porno Pete Vs Dan Savage

Labels: Dan Savage, hate groups, Peter LaBarbera, religion

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via FB:

JMG HomoQuotable - George Takei

"I take no solace or joy in this man's passing. We will not dance upon his grave, nor stand vigil at his funeral holding 'God Hates Freds' signs, tempting as it may be. He was a tormented soul, who tormented so many. Hate never wins out in the end. It instead goes always to its lonely, dusty end." - George Takei, writing on his Facebook page.

Labels: Fred Phelps, George Takei, hate groups, religion

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Que tal ser criativo na páscoa?

Para a receita de pão de cenoura você irá precisar de:
- 4 xícaras de cenouras cortadas em rodelas
- 2 ovos
- 1 xícara de água morna
- 2 colheres de sopa de fermento biológico seco
- 3/4 de xícara de óleo
- 1/2 xícara de açúcar
- 1 colher de sopa de mel
- 2 colheres de chá de sal
- 8 1/2 xícaras de farinha de trigo

Veja a lista de compras aqui: http://bit.ly/10tmVnZ
Em uma panela com água cozinhe a cenoura até ficar macia, e então drene a água e bata a cenoura no liquidificador ou em um processador até obter um purê. Se você quiser um sabor mais defumado para o seu pãozinho, pode assar a cenoura no forno ao invés de cozinhar na água. Para fazer no forno, coloque as cenouras em rodelas em uma assadeira e adicione 1 colher rasa de azeite, para besuntar as cenouras. Leve em forno pré-aquecido em 180°C e asse por 15 minutos ou até ficarem macias. Depois é só fazer o purê.
Ainda no liquidificador ou no processador, adicione os ovos e 1/2 xícara de água, batendo até o purê ficar bem cremoso.

Numa tigela grande, coloque o fermento biológico seco e o restante da água, mexendo até dissolver totalmente o fermento. Despeje então o purê de cenoura e, na sequência, adicione o óleo, açúcar, mel, sal e 5 xícaras de farinha, misturando e amassando com as mãos. Adicione mais farinha conforme achar necessário até obter uma massa de pão macia e lisa.

Polvilhe a sua bancada com um pouco de farinha e sove a massa por 6 a 8 minutos, para que ela obtenha um pouco de elasticidade. Se você tiver uma batedeira com o(s) gancho(s) para bater massa de pão, também pode usar. Em seguida, coloque a massa em uma tigela grande levemente untada com óleo ou spray para untar, cubra com um pano úmido ou um filme plástico e deixe descansar por cerca de 1 hora, para dobrar de tamanho.

Divida a massa em bolinhas pequenas. Com ela é possível fazer 48 pãezinhos, mas a quantidade varia conforme o tamanho das bolinhas de massa. Coloque as bolinhas de massa em uma assadeira untada de óleo ou spray para untar e cubra novamente com um pano úmido ou filme plástico, deixando descansar por mais 1 hora. É importante não deixar uma bolinha de massa muito próxima a outra, pois elas vão dobrar de tamanho nesta etapa.

Passada 1 hora, os seus pãezinhos já estão prontos para assar. Para fazer o pão do coelhinho, como é a da ideia da foto, pegue uma tesoura e belisque a massa fazendo as orelhinhas. Em seguida, usando uma esteca ou um palito de churrasco faça os olhinhos, apertando a massa.

Leve então os seus pãezinhos para assar em forno pré-aquecido a 180°C por 18 a 20 minutos ou até ficarem dourados.

Se achar que são muitos pãezinhos para se fazer de uma única vez, após as bolinhas terem dobrado de tamanho, leve a assadeira para o congelador e deixe os pãezinhos congelarem. Depois de congelados, você pode colocar todos em saco plástico e deixar no congelador para fazer a hora que desejar.

Fonte: http://blog.barradoce.com.br/2013/03/receita-pao-de-cenoura.html

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Samvega | March 17, 2014

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Salman Rushdie on Bill Maher discussing "9/11 liberals"

Bill Maher Trashes the Bible Noah Story and Psychotic Mass Murderer God

Via JMG: Franklin Graham Endorses Putin

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"America’s response to Putin’s law was sadly predictable. President Obama intentionally included homosexuals in his official U.S. delegation to Sochi. Then his attorney general stole headlines from the opening weekend with an announcement to the Human Rights Campaign (a major gay-rights group): As far as the federal government is concerned, there is no longer any difference between traditional and same-sex marriage—even in the 33 states that outlaw those marriages. It’s obvious that President Obama and his administration are pushing the gay-lesbian agenda in America today and have sold themselves completely to that which is contrary to God’s teaching." - Franklin Graham, writing for Decision Magazine.

Labels: bigotry, Christianists, Franklin Graham, LGBT rights, religion, Russia, Vladimir Putin

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Fred Phelps Reportedly Near Death

Fred Phelps, the 84 year-old patriarch of Westboro Baptist Church, is reportedly near death. His estranged son, Nathan Phelps, writes on his Facebook page:

I’ve learned that my father, Fred Phelps, Sr., pastor of the “God Hates Fags” Westboro Baptist Church, was ex-communicated from the “church” back in August of 2013. He is now on the edge of death at Midland Hospice house in Topeka, Kansas. I’m not sure how I feel about this. Terribly ironic that his devotion to his god ends this way. Destroyed by the monster he made. I feel sad for all the hurt he’s caused so many. I feel sad for those who will lose the grandfather and father they loved. And I’m bitterly angry that my family is blocking the family members who left from seeing him, and saying their good-byes.

Hemant Mehta has more at the Friendly Atheist:

I just got off the phone with Nate and he confirmed what he had written. The rumors had been flying for several weeks, he said, but after a conversation with some of his fellow “excommunicated” family members, he found out that the rumors were true. He elaborated on that final line, too, saying that the Phelps family is now blocking anyone who is no longer with the church from seeing him, including Fred’s sons, daughters, nieces, and nephews. Why was he kicked out of his own church? Did he have a change of heart near the end of his life? There’s no definitive answer to that and Nate has heard different things (so any explanation is pure speculation right now).

Over on Twitter, some are calling for a picket of Phelps' funeral, but Mehta and others suggest that the better response might be to ignore it completely. Rod Dreher writes at American Conservative:

Can you imagine having come to the end of your life, very nearly to the moment in which you will meet your God and be reckoned with, and all you have to show for it is … that? I’ve always thought the Westboro Baptist Church people were despicable, but there is something about the thought of that old man lying on his death bed, forsaken, the victim of his own sins, that makes me pity him. One tear of repentance from the vicious old preacher will open the floodgates of the divine mercy he spent his life trying to deny to others. I pray for that tear. And I hope no one pickets his funeral, giving to his family the mercy they do not deserve.

Labels: Fred Phelps, hate groups, religion, Westboro

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Daily Dharma:

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What's So Great About Now? | March 16, 2014

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Mindfulness, accompanied by clear comprehension, differs from ordinary awareness. Rather than seeing the conventional features of objects more clearly, mindfulness goes beyond them to perceive something quite specific—the ultimate characteristics common to all formations, good or bad. There are only three of these: impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non-selfness. (Note that beauty isn't among them.) These traits are unwelcome—unsatisfactory. So the more mindfulness one has, the clearer dukkha becomes. 

 

—Cynthia Thatcher, “What’s So Great About Now?”

Via Edge on the Net: New Health Insurance Rights for Same-Sex Couples

Acting to expand health insurance access for same-sex couples, the Obama administration said Friday that plans offering benefits for heterosexual couples must also provide coverage for married couples who are of the same gender.

The policy, posted online by the Department of Health and Human Services, takes effect next year and applies to plans offered in the new health insurance exchanges, as well to many - but not all - individual and employer plans offered outside that marketplace.

The administration acted after gays and lesbians complained that they’re not sure how the rules of the new insurance exchanges apply to them - particularly in states that do not recognize same-sex marriage.

The department said it was moving to clarify those rules and make coverage "more accessible and equitable for married same-sex couples." It’s part of a government-wide effort to codify the rights of same-sex spouses in the wake of last year’s Supreme Court decision striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and opening the way for same-sex spouses to receive government benefits.
The new HHS policy says that if an insurance company offers spousal coverage to heterosexual couples, it must also provide that benefit to same-sex couples who were legally married in a jurisdiction that recognizes marriage between people of the same sex.

http://www.edgeonthenet.com/news/national/News//156626/new_health_insurance_rights_for_same-sex_couples

Wasla Band - El salam (peace) | فريق وصله - السلام

Courage – Quotes on Living Exceptional Lives, from Lao Tzu, Pema Chodron, T.S. Eliot and Others

Bravery is not about becoming superheroes – it is about living wisely in the present moment, and learning to let go of the things and feelings that hold us back from living full lives.

Here are some great quotes from past and present philosophers, writers, and spiritual leaders on the qualities of courage we all carry inside.

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. (Lao Tzu)
– Only we can hold ourselves back. Only we can set ourselves free.
 

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.(Andre Gide)
– Adventure may be dangerous, but so can staying in one place forever.
 

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth. (Pema Chodron)
– It is said that the only mistakes on the road to wisdom are not starting, and not going all the way – keep walking.
 

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. (T. S. Eliot)
– Teachers can show us the path, travelers can tell us how to walk it, but only the individual person can journey on it.
 

It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult. (Seneca)
– How often do we make obstacles larger in our minds than they really are?
 

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
– Fear can be a great, liberating, powerful experience when we use it to grow.
 

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. (C. S. Lewis)
– All good deeds in our lives come down to courage – the bravery required to make the right choice even when the right choice is unpopular.
 

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. (Mark Twain)
– Bravery is never a sudden enlightenment or magic power – rather it is the humble effort to keep moving forward in the face of uncertainty.
 

To have striven, to have made the effort, to have been true to certain ideals – this alone is worth the struggle. (William Penn)
– What else is life, but an effort to do something worthwhile? Do what challenges you and makes you feel afraid.

Please take the jump here to read the original posting