Via JMG: FLORIDA: Backlash Grows Against AG Pam Bondi For Supporting Marriage Ban

Last week Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a motion to dismiss one of her state's marriage equality lawsuits, saying that same-sex marriage would be "harmful" to the state. Several major newspapers have since reacted with commentaries blasting her position.  From the Miami Herald:

All adults should have the right to marry and divorce as they see fit. That’s why, in another set of circumstances, I wouldn’t bring up Attorney General Pam Bondi’s two marriages and divorces – and her current relationship with a Tampa ophthalmologist, this time sealed, not with legal ribbon but in a well-publicized “non-binding” celebration in the Cayman Islands in 2012. Her marriages, divorces, and out-of-wedlock relationships are her business – not state business. But it’s hypocritical of this serial bride to use sanctimonious arguments to try to convince a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and SAVE on behalf of gay and lesbian couples seeking to have their out-of-state marriages recognized in Florida.

Bondi responded to the criticisms with a statement: “The brief does not argue for or against same-sex marriage as a matter of policy, wisdom, or fairness. Those decisions are for the voters of each state, not for lawyers or courts. It is my duty to protect Florida from the ‘harm’ of a federal injunction overriding the will of Florida voters.”

In another sign of the backlash, yesterday Bondi canceled a speech before a group that works on behalf of homeless LGBT youth.

Bondi was scheduled to speak at the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services annual awards banquet in Sarasota and receive special recognition from the group for her work on fighting human trafficking. But shortly before she was scheduled to speak, the Florida Network organizers announced Bondi had cancelled her appearance. Bondi’s Tallahassee press office did not respond to questions about the cancellation. The Florida Network is a nonprofit statewide association representing agencies that serve homeless, runaway and troubled youths and their families.

Did she really cancel or was she disinvited?

RELATED: Bondi took office in 2010 after being endorsed by Sarah Palin. In 2012 Bondi was the lead litigant when she and 26 other state attorneys general unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the Affordable Care Act.

Labels: Florida, GOP, marriage equality, Pam Bondi

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Second-Largest Religions By State

Via the Washington Post:

In the Western U.S., Buddhists represent the largest non-Christian religious bloc in most states. In 20 states, mostly in the Midwest and South, Islam is the largest non-Christian faith tradition. And in 15 states, mostly in the Northeast, Judaism has the most followers after Christianity. Hindus come in second place in Arizona and Delaware, and there are more practitioners of the Baha’i faith in South Carolina than anyone else. All these data come from the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, which conducts a U.S. Religion Census every 10 years.

Hit the link for a breakdown by every US county. Christianity dominates in all but one of the 3143 counties in the nation.

Labels: Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, maps, religion

Reposted from Joe Jervis

JMG Quote Of The Day - Akie Abe

"There is no difference to importance of love from sexual orientation. There should not be any discrimination because who you love. I am going to raise my voice. If my raised voice could contribute to the pride of LGBT people, there is no greater joy." - Akie Abe, the First Lady of Japan, speaking today at a gay pride event sponsored by the US embassy in Tokyo.

Also in attendance was George Takei, who predicted that Japan will soon make advances in LGBT rights.

The "Star Trek" actor also known for his gay and civil rights activism, said he was encouraged to have met with Japanese activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, and even some of their parents fighting for their children. "They have to have courage to come out and share their lives honestly," Takei said. Once they get a ball rolling, more movement would follow, like "a ripple effect" that spreads, he added. "So I'm optimistic. I do think that Japan will be one of the nations that have equality and that too will serve as an example for other Asian nations."

The event was hosted by Ambassador Caroline Kennedy. From her opening speech:

"African-Americans, women, people with disabilities, and gay men and lesbian have reminded all Americans that we are each entitled to the same rights, liberties, responsibilities and opportunities. Those struggle to transform our society, here tonight we celebrate the countless acts of courage and commitment and reaffirm that LGBT rights are human rights."

RELATED: In April, Akie Abe rode in Tokyo's pride parade.

Labels: Akie Abe, Asia, Caroline Kennedy, George Takei, Japan, LGBT rights, State Department

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Daily Dharma

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Birth and Death | June 6, 2014

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Just understand that birth-and-death is itself nirvana. There is nothing such as birth and death to be avoided; there is nothing such as nirvana to be sought. Only when you realize this are you free from birth and death.

—Eihei Dogen, "Birth and Death"

Via Daily Dharma

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Now is the Time | June 5, 2014

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Now is the time to free ourselves from samsara. Unless we do it in this lifetime, it is not going to happen all by itself. We have to take care of ourselves. Right now we have the ability to receive teachings and practice the Dharma. Isn’t this the right time? Wouldn’t that be better than continuing to act like an animal, concentrating only on eating and sleeping and letting the time run out?

—Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, "Taking Your Future into Your Own Hands"

 

Show Me Your Pride - By Miss Coco Peru - OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

Via JMG: NORTH CAROLINA: Jewish And Baptist Groups Join Marriage Ban Challenge

Via the Charlotte Observer:

The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) and the Alliance of Baptists have made it official that they are joining as plaintiffs in a Federal District Court lawsuit opposing North Carolina’s same-sex marriage ban. The United Church of Christ filed the lawsuit in April, challenging North Carolina’s state ban on same sex marriage. The suit is said to be the nation’s first faith-based challenge to same-sex marriage bans. “This precludes rabbis from participating in one of the fundamental aspects of our Jewish religious traditions with respect to a specific segment of their congregations and communities,” said Rabbi Steven Fox, Chief Executive of the CCAR, in a statement. “Depriving rabbis of the freedom to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies in North Carolina stigmatizes our religious beliefs and relegates many of our congregants and community members to second-class status.”

The Alliance of Baptists: "By the joining the lawsuit in North Carolina, we are living deeply into our Christian values and offering a clear, Baptist voice for justice and religious liberty."

Labels: lawsuits, marriage equality, North Carolina, religion

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Marriage Progress GIF

I believe the map maker used Census Bureau data on where same-sex couples live, not total population numbers. Source.

Labels: maps, marriage equality, United States

Reposted from Joe Jervis

JMG: BREAKING: Supreme Court DENIES NOM's Motion To Stop Oregon Marriages

Via Buzzfeed:

The Supreme Court denied the National Organization for Marriage’s attempt to stop same-sex couples from marrying in Oregon. NOM has appealed the trial judge’s decision not to let the group, which is opposed to same-sex couples’ marriage rights, to intervene in the lawsuit challenging Oregon’s ban on such marriages. The 9th Circuit, which is hearing that appeal, denied NOM’s request to stop the trial court decision striking down the ban from going into effect during the appeal. NOM then went to Justice Anthony Kennedy to ask him to stop the marriages while that appeal is pending before the 9th Circuit.

The ACLU reacts via press release:

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to halt new marriages between same-sex couples in Oregon. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), sought a stay of a lower court’s decision allowing marriages to take place, and after the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals denied a similar request two weeks ago. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the state of Oregon filed briefs opposing NOM’s request.

“With marriages continuing in Oregon, we have 44 percent of the country living in a freedom-to-marry state: same-sex couples are now part of marriage in America today,” said James Esseks, director of the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Project. “Across the country, more and more Americans are embracing the truth that their friends, family, and neighbors in same-sex couples deserve the protection and dignity that only come with marriage.”

Labels: losers, NOM, Oregon, SCOTUS

Reposted from Joe Jervis

#ProudToPlay: Celebrating equality for all athletes

Via Dialy Dharma

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The Intention Behind Honesty | June 3, 2014

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Just as being truly compassionate doesn’t mean always being sweet and nice (sometimes it means being cold, harsh), being truly honest doesn’t mean speaking your thoughts and feelings as they arise. Other awarenesses and intention must be at work—and a recognition that the truth is not solid.

 

—Susan Piver Browne, "Right Speech"

 

Via Daily Dharma

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Shelter from the Storm | June 4, 2014

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When we take the vows of refuge, we are also pledging to find the refuge that exists within our own lives. This taking of refuge is not some kind of evasion or escape, but is the planting of our 'selves' deeply in the nature of what surrounds us.

 

—Gary Thorp, "Shelter from the Storm"

 

Via Blue Nation Review / FB:

Via Daily Dharma

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The Art of Begging | June 1, 2014

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Although we hold the bowl open for an offering, the practice of takuhatsu [begging] does not teach us to be dependent upon society, asking for something that is not earned, or pressuring a community for an entitlement to food or goods. Rather, it teaches us the fundamental lessons of the Buddha: to be dependent on everyone, to live our original homelessness, to include the homeless in thought and deed, to share everything, to accept what comes to us, to be generous, to be humble in society.

 

—Eido Frances Carney, “Zen and the Art of Begging”

 

Via Daily Dharma

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The Remedy Is Generosity | May 31, 2014

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Generosity trusts the emptiness that runs through things, even ungenerous or ungainly things—it links to the clarity that underlies all our madness. Whenever my thoughts turn toward greed, acquisitiveness, or stinginess, my shoulders tense up, and it feels as if I’m holding my breath. To find a remedy, I don’t have to improve my thoughts, though—just be generous with them.

 

—John Tarrant, “The Erotic Life of Emptiness”

 

2014 Rainbow Flag by Gilbert Baker

Via JMG: Alcohol Consumption By State

 

Via Policy Mic:

According to a new report by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the hardest-drinking state turns out to be New Hampshire. The study calculated per capita consumption of ethanol from alcoholic beverages and found that the average New Hampshire resident consumed 4.65 gallons in 2012 — nearly twice the national average of 2.33 gallons. Among the New England states, Connecticut was the only one that didn't make the top 20 list for per capita alcohol consumption. Alaska, Louisiana, Florida, Delaware and Washington, D.C. are all big drinking regions, as are the Northern states, with the average resident consuming over 2.5 gallons of ethanol in alcohol per year. The NIAAA report also found that overall, per capita ethanol consumption increased by 2.2% — only seven states experienced a decrease.

(Tipped by JMG reader Win)

 

Labels: alcohol, maps, New Hampshire

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Daily Dharma

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Philosophy and Religion | May 30, 2014

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Separating philosophy from religion does not work well in the case of Buddhism. Trying to tease apart these two strands of the dispensation would have seemed a futile endeavor to most Buddhists over the long history of the tradition. We in the West need to get over this false dichotomy, which has no significance in speaking about Buddhism or other Asian religions. 

 

—Robert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr., “Buddhism: Philosophy or Religion”

 

Rudolf Brazda, last of the Pink Triangles, tells his story