Via JMG: Today in "This is How its Done":

GEORGIA: Print Shop Refuses To Print Wedding Invitations For Lesbian Couple

Citing his religious beliefs, the owner of an AlphaGraphics print shop franchise in suburban Atlanta has refused to print wedding invitations for a lesbian couple. Via Atlanta's NBC affiliate:

Paige Beckwith says throughout her wedding planning process she has been open with vendors that there would be two brides on the wedding day. She says none of the vendors seemed to care, but him. Beckwith says she contacted the company after being referred by a friend. They were trying to go with a train theme. Their engagement photos, taken by Snap Shots By Allie, were on railroad tracks. Their reception would be at an old train depot in Lawrenceville. They wanted the invitations to look like a train ticket, so she needed a company that could design and print them. "The owner called me back and let me know that he's not going to print our invitations because he does not support same sex marriage," said Beckwith. "I kept asking him how, why, how he could do this? He just basically stood on his religious beliefs, referenced the Bible, called it a sin, and I was basically in tears saying how could you treat me this way?," she recalled.

The AlphaGraphics main office has denounced its franchisee and promised to print the invitations at no charge. They have also issued a statement:

We do not condone discrimination of any kind, and wish to make clear that customers of any race, religion, nationality, ethnicity or sexual orientation are welcome at our franchisees' locations nationwide. We also wish to apologize to the customers who were impacted by the actions of this franchisee, and hope that our response conveys the level of commitment we feel toward upholding our company's standards of inclusion, and that all members of the Suwanee community continue to feel welcome at AlphaGraphics.

Georgia does not protect LGBT residents from business discrimination. (Tipped by JMG reader Todd)

Labels: Atlanta, business, gay weddings, Georgia, LGBT rights, public accommodations, religion, retail

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 25/04/2015

“Nós não somos a matéria. A matéria é somente o nosso veículo. Nós somos o espírito que habita a matéria. Quando identificados com o corpo, estamos suscetíveis às leis da matéria, mas quando nos identificamos com o espírito, podemos exercer domínio sobre a matéria, compreendendo que ela é feita de terra, fogo, água, ar e éter. Com isso, podemos curar doenças, materializar objetos e até retardar o envelhecimento. Esse é o mistério daquilo que muitos chamam de “milagres.”

Para ler o Satsang completo, acesse: bit.ly/1uTivU9

“Nosotros no somos la materia. La materia es solamente nuestro vehículo. Nosotros somos el espíritu que habita la materia. Cuando estamos identificados con el cuerpo, estamos suceptibles a las leyes de la materia, pero cuando nos identificamos con el espíritu, podemos ejercer dominio sobre la materia, comprendiendo que está hecha de tierra, fuego, agua, aire y éter. Con esto podemos curar enfermedades, materializar objetos y hasta retardar el envejecimiento. Este es el misterio de aquello que muchos llaman “milagros”.

"We are not that which is material. Matter is only our vehicle. We are the spirit that inhabits this matter. When we get identified with the body, we are susceptible to the laws of matter. When we identify with the spirit, we can exercise dominion over matter, and we realize that matter is simply made from earth, fire, water, air and ether. With this understanding, we can cure diseases, materialize objects, and even slow down aging. This is the mystery of what many call miracles.”

Via Daily Dharma

To Be Called a Buddha | April 25, 2015 When you refrain from unwholesome actions, are not attached to birth and death, and are compassionate toward all sentient beings, respectful to seniors and kind to juniors, not excluding or desiring anything, with no designing thoughts or worries, you will be called a buddha. Do not seek anything else. - Eihei Dogen, "Birth and Death" Read More →

Nobody's Memories - PFLAG Canada – Same-sex Marriage – TV Commercial

HRC's AMERICANS FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY

Via JMG: Hotelier Ian Reisner Reacts To Cruz Flap

"For my entire adult life, I have been an ardent supporter and activist for gay rights and LGBT organizations worldwide. I was given the opportunity to have a candid conversation with Senator Ted Cruz on where he stood on issues including the state of Israel and national security, which are the only places where we share common ground. It was just three months ago that I hosted a 'Ready for Hillary' event for a record turnout of 900 people at The OUT Hotel. Senator Ted Cruz and I disagree strongly on the issue of gay marriage, but having an open dialogue with those who have differing political opinions is a part of what this country was founded on. My tireless support of the gay community and its causes worldwide hasn't changed and will not change." - New York City hotelier Ian Reisner, posting tonight on his Facebook page.

NOTE: There are conflicting reports at whether the event with Cruz was a fundraiser.  CNN is saying that it was, but the New York Times is saying this "Mr. Cruz was on a fund-raising tour of New York City, although the dinner was not a fund-raiser." I've added this notation to previous posts on this topic.

Labels: 2016 elections, GOP, LGBT rights, NYC, Out NYC, Tea Party, teabaggers, Ted Cruz

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Ted Cruz Files Two Anti-Gay Marriage Bills

Via Bloomberg:

Days before the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on same-sex marriage, Senator Ted Cruz has filed two bills to protect states that bar gay couples from marrying. Cruz's legislation would establish a constitutional amendment shielding states that define marriage as between one woman and one man from legal action, according to bill language obtained by Bloomberg News. A second bill would bar federal courts from further weighing in on the marriage issue until such an amendment is adopted. While Cruz's legislation would face solid opposition in the Senate, it is an attempt to force his competitors to keep the issue alive even if the court rules in favor of same-sex marriage. Last year, Cruz and Utah Senator Mike Lee filed similar legislation to protect more than 30 states that currently define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, but those bills died when the session in a Democratic-controlled congress ended.

The bills are here and here.

Labels: 2016 elections, Christianists, crackpots, marriage equality, religion, Senate, Tea Party, teabaggers, Ted Cruz

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 24/04/2015

“É importante que possamos ensinar para as nossas crianças sobre a impermanência. Elas precisam saber que o envelhecimento e a morte são fenômenos inerentes a este plano. Desde cedo elas podem compreender que o corpo tem prazo de validade e que somente aquele que habita o corpo é permanente.”
Para ler o Satsang completo, acesse: bit.ly/1uTivU9

“Es importante que podamos enseñar a nuestros niños sobre la impermanencia. Ellos necesitan saber que el envejecimiento y la muerte son fenómenos inherentes a este plano. Desde temprano ellos pueden comprender que el cuerpo tiene plazo de validez y que solamente aquél que habita el cuerpo es permanente.”

"It’s important that we teach our children about impermanence. They need to know that aging and death are inherent phenomena of this world. From early on, they can understand that the body has an expiration date, and that only the Being that inhabits the body is permanent."

Via Daily Dharma

Finding the Natural Balance | April 24, 2015 I dissolve in activity, in relationship with my surroundings, so that the inner world can flow out, and the outer world can arrive within. I have to both put in effort and know when to let go. There’s a natural balance, a dance, between embracing and releasing: turning your surroundings into yourself, like the tree that absorbs carbon dioxide, and turning yourself into your surroundings, like the same tree releasing oxygen. - Shozan Jack Haubner, "Consider the Seed" Read More →

MAKE HISTORY - END MARRIAGE INEQUALITY

Gaytriotism Across America | Openly Jake

Via JMG: ABC Poll: New High For Marriage Support

Via the Washington Post:

A record-high 6 in 10 Americans support same-sex marriage and a similar share say individual states should not be allowed to define marriage as only between a man and a woman, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. The national debate on same-sex marriage moves to center stage next week, when the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on whether state restrictions on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. The Post-ABC poll finds 61 percent of Americans support allowing gays to marry and 35 percent are opposed. Support is up only slightly from last year but is a reversal from public sentiment a decade ago, when opponents outnumbered supporters 58 percent to 39 percent. In the short and long run, support for same-sex marriage has grown significantly across demographic and political groups. Among those under age 30, support has grown since 2005 from 57 percent to 78 percent. Among those 65 and over, it has increased from 18 percent to 46 percent. Support has also risen by double digits across partisan groups, though Democrats and independents have shifted the most.

Labels: marriage equality, polls, SCOTUS

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Openly Secular Day 2015

Via JMG: NEJM To SCOTUS: Say Yes To Marriage

The New England Journal of Medicine is the nation's oldest continuously published peer-reviewed medical journal. Posted today:

Eleven years ago, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to give same-sex marriages full legal recognition. Today, same-sex marriage is legal, through legislative or judicial action or by popular vote, in more than 35 states and the District of Columbia. It is recognized by the federal government. And polls consistently show that it is supported by a clear majority of Americans. However, in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Tennessee, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of laws and constitutional amendments that define marriage as a union between a man and a woman only, denying recognition of same-sex marriage. Given the conflicting lower-court rulings, the Supreme Court has taken the issue under consideration. The Court will hear oral arguments on April 28 and is expected to hand down its ruling by the end of the current session, in June. We believe that the Court should resolve this conflict in favor of the full recognition of same-sex marriage throughout the United States.

Read the rest. (Tipped by JMG reader TJ)

Labels: marriage equality, Massachusetts, medicine, SCOTUS

Reposted From Joe Jervis

Via FB:

Via ThinkProgress: The Surprising Religious Breakdown Of Same-Sex Marriage Support

 

Make the jump here to read the full article here

Via Huffington: Brokenhearted Bahá'is: LGBTs Rejected by Their Faith

Never before has an openly gay member of the Bahá'í faith granted such a high profile interview, an interview already getting great traction among worldwide members of the faith itself. Above, Sean Rayshel, who has granted Nicholas Snow this exclusive interview.

Nicholas Snow welcomes Sean Rayshel, an openly-gay, third generation American Bahá'í who for the past fifteen years has been an advocate for LGBT inclusiveness in the Bahá'í Faith. Read also in this post, for the first time published in a major media outlet, an official letter from the Bahá'ís Universal House of Justice, Department of the Secretariat.

Make the Jump here to read the full article

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 23/04/2015

“Se você sente que ainda não está pronto para estar em um relacionamento, não adianta forçar. Amor forçado não é amor. Talvez você ainda precise continuar voando até que o amor te arrebate. Mas, chega um momento em que você amadurece o suficiente para compreender a necessidade de aprofundar numa relação. Porque é através do relacionamento que os portais de acesso aos reinos internos se abrem. Mas, normalmente o que ocorre é que ao acessar esses mundos internos, você se assusta e tem vontade de sair correndo. Então você quer trocar de parceiro. E isso pode se tornar uma compulsão. Fique atento para isso, pois se trata de uma estratégia do eu inferior para te manter refém do medo.”

Para ver o Satsang completo, acesse o link: bit.ly/1d3xmZQ

“Si sientes que todavía no estás listo para estar en una relación de pareja, no sirve forzar. Amor forzado no es amor. Tal vez aún necesites continuar volando hasta que el amor te arrebate. Pero llega un momento en que maduras lo suficiente como para comprender la necesidad de profundizar en una relación. Porque es a través de ella que los portales de acceso a los reinos internos se abren. Pero normalmente lo que ocurre es que al acceder a esos mundos internos te asustas y tienes ganas de salir corriendo. Entonces quieres cambiar de compañero. Y esto se puede volver una compulsión. Estate atento a esto, porque se trata de una estrategia del yo inferior para mantenerte rehén del miedo.”

"If one does not feel ready to be in a relationship, there is no point in forcing it. Forced love is no love. We might need to continue flying around until love catches a hold of us. But there comes a time when we are mature enough to understand the need to deepen within a relationship. Through relationships, we gain access to the portals of the inner realms. Oftentimes when we do access these inner worlds, we get frightened and want to run away. Then we want to change partners, and this can become a compulsive action. We must be aware of this, because this is a strategy of the lower self to keep us hostage to fear."

Via Daily Dharma

What Are You Meditating For? | April 23, 2015 Each time one sits to meditate, one enters the unknown, the uncertain, the purposeless. Continuing, one repeatedly experiences uncertainty on the spot. One enters a great expanse that is unknowable, ordinary, alive, and secret. One enters into the timeless and unbiased continuum of all being. - Douglas Penick, "What Are You Meditating For?" Read More →