” … I feel I can no longer
associate with a religion that does not perceive LGBT rights as a true
social value,” Rayshel said, adding, “I, as a gay man, find it offensive
that my same-sex attraction is primarily summed up to a sex act or a
perceived notion that I over-emphasize my sexuality which is seen as
destructive and self-indulgent.”
Sean Rayshel in The Bay Area Reporter, 4 June 2015.
Is the Bahai Faith “a religion that does not perceive LGBT rights as a
true social value?” At the practical level, that is true except where a
Bahai makes it clear that they do not discriminate and that their
communities do not discriminate. For the present at least, the Bahai
community has something to prove in this respect.
Because of the dominance of the perception of discrimination within the
Bahai community, I have to constantly state first that I am for equality
for gays and lesbians and only then state that I am a Bahai. Otherwise
the person I am speaking to is put off from the beginning. I have so
many stories, so many encounters, in which people do a double-take and
tell me, “but Bahais don’t like gays” or “Bahais discriminate.” In the
Philippines, in the U.K., in New Zealand, in the U.S., in the
Netherlands … people have said things such as: “Oh what is the Bahai
Faith about, because when I read that you didn’t accept gays, I stopped
reading” or “So tell me more – I thought the Bahai Faith was
conservative” and “When I read about homosexuality being forbidden I
thought it was a fundamentalist church.”
I explain that I am as much a Bahai as the person who told them that
gays cannot join the Bahai Faith. Then they learn that the
discrimination is not embedded in our teachings. For me it is not so
much whether or not a seeker is put off but two bigger issues: that our
gay children are not tormented by impossible demands, and that our
community practises the essential Bahai principles of justice and
equality.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Friday, June 5, 2015
Via Human Rights Campaign / FB:
#ICYMI: Hafa adai to marriage equality!🇬🇺:
#MarriageEquality Reaches Guam, Where America’s Day Begins!
Read more: http://www.hrc.org/…/breaking-marriage-equality-reaches-gua…
In a historic win, marriage equality has reached Guam following a decision by Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood at the U.S. District Court on Guam. The Pacific island of Guam now officially becomes the first U.S. territory where marriage equality is the law of the land.
Located just past the international date line, Guam is where America’s Day Begins & where momentum for marriage equality continues.
#MarriageMomentum #LoveCantWait #GuamaniansforEquality
#MarriageEquality Reaches Guam, Where America’s Day Begins!
Read more: http://www.hrc.org/…/breaking-marriage-equality-reaches-gua…
In a historic win, marriage equality has reached Guam following a decision by Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood at the U.S. District Court on Guam. The Pacific island of Guam now officially becomes the first U.S. territory where marriage equality is the law of the land.
Located just past the international date line, Guam is where America’s Day Begins & where momentum for marriage equality continues.
#MarriageMomentum #LoveCantWait #GuamaniansforEquality
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 05/06/2015
“Não é possível conhecer o amor através da mente. O amor é a respiração
da vida - é a fragrância do Divino. Para conhecê-lo é preciso correr o
risco de abrir mão de todas as crenças e ideias a respeito dele, pois só
é possível conhecer o amor amando.”
“No es posible conocer el amor a través de la mente. El amor es la respiración de la vida - es la fragancia de lo Divino. Para conocerlo es necesario correr el riesgo de soltar todas las creencias e ideas acerca de él, pues sólo es posible conocer el amor amando.”
“No es posible conocer el amor a través de la mente. El amor es la respiración de la vida - es la fragancia de lo Divino. Para conocerlo es necesario correr el riesgo de soltar todas las creencias e ideas acerca de él, pues sólo es posible conocer el amor amando.”
It’s impossible to know love through the mind. Love is the breath of
life: it is the fragrance of the Divine. In order to know love, we must
take a risk and let go of all our beliefs and ideas about it, because
it’s only possible to know love by loving.”
Today's Daily Dharma: The Happiness of Uncertainty
Image: Untitled (Mandala # 406), Bill Armstrong
|
The Happiness of Uncertainty
|
Part
of the reason we try to understand the causes of our experience is that
we believe we can make these experiences happen again. The problem is,
understanding also makes the experience less valuable, because we adapt
to it. It?s surprising things, uncertain things, things we don?t fully
comprehend that seem to bring us the greatest and longest-lasting
happiness.
- Daniel Gilbert, "The Pleasure Paradox" |
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Via JMG: Hate Group Leader Kayla Moore Passes Along Fake Story About Hillary Clinton
This weekend Foundation For Moral Law head Kayla Moore will be
headlining yet another anti-gay marriage rally in Alabama. In the
meantime she's posted a fake news item about Hillary Clinton from a satire site.
Labels: Alabama, crackpots, Foundation For Moral Law, hate groups, Kayla Moore, loony tunes, religion, Roy Moore
Via Yahoo News: Meet the plaintiff at the heart of a Supreme Court case that could legalize same-sex marriage nationwide
“What we're asking for is simply
to be part of that same tradition of marriage where two people commit to
each other and make those promises to love, protect and honor each
other. How are we changing that? How are we harming that? We're just
asking to do the same thing.”
Jim Obergefell is fired up. He’s the lead plaintiff
in a case before the Supreme Court that this month could change gay
rights in America forever. And in an exclusive interview with Yahoo
global news anchor Katie Couric, he explains why.
Via JMG: Katie Couric Interviews Jim Obergefell
Via Yahoo News:
UPDATE: The clip won't embed properly for some reason. Hit the link at watch it at Yahoo.
Reposted from Joe Jervis
“What we're asking for is simply to be part of that same tradition of marriage where two people commit to each other and make those promises to love, protect and honor each other. How are we changing that? How are we harming that? We're just asking to do the same thing.” Jim Obergefell is fired up. He’s the lead plaintiff in a case before the Supreme Court that this month could change gay rights in America forever. And in an exclusive interview with Yahoo global news anchor Katie Couric, he explains why.You might need a tissue for this clip.
“It's scary to think about having the highest court in the land rule that you really are a second-class citizen and you don't deserve the same rights, the same protections, the same responsibilities as other people.” His case, Obergefell v. Hodges, rests on two questions. One is whether the Constitution requires a state where same-sex marriage is not legal to recognize a marriage licensed in a state where it is legal. The other question is whether the Constitution requires states to license marriages between two people of the same sex — in other words, whether same-sex marriage should be legal nationwide.
UPDATE: The clip won't embed properly for some reason. Hit the link at watch it at Yahoo.
JMG CALIFORNIA: "Intolerant Jackass Act" Backers Can Start Collecting Signatures
While the status of a “Sodomite Suppression Act” proposed state ballot initiative remains in limbo, proponents of a rival “Intolerant Jackass Act” initiative were cleared by state Secretary of State Alex Padilla to begin collecting signatures Wednesday. The rival initiative would force the filer of the Sodomite Suppression Act or any similar initiative to attend sensitivity training and donate $5,000 to a pro-gay or pro-lesbian organization. When Huntington Beach attorney Matt McLaughlin filed the Sodomite Suppression Act earlier this year, which would make homosexuality punishable by death, it set off a nationwide backlash for its evident hatred and dubious constitutionality. Attorney General Kamala Harris sought a court injunction rescinding her obligation to prepare a title and summary for the initiative, a necessary step before proponents can begin gathering the 365,880 signatures necessary to get it on the ballot.The Intolerant Jackass Act was filed by activist Charlotte Laws in late March. Last month the California Assembly approved a bill that would raise the referendum filing fee from $200 to $8000. The measure has not yet been heard by the state Senate.
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 04/06/2015
“Estamos destruindo o planeta porque não sabemos lidar com essa forma
de energia que é o dinheiro. Ele é um instrumento de troca que deve
estar a serviço do Espirito. Damos ao dinheiro um grande valor emocional
e acreditamos que ele trará a felicidade que tanto buscamos. Mas essa
visão distorcida tem gerado grande sofrimento para a humanidade.”
“Estamos destruyendo el planeta porque no sabemos lidiar con esta forma de energía que es el dinero. Es un instrumento de intercambio que debe estar al servicio del Espíritu. Le damos al dinero un gran valor emocional y creemos que nos traerá la felicidad que tanto buscamos. Pero esta visión distorsionada ha generado gran sufrimiento para la humanidad.”
“Estamos destruyendo el planeta porque no sabemos lidiar con esta forma de energía que es el dinero. Es un instrumento de intercambio que debe estar al servicio del Espíritu. Le damos al dinero un gran valor emocional y creemos que nos traerá la felicidad que tanto buscamos. Pero esta visión distorsionada ha generado gran sufrimiento para la humanidad.”
“We are destroying the planet in large part because we don’t know how
to deal with money as a form of energy. Money is an exchange tool that
should be at the service of the spirit. We attribute great emotional
value to money and believe that it will bring us the happiness that we
so desperately seek. This distorted vision has generated tremendous
suffering for humanity.”
Today's Daily Dharma: Delusion Is Like a Stepladder.
Delusion Is Like a Stepladder
|
The
most important point is to establish yourself in a true sense, without
establishing yourself on delusion. And yet we cannot live or practice
without delusion. Delusion is necessary, but delusion is not something
on which you can establish yourself. It is like a stepladder. Without it
you cannot climb up, but you don?t stay on the stepladder. With this
confidence, you can continue to study our way.
- Shunryu Suzuki, "Brown Rice Is Just Right" |
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Via JMG: Hillary Launches Gay Rights T-Shirt
From the campaign store:
Reposted from Joe Jervis
"In honor of 2011 International Human Rights Day, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared at the United Nations that 'being LGBT does not make you less human….[G]ay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.' If you couldn’t give that a standing ovation then, let the world know you agree with this shirt."It really was an astounding speech. The shirt is $30.
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 03/06/2015
“Você é capaz de influenciar o mundo. E a melhor maneira de fazer isso é
transformar a si mesmo. Além da conscientização sobre as questões
ambientais e sociais, você deve tratar de ser verdadeiramente feliz,
porque a felicidade vai se expandindo como ondas de luz. Você deve
contribuir com o planeta fazendo a pergunta: Onde está a felicidade?”
“Eres capaz de influenciar el mundo. Y la mejor manera de hacerlo es transformarte a ti mismo. Además de la conciencia de las cuestiones ambientales y sociales, debes tratar de ser verdaderamente feliz, porque la felicidad se va expandiendo como ondas de luz. Debes contribuir con el planeta haciendo la pregunta: ¿Dónde está la felicidad?”
“Eres capaz de influenciar el mundo. Y la mejor manera de hacerlo es transformarte a ti mismo. Además de la conciencia de las cuestiones ambientales y sociales, debes tratar de ser verdaderamente feliz, porque la felicidad se va expandiendo como ondas de luz. Debes contribuir con el planeta haciendo la pregunta: ¿Dónde está la felicidad?”
“You are capable of influencing the world, and the best way to do this
is to transform yourself. In addition to being aware of environmental
and social issues, strive to learn how to be truly happy, because
happiness spreads outward as waves of light. You will make a lasting
contribution to the world by posing the question: Wherein lies
happiness?”
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