Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Via JMG: GLAD Sues Walmart Over Spousal Benefits
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC) have filed a class action lawsuit against Walmart, charging the retail giant with discriminating against employees who were married to same-sex spouses by denying their spouses health insurance benefits. The Complaint was filed this morning in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and can be read here.The couple has been together for 33 years.
The lawsuit, Jacqueline Cote, et al. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the first class action filed on behalf of gay workers since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015, and alleges that Walmart violated Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act by discriminating against Jaqueline Cote based on her sex. The action seeks to demonstrate how existing federal law can be used to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) workers.
The class representative, Jacqueline (Jackie) Cote, works in Walmart's Swansea, MA store, and was denied spousal health insurance for her wife, Diana (Dee) Smithson. Dee has battled ovarian cancer since 2012. Due to Walmart's sex discrimination, Dee lacked health insurance to pay for her treatment and has racked up a minimum of $150,000 in uninsured medical expenses.
Via JMG: UNAIDS Report: Eight Million Lives Saved Globally Since Year 2000
The world has made "extraordinary progress" against AIDS, slashing the rate of new infections by more than a third and saving nearly 8 million lives since 2000, a new report finds. Fifteen years of work to make sure more people get drugs that can keep them healthy and keep them from infecting others has had spectacular effects on the pandemic that has killed nearly 40 million people, the United Nations AIDS agency UNAIDS says in its report. Distribution of condoms has averted around 50 million new HIV infections since the HIV pandemic started in the 1980s, and other programs to educate people about how HIV spreads and to encourage safe sex have helped, also. "The world has delivered on halting and reversing the AIDS epidemic," said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.But temper your celebrations because more than a million are still dying every year. (Tipped by JMG reader David)
The Crazy Simple Wisdom Of Ho’oponopono
“Why forgive one who wrongs you?
Because if you angrily strike back you misrepresent your own divine soul
nature—you are no better than your offender. But if you manifest
spiritual strength you are blessed, and the power of your righteous
behavior will also help the other person to overcome his
misunderstanding.” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda
A Kahuna is a “keeper of secrets” in the
ancient Hawaiian tradition, and they practice a special healing art
called Ho’oponopono. Within their glossary of loving attention and
creative action, problems are solved and stress is reduced by accessing
information in ways that are not ‘traditional.’
A descendant of Queen Liluokalani and a
native Hawaiian, Morrnah Simeona has been invited to teach her wisdom as
a Kahuna all over the world. She explains:
We are the sum total of our experiences, which is to say that we are burdened by our pasts. When we experience stress or fear in our lives, if we would look carefully, we would find that the cause is actually a memory. It is the emotions which are tied to these memories which affect us now. The subconscious associates an action or person in the present with something that happened in the past. When this occurs, emotions are activated and stress is produced.
Four Little Phrases
Though the Kahuna use many devices to
impart their wisdom, Ho’oponopono is on the top of their list of
effective tools. It involves primarily utilizing just four little
phrases and a conscious look at an issue to evoke new insights and
forgiveness. These are:
I’m sorry.
I love you.
Thank you.
It is profoundly straightforward wisdom, but really difficult for many of us to practice.
In this ridiculously simple system,
there is no need to analyze, solve, manage, or cope with problems. You
simply offer them to Divine Mind in the context of please, thank you, I
love you, and I’m sorry.
In my many years living in Hawaii I saw
this simple practice work effectively over and over again. It was
uncanny how the ‘aloha spirit’ that tourists and locals alike in Hawaii
gloat about was perpetuated through ideas like Ho’oponopono. Total
strangers became friends in no time, and saying ‘I love you’ was an
everyday occurrence. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘thank you’ was continuous
music to my ears, and this inspired in me – a formerly mainland
dwelling, break-neck speed, egoic-go-getter, to cool my jets and enjoy
the trade winds. I slowed down long enough to see that I was creating so
much of my own stress. It inspired me to forgive – even when that
forgiveness needed to be directed toward myself.
Clearing Karmic Patterns
Now, as a yoga teacher, I use Morrnah’s advice aimed at those in the healing profession:It is important to clear Karmic patterns with your clients before you start working with them, so that you don’t activate old stuff between you. Perhaps you shouldn’t be working with that person at all. Only the Divinity knows. If you work with a person and it isn’t your business, you can take on the person’s entire problem and everything associated with it. This can cause burnout. The Ho’oponopono gives the tools to prevent that from happening.
Peace, Pono, Practice
Matthew P. James, PhD had the great luck to study Huna, the ancient healing art which also uses Ho’oponopono, with the late Uncle George Na’ope who was named by the State of Hawaii as a Golden Living Treasure. His family was chosen to carry on a distinct lineage within the Huna tradition. In an article written for Psychology Today he says:We’ve been led to believe for so many years that we are disempowered, that we live at the whim of circumstances around us. No doubt external factors – the loss of a job, our health or an important relationship – can affect our outlook. Yet there are some basic ideas from Hawaiian culture that we can reclaim to tap into a sense of empowerment, peace, Pono.As someone who was blessed to live and work with individuals that embodied the best of the Hawaiian culture, I can enthusiastically support this crazy simple wisdom. I hope we all practice it collectively more often, no matter our cultural background.
At the same time, it’s important to remember that in some cases, forgiveness implies judgement, that something “wrong” has been done. Instead of thinking in terms of “right” and “wrong,” it’s better to view these instances as experiences, stepping stones and opportunities.
Make the jump here to to read the full article
Via WGB: SERIOUSLY??? County In Missouri To Lower Flags “Below Half Staff” To Mourn Same-Sex Marriage
“I just want anybody who sees that to be reminded we find it revolting that the Supreme Court has ruled in this manner,” Dent County Commissioner Darrell Skiles, who sponsored the proposal, told BuzzFeed News.
The three-member commission unanimously approved the proposal to lower the U.S. and state flags at the county court house and judiciary building — the same location where couples obtain marriage licenses.
“May all who see these flags at this lowered position be reminded of this despicable Supreme Court travesty,” said the proposal, which Skiles said he hand-wrote on a piece of paper, added to the meeting agenda, and brought up for a vote. “We feel sadness, shame, and outright revulsion of the U.S. high court’s stamp of approval of what God speaks of as an abomination.”
Full story here via Buzzfeed news!
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 14/07/2015
“Injustiças sempre existiram e sempre existirão neste mundo. Mas, o
karma cuida disso. É preciso confiar nessa lei espiritual; confiar que o
grande mistério está cuidando disso. Você só cuida da parte que lhe
cabe - tudo o que não consegue compreender, você entrega, deixando o rio
te levar. O que você pode fazer é simplesmente não se opor ao fluxo e
desistir de fazer justiça com as próprias mãos.”
“Injusticias siempre existieron y siempre existirán en este mundo. Pero el karma cuida de esto. Es necesario confiar en esta ley espiritual, confiar que el gran misterio está cuidando de esto. Tú solo cuidas de la parte que te cabe – todo lo que no consigues comprender, lo entregas, dejando al río llevarte. Lo que puedes hacer es simplemente no oponerte al flujo y desistir de hacer justicia con tus propias manos.”
“Injusticias siempre existieron y siempre existirán en este mundo. Pero el karma cuida de esto. Es necesario confiar en esta ley espiritual, confiar que el gran misterio está cuidando de esto. Tú solo cuidas de la parte que te cabe – todo lo que no consigues comprender, lo entregas, dejando al río llevarte. Lo que puedes hacer es simplemente no oponerte al flujo y desistir de hacer justicia con tus propias manos.”
“Injustice has always existed and will always exist in the world. But
karma takes care of this. It is necessary to trust in this spiritual
law. Trust that the Great Mystery is caring for this. We only have to
take care of our own part, surrendering everything else that we cannot
understand so that the river may carry us. All we can do is simply not
oppose the flow and let go of the need to take justice into our own
hands.”
Today's Daily Dharma: The Importance of Friendship
The Importance of Friendship
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When
you have a deep, deep friendship with someone, you don’t only care, “Is
this good for me?” You care for them naturally. I believe it’s
completely natural to have such love, compassion, and kindness. . . .
This feeling transcends lay and monastic communities. It is vital to
developing the deep heart of lovingkindness in the context of dedication
to dharma.
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Monday, July 13, 2015
Via Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: The real story behind lgbt equality struggle is being ignored
 |
| For over three decades, anti-gay groups created this false image of the gay community. |
Last night, I made the discovery that my work was used in a letter to the editor in the Grand Forks Herald:
The Huffington Post's Alvin McEwan characterizes the ACP as "a sham group camouflaging religious right distortion as legitimate research" and cites University of Minnesota professor Greg Remafedi, who claims the group has "distorted his work." And in fact, the list of scientists whose research has been distorted to support the religious right's bigotry against the LGBT community is staggering.It was pretty cool to be cited and obviously the young lady read my online booklet, How They See Us, because she cited info from page 10 regarding the list of researchers whose work have been distorted by the anti-gay right.
But then the euphoria faded and I got a bit angry. Not at her, mind you, but the situation in general.
On two pages, I listed at least 12 examples over a number of years in which anti-gay groups and personalities have been caught lying about or distorting research. How in the world did the media, including ours, miss this?
Do journalists dig for information anymore? While we busy ourselves with esoteric terms, while those who claim to be our allies (i.e. Kirsten Powers) write sloppy books hoping to follow the trend of fake pity for anti-gay groups and organizations who finally themselves out of the mainstream, and while those same anti-gay groups and organizations (and their allies at places such as Fox News) spin false stories of anti-Christian persecution at places such as bakeries, the real story seems to be getting ignored.
That real story is the over 30 year history of lies, distortions, and bearing of false witness by anti-gay groups designed to stigmatize the lgbt community. Until THAT story is told, no matter how many victories we win, the lgbt community will always find ourselves on the defensive, trying to justify not only our existence but our right to have a normal life.
Via Towerlroad: LGBT Activist in Paraguay Says Historic First Meeting with Pope Francis Was ‘Very Productive’
A Paraguayan LGBT activist is in high spirits after his historic public meeting with Pope Francis over the weekend.
The Washington Blade reports Simón Cazal, who heads Paraguay’s LGBT group SOMOSGAY, was among the 1,600 civil society leaders who met with Francis in the capital of Asunción on Saturday.
Cazal told the Washington Blade during a
Skype interview after the meeting that Francis did not “directly” refer
to LGBT-specific issues, but “he did mention others in which they are
included.” Media reports indicate the pontiff was sharply critical of Paraguayan Catholic officials.
“There are no people of first, of second
or third class,” said Francis, according to a tweet that Cazal posted to
his Twitter account after the meeting. “Dignity is for everyone.”
In a separate interview with Buzzfeed, Cazal stated his belief that after the meeting the church “has put itself on our side – there is no way to discount that.”
This was the pope’s first ever meeting with an LGBT activist. Back in March, Francis dined with LGBT inmates at an Italian prison.
Watch a video of Cazal speak with CNN before his historic meeting here.
Make the jump here to read the original
JMG Viral Video Of The Day
"Two guys pretend to be homosexuals in Russia." Nearly 900K views at this writing. Click on the closed captioning.
(Tipped by JMG reader Ray)
Reposted from Joe Jervis
Today's Daily Dharma: The Intention beneath Belief
The Intention beneath Belief
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Buddhadharma
is all about intention. Intention doesn't always play out the way you
think it's going to, but if your intention is right and your mindset is
not one of anger or ill will or hatred, if the intention is to relieve
dukkha, it makes all the difference.
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Sunday, July 12, 2015
Today's Daily Dharma: How We Use the Mind
How We Use the Mind
The
mind is very powerful. There's a tremendous strength there, and it
makes such a big difference how this mind, this will, this intention is
being steered. And everything depends on whether it allows itself to
relax and be serene, or whether it allows itself to get caught up in
anxiety, grasping, and fear; it makes a difference if you do something
with a relaxed, easygoing frame of mind, or if you do it in a harried
and distracted way.
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Via JMG: CHILE: Civil Union Signups Begin
CHILE: Civil Union Signups Begin
Pink News reports:
Reposted from Joe Jervis
Gay couples flocked to civil registry offices in Chile to schedule the first same-sex civil unions since they were approved in the country earlier this year. Thursday (July 9) was the first day that couples could apply for the licence, after a bill approving same-sex civil unions was signed by the country’s President Michelle Bachelet back in April. The first same-sex civil ceremonies will take place in October, and while the LGBT community in Chile still fights for the right to marry, many see this as the first step on the to gaining full equal rights for sam-sex couples. Many couples took to Twitter to share their joy and excitement, as well as to announce the date on which their ceremonies will take place.RELATED: Elsewhere in South America same-sex marriage is legal in Argentina, Brazil, French Guiana, and Uruguay. Civil unions are legal in Colombia and Ecuador. A same-sex marriage lawsuit is pending before the Venezuelan Supreme Court. Homosexual acts remain illegal in Guyana, but nowhere else on the continent.
Via Daily Dharma (August 12, 2010 ):
Today’s Daily Dharma:
THIS I BELIEVE: That phenomena do not have any kind of demonstrable, intrinsic existence. That anything that is the composite sum of other parts is, logically, impermanent. That suffering is a given in any form of existence where confusion and ignorance are present. That when confusion and ignorance have been definitively eliminated, and goodness, caring, and wisdom have entirely taken their place, that is true happiness.
-Pamela White, "A Slow, True Path" (Winter 2008)
Read the complete article here.
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 12/07/2015
“Vivemos numa era na qual os valores espirituais foram praticamente
esquecidos. Todos estão atrás de alegrias passageiras, encantados com as
criações da mente. O mundo se tornou extremamente materialista. O homem
acredita que, para ser feliz, ele precisa dominar a matéria. Acredita
que, se tiver dinheiro, terá domínio sobre o outro, e dessa forma se
torna dependente dele. Essa ilusão é o que tem gerado toda crueldade e a miséria que vemos no mundo.”
“Vivimos en una era en la cual los valores espirituales fueron
prácticamente olvidados. Todos están atrás de alegrías pasajeras,
fascinados con las creaciones de la mente. El mundo se volvió
extremadamente materialista. El hombre cree que para ser feliz, necesita
dominar la materia. Cree que si tuviera dinero tendrá dominio sobre el
otro, y de esa forma se vuelve dependiente de él. Esta ilusión es la que
ha generado toda crueldad y miseria que vemos en el mundo.”
“We are living in an era where spiritual values have practically been forgotten. Everyone is chasing after fleeting joys, enchanted with the creations of the mind. The world has become extremely materialistic. We believe that, in order to be happy, we must dominate the material world. We think that if we have money we can have dominion over the other, so we become dependent on money. This illusion is what has generated all the cruelty and misery we see in the world.”
“We are living in an era where spiritual values have practically been forgotten. Everyone is chasing after fleeting joys, enchanted with the creations of the mind. The world has become extremely materialistic. We believe that, in order to be happy, we must dominate the material world. We think that if we have money we can have dominion over the other, so we become dependent on money. This illusion is what has generated all the cruelty and misery we see in the world.”
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