Via PinkNews: The US has had openly gay soldiers for five years, world hasn’t ended yet

World still not ended.

This week marks the fifth anniversary of openly gay soldiers being allowed in the US military, after the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994 as part of a compromise deal with conservatives, banning military authorities from carrying out gay ‘witch hunts’ while maintaining a ban on gay soldiers. 

For nearly two decades under the policy, gay people were dismissed for speaking about any their sexuality while serving in the United States armed forces, while officials were prohibited from ‘investigating’ service members they suspected of homosexuality. 

The policy came to an end on September 20, 2011, after Barack Obama signed a law repealing the instruction – allowing gay, bisexual and lesbian soldiers to serve openly in the military for the first time.

Transgender soldiers followed earlier this year, when the armed forces amended its medical code to remove ‘transgenderism’ as a disqualifying condition.

At the time, evangelicals and senior Republicans claimed that allowing gay people into the military would lead to the destruction of US armed forces. 

Former Presidential hopeful Rick Perry famously played off it in 2012, releasing a TV ad complaining there’s “something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas”. 

Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential pick, also bitterly opposed reform on the issue. Pence fumed at the time: “Homosexuality is incompatible with military service because the presence of homosexuals in the ranks weakens unit cohesion.”

The Democratic National Committee’s LGBT Caucus Chair Earl Fowlkes hailed the anniversary. He said: “In the five years since Congress repealed the discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, we’ve made great strides in expanding and protecting the rights of the LGBT community in the United States, but we still have further to go.

“More than 13,000 service members were discharged under DADT, denying those men and women the opportunity to serve our nation, and diminishing the strength of our armed forces in the process. “By repealing the policy, we no longer treat members of the LGBT community as second-class citizens in our armed forces, and we are a stronger nation for it – both militarily and morally.

“Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine want to build on that progress. They believe in standing up for the LGBT community, ending discrimination, and fighting for our full rights. Donald Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, would only drag us backwards on LGBT rights.

“They both support North Carolina’s discriminatory HB2 ‘bathroom bill,’ and as governor, Pence signed a so-called ‘religious freedom’ bill into law, which threatened to allow businesses to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

“We need to elect a president and vice president who will treat members of the LGBT community as full citizens, and who will fight to protect the civil rights of all Americans.”

Read the original and more here

Via Ram Dass / September 21, 2016:

We’re all just walking each other home.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 21/09/16

“É dando que se recebe”. Essa é uma lei básica neste plano, que é muito simples de entender, mas muito difícil de viver. Nós estamos aqui justamente para ativar ou despertar nossa capacidade natural de doar, pois ela se encontra adormecida. Todo o ser humano tem essa capacidade, pois o Amor é a nossa essência; é a fragrância do Ser que nos habita. Ele está e sempre esteve dentro de cada um de nós, mas encontra-se encoberto por camadas de medo e ódio. Portanto, precisamos trabalhar para remover essas camadas, até que possamos desvendar o Amor.”

 

“Es dando que se recibe'. Esta es una ley básica en este plano, que es muy simple de entender, pero muy difícil de vivir. Nosotros estamos acá justamente para activar o despertar nuestra capacidad natural dedar,pues se encuentra dormida. Todo ser humano tiene esta capacidad, porque el Amor es nuestra esencia; es la fragancia del Ser que nos habita. Él está y siempre estuvo adentro de cada uno de nosotros, pero se halla encubierto por capas de miedo y odio. Por lo tanto, necesitamostrabajar para remover esas capas, hasta que podamos desvendar el amor.”

“It is in giving that we receive. This is a basic law on this plane that is very simple to understand but very difficult to live. We are here precisely to activate or awaken our natural capacity to give which is lying dormant within us. Every human being has this capacity, because love is our essence. It is the fragrance of the being that inhabits us. It is, and has always been, in each and every one of us, only it remains covered by layers of fear and hate. We must, therefore, work to remove these layers until we area able to unveil love.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 21, 2016: On Generosity

If we keep our own light selfishly hidden, it will only provide a limited amount of illumination. But when we share our light with others, we do not diminish our own light. Rather, we increase the amount of light available to all.

—Master Sheng-Yen, "Rich Generosity"

Via The ManKind Project / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba / Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 20/09/16

“Em algum momento nós, seres humanos, nos desconectamos da nossa própria essência e nos esquecemos que o amor que tanto buscamos no mundo lá fora, está dentro de nós. Essa desconexão fez com que acreditássemos ser carentes daquilo que, na verdade, temos em abundância. E, com isso, passamos a usar toda nossa energia e inteligência para forçar o outro a nos reconhecer e considerar, ou seja, a nos amar. Mas, em algum momento amadurecemos e percebemos que, somente quando reconhecemos somos reconhecidos; somente quando consideramos somos considerados - somente quando amamos, somos amados.”

“En algún momento nosotros, los seres humanos, nos desconectamos de nuestra propia esencia y nos olvidamos que el amor que tanto buscamos en el mundo allá afuera, está dentro nuestro. Esta desconexión hizo que creyéramos ser carentes de aquello que,realmente, tenemos en abundancia. Y con esto, pasamos a utilizar toda nuestra energía e inteligencia enforzar el otro a reconocernos y considerarnos, es decir, aamarnos. Pero en algún momento maduramos y percibimos que, solamente cuando reconocemos somos reconocidos; solamentecuando consideramos somos considerado;solamente cuando amamos, somos amados.”

“At some point in time, we humans have become disconnected from our own essence and have forgotten that the love we seek so much from the outside world, is actually within us. This disconnection caused us to believe we were needy for that which, in truth, we have in abundance. Thus, we began to spend our time using all our energy and intelligence to force the other to recognize and consider us, or ‘love’ us. Eventually, we mature and realize that it is only by recognizing that we are recognized; it is only through considering that we are considered; and it is only when we love thatwe are loved.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 20, 2016: At Ease in Goodness

A noble person does not do good because of willpower. She does it through a combination of, on the one hand, modesty about self, and, on the other hand, faith in a higher purpose, a higher meaning, in powers more potent than self-will. Such a person is not moral through gritted teeth. She is at ease in goodness.

—David Brazier, "Other Power"

Via The ManKind Project / FB:

Via Ram Dass / September 18, 2016:

This love is actually part of you; it is always flowing through you. It’s like the subatomic texture of the universe, the dark matter that connects everything. When you tune into that flow, you will feel it in your own heart—not your physical heart or your emotional heart, but your spiritual heart, the place you point to in your chest when you say, "I am."

Rainbow Buddha

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 18/09/16

“Antigamente, as práticas de yoga eram apenas para aqueles que estavam em processo de desligamento do mundo, vivendo em monastérios ou em cavernas. Hoje em dia, elas estão acessíveis e podem ser praticadas por todos, mesmo por aqueles que vivem nos grandes centros urbanos. Não é preciso deixar o trabalho e a família para ser uma pessoa espiritual. Você pode, em algum momento, fazer um retiro, mas a sua prática deve ser sustentar a presença enquanto se relaciona com o outro e manter a equanimidade mental diante dos desafios do relacionamento.”

“Antiguamente, las prácticas de yoga eran solo para los que estaban en proceso de desconectarse del mundo, viviendo en monasterios o en cuevas. Hoy en día, son accesibles y pueden ser practicadas por todos, incluso por aquellos que viven en los grandes centros urbanos. No hacefalta dejar el trabajo y la familia para ser una persona espiritual. En algún momento, puedes hacer un retiro, pero tu práctica debe ser sostener la presencia mientras te relacionas con el otro y mantener la ecuanimidad mental ante los desafíos del relacionarse.”

“In the past, yoga practices were only for those who were in the process of disconnecting from the world, living in monasteries and caves. Today, yoga is more accessible and can be practiced by all, even those living in large urban cities. It isn’t necessary to quit our jobs or leave our families in order to follow a spiritual path. Perhaps, at some point, we may decide to participate in a retreat. However, our practice should allow us to sustain presence and mental equanimity while facing the challenges of relationship.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 18, 2016: A Life of Awareness

Many things help you with concentration, like chanting or bowing, so they can be useful parts of practice. But finally, there is no substitute for insightful seeing or for understanding how you create suffering for yourself; and in the process—in seeing into and through it—how to let go of it. It’s a life of awareness.

—Larry Rosenberg, "The Art of Doing Nothing"

Via JMG: Math Quiz: If 70% Of Men Are Married To A Woman As God Intended, What Are The Odds Teacher’s A Jerk?

Britain’s Bucks Free Press reports:

A grammar school has been accused of handing out ‘homophobic’ work after a maths question sparked fury amongst parents and students. The shocking question, handed out by a school volunteer to a group of students at the all-boys Royal Grammar School, in High Wycombe, suggests only men and woman should get married “as God intended”.

The questions reads: “If in a town 70 per cent of the men are married to 90 per cent of the women (and each marriage is between one man and woman, as God intended when he made humans male and female) what percentage of the adult population are married?”

The optional math test “posers” could have been picked up by all the school’s 1,300 students, including children as young as 11. One parent, who did not want to be named, slammed the homework as being “homophobic” and having an “anti-LGBT bias”.

Speaking to the Bucks Free Press this morning, headmaster Philip Wayne said: “I’m sorry on behalf of the whole school community of governors, staff and boys for any offence this has caused.” LGBT rights charity Stonewall has highlighted the importance of tackling discrimination within school, while praising RGS for dealing with concerns quickly.

What’s the correct answer, anyway? I hated these questions. (Via Christian Nightmares)

Make the jump here to read the original and more on JMG

Shields and Brooks on Trump’s ‘birther’ lie, Clinton’s ‘deplorables’ effect

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 17/09/16

“A meditação envolve diversos estágios ou estados de consciência. Às vezes, você tem acesso a lugares de dor onde entra em contato com sentimentos difíceis como medo, raiva e insegurança. São infernos internos que precisam ser atravessados, pois ali tem algum aprendizado para você. Às vezes, você entra em uma zona neutra, na qual não sente raiva nem medo, mas também não sente amor - você não sente nada. E, às vezes, você vai para o céu e experimenta um amor infinito; uma alegria sem causa; paz e unidade. Você expande e contrai até que, em algum momento, aprende a sustentar o coração aberto e a comunhão com o Divino.”

“La meditación involucra varias etapas o estados de consciencia. A veces, tienes acceso a lugares de dolor, donde entras en contacto con sentimientos difíciles como miedo, rabia e inseguridad. Son infiernos internos que necesitanser atravesados, porque hay ahíalgún aprendizaje para ti. Otras veces, entras en una zona neutra, en la cual no sientesrabiani miedo, pero tampoco sientes amor,no sientes nada. Y, a veces, vas al cielo y experimentas un amor infinito; una alegría sin causa; paz y unidad. Expandes y contraes hasta que, en algún momento, aprendes a sostener el corazón abierto y la comunión con lo Divino.”

“Meditation involves different stages or states of consciousness. Sometimes, we access places of pain and we come into contact with difficult feelings like fear, anger and insecurity. They are like an internal hell that needs to be crossed, because through this passage, there lies a lesson for us. Sometimes, we enter into a neutral zone in which we don’t feel anger or fear, but we don’t feel love either. We feel nothing. Other times, we soar to the heavens and experience an infinite love, a joy without reason, peace and unity. We expand and contract until the moment comes when we learn to sustain an open heart and communion with the divine.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 17, 2016: Speaking Truth

No separation between speaker, speaking, and the reality spoken about. This is the precept of non-lying.

—Roshi Nancy Mujo Baker, "Non-lying"

Via Daily Dharma / September 16, 2016: A Tulku’s Take on Nirvana

The essence of our consciousness is already love and wisdom. Karma, concepts, and emotional patterns are only temporarily preventing our consciousness from unfolding its enlightened nature.

—Tulku Thubten Rinpoche, "Nirvana: Three Takes"

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