Today: NGLCC Rings Closing Bell At NYSE

Representatives of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will ring the stock market's closing bell today in recognition of Pride Month. The market closes at 4pm.

Study Links Marriage Bans To Rise In HIV

An Emory University study has linked same-sex marriage bans to a rise in new HIV infections.

The study used data from the General Social Survey (GSS), which has tracked the attitudes of Americans during the past four decades. The economists calculated that a rise in tolerance from the 1970s to the 1990s reduced HIV cases by one per 100,000 people, and that laws against same-sex marriage boosted cases by 4 per 100,000. "Intolerance is deadly," Mialon said. "Bans on gay marriage codify intolerance, causing more gay people to shift to underground sexual behaviors that carry more risk."

Yeah, interesting, but I'm not so interested in making "but we'll get HIV if you don't let us marry!" into a new battle cry.

Sacramento GLBT News

Gender Community Safety Seminar

June 6, 2009, 1:00 - 4:00pm
Sutter Cancer Center
2800 L Street
1st Floor, CLassrooms 1-4
Sacramento, CA

LGBT people and those perceived as LGBT are being targeted for violent crimes in Sacramento. Now is the time to take responsibility for our personal safety and self-defense. We, the gender community, are pledging to take action in partnership with families, allies, working professionals, and law enforcement. Promoting crime prevention and its principles is the first step. Building a foundation to put an end to hate crimes within our community through mobilization, education, and organization is essential to protecting ourselves, our ch! ildren, and our loved ones.

Workshops on:

• Safety Awareness
• Local Law Enforcement
• Emotional Trauma
• Self-defense

PRIDE is almost here!

The Sacramento Pride Festival will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2009, at Southside Park (6th & T) from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Celebrate change in 2009: Pride Rally and March--Changing the World with Pride! Rally at the California State Capitol West Steps at 9:30 a.m., then join up with the 2009 Sacramento Pride Parade for a march to the Pride Festival at Southside Park. All are welcome to join us in this community-wide celebration of the Pride season, featuring plenty of food and games, live entertainment, curated art show, Butch-n-Nellie's Coffee Grounds, a Kidzone and carnival, volleyball tournament, Beer Garden for adults, and more!

MEUSA Sacramento needs volunteers for tabling and to march with us in the parade - please email ca-sacramento@marriageequality.org if you are interested in helping out!

Camp Courage is Coming to Sacramento!

July 11-12, 2009
Location TBA

Inspired by the Camp Obama trainings that developed a new grassroots force in American politics, Camp Courage is an intensive two-day training designed to teach the principles and skills of community organizing to activists committed to winning marriage equality in the state of California.

Drawing on techniques honed for decades by progressive social movements, Camp Courage teaches empowerment, team building, leadership development, and grassroots organizing skills.

Camp Courage is designed primarily for new activists or those who have never engaged with the broader community about marriage equality. But Camp Courage welcomes veteran LGBT activists and allies.

Camp Courage covers basic community and political organizing skills, including:

• Finding your voice by telling your story of self
• Leadership development
• Principles of successful organizing
• Developing collaboration and building effective teams
• Techniques of voter persuasion
• Organizing a phonebank
• Canvassing
• Tabling
• Throwing house parties
• Online organizing

Attendees will be expected to commit to organizing to overturn Proposition 8, including circulating the Courage Campaign pledge, which asks Californians to support a ballot initiative repealing the ban on same-sex marriage.

A background in community organizing or an organizational affiliation is not a requirement to attend Camp Courage. The only requirements are energy, commitment, and a desire to broaden your leadership abilities.

The Weekly Message from HRC

Dear Daniel,

Pride season is upon us, and there is plenty to celebrate!

On Wednesday, New Hampshire became the sixth state to recognize full marriage equality. Marriages will officially begin on Jan. 1, 2010.

The historic advancement in New Hampshire would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of many of our LGBT movement's coalition partners. To see the level of cooperation and coordination by both state and national organizations in New Hampshire was awe-inspiring.

As for HRC, in 2006, we saw an opportunity in the New Hampshire Legislature. We worked with our local partners in the state to help elect fair-minded majorities in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and Senate. That laid the groundwork for the 2007 passage of civil unions and this week's historic vote for marriage. And in the lead-up to this marriage vote, HRC sent 10 staff members to New Hampshire, four of whom were on the ground for two full weeks in early May. Additionally, with the help of our members in NH, we collected more than 11,000 signatures on a petition urging Gov. John Lynch to sign the legislation when his support seemed unlikely. For a complete recap of HRC's work in New Hampshire, visit www.hrc.org/NHMarriage.

Our work in New Hampshire is far from done. Legislators there failed in this session to pass a bill that would have protected the state's transgender residents from discrimination, and so HRC will be back next session, and we won't give up the fight until we secure equality for our whole community.

Talk of marriage equality is buzzing in Washington, D.C., too. After the May 5th vote by the D.C. Council in support of a bill to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions, which Mayor Fenty signed, the rhetoric has been heated. The bill is now in front of the U.S. Congress for a 30 legislative day review period, and out-of-town groups are pushing for a referendum to attempt to undo the council's vote. On June 2nd, HRC's Religion and Faith Program, Diversity Program, Communications Program and others assisted in the organization of a press conference that brought together ministers from across the city to speak out in support of marriage equality. Over 60 pastors attended and over 130 clergy from the District have signed a religious declaration for marriage equality. Learn more about marriage in D.C. and to watch the press conference.

And of course, to quote HRC's National Field Director Marty Rouse, "the marriage equality express continues to steam ahead. Next stop, New York." Click here for more information and ways to get involved in New York. Also, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine reiterated his support for marriage equality this past week, saying that he wants to sign a bill by the end of 2009.

And pride season didn't just bring cause for celebration in the states, it also marked the first-ever hearing on the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) on Capitol Hill. UAFA would allow U.S. citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their same-sex partners for family-based immigration by meeting the same standard as different-sex couples. UAFA's champions Senator Leahy (D-VT) and Representative Nadler (D-NY) helped make the historic hearing a success. Additionally, on Thursday, Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., introduced the Reuniting Families Act, a larger immigration bill that includes UAFA as a provision. This historic hearing and legislation demonstrates that our allies in Congress are aware of the discriminatory situation that lesbian and gay binational couples face and are dedicated to ensuring that these loving couples are not torn apart or forced to flee in order to stay together. For more information about UAFA and the Reuniting Families Act, click here and here.

And as I mentioned in the opening, June kicks off pride season. HRC is excited to be at over 70 prides across the country this year. For a complete listing, go to: www.hrc.org/pride. Please be sure to stop by the HRC booth for more information on our exciting progress and for more opportunities to become involved and to help keep the good news streaming in. We hope to see you there!

Warmly,

Joe Solmonese
President, Human Rights Campaign

Where the USA Stands

Coretta Scott King - wiki

LGBT equality - from wikipedia

On April 1, 1998 at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, King called on the civil rights community to join in the struggle against homophobia and anti-gay bias. "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood", King stated. "This sets the stage for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to victimize the next minority group."

In a speech in November 2003 at the opening session of the 13th annual Creating Change Conference, organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, King made her now famous appeal linking the Civil Rights Movement to the LGBT agenda: "I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people. ... But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream, to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people."

King's support of LGBT rights was strongly criticized by some black pastors. She called her critics "misinformed" and said that Martin Luther King's message to the world was one of equality and inclusion.

In 2003, she invited the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to take part in observances of the 40th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech. It was the first time that an LGBT rights group had been invited to a major event of the African American community.

On March 23, 2004, she told an audience at Richard Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey, that same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue. King denounced a proposed amendment advanced by President George W. Bush to the United States Constitution that would ban equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. In her speech King also criticized a group of black pastors in her home state of Georgia for backing a bill to amend that state's constitution to block gay and lesbian couples from marrying. King is quoted as saying "Gay and lesbian people have families, and their families should have legal protection, whether by marriage or civil union. A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages is a form of gay bashing and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriage."

Afghan Poetry

Tonight the NewsHour did a wonderful retrospective about Rumi’s poetry. Search for:

Afghan Poetry
Jeffrey Brown reports on what's behind the popularity of Afghan poet Jelauddin Rumi's poems.

Which reminded me of a quote we have in our bathroom:

Out beyond the idea of wrongdoing and rightdoing

there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

The full poem goes:

Out beyond the idea of wrongdoing and rightdoing

there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase each other

doesn't make any sense.

From Essential Rumi

by Coleman Barks

see: http://peacefulrivers.homestead.com/Rumipoetry1.html

and of course there is my very favorite Rumi Poem:

http://ubnotorious.blogspot.com/2007/04/welcome-to-my-blog.html

In just a few days...

In just a few days Clustermaps shows that Revoked has been visited by people from all these amazing places...

Besides a big shout out to our homies in Haifa and Wilmette...

I want to say hallo to Leiden and hello to Great Britain, um grande abraço a Portugal!

Goodness the Seychelles... just send me an invite, we're going! Y una abrazo a Buenos Aires! The middle of Australia... please extend a nonrevocable hug to Priscilla Queen of the Desert!

Thanks folks... I am getting so many emails of support... I am overwhelmed... we are not alone (well we knew that now didn't we?)

Never give up! Never surrender! - Galaxy Quest

Yay!

New Hampshire just became the 6th state with marriage equality! I know, it's great news.

I also heard that right-wing groups are already up in arms over this victory, slamming the courageous leaders in New Hampshire in the hopes that they can intimidate legislators everywhere into opposing marriage equality, especially in New York where a marriage equality vote is expected soon.

I just sent a thank-you note to New Hampshire's leaders, to make sure the right-wing cries of outrage aren't the only voices they hear. I hope you'll join me:

http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/nh_victory

Thank you.

The Dallas Principles

The following eight guiding principles underlie our call to action.

In order to achieve full civil rights now, we avow:

1.Full civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals must be enacted now. Delay and excuses are no longer acceptable.

2.We will not leave any part of our community behind.

3.Separate is never equal.

4.Religious beliefs are not a basis upon which to affirm or deny civil rights.

5.The establishment and guardianship of full civil rights is a non-partisan issue.

6.Individual involvement and grassroots action are paramount to success and must be encouraged.

7.Success is measured by the civil rights we all achieve, not by words, access or money raised.

8.Those who seek our support are expected to commit to these principles.

SEE: http://www.thedallasprinciples.org/The_Dallas_Principles/Home.html

Iraqi gays condemn Obama/Clinton inaction on pogrom.

Please forward

Iraqi gays condemn Obama/Clinton inaction on pogrom

Embassy statement 'offensive and insulting'

Iraqi lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people (LGBT) has spoken of their deep anger and offense at a statement by the Baghdad US Embassy concerning the violence and murder campaign against gays.

In a response to US Rep. Jared Polis, following a meeting with Iraqi government officials, chargé d’affaires Patricia Butenis said "We have no evidence that [the Iraq government's] security forces are in any way involved with these militias."

Iraqi LGBT has been reporting for four years on police involvement with the terror campaign.

Group members speaking from Iraq said that they are "fed up with such 'political' words" and that the Americans are doing nothing to stop the terror campaign against them. They believe that the priority for Hillary Clinton's State Department and Obama's administration is to not upset the Iraqi government as they have no other allies within the country.

They believe that no-one is trying to help them and feel that the current timid diplomacy "will not do much good".

"These words from the American embassy officials are insulting to us, and to those many friends of ours who have murdered. This statement is evidence that the Iraqi government is doing nothing to protect its citizens."

"They are responsible for these crimes through bringing no one to justice, refusing to acknowledge their police's involvement and providing no rights for Iraqi LGBT in law."

"People should not forget that what's happening in Iraq right now is a direct result of the unlawful US invasion."

Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watch’s LGBT Rights Program, has also criticism the State Department. In an interview with EdgeBoston, responding to State spokesperson John T. Fleming's pointed statement that 'homosexuality is not a crime in Iraq', Long responded that the fact that homosexuality is not a crime punishable by death "would be an interesting fact if the law, or the rule of law, mattered in Iraq."

Long has just returned from a fact-finding mission to Iraq where he spoke to 25 survivors from Baghdad and other cities, including Najaf, Basra and Samarra.

As a consequence of what they found, Human Rights Watch has been organizing ways for as many LGBT Iraqis as possible to get out of the country.

Colorado U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, who has spoken about Iraqi government involvement with the violence, has written with Reps. Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank to U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill.

"As LGBT Americans and cochairs of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, we are disturbed and shocked at allegations that Ministry of the Interior Security Forces may be involved in the mass persecution and execution of LGBT Iraqis ... The persecution of Iraqis based on sexual orientation or gender identity is escalating and is unacceptable regardless of whether these policies are extrajudicial or state-sanctioned."

The letter called on the U.S. embassy in Iraq to "prioritize the investigation" of the allegations and work with the Iraqi government to end the executions of LGBT Iraqis. Polis is drafting another letter that would be signed by more members of Congress and sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

--------------------

To reply to this message, follow the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php&t=1093081930379 mid=918e41G2c4faed8G1b8a446G0

How to have an Absolutely Fabulous Feast!

Here is a thought I had while at the gym today. (DISCLOSURE: I lifted parts of this, well most of this, from the Unitarians who definitely are inclusive). You, see, as I was madly peddling away, I got to thinking, since so many Bahá’ís are disinclined to interact with 10% of the population, I got to thinking.... how our prejudices stem from a lack of experience or understanding of those that seem different, or in this case fabulous... so what to do? Invite the local GLBT community to a fireside or a Holy Day.

Oh snap!

So as a first step, I offer here a, simple, easy to use, handy, template for your community to use in your community website. All your community has to do is cut and paste this statement below into your community webpage. Simply substitute XYZ for Woodburn, Albuquerque, Portland, Wilmette or or even Carmichael! If you need help, I am glad to come help... oops! I forgot, THEY won't let me! Sorry, how very awkward, at any rate here goes:

The Bahá’ís of XYZ, California would like to extend a warm welcome to Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people and their families. We encourage you to seek your own spiritual path and visit our community, a place where people gather to nurture their spirits and put their faith into action by helping to make our community—and the world—a better place.

The XYZ Bahá’í Community takes pride in working alongside other communities of Faith in XYZ, to provide a welcoming and open place for LGBT people. We invite you to visit us and to explore the healing words of Bahá’u’lláh, who’s life was dedicated to the elimination of all forms of prejudice.

Since the Bahá’í Faith is dedicated to the eradication for all forms of prejudice we believe that “The inherent worth and dignity of every person,” applies equally to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Our local Bahá’í community is reaching out to all LGBT people and their families, because for more than a century, the Bahá’í Faith has been in the forefront of fighting prejudice and bigotry.

Together with other progressive communities in XYZ, we are proud to work to promote acceptance, inclusion, understanding, and equity for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender persons of all colors, races, and ethnicities. We are committed to protecting the civil and legal rights of LGBT people and families across the country.

We welcome you!

From an old friend...

The words thou hadst written have, as soon as they were read in My Presence, caused the ocean of My fidelity to surge within Me, and the breeze of My forgiveness to be wafted over thy soul, and the tree of My loving-kindness to overshadow thee, and the clouds of My bounty to rain down upon thee their gifts. I swear by the Day Star that shineth above the horizon of eternity, I sorrow for thee in thy grief, and lament with thee in thy tribulation.... I bear witness to the services thou hast rendered Me, and testify to the various troubles thou hast sustained for My sake. All the atoms of the earth declare My love for thee.

Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 309.

Culture & Society

Gay Men on Campus: Smart, Studious, Involved

An economist taking a new look at existing data suggests that gay men do incrementally better at college than straight men, while bisexual women do worse than their peers.

According to a new study, gay male college students are better motivated, get better grades, and are more likely to seek out a mentor to aide in their education.

"The thing that really comes out (in the data) is that gay men see academic work as more important than heterosexual men," said study author Christopher Carpenter, an assistant professor of economics and public policy at the University of California, Irvine. "They were 1.41 times more likely to say their academic work was important. "That could explain the GPA effect," he added. "It's plausible that if gay men perceive their academic work as more important, then they're trying harder." Gay men also spend 40 to 50 percent more time doing volunteer work or participating in student organizations, according to Carpenter's findings. "It's possible that these organizations they belong to could include fraternities," he said. "But I doubt that, because gay men were less likely to say participating in parties was important to them." Another possible factor in their success rate: Gay male students were about 13 percent more likely than straight male students to report they had a faculty member or administrator they could talk to about a problem.

One more via JMG.

Jill Biden On Anti-Gay Bullying

The Second Lady spoke at GSLEN's Respect Awards event and addressed anti-gay bullying in public schools. "How can expect kids to learn when they are taunted by their classmates?" Biden mentions Lawrence King and two boys who recently committed suicide.

Courtesy of JMG.

Victory For Marriage In New Hampshire!

This courtesy of JMG:

By a vote of 198-176, the New Hampshire House has just approved same-sex marriage, hours after the state Senate did the same. Gov. John Lynch is expected to sign the bill immediately, possibly as early as this evening. New Hampshire joins Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and Maine as the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage.

Congrats to all in the Granite State!

TABLET TO THE PEOPLE

Photo by Daniel Orey, taken in February 2008, all rights reserved

TABLET TO THE PEOPLE

O banished and faithful friend! Quench the thirst of heedlessness with the sanctified waters of My grace, and chase the gloom of remoteness through the morning-light of My Divine presence. Suffer not the habitation wherein dwelleth My undying love for thee to be destroyed through the tyranny of covetous desires, and overcloud not the beauty of the heavenly Youth with the dust of self and passion. Clothe thyself with the essence of righteousness, and let thine heart be afraid of none except God. Obstruct not the luminous spring of thy soul with the thorns and brambles of vain and inordinate affections, and impede not the flow of the living waters that stream from the fountain of thine heart. Set all thy hope in God, and cleave tenaciously to His unfailing mercy. Who else but Him can enrich the destitute, and deliver the fallen from his abasement?

O My servants! Were ye to discover the hidden, the shoreless oceans of My incorruptible wealth, ye would, of a certainty, esteem as nothing the world, nay, the entire creation. Let the flame of search burn with such fierceness within your hearts as to enable you to attain your supreme and most exalted goal--the station at which ye can draw nigh unto, and be united with, your Best-Beloved....

O My servants! Let not your vain hopes and idle fancies sap the foundations of your belief in the All-Glorious God, inasmuch as such imaginings have been wholly unprofitable unto men, and failed to direct their steps unto the straight Path. Think ye, O My servants, that the Hand of My all-encompassing, My over-shadowing, and transcendent sovereignty is chained up, that the flow of Mine ancient, My ceaseless, and all-pervasive mercy is checked, or that the clouds of My sublime and unsurpassed favors have ceased to rain their gifts upon men? Can ye imagine that the wondrous works that have proclaimed My divine and resistless power are withdrawn, or that the potency of My will and purpose hath been deterred from directing the destinies of mankind? If it be not so, wherefore, then, have ye striven to prevent the deathless Beauty of My sacred and gracious Countenance from being unveiled to men's eyes? Why have ye struggled to hinder the Manifestation of the Almighty and All-Glorious Being from shedding the radiance of His Revelation upon the earth? Were ye to be fair in your judgment, ye would readily recognize how the realities of all created things are inebriated with the joy of this new and wondrous Revelation, how all the atoms of the earth have been illuminated through the brightness of its glory. Vain and wretched is that which ye have imagined and still imagine!

Retrace your steps, O My servants, and incline your hearts to Him Who is the Source of your creation. Deliver yourselves from your evil and corrupt affections, and hasten to embrace the light of the undying Fire that gloweth on the Sinai of this mysterious and transcendent Revelation. Corrupt not the holy, the all-embracing, and primal Word of God, and seek not to profane its sanctity or to debase its exalted character.

O heedless ones! Though the wonders of My mercy have encompassed all created things, both visible and invisible, and though the revelations of My grace and bounty have permeated every atom of the universe, yet the rod with which I can chastise the wicked is grievous, and the fierceness of Mine anger against them terrible. With ears that are sanctified from vain-glory and worldly desires hearken unto the counsels which I, in My merciful kindness, have revealed unto you, and with your inner and outer eyes contemplate the evidences of My marvelous Revelation.

O My servants! Deprive not yourselves of the unfading and resplendent Light that shineth within the Lamp of Divine glory. Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within your radiant hearts. Feed it with the oil of Divine guidance, and protect it within the shelter of your constancy. Guard it within the globe of trust and detachment from all else but God, so that the evil whisperings of the ungodly may not extinguish its light. O My servants! My holy, My divinely ordained Revelation may be likened unto an ocean in whose depths are concealed innumerable pearls of great price, of surpassing luster. It is the duty of every seeker to bestir himself and strive to attain the shores of this ocean, so that he may, in proportion to the eagerness of his search and the efforts he hath exerted, partake of such benefits as have been pre-ordained in God's irrevocable and hidden Tablets. If no one be willing to direct his steps towards its shores, if every one should fail to arise and find Him, can such a failure be said to have robbed this ocean of its power or to have lessened, to any degree, its treasures? How vain, how contemptible, are the imaginations which your hearts have devised, and are still devising! O My servants! The one true God is My witness! This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake of this imperishable favor, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.

O My servants! Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves--a knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own Being. Ye would find yourselves independent of all else but Me, and would perceive, with your inner and outer eye, and as manifest as the revelation of My effulgent Name, the seas of My loving-kindness and bounty moving within you. Suffer not your idle fancies, your evil passions, your insincerity and blindness of heart to dim the luster, or stain the sanctity, of so lofty a station. Ye are even as the bird which soareth, with the full force of its mighty wings and with complete and joyous confidence, through the immensity of the heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its hunger, it turneth longingly to the water and clay of the earth below it, and, having been entrapped in the mesh of its desire, findeth itself impotent to resume its flight to the realms whence it came. Powerless to shake off the burden weighing on its sullied wings, that bird, hitherto an inmate of the heavens is now forced to seek a dwelling-place upon the dust. Wherefore, O My servants, defile not your wings with the clay of waywardness and vain desires, and suffer them not to be stained with the dust of envy and hate, that ye may not be hindered from soaring in the heavens of My divine knowledge.

O My servants! Through the might of God and His power, and out of the treasury of His knowledge and wisdom, I have brought forth and revealed unto you the pearls that lay concealed in the depths of His everlasting ocean. I have summoned the Maids of Heaven to emerge from behind the veil of concealment and have clothed them with these words of Mine words of consummate power and wisdom. I have, moreover, with the hand of divine power, unsealed the choice wine of My Revelation, and have wafted its holy, its hidden, and musk-laden fragrance upon all created things. Who else but yourselves is to be blamed if ye choose to remain unendowed with so great an outpouring of God's transcendent and all-encompassing grace, with so bright a revelation of His resplendent mercy?

O My servants! There shineth nothing else in Mine heart except the unfading light of the Morn of Divine guidance, and out of My mouth proceedeth naught but the essence of truth, which the Lord your God hath revealed. Follow not, therefore, your earthly desires, and violate not the Covenant of God, nor break your pledge to Him. With firm determination, with the whole affection of your heart, and with the full force of your words, turn ye unto Him, and walk not in the ways of the foolish. The world is but a show, vain and empty, a mere nothing, bearing the semblance of reality. Set not your affections upon it. Break not the bond that uniteth you with your Creator, and be not of those that have erred and strayed from His ways. Verily I say, the world is like the vapor in a desert, which the thirsty dreameth to be water and striveth after it with all his might, until when he cometh unto it, he findeth it to be mere illusion. It may, moreover, be likened unto the lifeless image of the beloved whom the lover hath sought and found, in the end, after long search and to his utmost regret, to be such as cannot "fatten nor appease his hunger."

O My servants! Sorrow not if, in these days and on this earthly plane, things contrary to your wishes have been ordained and manifested by God, for days of blissful joy, of heavenly delight, are assuredly in store for you. Worlds, holy and spiritually glorious, will be unveiled to your eyes. You are destined by Him, in this world and hereafter, to partake of their benefits, to share in their joys, and to obtain a portion of their sustaining grace. To each and every one of them you will, no doubt, attain.

From Yes on Gay Marriage:

Our civil rights are under attack everywhere in America!

Anti-gay extremists have mounted massive television ad campaigns in New York to fight marriage equality legislation. They are turning up the heat in their efforts to abolish gay marriage rights in Maine and the District of Columbia. The California Supreme Court just banned gay marriages forcing us back to the ballot box next year while the U.S. Congress sits on its hands and drags its feet on marriage equality.

Anti-gay extremists oppose gay marriage because they believe it’s not okay to be gay. We need your help in dispelling that myth and their bigotry.

If we are going to fight these attempts to keep gay marriage in the closet, we have to mount education campaigns across America now to obliterate the bigotry around gay marriage.

Yes on Gay Marriage is working hard to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states and demand recognition by the federal government. While we’ve been educating Americans across the country on gay marriage, we’ve also stepped up our efforts to bring gay marriage to all key battleground states and the District of Columbia in order to bring equality to every American citizen.

We need you to join us in standing up for gay marriage and equality by making a contribution today. Join us in proudly and unapologetically standing up to say “Yes On Gay Marriage.”

Together we will fight hate, bigotry and fear with the love and tolerance represented by all the faces of gay marriage.

Why I Cannot Give Up...

Photo by Daniel Orey, taken in January 2009, all rights reserved

It may not make much sense to some folks, but despite the abuse, shunning and dishonesty by Bahá’ís and their Institutions, I still love this religion so. Well less the religion at the moment, and more Bahá'u'lláh.

I have been tempted at times to shove it aside, pack it in but then I remember a few things (insert music from the Sound of Music) - these ARE a few of my favorite things:

1. The summer I decided to become a Bahá’í. 1976. I had attended firesides at Oregon State for a year, and decided after being harassed by my parents that I would get a job in the forest service. I sent in a form, with no request for any certain District other than it couldn’t have poison oak… they assigned me to a ranger district called UNITY. The ranger station had a very tall fire lookout tower in the middle of the compound and after work, and dinner I would often climb up there with a book and my journal, and watch the sunset… On July 9th, to be exact, I remember reading the Tablet to the People, shutting the book and saying my first request for a sign. Right then the clouds moved just a hair, and the sunset with rays of bright light bathing the compound in color. No one can take that moment away from me.
   
2. Countless, magical moments in Guatemala that no one will ever take away from me
   
3. The work with the Gay Bahá’í Fellowship until we were asked to disband by the House of Justice. Where I met, and remain in contact with some really great folks. And finally
4. This last January, while giving a talk and doing research with a colleague at the Technion in Haifa, I spent a little bit of every day in Bahji. The whole time there I was meditating on what to do about being a Bahá’í. Should I continue, should I walk away… I sensed very deeply that after being very open about getting married to Milton, that the shoe would eventually drop. The second to last visit, was during a very rainy day, and the tourists were no where to be seen, I spent almost an hour by myself in the Shrine of Bahá’ulláh. Folks who know me well, know that I am about as close to having ADD as it comes, sitting still for 10 minutes is impossible, meditating is well, I’d rather work in the yard (which is where I feel the spirit anyway). Sitting there, in the Holiest room on the planet, a pounding rainstorm going on outside, by myself, allowed me to focus, and feel a true sense of unconditional love, a feeling that all this silliness is worth it. I felt encouraged, and a deep sense of responsibility to continue to do what little I can for GBLT's.I kept thinking about how early on, people would travel there on foot for months at a time, just to see Bahá’ulláh wave a handkerchief from the window of his prison cell. Others came to sit with Him briefly when he was allowed to live in Bahji and were sent out to sure martyrdom… Interestingly enough, I learned while living in New Mexico, that a rain shower during a prayer is considered a blessing and confirmation.
   

Our well-meaning, albeit extremely mistaken leadership offered to pray for me while removing my administrative rights - homophobic, bigoted, and crazy making, but no doubt sincere to them. What they have done now in their prayerful supplications on my behalf is unleash a sense of liberty, freedom and love for the Blessed Beauty in me now that cannot be described. I am free to share what is really on my mind… without fear or shame. Maybe I should be grateful.

Message for the dishonest folks:@ the Nat'l Center: You have nothing to fear from me, not to worry. I am merely worried for open-minded GLBT and freinds who encounter the Faith and the current outmoded, homophobic, bigoted and backward view on homosexuality that YOU enforce. I worry about the lack of interest in addressing the issues we raised in our letter in 1993.

In closing I ask only what is better, a gay Bahá’í or gay non-Bahá’í?Dearest NSA of the USA, your letter to me proclaims to every GLBT, their friends and family, the later, I declare it is the former that you should strive for...

Blessed be.