As
we open and empty ourselves, we come to experience an
interconnectedness, the realization that all things are joined and
conditioned in an interdependent arising. Each experience and event
contains all others.
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The
U.S. State Department has launched an unprecedented donation campaign
in support of international LGBT rights. Via press release: The U.S. Department of State has launched a text donation campaign that allows Americans to donate to the mGive International Response Equality Fund. Donations will help to further programs and initiatives aimed at advancing human rights, fostering equality, advocacy, protection and dialogue to ensure human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) persons around the world. To help, anyone can donate $10 by texting the word PRIDE to 80000.The new campaign is being heralded today on the official website of the State Department under the heading "Global Equality Fund." Learn more about the mGive campaign here.
The Global Equality Fund supports programs that advance the human rights of LBGT persons around the world. The Fund was launched by U.S Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Human Rights Day in December 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland, where she reaffirmed, “Human rights are gay rights and gay rights are human rights.” The Fund is supported by the U.S. government. While providing tangible assistance to LGBT civil society groups around the world, the Fund also serves to underscore the U.S. State Department’s commitment to ensuring LGBT people worldwide are able to exercise their human rights with dignity.
Andrew Sullivan gets the much-coveted (if unsurprising) quote via an email from Cooper. The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud. I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don't think it's anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist. [snip] I love, and I am loved.Cooper's full statement to Sullivan is several hundred words long. I encourage you to read the entire thing.
In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God’s greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life. I appreciate your asking me to weigh in on this, and I would be happy for you to share my thoughts with your readers. I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn’t mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter’s shield of privacy.
Top image via Buzzfeed.One such lobby group is European Dignity Watch, founded in 2010, advocating "life, the family and fundamental freedoms." According to the EU transparency register, it has an annual budget of €80,816 - all in the form of anonymous donations. It rallies against abortion, euthanasia, but most ardently against gay rights. It accuses the European Parliament of pressuring member states into legalising same-sex marriage, and the European Commission of bias for hosting a pro-gay photo exhibition.Among those suspected of secretly funding European anti-gay groups is the Heritage Foundation, the DC-based conservative think tank founded in 1973 by Joseph Coors. The anti-gay groups cited in the EU Observer's article vehemently deny that they are paid by American organizations.
Equality Matters reports: In early 2011, Chick-fil-A came under fire for its donations and political ties to a number of anti-gay groups. Though Chick-fil-A continues to deny supporting an anti-gay agenda, the company has donated over $3 million to organizations like the Family Research Council and Exodus International between 2003 and 2009. And in 2010 alone, Chick-fil-A donated over $1.9 million to anti-gay causes, more than any other year for which public records are available.The bulk of the 2010 donations came in a $1.2M grant to the Marriage & Family Foundation. Another $500K went to the Fellowship For Christian Athletes, who requires applicants to sign their Sexual Purity Pledge:
God desires His children to lead pure lives of holiness. The Bible is clear in teaching on sexual sin including sex outside of marriage and homosexual acts. Neither heterosexual sex outside of marriage nor any homosexual act constitute an alternate lifestyle acceptable to God. While upholding God’s standard of holiness, FCA strongly affirms God’s love and redemptive power in the individual who chooses to follow Him. FCA’s desire is to encourage individuals to trust in Jesus and turn away from any impure lifestyle.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates and CEO Steve Ballmer have each donated $100,000 to Washington state's marriage equality movement. The AP cites Zach Silk, campaign manager for Washington United for Marriage, who says the checks were cut on Friday and are being reported to the state Public Disclosure Commission Monday afternoon. The Washington state Legislature passed the law allowing same-sex marriage earlier this year, and it was signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire in Feb. But an effort to put that law up to a vote was successful, meaning Referendum 74 -- seeking to overturn the law allowing same-sex marriage in Washington state -- is on the ballot in November.In November last year, Microsoft joined in the filing of an amicus brief supporting the overturn of DOMA. (Tipped by JMG reader Alex)
Of
all the words we use to disguise the hollowness of the human condition,
none is more influential than 'myself.' It consists of a collage of
still images—name, gender, nationality, profession, enthusiasms,
relationships—that are renovated from time to time, but otherwise are
each a relic from one particular experience or another. The defining
teaching of the Buddhist tradition, that of non-self, is merely pointing
out the limitations of this reflexive view we hold of ourselves. It’s
not that the self does not exist, but that it is as cobbled-together and
transient as everything else.
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We
all know anger from experience, but when we are asked to pause and
consider, ‘What is this anger?’ it’s not always so easy to see what it
is. Yet when we approach our feelings of anger with awareness, with
mindfulness, it becomes a productive part of our practice. We find,
after all, that anger has something to teach us.
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You
don’t have to be afraid of pain. If it’s going to be there, you can let
it be there—but don’t let the mind be in pain with it.
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Laos has held its first-ever LGBT Pride event with the support of the U.S. Embassy. More than 100 people attended the event, which took place on the sports field of the U.S. Embassy. The guests of honor were U.S. Ambassador Karen Stewart and Dr. Bounpheng Philavong, Director of the Center for HIV/AIDS/STI (CHAS) at the Lao Ministry of Health. During their remarks, both Dr. Bounpheng and Ambassador Stewart congratulated the event organizers for taking an important first step to achieving full acceptance of LGBT people in Lao society.The theme was "Proud To Be Us."
"The message we want to send is that no matter what you look like or where you come from or what your sexual orientation is, every single one of you is a person with value and should be treated with dignity and respect," Ambassador Stewart told the crowd to loud applause. The event drew performers and participation from a number of organizatons that provide outreach and services to Laos' LGBT community, including the Purple Sky Network, Lao Positive Health Association (Lao PHA), Population Services International (PSI), the Burnet Institute, Family Health International (FHI), the Vientiane Youth Center for Health and Development, and UNFPA.
Dharma
is not about credentials. It’s not about how many practices you’ve
done, or how peaceful you can make your mind. It’s not about being in a
community where you feel safe or enjoying the cachet of being a
'Buddhist.' It’s not even about accumulating teachings, empowerments, or
'spiritual accomplishments.' It’s about how naked you’re willing to be
with your own life, and how much you’re willing to let go of your masks
and your armor and live as a completely exposed, undefended, and open
human person.
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Silence
doesn’t mean not talking and not doing things; it means that you are
not disturbed inside. If you’re truly silent, then no matter what
situation you find yourself in you can enjoy the silence.
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It
is because of pain and suffering that we first want to practice. And
it’s because of pain and suffering that we attain enlightenment. Regard
suffering as a teacher, and an inspiration.
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Much
of the language around sexuality has to do with fire: 'in the heat of
passion'; 'a burning desire'; 'she has a new flame.' This is the fire of
creation. It’s not just my sacred energy I need to be in touch with and aware of, it is the fire of all creation from moment to moment to moment.
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