Thursday, January 17, 2013
Via 2012 Healing the Planet 2012 / FB:
2012 Healing the Planet 2012 shared a photo:
"To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~
With Bows of Gratefulness to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States:
Once again
on Facebook and other venues, there have been a number of interesting
discussions about GLBT people and their incorporation in the Bahá’í Faith.
Unfortunately nothing is new – the conservatives continue to point out to those of us who already know that the writings say this or that, and appear to have free reign to spew their nonsense (essentially reminding us that we are not welcome). Though they will never really say so, because hiding their disgraceful homophobia behind a wall of the Sacred Writings, appears to give them power and weight. Instead they increasingly engage readers in the same tired discourse related to why the Faith cannot change (which I interpret why they do not want it to change). Meanwhile most of us GLBT folks, friends and family try to engage in other possibilities, trying to show that many other religious communities have found a way to ignore the very same teachings, and are welcoming GLBT people. But alas…
Unfortunately nothing is new – the conservatives continue to point out to those of us who already know that the writings say this or that, and appear to have free reign to spew their nonsense (essentially reminding us that we are not welcome). Though they will never really say so, because hiding their disgraceful homophobia behind a wall of the Sacred Writings, appears to give them power and weight. Instead they increasingly engage readers in the same tired discourse related to why the Faith cannot change (which I interpret why they do not want it to change). Meanwhile most of us GLBT folks, friends and family try to engage in other possibilities, trying to show that many other religious communities have found a way to ignore the very same teachings, and are welcoming GLBT people. But alas…
All of this
has allowed me to recognize the “wisdom” of the National Spiritual Assembly of
the United States in removing
my rights as a Bahá’í. In some unintended way, they have given me the opportunity
to speak out fearlessly (what do I have to loose now?); investigate alternative
truths and embrace Buddhism; to really come to question the need for organized religion
at all; and even for the first time in my life question the actual existence of
god him/herself…
This officially
sanctioned homophobia by the Bahá’í leadership and majority of the Bahá’ís
themselves, was for me, the final nail in the coffin --no women on the UHJ was a major one, birth control,
length of your hair, and some other weird and funky rules the Aqdas appears to
be ready to implement -- that until then I was willing to forgo, and I like
others accepted the official answer for etc… but now seeing that the shunning of
science, reason and any sense of compassion for GLBT people is official, my concerns
for all sorts of other oddities in the Faith opened up. And the Faith looks like a cult or at best, silly,
irrelevant and terribly sad…
To be honest,
before having been defrocked, I was probably headed this way anyway… I had pretty much
had it with the Bahá’ís in my community. I had made a couple of visits to the
Shrines in Israel to pray and reflect
and was treated coldly. Their officially sanctioned homophobia accelerated
a process that I rather think was underway within anyway. So ian a funny way, their disgraceful
act of showing me the door only allowed me to escape their cage. A Fulbright research trip to Nepal and encounter with the
Sacramento Buddhist Mediation Group confirmed what I was looking for -- a home,
a refuge a sangha, that no Bahá’í Community has ever offered me.
Removing my
status as a member of the Bahá’í community unless I undergo some sort of treatment
and divorce my husband, I think was intended to be a form of punishment for being
a happy, open, and honest gay man. But I
rather think it has had the opposite effect, it has liberated me, made hundreds
of people I know and love turn away from a religion that once held such promise,
that once was held up to be progressive, loving and tolerant, and has shown the
world that the Faith actually is no better than many of the other homophobic religions
or cults it seeks to compete with.
So it is I
offer bows of gratefulness to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of
the United States;
may they liberate more and more people as time goes on!
Namaste!
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
| Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma January 17, 2013
Our Highest Intentions
No
matter what situation we find ourselves in, we can always set our
compass to our highest intentions in the present moment. Perhaps it is
nothing more than being in a heated conversation with another person and
stopping to take a breath and ask yourself, 'What is my highest
intention in this moment?' If you can have enough awareness to take this
small step, your heart will give you an answer that will take the
conversation in a different, more positive direction.
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- Jack Kornfield, "Set the Compass of Your Heart"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 18th, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Chuck Hagel
"I fully support the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and value
the service of all those who fight for our country. I know firsthand the
profound sacrifice our service members and their families make, and if
confirmed as Secretary of Defense, I will do everything possible to the
extent permissible under current law to provide equal benefits to the
families of all our service members." - Chuck Hagel, in a letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Huffington Post has a reaction from Log Cabin Republicans head Gregory Angelo.
Reposted from Joe
Huffington Post has a reaction from Log Cabin Republicans head Gregory Angelo.
"For years the Pentagon has been dragging its feet with regard to extending benefits to the families of gay service members. To ensure that action is taken on this front, we need to be sure that there is a champion for our cause at the helm of the defense department. There is nothing in Hagel's record to suggest he will be that champion. "While Senator Hagel's recent professed support for gay military families is encouraging, it stands at odds with his record of opposition to the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and his broader record of opposition to equality for gay and lesbian Americans. We look forward to the confirmation hearings when the Senator will be able to explain his apparent epiphany in greater detail. We continue to remain cautious about his nomination until that time."
Labels: Chuck Hagel, DOD, LCR, Obama cabinet
Via JMG: Today In Christian Love™
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
| Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||||
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma January 16, 2013
Revealing What is Hidden
Meditation,
simply defined, is a way of being aware. It is the happy marriage of
doing and being. It lifts the fog of our ordinary lives to reveal what
is hidden; it loosens the knot of self-centeredness and opens the heart;
it moves us beyond mere concepts to allow for a direct experience of
reality. Meditation embodies the way of awakening: both the path and its
fruition. From one point of view, it is the means to awakening; from
another, it is awakening itself.
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- Lama Surya Das, "The Heart-Essence of Buddhist Meditation"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 17th, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Via JMG: Rep. John Boehner Secretly Ups The House DOMA Defense Budget To $3 Million
Late Monday, House Democrats learned that the Republican leadership had once again secretly renegotiated its contract with attorney Paul Clement to defend the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act at the Supreme Court. This is the third time the contract has been adjusted, raising total costs to $3 million from the original $500,000 cap. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) both sit on the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG), the House body intervening to defend DOMA in court in lieu of the Department of Justice’s decision not to. However, they did not find out about BLAG’s new agreement with Clement until after it had already been finalized.Hit the link for Pelosi's pissed off letter to Boehner.
Labels: DOMA, GOP, John Boehner, U.S. House
Via JMG: SAN FRANCISCO: Voters May Consider Renaming Airport For Harvey Milk
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is considering a ballot measure which would rename the airport for slain LGBT rights icon Harvey Milk.
Reposted from Joe
A charter amendment sponsored by Supervisor David Campos would put the question of creating Harvey Milk-San Francisco International Airport on San Francisco’s November ballot. If five of Campos’ colleagues agree to submit the proposed name change to voters and the amendment goes through in the fall, the city would become home to the world’s first airport honoring an openly gay person, said Milk’s nephew, Stuart Milk. Milk, who runs an international gay rights foundation in his uncle’s memory, said that adding an airport to the list of public venues named for Harvey Milk would mark a milestone since flights to and from San Francisco International serve 68 countries where homosexuality is illegal.The wingnuts are gonna love this one. (Image via Harvey Milk Foundation)
Labels: airports, Harvey Milk, LGBT History, San Francisco
JMG HomoQuotable - Nathaniel Frank
"Still, gay people are born with the unique burden of disclosure, one that is supremely unfair. Coming out is never just a single act but a constant obligation if one is to assure that people don't assume that they're straight. We're always encountering new people who won't know, hence stuffing us back into the closet and reimposing the burden of coming out. And for years the world has berated and punished us not only for being gay but for being honest. [snip] How hard it is to get it perfect. If there's one thing LGBT people should agree on, it's the importance of compassion, and of not bullying our own." - Nathaniel Frank, writing for the Huffington Post.
Via JMG: GOP Rep Backs WY Marriage Bill
Laramie Democratic Rep. Cathy Connolly filed legislation late Monday afternoon that would create a path for gay couples to form civil unions or get married. The dual approach already has won the backing of Reps. Ruth Ann Petroff, R-Jackson, and Gingery. Both Teton County lawmakers said they would prefer to see gay marriage allowed in Wyoming but are willing to debate whether civil unions might be a better way to go. “It’s a basic human rights and fairness issue,” Petroff said Monday. “It’s a basic constitutional issue. There should just be no reason why same-sex couples shouldn’t have the same rights as everyone else.” Gingery is the chairman of the judiciary committee, which will be the first to debate the bills. He said the issue poses a legal problem that state officials need to resolve. “The population of gay couples in the state is increasing, and the law is not very clear about what rights they have,” he said. Gingery, who is Catholic, says the question of whether to allow same-sex couples to get married in Wyoming isn’t a religious issue. If passed, the laws wouldn’t affect church policy, he said.Same-sex marriage bills have failed in the Wyoming legislature in 2007, 2009, and 2011.
Labels: GOP, LGBT rights, marriage equality, Wyoming
Via Gay Politics Report:
- GOP insiders want party to ditch marriage topic, poll finds
- A
National Journal poll of 99 Republican Party insiders finds that just
11% want the GOP to actively oppose marriage rights for same-sex
couples. More than a quarter of respondents want the party to support
marriage equality, and nearly half said the party should avoid the topic
altogether. "We can’t be a party that supports a zone of personal
freedom and then try to use federal power to curtail it. Plus, we
increasingly look prejudiced, and not a little stupid, on this issue,"
said one respondent. National Journal/Political Insiders Poll
(1/10)
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