A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Via JMG: Rio De Janeiro State Legalizes Marriage
The Brazilian state of Rio De Janeiro has become the tenth in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. Marriages conducted in any of these ten states are recognized nationwide. Same-sex marriage is also legal in the national capital of Brasilia. (Tipped by JMG reader Afonso)
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States wants you to know that you as a gay person are not welcome in their community:
January 3, 2011
To the American Bahá’í community
Dearest Bahá'í Friends,
The National Spiritual Assembly understands that homosexuality is a subject of
particular interest and concern to many in this country and is, therefore, moved to share
with you a letter dated October 27, 2010, written on behalf of the Universal House of
Justice on this topic. A copy of the letter—addressed to an American Bahá’í—was
received by our Assembly, and the Supreme Body has kindly granted us permission to
share it with you:
...With respect to your question concerning the position Bahá’ís are to
take regarding homosexuality and civil rights, we have been asked to convey
the following.
The purpose of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is the realization of the organic
unity of the entire human race, and Bahá’ís are enjoined to eliminate from
their lives all forms of prejudice and to manifest respect towards all.
Therefore, to regard those with a homosexual orientation with prejudice or
disdain would be against the spirit of the Faith. Furthermore, a Bahá’í is
exhorted to be “an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression”, and it
would be entirely appropriate for a believer to come to the defense of those
whose fundamental rights are being denied or violated.
At the same time, you are no doubt aware of the relevant teachings of the
Faith that govern the personal conduct of Bahá’ís. The Bahá’í Writings state
that marriage is a union between a man and a woman and that sexual
relations are restricted to a couple who are married to each other. Other
passages from the Writings state that the practice of homosexuality is not
permitted. The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh on personal morality are binding on
Bahá’ís, who strive, as best they can, to live up to the high standards He has
established.
In attempting to reconcile what may appear to be conflicting obligations,
it is important to understand that the Bahá’í community does not seek to
impose its values on others, nor does it pass judgment on others on the basis
of its own moral standards. It does not see itself as one among competing
social groups and organizations, each vying to establish its particular social
agenda. In working for social justice, Bahá’ís must inevitably distinguish
between those dimensions of public issues that are in keeping with the Bahá’í
Teachings, which they can actively support, and those that are not, which
they would neither promote nor necessarily oppose. In connection with
issues of concern to homosexuals, the former would be freedom from
discrimination and the latter the opportunity for civil marriage. Such
distinctions are unavoidable when addressing any social issue. For example,
Bahá’ís actively work for the establishment of world peace but, in the
process, do not engage in partisan political activities directed against
particular governments.
We felt it important that the friends have access to this guidance from the House of
Justice, and trust that you will find it helpful.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
Kenneth E. Bowers
Secretary
To the American Bahá’í community
Dearest Bahá'í Friends,
The National Spiritual Assembly understands that homosexuality is a subject of
particular interest and concern to many in this country and is, therefore, moved to share
with you a letter dated October 27, 2010, written on behalf of the Universal House of
Justice on this topic. A copy of the letter—addressed to an American Bahá’í—was
received by our Assembly, and the Supreme Body has kindly granted us permission to
share it with you:
...With respect to your question concerning the position Bahá’ís are to
take regarding homosexuality and civil rights, we have been asked to convey
the following.
The purpose of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is the realization of the organic
unity of the entire human race, and Bahá’ís are enjoined to eliminate from
their lives all forms of prejudice and to manifest respect towards all.
Therefore, to regard those with a homosexual orientation with prejudice or
disdain would be against the spirit of the Faith. Furthermore, a Bahá’í is
exhorted to be “an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression”, and it
would be entirely appropriate for a believer to come to the defense of those
whose fundamental rights are being denied or violated.
At the same time, you are no doubt aware of the relevant teachings of the
Faith that govern the personal conduct of Bahá’ís. The Bahá’í Writings state
that marriage is a union between a man and a woman and that sexual
relations are restricted to a couple who are married to each other. Other
passages from the Writings state that the practice of homosexuality is not
permitted. The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh on personal morality are binding on
Bahá’ís, who strive, as best they can, to live up to the high standards He has
established.
In attempting to reconcile what may appear to be conflicting obligations,
it is important to understand that the Bahá’í community does not seek to
impose its values on others, nor does it pass judgment on others on the basis
of its own moral standards. It does not see itself as one among competing
social groups and organizations, each vying to establish its particular social
agenda. In working for social justice, Bahá’ís must inevitably distinguish
between those dimensions of public issues that are in keeping with the Bahá’í
Teachings, which they can actively support, and those that are not, which
they would neither promote nor necessarily oppose. In connection with
issues of concern to homosexuals, the former would be freedom from
discrimination and the latter the opportunity for civil marriage. Such
distinctions are unavoidable when addressing any social issue. For example,
Bahá’ís actively work for the establishment of world peace but, in the
process, do not engage in partisan political activities directed against
particular governments.
We felt it important that the friends have access to this guidance from the House of
Justice, and trust that you will find it helpful.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
Kenneth E. Bowers
Secretary
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
|
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma April 19, 2013
Daydreams of a Poet
It
is possible to take our existence as a ‘sacred world,’ to take this
place as open space rather than claustrophobic dark void. It is possible
to take a friendly relationship to our ego natures, it is possible to
appreciate the aesthetic play of forms in emptiness, and to exist in
this place like majestic kings of our own consciousness. But to do that,
we would have to give up grasping to make everything come out the way
we daydream it should.
|
- Allen Ginsberg, “Negative Capability: Kerouac’s Buddhist Ethic”
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Via JMG: Ex-Gay Poster Boy John Paulk Apologizes: I No Longer Support Ex-Gay Movement
John Paulk, the man many "credit" with launching the "ex-gay" movement in the United States, has apologized for his past and denounced the "ex-gay" industry. From an interview with Portland's PQ Monthly:
"Until recently, I have struggled all my life in feeling unloved and unaccepted,” Paulk said. “I have been on a journey during the last few years in trying to understand God, myself, and how I can best relate to others. During this journey I have made many mistakes and I have hurt many people including people who are close to me. I have also found a large number of people who accept me for who I am regardless of my past, any labels, or what I do.”Truth Wins Out provides some background on Paulk:
Paulk continued, “I no longer support the ex-gay movement or efforts to attempt to change individuals — especially teens who already feel insecure and alienated. I feel great sorrow over the pain that has been caused when my words were misconstrued. I have worked at giving generously to the gay community in Portland where I work and live. I am working hard to be authentic and genuine in all of my relationships.”
John Paulk was at one time the most well known and influential person in the “ex-gay” industry, appearing on the cover of Newsweek with his wife Anne in 1998 under the headline, “Gay For Life?” He was instrumental in forming the Love Won Out “ex-gay” roadshow, which subjected countless LGBT youth and their families to misinformation, indoctrination and lies, and which destroyed many families in the process. In 2000, Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, photographed John Paulk coming out of a Washington, DC, gay bar, and the lies began to unravel. Though John resigned from the board of Exodus International following this incident, the Religious Right continued to use the Paulks’ story as evidence that the “ex-gay” life was a fairy tale rather than a nightmare, and many LGBT people and their families have been damaged or destroyed over the years as a result.Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen says "not good enough."
"It is not enough to simply send an e-mail that says, ‘I’m sorry.’ John Paulk must work to atone for the damage he has done to LGBT families by taking a public role in renouncing and working against the harmful ‘ex-gay’ industry by embarking on a speaking tour to show that he truly has changed. Further, he should advocate for a bill in Oregon that would ban so-called ‘reparative therapy’ for minors. Only then can he start to repair the damage he has done to countless LGBT people and their families.”
RELATED: Last April I posted a report
that Paulk's Facebook page was "littered with Glamor Shots-style
images of Paulk and attractive men" and that his profile stated that he
is "interested in women and men."
Reposted from Joe
Labels: ex-gay, Exodus International, John Paulk, Oregon, Portland, religion, still totally gay, Truth Wins Out, Wayne Besen
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
|
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma April 17, 2013
A Change of Heart
A
change of heart requires a great deal of courage and a great deal of
compassion. The courage is to not avert our gaze, but instead to turn to
the various sufferings in our own life or in the world around us and
see them with the concern and compassionate eyes of the Buddha.
|
- Jack Kornfield, "A Change of Heart"
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
|
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma April 16, 2013
Meditation in Action
Buddhism
often appears to promote personal transformation at the expense of
social concern. Some Buddhist teachings claim that the mind does not
just affect the world, it actually creates and sustains it. According to
this view, cosmic harmony is most effectively preserved through an
individual's spiritual practice. Yet other Buddhists amend the notion
that mind is the primary or exclusive source of peace, contending that
inner serenity is fostered or impeded by external conditions. Buddhists
who place importance upon social factors and social action believe that
internal transformation cannot, by itself, quell the world's turbulence.
|
- Kenneth Kraft, “Meditation in Action”
Monday, April 15, 2013
Via JMG: ¡Viva los Gigantes!
GLAAD To Honor SF Giants
Next month the world champion San Francisco Giants will become the first professional sports team to be honored by GLAAD.
In 1994, the San Francisco Giants became the first-ever professional sports team to host an HIV/AIDS benefit game, "Until There's A Cure Day." Since then, the Giants and the Giants Community Fund have repeated the effort, generating more than $1.3 million for Bay Area HIV/AIDS education, care/service organizations and international HIV/AIDS research. The Giants were also the first major league sports team to record a video for the It Gets Better Project, a campaign devoted to bettering the lives LGBT youth. Last September, pitcher Matt Cain, the longest tenured player on the team, was photographed for the NOH8 Campaign in response to California's passing of Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to ban marriage for same-sex couples. In October, the Giants took yet another stand in support of LGBT youth by participating in Spirit Day, GLAAD's annual anti-bullying campaign.The event takes place on May 11th.
Labels: baseball, GLAAD, San Francisco, sports
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
|
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma April 15, 2013
Living a Virtuous Life
Buddhist
practice is never about creating goals and trying to achieve them. It’s
about learning to see clearly for ourselves our own real state in each
and every moment. As we come to see what life really is, we begin to
behave more logically and ethically, because that’s what makes sense.
|
- Brad Warner, “The Enlightenment Pill”
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Via JMG: State Department Announces LGBT Rights Program For Western Hemisphere
Yesterday the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs announced a new program:
Secretary of State John Kerry has committed to advancing the human rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals as a central part of our human rights engagement. Taking into account the Secretary’s commitment as well as the Presidential Memorandum issued December 6, 2011, that directs all federal agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons, the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs has developed a regional strategy that strives to eliminate violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.The four-part strategy of the new program: 1) Expand public outreach and awareness of LGBT issues; 2) Create and leverage existing partnerships and programs; 3) Collaborate with multilateral partners; and 4) Engage directly with host country governments.
Respect for the human rights of LGBT persons in the Western Hemisphere varies dramatically by country. Some countries offer legal protections for LGBT persons, whereas others have laws that criminalize same-sex sexual conduct between consenting adults. Recognizing that violence and discrimination based on a person’s real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity hinder the prosperity of countries.
Labels: LGBT rights, Obama administration, State Department
JMG HomoQuotable - Dan Savage
"My father was a Catholic deacon, my mother was a lay minister and I thought about becoming a priest. I was in church every Sunday for the first 15 years of my life. Now I spend my Sundays on my bike, on my snowboard or on my husband. I haven’t spent my post-Catholic decades in a sulk, wishing the church would come around on the issue of homosexuality so that I could start attending Mass again. I didn’t abandon my faith. I saw through it. The conflict between my faith and my sexuality set that process in motion, but the conclusions I reached at the end of that process — there are no gods, religion is man-made, faith can be a force for good or evil — improved my life. I’m grateful that my sexuality prompted me to think critically about faith. Pushed out? No. I walked out." - Dan Savage, from his New York Times book review of Jeff Chu's Does Jesus Really Love Me?
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma April 14, 2013
The Light of Reality
The
sense of self creates a feeling of solidity, like the apparent solidity
of the clouds veiling the face of the sun, but at certain moments a gap
is opened up, through which we may receive a glimpse of the light of
reality.
|
- Francesca Freemantle, “The Luminous Gap in Bardo”
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma April 13, 2013
Great Enlightenment
Great enlightenment is the tea and rice of daily activity.
|
- Dogen, “Tea and Rice”
Friday, April 12, 2013
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma April 12, 2013
Simple Practice
It’s
definitely the case that we can practice at any given moment. We can
always try a little more to be kind, to be compassionate and be careful
about what we do and say.
|
- Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, "Keeping a Good Heart"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)