Via JMG: COLOMBIA: Interior Minister Vows To Soon Make Same-Sex Marriage Legal

Colombian Interior Minister Juan Cristo yesterday vowed to soon make same-sex marriage legal. Via Gay Star News:

"The government supports the fight for equality and we will adopt measures providing equal marriage rights for all," Cristo said at the Andes University in Bogota on Thursday, as reported by Efe. He said he would not submit to the mercy of the majority on matters related to human rights, as 'respect for equal rights is not optional'. In July 2011, Colombia's Constitutional Court ruled Congress had two years to legalize same-sex marriage or an equivalent of marriage. As Congress failed to mass a marriage equality bill, the courts began approving marriages themselves. But then, the country's Inspector General requested the Court invalidate all the marriages approved in Colombia. Only 30 same-sex couples were given a license.

Cristo claims that Colombia's leading political party, the National Unity Coalition, is behind him. The party presently holds 60 out of 266 seats in the national legislature.

RELATED: In South America same-sex marriage is legal in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Civil unions or partnership laws exist in Chile*, Colombia, and Ecuador. No relationship recognitions presently exist in Bolivia, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru**, Suriname, or Venezuela. (*In April the Chilean government formally dropped its opposition to same-sex marriage. **In March the Peruvian Congress rejected a civil unions bill.)

Labels: Colombia, marriage equality, South America

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 16/05/2015

“Nos dias de hoje a espiritualidade precisa ser prática e sustentável. Prática porque não é preciso estar dentro de um templo, um mosteiro ou uma igreja, mas dentro da sua própria casa, no seu trabalho, com seus amigos. E sustentável porque é preciso estar em harmonia com a matéria, com o dinheiro. Tanto a necessidade de acumular dinheiro, quanto a negação dele, são extremos da mesma moeda - são reações que nascem do medo. Fugir da vida material através da espiritualidade é apenas outra forma de materialismo.”
Para ler o Satsang completo, acesse: bit.ly/1C7lIW2

“Hoy en día la espiritualidad necesita ser práctica y sustentable. Práctica porque no es necesario estar dentro de un templo, un monasterio o una iglesia, sino dentro de tu propia casa, en tu trabajo, con tus amigos. Y sustentable, porque es preciso estar en armonía con la materia, con el dinero. Tanto en la necesidad de acumular dinero, como en la negación del mismo, son extremos de la misma moneda - son reacciones que nacen del miedo. Huir de la vida material a través de la espiritualidad no es más que otra forma de materialismo.”

“These days spirituality has to be practical and sustainable. It is practical because it’s no longer confined to a temple, a monastery, or a church, but can be in your own home, at work, or with your friends. Spirituality must be sustainable as well by being in harmony with things of the material world, such as money. The need to accumulate money and the denial of money are both sides of the same coin: they are reactions that stem from fear. Running away from the material world through spirituality is just another form of materialism.”

Via Daily Dharma

The Examined Life | May 16, 2015 Wisdom is not merely something to be gained with old age. One can be wise in every stage of one’s life. To manifest wisdom means simply to step back and see—to reflect, inquire, be aware, be disciplined, and be focused not once in a while, but all of the time, moment to moment. This life is precious and fleeting. Pay attention. - Seido Ray Ronci, "The Examined Life" Read More →

Carry On - Alana Davis

Via AlterNet / FB:

Today in "Just for the Record":

Via JMG: COLOMBIA: Interior Minister Vows To Soon Make Same-Sex Marriage Legal

Colombian Interior Minister Juan Cristo yesterday vowed to soon make same-sex marriage legal. Via Gay Star News:

"The government supports the fight for equality and we will adopt measures providing equal marriage rights for all," Cristo said at the Andes University in Bogota on Thursday, as reported by Efe. He said he would not submit to the mercy of the majority on matters related to human rights, as 'respect for equal rights is not optional'. In July 2011, Colombia's Constitutional Court ruled Congress had two years to legalize same-sex marriage or an equivalent of marriage. As Congress failed to mass a marriage equality bill, the courts began approving marriages themselves. But then, the country's Inspector General requested the Court invalidate all the marriages approved in Colombia. Only 30 same-sex couples were given a license.

Cristo claims that Colombia's leading political party, the National Unity Coalition, is behind him. The party presently holds 60 out of 266 seats in the national legislature.

RELATED: In South America same-sex marriage is legal in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Civil unions or partnership laws exist in Chile*, Colombia, and Ecuador. No relationship recognitions presently exist in Bolivia, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru**, Suriname, or Venezuela. (*In April the Chilean government formally dropped its opposition to same-sex marriage. **In March the Peruvian Congress rejected a civil unions bill.)

Labels: Colombia, marriage equality, South America

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Equality House / FB:

Via Blue Nation Review / FB:

Fight Like Apes - Vote Yes (Pet Shop Boys cover) for marriage equality

Via Karmapa KTD / FB:

For this reason, he explained, “the fullest expression of faith is not just asking for protection from another source, but longing to become fearless beings ourselves, able to offer protection and refuge to others.”

http://www.karmapaamerica2015.org/?p=2423

Via GayStarNews:

Make the jump here:

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/read-what-pastor-says-christians-who-spread-gay-hate-children111114

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 15/05/2015

“Perdão é sinônimo de liberdade, ele é o que possibilita a liberação. É uma tremenda libertação ter seu coração aberto, e é uma sensação de grande aprisionamento ter seu coração fechado. Um dos principais carcereiros dessa prisão é o orgulho. E junto dele está o medo. Porque muitas vezes é extremamente humilhante ter que reconhecer o quanto você está magoado; o quanto está ressentido com a atitude do outro. E isso faz de você um prisioneiro.”

“Perdón es sinónimo de libertad, éste es el que posibilita la liberación. Es una tremenda liberación tener tu corazón abierto, y es una sensación de gran aprisionamiento tener tu corazón cerrado. Uno de los dos principales carceleros de esta prisión es el orgullo. Y junto a él está el miedo. Porque muchas veces es extremadamente humillante tener que reconocer cuán herido estás, o cuán resentido estás con la actitud del otro. Y esto hace de vos un prisionero.” 

"Forgiveness means freedom: it brings on liberation. It is tremendously freeing to keep your heart open. Closing the heart is terribly imprisoning. If the chief warden at this prison is pride, his right-hand man is fear. It often feels downright humiliating to own up to just how resentful you feel, to just how hurt you feel for the other's attitude. All this makes of you a prisoner."

Via Daily Dharma

The Buddhist Narrative | May 15, 2015 Humanity’s original condition is not one of blissful harmony but rather of ignorance repeatedly leading to suffering. Recognizing this sets one on the path to awakening. - Richard K. Payne, "What's Ethics Got to Do with It" Read More →

Via JMG: WYOMING: Laramie City Council Approves Sweeping LGBT Rights Ordinance

Via the Associated Press:

The Laramie City Council on Wednesday approved a local anti-discrimination ordinance in the college town where Matthew Shepard's death triggered nationwide sympathy and brought a re-examination of attitudes toward gays 17 years ago. The council voted 7-2 in favor of the measure that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment and access to public facilities such as restaurants.

Local organizers focused their efforts on Laramie after the Legislature repeatedly rejected anti-discrimination bills, most recently early this year. The Laramie Nondiscrimination Task Force presented a draft ordinance to the City Council last summer. Jeran Artery, head of the group Wyoming Equality which has lobbied for the anti-discrimination measures at the state Legislature, said he was thrilled with the council vote.

Judy Shepard, Matt Shepard's mother, is active in a Denver-based foundation that bears her son's name and focuses on equality issues. "I'm thrilled that Laramie's doing it, at the same time sort of saddened that the state of Wyoming can't see fit to do that as well," Shepard told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Wednesday before the council vote from Washington, D.C. "Maybe the rest of Wyoming will understand this is about fellow human beings and not something that's other than what they are."

Labels: Laramie, LGBT rights, Wyoming

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Empire State To Go Red For AIDS Walk

Tonight Harvey Fierstein will throw the switch to illuminate the Empire State Building in red as part of the GMHC's "Light Up New York" campaign to mark this weekend's 30th Annual AIDS Walk in Central Park.

Fierstein says: "May these lights, and those burning throughout the city, brighten the night sky with remembrance of the countless precious friends and family we've lost to AIDS. May they carry our pledge to see the end of this disease once and for all."

Numerous other city landmarks are also going red this week. They include One World Trade Center, Bloomingdale's, the Helmsley Building,  the JFK control tower, the Bank Of America tower, the New York Stock Exchange, and the NASDAQ billboard in Times Square.

Labels: AIDS Walk, Empire State Building, GMHC, NYC

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Faces - United Nations Free & Equal

Via FB Amigos

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 14/05/2015

A ignorância em relação à nossa realidade espiritual faz com que vejamos somente a superfície das coisas. Perdemos a capacidade de enxergar o espírito que nos habita. O materialismo é o responsável por isso. Por causa dele o ser humano está sempre numa correria pelo lucro e se esquece do respeito, da gentileza, da bondade e do amor. Nos tornamos especialistas em transformar tudo em dinheiro. Tudo vira instrumento para adquirir poder. O dinheiro é uma forma de energia muito poderosa que faz parte do jogo neste mundo, porém essa energia precisa estar a serviço do espírito. Quando utilizado pela sabedoria, o dinheiro é um instrumento divino, mas quando utilizado pela ignorância, ele se torna uma ferramenta de destruição.”

“La ignorancia en relación a nuestra realidad espiritual hace que veamos solamente la superficie de las cosas. Perdemos la capacidad de ver el espíritu que nos habita. El materialismo es el responsable de eso. Por causa de éste el ser humano está siempre en una carrera por el lucro y se olvida del respeto, de la gentileza, de la bondad y del amor. Nos volvimos especialistas en transformar todo en dinero. Todo se vuelve un instrumento para adquirir poder. El dinero es una forma de energía muy poderosa que es parte del juego en este mundo, sin embargo esta energía necesita estar al servicio del espíritu. Cuando es utilizado por la sabiduría, el dinero es un instrumento divino, pero cuando es utilizado por la ignorancia se vuelve una herramienta de destrucción.”

"When we are ignorant about our own spiritual reality, we see things only at the surface level. We lose sight of the spirit that inhabits us. Materialism is the culprit here, causing humans to fall into a rat-race for profit. We forget all about being respectful and kind, about being good and loving. We specialize in monetizing everything around us, so it all becomes a means of giving us power. Money is a powerful energy and an inherent part of the game of life in this world – but this energy needs to be at service of spirit. When used with wisdom, money becomes a divine tool; when it's employed by ignorance, it becomes a destructive weapon."