Saturday, October 23, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Via HRC:
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| Dear Daniel, As the leaves begin to fall and the temperatures dip, many of us are pulling out sweaters and putting away the artifacts of summer. But as we shift from swimsuits to warm soups, tough elections across the country are in full swing. As beautiful as the fall can be, we can't simply sit around and watch the leaves change. There are critical elections contests underway that impact what matters most to us: our families, safe workplaces and equality for all Americans. This fall, HRC staff is across the nation, digging in and making sure our members know how critical these races are for LGBT people and our allies. Election results matter and we have some big challenges. By Nov. 2nd, 30 HRC staff members will have been on the ground in 16 states, their efforts multiplied by volunteers dedicated to ensuring our community's voice resonates in the outcome. Stop by our DC headquarters almost any night and we'll enlist you in phone banks alerting members in key states to get involved and, most importantly, to vote. In Pennsylvania, Regional Field Director Sultan Shakir has been leading a team assisting several key races. Sultan and other HRC staff have been emboldened by amazing volunteers, who are doing what it takes to win, whether that's canvassing door-to-door, making calls or swelling the ranks of a rally. Mobilizing HRC members to vote is essential to ensuring a supportive Congress or State House. There's no better example than Minnesota, where the outcome could determine the future of marriage equality. The state legislature is poised to pass a marriage equality bill next year, but it means little without a governor in the corner office to sign it into law. That's why HRC has made a big investment in Minnesota and with contributions and staff, including Regional Field Director Tony Wagner, on the ground. The promise of marriage equality also sits on the horizon for New Yorkers. After narrowly losing last year, it was clear we needed to change the composition of the New York state Senate to win. That's why for months, HRC has been involved in races throughout the state; including our campaign strategist Brian Ellner. As we ramp up in this final full week, several prominent New Yorkers have lent their voice to our New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign. There is real momentum in New York, and these last days will be critical. While these examples may be some of the headline states for our community, we have mobilized a grassroots army from Washington State to Florida, and from Delaware to Nevada. In the space I have here, I can only offer a snapshot of our electoral and field work. I do know that none of this would be possible without the support of our HRC members. Whether donating to pro-equality candidates or campaigns, canvassing where you live or emailing your family and friends to vote, all of you make change possible. As we east coasters bundle up, we are reminded of the changes that arrive each season. Let’s stand together to make sure that the changes in November lead us closer to a policy-making landscape of men and women who will truly represent our families and communities. And that means, one final push for equality until Election Day, Nov. 2nd. Thank you for all you are doing this Fall.  Joe Solmonese President, Human Rights Campaign P.S. In other news, this week HRC released our Congressional Scorecard that rates Senators and Representatives on LGBT equality issues. Find out how your leaders rate. |
Via JMG: Majority Of Americans Agree: Churches Contribute To LGBT Suicides
A large majority of Americans, two-thirds in fact, believe that the way that churches treat gay people contributes to LGBT suicides. (This is probably self-apparent, to you.)Two out of three Americans believe gay people commit suicide at least partly because of messages coming out of churches and other places of worship, a survey released Thursday found. More than four out of 10 Americans say the message coming out of churches about gay people is negative, and about the same number say those messages contribute "a lot" to negative perceptions of gay and lesbian people. Catholics were the most critical of their own churches' messages on homosexuality, while white evangelical Christians gave their churches the highest grades, the survey found. The Public Religion Research Institute asked 1,017 Americans their views on religion and homosexuality between October 14 and 17, in the wake of a highly publicized rash of suicides by gay people. Gay rights campaigner Dan Savage said the idea that churches send out an anti-gay message "totally jibes with my experience and that of millions of other gay and lesbian people."Tony Perkins? Slaggie? Reaction?
VIa JMG: AUSTRALIA: New Poll Shows Majority Support Gay Marriage
A just-released poll reveals that 62% of Australians now support marriage equality. Australian Marriage Equality spokesperson Alex Greenwich and PFLAG national spokesperson Shelley Argent OAM called on both major parties to listen to the Australian people and allow a conscience vote on the issue. "Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott cannot ignore the majority of Australians who believe same-sex couples should be able to marry and the even greater majority who want a conscience vote on the issue", Greenwich said. PFLAG national spokesperson, Shelley Argent, said "if Catholic counties like Spain, Argentina and Portugal can right this wrong then why can't Australia?" The Galaxy poll also showed that 80 per cent of Australians aged between 18 and 24 support same-sex marriage and 72 per cent of households with children aged under 18 were also in favour. 74 per cent of Labor voters and 48per cent of Coalition voters support equality. Support for a conscience vote is uniformly high with 80per cent of Labor voters and 75 per cent of Coalition voters supporting it.Full polling results here (PDF).
Via JMG: Janet Porter Prays for Control of Government
And This We Pray: Please, Jeebus, Put Christians In Charge Of America
Janet Porter prays that America "recognizes the lie of separation of church and state, which exists only in the Soviet Union." (Soviet Union?) Janet also prays that Jeebus knock some sense into those 19 states without anti-gay marriage laws! Glory! Prai$e Hi$ Name! The donation plate is now being passed!
thank you Mr. President!
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| Daniel -- Yesterday, President Obama recorded a video message for the "It Gets Better" project. Take a look:  Recently, several young people took their own lives after being bullied by their peers for being gay or being perceived as gay. The President's message -- like thousands of others that have been recorded and uploaded to the project -- is one of hope and support: You are loved, you are not alone. It gets better. Please watch the video, and then share it with anyone you think may need to hear this message: http://my.barackobama.com/ItGetsBetter Thanks, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America |
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Via Freedom to Marry:
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Thursday, October 21, 2010
Via JMG: Buddhists Win Google Stereotypes
Buddhists Win Google Stereotypes
When you begin a Google search with the question "Why are [Christians, Jews, Muslims] so" - you get the above suggestions. The same query regarding Buddhists yields only "happy."UPDATE: It's not listed in the above-linked story, but I've done the same query on atheists.
Via JMG: Andrew Sullivan On Homocons And GOProud: They Are Nauseating
In a video essay posted today on Big Think, Andrew Sullivan muses "How Can Anyone Be Gay And Republican?" Here's an excerpt. You know, I used to say, we have to stay in these parties because certainly gay people do not want to become a Democratic Party constituency that is totally taken for granted, which is, of course, what has happened. When you have no leverage over the party, they don’t do anything for you—except take your money and invite you to cocktail parties, which is all that’s happened really in two years under Obama with two houses of Congress.Watch the video on Big Think. Obviously, we agree.
But at the same time, you know, this Homocon thing... it was in someone’s apartment. I mean the idea that this has been any genuine meaning out there for most people, there are plenty of gay people; many, many, many more I think than other minority groups actually, who would love a party of limited small government, prudent, strong foreign policy, balanced budgets, live and let live, like the British Tories. And if the Republican Party ever becomes that again, I think there will be plenty of places for gay people in it.
But to do so and join a party on condition that we oppose our own civil rights and our own basic civil equality seems a non-starter for me. I mean, it’s... there’s something quite nauseating about it actually. And you see even, like, Chris Barron who is the head of Homocon, or whatever they are calling themselves, GOProud, having to say that when Jim DeMint goes on and says that no gay person should be a school teacher, which is to the—which Ronald Reagan rejected in 1978—where are you left?
Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Ted Olson
"It happens every once in awhile at the federal level when the solicitor general, on behalf of the U.S., will confess error or decline to defend a law. I don't know what is going through the [Obama] administration's thought process on 'don't ask, don't tell.' It would be appropriate for them to say 'the law has been deemed unconstitutional, we are not going to seek further review of that.'" - Former Bush administration Solicitor General Ted Olson.Via JMG: Tweet Of The Day - AFER
Labels: AFER, California, David Boies, marriage equality, Perry v Schwarzenengger, Proposition 8, Ted Olson
Via JMG: DOD Revises DADT Discharge Procedure
In response to the murky legal waters currently swirling around DADT, the Pentagon has announced it is raising the rank of persons able to make the call to eject a gay or lesbian servicemember. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:
Discharges under the military's ''Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy will now take the approval of the service branch secretary, and only in consultation with the defense department general counsel and the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, according to a pair of memoranda issued by senior military leadership today.The message I'm seeing is that the Pentagon intends to make it extremely hard to kick someone out.
Until further notice, pursuant to a memorandum from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and a follow-up memorandum from Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Clifford Stanley, no service member can be discharged under DADT without the ''personal approval of the secretary of the military department concerned, and only in coordination with me and the General Counsel of the Department of Defense.''
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
JMG:
Morning View - GLAAD's Spirit Day
I haven't shaved in ten days, hence the cropping, but at least I remembered to wear purple for GLAAD's Spirit Day. Hopefully the folks at Chirpin' Chicken will find this meaningful when I leave the apartment for lunch.L
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Via JMG: GLAAD Promotes Oct. 20th As "Spirit Day"
GLAAD wants to turn the world purple on October 20th. The idea behind Spirit Day, first created by teenager Brittany McMillan earlier this month, is a simple one, not dissimilar to the idea of "Spirit Week" held in many high schools, and can be summed up in three words: Everyone Rally Together. Spirit Day honors the teenagers who had taken their own lives in recent weeks. But just as importantly, it's also a way to show the hundreds of thousands of LGBT youth who face the same pressures and bullying, that there is a vast community of people who support them. Purple symbolizes 'spirit' on the rainbow flag, a symbol for LGBT Pride that was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978. As one of the event's Facebook pages says: "This event is not a seminar nor is it a rally. There is NO meeting place. All you have to do is wear purple."I do have a lovely purple dress shirt.....
Via JMG: Enormous Consequences
The Palm Center has launched Enormous Consequences, a website created in reaction to Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' recent statement about the overturn of DADT.Above is a clock with the running total of hours during which gays have been allowed to serve openly, as well as a chart with the number of reported consequences of the new policy. The Palm Center has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for documentation on all negative consequences that result from the new policy.
Via JMG; Military Recruiters Told To Accept Gays
The Pentagon today told armed services recruiters to begin accepting openly gay men and women into the military.Spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said Tuesday that top-level guidance has been issued to recruiting commands informing them that the military's "don't ask, don't tell" rule has been suspended for now. Recruiters also have been told to inform potential recruits that the moratorium could be reversed at any point.Groups like Servicemembers United have cautioned those already serving not to come out until the DOJ's appeal is (hopefully) resolved in their favor.
Via JMG: "Hang Them": Uganda Paper Publishes Names And Photos Of "Top 100 Homos"
CBS News today picked up on the story of a Uganda newspaper publishing the names and photos of the country's so-called "top 100 homos." The yellow banner under the headline reads "Hang Them!" In the days since it was published, at least four gay Ugandans on the list have been attacked and many others are in hiding, according to rights activist Julian Onziema. One person named in the story had stones thrown at his house by neighbors. A lawmaker in this conservative African country introduced a bill a year ago that would have imposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts and life in prison for others. An international uproar ensued, and the bill was quietly shelved. But gays in Uganda say they have faced a year of harassment and attacks since the bill's introduction. The legislation was drawn up following a visit by leaders of U.S. conservative Christian ministries that promote therapy they say allows gays to become heterosexual. "Before the introduction of the bill in parliament most people did not mind about our activities. But since then, we are harassed by many people who hate homosexuality," said Patrick Ndede, 27. "The publicity the bill got made many people come to know about us and they started mistreating us."Box Turtle Bulletin, the leading U.S.-based blog for LGBT issues in Uganda, has been all over this story since it first broke on October 4th. BTB's Jim Burroway reports that many of the published photos were harvested from Gaydar and Facebook profiles. Last week BTB noted that Rolling Stone (unrelated to the U.S. music title) had been shut down by the government for reasons that may or may not be related to the "top 100 homos" issue.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Jonathan Capehart
"Now, truth be told, with a stroke of a pen, Obama could end don't ask don't tell through a back-door maneuver such as a 'stop loss' order. Meaning all troops who come out or are revealed to be gay or lesbian would not be discharged. The rationale could be that because the nation is at war it needs every ready, willing and able servicemember. And it would be the single-most irresponsible action the president could take."Leave aside the antagonism it would create between the commander in chief and the armed forces. Think of the jeopardy Obama would put gay troops in if he did sign an executive order. Once such an order is signed, gay troops would be right to want to come out of the closet to finally live their lives honestly. Here's the problem: if Obama is defeated in 2012 or is succeeded by a Republican in 2016, the new president could rescind the order.
"If the ban, which is an act of Congress, has not been repealed by Congress by then, all those gay and lesbian troops who have come out would then be in violation of the law banning them from serving openly in the military. To please a base constituency in the short term Obama will have endangered the careers of gay troops in the long term." - Jonathan Capehart, writing for the Washington Post.
On Dag Øistein Endsjø and Buddhist nuns...
My Dutch/Kiwi colleague, Sonja was kind to share the work of Dag Øistein Endsjø . In looking at his work I came across the following quote:
Few things cause more involvement, passion and zeal within a religious context than sex. While the Catholic Church in Spain generally remained perfectly calm during almost forty years of Franco’s systematic oppression of most of the most basic human rights, it immediately initiated demonstrations with hundreds of thousands of believers the very moment a democratically elected government suggested legalization of same-sex marriages. -Dag Øistein Endsjø
During the sitting last nite my mind wondered to the anger place (briefly... sigh) and before I brought myself back, I thought I should rewrite the above, so this morning, I rewrote it to say:
Few things cause more involvement, passion and zeal within a religious context than sex. While the Bahá’ís throughout the world remained silent during almost a half century of systematic oppression of most basic human rights in Latin America and other developing countries, it is now expelling it’s GLBT members, supports reparative therapy, and anti-gay legislation in Africa and South America; all this at the very moment that numerous democratically elected governments are suggesting legalization of same-sex marriages.
Last nite at SBMG… Arinna Weisman an absolutely amazing Buddhist nun led the sitting and gave the dharma talk. She began by talking about privilege… she grew up in apartheid S. Africa. She talked about how automatically if you are white, Christian heterosexual, educated… it comes with free assumptions... vs people of color, non-Christian, GLBT… it was astonishing… as she talked to us about being a queer Buddhist nun… and the inequities found within the Buddhist community.
I cannot imagine any Bahá’í public figure talking so candidly about the inequities and about their life in such a way. It was respectful, it was refreshing and it was very honest.
I cannot imagine any Bahá’í public figure talking so candidly about the inequities and about their life in such a way. It was respectful, it was refreshing and it was very honest.
One of my hurdles I am crossing related to organized religion is the thought of priests and ministers and teachers... last nite gave me chills, she was astonishing... reminding me of some sort of an oracle... questions, a pause... a profound answer... these people are smart, respectful and honor differences and science and law and ecology... and are able to link it all to spiritual practice... she went on to talk about ridding ourselves of our anger towards those who repress us ( I still need time on this one).
I left feeling grateful for the dysfunctional homophobic Bahá’í Faith, for if it had not thrown me out, I would never had entered on this new deeply meaningful and liberating path. I am beginning to feel that 30 years of trying to work with the Bahá’ís has left me spiritually damaged, and very, very alone. Tho I have no intention of being a queer Buddhist nun ;-) She left us thinking about how Buddhism is transforming itself once again because of its contact with the Americas… I cannot wait to see what it is like in Brasil.
I left feeling grateful for the dysfunctional homophobic Bahá’í Faith, for if it had not thrown me out, I would never had entered on this new deeply meaningful and liberating path. I am beginning to feel that 30 years of trying to work with the Bahá’ís has left me spiritually damaged, and very, very alone. Tho I have no intention of being a queer Buddhist nun ;-) She left us thinking about how Buddhism is transforming itself once again because of its contact with the Americas… I cannot wait to see what it is like in Brasil.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Quote of the Day
Few things cause more involvement, passion and zeal within a religious context than sex. While the Catholic Church in Spain generally remained perfectly calm during almost forty years of Franco’s systematic oppression of most of the most basic human rights, it immediately initiated demonstrations with hundreds of thousands of believers the very moment a democratically elected government suggested legalization of same-sex marriages.
-Dag Øistein Endsjø
-Dag Øistein Endsjø
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