Thursday, November 3, 2011

Via AmericaBlog Gay: National Park Service lists Frank Kameny’s home in National Register of Historic Places


Dr. Franklin E. Kameny Residence in Washington, DC, listed in the National

Register of Historic Places 

The National Park Service has recognized the historic significance of gay rights activist Dr. Franklin E. Kameny, by listing his home in the National Register of Historic Places. 

"Dr. Kameny led a newly militant activism in the fledgling gay civil rights of the 1960s," said NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "He was a landmark figure in articulating and achieving gay civil rights in federal employment and security clearance cases, and in reversing the medical community's view on homosexuality as a mental disorder."

Kameny's efforts in the civil rights movement, modeled in part on African American civil rights strategies and tactics, significantly altered the rights, perceptions, and role of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people in American society.

Franklin Kameny (1925-2011) was a Harvard trained astronomer and World War II veteran. In 1957, Dr. Kameny was fired from his job with the Army Map Service for refusing to answer questions about his sexual orientation. Based upon an Executive Order issued by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, thousands of men and women lost their federal civil service jobs solely due to their sexual orientation, based upon a belief that homosexuality posed a security risk. Dr. Kameny waged a four-year legal fight against the idea that sexual orientation could make one unfit for federal service. Although the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case, it was the first time that an equal-rights claim had been made on the basis of sexual orientation.

In 1961 Kameny co-founded the Mattachine Society of Washington, an organization committed, through activism to achieving equal social and legal rights for homosexuals. Through lobbying of government officials, testifying before congressional committees, bringing court challenges, and picketing the White House, Kameny and his allies pressured the U.S. Civil Service Commission to eventually abandon its policy of denying homosexuals federal employment. Kameny led efforts to remove homosexuality as a basis for denying government security clearances. He was also involved in the first legal challenge to the U.S. military's policy of discharging gay and lesbian service members, including the much-publicized case of gay Air Force Sergeant Leonard Matlovich. Kameny played a leading role in attacking the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) definition of homosexuality as a mental illness. In 1973, the APA voted to remove homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders. In 1998, President Clinton signed an Executive Order banning discrimination in federal employment based upon sexual orientation.


For years, Dr. Kameny's residence at 5020 Cathedral Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC, served as a meeting place, archives, informal counseling center, headquarters of the Mattachine Society, and a safe haven for visiting gay and lesbian activists. It was here that Dr. Franklin E. Kameny developed the civil rights strategies and tactics that have come to define the modern gay rights movement.


About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 396 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at http://www.nps.gov/
National Park Service, Office of Communications 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240 United States.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Some keep the Sabbath going to Church – (236)

By Emily Dickinson

Some keep the Sabbath going to Church – I keep it, staying at Home – With a Bobolink for a Chorister – And an Orchard, for a Dome –
Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice – I, just wear my Wings – And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church, Our little Sexton – sings.
God preaches, a noted Clergyman – And the sermon is never long, So instead of getting to Heaven, at last – I’m going, all along.

thanks to JMG poster W.F.O

Via JMG: Excommunicated


(Source)

  reposted from Joe

Via JMG: MICHIGAN: University Profs Threaten Exodus If Domestic Partners Repealed


Michigan may be about to repeal its domestic partners coverage for state employees, prompting the threat of a mass exodus of LGBT university professors and others.
“I question my decision to come to Michigan,” Coetzee said. When Coetzee accepted a job at U-M, he also turned one down at New York University. “I chose Michigan because it just seemed better. But now New York just made same sex marriage legal and now in Michigan… they want people like my partner to not get treated.” U-M Latin professor Sara Ahbel-Rappe said that if bill 4770 passes there will likely be a large exodus of professors who leave the university. “It’s a total slap in the face. It tells me that I don’t deserve the same consideration” as heterosexual couples, she said. “People will leave.” Ahbel-Rappe and six other professors authored a letter to Gov. Rick Synder asking him not to sign bill 4770 if passed by the senate. The letter calls the bill discriminatory and says it will negatively affect staff recruitment at the university. U-M officials are also concerned about the bill’s effects. Nearly all of U-M’s competitors offer benefits to same-sex partners. So do most Fortune 500 companies.
The GOP state rep who sponsored the repeal bill says, "It is not the responsibility of taxpayers to support the roommates and unmarried partners of public employees." Roommates.


reposted from Joe

Tom Goss - It's All Over

Via JMG: Chick-Fil-A: $2 Million To Anti-Gay Groups


Equality Matters reports that Chick-Fil-A donated almost $2 million to anti-gay groups in 2009. The donations were made through the company's charitable arm, the Winshape Foundation. Over half of the money went to the Marriage & Family Legacy Fund, a group devoted to opposing same-sex marriage. Other groups on Chick-Fil-A's gift list: Focus On The Family, The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Family Research Council, and Exodus International.

RELATED: When news of Chick-Fil-A's anti-gay ties were first made public last year, a national boycott of the chain was launched, prompting company president Dan Cathy to issue a denial that his chain supported discrimination.


reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Uganda To Britain's PM: Stop Bullying Us For Treating Gay People Brutally


Two weeks ago British Prime Minister David Cameron threatened to cut foreign aid to nations that abuse their LGBT citizens. One of the major recipients of that aid, Uganda, is now accusing Britain of bullying them over their Godly and righteously brutal treatment of homosexuals.
A Ugandan presidential official, John Nagenda, told the BBC his country was “tired of these lectures” and that the Commonwealth nations should not be treated like “children”. Commonwealth nations are reacting to government plans to redirect aid away from central governments with poor human rights records. International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said: “Taking money away from Governments does not mean you do not support that country. You find other mechanisms for trying to help the poorest with food, education and health care as well as building up business structures”
It must be noted that LGBT rights activists in Ghana and Nigeria warn that any cuts in aid could result in retribution in the form of even more violence against local gay citizens.
Mac-Darling Cobbinah, the executive and national director of the Centre for Popular Education and Human Rights Ghana, has said the move would only bring “pain and anguish” to the struggling country. He added that the plans could backfire and lead to gay people being blamed for aid cuts. “We from Ghana LGBTi community think this is not enough. Cutting down aid will not bring anything other than pain and anguish to the already polarised society or country and LGBTi people will be used as scapegoats for under development in our countries.”

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Loving Christians Deluge School With Threats Over Homecoming Lesbians


The San Diego-area high school which named a lesbian couple as their homecoming king and queen has been deluged with threats and hate mail since the story made international news over the weekend.
On Monday, Superintendent Bill Kowba interrupted a news conference on the district's financial troubles to comment on an issue he called just as significant as the budget. “What is essentially disappointing is that adults who have contacted the school, many not even San Diego residents, are demonstrating such a lack of tolerance and such a negative role model for children with their hateful comments,” Kowba said. Kowba calls the adults behind the threats "bullies." He also says if the calls and emails came from students, they would have faced disciplinary action.
Here's a few examples from God's Gentle People at Free Republic:
-"Stupid, brainwashed, delusional girls. They are signing up for a life of pain, misery, heartbreak and sin."
-"This is disgusting. It’s deviancy on display, and our kids have been trained to approve."
-"The Principal should be brought up on charges and be made to register as a sex offender."
-"Children who attend godless socialist schools will learn to think and reason godlessly!"
-"The faggot indoctrination continues."


reposted from Joe

Anita Who?

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

 

November 2, 2011

To Keep the Heart Pure

Not to commit evil, but to practice all good, and to keep the heart pure: This is the teaching of the Buddha.
“To keep the heart pure” means to try to keep the mind uncluttered. It does not mean that we are saintly. It means that we are reasonably aware, reasonably caring, open to ourselves and to others, and not influenced by hatred, greed, or delusion.
– Martine Batchelor, "The Precepts: A Special Practice Section"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via AmericaBloggay: Chick-Fil-A gave nearly $2m in donations to anti-gay and hate groups

Do not eat at this establishment.  They donate huge amounts of money to some of the most hateful anti-gay organizations on the planet.  Do NOT eat at Chick-Fil-A.  And tell your friends to avoid them too.  This is serious money.  Equality Matters got the scoop:
Chick-Fil-A's Charitable Arm Gave Nearly $2 Million To Anti-Gay Groups In 2009

WinShape Is Chick-Fil-A's Charitable Arm. The WinShape Foundation is Chick-fil-A's charitable arm, created by Chick-fil-A founder and chairman S. Truett Cathy in 1984. WinShape has received a substantial amount of funding from Chick-fil-A: in 2009 alone, WinShape received $7,814,788 from Chick-fil-A Inc. [WinShape 2009 Publicly Available IRS 990 Form via Foundation Center, accessed10/28/11]

WinShape Gave Over $1.7 Million To Anti-Gay Groups. In 2009 alone, WinShape donated $1,733,699 to multiple anti-gay groups:

· Marriage & Family Legacy Fund: $994,199

· Fellowship Of Christian Athletes: $480,000

· National Christian Foundation: $240,000

· Focus On The Family: $12,500

· Eagle Forum: $5,000

· Exodus International: $1,000

· Family Research Council: $1,000

[WinShape 2009 Publicly Available IRS 990 Form via Foundation Center, accessed 10/28/11]

Monday, October 31, 2011

Via JMG: Uganda: Top Travel Pick For 2012


An editor comments on the selection:
"We chose Uganda for the experiences that it can offer to travelers, separate from its current political situation. To be very clear: we are aware of, and condemn, Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill. We hope that travellers do not judge the country in general, and most of its people, by the sentiments of its government. Many destinations across the world have political and human rights issues and travel often can raise awareness of these issues."
(Tipped by JMG reader Christian)


reposted from Joe

Via JMG: CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize Court May Decriminalize Homosexuality


Homosexual acts between men are presently illegal in the tiny Central American nation of Belize, with punishments as harsh as ten years in prison. But according to the quite nasty alert I've just been forwarded, Belize's sodomy law will be reviewed by the nation's highest court on December 5th.
The homosexual organization UNIBAM (United Belize Advocacy Movement) and Caleb Orozco has brought a lawsuit against the Attorney General, and thus, Govt. of Belize, seeking to change Section 53 of the Criminal Code, which says: "Any person who has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any person or any animal shall be liable to 10 years imprisonment." Orosco & UNIBAM are seeking to remove the words “any person or” so that this law would not apply to interpersonal relationships but only that of sex with animals. They are seeking to use the Constitution phrases & sections pertaining to “personal privacy, human dignity, etc.” to have the present law declared unconstitutional unless that wording is changed. The end goal is SAME SEX MARRIAGE in Belize and a broad HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA of what’s called “GENDER MAINSTREAMING,” making the gay & lesbian lifestyle accepted in our society & culture.
The group fighting the repeal of anti-sodomy laws has a Facebook page.

RELATED: Female homosexual acts are not banned in Belize. It is currently illegal for "professional homosexuals" to enter the country for any reason.


reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Justin Simon


"There will be no change in the law on buggery in Antigua & Barbuda, at least not if I can help it. Being gay is morally wrong, and to be honest personally, I am still homophobic. I know they are going to ask me this same question at the Human Rights United Nations meeting I am attending, and I will give them the same answer." - Justin Simon, Attorney General for the Caribbean nation of Antigua & Barbuda.
reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Archdiocese Of Boston: Satan Made You Gay Because He's Totally Pissed Off At God


According to the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, Satan made you gay just to piss off God.
In other words, the scientific evidence of how same-sex attraction most likely may be created provides a credible basis for a spiritual explanation that indicts the devil. Any time natural disasters occur, we as people of faith look back to Scripture's account of those angels who rebelled and fell from grace. In their anger against God, these malcontents prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. They continue to do all they can to mar, distort and destroy God's handiwork.
The above-linked article was written by the policy advisor for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. So much for all that Catholic bullshit about "treating homosexuals with respect." (Via - Right Wing Watch)


reposted from Joe

Friday, October 28, 2011

Via JMG: Cuomo Calls For Gay Marriage Everywhere


As last night's annual fall gala for the Empire State Pride Agenda, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for all states to legalize same-sex marriage.
Shifting his sights beyond New York in a way he has not done before, Mr. Cuomo demanded that the federal Defense of Marriage Act be repealed. His voice rising in intensity as he spoke, he also called for federal legislation that would bar discrimination against gay men and lesbians in housing and employment. And in his most forceful terms to date, Mr. Cuomo called for his counterparts across the country to embrace what he framed as an issue of equal rights and to push for the legalization of same-sex marriage in their own statehouses. “We need marriage equality in every state in this nation,” Mr. Cuomo said. “Otherwise, no state really has marriage equality, and we will not rest until it is a reality.”



(Video via - Think Progress)

Why Marriage Matters - Pastor Michael Gray

Via JMG: Spain Sees Marriage Repeal Battle


The campaign to repeal same-sex marriage is not limited to the United States.
Next month's general elections threaten to undo Spain's 6-year-old gay marriage law. The Socialist government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, which swept into office in 2004, looks to be on the outs. Polling shows the conservative Popular Party (PP) with a 15-point lead over Socialists. Zapatero's government legalized gay marriage over the objections of the Catholic Church and the PP, which filed a legal challenged to the law based on technical grounds. Mariano Rajoy, the leader of the PP, has previously said he believes the law is unconstitutional and that he would “change” it even if the nation's highest court ruled it constitutional.
We'll follow this closely here on JMG, of course.


reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

 

October 28, 2011

Put your body to good use

What should you do to put your body to good use? Most people have no idea. A craftsman who borrows some tools will try to make the best possible use of them while they are available. Your body, too, is actually on loan to you for the time being, for the brief period left before it is taken back from you by death. Had you better not use it to practice the dharma while you can?
– Dilgo Khyentse, "The Day After You Die"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection