Via AmericaBlogGay:

ToMyUnbornChild... I'll put a bullet in your damn skull" (if you turn out gay)

By Gabe Ortíz

Actual tweets.

Twitter has become an amazing tool for conversation, sometimes becoming my own main mode of communication throughout the day in fact. It also has its downside though, because wherever there is an attempt at open dialogue, there will surely be some degree of inflammatory, upsetting, and sometimes unimaginably horrific speech to go along with it.

This kind of hate speech has most recently come from "To My Unborn Child" trending topic, which soon turned into a disgusting ranting space for anti-gay bigots. The Twitter account @Homophobes (which retweets public homophobic tweets to its 4,500 followers) created a post at Storify (a site where users can bundle tweets onto one page and add commentary to create a story) to document over 100 tweets of mostly young men and women saying they would murder their future child if he or she was gay.

Read for yourself, but be warned: the tweets are horrible and disgusting. But perhaps most tragically, they are a look at people who would so openly hate a gay child yet to be even born.

Via JMG: GLAAD Launches Campaign To Educate Media About Anti-Gay Hate Group Leaders

 

Today GLAAD announces the Commentator Accountability Project, a campaign to educate the nation's media gatekeepers about the histories of the hate group leaders and anti-gay talking heads that they place before the American audience. Fantastic idea!

Journalists or producers who are on deadline often don't have the time to dig into the histories of a commentator. Audiences need to be aware that when they’re not talking to the mainstream media, these voices are comparing the LGBT people to Nazi Germany, predicting that equal treatment of LGBT people will lead to the total collapse of society, and even making accusations of satanic influence. The Commentator Accountability Project is bringing all of these statements to light, while calling attention to the sentiments behind them. We will show that the commentators who are most often asked to opine on issues like marriage equality or non-discrimination protections do not accurately represent the "other side" of those issues. They represent nothing but extreme animus towards the entire LGBT community.

Regular JMG readers will be very familiar with almost all the faces of hatred and bigotry seen below. Please contact GLAAD if these people appear in your local media. Click on the photos to be taken to a page with information about each person.NOTE: Fellow blogger Jeremy Hooper of Good As You worked as a consultant with GLAAD on this project. Well done, Jeremy!

Labels: bigotry, GLAAD, Good As You, hate groups, Jeremy Hooper, journalism, newspapers, television

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Wording For WA Ballot Finalized

Via Zack Ford at Think Progress, above is the final wording that will appear on Washington state's ballot measure to repeal same-sex marriage. Note that the GOP attorney general's attempt to insert the word "redefine" has been slapped down.

Labels: marriage equality, Washington state

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Ugandan Gays Sue Evangelist Scott Lively For Inciting The Murders Of Homosexuals

Hate group leader Scott Lively was today sued in Massachusetts court by a Ugandan LGBT rights group for inciting the persecution and murder of homosexuals in their country. Many observers lay Uganda's still pending "kill the gays" bill squarely at Scott Lively's feet.

The lawsuit alleges that beginning in 2002, Mr. Lively conspired with religious and political leaders in Uganda to whip up anti-gay hysteria with warnings that homosexuals would sodomize African children and corrupt their culture. The Ugandan legislature considered a bill in 2009, proposed by one of Mr. Lively’s Ugandan contacts, that would have imposed the death sentence for homosexual behavior. That bill was at first withdrawn after an outcry from the United States and European nations that are among major aid donors to Uganda, but a revised bill was reintroduced last month. Mr. Lively is being sued by the organization Sexual Minorities Uganda under the alien tort statute, which allows foreigners to sue in American courts in situations alleging the violation of international law. The suit claims that Mr. Lively’s actions resulted in the persecution, arrest, torture and murder of homosexuals in Uganda.

Lively responded to the New York Times: "That’s about as ridiculous as it gets. I’ve never done anything in Uganda except preach the Gospel and speak my opinion about the homosexual issue. There’s actually no grounds for litigation on this."

More on this story as it develops...

RELATED: In January 2011 Ugandan gay activist David Kato was murdered after his photo was published in a local paper under the headline "HANG THEM!" Lively and other visiting American evangelicals had urged Ugandans to take a "strictly biblical" attitude towards gay people.

Labels: evil, gay death penalty, hate groups, lawsuits, Massachusetts, murder, Scott Lively, Uganda

reposted from Joe

JMG Quote Of The Day - Donald Trump Jr.

"One of my best friends growing up was gay. It's never been an issue for me. I think there was a time in my life, probably in college, that I wished every guy was gay because it meant more woman for me! I don't know what everyone's problem with it is, I wish everyone was gay! That's always the way I thought about it. I have no issue with it. If I have to suffer through marriage why shouldn't they?" - Exotic wildlife hunter Donald Trump Jr, who disagrees with his loathsome father on almost every issue.

Labels: Donald Trump, marriage equality, Quote Of The Day

reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 14, 2012

Heartfelt Advice

When we are deeply involved in the practice of the Buddha dharma, the sages advise that we practice a common sense of balance by learning to structure our mundane activities and dharma practice in ways that allow us success in both areas of our life. We should not fall into extremes, either of procrastinating in our dharma practice with the excuse of mundane distractions, or of allowing our mundane world to fall apart around us due to an overemphasis on dharma practice which ignores our mundane responsibilities.

- Lama Dudjom Dorjee, "Heartfelt Advice"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via JMG: Eliza Doolittle Would Approve

Ben & Jerry's has issued this Cockney flavor in the UK to support the marriage equality movement.

The ice cream maker is also teaming up with Stonewall to launch a new Facebook app today that asks users to ‘marry’ each other online. ‘Proposing’ through Ben and Jerry’s, users can voice their support for marriage equality and add their name to a letter to prime minister David Cameron backing the move. Laura Doughty, Stonewall’s Deputy CEO says “We’re truly moved by Ben and Jerry’s support for same-sex marriage in Britain. “All people want is to call their long-term relationship by the same name as everyone else. Our strong advice to those who disapprove of same-sex marriage is just not to get married to someone of the same sex.”

Labels: Ben And Jerry's, marriage equality, UK

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Tony Blair Backs Gay Marriage

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has endorsed David Cameron's plan to legalize same-sex marriage.

Mr Blair's position is likely to anger the Vatican, which is alarmed at moves in both the UK and the US for same-sex unions. Senior church figures are also opposed to church blessings of same-sex civil partnerships. Mr Blair was responsible for pushing through laws on civil partnerships and lowering the age of consent for homosexuals to 16, but he has remained silent on the issue of gay marriage until now. When Mr Blair joined the Catholic Church, six months after leaving Downing Street, the Vatican's chief spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said his conversion "can only arouse joy and respect". He joined because his wife, Cherie, is a Catholic and their four children were brought up in the church. But Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister and also a Catholic convert, complained that his record as prime minister clashed with the church's teachings.

Both the Catholic Church and the Church of England have launched vigorous campaigns against same-sex marriage.

Labels: Britain, marriage equality, Tony Blair, UK

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Feds Consider End To Gay Blood Ban

The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking public comment on a proposed plan to ease the ban on blood donations from gay men.

“[T]he increased effectiveness of donor testing for [Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)], [Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)], syphilis and other infectious agents has greatly enhanced blood safety,” the department states in the notice, which will be published in the Federal Register Tuesday. “As a result, questions have been raised about the need to continue an indefinite deferral of all MSM and whether there could be blood donation by MSM who may not be at increased risk.” HHS specifically is calling on the public to evaluate how the department could design an “innovative and cost effective” pilot program to evaluate “alternative blood donor acceptance criteria for MSM.”

Anti-gay hate groups will surely urge their members to deluge the HHS with protests.

Labels: blood donation, feds, HIV/AIDS, science

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: DENMARK: Gay Marriage By June

News seems to be breaking in Denmark that the Prime Minister today promised the legalization of same-sex marriage by June. A Twitter tipster points us to this early blog report:

The Danish Government is ready with the Law Proposal, which will take effect in June 2012. It is important step for our society, which recognizes the individual's differences and the individual's equality within the society, regardless of who you are, and regardless of who do you love, says PM Thorning. She calls the Law Proposal a completely natural and the right step in the moden Denmark. It will be up to individual priest though to decide, whether they would want to bless the homosexual couples in the church, the PM informs.

More on this when the Danish press weighs in. In 1989 Denmark was the world's first nation to offer federal domestic partnership recognition.

UPDATE: Here's a more formal announcement from the Danish press.

Gay couples can look forward to a church wedding this summer. At her weekly press conference, Tuesday, Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said the government is putting the finishing touches to a bill that will come into force on June 15th, allowing homosexuals and lesbians to walk down the aisle in the church of their choice – if they can find a priest who’s willing to conduct the ceremony. “It will always be up to the individual priest as to whether he or she is prepared to bless gay couples but this legislation provides homosexuals with the same rights as heterosexuals,” said the PM.

Labels: Denmark, LGBT rights, marriage equality

reposted from Joe

Dunkerton, IA School Assembly Message (portion on homosexuality)

Via JMG: Seen In Delta's In-Flight Magazine

On my flight back from South Florida last week, I noticed the above ad in Delta's in-flight magazine. Today GLAAD issued a press release:

Millions of travelers from all across the globe will learn about the need for vital LGBT-inclusive workplace protections with the release of a new full-page ad appearing in this month’s issue of ‘Delta Sky Magazine.’ Delta Sky is the world’s most-read onboard magazine with a circulation of over 5 million and introduces readers to the people, places and subjects that define our ever-evolving world. The ad, which was created by GLAAD, also commends Delta for its ongoing commitment to equality. Delta Air Lines was designated as one of HRC’s ‘Best Places to Work’ for LGBT employees in 2011, and continues to earn near-perfect scores on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.

Labels: air travel, employment, GLAAD, LGBT rights

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Kentucky Rejects Anti-Bullying Bill

Republicans in the Kentucky House Education Committee today squashed an anti-bullying bill because it would help prevent gay children from killing themselves.

The vote came after parents and friends of teenagers who killed themselves to end incessant school bullying told lawmakers about the need for stronger protections for all students. Several lawmakers on the panel contended that existing anti-bullying laws are sufficient. Rep. Ben Waide, R-Madisonville, said House Bill 336 was an attempt "to achieve equality by making some people more equal than others." He said the measure was not about bullying, but "about gay rights in our schools."

Not even sobbing pleas from the parents of dead children can move these monsters.

Labels: bullying, education, GOP, Kentucky

reposted from Joe
 

Via JMG: FRC: Slutty Women Caused Gay Marriage

Forty years ago the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it should be legal for unmarried women to have access to birth control. And that, says the Family Research Council, is what started America down the slut-strewn road to gay marriage.

On March 22nd, 1972, the Supreme Court undermined the boundaries and benefits of marriage. In the decision Eisenstadt v. Baird, the Court struck down a Massachusetts law prohibiting the distribution of contraceptives to unmarried people, and implicitly sanctioned unmarried non-procreative sexual intimacy. While the decision may seem archaic and insignificant by modern sexual standards, Eisenstadt v. Baird dealt a decisive blow to the legal and cultural norm that marriage was the institution for the full expression of the sexual relationship between man and woman. The decision and its legal consequences affect us today. Forty years ago, the Court ruled that unmarried couples could not be denied their birth control. Today, the Federal government is forcing us to share the cost, for said contraception and some states are giving marital status to homosexual relationships.

(Via Right Wing Watch)

Labels: asshattery, batshittery, birth control, dominionists, fascists, hate groups, liars, theocracy, Tony Perkins

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 13, 2012

Don't Go to War

We come upon our greediness, jealousy, or impatience, and the next impulse is to go to war with it. We don’t realize that all the while we’re strengthening the thing we’re fighting against. It’s like trying to push a beach ball into the water. Holding it down requires a huge amount of energy, and inevitably it pops back up with equal force, taking an unpredictable direction. But if you give the beach ball space and let it be, it will float effortlessly along the surface.

- Aura Glaser, "Into the Demon's Mouth"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via JMG: SPLC Issues Report On NARTH

The Southern Poverty Law Center has issued an in-depth examination of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), which the SPLC calls "the main source for anti-gay junk science." An excerpt:

The LGBT community is overwhelmingly the group most targeted in violent hate crimes, according to an Intelligence Report analysis of 14 years of federal hate crime data. Gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people are more than twice as likely to be attacked in a violent hate crime as Jews or blacks; more than four times as likely as Muslims; and 14 times as likely as Latinos. Despite this hate-inspired violence, anti-gay groups continue to employ virulent rhetoric that demonizes gay men and lesbians, some of it based on NARTH’s research.

This strategy of using science, however flawed, to fortify their religious condemnation of homosexuality was articulated five years ago by the Family Research Institute’s Paul Cameron, a psychologist whose research has been thoroughly discredited by mainstream scientists. “We can no longer rely — as almost all pro-family organizations do today — on gleaning scientific ‘bits’ from those in liberal academia. ... [W]e must subvert the academy by doing original, honest research ourselves,” Cameron wrote. Original, maybe. But honest? NARTH’s many critics argue otherwise.

Please take the time to read the full report.

RELATED: NARTH was cofounded by Charles Socarides, the father of gay activist Richard Socarides, the former White House adviser for Bill Clinton.

ALSO RELATED: You might enjoy my slideshow of our protest at the 2010 convention: Douchebags Of NARTH.

Labels: "ex-gay", bigotry, evil, hate groups, junk science, liars, NARTH, religion

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: FLORIDA: Public School Teacher Fired Over Gay Porn Career Gets Reinstated

The state of Florida has ruled that public school teacher Shawn Loftis was wrongly fired last year after his second career as a porn actor was exposed.

Loftis — who starred in gay porn films under the name Collin O'Neil — was teaching at Nautilus Middle School when the principal learned of his past, according to WPLG 10 News. The district suspended the substitute in January 2011, then his teacher’s certification was revoked in April, despite the fact that he’d left his porn career behind. The commission said his past pursuits were not illegal and the school did not have the authority to dismiss him on that basis. Loftis also argued that he hoped to use his role as a teacher to help guide students away from making the choices he had made.

Loftis is also one of CNN's most popular citizen journalists via their iReports feature. (Tipped by JMG reader Al.)

Labels: education, Florida, gay porn

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: MARYLAND: Catholic Priest Suspended After Refusing Communion To Lesbian

The Catholic priest who refused communion to a lesbian at her mother's funeral has been suspended by the his diocese. But according to a spokesperson, the suspension is not directly related to the communion controversy.

Specific details about why the Rev. Marcel Guarnizo was barred from ministry – a severe penalty – were not immediately available. The Post learned of the action from a letter dated March 9 that is written to other archdiocesan priests. The letter from Bishop Barry Knestout, a top administrator in the archdiocese, which covers Washington and the Maryland suburbs, says the punishment was for “engaging in intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others that is incompatible with proper priestly ministry.” The archdiocese on Sunday confirmed Guarnizo's removal, and noted that Knestout's letter was read at all Masses this weekend at St. John Neumann.

Barbara Johnson claims that when she approached the altar, Rev. Guarnizo covered the bread and said, "Because you live with a woman, and in the eyes of the church, that is a sin." The Archdiocese has issued Johnson an apology.

Labels: Catholic Church, Maryland, religion

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: PA House Committee To Vote On Banning Civil Unions And Same-Sex Marriage

Equality Pennsylvania sends us this alert.

A vote on House Bill (HB) 1434 is scheduled for TUESDAY, MARCH 13 in the House State Government Committee. Now is the time to let your voice be heard. HB 1434, proposed by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, would not only amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to define marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman, it would invalidate any other type of legal union or one substantially equivalent. That means any discussion of civil unions or domestic partnerships would forever be off the table for consideration. Passage of this legislation will also forcefully terminate benefits currently provided to thousands of employees in municipalities or state owned schools or facilities that offer domestic partnership benefits.

Pennsylvania residents: Contact your representatives. If you are free tomorrow morning:

Tuesday, March 13 9:00 am. Room G-50, Irvis Office Building (NEXT TO THE CAPITOL BUILDING) (Meet in the Capitol Rotunda at 8:30am.) Please be respectful. However, please come prepared to pack the room. Signs are welcome.

Labels: activism, GOP, LGBT rights, pennsylvania

reposted from Joe

Via Facebook:

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 12, 2012

Where Will You Find Buddha?

Trying to find a Buddha or enlightenment is like trying to grab space. Space has a name but no form. It's not something you can pick up or put down. And you certainly can't grab it. Beyond this mind you'll never see a Buddha. The Buddha is a product of your mind. Why look for a Buddha beyond this mind?

- Bodhidharma, "The Snaggletoothed Barbarian"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via JMG: CALIFORNIA: Bid To Repeal Gay-Friendly Education Bill Launches Petition Drive

Gary Thomasson, of the newly certified hate group Save California, says children are already being brainwashed and SB48 hasn't even been implemented yet.

"In an apparent attempt to keep children enrolled for the purpose of sexual indoctrination and average daily attendance funding, the California Department of Education is deceiving parents about the mandate of SB 48, which requires, through supplement instructional materials right now, and new textbooks in three years, that children admire ‘lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans.'"

The petition deadline is July 11th.

Labels: California, education, hate groups, LGBT History

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Cracked Vs The AFA

An excerpt:

The American Family Association aren't just a recognized hate group, they're cartoon villains that escaped into the real world. They're driven by hate, choose actual comics characters as their enemies and still fail humiliatingly and publicly. They think of themselves as righteous crusaders, because they're exactly the sort of assholes who still use the word "crusade," but they're really Gargamel from the Smurfs: fighting ridiculously soft fictional targets just because they're the same gender and happy together, and still managing to lose.

Go read the entire thing.

Labels: AFA, comic books, hate groups

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 11, 2012

Continuous Mind, Continuous Love

If we believe that mind is continuous, our love for others becomes continuous. If we recognize this continuity, we do not trust temporary, tangible circumstances or take them too seriously.

- Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, "Continuous Mind"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 10, 2012

There's No Going Back

One of the main things that happens when you meditate is that regret starts to surface and you start to think about your life. Meditation neutralizes denial after a while and opens up the circuits and things start to flow in, and then you begin to realize that regret is a distortion of what’s real. What’s real is that this is your life, and it happened, and there’s no going back. There’s only altering your attitude and perception about it so that you can go forward.

- Lewis Richmond, "Aging as a Spiritual Practice"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via Facebook:

Quantos homofóbicos são necessários para trocar uma lâmpada? Nenhum. Eles temem a mudança, mesmo que possa tornar o mundo um lugar mais brilhante.

Classic JMG:

Elderly Pedophile Enabler Commands
U.S. Clergy To Oppress LGBT People

Emperor Palpatine hates the eeeevillle of gay marriage.

Pope Benedict XVI on Friday condemned gay marriage in a speech to bishops from the United States after Maryland last week became the eighth US state to legalise same-sex unions. "Sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage," the pope said, warning against "the powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage". "Marriage and the family are institutions that must be promoted and defended from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature." He also said bishops could not overlook "the serious pastoral problem presented by the widespread practice of cohabitation". "The contemporary crisis of marriage and the family... has led to grave societal problems bearing an immense human and economic cost"

Following his speech, Pope Benedict returned to his private chamber where he rolled naked with altar boys on piles of jewels and gold.

Labels: bigotry, Catholic Church, child abuse, cults, evil, fascists, molestation, religion, scandal

reposted from Joe

2 from Gay Politics Report:

• How many out members of Congress after November?
  The number of openly LGBT members of Congress could shrink to just one or grow to at least seven after the 2012 elections, according to this analysis. The Victory Fund has so far endorsed four non-incumbent candidates for House seats, in addition to openly gay incumbents Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., and Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I. The group also is backing Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., in her race for the U.S. Senate. National Journal (3/8)     

• Gay GOP House candidate wants party to embrace equality: Richard Tisei, the former Massachusetts Senate minority leader, is running for Congress on the same issue as many other GOP challengers this election cycle -- the economy. The former state lawmaker, credited by some with helping to secure marriage equality in his state, says he isn't hearing much about marriage in his district anymore, and that he hopes the lesson for fellow Republicans is that their party should return to what he says is its roots. "The party was founded based on the notion that everybody should be treated equally under the law. ... As conservatives, that’s what we should be promoting," Tisei said. Edge Publications (3/9)     

Via Gay Politics Report:

• Homeless LGBT youths are victims of culture wars, budget cuts
   
• LGBT youth make up between 20% and 40% of all homeless young people, but recent budget cuts in places such as New York have left many from this demographic to fend for themselves, according to this article. Nonprofit groups that focus on the problem are often unable to serve the growing numbers of young people who need shelter, health care and counseling. A White House-sponsored conference on homelessness among LGBT youth is set to take place Friday in Detroit. Google/The Associated Press (3/8)     

Baha'i forums proposal: DOs and DON'Ts

Baha'i forums proposal: DOs and DON'Ts
------
DOs
------
1. DO post links to articles about harmful consequences of prejudice against gays.
2. DO quote what the House of Justice says against discrimination, in relation to homosexuality.
3. DO insist that there is no difference in healthfulness and morality between same-sex feelings, impulses and interactions; and intersexual ones.
4. DO post friendly responses to any parts of people's posts that do *not* depreciate gays.
5. DO put a spotlight on improvised generalizations about gays (see note 1), and keep the spotlight there, relentlessly.

Repeat step 4, any time you see something in a post that does *not* depreciate gays. Repeat step 5, any time you see new improvised generalizations (See note 1). If the improvised generalizations subside, repeat steps 1 to 3.

------
DON'Ts
------
- DON'T let anyone or anything distract you from the DOs, no matter how viciously anyone insults you or anyone else. Add every improvised generalization to the list for step 4 above, and ignore everything else. Keep the spotlight on the improvised generalizations.
- DON'T respond to quotes from Shoghi Effendi or the House of Justice. Do not touch them. Do not mention them. Do not even think about them. You've already memorized them. Keep the spotlight on the improvised generalizations.
- DON'T respond to any statements of the form "homosexuality is ...," no matter how insulting they are. Do not touch them. Do not mention them. Do not even think about them. Keep the spotlight on the improvised generalizations.
- DON'T discuss homosexuality or orientation at all. Stay away from those discussions. Do not touch them. Do not mention them. Do not even think about them. Keep the spotlight on the improvised generalizations.
- DON'T say anything about homophobia. Stay away from those discussions. Do not touch them. Do not mention them. Do not even think about them. Keep the spotlight on the improvised generalizations.
- DON'T say anything about marriage. Stay away from those discussions. Do not touch them. Do not mention them. Do not even think about them. Keep the spotlight on the improvised generalizations.
- DON'T say anything about science. Stay away from those discussions. Do not touch them. Do not mention them. Do not even think about them. Keep the spotlight on the improvised generalizations.
- DON'T say anything about the suffering of gays, *after* the discussions have started. Use it *only* as a conversation starter, *not* as an argument. Keep the spotlight on the improvised generalizations.
- DON'T say anything about anyone's character and motives. Do not even think about them. Keep the spotlight on the improvised generalizations.

Notes:

1. Improvised generalizations about gays.

There are *no* generalizations about *gays*, in letters from Shoghi Effendi and the House of Justice, but there are some statements that are commonly interpreted as such. Ignore those. Don't mention them. Don't even think about them. The improvised generalizations to look for are statements or insinuations about the character and motives of gay Baha'is, which are *not* exact quotes, and *not* statements about homosexuality. Also include irrelevant quotes about wickedness and evildoers, injected into discussions about gay issues.

Some examples of improvised generalizations I've seen, about gay Baha'is:
- "They are letting their obsession with sex blind them to the truth."
- "They are letting their obsession with sex come between them and God."
- "They are putting their own desires above the laws of God."
- "They are twisting the writings to conform to their wishes."
- "They are disgarding Baha'i writings."
- "They are intentionally transgressing the laws."
- "They are rebelling against God."
- "They are more spiritually or morally deficient than the rest of us."
- "They are pushing a personal agenda."
- "They are directed towards a path of ego."
- "They are violating the Covenant."
- "They expect Baha'i law to accomodate their personal predicament."
- "They want to change the law of God to their favor."
- "They are playing dirty tricks to stick it to the Baha'i Faith."
- "Their arguments are an obvious ploy to distort the plain meaning of Scripture."
- "They are attacking the principles of the Baha'i Faith."
- "They are challenging the laws of Baha'u'llah."
- "They are cruel wrong-doers, crafty and mischievous, foolish and ignoble."
- "They don't know good from evil, right from wrong, or justice from injustice
- "They follow their own desires."
- "They walk in the footsteps of the most imperfect and foolish amongst them."

<http://www.gaybahai.net/discussion/post/1752778>

Via JMG: Catholic Diocese Defunds Homeless Shelter Because New Director Supports Marriage

In the Catholic Church's national campaign to make themselves ever more repulsive to the average American, the Diocese of Sacramento has cut off their funding of a local homeless shelter because its new director supports marriage equality.

In a letter last month, the diocese's director of social services said the Rev. Faith Whitmore's public statements on the issues clash with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Therefore, said the Rev. Michael Kiernan, the social services director, it is "impossible for the diocese to continue funding Francis House" as part of its annual Catholic Appeal. Each morning, dozens of poor people line up at Francis House, located in Sacramento's homeless services epicenter, for help with basic services such as housing and transportation. Now in its 42nd year, the organization is one of the largest homeless services agencies in the Sacramento region, serving upward of 25,000 people. It has an an annual budget of about $500,000.

The Catholic Church would rather see you homeless and starving to death than disobedient to their dogma. That can't be any more fucking apparent, can it? What will they do next to turn our stomachs? A puppy kicking contest?

Donate to Francis House.

Labels: California, Catholic Church, cults, evil, homelessness, poverty, Sacramento

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: AP Tackles Homeless Gay Kids

In a news story titled "Homeless youth: the next battle for gay equality," the Associated Press today examines the burgeoning epidemic of LGBT kids ejected from their homes by their own families.

Iro Uikka clutches his throat as he describes the violent clash that led to spending his nights sleeping in New York City subway cars. "When I told my mother I was gay, she grabbed me by the neck and threw me out," he says. "Then she threw my coat on top of me and shut the door." That was five years ago when he was 18, still living at home in Florida. Uikka is among tens of thousands of homeless youths across America who are LGBT — lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Most are on the streets because they have nowhere else to go — outcasts who leave home after being rejected by family members or flee shelters because residents bully or beat them. LGBT young people represent a dramatically high proportion of an estimated 600,000 or more homeless youths across the country — between 20 percent and 40 percent, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute.

Many times I've heard Carl Siciliano tell audiences that these kids are often the paradoxical victims of advances in gay rights. Emboldened by a widening acceptance in society, gay kids are sometimes now coming out at ages too young to fend for themselves when their parent don't accept the news. In the above-linked article, Siciliano says, "These kids are the collateral damage of our cultural wars."

Labels: Carl Siciliano, homelessness, LGBT youth

Reposted from Joe

Prop 8 Unconstitutional: The Highlight Reel

Via JMG: The Newly Official Faces Of Hate

Among the ten groups added today to the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of 27 anti-gay hate groups are three names that are very familiar to us here on JMG. Eugene Delgaudio (Public Advocate), Randy Thomasson (Save California), and Linda Harvey (Mission America). We can only hope that our relentless coverage of these evil, horrible people had some tiny role in their elevation to the most ignominious list in American culture. Congratulations you three pigs, you're now in the history books alongside the Ku Klux Klan.

Labels: bigotry, evil, hate groups, JMG, religion

reposted from Joe

Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams – Sitting Pretty CBS News Sunday Morning

http://www.faithinamerica.org/mitchell-gold-bob-williams-sitting-pretty-cbs-news-sunday-morning/

JMG Reader Reaches Out To Signers Of Washington State's Referendum 71

JMG reader Paul Thomasson writes to tip us to a project he's embarked upon in which he is using the just-released list of names on an anti-gay petition to write and ask for a reconsidered attitude in Washington state's upcoming ballot battle on marriage. Hit the link to read Paul's full email and to see the more than 50 responses he's gotten so far.

Yesterday Seattle's KOMO learned of Paul's campaign. Travis Mayfield reports:

Those who fought the effort to keep the R-71 signatures secret argued that not doing so would lead to harassment and intimidation of the signers. And some who have replied to Thomasson may believe that’s what he’s doing. “sick . dont send me email,” reads one reply. Supporters of gay rights argued they only wanted to see the names to have personal conversations with opponents to try to respectfully change minds. Clearly some of those contacted by Thomasson believe his efforts are sincere. “Thank you for your letter and for sharing something so personal with me. I value your communication and the love you have found,” wrote a woman identified as Alanna. With 1,600 emails sent, Thomasson is just getting started working his way through the list of 121,757 names. "I intend to continue this effort until I have transcribed and emailed all of the legible email addresses.”

Labels: activism, JMG community, LGBT rights, marriage equality, Referendum 71, Washington state

reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 9, 2012

Setting a Steady Course

To question is unbelievably powerful. But if you question all the time and you remain in doubt, going first this way and then that, conviction is absent. If you develop a line of inquiry and learn from your experience, conviction grows. Then you put that conviction into practice but remain open to new information and experience. You set a steady course and remain willing to grow and learn. That is powerful.

- Segyu Rinpoche, "Buddhist Training for Modern Life"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Humor via JMG: Sluts For Obama

The Family Research Council is appalled.

The left is so embracing of calling themselves prostitutes, hookers and whores that they have made a line of clothing “Sluts for Obama.” Most offensive – they even have baby clothing with the phrase. (I would assume the Obama “O” is trademarked – will the Obama campaign try to put a stop to it?) Words have meaning and power. To your relatively small circle it might seem you are laughing in the face of evil but the simple fact is you are laughing at a joke where you are the punch line. Is this really where the feminist movement has fallen?

Labels: hate groups, language, Rush Limbaugh

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: SPLC: Hate Groups Rise In Number, Anti-Gay Hate Groups Almost Double

According to a just-issued report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups across the United States rose in 2011.

The radical right grew explosively in 2011, the third such dramatic expansion in as many years. The growth was fueled by superheated fears generated by economic dislocation, a proliferation of demonizing conspiracy theories, the changing racial makeup of America, and the prospect of four more years under a black president who many on the far right view as an enemy to their country. The number of hate groups counted by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) last year reached a total of 1,018, up slightly from the year before but continuing a trend of significant growth that is now more than a decade old. The truly stunning growth came in the antigovernment “Patriot” movement — conspiracy-minded groups that see the federal government as their primary enemy.

The SPLC notes that because of advances in LGBT rights, the number of anti-gay hate groups has exploded even as those same groups focus their attention on immigrants and Muslims.

The gay-bashing Traditional Values Coalition, for instance, last year redesigned its website to emphasize a new section entitled “Islam vs. the Constitution,” published a report on Shariah law, and joined anti-Shariah conferences. Overall, the number of anti-gay hate groups in the United States rose markedly, going from 17 in 2010 to 27 last year.

View the anti-gay groups here.

Labels: bigotry, evil, hate groups, religion

reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma March 8, 2012

Being the Question

If we attempt to explain the experience of 'being the question,' we can only talk around it. Because 'being' is an experience, and the moment we try to describe it we shut down around an idea. But perhaps we could attempt to describe it by saying that being the question has something to do with our ability to tolerate or bear witness to the full expressions of experience, rather than closing down around them and then reacting to them through our preferences.

- Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyal, "The Power of an Open Question"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via Science Daily (and a friend): Ignorance Is Bliss When It Comes to Challenging Social Issues

ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2011) — The less people know about important complex issues such as the economy, energy consumption and the environment, the more they want to avoid becoming well-informed, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
And the more urgent the issue, the more people want to remain unaware, according to a paper published online in APA's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.


"These studies were designed to help understand the so-called 'ignorance is bliss' approach to social issues," said author Steven Shepherd, a graduate student with the University of Waterloo in Ontario. "The findings can assist educators in addressing significant barriers to getting people involved and engaged in social issues."


Through a series of five studies conducted in 2010 and 2011 with 511 adults in the United States and Canada, the researchers described "a chain reaction from ignorance about a subject to dependence on and trust in the government to deal with the issue."


In one study, participants who felt most affected by the economic recession avoided information challenging the government's ability to manage the economy. However, they did not avoid positive information, the study said. This study comprised 197 Americans with a mean age of 35 (111 women and 89 men), who had received complex information about the economy and had answered a question about how the economy is affecting them directly.
To test the links among dependence, trust and avoidance, researchers provided either a complex or simple description of the economy to a group of 58 Canadians, mean age 42, composed of 20 men and 38 women. The participants who received the complex description indicated higher levels of perceived helplessness in getting through the economic downturn, more dependence on and trust in the government to manage the economy, and less desire to learn more about the issue.


"This is despite the fact that, all else equal, one should have less trust in someone to effectively manage something that is more complex," said co-author Aaron C. Kay, PhD, of Duke University. "Instead, people tend to respond by psychologically 'outsourcing' the issue to the government, which in turn causes them to trust and feel more dependent on the government. Ultimately, they avoid learning about the issue because that could shatter their faith in the government."


Participants who felt unknowledgeable about oil supplies not only avoided negative information about the issue, they became even more reluctant to know more when the issue was urgent, as in an imminent oil shortage in the United States, according the authors. For this study, 163 Americans, with a mean age of 32 (70 men and 93 women), provided their opinion about the complexity of natural resource management and then read a statement declaring the United States has less than 40 years' worth of oil supplies. Afterward, they answered questions to assess their reluctance to learn more.


"Beyond just downplaying the catastrophic, doomsday aspects to their messages, educators may want to consider explaining issues in ways that make them easily digestible and understandable, with a clear emphasis on local, individual-level causes," the authors said.
Another two studies found that participants who received complex information about energy sources trusted the government more than those who received simple information. For these studies, researchers questioned 93 (49 men and 44 women) Canadian undergraduate students in two separate groups.
The authors recommended further research to determine how people would react when faced with other important issues such as food safety, national security, health, social inequality, poverty and moral and ethical conflict, as well as under what conditions people tend to respond with increased rather than decreased engagement.


The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 154,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.


reprinted from materials provided by American Psychological Association, via Newswise.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Shepherd, Steven; Kay, Aaron C. On the perpetuation of ignorance: System dependence, system justification, and the motivated avoidance of sociopolitical information. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Nov 7, 2011 DOI: 10.1037/a0026272

Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the following formats:

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MLA

American Psychological Association (2011, November 21). Ignorance is bliss when it comes to challenging social issues. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 8, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/11/111121142446.htm

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