Via JMG: HRC: 219 House Reps Rated Zero

The Human Rights campaign has issued its evaluation of the 112th Congress. Their report gives 219 members of the House a "zero" rating.

HRC today released its Congressional Scorecard for the 112th Congress, rating members of Congress on their support for LGBT-equality. Analysis shows that though the LGBT equality is making gains on Capitol Hill, anti-LGBT legislators continue to halt progress. While the American people move forward on issues of equality, the majority of Congress – particularly the House – continues to be out of touch. The average score of House members was 40 percent and 35 for Senators, down significantly from the 111th Congress. For the first time in this scorecard, HRC noted whether of not members of Congress have taken an affirmative position in favor of marriage equality. In the House, 115 members scored 100 percent, including 33 from states with marriage equality and eight from states facing marriage related ballot measure this November.

Hit this link for the rating of your Congress members.

Labels: HRC, LGBT rights, Senate, U.S. House

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 19, 2012

Developing A Kind Nature

A person disposed to anger will more and more easily erupt in anger anew at any provocation. But in a moment of kindness a kindly disposition is deposited, and one becomes incrementally more disposed to kindness. The attitude with which we respond to an object of experience, with anger or with kindness, will therefore not only influence the causal field outside ourselves but also progressively reshape our very nature.

- Andrew Olendzki, "Karma in Action"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 21st, 2012
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Via REPORT: The Catholic Church Is 2012's Top Funder Of Anti-Gay Campaigns

REPORT: The Catholic Church Is 2012's Top Funder Of Anti-Gay Campaigns

From a report issued today by the Human Rights Campaign:

Taking up where the Mormons left off in 2008, the Catholic Church – and its affiliate, the Knights of Columbus – have made considerable investments in the marriage fights in Minnesota, Maryland, Washington State and Maine this election cycle – spending at least $1.1 million to date. In addition, a close ally of the Church and past co-conspirator, the National Organization for Marriage, has spent nearly $1.4 million this cycle. Marriage equality opponents across the four states have, to date, raised roughly $4.1 million. The Catholic Church’s contributions make up 27 percent of that total figure. When you add in the contributions of Church ally NOM, the reality of the coordinated effort becomes clear: the Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, and NOM are responsible for funding nearly 60 percent of all anti-equality efforts in Minnesota, Maryland, Washington State and Maine.

The Catholic LGBT coalition Equally Blessed today also issued a report on the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Church.

According to the report, which is based primarily on the Knights’ filings with the Internal Revenue Service, the organization donated $6.25 million to anti-marriage equality efforts between 2005-2012, with most of the money directed toward ballot measures aimed at banning marriage equality in 12 states. The sum includes:

- $1.9 million in donations to the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), $1.4 million of which was devoted to a successful and highly controversial campaign to overturn marriage equality legislation in Maine.
- A $1.1 million dollar donation to ProjectMarriage.com which supported the passage of Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment that banned marriage equality in California.
- More than $630,000 in donations to groups working against marriage equality through ballot initiatives that will be voted on next month in Maryland, Minnesota and Washington.

According to NOM’s internal memos, unsealed during legal proceedings in Maine, the organization adopted a strategy of turning the Black and Hispanic communities against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people during the campaign to overturn marriage equality legislation in that state. The same memos advocated finding children who had been raised by same-sex couples and persuading them to speak out against their parents.

Labels: bigotry, brainwashing, Catholic Church, child abuse, cults, evil, hate groups, Knights of Columbus, molestation, NOM, organized crime, pedophilia, religion

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Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

	Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	A mantra is not like a prayer to a divine being. Rather, the mantra is the deity, is enlightenment, immediately manifest. - Lorne Ladner, "Wheel of Great Compassion" More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via JMG: FRC: Church Membership Is Shrinking Because They Don't Hate Gays Enough

The Family Research Council says that the reason 20% of Americans now say they have no religious affiliation is because churches aren't being hateful enough to keep people interested. Via press release:

As more churches move away from biblical authority, their attendance suffers. Just ask the Episcopal Church, whose pews are virtually empty after the decision to endorse homosexuality. It's time to push back on the spin that's feeding our weak brethren who say that compromising truth in pursuit of love is the way to reach the lost. Intuitively, people want to anchor their lives to something meaningful--something that demands the sacrifice and discipline of "taking up your cross." When a denomination abandons the truth and waters everything down to love, it reduces the church to another hour of Dr. Phil--which is something Americans can get without ever leaving home.

There's "too much love" in the church. Yeah.

Labels: FRC, hate groups, Pew Project, religion

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JMG Church Sign Of The Day

Source.

Labels: advertising, brainwashing, religion

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Via Buddhism on Beliefnet :

Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	Worldly afflictions are as extensive as an ocean, noisy and clamorous; but they all arise from the thoughts in your own mind. When not a single thought is conceived, you are liberated from them all. - Ta-t More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 16, 2012

Where We Are Transformed

Buddhist practice only works when it's on the edge. And that's what the renunciant lifestyle is about, what living in the wilderness is about, what meditation is all about—getting to the edge. Because that's where we are transformed.

- Ajaan Amaro, "Just Another Thing in the Forest"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 18th, 2012
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The Indigo Girls Speak Out for LGBT Immigrant Families

Reason 12 Why I left Christianity...

Via JMG: NEBRASKA: Christian Groups Work To Repeal LGBT Protections In Omaha

God's Gentle People are working to make it legal again to discriminate against LGBT people in Omaha, which only narrowly approved its workplace protection ordinance in March of this year.

Some churches involved in the effort put the call to sign the petition more directly than others; approaches range from reminders to sign petitions after Sunday services to one pastor's 39-minute sermon urging congregants to demonstrate their faith by signing their names. But the step into city politics reflects a similar perspective from some churches: that the ordinance limits their right to express their Christian views. “I think from time to time the people of God are called to resist their government at key crossroads, and I'm convinced that we stand at one of those crossroads right now in our city,” the Rev. Mark Ashton, lead pastor of Christ Community Church, said in a sermon last Sunday. “Every signature makes a difference in the future of our city,” he said later. “I'd encourage every registered voter who lives within the City of Omaha and follows Jesus to sign your name.”

Leading the repeal charge is the Nebraska Heritage Coalition, which has this message on their website:

Homosexual activity (not temptation or preference) is explicitly prohibited as sin in multiple passages in the Old and New Testament. We do not have the right to change God's moral law to fit our sexual preferences. We believe that when we admit our sin, the Lord is faithful to forgive. Whether it is gossip, greed, violence, hatred, homosexual activity or heterosexual adultery, every last one of us is guilty. Fortunately, our welcome before God is not based on our 'religion resume,’ or our ability to live up to a moral code. It is based on what Jesus did on the cross to pay for our wrongdoing. He forgives us and begins to change us from the inside out to become more like him. This is the Good News for men and women, young and old, rich and poor, clergy and laity, gay people and straight people alike. Therefore, everyone is welcome to attend our churches. Together, we can discover God’s forgiveness and the strength to live a life in obedience to his moral law.

There are 242 churches listed as backers of the repeal. (Tipped by JMG reader Sam)

RELATED: Last month Omaha Archbishop George Lucas issued a letter demanding that Nebraska's Catholics support the repeal petition.

Labels: assholery, bigotry, Christian Love, disgusting, employment, evil, LGBT rights, Nebraska, religion

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JMG HomoQuotable - Andrew Sullivan

"As an Obama supporter, I remain committed, if deeply demoralized. The reason for that new ambivalence is not that the reasons for re-electing him have changed - we desperately need to raise revenues to tackle the debt, we cannot launch a new Judeo-Christian war against Islam in the Middle East without igniting an even more ferocious global religious conflict; it's just wrong to cut off healthcare access for tens of millions, while ending homecare for countless seniors, while not even making a dent in the actual budget - because of give-aways to the extremely rich. And the way the Obama campaign had made those arguments clearly and consistently and built a brilliant campaign all the way to the first debate was quite something to behold.

"To be given a gift like the Romney 47 percent video is a rare event in national politics. To get it in the fall of an election should have made an Obama victory all but assured. But Obama threw it all back in his supporters' faces, reacting to their enthusiasm and record donations with a performance so execrable, so lazy, so feckless, and so vain it was almost a dare not to vote for him. What he has to do now is so nail these next two debates, so obliterate Romney in both, that he can claw his way back to victory. But if he manages just evenly-matched debates, let alone another Romney win, he's a goner." - Andrew Sullivan.

Labels: 2012 elections, Andrew Sullivan, HomoQuotable

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Via JMG: Dozens Of Business Leaders Publish Full-Page Ad Supporting WA Marriage

 

Embiggen the images to see all the high-rollers or go here for a PDF of the full ad.

Labels: advertising, marriage equality, Washington state

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Via JMG: I Have Two Fathers

Published on Oct 13, 2012 by depfox

Gay Family Values and Sean Chapin Productions team up to perform a wonderful song from the Netherlands about a kid who has two fathers, in response to the four states voting on marriage equality this upcoming election (Washington, Minnesota, Maine, Maryland).

See the original song and video from the Netherlands in 2006 here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qf0puHJ-KM

Help marriage equality in the four affected states in the upcoming 2012 election by going to a great website called TheFour2012:
http://www.thefour2012.com

Check out Sean Chapin Productions on his YouTube channel here:
http://www.youtube.com/SeanChapin1

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Uncle Poodle

"Things are changing. My husband and I live in Milledgeville because we want to be out in the country. I’m gay, but I’m as redneck as I can get, and we want to be somewhere we can fish and jump on a four-wheeler, go hog wallowing. There’s probably 40 or 50 of us gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people. Around here, they’re all open about it, everybody knows it. It’s not like there’s a gay bar here. We go to the same bars as everybody else, we’re all part of the same community. If there’s people who have a problem with it, they keep it to themselves, just like if I have a problem with them, I keep it to myself. But if you want people to accept you, you have to show you don’t have a problem with yourself and just be up front about who you are. If you do, you earn people’s respect. If everybody would just go on and do that, ignorant people couldn’t cause so many problems." - Here Comes Honey Boo Boo cast member Uncle Poodle, speaking to the Georgia Voice.

Labels: coming out, Georgia, reality shows, rednecks

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Via FB:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 14, 2012

Taking Care of Things

Realization needs to be actualized. And having realized the fact that there’s no separation, an imperative arises to reach out to take care of things. That’s compassion. We take care of things because everything is this very body and mind itself.

- John Daido Loori, "Straight Ahead"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 16th, 2012
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Via JMG: The Census Wants Advice About Gays

Chris Geidner reports on an unprecedented move by the U.S. Census.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced Friday that it is seeking advice on how to address lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations in implementing the once-a-decade census. The census, which has never counted LGBT people directly, has indirectly referenced gay people through its count of same-sex married couples and "unmarried partner" households in the past. With the formation of the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations, however, the Census Bureau today stated that it will be seeking advice from the 31-member committee "on topics such as housing, children, youth, poverty, privacy, race and ethnicity, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other populations." Specifically, the Bureau noted, the committee will provide advice on "a wide range of variables that affect the cost, accuracy and implementation of the Census Bureau's programs and surveys, including the once-a-decade census."

Geidner speculates that the Census Bureau may be seeking a method to more accurately count (or at least estimate) the number of LGBT Americans.

Labels: census, Chris Geidner, U.S. Census Bureau

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Via JMG: Only A Fruitcake Doesn't Like Hate Chikin

(Via Towleroad)

Labels: advertising, assholery, fast food

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 13, 2012

Dethroning the Ego

The ego must be dethroned, its arrogance must be dismantled, and we must begin, before it is too late, to listen to the ensuing silence. All of this is about becoming who we are in the deepest sense and about surrendering to what creation is asking of us and needing from us just now.

- Reginald Ray, "Looking Inward, Seeing Outward"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 15th, 2012
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Via JMG: HomoQuotable - George Takei

"Matthew [Shepard's] death brought about calls for stricter hate crime legislation. Under Wyoming and Federal law at the time, LGBT persons were not included within existing hate crime definitions. The battle to bring about this change was not easy. It took nearly 20 years of lobbying, votes, threats of vetoes, and partisan bickering before a Federal law included LGBT persons within the definition. On October 28, 2009, President Obama finally signed the Matthew Shepard Act into law.

"I came out publicly in 2005, though I had been out privately for many decades with friends and family. My decision stemmed from a desire to stand up and be counted, so that I could help people see the human side of how bigotry, hatred and intolerance affects others. Coming out is never easy, and often never ending. If you have gay, lesbian or bisexual friends who have come out to you, take the time to thank them today for their courage, and for helping to make a difference in the lives of others, especially of young people like Matthew Shepard who bear so much of the burden of homophobia, bullying and violence against LGBT people. Thank you. And Matthew, I promise you, we will remember." - George Takei, writing in observance of today's 14th anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard.

Labels: coming out, George Takei, hate crimes act, HomoQuotable, LGBT History, Matthew Shepard

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Nate Silver's Electoral Update

Source.

Labels: 2012 elections, electoral college, Nate Silver

Reposted from Joe 

Via JMG: Big Bird Was Created By Gay Lovers

As Mitt Romney's Big Bird comment continues to draw shots from both sides, the Daily Beast's Michael Daly observes the gay history behind one of television's most beloved characters.

[Christopher] Lyall and [Kermit] Love were partners in work and life for half a century and in the 1980s traveled with Big Bird to the White House for the annual Easter egg roll. The most momentous results of that presidential nexus were the grass stains on Big Bird’s outsize feet. Nobody could have imagined that this puppet might someday play even the smallest role in deciding who would occupy the Oval Office. “We’ll see,” Lyall says. The possible political impact of this 8-foot-2 yellow plumed character takes a turn from the ridiculous to the delightfully apt when you consider this: Big Bird was the product of a profound partnership between two men that was in every way a marriage save for in the strictly legal sense that the law until very recently forbade.

I encourage you to read Daly's full story.

Labels: LGBT History, Sesame Street, television

Reposted from Joe

Via AmericaBlog Gay:

Religious right attacks astronaut Sally Ride for being a lesbian

Dr. Sally Ride, the US’ first woman astronaut.
Alan C. Heison / Shutterstock.com

A lead religious right “research” group has concluded that Dr. Sally Ride’s pancreatic cancer may be due to her being a lesbian.  They deduced this from looking at the obituaries of...

Read the whole entry »

Via JMG: 20% Of Americans Claim "No Religion"

According to Pew Research, the number of Americans who say they have "no religion" in their lives is soaring.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released an analytic study today titled, Nones on the Rise, now that one in five Americans (19.6%) claim no religious identity. This group, called "Nones," is now the nation's second-largest category only to Catholics, and outnumbers the top Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptists. The shift is a significant cultural, religious and even political change. Count former Southern Baptist Chris Dees, 26, in this culture shift. He grew up Baptist in the most religious state in the USA: Mississippi. By the time he went off to college for mechanical engineering, "I just couldn't make sense of it any more," Dees says. Now, he's a leader of the Secular Student Alliance chapter at Mississippi State and calls himself an atheist.

The report also notes that for the first time the number of Protestants is under 50%. (Tipped by JMG reader Mark)

UPDATE: The Center For Inquiry reacts via press release.

“Though the ‘unaffiliated’ are not entirely made up of nonbelievers, the fact that one in five Americans have rejected traditional religion means that the enormous influence religion has had over policy and culture will continue to wane,” said Ronald A. Lindsay, President and CEO of the Center for Inquiry. “Furthermore, thanks to the high percentage of ‘nones’ among the younger generations, these numbers tell us that we are closer than ever to realizing a society in which religious dogma has no significant influence on public policy—that is, a society based on reason and science rather than myth and superstition.”

Labels: atheism, Pew Project, religion, surveys

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Via JMG: MINNESOTA: Viking Punter Chris Kluwe Fires Back At Archbishop Nienstadt

"Tell me, Archbishop, Pope, what purpose does the Church serve attempting to influence the affairs of a secular state? The federal benefits under law currently denied gay couples certainly fall under the realm of Caesar, don’t they? No one is forcing the Catholic Church to marry gay couples if that is not the Church’s wish. You can keep the sanctity of Catholic marriage solely between heterosexual couples if you feel that is what’s required (again though, I caution you on the dangers of presumed infallibility). All we are asking is for you to extend the open hand of tolerance instead of the closed fist of fear and hate.

"As American citizens, we respect the right for everyone to practice whichever religion they so choose, including the right to not practice one at all. Haven’t we learned enough from the Crusades, the Inquisitions, the Talibans of the world? What does it benefit the Church to attempt to influence secular policy in this country, especially when that influence is to deny basic human rights to others? Will you now assume Caesar’s throne, grasping the transitory ephemera of worldly power and control, while forsaking the eternal kingdom of Heaven?" - Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, firing back at Minnesota Archbishop John Nienstadt's advice to reject gay children.

Read Kluwe's full response.

Labels: bigotry, Catholic Church, football, FTW, heroes, Minnesota, religion, sports, straight allies

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 9, 2012

Embracing Groundlessness

It’s not impermanence per se, or even knowing we’re going to die, that is the cause of our suffering, the Buddha taught. Rather, it’s our resistance to the fundamental uncertainty of our situation. Our discomfort arises from all of our effort to put ground under our feet, to realize our dream of constant okayness.

- Pema Chödrön, "The Fundamental Ambiguity of Being Human"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 11th, 2012
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 8, 2012

Ending Your Problems Forever

When you are preoccupied with external, material objects, you blame them and other people for your problems. Projecting that deluded view onto external phenomena makes you miserable. When you begin to realize your wrong-conception view, you begin to realize the nature of your own mind and to put an end to your problems forever.

- Lama Yeshe, "Your Mind is Your Religion"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 10th, 2012
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Via JMG: UK Psychology Group Tells Members That "Ex-Gay" Therapy Is Forbidden

Britain's largest psychotherapy group has told its members that "ex-gay" or "reparative therapy" is now officially forbidden. Via James Watkins at Law On The Web:

The British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) wrote to its near 30,000 members to inform them that so-called gay conversion therapy was now officially off-limits to them, after discovering that some members were still offering the controversial ‘treatments’. Lesley Pilkington was one such member. Last year, the BACP found her guilty of malpractice after being exposed by an undercover journalist to be offering “gay cure” therapies. Mrs Pilkington told the journalist that homosexuality is a mental illness akin to depression, with addictive qualities akin to alcoholism. Mrs Pilkington was struck off, and her appeal was rejected in May of this year.  The letter from the BACP states that “BACP opposes any psychological treatment such as ‘reparative’ or ‘conversion’ therapy which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality is a mental disorder, or based on the premise that the client/patient should change his/her sexuality.” In the letter, the BACP adds that they recognise that “the diversity of human sexualities is compatible with normal mental health and social adjustment”.

Note that the British group makes no distinction regarding children or adults.

Labels: Britain, psychology, UK

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 7, 2012

Looking Inward

Whatever we attempt is a reflection of our inner thirst, which we hope to quench in all these external ways. What we are looking for lies within us, and if we gave out time and energy to an interior search, we would come across it much faster, since that is the only place where it is to be found.

- Ayya Khema, "Thirsting for Enlightenment"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 9th, 2012
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Via JMG: TheFour: Jay-Z For Marriage

Details.

Labels: Beyonce, hip-hop, rap music, straight allies

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Via JMG: Justice Antonin Scalia Tells Wingnuts: It's Easy To Rule Against LGBT Rights

Yesterday Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told a conservative Washington think tank that it's "easy" to rule against LGBT rights.

"The death penalty? Give me a break. It's easy. Abortion? Absolutely easy. Nobody ever thought the Constitution prevented restrictions on abortion. Homosexual sodomy? Come on. For 200 years, it was criminal in every state," Scalia said at the American Enterprise Institute. He contrasted his style of interpretation with that of a colleague who tries to be true to the values of the Constitution as he applies them to a changing world. This imaginary justice goes home for dinner and tells his wife what a wonderful day he had, Scalia said. This imaginary justice, Scalia continued, announces that it turns out "'the Constitution means exactly what I think it ought to mean.' No kidding."

Scalia also complained that it is too difficult to amend the U.S. Constitution. Mitt Romney has signed NOM's pledge to work to ban same-sex marriage in the federal constitution. Such an attempt could be thwarted by only 13 dissenting states.

Labels: Antonin Scalia, assholery, LGBT rights, Supreme Court

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Via JMG: AFGHANISTAN: Married Lesbian Soldier Killed In Suicide Bomber Attack

The American Military Partner Association makes a grim announcement on its Facebook page:

In memory of Army Staff Sgt. Donna R. Johnson who gave the ultimate sacrifice to our nation in a suicide bomber attack while on patrol in Afghanistan, on Monday, Oct. 1, 2012. Staff Sgt Johnson is survived by her wife Tracy Dice. In days to come, the American Military Partner Association will be sharing more of the story of Donna & Tracy and their commitment to each other and our nation. We ask for your continued thoughts, prayers, and privacy for Tracy and her family during this difficult time.

The Army Times has published an Associated Press report.

The remains of Sgt. Donna R. Johnson, 29, of Raeford, Sgt. Jeremy F. Hardison, 23, of Browns Summit and Sgt. Thomas J. Butler IV, 25, of Leland, were flown into Dover Air Force Base Tuesday evening. The three died Monday in Khost, Afghanistan, after an insurgent detonated a suicide vest while the guardsmen were on patrol. The soldiers were assigned to the 514th Military Police Company, which is based in Winterville. The bomber struck about 9 a.m., shortly after the troops got out of their vehicles to walk through a market area in Khost, located in the eastern part of the country. The others killed included an Afghan translator working with the American troops, four local police officers and six civilians. Three more American soldiers were wounded, according to a military spokesman. About 60 Afghan civilians were also injured. A Taliban spokesman contacted Western media to claim responsibility shortly after the attack.

The AP notes that both of the other two soldiers killed had wives, but makes no mention of Sgt. Johnson's wife, who also serves in the military.

Labels: Afghanistan, military, obituary, war

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 6, 2012

Recognizing Our Inadvertent Training

The wildness of mind that we experience when we sit quietly noticing our body and breathing for five minutes is the result of everything we’ve been doing before those five minutes. Frequently we discover that our minds do not rest in radiant contentment for the entire meditation session. Why not? Because we have been training for years in desiring, reaching, grasping, getting, and then wanting more, and then, of course, more—all reinforcing the underlying feeling that this moment is not enough.

- Gaylon Ferguson, “Fruitless Labor”

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 8th, 2012
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 5, 2012

The Genuine Path of Awakening

It is important that we know what awakening is not, so that we no longer chase the by-products of awakening. We must give up the pursuit of positive emotional states through spiritual practice. The path of awakening is not about positive emotions. On the contrary, enlightenment may not be easy or positive at all.

- Adyashanti, "Bliss is a By-Product"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 7th, 2012
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Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

	Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	Although a suspicious mind is bad, still it is wrong to cling to what you shouldn't believe in, or to fail to ask about a truth you should seek. - Dogen More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 2, 2012

The Gift of the Present Moment

Paying attention provides the gift of noticing, and the gift of connecting. It provides the gift of seeing a little bit of ourselves in others, and of realizing that we’re not so awfully alone. It allows us to let go of the burden of so much of what we habitually carry with us, and receive the gift of the present moment.

- Sharon Salzberg, "A More Complete Attention"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 4th, 2012
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Via JMG: CA Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Bill Banning "Ex-Gay" Therapy For Minors

Last night California Gov. Jerry Brown finally signed the bill that bans "ex-gay therapy" for children under the age of 18.

The bill, SB1172 by Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance (Los Angeles County), bars mental health practitioners from performing so-called reparative therapy, which professional psychological organizations have said may cause harm. Gay rights groups have labeled them dangerous and abusive. "This bill bans non-scientific 'therapies' that have driven young people to depression and suicide. These practices have no basis in science or medicine and they will now be relegated to the dustbin of quackery," Brown said in a statement to The Chronicle.Brown approved the ban after the public release of two other lists of bills signed and vetoed earlier Saturday. Lieu's bill is expected to appear on a new list to be released Sunday.

REACTIONS

National Center for Lesbian Rights: "Governor Brown has sent a powerful message of affirmation and support to LGBT youth and their families. This law will ensure that state-licensed therapists can no longer abuse their power to harm LGBT youth and propagate the dangerous and deadly lie that sexual orientation is an illness or disorder that can be 'cured.'"

Equality California: "Governor Brown today reaffirmed what medical and mental health organizations have made clear: Efforts to change minors' sexual orientation are not therapy, they are the relics of prejudice and abuse that have inflicted untold harm on young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Californians. We thank Senator Ted Lieu and Governor Brown for their efforts in making California a leader in banning this deceptive and harmful practice."

Truth Wins Out: "This is a historic day that protects LGBT youth from child abuse disguised as genuine therapy. We thank Gov. Brown for signing legislation that can serve as a model for similar bills across the nation.”

Human Rights Campaign: "We're grateful to Governor Brown for standing with California's children. LGBT youth will now be protected from a practice that has not only been debunked as junk science, but has been proven to have drastically negative effects on their well-being. We commend Governor Brown for putting children first, and call on all states to take California’s lead on this issue. We will continue our fight against this kind of child abuse, which has been deemed harmful to children by all major mental health, medical, and child welfare organizations."

Courage Campaign: "Governor Brown has shown courage for enacting the first law in the nation to ban 'conversion therapy' for gay people. The Governor's action will protect thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth of California. This law will save lives here and across the nation by ending the torture of young people through the quackery that suggests that gay people can decide somehow not to be gay, which is akin to white people deciding not to be white. Once again, California is a model for the nation."

Labels: brainwashing, child abuse, Jerry Brown, LGBT youth, psychology, religion, torture

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New Site: No Homophobes

New Site: No Homophobes

No Homophobes provides live tracking of the above words and expressions on Twitter.

Labels: faggot, internet, language, Twitter

Reposted from Joe

JMG Quote Of The Day - Chris Kluwe

"Which version of 'traditional marriage' would you like to use Mr. Balling? Should we go back to ancient Israel and practice polygamy, with a woman’s only right that to own her own tent? Or should we use the ancient Greek definition of marriage, one more concerned with inheritance than love or procreation, one that would force a woman to divorce her current husband and marry a sibling if that was required to continue the family? Should we force a brother to marry his dead sibling’s wife? Or perhaps we should make arranged marriages with child brides, that’s certainly traditional enough. Wait, I know, let’s go with the one where you have to pay three goats and a cow in order to ensure the woman is yours to keep forever, and you can stone her to death if she cheats on you. That one sounds terrific!" - Minnesota Viking kicker Chris Kluwe, writing in response to an op-ed column published by the Star-Tribune.

Labels: football, FTW, Minnesota, straight allies

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 1, 2012

Nothing Else

If we have ambitions—even if our aim is enlightenment—then there is no meditation, because we are thinking about it, craving it, fantasizing, imagining things. That is not meditation. This is why an important characteristic of shamatha meditation is to let go of any goal and simply sit for the sake of sitting. We breathe in and out, and we just watch that. Nothing else.

- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, "Do Nothing"

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