Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Via JMG: NC County Official To Issue But Not Sign Same-Sex Marriage Licenses Tomorrow


The Buncombe County, North Carolina registrar says that he will issue but not sign same-sex marriage licenses beginning tomorrow. And then he'll turn to the state Attorney General, who this week endorsed marriage equality, for his advice.
From the News & Record:
A 2012 amendment to North Carolina's Constitution forbids same-sex couples from marrying. But Drew Reisinger said Tuesday he will issue the licenses and ask state Attorney General Roy Cooper for legal advice. The Campaign for Southern Equality has been going from county to county, trying to find someone to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples as part of its "We Do" campaign. Group spokesman Aaron Sarver says same-sex couples will show up Tuesday at the Register of Deeds office in Asheville to apply for licenses.
More from the Mountain Xpress:
“I will let each couple know that it is my hope to grant them a license, but I need to seek the North Carolina Attorney General’s approval," Reisinger said. "I have concerns about whether we are violating people's civil rights based on this summer's Supreme Court decision. The Campaign for Southern Equality notified Reisinger that at least six same-sex couples would request marriage licenses Tuesday. Reisinger will allow the couples to complete and sign their applications. He will accept the applications but withhold his own signature.
And from Chris Geidner at Buzzfeed:
According to a statement Monday evening from the Campaign for Southern Equality, the group informed Reisinger on Monday that at least six same-sex couples would request marriage licenses Tuesday. Unlike other times the Campaign has gone to seek marriage licenses across the South, however, Reisinger has announced that he will allow the couples to complete and sign their applications. He will accept the applications, his office has stated, but withhold his own signature.
“I will then let the Attorney General know that I would like to issue these couples licenses, but that I need his clarification on the laws of the state that seem to contradict the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution,” Reisinger said. Brenda Clark who, with her partner Carol McCrory, will apply for a license in Buncombe County tomorrow as part of the WE DO Campaign, said in a statement, “We are hopeful that Attorney General Cooper will do the right thing and recognize our right to marry after 25 years in a committed relationship and having raised 2 kids together.”
The Attorney General is warning Reisinger not to act. From the Citizen-Times:
Cooper’s office issued a brief statement Monday night in response to Reisinger’s announcement, pointing out that the state constitution prohibits anyone from issuing licenses to same sex couples. “The State Constitution says that these marriage licenses cannot be issued, and this is the law unless the Constitution is changed or the court says otherwise,” said Noelle Talley, a spokeswoman for Cooper’s office. “This very issue is the subject of pending litigation against the State of North Carolina.”
(Tipped by JMG readers Matthew and Alexander)


reposted from Joe

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 15, 2013

What Are You Meditating For?

You may read that meditation enables you to tame your mind and bring it to a state of stability and peace. Despite meditating as a Buddhist for more than 40 years, I have not achieved even a glimpse of this, nor have I ever seen anyone else achieve it. Admittedly, I am not much of a practitioner, but there may also be a more general reason why this is so.
- Douglas Penick, "What Are You Meditating For?"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 16, 2013
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Monday, October 14, 2013

JMG Quote Of The Day


"I am a white heterosexual male. This trifecta of privilege means that I'm not routinely subjected to prejudice. But for a few minutes I got to walk in the shoes of a gay person in a public place. For no good reason I had had a slur marked over my luggage. I was degraded. I was shamed. I was humiliated. For me, this was only a few minutes of one day of my life. If what I felt for those few minutes is extrapolated out every day over a lifetime, then I can fully understand why our gay friends feel persecuted and why they have such high rates of suicide. It is unacceptable. It is said that words can't hurt you. That it is true. But it isn't the words that hurt, it's the intention behind them. 'I am gay' was not emblazened across my luggage as a celebration. It was used as a pejorative. It was used to humiliate. It was used as a slur." - One Sleepy Dad blogger Aaron, whose suitcase emerged on the Perth airport carousel with the above message. The airline has apologized.


Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: NORTH CAROLINA: State Attorney General Roy Cooper Endorses Marriage Equality


But he's still going to fight defend the state against the lawsuit brought by the ACLU. Via the Associated Press:
Attorney General Roy Cooper says he supports gay marriage but argues his personal views aren't preventing him from vigorously defending North Carolina's constitutional amendment affirming its prohibition from a lawsuit. Cooper opposed passage of the amendment in 2012 but hadn't addressed his views on sanctioning gay marriage publicly until now. He said over the weekend "I support marriage equality" when asked by The Associated Press about the topic. His announcement worries the socially conservative North Carolina Family Policy Council after it questioned why Cooper was speaking next month at a fundraiser for gay-rights group Equality North Carolina.
Equality North Carolina has responded to Cooper's announcement: "The Attorney General has long been an advocate for equal rights for all people and we applaud him for publicly aligning with a fast-growing majority of North Carolinians who now support the legal relationship recognitions between committed LGBT couples." (Tipped by JMG reader Al)


Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 14, 2013

Taking Suffering Seriously

Taking suffering seriously is an important element of Buddhist practice. To ignore it is to miss a powerful opportunity. Intolerance to suffering motivated the Buddha to find liberation from it.
- Gil Fronsdal, "Living Two Traditions"
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 15, 2013
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Sunday, October 13, 2013

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 13, 2013

Face to Face

In a sense, all of Buddhist practice takes place here, in this most intimate realm: here, in the family, shoulder to shoulder with fellow workers, beside each other on the cushion. Even alone in a cave, there is no way out of the sense object we call the body. We meet each other face to face, and so have all our teachers and ancestors met each other. In this way have all the Buddhas taught. Hand to sweating hand.
- Sallie Tisdale, “Washing Out Emptiness”
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 14, 2013
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Saturday, October 12, 2013

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 12, 2013

Recognizing Love

As adults, we need to become newly aware of the love that has infused our lives all along, to turn our attention to it afresh with the eyes of a child. To do so is to become conscious of the tremendous capacity for love that even now permeates our being—to open to it, to be healed by its life-giving energy, and to participate in its power to renew our world. We can awaken to the deepest goodness in ourselves and others. We can learn to recognize and commune with the blessings that have always been pouring forth.
- John Makransky, “Love Is All Around”
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Via JMG: US Olympic Committee Adds Sexual Orientation To Non-Discrimination Policy


The United States Olympic Committee today amended its official non-discrimination policies to include sexual orientation.
At his annual address to the USOC Assembly on Friday, CEO Scott Blackmun said the federation is not in the business of trying to influence Russian policy. “The fact that we do not think it is our role to advocate for a change in the Russian law does not mean that we support the law, and we do not,” Blackmun said. The board passed the measure Thursday, a week after chairman Larry Probst, a new member of the International Olympic Committee, said he would support a similar change to the IOC Olympic charter. Currently, it does not mention sexual orientation as a form of discrimination. With the Sochi Olympics less than four months away, Blackmun said the USOC is seeking clarity from the IOC on what will and won’t be regarded as violations of the IOC rule against using the Olympic stage to make political protests or demonstrations.
Blackmun added that the USOC has given American athletes the freedom to express opposition to Russia's anti-gay laws "however they see fit." But that freedom ends when the Games begin. (Tipped by JMG reader Dwight)


Reposted from Joe

Via HimalayaCrafts / FB:

My religion is to live and die without regret.


My religion is to live and die without regret. - HimalayaCrafts

Thursday, October 10, 2013

25 Years of National Coming Out Day: Coming Out Still Matters


Via jMG: USPS To Announce Harvey Milk Stamp


From the Facebook page of the Harvey Milk Foundation:
Breaking! It is official! The USPS will confirm this week that my uncle, Harvey Milk will be commemorated on a 2014 US postage stamp. Another first! My deep gratitude to everyone that supported this effort! More details including the image to come via USPS soon! "Hope Will Never Be Silent" and will be on millions of letters soon!
Get ready for some super-sadz!
 

Reposted from Joe

Gay test? Arab countries to 'detect' and bar homsexuals from entry


More Sarah goes to Church – her Baha’i on Life blog

Sarah goes to Church – her Baha’i on Life blog

by justabahai
 


"Sarah Goes To Church" is an engaging and insightful blog on her independent investigations into different religions. So she went along to find out about the Bahais of Webster Groves, Missouri along with her partner with the dazzling pink hair. Enjoy the read! http://sarahgoestochurch.blogspot.nl/2013/10/bahai-on-life.html And then you'll see that the bottleneck for her is that […]

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 10, 2013

Devotional Practice

In Asia, laypeople generally relate to Buddhism devotionally. But in America, when laypeople engage in these traditions they most often want to relate to them solely as a yogic path, beyond devotion. The problem is that they have all of the problems that lay Buddhists have always had. Trying to force yourself into the yogic path while living with all of the distractions, complications, and follies of the lay life may not always work so well.
- Mark Unno, “The Buddha of Infinite Light and Life”
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 11, 2013
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Via Sarah Goes To Church: AND THAT'S WHEN SARAH STEPPED OFF THE BAHA'I BOAT

Baha'i on Life 

 Sidebar - I'm tired of talking about gay issues at church. My life is like a gay pride parade - it's constantly raining glitter and fabulous. Gay is all around me and it's wonderful. I wouldn't want it any other way. My life is amazing. It's just...I know people are still working through this whole "Is it okay to be gay?" thing and trying to figure out where God fits in with the issue. But I'm really losing my patience and I'm starting to get angry. GOD LOVES EVERYONE NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!! Can we please talk about something other than gayness? Please? PLEASE!!??!!! Anything. Syria. Gun violence. The afterlife. Mysteries of the universe. Tacos. A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G. 


Gayness follows me. I cannot escape it. Long ago I accepted that I indeed have magical gay powers and everything I touch turns to gay. So, I should have known the Baha'i service would eventually start heading down a gay road...and it did. 

Out of nowhere the conversation turned to David's son, who recently realized he was gay. David was very supportive of his gay son - standing up for his desire to wear skirts and make-up at school. David's son felt for some time that he was transgender - living life as a woman in a man's body - and started expressing himself as such. David beautifully described how God didn't see gender or biological sex. God only sees our soul and our souls are without gender or biological sex. It's not your human body that matters - it's your soul. Up until this point I appreciated everything David had to say about gender and homosexuality.

Then things got sticky...someone brought up the issue of having sex.

Baha'i's are to refrain from sexual activity until they enter into a religious marriage - and the only marriages recognized are marriages between...you guessed it...one man and one women. The Baha'i faith doesn't exactly condemn gay love. They are big believers in legal marriage equality and protecting gay rights.  And you can totally hold hands and talk and snuggle and share your deepest darkest secrets with your same-sex partner, but you can't have sex with him or her. EVER. Not even oral. Nope. Not okay. If you are gay and you follow the Baha'i faith you are expected to practice life long chastity.  

AND THAT'S WHEN SARAH STEPPED OFF THE BAHA'I BOAT.

WHAT?!?!?!!!!! Does God hate gay people? Cause that seems like lifelong punishment for being gay...the way God made them to be. What kind of God does that? Here ya go, here are all these desires and feelings and instincts but DON'T YOU DARE DO ANYTHING WITH THEM OR I WON'T LIKE IT! Also, if God doesn't see the physical body and only cares about the soul then why does God care about gay sex or sex at all for that matter?

No really, why does God care if we have sex? WHY?  See, I don't think God cares. Not even a little bit. I think God could give two shits about where you poke your pickle or who's dusting your closet. I think sex is a good thing - not a curse, or a punishment or a test of will-power. It's a great stress reliever - like all natural Xanax. It's a sleep-aid. It helps you deal with body issues. It can give you energy. It makes you happy. Maybe God created us with these "feel good places" because God wants us to...I don't know...feel good?

There was a woman at the service, a gay woman, who talked about how hard it was to be chaste but  she knew this life was only but a blip and that her devotion would be rewarded in the next life.

This just does not make sense to me. AT ALL. This Earthly life is but a test for the next one? Baha'i's don't believe in a literal hell or heaven, but instead gauge heaven and hell by your closeness with God. So, apparently God is King Candy and having gay sex is like drawing that horrible gum drop guy when you are half way through with Candyland (the children's game) and are now even further away from a heavenly ice- cream palace finish. It helps me if you can explain things in preschool terms. Candyland exhausts me and I really think God can do better.

After the service the nice man sitting next to me talked about how having standards is so important. I questioned which standards you are supposed to follow because lately I've found everyone is claiming different standards as "God's". He was very understanding and explained that the great thing about Baha'u'llah is that he was truly a messenger of God and spoke the truth.

Uh huh. Right. Thanks. Gotta run. I need a drink - which you do not believe in. 

 
This sex loving booze drinking spiritual enthusiast left church and headed straight to Cherokee street for some authentic Mexican cuisine and a delicious homemade margarita. I said a quiet prayer for all the gay people around the world who have been led to believe they shouldn't live a happy and full and SEXUAL life because of their orientation. I wish you all many wonderful orgasms and lots and lots of post-coital snuggles.
 
I'm so glad I finally made it back to church.
 
Cheers!


 

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

JMG Quote Of The Day - Rev. Gary Hall


"In its wisdom, the church came to its senses and labeled both racism and sexism as sinful. And now we find ourselves at the last barrier—call that barrier homophobia, call it heterosexism. We must now have the courage to take the final step and call homophobia and heterosexism what they are. They are sin. Homophobia is a sin. Heterosexism is a sin. Shaming people for whom they love is a sin. Shaming people because their gender identity doesn’t fit neatly into your sense of what it should be is a sin. Our job, as Christians, is not only to proclaim that Gospel. Our job is to live it. And if we are faithful in proclaiming and living it, today’s generation of LGBT youth will thrive and grow and take their places around this table, with Jesus, as we bless, forgive, heal, and love the world. Amen." - Rev. Gary Hall, chief ecclesiastical leader of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, in a sermon marking the 15th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard.


Reposted from Joe

Jimmy Fallon, Miley Cyrus & The Roots Sing "We Can't Stop" (A Cappella)