This animated map shows how religion spread across the world.

Promoted Music 18 Times Björk Was Right About Everything: 9

http://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/bjork-was-right#.iukkLNXvWhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/bjork-was-right#.iukkLNXvW

Via JMG: GLAD Sues Walmart Over Spousal Benefits

Via press release:

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC) have filed a class action lawsuit against Walmart, charging the retail giant with discriminating against employees who were married to same-sex spouses by denying their spouses health insurance benefits. The Complaint was filed this morning in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and can be read here.

The lawsuit, Jacqueline Cote, et al. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the first class action filed on behalf of gay workers since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015, and alleges that Walmart violated Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act by discriminating against Jaqueline Cote based on her sex. The action seeks to demonstrate how existing federal law can be used to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) workers.

The class representative, Jacqueline (Jackie) Cote, works in Walmart's Swansea, MA store, and was denied spousal health insurance for her wife, Diana (Dee) Smithson. Dee has battled ovarian cancer since 2012. Due to Walmart's sex discrimination, Dee lacked health insurance to pay for her treatment and has racked up a minimum of $150,000 in uninsured medical expenses.

The couple has been together for 33 years.

Labels: GLAD, marriage equality, Obergefell, Walmart

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: UNAIDS Report: Eight Million Lives Saved Globally Since Year 2000

NBC News reports:

The world has made "extraordinary progress" against AIDS, slashing the rate of new infections by more than a third and saving nearly 8 million lives since 2000, a new report finds. Fifteen years of work to make sure more people get drugs that can keep them healthy and keep them from infecting others has had spectacular effects on the pandemic that has killed nearly 40 million people, the United Nations AIDS agency UNAIDS says in its report. Distribution of condoms has averted around 50 million new HIV infections since the HIV pandemic started in the 1980s, and other programs to educate people about how HIV spreads and to encourage safe sex have helped, also. "The world has delivered on halting and reversing the AIDS epidemic," said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

But temper your celebrations because more than a million are still dying every year. (Tipped by JMG reader David)

 

Labels: HIV/AIDS, science, UNAIDS, WHO

Reposted from Joe Jervis

The Buddha - Documentary

The Crazy Simple Wisdom Of Ho’oponopono

“Why forgive one who wrongs you? Because if you angrily strike back you misrepresent your own divine soul nature—you are no better than your offender. But if you manifest spiritual strength you are blessed, and the power of your righteous behavior will also help the other person to overcome his misunderstanding.” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda

A Kahuna is a “keeper of secrets” in the ancient Hawaiian tradition, and they practice a special healing art called Ho’oponopono. Within their glossary of loving attention and creative action, problems are solved and stress is reduced by accessing information in ways that are not ‘traditional.’

A descendant of Queen Liluokalani and a native Hawaiian, Morrnah Simeona has been invited to teach her wisdom as a Kahuna all over the world. She explains:

We are the sum total of our experiences, which is to say that we are burdened by our pasts. When we experience stress or fear in our lives, if we would look carefully, we would find that the cause is actually a memory. It is the emotions which are tied to these memories which affect us now. The subconscious associates an action or person in the present with something that happened in the past. When this occurs, emotions are activated and stress is produced.

Four Little Phrases

Though the Kahuna use many devices to impart their wisdom, Ho’oponopono is on the top of their list of effective tools. It involves primarily utilizing just four little phrases and a conscious look at an issue to evoke new insights and forgiveness. These are:

Please forgive me.
I’m sorry.
I love you.
Thank you.

It is profoundly straightforward wisdom, but really difficult for many of us to practice.

In this ridiculously simple system, there is no need to analyze, solve, manage, or cope with problems. You simply offer them to Divine Mind in the context of please, thank you, I love you, and I’m sorry.

In my many years living in Hawaii I saw this simple practice work effectively over and over again. It was uncanny how the ‘aloha spirit’ that tourists and locals alike in Hawaii gloat about was perpetuated through ideas like Ho’oponopono. Total strangers became friends in no time, and saying ‘I love you’ was an everyday occurrence. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘thank you’ was continuous music to my ears, and this inspired in me – a formerly mainland dwelling, break-neck speed, egoic-go-getter, to cool my jets and enjoy the trade winds. I slowed down long enough to see that I was creating so much of my own stress. It inspired me to forgive – even when that forgiveness needed to be directed toward myself.

Clearing Karmic Patterns

Now, as a yoga teacher, I use Morrnah’s advice aimed at those in the healing profession:

It is important to clear Karmic patterns with your clients before you start working with them, so that you don’t activate old stuff between you. Perhaps you shouldn’t be working with that person at all. Only the Divinity knows. If you work with a person and it isn’t your business, you can take on the person’s entire problem and everything associated with it. This can cause burnout. The Ho’oponopono gives the tools to prevent that from happening.

Peace, Pono, Practice

Matthew P. James, PhD had the great luck to study Huna, the ancient healing art which also uses Ho’oponopono, with the late Uncle George Na’ope who was named by the State of Hawaii as a Golden Living Treasure. His family was chosen to carry on a distinct lineage within the Huna tradition. In an article written for Psychology Today he says:

We’ve been led to believe for so many years that we are disempowered, that we live at the whim of circumstances around us. No doubt external factors – the loss of a job, our health or an important relationship – can affect our outlook. Yet there are some basic ideas from Hawaiian culture that we can reclaim to tap into a sense of empowerment, peace, Pono.

As someone who was blessed to live and work with individuals that embodied the best of the Hawaiian culture, I can enthusiastically support this crazy simple wisdom. I hope we all practice it collectively more often, no matter our cultural background.
At the same time, it’s important to remember that in some cases, forgiveness implies judgement, that something “wrong” has been done. Instead of thinking in terms of “right” and “wrong,” it’s better to view these instances as experiences, stepping stones and opportunities.

Make the jump here to to read the full article

Love Always Wins - Mikey Wax (Feat. Prophecy) #LoveWins

Via WGB: SERIOUSLY??? County In Missouri To Lower Flags “Below Half Staff” To Mourn Same-Sex Marriage

Elected officials in Dent County, Missouri, are so upset over the Supreme Court’s June 26 decision to legalize same-sex marriage that they voted Monday to lower flags “just below half staff” once a month for the next year in a public show of mourning.

“I just want anybody who sees that to be reminded we find it revolting that the Supreme Court has ruled in this manner,” Dent County Commissioner Darrell Skiles, who sponsored the proposal, told BuzzFeed News.

The three-member commission unanimously approved the proposal to lower the U.S. and state flags at the county court house and judiciary building — the same location where couples obtain marriage licenses.

“May all who see these flags at this lowered position be reminded of this despicable Supreme Court travesty,” said the proposal, which Skiles said he hand-wrote on a piece of paper, added to the meeting agenda, and brought up for a vote. “We feel sadness, shame, and outright revulsion of the U.S. high court’s stamp of approval of what God speaks of as an abomination.”

Full story here via Buzzfeed news!

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 14/07/2015

“Injustiças sempre existiram e sempre existirão neste mundo. Mas, o karma cuida disso. É preciso confiar nessa lei espiritual; confiar que o grande mistério está cuidando disso. Você só cuida da parte que lhe cabe - tudo o que não consegue compreender, você entrega, deixando o rio te levar. O que você pode fazer é simplesmente não se opor ao fluxo e desistir de fazer justiça com as próprias mãos.”

“Injusticias siempre existieron y siempre existirán en este mundo. Pero el karma cuida de esto. Es necesario confiar en esta ley espiritual, confiar que el gran misterio está cuidando de esto. Tú solo cuidas de la parte que te cabe – todo lo que no consigues comprender, lo entregas, dejando al río llevarte. Lo que puedes hacer es simplemente no oponerte al flujo y desistir de hacer justicia con tus propias manos.”

“Injustice has always existed and will always exist in the world. But karma takes care of this. It is necessary to trust in this spiritual law. Trust that the Great Mystery is caring for this. We only have to take care of our own part, surrendering everything else that we cannot understand so that the river may carry us. All we can do is simply not oppose the flow and let go of the need to take justice into our own hands.”

Today's Daily Dharma: The Importance of Friendship

The Importance of Friendship

When you have a deep, deep friendship with someone, you don’t only care, “Is this good for me?” You care for them naturally. I believe it’s completely natural to have such love, compassion, and kindness. . . . This feeling transcends lay and monastic communities. It is vital to developing the deep heart of lovingkindness in the context of dedication to dharma.   -  Ayya Tathaaloka, "The Whole of the Spiritual Life"

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Via Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: The real story behind lgbt equality struggle is being ignored

For over three decades, anti-gay groups created this false image of the gay community.

Last night, I made the discovery that my work was used in a letter to the editor in the Grand Forks Herald:

The Huffington Post's Alvin McEwan characterizes the ACP as "a sham group camouflaging religious right distortion as legitimate research" and cites University of Minnesota professor Greg Remafedi, who claims the group has "distorted his work." And in fact, the list of scientists whose research has been distorted to support the religious right's bigotry against the LGBT community is staggering.

It was pretty cool to be cited and obviously the young lady read my online booklet, How They See Us, because she cited info from page 10 regarding the list of researchers whose work have been distorted by the anti-gay right.

But then the euphoria faded and I got a bit angry. Not at her, mind you, but the situation in general.

On two pages, I listed at least 12 examples over a number of years in which anti-gay groups and personalities have been caught lying about or distorting research.  How in the world did the media, including ours, miss this?

Do journalists dig for information anymore? While we busy ourselves with esoteric terms, while those who claim to be our allies (i.e. Kirsten Powers) write sloppy books hoping to follow the trend of fake pity for anti-gay groups and organizations who finally themselves out of the mainstream, and while those same anti-gay groups and organizations (and their allies at places such as Fox News) spin false stories of anti-Christian persecution at places such as bakeries, the real story seems to be getting ignored.

That real story is the over 30 year history of lies, distortions, and bearing of false witness by anti-gay groups designed to stigmatize the lgbt community.  Until THAT story is told, no matter how many victories we win, the lgbt community will always find ourselves on the defensive, trying to justify not only our existence but our right to have a normal life.

Via Towerlroad: LGBT Activist in Paraguay Says Historic First Meeting with Pope Francis Was ‘Very Productive’

A Paraguayan LGBT activist is in high spirits after his historic public meeting with Pope Francis over the weekend.

The Washington Blade reports Simón Cazal, who heads Paraguay’s LGBT group SOMOSGAY, was among the 1,600 civil society leaders who met with Francis in the capital of Asunción on Saturday.

Cazal told the Washington Blade during a Skype interview after the meeting that Francis did not “directly” refer to LGBT-specific issues, but “he did mention others in which they are included.” Media reports indicate the pontiff was sharply critical of Paraguayan Catholic officials.

“There are no people of first, of second or third class,” said Francis, according to a tweet that Cazal posted to his Twitter account after the meeting. “Dignity is for everyone.”

Cazal added that the pope’s speech was “very productive” and focused on the church embracing diversity in the idea of “family.” 
In a separate interview with Buzzfeed, Cazal stated his belief that after the meeting the church “has put itself on our side – there is no way to discount that.”

This was the pope’s first ever meeting with an LGBT activist. Back in March, Francis dined with LGBT inmates at an Italian prison.

Watch a video of Cazal speak with CNN before his historic meeting here.

Make the jump here to read the original

Sexismo, preconceito e desumanização | Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo on sexism and buddhist nuns

JMG Viral Video Of The Day

"Two guys pretend to be homosexuals in Russia." Nearly 900K views at this writing. Click on the closed captioning.

(Tipped by JMG reader Ray)

Labels: LGBT rights, Russia, viral video

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Today's Daily Dharma: The Intention beneath Belief

The Intention beneath Belief

Buddhadharma is all about intention. Intention doesn't always play out the way you think it's going to, but if your intention is right and your mindset is not one of anger or ill will or hatred, if the intention is to relieve dukkha, it makes all the difference.   -  Hae Doh Gary Schwocho, "Beneath Belief"

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Today's Daily Dharma: How We Use the Mind

How We Use the Mind

The mind is very powerful. There's a tremendous strength there, and it makes such a big difference how this mind, this will, this intention is being steered. And everything depends on whether it allows itself to relax and be serene, or whether it allows itself to get caught up in anxiety, grasping, and fear; it makes a difference if you do something with a relaxed, easygoing frame of mind, or if you do it in a harried and distracted way.   -  Mingyur Rinpoche, "The Easy Middle"

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Via JMG: CHILE: Civil Union Signups Begin

CHILE: Civil Union Signups Begin

 

Pink News reports:

Gay couples flocked to civil registry offices in Chile to schedule the first same-sex civil unions since they were approved in the country earlier this year. Thursday (July 9) was the first day that couples could apply for the licence, after a bill approving same-sex civil unions was signed by the country’s President Michelle Bachelet back in April. The first same-sex civil ceremonies will take place in October, and while the LGBT community in Chile still fights for the right to marry, many see this as the first step on the to gaining full equal rights for sam-sex couples. Many couples took to Twitter to share their joy and excitement, as well as to announce the date on which their ceremonies will take place.

RELATED: Elsewhere in South America same-sex marriage is legal in Argentina, Brazil, French Guiana, and Uruguay. Civil unions are legal in Colombia and Ecuador. A same-sex marriage lawsuit is pending before the Venezuelan Supreme Court. Homosexual acts remain illegal in Guyana, but nowhere else on the continent.

Labels: Chile, civil unions, South America

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Daily Dharma (August 12, 2010 ):

Today’s Daily Dharma:

THIS I BELIEVE: That phenomena do not have any kind of demonstrable, intrinsic existence. That anything that is the composite sum of other parts is, logically, impermanent. That suffering is a given in any form of existence where confusion and ignorance are present. That when confusion and ignorance have been definitively eliminated, and goodness, caring, and wisdom have entirely taken their place, that is true happiness.

-Pamela White, "A Slow, True Path" (Winter 2008)

Read the complete article here.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 12/07/2015

“Vivemos numa era na qual os valores espirituais foram praticamente esquecidos. Todos estão atrás de alegrias passageiras, encantados com as criações da mente. O mundo se tornou extremamente materialista. O homem acredita que, para ser feliz, ele precisa dominar a matéria. Acredita que, se tiver dinheiro, terá domínio sobre o outro, e dessa forma se torna dependente dele. Essa ilusão é o que tem gerado toda crueldade e a miséria que vemos no mundo.”

“Vivimos en una era en la cual los valores espirituales fueron prácticamente olvidados. Todos están atrás de alegrías pasajeras, fascinados con las creaciones de la mente. El mundo se volvió extremadamente materialista. El hombre cree que para ser feliz, necesita dominar la materia. Cree que si tuviera dinero tendrá dominio sobre el otro, y de esa forma se vuelve dependiente de él. Esta ilusión es la que ha generado toda crueldad y miseria que vemos en el mundo.”

“We are living in an era where spiritual values have practically been forgotten. Everyone is chasing after fleeting joys, enchanted with the creations of the mind. The world has become extremely materialistic. We believe that, in order to be happy, we must dominate the material world. We think that if we have money we can have dominion over the other, so we become dependent on money. This illusion is what has generated all the cruelty and misery we see in the world.”

Via I bet this turkey can get more fans than NOM / FB:

Via I bet this turkey can get more fans than NOM / FB:

JMG Quote Of The Day - Henry Rollins

"I am hoping that, in time, Obergefell v. Hodges will be seen in the same way as Loving v. Virginia - inevitable and a sign of social evolution in America. I bet two people of the same sex who want to get married don’t think they are going to have a 'gay wedding.' By wanting to get married in the first place, they show their dedication both to each other and to tradition. Wanting to get married is a freakin’ billboard for normality and inclusion. I wish the 'You lost! Deal with it!' talk would stop. I can understand where it comes from but it doesn’t make anything better. There were no losers, in my opinion. To those who disagree with same-sex marriage because it offends their faith, I would say your beliefs are still yours to have. The wisdom, peace and clarity that faith has allowed you to have are still intact. No word of any religious text has been changed or its power reduced. There is a lot of room in America; it allows all to move freely. All the wedding photographs popping up on the Internet should be enough to convince anyone that this was a great decision. Take Jack Evans and George Harris, for example — together for 54 years, in Texas of all places, finally able to get hitched. I am looking at them now. The skies have not darkened with locusts and tomorrow there will be traffic. I do believe we will be OK." - Henry Rollins, writing for LA Weekly.

Labels: Henry Rollins, Obergefell, straight allies

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via DailyExtra: Gay sexuality a gift from God, says head of United Church of Canada

United Church Moderator Gary Paterson describes sexuality — including gay sexuality — as a gift from God.

“First of all let’s back up and say it’s not sin,” he says. “But somewhere the church built up a reputation as being anti-body and anti-sex. And when you look at the history I can understand how that can be deserved, but it is not true to our deep biblical verses.”

From July 24–26, 2015, Paterson’s home congregation of St Andrew’s-Wesley United Church will kick off Pride Week in Vancouver with SpiritPride, an LGBT spirituality conference just steps from the heart of the Davie Village.

Conference organizer Gregg Taylor says faith and sexuality will be major topics of discussion at the event.

“A full, intimate relationship is going to have emotional, psychological and also physical components in order to be an integrated expression of passion and love,” he says. “So that means that Christians are going to have to have sex — and gay Christians are going to have gay sex.”

Taylor says SpiritPride will not be an evangelical conference where attendees will be expected to accept a certain doctrine, but will instead be a chance for people of faith, as well as those who are curious, to better understand the links between sexuality and spirituality.

“Our church comes from the Christian faith perspective but one of our keynote speakers is going to approach it from a much broader perspective from spirituality and sexuality,” he explains. “As whole persons we are spiritual and we are sexual, we have a spiritual body, a sense of something greater than ourselves and how we connect to the world around us.”

Curt Allison, who is presenting at the conference, hopes the event will help people reconcile conflicting social messages about Christianity and gay sexuality.

“Growing up many of us got messages from our churches which weren’t always affirming and inclusive,” he says. “Things are changing but for a lot of us the message sticks in there. And while I like to think the world is elevating to a higher level of consciousness, there are still people who are not comfortable at all with being LGBT. They desire to serve God and Christ but at the same time they are gay.”

Allison says the conference is taking place to both celebrate the accomplishments of LGBT people within the United Church, and to facilitate community among LGBT people of faith.

“This will be a safe space to hear other perspectives on scripture, on church teachings and to meet other people who are reconciled and vibrant in their faith and are also out,” he says. “This might be a chance for them to check out a safe space or follow an inner urging they feel to exploring a spiritual life or live in a spiritual dimension.”

Paterson, who is openly gay, recognizes that the United Church is relatively unique within Christendom in its long-standing affirmation of openly gay, lesbian and bisexual people as full church members. He concedes that it may take time for other churches, individuals and society as a whole to catch up.

“Take a deep breath and know you’ll be there for the long-haul,” he says. “I’m really committed to trying to work for change and so when I meet people who aren’t comfortable around gay people I want to be present in conversation. Present and available, not an ‘I’m here and queer’ kind of thing but something close to that, saying ‘I’m comfortable and confident in who I am and if you have questions or you want to talk about it I’m available and I’m not going to disappear.’”

The United Church’s SpiritPride conference runs from July 24–26, 2015, in Vancouver. For more information go to spiritpride.org

Make the jump here to read the original

Via Ram Dass: Open Heart Extra - Listening Quietly to Our Intuition

“But he learned more from the river than Vasudeva could teach him. He learned from it continually. Above all, he learned from it how to listen with a still heart, with a waiting open soul, without passion, without desire, without judgment, without opinions.”

– Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

Listening Quietly to Our Intuition: https://goo.gl/znCwpF

Via Elephant Journal: The Rainbow-Colored Wildfire is Spreading—But Guess Where Gay Marriage is Still Not Legal?

 

It warms my heart to see nation after nation recognize the rights of a minority that for so many years have been sidelined and marginalized.

Europe—hosting some of the most liberal countries—was the first cab off the rank, the Netherlands being the first to recognize equal rights for all back in 2001.

(Can we all pause for a moment to reflect on that momentarily. 2001. Does anyone else think it’s rubbish that 14 years later this is still an issue?!)

From there, in a series of dominoes, others came forward:

Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, Denmark, Brazil, France, Uruguay, New Zealand, England/Wales, Scotland, Luxembourg, Finland, Ireland and of course, most recently, The United States.

Twenty-one countries all up.

Twenty-one countries in total recognizing that all who are in love should have the right to get married, regardless of gender.

It may have taken longer than I would have liked but this is still an incredible shift!

There is one country however, still notably missing from the list that. This is a well-known Western country that continues to sit on the proverbial fence.
Australia.

Chances are this comes as a surprise to you.

I recently heard a radio interview asking Americans whether they thought gay marriage was legal in Australia. Every person who was asked said yes.

Internationally, Australia is seen to be a modern culture. Much more accepting, and dare I say liberal, than The United States.

Nearly 75 per cent of Australians support legislation changes legalizing same-sex marriage. This is a higher percentage in terms of support for legislation change than in any other country that has already legalized gay marriage. Clearly, it’s not the Australian people who are standing in the way of Australia maintaining its ‘modern’ label.

The current political environment in Australia is currently of a much more conservative nature, and herein lies the source of the holdup.

Our Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, is publicly against gay marriage. This is despite having an openly gay sister who is a forceful driver of Australia legalizing marriage equality. I’m ashamed to Abbott’s recent comments indicate a preference for keeping to an agenda of growing the economy and building jobs for Australians, highlighting that this is what he and his party were voted in for.
The media, however, have entirely other ideas.

Not a day goes by here in Australia without some report referencing gay marriage rights. With the direction of all other developed nations blowing the wind towards marriage equality, for many here, it only seems like a matter of time.

Continued coverage of this issue across all media platforms, both internationally and locally, is keeping marriage equality on the forefront of everyone’s mind. As research illustrates how people look to the media for information on the existence and severity of current issues, it’s fairly safe to say this particular issue of marriage equality is not going away.

We certainly can’t just sweep it under the same rug we continue to sweep the horrific treatment of our Indigenous people (that’s another story entirely).

Personally I am embarrassed by the sluggishness of my country in supporting marriage equality. As was so beautifully articulated in a recent article I read, this is ‘an issue that helps define the social fabric of a nation’.

The change in law may not directly affect me but I want to be able to proudly proclaim that my country stands for equality.

That my country does not diminish a person’s love based on gender.

That above all, Love Fucking Wins in Australia too.

At some point in the (hopefully) not too distant future, marriage equality will go to vote in Australia, and I can’t see it being rejected when it does. Sadly, while many countries can now report that #lovewins, Australia has some way to go before we can proudly fly the same rainbow coloured flag.

For now, as the only developed English speaking country that has not reformed their laws, Australia insists on staying in the Equality Stone Age and I for one, am impatient to see that shift.

 Make the jump here to read the original posting

The YellowJackets - You Belong With Me

F*ck That: A Guided Meditation

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 11/07/2015

“A essência do ser humano é o amor. Mas, por conta dos choques de abandono, exclusão, humilhação e rejeição, nos esquecemos de amar e aprendemos a odiar. Por isso tenho dito que nosso principal trabalho não é aprender a amar, mas sim desaprender a odiar.”

“La esencia del ser humano es el amor. Pero por cuenta de los choques de abandono, exclusión, humillación y rechazo, nos olvidamos de amar y aprendemos a odiar. Por eso vengo diciendo que nuestro principal trabajo no es aprender a amar, pero sí desaprender a odiar.”

“The essence of the human being is love. Due to the shocks of abandonment, humiliation and rejection, we forgot how to love and learned how to hate instead. This is why I have been saying that our main work is not to learn how to love, but to unlearn how to hate.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Clash of Values

Clash of Values

Buddhism has its own orienting perspectives, attitudes, and values, as does American corporate culture. And not only are they very different from each other, they are also often fundamentally opposed to each other.   -  Curtis White, "The Science Delusion"

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 10/07/2015

“Existe uma conexão entre o sofrimento e a energia vital, ou seja, existe um certo prazer no sofrimento. E isso é esse prazer que mantém a entidade humana presa ao sadomasoquismo, viciada em machucar e ser machucada. É isso que faz com que ela reedite a guerra, quer seja com o parceiro sexual, com o sócio, com o vizinho, e até mesmo com o cachorro, com as plantas - com o planeta!”

“Existe una conexión entre el sufrimiento y la energía vital, es decir, existe un cierto placer en el sufrimiento. Y esto es, ese placer que mantiene a la entidad humana presa al sadomasoquismo, enviciada en lastimar y ser lastimada. Es esto lo que hace que ella reedite la guerra, ya sea con el compañero sexual, con el socio, con el vecino, y hasta incluso con el perro, con las plantas – ¡con el planeta!”

“There is a connection between our suffering and our vital energy. In other words, there is a degree of pleasure in our suffering. This is the pleasure that imprisons human beings in sadomasochism, in the addiction to hurting others and being hurt. This is what causes us to re-create conflicts, whether they be between sexual partners, business partners, neighbors or even with animals and nature. Through all this conflict we are ultimately waging a war on the planet itself.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Desire Creates Suffering

Desire Creates Suffering

It is important to distinguish between sense-pleasure and sense-desire. There is nothing wrong with sense-pleasure. Pleasure and pain are part of our human experience. Sense-desire, on the other hand, is the grasping at pleasure or the avoidance of pain. This is what creates suffering?grasping and avoidance.   -  Dipa Ma, "Enlightenment in This Lifetime: Meeting with a Remarkable Woman"

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Via Occupy Democrats / FB:

Via JMG: Attorney General Loretta Lynch Announces Full Federal Marriage Benefits Nationwide

 

"Following the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Obergefell that every couple has the same right to participate in the institution of marriage, whether the partners are of the same-sex or opposite sexes, I directed Justice Department staff to work with the agencies to ensure that the ruling be given full effect across the federal government. Thanks to their leadership and the quick work of the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs, today I am proud to announce that the critical programs for veterans and elderly and disabled Americans, which previously could not give effect to the marriages of couples living in states that did not recognize those marriages, will now provide federal recognition for all marriages nationwide. The agencies are currently working towards providing guidance to implement this change in law.

"Just over a year ago, Attorney General Holder announced that agencies across the federal government had implemented the Supreme Court’s Windsor decision by treating married same-sex couples the same as married opposite-sex couples to the greatest extent possible under the law as it then stood. With the Supreme Court’s new ruling that the Constitution requires marriage equality, we have now taken the further step of ensuring that all federal benefits will be available equally to married couples in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the US Territories. The department will continue to work across the administration to fulfill our commitment to equal treatment for all Americans, including equal access to the benefits of marriage that the Obergefell decision guarantees. - Attorney General Loretta Lynch, via White House press release.

Labels: DOJ, feds, Loretta Lynch, marriage equality, Obama administration, Obergefell, SCOTUS

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: DC Gay Chorus Heads To Cuba

 

NBC News reports:

The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington is traveling to Cuba Saturday to spread their message through song. The 23 singers are among the first U.S. citizens who will be able to travel to Cuba since diplomatic relations with the U.S. improved. The group aims to raise awareness of LGBTQ rights through music. "It brings people together over something without addressing the issue head on. So, I often find that music can be actually more powerful than giving a speech at podium," Executive Director Chase Maggiano said. The chorus is scheduled to perform several concerts around Havana next week in addition to participating in forum-style discussions. They were invited by Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro.

The chorus will perform in Miami tomorrow night before departing.

Labels: Cuba, DC Gay Chorus, gay artists

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 08/07/2015

“O que está por trás da acusação, do ciúme, da posse, das disputas e de todos os jogos da luxúria? É você acreditar que sua felicidade depende do outro. Essa é a ilusão básica que faz de você um escravo do outro.”

“¿Qué hay detrás de la acusación, de los celos, de la posesión, de las disputas y de todos los juegos de la lujuria? Es creer que tu felicidad depende del otro. Esa es la ilusión básica que te hace un esclavo del otro.”

“What is behind accusation, jealousy, possession, conflict, and all the other games of lust? It is the belief that our happiness depends on the other. This is the basic illusion that makes us a slave to the other.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Delusion vs. Enlightenment

Delusion vs. Enlightenment

That the self advances and confirms the ten thousand things / is called delusion; / That the ten thousand things advance and confirm the self / is called enlightenment.   -  Dogen Zenji, "Wandering Clouds: The Poets of Ch'an Buddhism"

 

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Via WGB: Marriage Equality Victory in Puerto Rico

A three-judge panel with the federal First Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled Puerto Rico’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, according to the Washington Blade.

With today's pro-equality ruling from the First Circuit Court of Appeals, same-sex marriages can begin in Puerto Rico on July 15, according to reports. Full story here!

Via JMG: PUERTO RICO: First Circuit Finally Rules Marriage Ban To Be Unconstitutional

 

Earlier this year the First Circuit punted on the appeal of Puerto Rico's marriage case, saying that it would wait until SCOTUS rules. Today we finally got that decision. Via Lambda Legal:

Today’s decision provides further recognition of the dignity and equality of LGBT people in Puerto Rico. We applaud the First Circuit for recognizing that Puerto Rico’s marriage ban is unconstitutional, and reversing the lower court ruling. We also commend the Puerto Rico government for joining in the call to end the marriage ban. Certainly, after the historic ruling from the Supreme Court, this ruling from the First Circuit was not unexpected. There remains no legal or moral justification for forcing same-sex couples in Puerto Rico to wait any longer to have their love and commitment recognized by the state. The Governor of Puerto Rico already signed an executive order on June 26 that marriages will begin 15 days after the Supreme Court ruling, but now that the First Circuit has agreed that the marriage ban is unconstitutional, same-sex couples should be able to marry now. To do otherwise is to put form over substance.

Labels: First Circuit Court, Obergefell, Puerto Rico

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Sojourn Blog: More Than Just Male and Female: The Six Genders in Classical Judaism

It's very easy to assume that Judaism is an exclusively gender-binary religion. Almost all of the common traditional laws are based on the assumed differences between males and females. We see it in assumed gender roles, in liturgy, in proscribed family responsibilities, and in both our secular and religious laws. 

If, however, we look just a bit deeper into our sacred texts, we see that a simple male/female binary is not only cumbersome, it's wholly inaccurate. This description from Trans Torah/Rabbi Elliot Kukla starts the conversation that we will continue throughout the summer:

•  Zachar/זָכָר: This term is derived from the word for a pointy sword and refers to a phallus. It is usually translated as “male” in English.

• Nekeivah/נְקֵבָה: This term is derived from the word for a crevice and probably refers to a vaginal opening. It is usually translated as “female” in English.

• Androgynos/אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס: A person who has both “male” and “female” sexual characteristics. 149 references in Mishna and Talmud (1st-8th Centuries CE); 350 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes (2nd -16th Centuries CE).

• Tumtum/ טֻומְטוּם A person whose sexual characteristics are indeterminate or obscured. 181 references in Mishna and Talmud; 335 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes.

• Ay’lonit/איילונית: A person who is identified as “female” at birth but develops “male” characteristics at puberty and is infertile. 80 references in Mishna and Talmud; 40 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes.

• Saris/סריס: A person who is identified as “male” at birth but develops “female” characteristics as puberty and/or is lacking a penis. A saris can be “naturally” a saris (saris hamah), or become one through human intervention (saris adam). 156 references in mishna and Talmud; 379 in classical midrash and Jewish law codes.  

There's a huge amount of information to unpack here, and we'll be continuing all summer long to do just that, including looking at the legal obligations of each of the genders and what the real-world application of this information is. For now, though, the main point to take from all of this: The male/female binary is not, in any way, the exclusive system of gender classification in traditional Judaism*.  

So how did we get to this point, where the assumption has become that only male and female exist? It's a classic example of commonality being equated to superiority. Because male and female are the two most common categories, they were assumed to be "better," rather than "typical." As we have come to understand the complexities of gender more and more in secular society, these Judaic classifications are beginning to appear more and more often and we can clearly see that our ancestors were quite progressive when it comes to gender.

Because, as Ben Bagbag says in Pirkei Avot 5:22:

בן בגבג אומר, הפוך בה והפך בה, והגי בה דכולא בה, ובה תחזי, סיב ובלי בה; ומינה לא תזוז, שאין לך מידה טובה יותר ממנה

Ben Bagbag said: Turn it [Torah] over and turn it over because everything is in it. Look within it and grow old within it; do not move from it, because there is no better attribute for you to have than it.

*Here is a fascinating article that goes more in-depth on the subject:  Gender Identity In Halakhic Discourse by Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert.

Make the jump here to read the  original

Mr. Deity and the Quitter

Brendan Maclean - The Feeling Again (Official Video)

Via Shift of the Ages / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 08/07/2015

“O que está por trás da acusação, do ciúme, da posse, das disputas e de todos os jogos da luxúria? É você acreditar que sua felicidade depende do outro. Essa é a ilusão básica que faz de você um escravo do outro.”

“¿Qué hay detrás de la acusación, de los celos, de la posesión, de las disputas y de todos los juegos de la lujuria? Es creer que tu felicidad depende del otro. Esa es la ilusión básica que te hace un esclavo del otro.”

“What is behind accusation, jealousy, possession, conflict, and all the other games of lust? It is the belief that our happiness depends on the other. This is the basic illusion that makes us a slave to the other.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Reach Out to Let Go

Reach Out to Let Go

Anger doesn't just happen to us. If we're able to catch an angry thought as it's budding, we can let it go. The same is true of despair or hopelessness. And when letting go is too difficult, a good medicine for dealing with these emotions is to reach out and help others, healing them and ourselves.   -  John Daido Loori Roshi, "Between Two Mountains"

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