From: Love Worth Finding
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34
A pulpit committee approached me one time and said, “We need a pastor for our church.” I said, “I know just the guy. He is a fantastic preacher and has a fiery evangelistic spirit, but he has health problems and he’s kind of old.” I continued, “He’s also been in jail several times.”
They began to shake their heads, and one said, “Well, we don’t know whether he’s the man we want or not.” I said, “Well, don’t worry; you couldn’t get him. He’s already in heaven, and his name is Paul.”
You don’t want someone who can rub shoulders with the people of this world and not rub any salt in their wounds. Where there is no offense, there is no effect.
Pray for the people who occupy the pulpits in our churches that they would not water down the truth of God’s Word, but be strong to proclaim its power.
January 22, 2010
January 21, 2010
Is the Window for LGBT Rights Legislation Closing?
That's the view of Steve Charing, editor of Baltimore OutLoud LGBT newspaper:
Back in March 2009 when President Obama's approval rating was still gaudy, I wrote that we had a window of opportunity to secure key legislative LGBT victories. ENDA, the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," repeal of DOMA and the passage of a comprehensive hate crimes bill (recently enacted) all seemed within grasp.
The President's popularity, his campaign promises, and a more lgbt-friendly Democratic-controlled Congress created the formula for potentially historic victories in the lgbt arena. The time was right.
I also opined that we needed to seize this window of opportunity now because things can change in a hurry. In March I wrote:
"If history has taught us anything, nothing lasts forever. Mr. Obama could stumble as the economy tumbles more. He could be accused of allowing “bonus-gate” to erode an already low trajectory for consumer confidence. There could be an international crisis—somewhere, anywhere. Patience could easily wear thin. .. Anything can happen that could derail this presidency."
And so it did.
Back in March 2009 when President Obama's approval rating was still gaudy, I wrote that we had a window of opportunity to secure key legislative LGBT victories. ENDA, the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," repeal of DOMA and the passage of a comprehensive hate crimes bill (recently enacted) all seemed within grasp.
The President's popularity, his campaign promises, and a more lgbt-friendly Democratic-controlled Congress created the formula for potentially historic victories in the lgbt arena. The time was right.
I also opined that we needed to seize this window of opportunity now because things can change in a hurry. In March I wrote:
"If history has taught us anything, nothing lasts forever. Mr. Obama could stumble as the economy tumbles more. He could be accused of allowing “bonus-gate” to erode an already low trajectory for consumer confidence. There could be an international crisis—somewhere, anywhere. Patience could easily wear thin. .. Anything can happen that could derail this presidency."
And so it did.
Encouraging Words 1/21/10-Nepal To Hold Gay Weddings...on Mt. Everest
How cool is this? From the Malaysia Sun via Twitter account EmpoweringSpirits:
Nepal is set to stage same-sex weddings on Mount Everest as part of a bid to promote the country as the homosexual tourism capital of Asia.
According to a report in The Telegraph, Nepal's homosexual community will host a tourism conference next month to explore how to attract wealthy gay visitors to boost the country's war-ravaged economy.
The country's new constitution will legalise homosexual marriage in May this year, when "Pink Mountain" will begin offering luxury honeymoon and wedding packages.
Nepal is set to stage same-sex weddings on Mount Everest as part of a bid to promote the country as the homosexual tourism capital of Asia.
According to a report in The Telegraph, Nepal's homosexual community will host a tourism conference next month to explore how to attract wealthy gay visitors to boost the country's war-ravaged economy.
The country's new constitution will legalise homosexual marriage in May this year, when "Pink Mountain" will begin offering luxury honeymoon and wedding packages.
Matthew 25 Resource 1/21/10-International Medical Corps
We were contacted by someone from this organization, which is helping out in Haiti. She asked if we could mention her organization here, and that surely fits into our Matthew 25 resources so we're glad to help out.
International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization, founded by volunteer doctors and nurses and dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through relief and development programs. Our emergency response team is in Haiti responding in force and I would like to ask for your help to get the word out to the readers of Straight Not Narrow. There are still thousands of patients seeking treatment of which approximately 80% are in need of surgery and are running out of time - especially with the tremendous aftershocks still devastating this country. The team is treating crush injuries, trauma, substantial wound care, shock and other critical cases with the few available supplies - And they're in it for the long haul.
We've put up a blogger friendly widget here on our site (click here):
With the widget it's really easy to let your readers know that donating $10 to help the people of Haiti is as simple as sending a text message of the word "haiti" to 85944.
We encourage you to click on the widget link and check them out.
International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization, founded by volunteer doctors and nurses and dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through relief and development programs. Our emergency response team is in Haiti responding in force and I would like to ask for your help to get the word out to the readers of Straight Not Narrow. There are still thousands of patients seeking treatment of which approximately 80% are in need of surgery and are running out of time - especially with the tremendous aftershocks still devastating this country. The team is treating crush injuries, trauma, substantial wound care, shock and other critical cases with the few available supplies - And they're in it for the long haul.
We've put up a blogger friendly widget here on our site (click here):
With the widget it's really easy to let your readers know that donating $10 to help the people of Haiti is as simple as sending a text message of the word "haiti" to 85944.
We encourage you to click on the widget link and check them out.
Washington Post Editorializes on Maryland's Legislative Attempts for LGBT Equality
From the Washington Post:
GAY RIGHTS organizations across the country hailed the District's recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage. Among them was Equality Maryland, the state's leading gay rights organization, which celebrated what it called the "historic vote" in the District.
Justice and simple decency require that same-sex couples be afforded the same legal protections and benefits of marriage that are now, with a few exceptions, reserved for heterosexual couples. Equality Maryland is right to want the same benefits and protections for gays and lesbians that their neighbors in the District enjoy -- and it is right to want them now.
But the group and its lawmaker allies are short-sighted to refuse to consider -- let alone accept -- anything short of full marriage equality. The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, which would legalize same-sex marriage in the state and was voted down each of the past two years, is likely to be reintroduced during the current Maryland legislative session and suffer the same fate.
GAY RIGHTS organizations across the country hailed the District's recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage. Among them was Equality Maryland, the state's leading gay rights organization, which celebrated what it called the "historic vote" in the District.
Justice and simple decency require that same-sex couples be afforded the same legal protections and benefits of marriage that are now, with a few exceptions, reserved for heterosexual couples. Equality Maryland is right to want the same benefits and protections for gays and lesbians that their neighbors in the District enjoy -- and it is right to want them now.
But the group and its lawmaker allies are short-sighted to refuse to consider -- let alone accept -- anything short of full marriage equality. The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, which would legalize same-sex marriage in the state and was voted down each of the past two years, is likely to be reintroduced during the current Maryland legislative session and suffer the same fate.
Daily Devotional 1/21/10 God Will Always Answer
From: Love Worth Finding
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3
I read about some children in a Sunday School class who wrote a missionary to let him know that they were praying for him. The teacher of the class said, “Now, children, the missionary is a very busy person, so don’t expect him to write you back.” One little girl’s letter read, “Dear Brother Brown, We’re praying for you. We don’t expect an answer.”
Sadly, this is how we pray! We don’t really expect an answer. But God has promised He will answer us when we call upon His name. Psalm 91:15 says, “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.”
What are you praying for today?
Do you believe that God can answer?
Do you believe that God will answer?
Then thank Him now for answering.
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3
I read about some children in a Sunday School class who wrote a missionary to let him know that they were praying for him. The teacher of the class said, “Now, children, the missionary is a very busy person, so don’t expect him to write you back.” One little girl’s letter read, “Dear Brother Brown, We’re praying for you. We don’t expect an answer.”
Sadly, this is how we pray! We don’t really expect an answer. But God has promised He will answer us when we call upon His name. Psalm 91:15 says, “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.”
What are you praying for today?
Do you believe that God can answer?
Do you believe that God will answer?
Then thank Him now for answering.
January 20, 2010
"Straight Talk On "Gay" Marriage"
From the Liberty for All blog, hat-tip to Twitter account EqualityforLGBT;
Back in the 70s, Harvey Milk knew that most people in California really didn’t hate gays all THAT much. But he also knew that most would not get involved in fighting the anti-homosexuality laws and the Briggs Initiative (Prop 6) against gay or gay supporting teachers in public schools because as long as “gay issues” only affect THEM over THERE, they don’t affect US over HERE. To this end, Mr. Milk encouraged his supporters to “come out” to their friends and families, and it worked. Over thirty years ago, against what seemed like impossible odds, he and his supporters defeated Prop 6 by making “them” into “us.”
What happened in 2008 was exactly the opposite. Instead of needing to make “them” into “us,” since gays are pretty openly accepted in most communities, our problem is that we needed to make “us” into “them.” We didn’t need to look at what they have in common with us to humanize them in our minds as much as what we have in common with them, and what we have in common with them in this case in particular is a desire NOT to have the government define for us whom we can or cannot marry. That’s how we should have sold it, and that’s how we need to sell it now if we would have this atrocity overturned.
Back in the 70s, Harvey Milk knew that most people in California really didn’t hate gays all THAT much. But he also knew that most would not get involved in fighting the anti-homosexuality laws and the Briggs Initiative (Prop 6) against gay or gay supporting teachers in public schools because as long as “gay issues” only affect THEM over THERE, they don’t affect US over HERE. To this end, Mr. Milk encouraged his supporters to “come out” to their friends and families, and it worked. Over thirty years ago, against what seemed like impossible odds, he and his supporters defeated Prop 6 by making “them” into “us.”
What happened in 2008 was exactly the opposite. Instead of needing to make “them” into “us,” since gays are pretty openly accepted in most communities, our problem is that we needed to make “us” into “them.” We didn’t need to look at what they have in common with us to humanize them in our minds as much as what we have in common with them, and what we have in common with them in this case in particular is a desire NOT to have the government define for us whom we can or cannot marry. That’s how we should have sold it, and that’s how we need to sell it now if we would have this atrocity overturned.
LGBT Helping Hands 1/20/10-Montrose Counseling Center (Houston, TX)
MCC empowers our community, primarily gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals and their families, to enjoy healthier and more fulfilling lives by providing culturally affirming and affordable behavioral health and prevention services.
We envision a healthier society marked by permanent, positive changes in attitudes and behaviors toward GLBT communities, and the ability of all GLBT individuals to realize their fullest potential.
MCC's team of state-licensed clinicians, masters-level therapists, and skilled educators work diligently to create healthier futures for our clients. Our "beyond counseling" approach involves a continuum of care -- utilizing a combination of traditional therapy, outreach, education, peer support, advocacy and case management -- to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Click here to find out more.
We envision a healthier society marked by permanent, positive changes in attitudes and behaviors toward GLBT communities, and the ability of all GLBT individuals to realize their fullest potential.
MCC's team of state-licensed clinicians, masters-level therapists, and skilled educators work diligently to create healthier futures for our clients. Our "beyond counseling" approach involves a continuum of care -- utilizing a combination of traditional therapy, outreach, education, peer support, advocacy and case management -- to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Click here to find out more.
Latinos Fighting for Repsect Far Away From Home
From OregonLive.com (hat-tip to Twitter account TGworldNews):
Colima, Mexico, fell in love with a young woman, her parents ran her out of the house. They sent Vazquez to live with relatives in Oregon, hoping a separation from her girlfriend would save their only daughter and the family honor.
At first, Vazquez -- who had known she was gay since childhood -- felt like a fish in water. She joined the club for gay youths at Century High School in Hillsboro. She reveled in the sight of same-sex couples publicly holding hands. Oregon seemed so unlike Colima, where she had been singled out, ridiculed, even fired from a job for being gay.
But the bubble quickly burst. As family in Mexico continued to repudiate her, so did fellow Latinos in Oregon. Through sideways glances and snide remarks, Vazquez understood that the Portland area, known as a haven for gay and transgender folks, offered her little refuge.
"Emotionally, I felt like I was back in Mexico," said Vazquez, now 31, who is one of several individuals and organizations working to break through taboos on homosexuality in the Latino community.
"Latinos here see us with fear or with compassion, but never as equals," she said. "They think something is wrong with us."
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Colima, Mexico, fell in love with a young woman, her parents ran her out of the house. They sent Vazquez to live with relatives in Oregon, hoping a separation from her girlfriend would save their only daughter and the family honor.
At first, Vazquez -- who had known she was gay since childhood -- felt like a fish in water. She joined the club for gay youths at Century High School in Hillsboro. She reveled in the sight of same-sex couples publicly holding hands. Oregon seemed so unlike Colima, where she had been singled out, ridiculed, even fired from a job for being gay.
But the bubble quickly burst. As family in Mexico continued to repudiate her, so did fellow Latinos in Oregon. Through sideways glances and snide remarks, Vazquez understood that the Portland area, known as a haven for gay and transgender folks, offered her little refuge.
"Emotionally, I felt like I was back in Mexico," said Vazquez, now 31, who is one of several individuals and organizations working to break through taboos on homosexuality in the Latino community.
"Latinos here see us with fear or with compassion, but never as equals," she said. "They think something is wrong with us."
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Daily Devotional 1/20/10 Letting God Work In and Through You
From: Love Worth Finding
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13
One of the greatest secrets I have ever learned is this: God doesn’t want me to do anything for Him. He wants to do something through me.
People say, “Well, I just serve God in my poor, little, old weak way.” I feel like saying, “Well, quit it.” He doesn’t want you to serve Him in your poor, little, old weak way. He wants you out of the way, so He can flow through you!
We need to make ourselves available to God and say, “God, I’m tired of being inhibited. I want to be inhabited by You. I want You to live Your life through me.”
Where have you been standing in the way of God instead of surrendering to God and letting Him live through you?
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13
One of the greatest secrets I have ever learned is this: God doesn’t want me to do anything for Him. He wants to do something through me.
People say, “Well, I just serve God in my poor, little, old weak way.” I feel like saying, “Well, quit it.” He doesn’t want you to serve Him in your poor, little, old weak way. He wants you out of the way, so He can flow through you!
We need to make ourselves available to God and say, “God, I’m tired of being inhibited. I want to be inhabited by You. I want You to live Your life through me.”
Where have you been standing in the way of God instead of surrendering to God and letting Him live through you?
January 19, 2010
Was Ruling on Camers for Prop 8 Trial an Omen For the Larger Question?
When the Supreme Court upheld the ban on broadcasting California's Prop 8 trial, did it show how the votes would go if the issue itself should come before them? This article from the Los Angeles Times looks at that question:
he U.S. Supreme Court cast its first vote last week on the legal challenge to California's voter initiative barring same-sex marriage, and some experts said it was a bad omen for those who hope gays and lesbians will win a constitutional right to such unions.
The 5-4 decision, with conservatives in the majority, intervened in the San Francisco district court trial on behalf of the defenders of Proposition 8.
The high court rebuked U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker for seeking to give the public a chance to view the proceedings on the Internet. In its opinion, the majority saw the dispute through the same lens as the opponents of gay marriage and decided that they -- not homosexuals -- faced a hostile public climate of harassment and intimidation.
he U.S. Supreme Court cast its first vote last week on the legal challenge to California's voter initiative barring same-sex marriage, and some experts said it was a bad omen for those who hope gays and lesbians will win a constitutional right to such unions.
The 5-4 decision, with conservatives in the majority, intervened in the San Francisco district court trial on behalf of the defenders of Proposition 8.
The high court rebuked U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker for seeking to give the public a chance to view the proceedings on the Internet. In its opinion, the majority saw the dispute through the same lens as the opponents of gay marriage and decided that they -- not homosexuals -- faced a hostile public climate of harassment and intimidation.
Encouraging Words 1/19/10-A Report on the Gay Christian Network Conference
Our friends at the Gay Christian Network got some very positive recognition from the website Change.org:
Gay Christians aren't willing to sit at the back of the bus any longer (or, well, make that the tail end of the pews). Case in point, a conference in Nashville last week that drew hundreds willing to put their sexual orientation where their religion is.
We hear a lot about ex-gay ministries. We see religious groups like the National Organization for Marriage or the institutional Catholic Church extolling the virtues homophobia.
But it's equally important to remember that there's a huge population of folks who practice a theology that says it's not only OK to be LGBT, it's something religion should embrace. That was the meme put forward by the Gay Christian Network during their gathering last week. One mega evangelical star, Tony Campolo, spoke at the event, and he asked the crowd to remember what Jesus said about homosexuality.
Nothing.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Gay Christians aren't willing to sit at the back of the bus any longer (or, well, make that the tail end of the pews). Case in point, a conference in Nashville last week that drew hundreds willing to put their sexual orientation where their religion is.
We hear a lot about ex-gay ministries. We see religious groups like the National Organization for Marriage or the institutional Catholic Church extolling the virtues homophobia.
But it's equally important to remember that there's a huge population of folks who practice a theology that says it's not only OK to be LGBT, it's something religion should embrace. That was the meme put forward by the Gay Christian Network during their gathering last week. One mega evangelical star, Tony Campolo, spoke at the event, and he asked the crowd to remember what Jesus said about homosexuality.
Nothing.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Matthew 25 Resource 1/19/10-Central Illinois Foodbank (Springfield)
Central Illinois Foodbank distributes more than 4.7 million pounds of food and grocery items each year to 160 agencies throughout central and southern Illinois. We depend on partnerships; with our agencies, with our donors, with other organizations, with our volunteers, and with Feeding America, formerly America's Second Harvest: The Nation's Foodbank Network. Because we cooperate with so many, not only are we able to distribute food from our warehouse, but also we host the Kids Cafe and Food Rescue programs.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to find out more.
Public Support Growing For Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
From Think Progress:
Today, the New York Times reported that the Pentagon is “stepping up internal discussions on how gay men and lesbians might be able to serve openly in the armed services” in anticipation that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) will be repealed. A small group — put together by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen to prepare for congressional hearings — recently met on the issue:
A one-page memorandum drafted by staff members as a discussion point for the meeting said that the chiefs could adopt the view that “now is not the time” because of the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and that the military would be better off delaying the start of the repeal process until 2011.
The same memorandum, according to a military official who has seen it, also said that “every indicator of opinion over the past 16 years shows movement toward nondiscrimination based on orientation” and that “in time the law will change.”
Indeed, recent polling confirms this indicator. ThinkProgress obtained results from a November poll on DADT conducted by Democracy Corps that shows likely voters support ending the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the military by a 55 to 35 percent margin
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Today, the New York Times reported that the Pentagon is “stepping up internal discussions on how gay men and lesbians might be able to serve openly in the armed services” in anticipation that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) will be repealed. A small group — put together by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen to prepare for congressional hearings — recently met on the issue:
A one-page memorandum drafted by staff members as a discussion point for the meeting said that the chiefs could adopt the view that “now is not the time” because of the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and that the military would be better off delaying the start of the repeal process until 2011.
The same memorandum, according to a military official who has seen it, also said that “every indicator of opinion over the past 16 years shows movement toward nondiscrimination based on orientation” and that “in time the law will change.”
Indeed, recent polling confirms this indicator. ThinkProgress obtained results from a November poll on DADT conducted by Democracy Corps that shows likely voters support ending the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the military by a 55 to 35 percent margin
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Daily Devotional 1/19/10 Jehovah Jireh, Our Provider
From: Love Worth Finding
“And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14
It is the unbelievable, supernatural replenishment that awakens the world to see the mighty power of God. Jesus demonstrated, once with a crowd of 5,000 and again with a crowd of 4,000, that He is the God who provides (see Matthew 14:14-21, 15:32-38). When the most “responsible” thing to do, in human terms, was to ask the multitudes to find their own food, Jesus turned to the supernatural power of God. Moved with compassion, He confidently told the disciples to begin feeding the multitudes.
Jesus never wavered in His complete and utter trust in Jehovah Jireh.
Read the accounts of these miracles in the book of Matthew today, then ask God to fill you with an utter and complete trust in Jehovah Jireh, YOUR Provider.
“And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14
It is the unbelievable, supernatural replenishment that awakens the world to see the mighty power of God. Jesus demonstrated, once with a crowd of 5,000 and again with a crowd of 4,000, that He is the God who provides (see Matthew 14:14-21, 15:32-38). When the most “responsible” thing to do, in human terms, was to ask the multitudes to find their own food, Jesus turned to the supernatural power of God. Moved with compassion, He confidently told the disciples to begin feeding the multitudes.
Jesus never wavered in His complete and utter trust in Jehovah Jireh.
Read the accounts of these miracles in the book of Matthew today, then ask God to fill you with an utter and complete trust in Jehovah Jireh, YOUR Provider.
January 18, 2010
The NY Senate Race and "Gay Conversion" Therapy
No, not THAT kind of gay conversion. The writer, Hilary Rosen, means that of politicians converting from opposing LGBT equality to supporting it. Here's an excerpt from her essay in The Huffington Post:
...if those politicians convert because it is the evening of a governor making a decision on a Senate appointment (one that was held up, in part, because Gillibrand was not in favor of same sex marriage, until she said she would change her view), or if it is because a southern politician with a good heart has moved to New York and is considering a run for the Senate in a new day, I'll take the conversions.
Let's not kid ourselves, as those who attack Harold Ford are doing. Senator Gillibrand is a convert. A welcome and lovely convert, but a convert, who converted when it became politically important to do so. And now she is working hard to overturn Don't Ask Don't Tell in the Senate. I'll take it, and I like her and her energy. Harold Ford is a convert, too. I've had many conversations with him about these issues over the many years that I have known and liked him. For Ford, who has been out of office, his evolution has taken place more privately, as he watched the debates on civil unions vs. marriage, as he got married and moved to New York, and socialized with a more diverse crowd, and saw the consequences of prejudice more directly than in his old conservative Memphis district. I'll take that now, too.
It seems divisive and pointless to attack people for their past positions when they want to be with us now. We need all the friends we can get and the only way we will get them is to grow them -- to celebrate their evolution.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
...if those politicians convert because it is the evening of a governor making a decision on a Senate appointment (one that was held up, in part, because Gillibrand was not in favor of same sex marriage, until she said she would change her view), or if it is because a southern politician with a good heart has moved to New York and is considering a run for the Senate in a new day, I'll take the conversions.
Let's not kid ourselves, as those who attack Harold Ford are doing. Senator Gillibrand is a convert. A welcome and lovely convert, but a convert, who converted when it became politically important to do so. And now she is working hard to overturn Don't Ask Don't Tell in the Senate. I'll take it, and I like her and her energy. Harold Ford is a convert, too. I've had many conversations with him about these issues over the many years that I have known and liked him. For Ford, who has been out of office, his evolution has taken place more privately, as he watched the debates on civil unions vs. marriage, as he got married and moved to New York, and socialized with a more diverse crowd, and saw the consequences of prejudice more directly than in his old conservative Memphis district. I'll take that now, too.
It seems divisive and pointless to attack people for their past positions when they want to be with us now. We need all the friends we can get and the only way we will get them is to grow them -- to celebrate their evolution.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Encouraging Words 1/18/10-A Republican Support LGBT Equality.....on Fox News?
Yes, it's true. Here's the transcript from Joe.My.God:
"Some Republicans support gay rights, but prefer progress through legislative action or majority rule at the ballot box, rather than judicial action. But what if a democratic election imposes mandates that violate a citizen’s constitutional freedom? In the event that majority rule insufficiently protects individual liberty, our system of checks and balances puts forth that it is the role of the courts, to guarantee and protect the rights to individual Americans.
"That’s why the Supreme Court, in 1967 Loving v. Virginia, legalized interracial marriage –six years after our current president was born to an interracial couple. At that time 73% of the population opposed “miscegenation.” How long would it have taken to change popular opinion, for the minority to democratically win their constitutional rights? As Martin Luther King, Jr. famously asserted, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
"For those of you who would label me a 'RINO' (Republican In Name Only) for taking this stand, I direct you to Vice President Cheney, whose conservative credentials are impeccable, and who answered a question on the topic before the National Press Club audience on June 1, 2009 by saying simply, 'freedom means freedom for everyone.'" - Fox News contributor Margaret Hoover, coming out for marriage equality on FoxNew.com, of all places. Hoover directs readers to the Facebook page Republicans For Marriage Equality.
"Some Republicans support gay rights, but prefer progress through legislative action or majority rule at the ballot box, rather than judicial action. But what if a democratic election imposes mandates that violate a citizen’s constitutional freedom? In the event that majority rule insufficiently protects individual liberty, our system of checks and balances puts forth that it is the role of the courts, to guarantee and protect the rights to individual Americans.
"That’s why the Supreme Court, in 1967 Loving v. Virginia, legalized interracial marriage –six years after our current president was born to an interracial couple. At that time 73% of the population opposed “miscegenation.” How long would it have taken to change popular opinion, for the minority to democratically win their constitutional rights? As Martin Luther King, Jr. famously asserted, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
"For those of you who would label me a 'RINO' (Republican In Name Only) for taking this stand, I direct you to Vice President Cheney, whose conservative credentials are impeccable, and who answered a question on the topic before the National Press Club audience on June 1, 2009 by saying simply, 'freedom means freedom for everyone.'" - Fox News contributor Margaret Hoover, coming out for marriage equality on FoxNew.com, of all places. Hoover directs readers to the Facebook page Republicans For Marriage Equality.
LGBT Helping Hands 1/18/10-Rainbow Resource Center (Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada
OUR VISION...
A society in which diverse sexual and gender identities, orientations and expressions are included, valued and celebrated as a result of our active commitment to promote and maintain dignity, human freedoms and human rights.
OUR MISSION...
REPRESENT AND SUPPORT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Queer, Questioning and Ally (LGBTT*) Individuals, Communities and Families by providing comprehensive education and outreach services, accessible counselling and other programs and services.
PROMOTE LGBTT* VISIBILITY by way of advocacy, community-building and networking on local, provincial, national and global levels.
PROVIDE ACCESS to our services and resources through networks, and partnerships and allies, throughout Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.
FOCUS ON SAFETY and harm reduction to maximize the LGBTT* community's health and well-being by promoting healthy living and obtaining, creating and providing information and educational resources.
BUILD COMMUNITY with LGBTT* Individuals and other groups by way of mobilization, education and celebration.
Click here to find out more.
A society in which diverse sexual and gender identities, orientations and expressions are included, valued and celebrated as a result of our active commitment to promote and maintain dignity, human freedoms and human rights.
OUR MISSION...
REPRESENT AND SUPPORT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Queer, Questioning and Ally (LGBTT*) Individuals, Communities and Families by providing comprehensive education and outreach services, accessible counselling and other programs and services.
PROMOTE LGBTT* VISIBILITY by way of advocacy, community-building and networking on local, provincial, national and global levels.
PROVIDE ACCESS to our services and resources through networks, and partnerships and allies, throughout Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.
FOCUS ON SAFETY and harm reduction to maximize the LGBTT* community's health and well-being by promoting healthy living and obtaining, creating and providing information and educational resources.
BUILD COMMUNITY with LGBTT* Individuals and other groups by way of mobilization, education and celebration.
Click here to find out more.
Would Dr. King Have Spoken Out for LGBT Rights?
His widow thought so according to this essay from Rev. Irene Monroe at UK Gay News:
King understood the interconnections of struggles. And an example of that understanding is when Martin Luther King said: “The revolution for human rights is opening up unhealthy areas in American life and permitting a new and wholesome healing to take place. Eventually the civil rights movement will have contributed infinitely more to the nation than the eradication of racial justice.”
This statement clearly includes LGBTQ justice but would King have spoken on this subject at that time and even now?
King’s now deceased wife says yes.
In 1998, Coretta Scott King addressed the LGBT group Lambda Legal in Chicago. In her speech, she said queer rights and civil rights were the same. “I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King’s dream to make room at the table of brother and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people,” she said.
As we remember Dr. King on this day designated in his memory, let's also remember his widow's appeal.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
King understood the interconnections of struggles. And an example of that understanding is when Martin Luther King said: “The revolution for human rights is opening up unhealthy areas in American life and permitting a new and wholesome healing to take place. Eventually the civil rights movement will have contributed infinitely more to the nation than the eradication of racial justice.”
This statement clearly includes LGBTQ justice but would King have spoken on this subject at that time and even now?
King’s now deceased wife says yes.
In 1998, Coretta Scott King addressed the LGBT group Lambda Legal in Chicago. In her speech, she said queer rights and civil rights were the same. “I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King’s dream to make room at the table of brother and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people,” she said.
As we remember Dr. King on this day designated in his memory, let's also remember his widow's appeal.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Daily Devotional 1/18/10 Rejoicing at the Lord's Table
From: Love Worth Finding
“Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.” John 21:12a
Is Satan whispering that God is not for you in your daily battles? Is he whispering lies that God is going to erase your name from the book of life for something you’ve done, yet repented over? Satan never had it so wrong! And Jesus never had it so right! Salvation in Christ is not a funeral, but a feast! The Bible is a continual feast from Genesis right through to Revelation. Covenant meals and meals of fellowship are frequent occurrences in Scripture. Our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, has given many examples of His open invitation to be replenished and restored, to remember, and to rejoice at His table. Call your family or Bible Study group together this week and celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Take time to remember the powerful promise of His resurrection, replenishment, and restoration.
“Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.” John 21:12a
Is Satan whispering that God is not for you in your daily battles? Is he whispering lies that God is going to erase your name from the book of life for something you’ve done, yet repented over? Satan never had it so wrong! And Jesus never had it so right! Salvation in Christ is not a funeral, but a feast! The Bible is a continual feast from Genesis right through to Revelation. Covenant meals and meals of fellowship are frequent occurrences in Scripture. Our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, has given many examples of His open invitation to be replenished and restored, to remember, and to rejoice at His table. Call your family or Bible Study group together this week and celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Take time to remember the powerful promise of His resurrection, replenishment, and restoration.
January 17, 2010
NY Times' Maureen Dowd Talks With Odd Couple Attorneys Littigating Against Prop 8
From the New York Times:
It has been quite a journey for Ted Olson. He’s gone from being the conservative lawyer who helped crown W. by winning the Bush v. Gore case before the Supreme Court, to being a lesbian.
“Maureen,” he told me in his gravelly voice, “one of the biggest lesbian groups in this country told me I’m already an honorary lesbian.”
Did it make you feel different, I wondered.
“I still like women very much,” he wryly replied, as his biking pal, liberal adversary and now co-counsel David Boies laughed, snacking on a crust of sourdough bread in their temporary office on Mission Street.
In 2000, Olson and Boies sparred with each other in Washington over which candidate would marry the country. Now they have joined forces here to spar with Prop 8 defenders over who can marry.
I asked the lawyers if they were disappointed that the president who had once raised such hope in the gay community now seemed behind the curve.
“Damned right,” Boies snapped. “I hope my Democratic president will catch up to my conservative Republican co-counsel.”
Olson added: “I’m not talking about Obama, but that’s what’s so bad about politicians. They say, ‘I must hasten to follow them, for I am their leader.’”
Obama sees himself as such a huge change that he can be cautious about other societal changes. But what he doesn’t realize is that legalizing gay marriage is like electing a black president. Before you do it, it seems inconceivable. Once it’s done, you can’t remember what all the fuss was about.
We're pretty sure President Obama keeps up with the Times. We hope he read that last paragraph.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
It has been quite a journey for Ted Olson. He’s gone from being the conservative lawyer who helped crown W. by winning the Bush v. Gore case before the Supreme Court, to being a lesbian.
“Maureen,” he told me in his gravelly voice, “one of the biggest lesbian groups in this country told me I’m already an honorary lesbian.”
Did it make you feel different, I wondered.
“I still like women very much,” he wryly replied, as his biking pal, liberal adversary and now co-counsel David Boies laughed, snacking on a crust of sourdough bread in their temporary office on Mission Street.
In 2000, Olson and Boies sparred with each other in Washington over which candidate would marry the country. Now they have joined forces here to spar with Prop 8 defenders over who can marry.
I asked the lawyers if they were disappointed that the president who had once raised such hope in the gay community now seemed behind the curve.
“Damned right,” Boies snapped. “I hope my Democratic president will catch up to my conservative Republican co-counsel.”
Olson added: “I’m not talking about Obama, but that’s what’s so bad about politicians. They say, ‘I must hasten to follow them, for I am their leader.’”
Obama sees himself as such a huge change that he can be cautious about other societal changes. But what he doesn’t realize is that legalizing gay marriage is like electing a black president. Before you do it, it seems inconceivable. Once it’s done, you can’t remember what all the fuss was about.
We're pretty sure President Obama keeps up with the Times. We hope he read that last paragraph.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
LGBT Helping Hands 1/17/10-Memphis (TN) Gay and Lesbian Community Center
Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center is a mechanism for change in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to facilitate long-term positive growth in themselves and in the community of the Mid-South.
In 1989, the plans and dreams of numerous GLBT Mid-Southerners became a reality. Through their hard work and sacrifice, they built an "oasis in the desert of our struggle." The charter for this new organization became effective on Feb 23, 1989.
Over the years, we've had several homes, great triumphs and some lean times. But through it all, the Mission of our organization has maintained us: "...to create a better future for our Community in the Mid-South. We will endeavor to offer an array of diverse GLBT services by utilizing the talents, energy, and resources among us."
Whether or not you've ever walked through our doors or attended one of our events, know that we continue to work to make life better for ALL in our community.
Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center is governed by a Constitution & By-Laws that support the beliefs on which it was established.
Click here to find out more.
In 1989, the plans and dreams of numerous GLBT Mid-Southerners became a reality. Through their hard work and sacrifice, they built an "oasis in the desert of our struggle." The charter for this new organization became effective on Feb 23, 1989.
Over the years, we've had several homes, great triumphs and some lean times. But through it all, the Mission of our organization has maintained us: "...to create a better future for our Community in the Mid-South. We will endeavor to offer an array of diverse GLBT services by utilizing the talents, energy, and resources among us."
Whether or not you've ever walked through our doors or attended one of our events, know that we continue to work to make life better for ALL in our community.
Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center is governed by a Constitution & By-Laws that support the beliefs on which it was established.
Click here to find out more.
Welcome to Sunday Worship 1/10/10
If you don't have a welcoming church near you, or you just can't make yourself step into one, we're bringing worship to you. Here are links to some worship music and services from open and affirming ministries (all times eastern). I hope you are blessed and take time out of your busy schedule to enter into the Lord's day.
Don't forget to click on the tab on the upper right of this blog and leave your prayer requests in the comment section so we can petition the Lord for your needs.
If you know of a service we should add to our list, please send an e-mail and share it with us.
Live Sunday Services (all times Eastern)
VIDEO
FL-Potters House International Fellowship, Tampa, 11:00 AM
VA-Believers Covenant Fellowship, Vienna, 11:00 AM
AL-Covenant Community Church, Birmingham, 12:00 AM
NC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-Salem, 12:00 PM
FL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, Casselberry, 12:00 PM
OK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, Tulsa, 1:00 PM
CA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long Beach, 1:00 PM
WA-Living Water Fellowship, Kenmore, 1:30 PM
Canada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver 9:00 PM
AUDIO
Canada, Vancouver-Christ Alive Community Church, 10:15 PM
FL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program) 4:30 PM
Video Archive
AL-Covenant Community Church, Birmingham
CA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long Beach
FL-Church of the Holy SpiritSong, Ft. Lauderdale
FL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, Casselberry
FL-New Hope Christian Center, Pensacola
FL-Potters House International Fellowship, Tampa
GA-Gentle Spirit Christian Church, Atlanta
GA-New Covenant Church of Atlanta
NC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-Salem
OK-Expressions Community Fellowship, Oklahoma City
OK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, Tulsa
TX-The One Church, Garland
WA-Living Water Fellowship, Kenmore
Canada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver
Audio Archive
AZ-Community Church of Hope, Phoenix
AK-Open Door Community Church, Sherwood
CA-Christ Chapel of Long Beach
CA-Christ Chapel of the Valley, North Hollywood
FL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program)
FL-Body of Christ Church of God, Largo
FL-New Hope Christian Center, Pensecola
GA-New Covenant Church of Atlanta
KY-Covenant Community Church, Louisville
MD-Kittamaqundi Community, Columbia
NC-Revolution Charlotte
OH-Emmanuel Fellowship Church, Akron
OH-All Saints Community Church, Cortland
TN-Covenant of the Cross, Madison
TX-New Hope Fellowship Church, Dallas
TX-White Rock Community Church, Dallas
TX-Community Gospel Church, Houston
TX-Through Him Fellowship, Houston
UT-Glory to God Christian Church, Ogden
South Africa-Deo Gloria Family Church
Can we pray for you? E-mail straight_notnarrow@yahoo.com
Don't forget to click on the tab on the upper right of this blog and leave your prayer requests in the comment section so we can petition the Lord for your needs.
If you know of a service we should add to our list, please send an e-mail and share it with us.
Live Sunday Services (all times Eastern)
VIDEO
FL-Potters House International Fellowship, Tampa, 11:00 AM
VA-Believers Covenant Fellowship, Vienna, 11:00 AM
AL-Covenant Community Church, Birmingham, 12:00 AM
NC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-Salem, 12:00 PM
FL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, Casselberry, 12:00 PM
OK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, Tulsa, 1:00 PM
CA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long Beach, 1:00 PM
WA-Living Water Fellowship, Kenmore, 1:30 PM
Canada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver 9:00 PM
AUDIO
Canada, Vancouver-Christ Alive Community Church, 10:15 PM
FL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program) 4:30 PM
Video Archive
AL-Covenant Community Church, Birmingham
CA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long Beach
FL-Church of the Holy SpiritSong, Ft. Lauderdale
FL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, Casselberry
FL-New Hope Christian Center, Pensacola
FL-Potters House International Fellowship, Tampa
GA-Gentle Spirit Christian Church, Atlanta
GA-New Covenant Church of Atlanta
NC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-Salem
OK-Expressions Community Fellowship, Oklahoma City
OK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, Tulsa
TX-The One Church, Garland
WA-Living Water Fellowship, Kenmore
Canada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver
Audio Archive
AZ-Community Church of Hope, Phoenix
AK-Open Door Community Church, Sherwood
CA-Christ Chapel of Long Beach
CA-Christ Chapel of the Valley, North Hollywood
FL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program)
FL-Body of Christ Church of God, Largo
FL-New Hope Christian Center, Pensecola
GA-New Covenant Church of Atlanta
KY-Covenant Community Church, Louisville
MD-Kittamaqundi Community, Columbia
NC-Revolution Charlotte
OH-Emmanuel Fellowship Church, Akron
OH-All Saints Community Church, Cortland
TN-Covenant of the Cross, Madison
TX-New Hope Fellowship Church, Dallas
TX-White Rock Community Church, Dallas
TX-Community Gospel Church, Houston
TX-Through Him Fellowship, Houston
UT-Glory to God Christian Church, Ogden
South Africa-Deo Gloria Family Church
Can we pray for you? E-mail straight_notnarrow@yahoo.com
If a Pastor Preaches Hate, Get Up and Leave!
That's what a gay couple did in a Washington, DC church. From the DC Agenda:
Jon Mack and his partner, Michael Garrett, said their one-year tenure as members of Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church in Northeast D.C. came to an abrupt end last week.
The two gay men said they were startled and deeply hurt when Bishop Alfred Owens, the church pastor, appeared to be sending them and other same-sex couples a blunt message Jan. 3.
“Sex is only pleasing to God in the marriage bed, and the marriage bed is a man and … a woman!” Owens shouted from the pulpit, with hundreds in the church pews shouting their approval, according to accounts by Mack and Garrett.
Owens’ remarks are also captured on a recording of his sermon made available last week on the church’s web site.
“If marriage wasn’t between a man and a woman, you wouldn’t be here because two men doing it don’t produce no kids,” Owens said. “And two women doing it don’t produce no kids! It’s all about family,” he said as members of the congregation continued to clap and cheer.
“During this homophobic rant, me and my partner got up and walked out,” said Mack, 28.
Amen. You do NOT have to sit and listen to someone preach against your right to love someone. Go somewhere that affirms who you are as a person and shows you the path to a close relationship with God within that context.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Jon Mack and his partner, Michael Garrett, said their one-year tenure as members of Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church in Northeast D.C. came to an abrupt end last week.
The two gay men said they were startled and deeply hurt when Bishop Alfred Owens, the church pastor, appeared to be sending them and other same-sex couples a blunt message Jan. 3.
“Sex is only pleasing to God in the marriage bed, and the marriage bed is a man and … a woman!” Owens shouted from the pulpit, with hundreds in the church pews shouting their approval, according to accounts by Mack and Garrett.
Owens’ remarks are also captured on a recording of his sermon made available last week on the church’s web site.
“If marriage wasn’t between a man and a woman, you wouldn’t be here because two men doing it don’t produce no kids,” Owens said. “And two women doing it don’t produce no kids! It’s all about family,” he said as members of the congregation continued to clap and cheer.
“During this homophobic rant, me and my partner got up and walked out,” said Mack, 28.
Amen. You do NOT have to sit and listen to someone preach against your right to love someone. Go somewhere that affirms who you are as a person and shows you the path to a close relationship with God within that context.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
January 16, 2010
Transphobia in the Mainstream Media
From The Bilerico Project::
It seems like all too often when you tune your radio or television to mainstream news and talk shows these days, there's good reason to be at minimum pretty annoyed, and sometimes even genuinely pissed off and angry if you're a transgender person or ally. Despite decades of progress made in the area of LGBT acceptance and representation in mainstream media, the problem of transphobia in mainstream media remains pervasive and seemingly virtually unchecked in some quarters, even in media specifically directed toward politically progressive and left-leaning audiences.
While there are probably few on either the left or the right who'd find it unusual for pundits and their guests on Fox News or similar media to enthusiastically bash transgender and gender-variant people, it amazes me how this kind of thing is all but completely ignored by just about everyone when it happens on a show popularly considered to be liberal and/or left-wing.
Let's take "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" as an example. On a broadcast last year that took place shortly after the incident, Keith's guest, author and Village Voice columnist Michael Musto, was humorously bashing Miss USA contestant Carrie Prejean for her negative response to pageant judge Perez Hilton when asked if she supported same-sex marriage. Toward the end of the segment, Musto jokingly offered that in addition to her breast enhancements, the Miss USA pageant officials also paid for Prejean to "cut off her penis, sand her Adam's apple, and get a head-to-toe waxing," along with other transphobic insults. Olbermann's reaction, as far as I could tell, was to simply chuckle right along along with Musto's transphobic jokes.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
It seems like all too often when you tune your radio or television to mainstream news and talk shows these days, there's good reason to be at minimum pretty annoyed, and sometimes even genuinely pissed off and angry if you're a transgender person or ally. Despite decades of progress made in the area of LGBT acceptance and representation in mainstream media, the problem of transphobia in mainstream media remains pervasive and seemingly virtually unchecked in some quarters, even in media specifically directed toward politically progressive and left-leaning audiences.
While there are probably few on either the left or the right who'd find it unusual for pundits and their guests on Fox News or similar media to enthusiastically bash transgender and gender-variant people, it amazes me how this kind of thing is all but completely ignored by just about everyone when it happens on a show popularly considered to be liberal and/or left-wing.
Let's take "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" as an example. On a broadcast last year that took place shortly after the incident, Keith's guest, author and Village Voice columnist Michael Musto, was humorously bashing Miss USA contestant Carrie Prejean for her negative response to pageant judge Perez Hilton when asked if she supported same-sex marriage. Toward the end of the segment, Musto jokingly offered that in addition to her breast enhancements, the Miss USA pageant officials also paid for Prejean to "cut off her penis, sand her Adam's apple, and get a head-to-toe waxing," along with other transphobic insults. Olbermann's reaction, as far as I could tell, was to simply chuckle right along along with Musto's transphobic jokes.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Encouraging Words 1/16/10-Appearance on GayTalk Live
Last Saturday, I (Jim) had the pleasure of appearing on the GayTalk Live Internet radio broadcast hosted by Tom Cunha. He gave me the opportunity to talk a lot about what the Straight, Not Narrow blog and ministry is all about, and we also touched on several of the important issues you've seen address in the blog.
The program runs about 90 minutes, which is an awful lot of me, but if you want to understand what we are doing here, you'll find out if you listen.
MP3
Pop-up
The program runs about 90 minutes, which is an awful lot of me, but if you want to understand what we are doing here, you'll find out if you listen.
MP3
Pop-up
Justice Department Intervenes in Gay High School Student's Lawsuit
From NPR (hat tip to Twitter account CommonComrades):
For the first time in a decade, Justice Department lawyers have moved to intervene in a lawsuit on behalf of a gay high school student who was beaten up for being effeminate.
The case marks a novel interpretation of the Title IX statute, which prohibits discrimination against students on the basis of gender.
Gay and lesbian groups see it as a bold statement about the Obama administration's priorities.
The case centers around a 15-year-old named Jacob who lives in the town of Mohawk in upstate New York. His family requested that Jacob be identified only by his first name.
"He is one of the greatest, loving, timid kids you could meet," says Jacob's father, Robbie Sullivan, who does not share his son's last name. "I love him to death, and he doesn't give me a bit of problem at all."
Long before Jacob came out of the closet at age 14, he was harassed for being effeminate. According to court papers, kids threw food at him and told him to get a sex change. One student pulled out a knife and threatened to string Jacob up the flagpole. A teacher allegedly told Jacob to "hate himself every day until he changed."
One day, Jacob came home from school limping. That evening, he called his father from a party and said he had sprained his ankle at the party.
Sullivan described taking his son to the hospital: "It was a really bad sprain. They put a cast on it, gave him crutches. And shortly after that, I found out that it didn't happen at the party. It happened at the school, because somebody had pushed him down the stairs."
Click here to read the rest of the story.
For the first time in a decade, Justice Department lawyers have moved to intervene in a lawsuit on behalf of a gay high school student who was beaten up for being effeminate.
The case marks a novel interpretation of the Title IX statute, which prohibits discrimination against students on the basis of gender.
Gay and lesbian groups see it as a bold statement about the Obama administration's priorities.
The case centers around a 15-year-old named Jacob who lives in the town of Mohawk in upstate New York. His family requested that Jacob be identified only by his first name.
"He is one of the greatest, loving, timid kids you could meet," says Jacob's father, Robbie Sullivan, who does not share his son's last name. "I love him to death, and he doesn't give me a bit of problem at all."
Long before Jacob came out of the closet at age 14, he was harassed for being effeminate. According to court papers, kids threw food at him and told him to get a sex change. One student pulled out a knife and threatened to string Jacob up the flagpole. A teacher allegedly told Jacob to "hate himself every day until he changed."
One day, Jacob came home from school limping. That evening, he called his father from a party and said he had sprained his ankle at the party.
Sullivan described taking his son to the hospital: "It was a really bad sprain. They put a cast on it, gave him crutches. And shortly after that, I found out that it didn't happen at the party. It happened at the school, because somebody had pushed him down the stairs."
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Daily Devotional 1/16/10 Recognize the Devil's Lies and Claim the Promises of God
From: Love Worth Finding
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8
The devil wants you to live your life from an empty cup. He wants you to think that God’s cup of grace has dried up for you. He wants you to be disenchanted with God. Most especially, he wants you to feel that God is a cosmic killjoy…that God is always thinking of ways to rob you of joy and peace. Satan knows that if you start to feel negatively about God, then he can have his way with you in other areas.
Take courage. Be strong. Jesus has won the victory for you! Send those lies back to the pit where they came from and claim the promises of God.
Wish someone the peace and joy of the Lord today.
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8
The devil wants you to live your life from an empty cup. He wants you to think that God’s cup of grace has dried up for you. He wants you to be disenchanted with God. Most especially, he wants you to feel that God is a cosmic killjoy…that God is always thinking of ways to rob you of joy and peace. Satan knows that if you start to feel negatively about God, then he can have his way with you in other areas.
Take courage. Be strong. Jesus has won the victory for you! Send those lies back to the pit where they came from and claim the promises of God.
Wish someone the peace and joy of the Lord today.
January 15, 2010
Testimony: Prop 8 Costing Taxpayers
From 365gay.com:
A state ban on gay marriage is costing the city of San Francisco millions of dollars a year in lost revenue and increased services, an economist testified Thursday in a lawsuit aimed at overturning the prohibition.
Chief city economist Edmund Egan said married people accumulate more wealth and have more to spend on property and consumer goods, which bolsters tax revenue.
He also said the city must spend more on health care for uninsured workers because same-sex couples are not always covered under their partner’s employee health care plans.
“It’s clear to me that Proposition 8 has a negative material impact on the city of San Francisco,” he said. “These are impacts that are hard to quantify, but over the long term they can be powerful.”
Egan testified during the fourth day of a federal trial on a lawsuit challenging Proposition 8, the ballot measure approved by statewide voters in 2008.
The city was allowed to join the suit to demonstrate that governments bear some of the costs of the ban.
Just more evidence that banning same-sex marriage is NOT for the greater good of society. Click here to read the rest of the story.
A state ban on gay marriage is costing the city of San Francisco millions of dollars a year in lost revenue and increased services, an economist testified Thursday in a lawsuit aimed at overturning the prohibition.
Chief city economist Edmund Egan said married people accumulate more wealth and have more to spend on property and consumer goods, which bolsters tax revenue.
He also said the city must spend more on health care for uninsured workers because same-sex couples are not always covered under their partner’s employee health care plans.
“It’s clear to me that Proposition 8 has a negative material impact on the city of San Francisco,” he said. “These are impacts that are hard to quantify, but over the long term they can be powerful.”
Egan testified during the fourth day of a federal trial on a lawsuit challenging Proposition 8, the ballot measure approved by statewide voters in 2008.
The city was allowed to join the suit to demonstrate that governments bear some of the costs of the ban.
Just more evidence that banning same-sex marriage is NOT for the greater good of society. Click here to read the rest of the story.
Encouraging Words 1/14/10-"A Closer Walk With God"
From The Epistle:
Since the beginning, man has chased after God seeking spiritual enlightenment, connection and oneness with Him. For many of us, God may seem distant. The only way we know how to reach Him is by calling out our prayers and hoping to appease Him.
Surprisingly, God is very easy to find, but our distracted minds and hearts prevent us from experiencing His presence. Our spiritual connection with Him is limited because of our need to feed ourselves first. We seek God to supplement and improve our lives, not understanding that putting God FIRST is EVERYTHING. When we follow His steps, He brings us closer to Him. We are the ones who stop ourselves from fully experiencing God, because our main concern is for own wellbeing, which most of the time, takes us on paths leading away from Him.
We are unable to graduate from ourselves.
He is not necessarily found on a mountaintop, a temple, or a church. He cannot be found by just reciting prayers, keeping rules or going without, but very simply, God is revealed to the humble, believing heart who desires to know Him and is willing to go with Him wherever He goes.
Even the most faithful of Christians can lose sight of God when we are too busy with our earthly habits. When we focus on our own world, the Kingdom of God fades and we lose sight of Him. Like Peter who was overtaken by his fear of the wind and waves when he tried to walk on the water toward Jesus in Matthew 14:30, we too take our eyes off Jesus and cannot see beyond the waves of life which always overtake us.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Since the beginning, man has chased after God seeking spiritual enlightenment, connection and oneness with Him. For many of us, God may seem distant. The only way we know how to reach Him is by calling out our prayers and hoping to appease Him.
Surprisingly, God is very easy to find, but our distracted minds and hearts prevent us from experiencing His presence. Our spiritual connection with Him is limited because of our need to feed ourselves first. We seek God to supplement and improve our lives, not understanding that putting God FIRST is EVERYTHING. When we follow His steps, He brings us closer to Him. We are the ones who stop ourselves from fully experiencing God, because our main concern is for own wellbeing, which most of the time, takes us on paths leading away from Him.
We are unable to graduate from ourselves.
He is not necessarily found on a mountaintop, a temple, or a church. He cannot be found by just reciting prayers, keeping rules or going without, but very simply, God is revealed to the humble, believing heart who desires to know Him and is willing to go with Him wherever He goes.
Even the most faithful of Christians can lose sight of God when we are too busy with our earthly habits. When we focus on our own world, the Kingdom of God fades and we lose sight of Him. Like Peter who was overtaken by his fear of the wind and waves when he tried to walk on the water toward Jesus in Matthew 14:30, we too take our eyes off Jesus and cannot see beyond the waves of life which always overtake us.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Testimony Says Gay & Straight Couples "Remarkably Similar"
From the Los Angeles Times (hat tip PageOneQ):
A federal trial on same-sex marriage focused Wednesday on the similarities and differences between homosexual and heterosexual couples, with a psychology professor citing "remarkable similarities."
Letitia Peplau, an expert on couple relationships, testified that studies have found that the quality of heterosexual and homosexual relationships was on average "the same" as measured by closeness, love and stability.
"On average, same-sex couples and heterosexual couples are indistinguishable," said Peplau, a UCLA professor of social psychology called by attorneys for two same-sex couples who are trying to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 voter initiative that reinstated a state ban on same-sex marriage.
Peplau cited a survey of Californians in which 61% of lesbian respondents said they were living with a partner compared with 46% of gay men and 62% of heterosexuals.
Homosexual couples tend to have shorter relationships than married couples, she said, but so do unmarried cohabiting heterosexuals.
Click here to read more of this interesting testimony.
A federal trial on same-sex marriage focused Wednesday on the similarities and differences between homosexual and heterosexual couples, with a psychology professor citing "remarkable similarities."
Letitia Peplau, an expert on couple relationships, testified that studies have found that the quality of heterosexual and homosexual relationships was on average "the same" as measured by closeness, love and stability.
"On average, same-sex couples and heterosexual couples are indistinguishable," said Peplau, a UCLA professor of social psychology called by attorneys for two same-sex couples who are trying to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 voter initiative that reinstated a state ban on same-sex marriage.
Peplau cited a survey of Californians in which 61% of lesbian respondents said they were living with a partner compared with 46% of gay men and 62% of heterosexuals.
Homosexual couples tend to have shorter relationships than married couples, she said, but so do unmarried cohabiting heterosexuals.
Click here to read more of this interesting testimony.
Daily Devotional 1/15/10 For Thou Art With Me
From: Love Worth Finding
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
There’s nothing, my friend, that will bring you more face-to-face with God than going through the dark valleys of life. When you are there, you are going to cling to His garments and hold onto His hand. You won’t stray far from the fold in the dark.
Do you believe that He is with you? The ultimate Sovereign is your loving Savior. You will not have to cross Jordan alone. You will not appear before the judgment of the Holy God alone. You are not going to die alone.
What a joyful promise! You are not alone! Write these words on a card and post it in a place where you can see it all the time:
“I am not alone. God is with me.”
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
There’s nothing, my friend, that will bring you more face-to-face with God than going through the dark valleys of life. When you are there, you are going to cling to His garments and hold onto His hand. You won’t stray far from the fold in the dark.
Do you believe that He is with you? The ultimate Sovereign is your loving Savior. You will not have to cross Jordan alone. You will not appear before the judgment of the Holy God alone. You are not going to die alone.
What a joyful promise! You are not alone! Write these words on a card and post it in a place where you can see it all the time:
“I am not alone. God is with me.”
January 14, 2010
A Moving Eulogy for a Transgender Sportswriter
You will seldom find anything written about a transgender person under the ESPN brand, or any sports label for that matter, and when you do it is often some type of snide joke.
Not this essay from ESPN's Rick Riley, a moving story about the late Mike/Christeine Penner, a fellow sportswriter and also a friend under either name. Here's an excerpt:
On the same day, in the same town, two sportswriters, two friends of mine, killed themselves.
One was my old hoops buddy Mike Penner, who started at the Los Angeles Times the same year I did. The other was Christine Daniels, a blonde who bubbled from heels to highlights.
Mike was a little quiet, a little reclusive, a lot brilliant. He hated going to locker rooms. He preferred staying home, making mix tapes and writing sentences that were chunks of perfection. He once described then-Angels GM Mike Port's fractured syntax as "Port-uguese."
Christine was the opposite: gregarious, 100 mph talker, always looking to cover an event, to be seen, the Funmeter pegged, the curls bouncing. She was flirty, always lightly grabbing your arm when she talked, covering her mouth when she laughed, which seemed like all the time.
"Mike hasn't bought shoes in six years," Christine told me once. "I've got 50 new pairs!"
What's heartbreaking is that they were the same person.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Not this essay from ESPN's Rick Riley, a moving story about the late Mike/Christeine Penner, a fellow sportswriter and also a friend under either name. Here's an excerpt:
On the same day, in the same town, two sportswriters, two friends of mine, killed themselves.
One was my old hoops buddy Mike Penner, who started at the Los Angeles Times the same year I did. The other was Christine Daniels, a blonde who bubbled from heels to highlights.
Mike was a little quiet, a little reclusive, a lot brilliant. He hated going to locker rooms. He preferred staying home, making mix tapes and writing sentences that were chunks of perfection. He once described then-Angels GM Mike Port's fractured syntax as "Port-uguese."
Christine was the opposite: gregarious, 100 mph talker, always looking to cover an event, to be seen, the Funmeter pegged, the curls bouncing. She was flirty, always lightly grabbing your arm when she talked, covering her mouth when she laughed, which seemed like all the time.
"Mike hasn't bought shoes in six years," Christine told me once. "I've got 50 new pairs!"
What's heartbreaking is that they were the same person.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
If Marriage Is So Special, Then Spread It Around
That's the take from a commentary by Ann Woolner for Bloomberg News via Business Week (hat tip to Tweeter CommonComrades):
However passionate and polarized the gay marriage debate grows, sometimes it is difficult to tell one side from the other.
“Where marriage is honored, and where there is a flourishing marriage culture, everyone benefits -- the spouses themselves, their children, the communities and societies in which they live,” argues one of the groups that filed a friend- of-the-court brief in the gay marriage case on trial in San Francisco.
Sounds to me like an argument for expanding marriage to include same-sex couples.
But I am wrong, very wrong. The quote comes from a brief filed by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, which opposes same-sex marriage.
The warring sides at least agree that marriage is special.
If only more people would take this approach, seeking commonality instead of focusing on differences.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
However passionate and polarized the gay marriage debate grows, sometimes it is difficult to tell one side from the other.
“Where marriage is honored, and where there is a flourishing marriage culture, everyone benefits -- the spouses themselves, their children, the communities and societies in which they live,” argues one of the groups that filed a friend- of-the-court brief in the gay marriage case on trial in San Francisco.
Sounds to me like an argument for expanding marriage to include same-sex couples.
But I am wrong, very wrong. The quote comes from a brief filed by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, which opposes same-sex marriage.
The warring sides at least agree that marriage is special.
If only more people would take this approach, seeking commonality instead of focusing on differences.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Daily Devotional 1/14/10 The Lord Ever Present
From: Love Worth Finding
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
The One who created the valley is there with you! He has prepared the way through the valley. It is not a place of permanence but a place of passage. He knows every twist and turn, every changing shadow, every den where danger lurks — that One is with you! Focus on the light and not the darkness. God has made you to walk through shadows. When the shadow approaches, you must walk through. The One greater than death is in you! He is your Jehovah Shamah — the Lord ever-present. His grace is greater. His peace is purer. His devotion is dearer. Where Satan casts a shadow, our Sovereign Lord reigns supreme. This is a day of hope. Meditate on 1 John 4:4 throughout the day and ask God to give you a divine appointment to share this beloved truth with someone today.
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
The One who created the valley is there with you! He has prepared the way through the valley. It is not a place of permanence but a place of passage. He knows every twist and turn, every changing shadow, every den where danger lurks — that One is with you! Focus on the light and not the darkness. God has made you to walk through shadows. When the shadow approaches, you must walk through. The One greater than death is in you! He is your Jehovah Shamah — the Lord ever-present. His grace is greater. His peace is purer. His devotion is dearer. Where Satan casts a shadow, our Sovereign Lord reigns supreme. This is a day of hope. Meditate on 1 John 4:4 throughout the day and ask God to give you a divine appointment to share this beloved truth with someone today.
January 13, 2010
New HIV/AIDS Initiative Targets Black Gay Men In DC
From the DC Agenda:
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty joined health officials Tuesday to announce a new D.C. and National Institutes of Health research and treatment initiative aimed at decreasing the city’s high rate of HIV infections.
The $26.4 million federally funded initiative, called the D.C. Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress, includes among four components a study that targets black men who have sex with men to determine the best ways to curtail HIV infections among the group, which experts say is at high risk for HIV infection in the District.
“Tragically, our nation’s capital has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS, where about 3 percent of adults and adolescents are infected with the virus,” said NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci at the initiative’s unveiling.
“By collaborating with Mayor Fenty’s administration to establish the new D.C. Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress, NIH will seek to answer critical HIV research questions that could positively affect the District’s HIV/AIDS problem and serve as a model for programs in other U.S. cities as well,” Fauci said.
It would be nice to see our Nation's Capital stand as a positive example of something, wouldn't it?
Click here to read the rest of the story.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty joined health officials Tuesday to announce a new D.C. and National Institutes of Health research and treatment initiative aimed at decreasing the city’s high rate of HIV infections.
The $26.4 million federally funded initiative, called the D.C. Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress, includes among four components a study that targets black men who have sex with men to determine the best ways to curtail HIV infections among the group, which experts say is at high risk for HIV infection in the District.
“Tragically, our nation’s capital has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS, where about 3 percent of adults and adolescents are infected with the virus,” said NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci at the initiative’s unveiling.
“By collaborating with Mayor Fenty’s administration to establish the new D.C. Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress, NIH will seek to answer critical HIV research questions that could positively affect the District’s HIV/AIDS problem and serve as a model for programs in other U.S. cities as well,” Fauci said.
It would be nice to see our Nation's Capital stand as a positive example of something, wouldn't it?
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Dustin Lance Black: "We Cannot Wait"
Dustin Lance Black, who brought us the outstanding movie on Harvey Milk's life, wrote a passionate essay for the Huffington Post as he observed the Prop 8 trial currently being held in California. Here's an excerpt:
Almost 32 years ago, in San Francisco's City Hall, having just defeated anti-gay proposition 6, Supervisor Harvey Milk stood in his office debating what the next step in the gay and lesbian movement should be. Per usual, he found himself in a heated debate with the other "gay leadership" who insisted he was moving too fast. He insisted it was time to march on Washington D.C., to follow in the footsteps of every successful civil rights struggle in this great Nation's history and garner federal attention.
Not 24 hours later, Harvey Milk was tragically taken from us, and with him vanished the indomitable spirit, strength, and unwillingness to back down necessary to make this a federal fight.
Finally, 32 years later, in the city he loved, we are fulfilling Harvey's dream.
Over the past months I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting the plaintiffs in Perry vs. Schwarzenegger. Their love is true, their families are strong, and to hear their stories is to know they deserve full recognition of their love, both for themselves and for their families. The time has come for the world to meet Kris Perry and Sandra Stier, Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo. Their stories are our stories, ones of finding love with another person, of overcoming adversity, and of the strength and importance of family.
But now their stories must take a place in history, next to Brown vs. Board of Education and Loving vs. Virginia, in order to confirm what our great Constitution already tells us is true: that separate is not equal, and that all men and women, regardless of skin color or sexual orientation, deserve equality.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Almost 32 years ago, in San Francisco's City Hall, having just defeated anti-gay proposition 6, Supervisor Harvey Milk stood in his office debating what the next step in the gay and lesbian movement should be. Per usual, he found himself in a heated debate with the other "gay leadership" who insisted he was moving too fast. He insisted it was time to march on Washington D.C., to follow in the footsteps of every successful civil rights struggle in this great Nation's history and garner federal attention.
Not 24 hours later, Harvey Milk was tragically taken from us, and with him vanished the indomitable spirit, strength, and unwillingness to back down necessary to make this a federal fight.
Finally, 32 years later, in the city he loved, we are fulfilling Harvey's dream.
Over the past months I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting the plaintiffs in Perry vs. Schwarzenegger. Their love is true, their families are strong, and to hear their stories is to know they deserve full recognition of their love, both for themselves and for their families. The time has come for the world to meet Kris Perry and Sandra Stier, Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo. Their stories are our stories, ones of finding love with another person, of overcoming adversity, and of the strength and importance of family.
But now their stories must take a place in history, next to Brown vs. Board of Education and Loving vs. Virginia, in order to confirm what our great Constitution already tells us is true: that separate is not equal, and that all men and women, regardless of skin color or sexual orientation, deserve equality.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Daily Devotional 1/13/10 Burdens and Trials A Necessity?
From: Love Worth Finding
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” James 1:3
A man had a grandfather’s clock. One day he felt sorry for the grandfather’s clock because it had a weight on it, and that weight was always pulling on the clock. The man said, “Oh, Mr. Clock, you’ve held this weight so long; I’m going to remove it and let you rest.” The clock protested, saying, “Don’t take that weight from me. That’s what keeps me going.” In the same way, the trials and tests of life are there for your endurance. They’re to keep you going, keep you trusting, keep you praying, and keep you depending upon God. When was the last time you shared with someone that they needed to be thankful for their trials? When was the last time you told yourself that?
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” James 1:3
A man had a grandfather’s clock. One day he felt sorry for the grandfather’s clock because it had a weight on it, and that weight was always pulling on the clock. The man said, “Oh, Mr. Clock, you’ve held this weight so long; I’m going to remove it and let you rest.” The clock protested, saying, “Don’t take that weight from me. That’s what keeps me going.” In the same way, the trials and tests of life are there for your endurance. They’re to keep you going, keep you trusting, keep you praying, and keep you depending upon God. When was the last time you shared with someone that they needed to be thankful for their trials? When was the last time you told yourself that?
January 12, 2010
The Pope Still Feels Very Threatened By Gay People
From Pink News:
Pope Benedict XVI has called gay marriage laws an "attack" on the natural differences between men and women.
Speaking just after Portugal's parliament voted to legalise same-sex marriage, the pontiff addressed the comments to the Vatican diplomatic corps in a message which focused on environmental issues.
This is not the first time he has used environmental messages to preach about the sins of gay people.
In an end-of year address in 2008, he said that the existence of gay people threatens humanity as much as the destruction of the rainforests does and that "blurring" genders through acceptance of transgender people would kill off the human race.
According to AFP, he spoke about protecting or endangering creatures including humans in today's address and said: "One such attack comes from laws or proposals which, in the name of fighting discrimination, strike at the biological basis of the difference between the sexes."
What a shame that arguably the most powerful religious leader on earth not only won't acknowledge the humanity of LGBT people but goes so far as to label them a threat to the speciies.
And they wonder why there are so many empty spaces in the pews on Sundays.....
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Pope Benedict XVI has called gay marriage laws an "attack" on the natural differences between men and women.
Speaking just after Portugal's parliament voted to legalise same-sex marriage, the pontiff addressed the comments to the Vatican diplomatic corps in a message which focused on environmental issues.
This is not the first time he has used environmental messages to preach about the sins of gay people.
In an end-of year address in 2008, he said that the existence of gay people threatens humanity as much as the destruction of the rainforests does and that "blurring" genders through acceptance of transgender people would kill off the human race.
According to AFP, he spoke about protecting or endangering creatures including humans in today's address and said: "One such attack comes from laws or proposals which, in the name of fighting discrimination, strike at the biological basis of the difference between the sexes."
What a shame that arguably the most powerful religious leader on earth not only won't acknowledge the humanity of LGBT people but goes so far as to label them a threat to the speciies.
And they wonder why there are so many empty spaces in the pews on Sundays.....
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Encouraging Words 1/12/10-"Lighten Up"
Here's an excerpt from an inspiring essay from Candace Chellew-Hodge, publisher of Whosoever.org:
Well, speaking to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in particular - our world is so dark because we have been told so many times, by so many people who claim some manner of authority over us, that the last thing we could offer the world is light. They tell us that perhaps if we change our sexual orientation or gender identity that we could shine a light in the world - a "light" of "redemption" from our lives of "sin." If we change, then we'll have some light to shine - until then, we're as dark as a Montana cavern - offering nothing but blinding blackness.
But, even in the darkest night - even in the hearts deemed to be the darkest by some people in the world, there is light. Even if we can't perceive it, or we're told that we're mistaken to think it - we each carry light within us. Our job is the same as John the Baptist's - to testify to that light.
Those who claim LGBT people have no light to share have themselves fallen in the trap of misunderstanding the light. They have become a light unto themselves. They have decided that they know how God thinks and how God would act. Of course God hates LGBT people. They hate them and God would naturally hate what they hate. This is the temptation of light - to think that once we see it, we can own it, focus it and make it a personal possession.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Well, speaking to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in particular - our world is so dark because we have been told so many times, by so many people who claim some manner of authority over us, that the last thing we could offer the world is light. They tell us that perhaps if we change our sexual orientation or gender identity that we could shine a light in the world - a "light" of "redemption" from our lives of "sin." If we change, then we'll have some light to shine - until then, we're as dark as a Montana cavern - offering nothing but blinding blackness.
But, even in the darkest night - even in the hearts deemed to be the darkest by some people in the world, there is light. Even if we can't perceive it, or we're told that we're mistaken to think it - we each carry light within us. Our job is the same as John the Baptist's - to testify to that light.
Those who claim LGBT people have no light to share have themselves fallen in the trap of misunderstanding the light. They have become a light unto themselves. They have decided that they know how God thinks and how God would act. Of course God hates LGBT people. They hate them and God would naturally hate what they hate. This is the temptation of light - to think that once we see it, we can own it, focus it and make it a personal possession.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
There Are Plenty of Catholics That Don't Rubber Stamp Official Vatican Policy
This article from Change.org refers to comments from one high-ranking Catholic, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and surveys in states where Catholics support gay rights in direct opposition to Rome:
Newsweek's Eleanor Clift asked Pelosi how she handled her brushes with the Church hierarchy. Pelosi responded that Catholic identity isn't what a few conservatives make it out to be.
"I have some concerns about the church's position respecting a woman's right to choose. I have some concerns about the church's position on gay rights," Pelosi writes. "I am a practicing Catholic, although they're probably not too happy about that. But it is my faith. I practically mourn this difference of opinion because I feel what I was raised to believe is consistent with what I profess, and that is that we are all endowed with a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions."
Pelosi's not alone in her sentiments, at least when it comes to issues pertaining to gay rights. Witness the statistics in places like New Jersey or Rhode Island, where most Catholics not only support your standard gay rights fare, but are fully behind marriage equality. The institutional Church might consider that blasphemy. But the people in the pews just consider it basic fairness.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Newsweek's Eleanor Clift asked Pelosi how she handled her brushes with the Church hierarchy. Pelosi responded that Catholic identity isn't what a few conservatives make it out to be.
"I have some concerns about the church's position respecting a woman's right to choose. I have some concerns about the church's position on gay rights," Pelosi writes. "I am a practicing Catholic, although they're probably not too happy about that. But it is my faith. I practically mourn this difference of opinion because I feel what I was raised to believe is consistent with what I profess, and that is that we are all endowed with a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions."
Pelosi's not alone in her sentiments, at least when it comes to issues pertaining to gay rights. Witness the statistics in places like New Jersey or Rhode Island, where most Catholics not only support your standard gay rights fare, but are fully behind marriage equality. The institutional Church might consider that blasphemy. But the people in the pews just consider it basic fairness.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Daily Devotional 1/12/10 Off the Defense and Onto the Offense
From: Love Worth Finding
“And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
If I had to identify the major misconception about believers today, it would be that they spend too much time getting out of trouble with God instead of getting into righteousness! We are living on the defensive instead of the offensive. We need to move beyond the defensive line of Christianity and move on to the offense – advancing the Kingdom, fulfilling the Great Commission, and telling others about Jesus. Our Shepherd will never lead us where His strength cannot keep us. He will never lead us down a path that He hasn’t first walked down Himself. Are you sharing His love and words of salvation with someone who’s lost? If not, begin today to move beyond your comfort zone and see the hand of God move.
“And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
If I had to identify the major misconception about believers today, it would be that they spend too much time getting out of trouble with God instead of getting into righteousness! We are living on the defensive instead of the offensive. We need to move beyond the defensive line of Christianity and move on to the offense – advancing the Kingdom, fulfilling the Great Commission, and telling others about Jesus. Our Shepherd will never lead us where His strength cannot keep us. He will never lead us down a path that He hasn’t first walked down Himself. Are you sharing His love and words of salvation with someone who’s lost? If not, begin today to move beyond your comfort zone and see the hand of God move.
January 11, 2010
"Gay Marriage, Let the Apologies Begin"
Here's an essay from the Huffington Post that is already looking forward to the day when same-sex marriage is legal all over the country and the apologies for the delay that will follow from legislators. Here's an excerpt:
It was a real bummer that even the Empire State couldn't get an equal marriage law on the books recently. It fills me with no shortage of pride that I live in the first state to grant equal and full marriage to gays and lesbians, and it is baffling to see how out of touch the rest of the country is with the great state of Massachusetts. Hey, we start a lot of good things -- like America, for instance. Although it's sad to see these continued defeats, I am not despairing. On the contrary, I often wonder when the apologies will start. There is no question in my mind that Gay marriage will be legal in all 50 states in my lifetime. I can already see clearly the apologies that I will be watching on-line, hopefully in 10 years but certainly within 20. I can almost hear it now, "as the speaker of the house for the legislature for the state of X, we here by proclaim by official proclamation put forth by a majority vote an apology for the terrible, shameful, discriminatory and un-American anti-gay marriage laws this body supported and upheld in 2009..... blah, blah, blah".
What short memories people have -- modern history is a good guide, for instance anti-miscegenation laws, Communist witch hunts, women's suffrage, anti-sodomy laws, not allowing Native Americans to enter the City of Providence, etc., all sorts of discriminatory rules and laws that we consider absurd now have been repealed and along with them comes no small amount of groveling and apologizing to the people they discriminated against. Once again bigots will have the next generation falling all over themselves to apologize for their prejudices and superstitious beliefs. The current batch of aging hopped-up homophobic haters and doomsayers are lucky they have us to do their dirty work for them in the future.
This is an open call to all the politicians today voting to violate the constitution, who through claims of divine guidance support laws that strip people of their rights: apologize now so the next generations won't have to do it for you! It is not too late to save your reputation and your respect in the eyes of your grandchildren. Everyone wants to lay claim to a relative that was pro-civil rights, but relatives who were segregationists....not very cool. They just don't produce the same amount of familial pride or positive excitement.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
It was a real bummer that even the Empire State couldn't get an equal marriage law on the books recently. It fills me with no shortage of pride that I live in the first state to grant equal and full marriage to gays and lesbians, and it is baffling to see how out of touch the rest of the country is with the great state of Massachusetts. Hey, we start a lot of good things -- like America, for instance. Although it's sad to see these continued defeats, I am not despairing. On the contrary, I often wonder when the apologies will start. There is no question in my mind that Gay marriage will be legal in all 50 states in my lifetime. I can already see clearly the apologies that I will be watching on-line, hopefully in 10 years but certainly within 20. I can almost hear it now, "as the speaker of the house for the legislature for the state of X, we here by proclaim by official proclamation put forth by a majority vote an apology for the terrible, shameful, discriminatory and un-American anti-gay marriage laws this body supported and upheld in 2009..... blah, blah, blah".
What short memories people have -- modern history is a good guide, for instance anti-miscegenation laws, Communist witch hunts, women's suffrage, anti-sodomy laws, not allowing Native Americans to enter the City of Providence, etc., all sorts of discriminatory rules and laws that we consider absurd now have been repealed and along with them comes no small amount of groveling and apologizing to the people they discriminated against. Once again bigots will have the next generation falling all over themselves to apologize for their prejudices and superstitious beliefs. The current batch of aging hopped-up homophobic haters and doomsayers are lucky they have us to do their dirty work for them in the future.
This is an open call to all the politicians today voting to violate the constitution, who through claims of divine guidance support laws that strip people of their rights: apologize now so the next generations won't have to do it for you! It is not too late to save your reputation and your respect in the eyes of your grandchildren. Everyone wants to lay claim to a relative that was pro-civil rights, but relatives who were segregationists....not very cool. They just don't produce the same amount of familial pride or positive excitement.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Encouraging Words 1/11/10-Support for Grieving LGBT People
From the Hartford Advocate (hat tip to Gay Agenda):
In 1995, when Bloomfield resident Dennis Kane lost his same-sex partner of 12 years to AIDS, his supervisor at work assured him that no one had to know.
"I had set up a memorial service and my boss made sure to tell me, 'I didn't tell anybody your partner died because that would be too embarrassing for you,'" remembered Kane. "He thought I would want to hide this. He thought he was being supportive."
Things only got worse when Kane sought out a support group to help him get through the grief he was feeling.
"If you're a gay person coming into a bereavement group you can very often be met with overwhelming prejudice and hostility because of being gay," said Kane.
Kane says he even called a state hotline in search of a support group, but was told there were only such groups for gay people who were trying to come out of the closet.
With nowhere else to turn, Kane finally ended up in therapy for two years to deal with his grief, because there was no support group he felt comfortable joining.
That's why this month, in association with VNA HealthCare, a home care and hospice agency headquartered in Hartford, Kane is launching a bereavement support group specifically for gays, lesbians, transgenders and bisexuals in the greater Hartford area.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
In 1995, when Bloomfield resident Dennis Kane lost his same-sex partner of 12 years to AIDS, his supervisor at work assured him that no one had to know.
"I had set up a memorial service and my boss made sure to tell me, 'I didn't tell anybody your partner died because that would be too embarrassing for you,'" remembered Kane. "He thought I would want to hide this. He thought he was being supportive."
Things only got worse when Kane sought out a support group to help him get through the grief he was feeling.
"If you're a gay person coming into a bereavement group you can very often be met with overwhelming prejudice and hostility because of being gay," said Kane.
Kane says he even called a state hotline in search of a support group, but was told there were only such groups for gay people who were trying to come out of the closet.
With nowhere else to turn, Kane finally ended up in therapy for two years to deal with his grief, because there was no support group he felt comfortable joining.
That's why this month, in association with VNA HealthCare, a home care and hospice agency headquartered in Hartford, Kane is launching a bereavement support group specifically for gays, lesbians, transgenders and bisexuals in the greater Hartford area.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
"Eurpoe's Gay Leaders: Out at The Top"
From Time Magazine:
When Iceland installed Johanna Sigurdardottir as Prime Minister last February, newspapers around the globe printed variations of the same headline: ICELAND APPOINTS WORLD'S FIRST GAY LEADER. Everywhere, that is, except Iceland. The Icelandic media didn't mention Sigurdardottir's sexuality for days, and only then to point out that the foreign press had taken an interest in their new head of state — a 67-year-old former flight attendant turned politician whom voters had consistently rated Iceland's most trustworthy politician. Sure, she was gay and had entered a civil partnership with another woman in 2002. But Icelanders hardly seemed to notice. "The media silence echoed the sentiment of the public. Nobody cared about her sexual orientation," says Margret Bjornsdottir, the director of the Institute for Public Administration and Politics at the University of Iceland. "Being gay is a nonissue here. It's considered unremarkable."
Buoyed by liberal attitudes such as those, politicians across Western Europe are stepping out of the closet and into their country's highest political offices. Eleven openly gay men and women now serve in the British Parliament, including two in the Cabinet. Last June, Nicolas Sarkozy appointed Frédéric Mitterrand, a gay television presenter, to the post of Minister of Culture. Paris' Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, tipped by some to contest the 2012 presidential race, is gay. And Guido Westerwelle, chairman of Germany's Free Democratic Party, has just become his country's Foreign Minister, joining a gay élite that includes the mayors of Berlin and Hamburg, Germany's two largest cities. Klaus Wowereit, Berlin's mayor, says coming out ahead of the 2001 mayoral race while under pressure from tabloids strengthened his campaign. "My confession might have contributed to my popularity," he says. "Many people appreciate honesty."
Click here to read the rest of the story.
When Iceland installed Johanna Sigurdardottir as Prime Minister last February, newspapers around the globe printed variations of the same headline: ICELAND APPOINTS WORLD'S FIRST GAY LEADER. Everywhere, that is, except Iceland. The Icelandic media didn't mention Sigurdardottir's sexuality for days, and only then to point out that the foreign press had taken an interest in their new head of state — a 67-year-old former flight attendant turned politician whom voters had consistently rated Iceland's most trustworthy politician. Sure, she was gay and had entered a civil partnership with another woman in 2002. But Icelanders hardly seemed to notice. "The media silence echoed the sentiment of the public. Nobody cared about her sexual orientation," says Margret Bjornsdottir, the director of the Institute for Public Administration and Politics at the University of Iceland. "Being gay is a nonissue here. It's considered unremarkable."
Buoyed by liberal attitudes such as those, politicians across Western Europe are stepping out of the closet and into their country's highest political offices. Eleven openly gay men and women now serve in the British Parliament, including two in the Cabinet. Last June, Nicolas Sarkozy appointed Frédéric Mitterrand, a gay television presenter, to the post of Minister of Culture. Paris' Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, tipped by some to contest the 2012 presidential race, is gay. And Guido Westerwelle, chairman of Germany's Free Democratic Party, has just become his country's Foreign Minister, joining a gay élite that includes the mayors of Berlin and Hamburg, Germany's two largest cities. Klaus Wowereit, Berlin's mayor, says coming out ahead of the 2001 mayoral race while under pressure from tabloids strengthened his campaign. "My confession might have contributed to my popularity," he says. "Many people appreciate honesty."
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Daily Devotional 1/11/10 Listening For His Voice
From: Love Worth Finding
“Hearken unto Me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of My mouth.” Proverbs 7:24
The United States Government doesn’t teach Treasury agents to detect counterfeit bills by having them study fakes. They show these agents real dollars over and over and over until they have the pattern memorized. Then, when a counterfeit is put in front of them, they recognize it instantly because it doesn’t fit the pattern their eyes are looking for.
Do you know the voice of the Lord? The only way you can be sure that it is His voice you are hearing is to hear it so often, that a stranger’s voice is instantly recognizable.
It is far wiser to spend time learning the one true voice than it is trying to learn to detect a multitude of false voices.
Spend at least 15 minutes today being silent before God and listening for His voice.
“Hearken unto Me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of My mouth.” Proverbs 7:24
The United States Government doesn’t teach Treasury agents to detect counterfeit bills by having them study fakes. They show these agents real dollars over and over and over until they have the pattern memorized. Then, when a counterfeit is put in front of them, they recognize it instantly because it doesn’t fit the pattern their eyes are looking for.
Do you know the voice of the Lord? The only way you can be sure that it is His voice you are hearing is to hear it so often, that a stranger’s voice is instantly recognizable.
It is far wiser to spend time learning the one true voice than it is trying to learn to detect a multitude of false voices.
Spend at least 15 minutes today being silent before God and listening for His voice.
January 10, 2010
"Perscription For an Ailing ENDA:
Bil Browning, the publisher of the phenominal The Bilerico Project, contributed his first piece to The Advocate, breaking down the steps he believes would allow the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to gain some momentum toward passage in 2010. Here's an excerpt:
When a version of the long-standing federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act failed to move out of a House committee last year (in fact it has yet to pass), many of the bill’s proponents grew worried. But after The Hill reported in December that Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately assured skittish first-term Democrats that the House wouldn’t bring controversial bills to the floor this year unless the Senate acted first, worry turned into panic. Is ENDA dead for this congressional session? Will gender identity protections be cut from the bill again, as they were in 2007? Are our leaders selling us out?
The answers are far from simple. But ENDA isn't dead. Not yet. In my recent interviews for The Bilerico Project, Colorado representative Jared Polis and Wisconsin representative Tammy Baldwin confirmed that ENDA’s delay was attributable to the health care reform debate and that later this month the legislation will undergo markup (the process where a committee makes changes to existing bill language before voting on whether to send to the floor for final approval). Both said they'd spoken with Speaker Pelosi and Education and Labor Committee chairman George Miller and were confident that the bill would receive a vote. Polis and Baldwin further asserted that removing gender identity language from the bill wasn't on the table.
The Senate, however, is another beast. As we've seen with the health care fiasco, the filibuster has become standard operating procedure for obstructionist Republicans. ENDA supporters need 60 votes in the Senate — a number they’ve yet to reach. Several activist groups, including United ENDA and transgender advocate Jillian Weiss's Facebook group, Inclusive ENDA, have been tracking the votes and show the absence of usually supportive Democrats like Indiana senator Evan Bayh.
If you don't think ENDA is as important as the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” or other vital LGBT legislation, you may be missing the point. No state has won marriage equality without first passing an employment nondiscrimination law covering sexual orientation. What do marriage rights mean if you could be conceivably fired in a majority of states for having a photograph of your partner on your desk? Why would the military embrace a repeal of DADT if workplace discrimination is still permitted in many states?
Click here to read the rest of Bil's commentary.
When a version of the long-standing federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act failed to move out of a House committee last year (in fact it has yet to pass), many of the bill’s proponents grew worried. But after The Hill reported in December that Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately assured skittish first-term Democrats that the House wouldn’t bring controversial bills to the floor this year unless the Senate acted first, worry turned into panic. Is ENDA dead for this congressional session? Will gender identity protections be cut from the bill again, as they were in 2007? Are our leaders selling us out?
The answers are far from simple. But ENDA isn't dead. Not yet. In my recent interviews for The Bilerico Project, Colorado representative Jared Polis and Wisconsin representative Tammy Baldwin confirmed that ENDA’s delay was attributable to the health care reform debate and that later this month the legislation will undergo markup (the process where a committee makes changes to existing bill language before voting on whether to send to the floor for final approval). Both said they'd spoken with Speaker Pelosi and Education and Labor Committee chairman George Miller and were confident that the bill would receive a vote. Polis and Baldwin further asserted that removing gender identity language from the bill wasn't on the table.
The Senate, however, is another beast. As we've seen with the health care fiasco, the filibuster has become standard operating procedure for obstructionist Republicans. ENDA supporters need 60 votes in the Senate — a number they’ve yet to reach. Several activist groups, including United ENDA and transgender advocate Jillian Weiss's Facebook group, Inclusive ENDA, have been tracking the votes and show the absence of usually supportive Democrats like Indiana senator Evan Bayh.
If you don't think ENDA is as important as the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” or other vital LGBT legislation, you may be missing the point. No state has won marriage equality without first passing an employment nondiscrimination law covering sexual orientation. What do marriage rights mean if you could be conceivably fired in a majority of states for having a photograph of your partner on your desk? Why would the military embrace a repeal of DADT if workplace discrimination is still permitted in many states?
Click here to read the rest of Bil's commentary.
SNN Recommends Won't Be Available for a Short Time
We're trying to work around limited Internet access following moving to a new home, a situation that should be resolved within a few days. Until then, we'll keep posting but will need to temporarily suspend our SNN Recommends, Matthew 25 Resource, and LGBT Helping Hands posts. They will be back right after we're back up to full Internet access.
Women Coming Out Later in Life Finding Acceptance
From the Minneapolis (MN) Star-Tribune (hat tip Twitter user CitizenChris):
Meredith Baxter recently went public about being a lesbian -- at age 62, after three marriages and five children. Instead of reacting with shock, many people thought, "Oh, there goes another one."
As being gay gains more acceptance in the culture at large, far fewer gays and lesbians have felt the need to be closeted. But we seem to hear a lot more often about middle-aged women who have married and raised families announcing they are lesbians than we hear about men in the same situation coming out as gay.
Census-data analysis from UCLA's Williams Institute found that 36 percent of women in their 40s with same-sex partners previously had been married to men. That percentage grew to more than half for lesbians in their 50s, and 75 percent for those 60 and older.
Meredith Baxter recently went public about being a lesbian -- at age 62, after three marriages and five children. Instead of reacting with shock, many people thought, "Oh, there goes another one."
As being gay gains more acceptance in the culture at large, far fewer gays and lesbians have felt the need to be closeted. But we seem to hear a lot more often about middle-aged women who have married and raised families announcing they are lesbians than we hear about men in the same situation coming out as gay.
Census-data analysis from UCLA's Williams Institute found that 36 percent of women in their 40s with same-sex partners previously had been married to men. That percentage grew to more than half for lesbians in their 50s, and 75 percent for those 60 and older.
January 09, 2010
Should Marriage Be a Private Contract?
That's the interesting take from an article in the New York Daily News (hat tip PageOneQ):
Following bitter defeats in California, Maine, and New York, the gay and lesbian community has a New Year's victory to celebrate. New Hampshire joins four other states - Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont - in legalizing gay marriage. And the nation's capital is also onboard. Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty put it this way: "Marriage inequality is a civil rights, political, social, moral and religious issue."
He covered all the bases, except one: It's a constitutional issue as well.
Thomas Jefferson set the stage in the Declaration of Independence: "[T]o secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men." The primary purpose of government is to safeguard individual rights and prevent some persons from harming others. Heterosexuals should not be treated preferentially when the state carries out that role. And no one is harmed by the union of two consenting gay people.
For most of Western history, marriage was a matter of private contract between the betrothed parties and perhaps their families. Following that tradition, marriage today should be a private arrangement, requiring minimal or no state intervention. Some religious or secular institutions would recognize gay marriages; others would not; still others would call them domestic partnerships or assign another label. Join whichever group you wish. The rights and responsibilities of partners would be governed by personally tailored contracts - consensual bargains like those that control most other interactions in a free society.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Has government intruded too much into marriage of any type? We'd like to hear your views.
Following bitter defeats in California, Maine, and New York, the gay and lesbian community has a New Year's victory to celebrate. New Hampshire joins four other states - Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont - in legalizing gay marriage. And the nation's capital is also onboard. Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty put it this way: "Marriage inequality is a civil rights, political, social, moral and religious issue."
He covered all the bases, except one: It's a constitutional issue as well.
Thomas Jefferson set the stage in the Declaration of Independence: "[T]o secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men." The primary purpose of government is to safeguard individual rights and prevent some persons from harming others. Heterosexuals should not be treated preferentially when the state carries out that role. And no one is harmed by the union of two consenting gay people.
For most of Western history, marriage was a matter of private contract between the betrothed parties and perhaps their families. Following that tradition, marriage today should be a private arrangement, requiring minimal or no state intervention. Some religious or secular institutions would recognize gay marriages; others would not; still others would call them domestic partnerships or assign another label. Join whichever group you wish. The rights and responsibilities of partners would be governed by personally tailored contracts - consensual bargains like those that control most other interactions in a free society.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Has government intruded too much into marriage of any type? We'd like to hear your views.
Encouraging Words 1/9/10-"Be Who You Are"
Here's an excerpt from an advice column from author Michelle Zink (hat tip to Twitter user CommonComrades):
Q: I’m gay, and live in a very small/conservative town. If I came out, I’d probably get kicked out of the house. I’ve tried to not be the way I am, it’s just not happening.
Should I tell anyone, or just keep it quiet until I can move away? Or something else?
A: I get emails all the time from gay teens who are struggling with the issue of when and how to come out. And no matter how many I get, I still always think, “For serious? This is still an issue for people?” That’s because in my book, everyone is entitled to love, in whatever form that takes (as long as it’s not harmful to others). I couldn’t care less whether you’re gay, straight, transgender, or celibate. You are deserving of love.
Anyway, you don’t say how old you are, but I’m going to assume somewhere between 16 and 20. Not knowing that makes this a tough one to answer, because there’s a world of difference between being 16 and in high school and being 20 and nearly out in the world.
I wish I could use my mantra for all things, “Be who you are” here, because really, we should all be able to do that and know that we’re guaranteed love and acceptance – especially by the people closest to us. But part of the downside to being an adult or almost-adult is the accepting that our decisions and actions have consequences. Sometimes, those consequences aren’t fair, but ranting about that isn’t going to get us anywhere, is it? In this case, as with most cases, we have to deal with what IS, even though it totally sucks.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Q: I’m gay, and live in a very small/conservative town. If I came out, I’d probably get kicked out of the house. I’ve tried to not be the way I am, it’s just not happening.
Should I tell anyone, or just keep it quiet until I can move away? Or something else?
A: I get emails all the time from gay teens who are struggling with the issue of when and how to come out. And no matter how many I get, I still always think, “For serious? This is still an issue for people?” That’s because in my book, everyone is entitled to love, in whatever form that takes (as long as it’s not harmful to others). I couldn’t care less whether you’re gay, straight, transgender, or celibate. You are deserving of love.
Anyway, you don’t say how old you are, but I’m going to assume somewhere between 16 and 20. Not knowing that makes this a tough one to answer, because there’s a world of difference between being 16 and in high school and being 20 and nearly out in the world.
I wish I could use my mantra for all things, “Be who you are” here, because really, we should all be able to do that and know that we’re guaranteed love and acceptance – especially by the people closest to us. But part of the downside to being an adult or almost-adult is the accepting that our decisions and actions have consequences. Sometimes, those consequences aren’t fair, but ranting about that isn’t going to get us anywhere, is it? In this case, as with most cases, we have to deal with what IS, even though it totally sucks.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
It's Not All About Marriage, It's About Relationship Rights
That's the interesting take that The Bilerico Project contributor Alex Blaze has on the Rhode Island legislature's veto override that granted domestic partner death rights in the state. Is another way to equality diminishing the privilege of married couples, and is that a bad thing? Here's an excerpt from Blaze's essay:
The Rhode Island legislature overrode the governor's veto to pass a bill to allow gay and straight unmarried partners to plan their partners' funerals in the case of death. I blogged about the governor's veto of this bill last November under the title "Everything is not marriage," because the governor cited the slippery slope to same-sex marriage as a reason to reject the bill.
While everyone is focusing on the same-sex couples that the bill will help, it applies to straight couples as well who might not marry for whatever reason. Elderly straight couples often don't marry so that they don't lose their deceased spouses' pensions and Social Security, younger couples are waiting longer and longer to get married (the bill applies to couples who have been together for at least a year, which isn't enough time for many straight people to get married), and lots of people just avoid the whole institution because of all the baggage that comes with being married.
This is "beyond marriage" win - it takes a right associated with marriage and opens it up to all relationships or the population as a whole. If we're saying we want to get married for the all the rights associated with the institution, another solution to being excluded from marriage is to just stop associating those rights with the institution.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
The Rhode Island legislature overrode the governor's veto to pass a bill to allow gay and straight unmarried partners to plan their partners' funerals in the case of death. I blogged about the governor's veto of this bill last November under the title "Everything is not marriage," because the governor cited the slippery slope to same-sex marriage as a reason to reject the bill.
While everyone is focusing on the same-sex couples that the bill will help, it applies to straight couples as well who might not marry for whatever reason. Elderly straight couples often don't marry so that they don't lose their deceased spouses' pensions and Social Security, younger couples are waiting longer and longer to get married (the bill applies to couples who have been together for at least a year, which isn't enough time for many straight people to get married), and lots of people just avoid the whole institution because of all the baggage that comes with being married.
This is "beyond marriage" win - it takes a right associated with marriage and opens it up to all relationships or the population as a whole. If we're saying we want to get married for the all the rights associated with the institution, another solution to being excluded from marriage is to just stop associating those rights with the institution.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Daily Devotional 1/9/10 Free to Choose
From: Love Worth Finding
“What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose.” Psalm 25:12
You are free to choose. You are not free, however, not to choose. Then, after you make a choice, your choice chooses for you.
There are consequences for your choices – always. If you choose to step off the roof of a ten-story building, you are not, then, free to choose the consequences of your choice. Your choice has chosen for you.
What if you make a bad choice? What is God’s reaction? First, He is in control. Your choices will not take Him by surprise. Thanks be to God, He can prevail over our bad choices to restore us into fellowship with Himself!
Have you made a choice in your past that has brought consequences reverberating even to this day? Then share that insight with someone who is younger in their faith than you.
“What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose.” Psalm 25:12
You are free to choose. You are not free, however, not to choose. Then, after you make a choice, your choice chooses for you.
There are consequences for your choices – always. If you choose to step off the roof of a ten-story building, you are not, then, free to choose the consequences of your choice. Your choice has chosen for you.
What if you make a bad choice? What is God’s reaction? First, He is in control. Your choices will not take Him by surprise. Thanks be to God, He can prevail over our bad choices to restore us into fellowship with Himself!
Have you made a choice in your past that has brought consequences reverberating even to this day? Then share that insight with someone who is younger in their faith than you.
January 08, 2010
Portugal's Parliment Votes to Permit Same-Sex Marriage
Here's the AP report via the New York Times:
Portugal's parliament passed a bill Friday that would make the predominantly Catholic nation the sixth in Europe to permit gay marriage.
Conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva is thought unlikely to veto the Socialist government's bill, which won the support of all left-of-center parties. His ratification would allow the first gay marriage ceremonies to take place in April -- a month before Pope Benedict XVI is due on an official visit to Portugal.
Right-of-center parties opposed the change and sought a national referendum on the issue, but their proposal was rejected and the government's bill was passed by 125 votes to 99.
Gay rights campaigners applauded from the galleries, hugged and kissed outside the building and ate wedding cake.
''This law rights a wrong,'' Prime Minister Jose Socrates said in a speech to lawmakers, adding that it ''simply ends pointless suffering.''
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Portugal's parliament passed a bill Friday that would make the predominantly Catholic nation the sixth in Europe to permit gay marriage.
Conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva is thought unlikely to veto the Socialist government's bill, which won the support of all left-of-center parties. His ratification would allow the first gay marriage ceremonies to take place in April -- a month before Pope Benedict XVI is due on an official visit to Portugal.
Right-of-center parties opposed the change and sought a national referendum on the issue, but their proposal was rejected and the government's bill was passed by 125 votes to 99.
Gay rights campaigners applauded from the galleries, hugged and kissed outside the building and ate wedding cake.
''This law rights a wrong,'' Prime Minister Jose Socrates said in a speech to lawmakers, adding that it ''simply ends pointless suffering.''
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Encouraging Words 1/8/10-"Confession of a Christian 'Broad'"
Here is an excerpt from an essay posted at Whosoever.org by Lori Heine:
No one forces God to love us. We are entirely dependent upon God's goodness. God's good - and always will be - because that's Who God is. As "His" Name, as given to Moses at the burning bush, implies, "I am who I am." Or, translated more correctly, "I will be who I will be."
Those who are good to those they don't have to be good to testify to the light of God. There's no "what's in it for me?" attitude for them. The less self-interested their love for others happens to be, the more God-like it is.
God weeps with us when we cry. But God doesn't have to do that. No one would punish "Him" if "He" stonily hid away and left us to weep all alone.
We make much - and rightly so - of the fact that Jesus was born a human being, in this human world, to live, and laugh, and cry, and suffer and die alongside of us. But there were other choices He could have made along the way.
No one forces God to love us. We are entirely dependent upon God's goodness. God's good - and always will be - because that's Who God is. As "His" Name, as given to Moses at the burning bush, implies, "I am who I am." Or, translated more correctly, "I will be who I will be."
Those who are good to those they don't have to be good to testify to the light of God. There's no "what's in it for me?" attitude for them. The less self-interested their love for others happens to be, the more God-like it is.
God weeps with us when we cry. But God doesn't have to do that. No one would punish "Him" if "He" stonily hid away and left us to weep all alone.
We make much - and rightly so - of the fact that Jesus was born a human being, in this human world, to live, and laugh, and cry, and suffer and die alongside of us. But there were other choices He could have made along the way.
An LGBT Parenting Agenda for 2010
Dana Rudolph, the publisher of the blog Mombian, contributed an essay to Bay Windows proposing an agenda for LGBT families to take on in the new year:
It is a bit of a cliché to joke that our "agenda" as LGBT parents goes something like this: "Grocery shopping. Laundry. PTA meeting. Kids’ soccer practice."
It’s funny because it’s true. The beginning of the year, however, is a good time to reflect on a broader agenda to help create equality for our families. Here are some of the items on my list:
Nationwide recognition of our parental status: Being in a legally recognized relationship in one jurisdiction is no guarantee that other jurisdictions will recognize the parenthood of a non-biological (or non-adoptive) parent. This can impact custody disputes, hospital visitation, or the simple ability to sign school forms.
Even when an adoption is legal in one state, parents sometimes have to fight for other states to recognize it. A federal appeals court last year ordered a hold on an order for Louisiana to put both gay dads on the birth certificate of a boy adopted in New York but born in Louisiana, where same-sex couples cannot adopt. The court heard the case in October, but has not yet ruled.
Last May in Florida, too, a biological mother tried to deny visitation to her ex-partner, who had done a second-parent adoption when the couple lived in Washington. The court ruled that despite the Florida ban on adoption by gay men and lesbians, it had to recognize the out-of-state adoption. Good news -- but opposite-sex parents would not have had to fight that battle.
Click here for the rest of this essay.
It is a bit of a cliché to joke that our "agenda" as LGBT parents goes something like this: "Grocery shopping. Laundry. PTA meeting. Kids’ soccer practice."
It’s funny because it’s true. The beginning of the year, however, is a good time to reflect on a broader agenda to help create equality for our families. Here are some of the items on my list:
Nationwide recognition of our parental status: Being in a legally recognized relationship in one jurisdiction is no guarantee that other jurisdictions will recognize the parenthood of a non-biological (or non-adoptive) parent. This can impact custody disputes, hospital visitation, or the simple ability to sign school forms.
Even when an adoption is legal in one state, parents sometimes have to fight for other states to recognize it. A federal appeals court last year ordered a hold on an order for Louisiana to put both gay dads on the birth certificate of a boy adopted in New York but born in Louisiana, where same-sex couples cannot adopt. The court heard the case in October, but has not yet ruled.
Last May in Florida, too, a biological mother tried to deny visitation to her ex-partner, who had done a second-parent adoption when the couple lived in Washington. The court ruled that despite the Florida ban on adoption by gay men and lesbians, it had to recognize the out-of-state adoption. Good news -- but opposite-sex parents would not have had to fight that battle.
Click here for the rest of this essay.
Daily Devotional 1/8/10 Let Jesus Lead the Way
From: Love Worth Finding
“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:24
Who knows you better than the One who created you?
Who cares more for you than the One Who died for you?
Who leads you more carefully than the One Who knows the end from the beginning?
There is no greater picture of courage than the picture of Jesus Christ – the Savior Who lays down His life. You can know security because the One Who loves you is compassionate, caring, and courageous.
Jesus knows you. He cares for you. He wants to lead you into the abundant life.
Are you willing to lay down your life for the sake of the Lord?
“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:24
Who knows you better than the One who created you?
Who cares more for you than the One Who died for you?
Who leads you more carefully than the One Who knows the end from the beginning?
There is no greater picture of courage than the picture of Jesus Christ – the Savior Who lays down His life. You can know security because the One Who loves you is compassionate, caring, and courageous.
Jesus knows you. He cares for you. He wants to lead you into the abundant life.
Are you willing to lay down your life for the sake of the Lord?
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