Posts tagged gay rights
Born Okay The First Time In Lower Alabama
As a humanist and supporter of equality and gay rights, it seems that Roger Ebert has drawn the ire of the Westboro Baptist Church.
Well done Mr. Ebert.
RESPECT!
Also see: The Humanism Of Roger Ebert - In Memoriam: Roger Ebert (June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013)
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Astronaut Sally Ride, who inspired many women and girls to seek out careers in space and science as America’s first woman in space, died Monday of pancreatic cancer.
Ride’s same-sex partner of 27 years will be denied any federal benefits because of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act.
Isn’t it about time we hold our elected officials accountable and strongly urge them to end DOMA now. After all, when Congress discriminates against some Americans, it compromises the rights of all Americans.
Please sign this petition and find out what more you can to help right this inequality.
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Why anti-gay bullying is different I just saw a moving video by Dan Savage, founder of It Gets Better, our current Human Rights beneficiary. He describes the heartbreaking inspiration for the project — the suicide of Billy Lucas in September 2010 — and what It Gets Better has done since then.
As a parent educator, one line in the video leaped out at me, something I’d never quite thought of this way: “The kid who’s bullied because of sexual orientation doesn’t go home to gay parents. The kid who’s bullied because of race, religion, or class goes home to parents of the same race, religion, or class who are on his side. Too may queer kids go home to straight parents who are also bullying them.”
As North Carolina becomes yet another state to vote an anti-gay amendment into law at the urging of religious conservatives, there’s no better time for the members of this secular humanist Foundation to proudly stand on the right side of the central civil rights issue of our time.
Dale McGowan Executive director, Foundation Beyond Belief Also View Dan’s video at FBB.org
Although I agree for the most part, I would like to point out that many non-religious students who are bullied because of their lack of faith do not go home to parents who are understanding and accepting of their atheism.
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Hate Groups React to Obama's Support of Marriage Equality
Not surprising but no less appalling.
Because I’m more motivated by actions than words, I’m glad that Obama finally voiced his opinion, but until I see what he does with his admission, I’m less inclined to jump on this bandwagon. I can’t help it; I’m super wary of politicians, especially in election years.
A few of the groups in America who have tasked themselves with the job of protecting marriage from us equality terrorists, had something to say about it. Ordinarily I’d just blow it off as the continued rhetoric of the bigoted, but for FRC’s comment that, “From opposing state marriage amendments to refusing to defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to giving taxpayer funded marriage benefits to same-sex couples, the President has undermined the spirit and the letter of the law.“
Please correct me if I’m wrong here, but it was my understanding that members of the LGBTQA community who are gainfully employed and pay taxes are deserving of the same benefits allotted to every other taxpayer. You all know that I don’t own a TV, but I don’t think I would have missed something as big as the announcement of state and federal tax agencies refusing to accept the tax dollars of LGBTQA citizens!
I’ve said this so many time, but I’ll say it again: REGARDLESS OF YOUR STANCE ON HOMOSEXUALITY, YOU CANNOT DENY CERTAIN TAX PAYERS THE BENEFITS GIVEN TO ALL BECAUSE YOU ARE IN OPPOSITION TO THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION! Yes that was written in all caps because I’m fucking furious.
These hypocrites, most of whom are blanketed under 501(c)(3) providing them a tax exemption status, stand on their platforms and declare how much God is against same sex marriage. Apparently God is not against clean streets, public schools, public services, politician salaries, and every other state and government program funded by tax dollars. Tax dollars that INCLUDE those of the very same people they are trying to deny the right to marry.
How dare they try to support their fight against marriage equality by making references to tax dollars? Are they fucking serious with this?
~ Kim
American Family Association
He has finally come out of the closet, if you will, on the homosexual marriage issue. He’s in favor of it. He always has been. The only reason he didn’t say anything about it before the election last time is because he didn’t want to hurt himself. President Obama, [in] his first year in office, had the homosexual activists to the White House for a dinner and he promised them he would be their ‘champion’ — and so he is coming through for them on many different fronts, including the military, changing the military to allow open homosexuality there.Family Research Council
For once, the President is bringing his words in sync with his actions. From opposing state marriage amendments to refusing to defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to giving taxpayer funded marriage benefits to same-sex couples, the President has undermined the spirit and the letter of the law. As demonstrated by yesterday’s overwhelming vote for Amendment 1, redefining marriage remains outside the mainstream of American politics, especially in the critical battleground states and among minority voters. In North Carolina, the amendment received more than 60 percent of the vote in majority-black counties. If anything, today’s announcement almost ensures that marriage will again be a major issue in the presidential election.Alliance Defense Fund
This shows that the Obama administration doesn’t understand the public purpose of marriage. Marriage — the lifelong, faithful union of one man and one woman — is the building block of a thriving society. It’s not something that politicians should attempt to redefine for political purposes. The president has spoken eloquently about how fatherless homes often hurt children and society. Today’s statement is a tragic contradiction that promotes the creation of even more fatherless and motherless homes.Tradition Values Coalition
This isn’t exactly a bold move by the president. Forced by Joe Biden’s big mouth, Obama had no choice left but to publicly embrace an agenda he has privately promoted for years. Obama needs new friends. His leadership has completely alienated Wall Street, financial investors, small businesses, soccer moms, and virtually every other constituency by pushing his radical ideology at a time when America needed principled leadership. Who better to appease than the LGBT community with tons of disposable income to fund his re-election campaign? North Carolina just became the 31st state to affirm the sanctity of marriage. As if mainstream Americans needed any further reasons to reject Obama’s radical social agenda, we were most certainly reminded today.Catholic League
The president of the United States likes the idea of Tom and Dick marrying. He did not say whether he supports Tom, Dick and Harry marrying, or whether he is “evolving” in that direction. Perhaps he has to consult with his mentor on this issue, Mr. Joseph Biden of Delaware. Yesterday, North Carolina voters affirmed marriage as being between a man and a woman. In the 32 times voters have been asked to decide this issue, they have voted 32 times to support traditional marriage. Gay rights advocates have never won. President Obama will be hurt by this decision in the swing states. More than that, he has now made this cultural matter a major issue in the presidential campaign. The time has finally come to pass a constitutional amendment affirming marriage as an institution reserved to the only two people who can naturally produce a family, namely a man and a woman.
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N.C. Preacher Tells Parents to Crack Wrists, Punch Gay Acting Children
TRANSCRIPT: “So your little son starts to act a little girlish when he is four years old and instead of squashing that like a cockroach and saying, “Man up, son, get that dress off you and get outside and dig a ditch, because that is what boys do,” you get out the camera and you start taking pictures of Johnny acting like a female and then you upload it to YouTube and everybody laughs about it and the next thing you know, this dude, this kid is acting out childhood fantasies that should have been squashed.
Can I make it any clearer? Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. Ok? You are not going to act like that. You were made by God to be a male and you are going to be a male. And when your daughter starts acting to Butch you reign her in. And you say, “Oh, no, sweetheart. You can play sports. Play them to the glory of God. But sometimes you are going to act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl and that means you are going to be beautiful. You are going to be attractive. You are going to dress yourself up.”
You say, “Can I take charge like that as a parent?”
Yeah, you can. You are authorized. I just gave you a special dispensation this morning to do that.”
This guy is blatantly inciting his congregation to abuse their children. Terrible person!
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(via amodernmanifesto)
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I’m not afraid to admit that I’m an Atheist and I approve this message!
In response to Rick Perry’s recent ad below of course:-)
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Lesbian Torture Clinics Attempt to Cure Women of their Homosexuality
I just read a very disturbing report from change.org about a system on clinics in Ecuador where one of the goals of “Doctors” is to cure lesbians of their homosexuality. Obscene and this idea of “curing” someone of homosexuality seems to me, the methods described below that are being used in an attempt to achieve this goal are even more repulsive. If you agree, please read the bellow message and sign the petition that follows.
Paola Ziritti is unthinkably brave to speak publicly about the “clinic.” She endured physical assault, sexual abuse, and a constant battery of insults. Guards would even throw buckets of cold water and urine on her. For two years, this was Paola’s waking nightmare… because she’s a lesbian. The “doctors” and guards at the clinic were trying to “cure” her.
Paola lives in Ecuador, where these so-called clinics are terrifyingly common — although the government shut down 27 this year, 180 clinics remain open, and most of the prisoners there are women. (Some gay men and transgendered people are in the clinics as well, but far fewer.)
Paola’s parents knew they were sending her to a forced confinement clinic, but they had no idea how awful it would be. Once Paola’s mother realized what she’d done, she tried to get her daughter back, but the clinic said no. The process to free Paola took a year.
A few incredibly courageous Ecuadorian women are fighting back — they call themselves Fundacion Causana. The women of Fundacion Causana started a petition on Change.org demanding that Ecuadoran Minister of Public Health Dr. David Chiriboga Allnut investigate and shut down all 180 remaining clinics that torture women to “cure” them. Please sign the petition right now.
Fundacion Causana does direct-service work on the ground to save women from the clinics, but they say it’s not enough. They need the unbridled support of the Ecuadoran government to get all of the clinics shut down.
So far, the government has only shut down a small cluster of clinics in one region of the country. Ecuador’s government officials need to know that we are watching and will not stand idly by while women are imprisoned and tortured.
Please sign Fundacion Causana’s petition demanding that the Ecuadoran Minister of Public Health investigate and shut down every “clinic” that tortures members of Ecuador’s LGBT community:
http://www.change.org/petitions/fiscal-general-del-estado-close-fake-clinics-that-torture-lgbt-in-order-to-cure-them
Also, I think it is important for us to remember that it was not that long ago when our own governments held and acted on such views. If we let the religious bigots in the often dubbed “civilized world” get their way our societies and it’s laws may one day once again reflect these intolerant views on human sexuality and equal rights.
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