A statement from the mother of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado
Miriam Mercado gave this statement to the team organizing the weekend’s vigils:
“When my son told me he was gay, I told him, ‘Now, I love you more.’ I want to tell the world that hatred is not born with human beings, it is a seed that is planted by adults …
Homosexuality immoral, but not criminal: Religious leaders
In the first flurry of reactions, religious leaders appeared to be slamming the de-criminalization of gay sex. But while most conservative scholars and clerics remain opposed to homosexuality as an article of faith, many say that they aren’t advocating making it a criminal act as Section 377 of IPC did.
Writer and philosopher Deepak Chopra told TOI from his home in New York, ‘‘A new morality must evolve that is based on a true understanding of human nature, that is also consistent with its biology. Homosexuality has been part of the human condition for as long as human beings have existed. The Delhi High Court should be congratulated for making a decision that finally catches up with our times.’’
Then, while Delhi Catholic Archdiocese has described homosexuality as ‘‘unnatural’’, it says it has nothing against its de-criminalization. Spokesperson of Delhi Catholic Archdiocese, Father Dominic Emmanuel, told TOI,‘‘Homosexuality is a sin — as opposed to a crime. But we believe that those who indulge in it should be treated with respect and compassion.’’
In a newspaper article, Father Dominic was even more forthright. ‘‘It needs to be made clear that the Christian community does not (repeat it does not) treat people with homosexual tendencies as criminals. Nor does it believe that they can be regarded on par with criminals. Therefore, the church has no serious objection to the repealing of Section 377.
‘‘The Vatican’s stand on this is quite clear: Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided’,’’ wrote Father Dominic.
Similarly, some Muslim clerics and scholars, too, favour de-criminalization of homosexuality, saying that while Islam does not permit homosexuality, this doesn’t mean it should be equated with criminality.
‘‘The Quran condemns homosexuality, but doesn’t prescribe any punishment for it. It’s a sin, not a crime. Sin is between Allah and the sinner, but crime concerns the entire society. So, sexual minorities should be left to their conscience. They are answerable to Allah for their act and should not be treated as criminals,’’ said Islamic scholar Asghar Ali Engineer.
Maulana Abu Zafar Hassan Nadvi, a cleric, too accepts that since the Quran is silent on the punishment for homosexuality, it should be treated as an irreligious, immoral act. ‘‘Every non-religious act is not liable to be punished. Just as we don’t pronounce death for atheists, homosexuals should be left alone until they get reformed,” said Maulana Nadvi. See Homosexuality immoral, but not criminal: Religious leaders
Times of India
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
 |
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/homosexuality…
Obama Faces Gay Groups’ Growing Anger
The anger from gay rights advocates toward President Obama is starting to boil over.
On Monday, Joe Solmonese, the president of the establishment gay rights group The Human Rights Campaign, sent an angry letter to the president objecting to the decision by the Obama Justice Department to file a brief defending the Defense of Marriage Act.
“I realized that although I and other LGBT leaders have introduced ourselves to you as policy makers, we clearly have not been heard, and seen, as what we also are: human beings whose lives, loves, and families are equal to yours,” Solmonese wrote. “I know this because this brief would not have seen the light of day if someone in your administration who truly recognized our humanity and equality had weighed in with you.”
The Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, mandates (1) that the federal government not recognize same-sex marriages and (2) that states not be forced to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.
Mr. Obama vowed to repeal DOMA as a presidential candidate but he has not taken any action to do so since becoming president. The Justice Department brief calls the legislation a “valid exercise of Congress’ power” and says it is “reasonable and rational for Congress to maintain its longstanding policy of fostering this traditional and universally-recognized form of marriage.”
“The government does not state why denying us basic protections promotes anyone else’s marriage, nor why, while our heterosexual neighbors’ marriages should be promoted, our own must be discouraged,” Solmonese writes in his letter.
He goes onto single out a portion of the brief referencing a case involving “marriage of uncle to niece” to support the Justice position.
“I cannot overstate the pain that we feel as human beings and as families when we read an argument, presented in federal court, implying that our own marriages have no more constitutional standing than incestuous ones,” he writes. See Obama Faces Gay Groups’ Growing Anger
CBS News -
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/06/obama-faces-g…
Urgent Petition: Save Roodabeh and Ali, Iranian Homosexual Refugees
Roodabeh is a 30-year-old lesbian woman who left Iran in February 2008 to flee from the persecution that the regime of President Ahmadinejad reserves for homosexuals; persecution that foresees in many cases – according to a ruthless interpretation of Islamic law – prison sentences, torture and even death. Ali is a 29-year-old gay. He too was forced to leave Iran to escape the repression in January 2008. Once in Turkey, Roodabeh and Ali applied for asylum to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Ankara section) on the grounds of their sexual orientation.
EveryOne Group, Human Rights international organization, would point out that the right of asylum, as laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 14) and finalized by the Geneva Convention, is one of the fundamental rights of human beings, and is recognised by civil countries to those fleeing from violence and persecution. Turkey signed the Geneva Convention and has saved many human lives by acknowledging their status as refugees and offering them humanitarian protection. However, Turkey’s present policies where the rights of refugees and asylum seekers are concerned, have recently become more restrictive. So much so that Amnesty International has recently brought to international attention the repeated violations of the Geneva Convention in the Republic of Turkey, as well as the episodes of abuse carried out by the police against refugees. Roodabeh and Ali live in fear of being repatriated as the Iranian authorities are aware of their flight and the reason they were forced to seek asylum. If they were to be deported, they would have little chance of being spared this persecution.
They live in a state of anguish (as well as discrimination, seeing they are both foreigners and homosexuals) knowing their lives are in danger. They survive only thanks to the commitment of individuals and human rights organizations, but their condition will deteriorate rapidly if their right to international protection is not urgently recognised.
This is why EveryOne Group, working alongside Iranian Queer Railroad (IRQR) and a network of human rights organizations, is promoting a campaign and appealing to the UN High Commission for Refugees to recognise their legitimate right to international protection and asylum.
EveryOne Group activists must point out that Roodabeh and Ali have been awaiting the decision of the High Commission for many months, without financial support, social assistance or programmes of insertion into the work force.
A petition has been submitted to ask international and Turkish authorities and institutions to grant immediate asylum status to the two Iranian homosexuals. You can sign it at http://www.gopetition.com/online/28514/sign.html
For further information:
EveryOne Group
http://www.everyonegroup.com :: info [at] everyonegroup.com
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/06/urgent-petiti…
Dr. Laura on Gay Marriage: ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Healthy’??? Dr. LAura?????
Famed conservative Dr. Laura Schlessinger praised same-sex committed relationships on Larry King Live as, “a beautiful thing and a healthy thing.”
When host Larry King directly asked the conservative radio host about her reactions to burgeoning gay marriage acceptance in new states. She tried to say she didn’t “have much of an oponion on it.” But King pressed, citing Dr. Laura had “always favored that marriage must be between a man and woman.”
Shlessinger replied thoughtfully:
”I’m very big on human beings finding love, attachment and commitment and being faithful to it, because there’s more to benefit when there is real, true commitment and faithfulness to it. I still believe, as just every president has, and all the people who ran for office, that marriage is a sacrament between a man and a woman. So not calling it marriage works for me. But that two people would have that sort of commitment to me is a very healthy and very positive thing in their lives and society as a whole.”
Dr. Laura on Gay Marriage: ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Healthy’
SheWired -
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/04/dr-laura-on-g…
Dr. Laura on Gay Marriage: ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Healthy’??? Dr. LAura?????
Famed conservative Dr. Laura Schlessinger praised same-sex committed relationships on Larry King Live as, “a beautiful thing and a healthy thing.”
When host Larry King directly asked the conservative radio host about her reactions to burgeoning gay marriage acceptance in new states. She tried to say she didn’t “have much of an oponion on it.” But King pressed, citing Dr. Laura had “always favored that marriage must be between a man and woman.”
Shlessinger replied thoughtfully:
”I’m very big on human beings finding love, attachment and commitment and being faithful to it, because there’s more to benefit when there is real, true commitment and faithfulness to it. I still believe, as just every president has, and all the people who ran for office, that marriage is a sacrament between a man and a woman. So not calling it marriage works for me. But that two people would have that sort of commitment to me is a very healthy and very positive thing in their lives and society as a whole.”
Dr. Laura on Gay Marriage: ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Healthy’
SheWired -
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/04/dr-laura-on-g…
One love, many escapes in ‘I Love You Phillip Morris’
Patti Perret / Mad Chance Prod/Europa Corp.
Jim Carrey, left, and Ewan McGregor play the real-life lovers who met behind bars.
Make no mistake: “I Love You Phillip Morris” is no “Brokeback Mountain.”
Sure, both are high-profile films that tell the story of two men sincerely in love. “Brokeback Mountain” came from Oscar-winner Ang Lee, well known for his finely etched studies of repressed human beings. “I Love You Phillip Morris,” on the other hand, is the directorial debut of longtime writing partners Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, best known for the Billy Bob Thornton comedy “Bad Santa,” about a misanthropic, drunken department store St. Nick and his partner in crime, an utterly profane homicidal dwarf.
“Brokeback Mountain” is based on a poignant Annie Proulx short story. “I Love You Phillip Morris” happens to be based on fact, the true-life tale of a onetime married police officer turned gay Texan con man, Steven Russell, who had a penchant for breaking out of prison on Friday the 13th and a mad passion for a fellow inmate by the improbable true name Phillip Morris. The $14-million film stars Jim Carrey as Russell and Ewan McGregor as his younger lover Morris and premieres tonight at the Sundance Film Festival. See One love, many escapes in ‘I Love You Phillip Morris’
Los Angeles Times, CA
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/one-love-many…
Transgender teen decries hate at schools
About 25 protesters braved a brisk wind and fumes from cars zipping past Friday afternoon to show their support for Blake Williams, a transgender teen who says he dropped out of Aspen Valley High School because he didn’t feel safe.
Williams, 18, said he’s endured bullying and verbal abuse at three schools – two in Academy School District 20 and one charter school – in the two years since he began transitioning from female to male. He called on District 20 and other district administrations to begin training staff on the issues facing Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students.
“We need to be protected from the hate, the bullying,” he said. “We want to be treated as human beings.”
Others at the rally across from Aspen Valley, an alternative school in D-20, said the education community, including colleges, must work harder to address issues that face LGBT students.
See Transgender teen decries hate at schools
Colorado Springs Gazette, CO
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2008/12/transgender-t…
