2/1/10

Gay Liberation Network to Picket Holy Name Cathedral on Freedom-to-Marry Day!

In opposition to the desires of millions of lay Catholics for simple justice for all, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church has long aligned itself with, and often led, the forces of hate and bigotry opposing equal rights for gays and women.

At 10:30 AM on Freedom-to-Marry Day 2010 – Sunday, February 14, Valentine’s Day – the Gay Liberation Network will host an informational picket of Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State Street, to highlight the role the Church’s leadership has played in promoting inequality.

For many years the Catholic leadership has attempted to fly under the radar screen with its opposition to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. A key secret to their success has been their stealthiness, ironically often assisted by gay rights “leaders.” These “leaders,” not trusting rank-and-file Catholics to be fair and too worried about hurting their fundraising base with well-connected and wealthy Catholics, are too cowardly to call out Catholic leaders for promoting hate and discrimination.

As a local example, Chicago's Catholic leader Cardinal Francis George has worked tirelessly -- albeit from behind the scenes -- to block our path to full legal equality. George attempted to kill LGBT inclusion as a protected class in the Illinois Human Rights Act, which now protects us from housing and employment discrimination. He and other Catholic bishops circulated petitions in a failed effort to force an advisory referendum on "gay marriage," and George is the head of the national Conference of Catholic Bishops which spent big bucks backing Prop 8 hate in California. Back in Illinois, George is working hard today to block same sex-marriage and/or civil unions.

On Sunday, February 14th, with our picket of Holy Name Cathedral, we will make a start in dragging Francis George's bigotry out of the closet.


But Cardinal George is no lone voice in the wilderness. He is joined by almost the entire hierarchy of the Catholic Church whose record of activism against gay equality is long and sordid:

** Speaking of the current pope, the Associated Press reported that “Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, spearheaded a Vatican campaign against same-sex unions in 2003, issuing guidelines for Catholic politicians to oppose laws granting legal rights to gay couples when he was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.” Associated Press, 6/6/05

** The Portland, Maine Archdiocese gathered more than a quarter of the funds recently used to defeat marriage equality in Maine. In addition, Marc Mutty, the chair of the principal statewide organization in Maine that fueled anti-gay discrimination there, was the Portland Archdiocese’s head spokesperson until taking a leave of absence from his job to spearhead the successful effort to rob gays and lesbians of their equal marriage rights.

** The Catholic fraternal organization Knights of Columbus bankrolled California’s anti-gay Proposition 8 to the tune of over $1 million.

** As California’s East Bay Express noted about newly-minted Oakland Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, “What almost no one knows is that without Bishop Sal, gay men and lesbians would almost surely still be able to get married today. As an auxiliary bishop in San Diego, Cordileone played an indispensable role in conceiving, funding, organizing, and ultimately winning the campaign to pass Proposition 8. It was Bishop Sal and a small group of Catholic leaders who decided that they had to amend the state constitution. It was Bishop Sal who found the first major donor and flushed the fledgling campaign with cash. It was Bishop Sal who personally brought in the organization that took the lead on the petition drive. And it was Bishop Sal who coordinated the Catholic effort with evangelical churches around the state. Bishop Sal even helped craft the campaign's rhetorical strategy, sitting in on focus groups to hone the message of Proposition 8.“
While Catholic leaders decry any attempts to label them as haters and bigots, their own scapegoating statements tell a very different story about their true feelings:

** Former pope Karol Wotija, aka John Paul II, condemned gay foster parents for doing "violence" to children. He called us "disordered," and "against the natural law." He railed against civil marriage equality for all same-sex couples whether Catholic or not, condemning our civil marriage contract as an act "against God," and proclaimed defeating marriage equality his "primary task" for 2005.

** In a 2005 pastoral letter read in every church in the diocese of Calgary, Alberta, Bishop Frederick Henry called on his flock to stamp out same-sex marriage. “Since homosexuality, adultery, prostitution and pornography undermine the foundations of the family, the basis of society, then the State must use its coercive power to proscribe or curtail them in the interests of the common good." (365Gay.com)

** In an end-of year address in 2008, the current pope, George Ratzinger (aka Benedict XVI), said that the existence of gay people threatens humanity as much as the destruction of rainforests and that "blurring" genders through acceptance of transgender people would kill off the human race.

** Beginning in 1986, Ratzinger wrote a series of church documents that branded sexually active gays as "evil," told church officials to kick Dignity chapters off church property and even warned Catholic lawmakers that voting in favor of gay-rights legislation is "gravely immoral" because "the approval or legalization of evil is something far different from the toleration of evil." (Deb Price, Detroit News)

** Ratzinger has disparaged lesbian and gay couples as engaging in “pseudo-matrimonies by people of the same sex.”

** Bishop Cordileone has called same-sex marriage a Satanic plot: "The ultimate attack of the Evil One is the attack on marriage.”

** In 2007 Chicago’s Cardinal George wrote that same-sex behavior "brings people's salvation into jeopardy" in a column for the Archdiocese of Chicago newspaper.
When haters garb themselves in clerical robes, their statements and activities must be exposed.

The Gay Liberation Network encourages all people of good will, regardless of faith background, to join us at 10:30 AM, Sunday, February 14 for an informational picket of Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State Street, Chicago.
Gay Liberation Network Facebook page
gayliberation.net

Bruce Knotts, Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office to be in Dallas for a Informal Discussion


Bruce Knotts, Executive Director UU - UNO "An Informal Discussion"Wednesday, Feb. 3rd.

Free and Open to the Public

Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff
3839 W. Kiest Blvd.
Dallas, Texas 75233
(214) 337-2429

Bruce Knotts, Director of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, was the person responsible for getting BLGT issues added to the UN's civil rights agenda. Come meet him and two of his associates for an informal discussion.

The UU United Nations Office seeks to strengthen efforts to promote peace and to eliminate war, discrimination, poverty and disease, thus affirming our belief in the essential unity of the human family. Inspired by UU principles, the Office is committed to peace, freedom and environmental responsibility, as well as social, civil and economic justice for all.

The UU UNO is an associate member of the UUA with United Nations ECOSOC consultative status and DPI/NGO status. With its own board, budget, and programs, the Office speaks, acts and bears witness on behalf of Unitarian Universalists at the United Nations and within the governments of Canada and the US to educate UUs about the structure, function, and actions of the UN.

1/30/10

Ugandan transgender fugitive Pepe Julian Onziema

Imagine being a law abiding citizen yet living in fear for your life, having been stoned by neighbors and falsely imprisoned by your government, and your only crime?

Being transgender!

KAMPALA, Jan 29, 2010 (IPS) - Every morning Pepe Julian Onziema wakes up not knowing if she will live to see another rising sun. Onziema is transgender and she lives in fear for her life because of a national campaign against gay people.

Although she has done nothing wrong, Onziema lives like a fugitive - always on the lookout to avoid trouble.

Her days are spent in fear and as darkness descends she securely locks the doors to her flat in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb where she lives with her partner.

Onziema is a well-known activist and the national programmes coordinator of Sexual Minorities Uganda, an advocacy network of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organisations. She has appeared on television several times defending the rights of LGBTs. But it has not made her life any easier.

Just like other LGBTs in her country Onziema has been arrested; spat on; attacked; insulted and even stoned by neighbours.Read the rest at IPS RIGHTS-UGANDA: Fugitives in Their Own Country

Equality Utah amazing progress in five legislative days

I was along with many others, so profoundly effected by the Mormons contribution to the passage of prop 8 became intensely interested in Saltlake cities newly formed GLBT groups.

Like a flickering candle of hope in the mountains, Utah's equality birthright was a battlefield where every attempt to find common ground was met by the goverment and the LDS with stifling overpowering opposition, threatening to extinguish the very human spirit of those courageous early campaigners for equality.

Astonishingly, Utah may emerge as a bright star of fairness if progress is maintained. Many of us are now hopefull.

From Equality Utah:

Equality Utah has been working with Representative Christine Johnson and Senator Howard Stephenson on a Fair Workplace and Housing Bill.

Today at a press conference, Leadership of both the House and Senate along with Representative Johnson and Senator Stephenson agreed to engage in an anti-discrimination study related to Housing and Employment during the Interim Session.

It was also announced that there will be NO PREEMPTIVE BILLS.

Both of these announcements represent incredibly positive developments, especially in light of what was potentially underway during this Legislative Session.

This means that we truly have the opportunity to find Common Ground in the state of Utah. Stakeholders and interested parties have agreed to continue the dialogue to gather pertinent information through the study sponsored by Rep. Johnson and Sen. Stephenson.

Most importantly, just 5 days in to the 2010 Session, we managed to defeat 5 negative bills.

• Two were outright preemptions that would have stopped ANY non-discrimination Ordinances from being enacted, including those that were already passed.

• Two were focused on stripping housing protections from the Housing and Workplace bill.

• One would have gutted the Human Rights Ordinances by allowing religious "Adherents" to discriminate.

Equality Utah is committed to providing these critical protections in Housing and Employment, and will continue to work with all stakeholders until full equality is achieved.

Working for a fair and just Utah,

Brandie Balken
Executive Director

Salt Lake Tribune'Dramatic jump' with Utahns for gay rights "More want SLC's rules to go statewide; marriage, adoption don't gain traction."

1/28/10

Pay Your Respects to Myra Ical This Saturday

Pay Your Respects to Myra This Saturday

Friends and family of Myra Ical would like to invite the community to pay their last respects on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at the Santana Funeral Home located at 5352 Katy Freeway (corner of I-10 & T C Jester).

Myra Ical was a Houston transgender woman who was brutally murdered January 18th and whose memory was imediatly slandered by media. The community spoke out against the slander and organized the largest TG action in Houston's history.After the community spoke up, the media corrected their portrayal of Myra's life and death, the request for information leading to the arrest of Myra's killer was carried on practically all Houston media and we now know the name of a person of interest.

Myra's friends were moved beyond words by the response from the community. Many of them shared stories about Myra's life - especially her compassion - with me. Myra's family and friends asked me to extend this invitation to help them say goodbye to their loved one and our sister, Myra Ical between the hours of 1 and 9 PM this Saturday.

Thank you,
Cristan Williams

Tyra Banks Show Transgender Children with Cameos from Kim Pearson and Dr. Marci Bowers

Families of transgender children compassionately undertake the momentous task of educating Tyra Banks about transgender youth....like finger painting a Monet so that Tyra and more people might appreciate our children's wonderful rainbows.....





Just love your children unconditionally and know you are not alone.



This is something much deeper than just a physical thing.



At this point supposed "expert" makes a case for the disbarment of Kenneth Zucker.



Tyra Banks is obsessed throughout the show with the physical differences that the sexes have as if she believes that these differences alone predicate our genders. Then Tyra goes to show how just how shallow she is by embarrassing a post op transgender woman with a demonstration on how to pee with out sitting down. Tyra then tells her that "OK now that you are a real girl" you have to wipe the toilet seat clean. OMG!!

If thats what real woman do then why is the ladies room toilet seats covered with pee so often?

just asking

But the real tragedy is the wounding of transgender children everywhere as Banks again surprised her guests, but not with a unexpected act of goodwill. Banks blindsided the advocate who's good will brought the innocent children to the show, Kim Pearson of the TYFA, and world renowned SRS surgeon DR. Marci Bowers with a short unprovoked attack by a very obnoxious man who's religious views compelled him to shout over any objections that Marci or Kim presented.

I once asked Kim why she formed the TYFA and she responded, it's what a mother would do. The look in Kim's and Marcie's eyes as they leaped in defense of the children was like mother lions protecting their offspring, purely primordial and fearsome.

It was what a mother does.

To our transgender children. You are our blessing and we love you so very much.

Glaad Blog “The Tyra Show” Features Transgender Children and Their Families