FUNDAMENTALISM vs FREE SPEECH. A Show Trial in Moscow

By Free Pussy Riot Now - Свободу девушкам из Pussy Riot!


Religious fanatics are the same everywhere, just dressed differently. - Религиозные фанатики повсюду одинаковые, только одеваются по-разному.
They tell you how you shoud live. - Они учат вас жить.
Stone you for 'immodesty'. - Забрасывают камнями за 'нескромность'.
Jail you for 'blasphemy'. - Сажают в тюрьму за 'кощунство'.
Join our cause! - Присоединяйтесь к нашей акции!
FREE PUSSY RIOT!


PUSSY RIOT AND THE THREAT TO GOD
by Nick Revell, Huffington Post 06/07/2012
PUSSY RIOT AND THE THREAT TO GOD

Don't know whether you saw this - but God appeared and spoke to someone the other day. I'm surprised it didn't get wider coverage, but that's aggressive secularism in the modern world for you. Anyway, he spoke to a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. The famously reclusive deity, dubbed the JD Salinger of the Supreme Being Community, has seen no reason to issue any kind of comment or statement on any human activity, no matter how morally questionable or indeed challenging to the whole idea of His/Her/Its very existence, for the last several thousand years. (The last appearance was possibly when he whispered in Mohammed's ear and told him that people who didn't worship Him in the same way as Mohammed did, needed to be killed immediately.)

Well, after two or three millennia of completely refraining from any further spiteful shit-stirring in human affairs, God finally showed up again about 10 days ago. Some speculate it was a pre-emptive attempt to counter-spin imminent proof of the existence of the Higgs boson, which in turn disproves the existence of God in anything but metaphorical terms: An existential crisis of such severity that God decided to contact a Russian Orthodox Priest called Vsevolod Chaplin and express his opinion on the punk band Pussy Riot. That's right, no new commandments or dietary stipulations; no additional ambiguous moral precepts open to hair-splitting and murderous multi-interpretation; no apologies or even explanations for the holocaust, homophobia or Mark Lawrenson. No, God breaks hundreds of years of silence... to slag off some musicians.

Pussy Riot are a feminist political music collective who in February, dressed in colourful balaclavas, mini-dresses, and tights, stormed into the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow to perform their song Punk Prayer, which denounces human rights abuses in Russia and calls on the Virgin Mary to save the country from Vladimir Putin.





Punk-Prayer "Virgin Mary, Put Putin Away"

(choir)

Virgin Mary, Mother of God, put Putin away
Рut Putin away, put Putin away

(end chorus)

...
Black robe, golden epaulettes
All parishioners crawl to bow
The phantom of liberty is in heaven
Gay-pride sent to Siberia in chains

The head of the KGB, their chief saint,
Leads protesters to prison under escort
In order not to offend His Holiness
Women must give birth and love

Shit, shit, the Lord's shit!
Shit, shit, the Lord's shit!

(Chorus)

Virgin Mary, Mother of God, become a feminist
Become a feminist, become a feminist

(end chorus)

The Church’s praise of rotten dictators
The cross-bearer procession of black limousines
A teacher-preacher will meet you at school
Go to class - bring him money!

Patriarch Gundyaev believes in Putin
Bitch, better believe in God instead
The belt of the Virgin can’t replace mass-meetings
Mary, Mother of God, is with us in protest!

(Chorus)

Virgin Mary, Mother of God, put Putin away
Рut Putin away, put Putin away

(end chorus)






Vladimir Putin: a man who understands the fragile nature of post-dictatorship Russian democracy better than any other Russian ruler. Which is why he never lets anyone else have a go.

Three members of Pussy Riot - Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Ekaterina Samutsevich - were arrested shortly after the protest and have been in detention ever since. If they get convicted they face a seven year sentence. Mind you, given the illegality of their arrest and continued postponements of trial dates, it looks like they face a seven year sentence even before they are convicted. In fairness to the Russian authorities, though, there is a hearing going on as I write; proceedings were suddenly rushed forward to ensure both speedy carriage of justice, and that the defence lawyers have not nearly enough time to properly review the prosecution case.

To Be Transgender & A Refugee In the USA

Crossing over on Tumblr

Crossing over on Twitter

Source: Crossing Over Doc.com

"Each year, thousands of Mexican nationals immigrate illegally to Los Angeles in search of better opportunities and a better life. They work in the shadows, undocumented, hoping that their efforts will pay off and that someday they will live in the light. For the transgender individuals among them, the shadows are more pervasive and difficult to overcome. Though many are eligible for political asylum, few are aware of it, and as a result many turn to the sex industry—often falling prey to its many dangers—simply to survive."

"Crossing Over is the story of three strong, transgender women who immigrated to the United States to escape a lifetime of sexual and mental abuse, and found that if they wanted a better life, they’d have to fight for it."

"This is a film about a community of strength and support, about women who fight for themselves and each other, and about finding the strength to be true to oneself no matter what the obstacles. The juxtaposition between the proud, colorful moments from the lives that these women have managed to craft for themselves and the quiet moments of darkness that continue to pervade will remind us of what they have undergone to become the women they are today."

Yet Another Turkish Transgender Woman Slain Amid Rising Right Wing Violence

Seçil Anne's throat was slit and her face showed deep cuts according the the KA OS GL report:

"

Neşe Dilşeker, born in 1966 and known as “Seçil Anne”, was a resident in Antalya for 15 years and was found dead at her own house around 23:00 on July 10, 2012. Her death came in sight after her friends could not reach her and reported that to the police."

"Police officers who entered Dilşeker’s house found her dead body with her throat cut. It was also reported that Dilşeker had deep wounds on her face as well. After investigations in the crime scene, Dilşeker’s funeral was taken to Forensic Science institution."

"It is known that the Antalya Police Station has not yet reached the suspect. Cameras around Dilşeker’s house and neighborhod are taken into scrunity. The Police Station is running a broad investigation including the testimonies of her ex-boyfriend and close friends."

"In This Church There Will Be No Out Casts" Episcopalians OK Trans Ministry

I loved being a Acolyte growing up at St Paul's.

I loved the anticipation of worship in the rectory hall, I loved our ministers recusing themselves in preparation for the service. I loved that some of our ministers even years ago were woman. I loved when the doors opened to the sanctuary and the first few steps of the procession. I loved winding to the back of the church proudly holding the candle.

I loved the smells of Sunday in our old, old Episcopalian church.

I loved getting to the alter, doing the few jobs we were assigned and not tripping on my robe.

I loved settling in behind the ministers and choir opening the prayer books and examining them so I would be sure to know when my next duties were to be. I loved understanding the message and to to do that I learned to listen carefully as the minister painted a grand portrait in living color of the days sermon to the children before their dismissal to Sunday school.

I loved the choir. Their voices would raise to the very tip top of our church making my heart soar with them.

But my favorite part of the service was and still is communion. I absolutely loved the message of inclusively, nonjudgmental hope extended to all in the invitation. To me those few moments were exactly as Jesus had wanted them to be and I held as a sacred honor my duties.

I loved it when the priest would ask us to greet our neighbours because that always meant hugs, laughter and love.

I loved sitting beside my mother and listening to her sing. She had this connection with Jesus that makes my heart ache with love even as I write this now.

I would always move closer to the back of the church when babies were baptised as I was. It was a connect, a reaffirmation even as I knew I was moving away in adolescent disregard in spirit and deed.

Today I love that the St Pauls still believes in everyone.

I love the Episcopal Church even more today if that's possible. I am crying in joy. Today the Episcopal Church Approved Transgender People for Ordination.

Josie Romero 11 Year Old Trans Girl First Doctor Visit

Meet Josie Romero an eleven year old transgender girl from Tucson Arizona. All of us can attest to the trepidations we felt during our first OGBYN visit as adults. Can you imagine how stressful it would be to be a adolescent in that position knowing your answers will forever shape your life? The next set of videos chronicles Josie's first visit doctors visit...

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Stand Firm Call to Action in revulsion of Episcopal GC Transgender Canonical Changes

General Convention Updates [No Rest For the Wicked, Not Even On Sunday] Via Stand Firm

I received this article in a email call to action prefixed with the above title from Stand Firm the de facto media outlet for the followers of the virulently anti trans Fort Worth Bishop Ikers in response to the Episcopal Church's GC vote to become inclusive to transgender and all gender diverse.

Although Stand Firm states it is not a official mouthpiece for Bishop Iker's Dioceses of Fort Worth the publication is essential in disseminating information and call to action for Republican Episcopal Conservatives followers of the radically anti LGBT Iker.

Yes Iker, I was at your Church a few years ago and that was me who one of your goons deflected from the communion rail. Your article tries to give the impression gods love is the reason cradle Episcopalians like me are abandoning our beloved church. How can you live with knowing its you who is destroying gods good will and inviting the devil to manifest his presence physically?

Stand Firm Call to Action in revulsion of Episcopal GC Transgender Canonical Changes A couple paragraphs from the Stand Firm article that say it all....

[Commentary] What does this mean, practically? Parishes who are in search processes, and who are looking for a good priest, cannot “not consider” those who “differ from majority societal gender norms” simply because of that disorder. To name two examples: those men with perfectly good xy chromosomes but who imagine that they are really women, and then undergo surgery and take hormones in order to further foster their beliefs or who simply cross-dress or otherwise “differ from majority societal gender norms” cannot be “not considered” because of that disorder in gender identity. The words “gender identity and expression” are extraordinarily broad and vague—and they are meant to encompass a variety of “expressions.”

Stand Firm goes on to condemn us all for love and acceptance.....

It has been clear for some years now that the people leading us at the national level—90% of bishops, lay and clergy deputies to General Convention, and those serving on national commissions and committees—are not competent, healthy, or ordered in their theology or foundational worldview. It is one thing to love sinners [as we all are], and to love those with mental illness [as many of us have]. It is another thing to re-name pathologies as “good and healthy”, to enshrine those with such pathologies as leaders of a church, and to force others to pretend as if disordered affections or gender identities are functional and wholesome.