Monday 31 August 2009
The Lady Diana, Princess of Wales
Twelve years ago today Diana, Princess of Wales, died in an horrendous car crash.
OF NOTE . . . . . . .
The world lost an angel.
OF COURSE . . . .
May she rest in peace.
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Sunday 30 August 2009
Wouldn't It Be Nice?
OF INTEREST . . .
I'm not sure if everyone here heard, but Wednesday night in DC two Transwomen were attacked not far from the T.H.E (Transgender Health Empowerment Inc) offices. One was seriously injured, but managed to survive, the other, Tyli'a "NaNa Boo" Mack did not.
OF NOTE . . . . . . .
By and large, we haven't seen much reaction from the community.
OF COURSE . . . .
The evidence strongly suggests that Tyli'a's murder was indeed a hate crime.
Let's band together and take a stand!!!
And They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love, By Our Love !
Maybe so.
---- Dan Savage in Savage Love, Village Voice 13 August 2009
OF NOTE . . . . . . .
OF COURSE . . . .
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Saturday 29 August 2009
Ruby-Sachs: The Opposition
Once again the Holy Mother Roman Catholic Church has been caught with her hands in the cookie jar of American civil rights and politics.
OF NOTE . . . . . .
Ruby-Sachs: The Opposition
Posted using ShareThis
OF COURSE . . .
It would be a . . . a miracle . . . were her hands to be slapped. You never know.
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Friday 28 August 2009
In memoriam martyres. . . requiescant in pacem.
Today, 29 August, 2009, is the 20th anniversary of the death of my younger brother Gerard from complications due to HIV+/AIDS. The map above shows the disbursement of the pandemic.
OF NOTE . . . . . . .
The pandemic continues, not only in Africa, but throughout the world, even here in the United States.
OF COURSE . . . .
Don't forget to pray for the angels, or the angels will forget to pray for us. ( - Leonard Cohen )
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OF INTEREST . . .
AIDS Walk founder and producer Craig R. Miller seemed to acknowledge the effect of the economy on contributions in his statement. "For forty-five thousand participants, and hundreds of thousands of their sponsors," he said, "to have raised $5,603,409 in the midst of this historically difficult recession, leaves me in awe of these GMHC supporters." (Supporters can still make a general donation to AIDS Walk here.)
Image by ♥ LB pics ♥ via Flickr
OF INTEREST . . .
Albeit mortal, Edward "Ted" Kennedy was one of our contemporary heroes.
OF NOTE . . . . . . .
With the progenitor of the Ryan White Act gone now, who will continue to sponsor our care and needs?
OF COURSE . . . .
With the spokesman for health reform now no longer in need of it himself, who will speak up for the poor and the downtrodden? What is to be the qualibre for Tedicare now that he has gone?
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Thursday 27 August 2009
Image via Wikipedia
The following have been clipped from POZ 09/2009 Feedback: ___________________________
OF INTEREST . . .
No mention of curbing homophobia? That’s one of the biggest roadblocks to [HIV] prevention and care and universal access. The government has stated that [homophobia] is a huge driver of HIV infections, but [it has] not done anything about it. We must call for a federal campaign against it to curb HIV transmission in all populations. - Andy from Berkeley, CA
OF NOTE . . . . . . .
Let’s quit throwing money away on pie-in-the-sky notions and start improving the lives of people who are living with [the virus]. Perhaps the most important step is to create some sort of health care mechanism by which all people living with HIV are not automatically expected to be poor in order to qualify for lifesaving programs. - David from Laramie, WY
Wednesday 26 August 2009
Tuesday 25 August 2009
Image by Merkur* via Flickr
The following is clipped from USA Today online. ________________________ OF INTEREST . . . NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday against a Roman Catholic diocese in Connecticut, saying that thousands of documents generated by lawsuits against six priests for alleged sexual abuse cannot remain sealed. OF NOTE . . . . . . . Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on Tuesday denied the Bridgeport diocese's request to continue a stay on the release of the papers until the full court decides whether to review the case. Ralph Johnson III, a lawyer for the diocese, said church officials were considering whether to ask all nine justices to rule on the request. The diocese said on its website Tuesday afternoon that it was disappointed with Ginsberg's decision and that it "intends to proceed with its announced determination to ask the full U.S. Supreme Court to review the important constitutional issues that this case presents." Jonathan Albano, attorney for three newspapers who requested the documents, said the ruling compels the diocese to release the documents, but he acknowledged the church could ask the full court to reconsider Ginsberg's decision. OF COURSE . . . . "At the end of the day, the diocese will be able to say they were heard before every court that was available to them," Albano said. Albano represents The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post. The three papers along with the Hartford Courant have asked to see the documents. ADDITIONALLY A Waterbury Superior Court said in 2006 that the documents were subject to a presumption of public access. And the Connecticut Supreme Court upheld the lower court decision, ruling that more than 12,000 pages from 23 lawsuits against the six priests should be unsealed. The Connecticut high court also rejected the claim by church officials that the documents were subject to constitutional privileges, including religious privileges under the First Amendment. The records have been under seal since the diocese settled the cases in 2001. They could provide details on how retired New York Cardinal Edward Egan handled the allegations when he was bishop in Bridgeport from 1988 to 2000. The documents include depositions, affidavits and motions. Sphere: Related ContentSaturday 22 August 2009
Anti-gay attacks on rise in Iraq
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
OF INTEREST . . .OF COURSE . . . . Witch-hunt: Recently, posters appeared in Sadr City - a conservative, Shia area of Baghdad - calling on people to watch out for gay men and listing not only their names but also their addresses. One gay man in Baghdad described the killing campaign as a witch-hunt. “ These killings will continue, because it has simply become normal in Iraq to kill gay men.” Nearly 90 gay men have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of January and many more are missing, local gay rights campaigners say. The report, called 'They want us exterminated: Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq', says horrifically mutilated bodies of gay men have been left on rubbish tips. Sometimes their bodies are daubed with offensive terms such as "pervert", or "puppy" which is a hate word for gay men in Iraq. The report contains detailed testimonies of a range of brutal treatment of gay Iraqi men. "We've heard stories confirmed by doctors of men having their anuses glued and then being force-fed laxatives which leads to a very painful death," says Ms Moumneh told the BBC. When questioned in the past, officials in Iraq have condemned the killings, but the BBC's Natalia Antelava in Baghdad reports that gay men there say nothing has been done to protect them. "These killings will continue, because it has simply become normal in Iraq to kill gay men," said a gay Iraqi man who did not want to be named. Mehdi army spokesmen and clerics have condemned what they call the "feminisation" of Iraqi men and have urged the military to take action against them. The report said many gay men have fled to other countries in the region, despite consensual homosexual activity being illegal there, because the risk of victimisation is reduced.
Sphere: Related ContentGay Marriage Opponents Now Want Legal Definition of Christmas
The following has been clipped from http://www.RyanGarns.com _________________________________________________ Gay Marriage Opponents Now Want Legal Definition of Christmas Shared via AddThis
Sphere: Related ContentThursday 20 August 2009
Do You Believe in Magic ? Meteorology ? Faith ?
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Intranecine quarreling bodes ill future re: Prop 8
Judge denies gay groups in Federal Prop 8 case, then sets a trial date.
OF NOTE . . . . . . .
Early yesterday U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker set January 11, 2010 as the trial date for the federal challenge to Proposition 8 brought by Ted Olson, David Boies, and the American Foundation for Equal Rights. The Alliance Defense Fund, which is defending the proposition, had argued Friday that the case could be quickly decided without a trial. Boies and Olson wanted a trial before a judge without a trial before the end of the year.
OF FURTHER NOTE
At the same time Walker denied a coalition of gay groups' request to stand by Olson and Boies at that trial. Walker also disallowed the conservative Campaign for California Families to join the Alliance Defense Fund in the defense of the proposition.
OF COURSE . . . .
Lambda Legal, and the ACLU, representing the aforementioned coalition of gay groups, released the following statement: "On behalf of our clients, we are disappointed that the court did not permit organisations that represent California’s diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community to participate in the case as the Court weighs the harms inflicted by proposition 8."
OF FURTHER COURSE
"The significance of this case for our entire community is enormous. To exclude the people whose very freedom is at stake is troubling. Our commitment to restoring marriage for all Californians is unwavering, and we will continue to do everything within our power to secure full equality and justice for LGBT people."
ADDITIONALLY
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city of San Francisco, which had requested to join the case as well, will be allowed to participate, "but only to assess proposition 8's impact on local government."
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Tuesday 18 August 2009
THE POTUS and the GLBTQ COMMUNITY
The following two quotes are clipped from The Huffington Post online 18 August 2009: ___________________________________________ OF INTEREST . . . "Despite Biden's efforts at a fundraiser last week, the event was still boycotted by some over the administration's inaction in repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Further fanning the flames of the gay community's ire, a Department of Justice memo came out earlier this month, defending DOMA and in one instance comparing gay marriage to incest." OF NOTE . . . . . . . "White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said not to expect any announcements on the two controversial policies surrounding next week's event." OF COURSE . . . . POTUS Obama is concerned because the GLBTQ ire and dander is in an ever increasing uproar, possibly retreating from his corner of the political market arena. So, what else is new?
Sphere: Related ContentI'LL BLOW YOU A KISS IN THE WIND
"You think that America is evolving into a gay-friendly nation," said Tandal Smith, "but what happened in Texas and Utah show us it's still a long way off."
OF COURSE . . . .
What's next . . . the Catholic Church and abortion?
Sphere: Related ContentMonday 17 August 2009
THE FORCES OF NATURE
OF INTEREST . . . Sometimes the best laid plans are just that . . . laid . . . to rest. OF NOTE . . . . . . . And then there are the times . . . when they go up in smoke. OF COURSE . . . . Be prepared! Just don't count on anyone or anything else.
Sphere: Related ContentSunday 16 August 2009
SEALED with a KISS
Image by janusz l via Flickr
OF INTEREST . . .
Surely it is a sin since it's said to be a crime . . . two people innocently (enough) kissing each other.
OF NOTE . . . . . . .
Caveat kissor [sic].
OF COURSE . . . .
If it's a mixed(-up) couple then everything's fine . . . NOT !
Sphere: Related ContentFriday 14 August 2009
HOPE and HISTORY
clipped from the September 2009 Advocate, pages 54 - 59. ________________________________________________________ OF INTEREST . . . As a candidate Barack Obama promised us [the GLBTQ community] a lot; as president he's delivered very little -- and many gay people are getting impatient. OF NOTE . . . . . . . Does the outcry unmask this president's indifference -- or reveal our own impotence as a movement? OF COURSE . . . . Your opinion counts. Click on the word "comments" in the section that appears below to register your opinion: a simple Indifference or Impotence will suffice.
Sphere: Related ContentThursday 13 August 2009
SOME ADDITIONAL INTERESTING HIV+/AIDS FACTS
OF INTEREST . . . + Every 9 1/2 minutes another person in the U.S. is infected with HIV. OF NOTE . . . . . . . + As of 2007, there are 1,106,400 People Living With HIV in the United States. OF COURSE . . . . + Since 1981 25,000,000 people have died from AIDS.
Sphere: Related ContentSOME INTERESTING HIV+/AIDS FACTS
OF INTEREST . . . We speak in estimates, albeit it we do not mean to exclude anyone from the count, from the numbers, the statistics. We speak with respect, and we do not mean to exclude anyone from the count, from the numbers, who are not known to us. And finally, we speak with love and affection, to those who have lived, are living and who will live within the borders and by the rules of this pandemic. OF NOTE . . . . . . . For we are all one, we are the same, and our lives are no longer pawns in a simple game. Until we have a better grasp on the reality of this insanity, we must be as one. Infected, affected, we are one! OF COURSE . . . . Requiescant in pacem, in nomine domini. Amen!
Sphere: Related ContentWednesday 12 August 2009
ALL THOSE YEARS AGO
Tuesday 11 August 2009
40 YEARS and BACK from WOODSTOCK continued
OF INTEREST . . . I was thinking on the recent, and not so recent, happenings we have been sharing. OF NOTE . . . . . . . I found myself identifying the collegian-seminarian-Timlin with the collegian-seminarian- ??????? . . . albeit belated, awareness nonetheless . . . for you it was the drugs at the Woodstock celebration 1969, for me it was the alcohol at the major seminary's Oktoberfest celebration 1971 . . . the gestalt, the Eureka moment, when the realisation dawned upon us that the seminary and the priesthood were not the journey and the destination respectively for which we were bound. OF COURSE . . . Out of our individual experiences came your mate and my partner . . . though in my case the relationship was over after ten years. They were good ones, and many lessons were, and still are, being lived and learned. Kind comments you wrote . . . kind and generous realisations you have shared.
Sphere: Related ContentSunday 9 August 2009
40 YEARS BACK TO WOODSTOCK
OF INTEREST . . . NBC Dateline: 40 Years Back to Woodstock . . . Sunday 9 August 2009 . . . 1900-2000 hours OF NOTE . . . . . . . One of the main narrators is a schoolmate of mine from back in the seminary. OF COURSE . . . . More interesting having a schoolmate as an on-site narrator / attendee. I'm glad ??????? turned me on to this show / segment of the past.
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