The Lady Diana, Princess of Wales

OF INTEREST . . .
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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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!!!

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And They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love, By Our Love !

Image via Wikipedia

OF INTEREST . . .

"You are a terrible person who shouldn’t be allowed to give advice to anyone about anything. Whose idea was it to give an asshole faggot like you an advice column, anyway? You’re a stupid piece of shit who doesn’t know anything about sex or the human heart, and you will regret everything you’ve ever done and every word you’ve ever written once you die and have to stand before your Creator."

—God Hates You

Maybe so.
---- Dan Savage in Savage Love, Village Voice 13 August 2009
OF NOTE . . . . . . .

There was a letter in your column recently that must have been painful for you to receive. I refer to the letter signed God Hates You. I’m sure you’re no stranger to hate mail, being an openly gay sex-advice columnist, but I hope you get fan mail too. But just in case: I wanted you to know that your column means a lot to me, and I love your bluntness, openness, and honesty. It is comforting to see a pragmatic, funny, and, for the most part, compassionate voice in print nowadays, especially when it comes to something that so many are as willfully ignorant about as sex.

— You Do Good Work
OF COURSE . . . .

A lot of people wrote in after reading GHY’s letter. Most wanted to reassure me that God does not, in fact, hate me. And most, like YDGW here, assumed that GHY’s letter must have hurt my feelings. I want to thank everyone for your kind words—and I mean that sincerely—but someone telling me that God hates me is about as hurtful as someone telling that the Blue Fairy thinks I look fat in these jeans. (“Really? She does? Thanks, I really needed to hear that—now I’m gonna go sit on the other side of the subway car and silently ask the Blue Fairy for fashion guidance, okay?”)

As for fan mail, YDGW, I get my fair share. But I don’t typically run fan letters because I’ve found better ways to pleasure myself. I am, however, going to make an exception this week and run a few letters from satisfied Savage Love customers. Not because I like having sunshine blown up my ass—I prefer to have other things blown up my ass, thanks—but because we know GHY is out there reading, and I’m thinking letters from people who’ve found my advice useful will annoy him way more than letters from people who wanted to let me know that God loves me. So this one’s for you, GHY…

---- Dan Savage in Savage Love, Village Voice 27 August 2009

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Ruby-Sachs: The Opposition

Image via Wikipedia

OF INTEREST . .
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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In memoriam martyres. . . requiescant in pacem.

mage via Wikipedia

OF INTEREST . . .
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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Religious Leaders Absent in the Anti-AIDS Fight - The Body

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The following has been clipped from the Village Voice online:

OF INTEREST . . .

After 24 years, AIDS Walk is still pulling big money, but this year's number was down.

OF NOTE . . . . . . .

This year's Walk in New York raised $5.6 million in contributions for AIDS care and prevention. That's shy of the $7 million plus the event raised last year, and the $6.9 million raised in 2007. In fact, this was the only year, except for 1995, Walk-day receipts have declined since the first AIDS Walk in 1986.

OF COURSE . . . .

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.)

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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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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

OF COURSE . . . .

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Another one bites the dust . . . church, that is !

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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.

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Anti-gay attacks on rise in Iraq

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

OF INTEREST . . .

Gay Iraqi men are being murdered in what appears to be a co-ordinated campaign involving militia forces, the group Human Rights Watch says. It says hundreds of gay men have been targeted and killed in Iraq since 2004. So-called honour killings also account for deaths where families punish their own kin in order to avoid public shame.

OF NOTE . . . . . . .

The report says members of the Mehdi Army militia group are spearheading the campaign, but police are also accused - even though homosexuality is legal. Witnesses say vigilante groups break into homes and pick people up in the street, interrogating them to extract the names of other potential victims, before murdering them. "Murder and torture are no way to enforce morality," said HRW researcher Rasha Moumneh, quoted in the report. "These killings point to the continuing and lethal failure of Iraq's post-occupation authorities to establish the rule of law and protect their citizens." In some cases, Human Rights Watch says it was told, Iraqi security forces had actually "colluded and joined in the killing".

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.

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Gay 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

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Do You Believe in Magic ? Meteorology ? Faith ?

The following has been clipped from http://www.towleroad.com/

______________________________________

OF INTEREST . . .

Minneapolis Pastor: Tornado a Warning to Gay-Loving Lutherans

OF NOTE . . . . . . .

John Piper, pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, wrote a blog post today interpreting a recent tornado in Minneapolis as a sign that Jesus Christ, who "controls the wind, including all tornados," sent down a twister because the Lutheran Church is considering lifting restrictions on gay clergy at a convention there this week.

OF COURSE . . . .

The tornado damaged portions of the convention centre where the Lutherans are meeting as well as the steeple of the Central Lutheran Church. Concludes Piper: "The tornado in Minneapolis was a gentle but firm warning to the ELCA and all of us: Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great Lutheran heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from distorting the grace of God into sensuality. Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ and its power to transform left and right wing sinners."

OF FURTHER COURSE

Shortly after the storm hit, the 1,014 Lutherans passed a social statement by a one vote margin: "The social statement is a long document that essentially says that the church will agree to disagree on the issue of same-sex relationships, but will neither punish congregations that decide to bless such relationships nor force congregations that reject blessing same-sex couples. 'This church also acknowledges that consensus does not exist concerning how to regard same-gender committed relationships, even after many years of thoughtful, respectful, and faithful study and conversation,' the statement says in part. “'We do not have agreement on whether this church should honor these relationships, uplift, shelter and protect them, or on precisely how it is appropriate to do so.' "

ADDITIONALLY

"But LGBT Lutherans are hailing the vote, which came in at 676 to 338, exactly the 66.67 percent margin needed."

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Intranecine quarreling bodes ill future re: Prop 8

OF INTEREST . . .

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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Well this flew under the radar.....

Well this flew under the radar..... Shared via AddThis

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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?

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I'LL BLOW YOU A KISS IN THE WIND

OF INTEREST . . . A kiss can be like a pebble's concentric ripples when dropped in a pond; it's just never voted on and/or had judgment by the police enforced either. OF NOTE . . . . . . . "I encourage them [the Mormons] to promote the values they believe in and defend their religious principles in advertisements, but civil rights have nothing to do with religious principles," said Atali Staffler, who was raised Mormon but [who] is not active in the church [sic].

"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?

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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.

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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 !

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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.

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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.

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SOME 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!

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ALL THOSE YEARS AGO

OF INTEREST . . .

My younger brother died twenty years ago this month from complications due to AIDS. My younger lover died thirteen years ago next month, also from complications due to AIDS.

OF NOTE . . . . . . .

Thirteen years, twenty years . . . . it's hard to fathom.

OF COURSE . . . .

Millions more have passed on in the interim. May they rest in peace.

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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.

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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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OF INTEREST ! OF NOTE ! OF COURSE !

WAITING IS !

FULFILLED IS !

GROK IS !

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