Labels: let's ignore them

Commenter 8th day made a great point on a previous post, about labels. This speaks to that point.

Happy. You need it.

Until we could (video)

have your hanky near by.

 

#NALT: Susan Russell steps up!

i told you a couple of days ago about Dan Savage's new "NALT" campaign. This is  a video campaign where straight and LGBT Christians tell both the LGBT community AND other Christians that they are "not all like that", that Pat Robertson, and Tony Perkins, and Timothy Cardinal Dolan do not speak for "Christians" when they spout their anti-gay rhetoric.

Our own friend, the Rev. Susan Russell, has added her voice to the campaign.  Where's yours?

The Science of Cats (video)

Henri le Chat Noir at Christmas

Obviously I take some comfort in internet cats. I enjoy the existentialist musings of Henri. In the latest video, he falls asleep and has three visitors.....hmmmm, does that sound familiar?

Video sunday: Top Ten Reasons to be Episcopalian

If it isn't loading in your browser, click here.

Hero of the Day: Phil Snider

The Rev. Dr Phil Snider is a writer and senior minister of a church in Springfield IL and gave this speech about a non-discrimination policy at city council.

Sadly, they didn't take action.

Over on his blog, he follows up

A lot of people ask, “How can a pastor who values the Bible take this kind of stance?” Truth be told, there are a bunch of pastors and people of faith across the country who are open and affirming — not in spite of their faith, but precisely because of it.....

I also want you to know that there are several churches around the US with a similar ethos. We may not be big churches or fancy churches, but we are there. We may listen to Stephen Colbert more than the pope, but we are there. We may not have a Starbucks in our building (we may not even have a building!), but we are there. So I encourage you to check out some of the communities of faith in your area — perhaps those that are part of the United Church of Christ (which is not the same thing as the Church of Christ), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Disciples of Christ, or perhaps the Episcopalian Church. While none are perfect by any stretch of the imagination (some of the churches aren’t very big, and often there aren’t very many young people), these denominations ordain openly gay clergy and tend to work toward equality for all people. As the United Church of Christ likes to say, “Our faith is 2,000 years old. Our thinking is not.” If you live in a particular area and want a suggestion on churches to perhaps visit, please feel free to send me a message, I’d be glad to help as I can.

Are people who oppose marriage equality "bigots"?

THis comes from a new video series by equality advocate and philospher Jon Corvino.

How do we describe our opponents accurately?  What words should we use:  Heterosexists? Bigots? Homophobes?  Opponents?  Anti-equality activists?

Is there room for respectful disagreement?  Does it make a difference if they are telling lies and promulgating hatred of gay people (like the National Organization for Marriage, or Focus on the Family), or if they are a Bishop uncomfortable with the church blessing gay unions (as we've seen in the wake of last summer's GC)?

Is there a difference between  Prop8 advocate Pastor Jim Garlow and blessing opponent Bishop Edward Little?  I think there is.  What do you think?

 

"The Newsroom" takes on the Tea Party

From the season closer:

“What’s more frightening than the perversion of our great history is that sensible, smart, strong Republicans, the very men and women who should be standing up to radical fundamentalism are so frightened of losing primary battles to the religious zealots that they’ve thrown in the towel on sanity.....”

“It’s is ironic because the biggest enemy of the phony Republican isn’t Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid or Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, it’s this man [image of Jesus Christ]. He said, ‘heal the sick, feed the hungry, care for the weakest among us, and always pray in private’.

One Term More

Okay, enough bitching. Let's get out on the barricades and fight for one term more.

Must see: video reading of "8"

Last night BP and I watched the video of last Saturday's star-studded reading of Dustin Lance Black's play "8", based on the Prop8 trial. It was really very moving-- especially surprising for me since I was such a trial and transcript junkie. But hearing the words spoken was very affecting, and framing it with the sons of Kristin Perry and Sandra Steir particularly moving. We were riveted for the whole time.

The reading starts at 29min. Note that access will go away on Saturday, so download it or watch it before then.

We don't put civil rights on the ballot: Newark Mayor Booker

Mayor Cory Booker of Newark NJ: thank you.. Great response on the Governor's proposal to vote on equality in NJ.
 

 incidentally NJ Gov Christie thinks that if black civil rights had been put on the ballot, that would have worked just fine. "Segregation now, segregation forever...."? More here:

As James Madison put it in Federalist Paper 51: “It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part. If a majority can be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure.”

A Cat's Christmas

I'm posting this reprise from last year, because it's brilliant!    Anyone who knows a cat will love this--even if you don't have a moggy of your own.

It's Time (video)

Watch this. It doesn't need words to make the point! (And I dare you to stay dry-eyed....)

"I Know You're Not All Like That... Tony Perkins Doesn't"

Dan Savage on the NALTs...(Not All Like That). "We need liberal progressive Christians to be as loud as Tony Perkins....Get into CNN's face for pretending that all Christians are anti-gay bigots."



"Stop whispering in my ear and start screaming in Tony Perkins' face."

Discuss.

I Think We Need a Humor Break

How many gays does God have to create.....?

Video of the debate in Minnesota about a constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality. Sadly, the state house and senate committes have approved this, and it will go to the full legislature, where it is likely to pass with Republican majorities in both. But full kudos to State Rep Steve Simon for this argument!

[He} referenced a clergy member who testified to the committee that sexuality was a gift from God.

"I think that's true [...] and I would ask everyone on this committee [...] if that's true, if it's even possibly true, what does that do to the moral force of your argument?"

"How many more gay people does God have to create before we ask ourselves whether or not God actually wants them around?" he asked to applause.

Alternate video source here (thanks Paul(A))

A moment of inner geek

Okay, time out from national, ecclesiastical, or personal politics!

This Lady Gaga parody SO captures what it is like to be a frustrated grad student in molecular biology....

Video Humor: T shirt war

As the year winds down, what better than some clever humor?