News from me old stompin' grounds

Recently the Allegheny County Council began to consider extending the county's existing nondiscrimination law to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public accommodations, housing and employment.

Freelance writer, Christian, and Pittsburgh resident Angelle N. Guyette attended the council meeting during which the extension of rights was discussed. She published her thoughts yesterday in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in an opinion piece titled, "How do others see you? I'm ashamed of my hate-filled fellow Christians."
She writes:

Sinner! God himself will judge you," a fellow snarled as I passed. Angry men and women stared me down, posturing, as I made my way through the crowd.

I was scared.

The Allegheny County Council met two weeks ago to hear testimony about whether to include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons among those against whom it would be unlawful to discriminate.

I'm straight but I support the legislation and wore a "Fairness to All" sticker, so some of the opponents made certain assumptions about me.

I've attended hearings on many topics where people angrily voiced their opinions, but the hatred evident at this gathering stunned me -- not only because of its ferocity, but also because of who was expressing it.

"They'll know we are Christians by our love" the song goes.

At this County Council meeting, you could know most of them by the hatred on their faces. The leaders of the religious opponents were the worst, displaying physical revulsion at having to stand near people they figured were gay. They looked like they'd have stoned Mary Magdalene, and her friends, too.

One minister's face contorted as he spoke, "Homosexuality is offensive because it is a sin. People choose to commit this sin. My congregants should not have to hire gays and condone a sinful lifestyle they find offensive."

One of his followers spat out, "I should not have to rent to those people. I don't want them sinning in my properties."

This made me recall a minister I had dated who had cheated on me when I thought we were practicing abstinence. Nice, clean-cut looking fellow. Dirty rat.

i think i like Ms. Guyette! Her story of the adulterous minister reminds me of something from my childhood. i recall overhearing my mother having a conversation with our minister, Rev. Maybelle Johnston. My mom was complaining about another local minister whom she had caught in a blatant and malicious lie. "Oh, Martha. All preachers lie. Didn't you know that?" said Rev. Maybelle.

A person of faith, I quit wearing a cross around my neck in public some years ago to avoid being identified with a growing "Christian" culture of bigotry and intolerance. After that County Council meeting, though, I'm finding it difficult even to pray: How can God let such hateful evil use His name?

I try to remember that "snakes in the garden have their purpose." The only way around hate is with love, so I spoke with a handful of the religious opponents after the council hearing.

Read the rest of Ms. Guyette's article at the Post-Gazette.

What you have to understand...

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Bishop Gene Robinson

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Opportunity in the Diocese of the Rio Grande

From the New Mexico Business Weekly:

St. Martin’s seeks people to experience homelessness

St. Martin’s Hospitality Center is using an interesting method to raise funds in these tough economic times, and to put donors in touch with its mission.

The center is seeking 12 people who want to experience what homelessness is like for themselves by offering a “Street Retreat.” It’s a practice that has been widespread among some nonprofits since the early 1990s, said Tracy Alexis, development director of St. Martin’s, which is one of the largest providers of services for the homeless in New Mexico. It was founded by volunteers from local Episcopal churches.

The “Street Retreat” experience lasts for three days and two nights, Jan. 28-30. Participants eat in soup kitchens and sleep outdoors, although the group will stay together for safety, Alexis said. The idea is not to take up shelter beds that are already scarce in the city, she added.

St. Martin’s asks each participant to gather 12 sponsors. Each sponsor pledges to support the participant for the three days with a $100 per-day-commitment.

For more information on the Street Retreat, call Alexis at (505) 242-4399 x236.

A different America

Minutes after the inaugural ceremony, i called Jim, my ex, who happens to be a black man. "Do you feel like you're now living in a different America?" i asked. "Yes I do!" he emphatically replied.

Wasting no time

From the newly updated whitehouse.gov website's Civil Rights section:

Support for the LGBT Community

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."

-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

* Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
* Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
* Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
* Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
* Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
* Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
* Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
* Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

The Bishop Who Wasn't There?

Yesterday Wes & i eagerly anticipated watching the televised "We Are One" inaugural concert (dubbed Obamastock by some) which was presumably to open with a prayer from Bishop Gene Robinson. Sorting through the HBO exclusive rights and our cable provider's apparent failure to take advantage of HBO's open signal for the event, we missed the first twenty minutes of the live broadcast. Eventually we gathered in front of my computer to watch it unfold online.

Today several gay blogs & message boards are reporting that +Gene's prayer was excluded from HBO's filming, apparently because the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) relegated it to the pre-event activities which were not filmed by HBO. Not to worry, thanks to Sarah Pulliam from Christianity Today, you can still hear +Gene's prayer here.

It admittedly troubles me that the PIC decided to exclude the good Bishop's prayer from the main event, especially given the media spin of the past week which portrayed +Gene's participation as a salve to an LGBT community smarting from the prominence given to anti-gay Rick Warren in Tuesday's inauguration. It feels like another slap in the face. Or like how attending a straight wedding makes me feel - marginalized & excluded.

Also troubling is the reaction of some in the lgbt blogosphere who appear to be just as incensed over a perceived slight toward the DC Gay Men's Chorus, who performed during the concert, backing singers Josh Groban & Heather Headley. Ignoring the fact that several of the other choruses performing were not announced nor listed onscreen, the lack of billing is being touted as another example of the devaluing of the lgbt community. C'mon folks - stop being so touchy. We & i were both pleased just to see them performing, all wearing their red AIDS awareness ribbons. Besides, wasn't it obvious that they were gay?

Finally, Kirkepiscatoid offers My Top Ten Reasons HBO Managed to Miss Gene Robinson's Opening Prayer. Enjoy!

CA Labor Unions Support Overturn of Prop 8

Reported on 01/13/09 in the Sacramento Bee:

A coalition of labor unions announced Tuesday that it will file amicus briefs to urge the California Supreme Court to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that banned gay marriage in the state.

More than 50 labor unions signed onto the brief including some of California's most influential labor groups. Among them: the California Labor Federation, SEIU California State Council, the California Federation of Teachers, the California Nurses Association, the California Faculty Association, UNITE HERE! and the Screen Actors Guild.

Combined, the labor organizations say they represent 2 million California workers.

In the brief, the unions argue that Proposition 8 is invalid because it is not a "constitutional amendment," but a "constitutional revision." A revision requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to get on the ballot, where an amendment can qualify through the collection of signatures, as Proposition 8 did.

The revision vs. amendment legal argue is the key to the No on 8 campaign's effort to overturn the measure, which 52.3 percent of voters supported.

"If a simple majority of voters can take away one fundamental right, it can take away another," the unions argue in the brief. "If it can deprive one class of citizens of their rights, it can deprive another class too. Today it is gays and lesbians who are singled out. Tomorrow it could be trade unionists."

The Yes on 8 campaign has said the courts should not overturn the will of the people.

The list of unions signing the brief:

California Labor Federation
National Federation of Federal Employees
Screen Actors Guild
UNITE HERE!
Alameda Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Fresno-Madera-Tulare-Kings Counties Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
Sacramento Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
San Mateo County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO
South Bay Labor Council, AFL-CIO
California Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
California Faculty Association
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, District Council 57, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 2019, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 2428, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 3299, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 3916, AFL-CIO
American Federation of Teachers, Local 6119,Compton Council of Classified Employees
American Federation of Teachers, Local 6157, San Jose/Evergreen Faculty Association, AFL-CIO
El Camino College Federation of Teachers, Local 1388, California Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
United Educators of San Francisco, AFT/CFT Local 61, AFL-CIO, NEA/CTA
University Council-American Federation of Teachers
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Council 97
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Council 99
Communications Workers of America District 9, AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America, Local 9000, AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America, Local 9503, AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America, Local 9505, AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America, Local 9421, AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America, Local 9575, AFL-CIO
District Council of Ironworkers of the State of California and Vicinity
Jewish Labor Committee Western Region
Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund
National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 1450
Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' Local 300, AFL-CIO
Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' Local 400, AFL-CIO
Pride at Work, AFL-CIO
SEIU California State Council
SEIU Local 521
SEIU Local 721
SEIU Local 1000
SEIU Local 1021
SEIU Local 1877
SEIU United Healthcare Workers West
Teamsters Joint Council 7, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Teamsters Local 853, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 5
UNITE HERE Local 19
United Steelworkers, Local 5, Martinez, Ca.
University Professional and Technical Employees, Communications Workers of America, Local 9119, AFL-CIO

CA Churches ask court to invalidate Prop 8

From the California Council of Churches' 01/14/09 press release:

RELIGIOUS LEADERS, FAITH ORGANIZATIONS
TO COURT: INVALIDATE PROP 8
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, the California Council of Churches and other religious leaders and faith organizations representing millions of members filed an amicus curiae brief with the California Supreme Court urging the Court to invalidate Proposition 8. The brief argues that Proposition 8 poses a severe threat to the guarantee of equal protection for all and was not enacted through the constitutionally
required process for such a dramatic change to the California Constitution.

The brief is filed on behalf of the California Council of Churches, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ, two Episcopal Bishops (of California and Los Angeles), the Progressive Jewish Alliance, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations and the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California, and the Northern and Southern California Nevada Conferences of the United Church of Christ. The groups are represented by Eric Alan Isaacson, based in San Diego, and by Jon B. Eisenberg of Eisenberg and Hancock, LLP, based in Oakland.

The religious groups originally filed a writ petition challenging Proposition 8 on November 17, 2008. On November 20, 2008 the California Supreme Court deferred action on that petition, and invited the petitioners to file an amicus curiae brief.
“Proposition 8 poses a grave threat to religious freedom,” said Rev. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director of the California Council of Churches. “If the Court permits gay men and lesbians to be deprived of equal protection by a simple majority vote, religious minorities could be denied equal protection as well—a terrible irony in a nation founded by people who emigrated to escape religious persecution. If the Court
permits Proposition 8 to take effect, religious discrimination similarly could be written into California's Constitution.”

“The United Church of Christ is honored to join other religious bodies in this challenge to Proposition 8,” said the Rev. John H. Thomas, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. “We believe our communities are strengthened and our religious freedoms protected by ensuring that the principle of equal protection applies to all Californians. Religious groups know from long experience the dangers posed by placing unchecked power in the hands of temporary majorities.”

For a copy of the brief visit http://www.calchurches.org/marriage/

All Hail the Oprah!