Sir Ian McKellen's Grudge with Leviticus
Published November 02, 2009 @ 03:48PM PT
How's this for the premise of X-Men 4: Magneto decides that instead of seeking world domination, he's just going to wage battle against radical right-wing religious folks who use the Bible as a means of beating up on LGBT people.
Well, it might hit a little close to home for Sir Ian McKellen, the out British actor who plays Magneto. As it turns out, he's been quietly waging a war against the use of religion as a weapon of oppression against LGBT people all along in his real life. His method? At every hotel he visits, he rips out a page in Leviticus that fundamentalists use to label LGBT people as sinful.
McKellen tells Details magazine that he's not intending to vandalize the Bible. He just thinks the world would be better off if people took the passages in Leviticus a little less literally.
"I'm not proudly defacing the book, but it's a choice between removing that page and throwing away the whole Bible," McKellen says.
For those not familiar with Leviticus 18:22, it might be interpreted as the most homophobic verse in the Bible. It starts with the familiar refrain, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind," and finishes up with a powerful "it is an abomination" punch. But the passage is often misunderstood, and all too often used to justify hatred and violence toward LGBT people -- as was the case earlier this month in New York, where the friend of a gay basher said that attacking gay people was justified because the book of Leviticus approved.
Tomorrow, Maine Voters Have the Next Say on Marriage Equality
Published November 02, 2009 @ 05:04AM PT
Maine voters head to the polls tomorrow (that is, if they havent already participated in 'early voting') to determine whether a state law that recognizes marriage equality can stay on the books. Thousands of volunteers have poured into Maine for the final stretch, working a Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) campaign that is as impressive as it is important. But this is still going to come down to the wire.
A new, and very humbling, poll was issued by Public Policy Polling (PPP) today showing that supporters of Question 1 (a "Yes" vote on Question 1 will rescind marriage rights for gays and lesbians) are slightly ahead of opponents of Question 1. It's still within the margin of error, but 24 hours before polls open, it's always a bit shocking to see the good guys losing.
PPP has the race at 51 percent of Maine voters rejecting same-sex marriage, and 47 percent supporting it. With results that close, this thing is going to come down to turn-out, turn-out, and then more turn-out.
By any stretch the No on Question 1 campaign has run a far more superior campaign, praised by everyone from the Governor of Maine to national newspapers. Anti-LGBT folks have resorted to fear once again -- like they did in California, and like they've done in more than 30 other states that have passed laws banning same-sex marriage. Their campaign has known no shame, but unfortunately elections aren't always determined by integrity and honor. They're determined by who gets their asses out and votes.
The No on 1 campaign has released their final television commercial for the campaign, and it lays things down on the line. "Maine has a clear choice," the ad says. "We can choose to treat some Maine families differently. To make these families feel shame. To deny them basic protections like health care, or making sure their children are cared for if a parent dies...or we can choose equality."
Hope, pray, and for sure if you have the means, get up to Maine and help equality win at the ballot box for the first time in regards to marriage equality.
Watch the No on 1 campaign ad after the jump.
Catholic Church Goes After Straight Allies of Marriage Equality
Published November 01, 2009 @ 08:39AM PT
Though it's no fun seeing same-sex marriage rights placed on a statewide ballot, one of the best things to come out of the Maine vote on marriage equality is the fact that progressive-minded Catholics are starting to speak out for the rights of gays and lesbians to marry. Through groups of "Catholics for Marriage Equality" and other venues, ordinary Catholics are speaking up in new ways arguing that love should win out over hate.
It's just too bad that the institutional Catholic Church can't let go of their anti-LGBT agenda. Maine is an interesting case study here. Despite the fact that the Bishop of Maine (Richard Malone) has had to close more than a half dozen parishes this year because of financial constraints, the Catholic Church in Maine has pumped out more than half a million dollars to urge Maine residents to vote for discrimination against gays and lesbians. Worse yet, Bishop Malone has said that giving equal rights to gays and lesbians is a dangerous sociological experiment and that same-sex marriage would be a threat to children.
But what's even scarier is that the Catholic Church in Maine is now punishing straight people who support the rights of gays and lesbians. Look no further than the ironically named Prince of Peace parish in Lewiston, Maine. There, a Eucharistic Minister and lector (the person who volunteers to read the weekly scriptures) was removed from her position because she said publicly that she supports the rights of gays and lesbians to get married.
The Catholic Church has had some real lows this year when it comes to LGBT rights. From the Pope saying that LGBT people were as big a threat to the world as climate change, to the U.S. bishops prepping a document to be released later this month that will say that same-sex marriage will harm the intrinsic human dignity in every person. Add to this list now a possible witch-hunt to identity straight allies of same-sex marriage, and to remove these straight allies from any positions within the Church.
An Intolerant Republican Party Just Killed a Moderate Candidate
Published October 31, 2009 @ 08:52AM PT
Dede Scozzafava, the actual Republican nominee for the U.S. House seat in New York's 23rd Congressional District, was forced to suspend her campaign three days before Election Day because of a coordinated campaign by consevative activists to brand her a liberal because she supports, among other things, marriage equality.
Major anti-LGBT Republican superstars, from Rick Santorum to Sarah Palin to Steve Forbes, rallied around one of her opponents, third party candidate Doug Hoffman, who they saw as more conservative. For them, the issue was less about Scozzafava's background as a state legislator, and more about the fact that she's a moderate Republican. And moderate Republicans are being purged from the GOP like pariahs.
Obama's Best Gay Week Ever
Published October 30, 2009 @ 09:11AM PT
The last week of October certainly looks like it's going to go down as President Obama's best week yet in regards to LGBT rights. While it's not high time to call up the Vh-1 casting department to pitch a new 'Best Week Ever' show, this week has finally seen some progress on issues at the heart of the LGBT rights movement -- most notably hate crimes legislation and the imminent end of the HIV travel ban.
History was made this week when President Obama signed expanded hate crimes legislation into law, which will now include protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability status. It's a law that has been fought over for more than ten years, and a law that despite its fierce opposition by the radical right -- notice Pat Robertson's freak out about the law, saying that it will place a noose around the necks of right-wing Christians -- becomes the first piece of civil rights legislation signed in a pretty long time.
President Obama earned some brownie points this week for delivering a hell of a commentary as he signed the law. "We must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones, but to break spirits — not only to inflict harm, but to instill fear," Obama remarked during the signing ceremony. "No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love. No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are or because they live with a disability."
<chills>Wow. Such a good line.</chills>
With hate crimes legislation finally passed, it's now time for other important LGBT rights measures to move their way to the head of the class. Today, we could get a second piece of extremely good news: word has it that the Obama administration is about to lift the HIV travel ban, which for years has prevented non-U.S. residents from traveling to or immigrating to this country if they were HIV-positive.
Argentina's Quest for Marriage Equality
Published October 29, 2009 @ 03:49PM PT
We've got one country and six U.S. states in North America that recognize marriage equality. But on the other end of the hemisphere, wedding bells aren't necessarily ringing.
That may all be about to change, as Argentina moves forward with debate over whether to recognize marriage equality. The country's parliament is holding hearings concerning a possible change to Article 172 of Argentina's Civil Code. That may sound like drab law speak, but it could have massive implications: the hope is to change the current phrasing which recognizes marriage as only between a "man and woman," to making it so that marriage means "spouses," regardless of gender.
LGBT rights advocates are championing the change, and some of them think they have the momentum to make it a reality.
Why Gay Bashing on Twitter is a Bad Idea
Published October 29, 2009 @ 10:58AM PT
When Kansas City Chiefs football player Larry Johnson took to the Twitter waves this week, he probably wasn't expecting it would cost him $213,000. But that's the amount Johnson will miss out on because of a one-game suspension after going ballistic on a Twitter heckler, calling the user a "fag." It's a Social Media 101 lesson for Johnson, and a reminder that if you're a celebrity or a sports star, having a Twitter account doesn't give you license to hate on folks.
In a rather weird rapid fire of Twitter updates, Larry Johnson responded to @jaredlaunius after Jared made a snarky remark about Johnson falling down on the football field whenever defensive linemen get near him. Johnson's response? It's straight outta the seventh grade:
"@jaredlaunius think about a clever diss then that wit ur fag pic. Christopher street boy. Is what us east coast cats call u."
Actually, forget seventh grade. Take that one all the way down to elementary school playground chomping.
- 69,234
-
Categories
Writers
Michael Jones
Adam Amel Rogers
About Gay Rights
-
HIV Prevention Counselor
Mazzoni Center -
Communities of African Descent (COAD) Media Intern
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation -
Festival Manager
Twin Cities Pride -
Executive Director
Twin Cities Pride -
View More Jobs
Post a Job »
-
-
MARRIAGE EQUALITY USA
-
193 Supporters
-
-
-
Immigration Equality
-
215 Supporters
-
