Step by Step by Step

The Forteenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution states: All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the States wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the priviliges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of Life, Liberty, or Property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within it's jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Now.....that being said, three {3} States have used this to further advance the protections under the law for the LGBT comunity. And this is all since the start of 2014. Makes you wonder if were not in for a wild ride this year. Let's examine these States. UTAH: Dec. 20th. U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby Declared Utahs ban unconstitutional. Since then, 900 same-sex couples have married. Utah has taken this to the Supreme Court to get the 10th District to stay this decision.In response, Attorny Peggy Tomsic stated that Utah has not shown how these same-sex marriages have or will do harm others. more to follow on this issue, I'm sure. Remember...this is the state that funneled money into California during our debate on Proposition H8. OKLAHOMA: January 14th.A Federal Judge ruled that Oklahomas ban was "absured" and "irrational" U.S.District Judge Terrance Kern put a hold on the ruling pending an appeal. He stated that "Part A of the Constituion that stipulates marriage as 'one man,one woman' violates the U.S.Constitutions 14th. Ammendment of equal protection. He also states that the U.S. Supreme Court has never specifically ruled how same-sex marriages relate to the 14th. ammendment. "However the Supreme Court now prohibits States from passing laws that are born out of animosity towards Homosexuals, extends Constitutional protection to moral and sexual choicesof Homosexuals, and prohibits the Federal Government from treating same-sex and opposite-sex marriages differently." VIRGINIA: January 23rd. The State Attorny-General refuses to support gay marriage ban and will not fight for it in a court of law. "It is time for the Commonwealth to be on the right side of the law and the right side of history. I have concluded that the ban violates the 14th. Ammendment to the Constitution on two {2} grounds: marriage is a fundamental right being deprived of some Virginians, and the ban unlawfully dicriminates on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender." My friends, we are getting there step by step. Why even today January 23rd., the Federal Court system has said that the LGBT community can not be excluded from a jury on the bais of their sexual orientation. We now have 18 states that allow same-sex marriage and many others allowing unions. It only takes 3/4 of the country to ratify the Constitution...38 states to be exact. Step by step by step by...................

In the aftermath of Wisconsin

I was reading my Facebook page today, and someone posted a question on the Sikh Temple shooting. One word.."Why?"  My answer was, "people will not like my answer." Well, here are my thoughts and answer.

According to the F.B.I. there have been 250 confirmed Domestic Terrorist attacks between 1980-2000. But before we continue, just what is a Domestic Terrorist attack?

UNITED STATES PATRIOT ACT defines it as:
   {A} involved acts dangerous to human life that are in violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State.
   {B} appear to be intended
        {1} to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.
        {2} to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.
        {3} to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.
   {C} occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
Examples are:
   Unabomber attacks - 1978 to 1995
   Oklahoma City - April 19,1995
   Centennial Olympic Park - July 27,1996
   2001 Anthrax attacks on the Government
   Fort Hood shooting - November 5, 2009
   Austin I.R.S. attack - February 18, 2010

Now here goes nothing. And believe me, thoughts and comments welcome.
 As of late there has been a lot of Anti-Muslim sentiment in America. It is possible that the shooter mistook the Sikh Temple for a Mosque. Since 9/11, anyone perceived to be of Middle Eastern origin have suffered attacks. And I fear there more may happen. what with the culture of Islamophobia, Arabophobia,etc. that has been allowed to enter into American society. It has even creeped into the American Government. A prime example of that is what has happened as of late. Recently, Michele Bachman, Trent Franks, Louie Gohmert, Thomas Rooney and Lynn Westmoreland, sent letters to Congress demanding an investigation of possible infiltration to Government by Muslim Brotherhood.

This is America. This is the melting pot. We are Muslim - We are Sikhs - We are Jews - We are Christians.
We are ALL Americans. We are ALL fellow Humans.We must face the fact that we are not living up to our ideals as a nation whenever a minority is demonised.

We may never know what made Wade Michael Page walk into a house of worship and murder innocents in cold blood.Whether he did this because they were dark-skinned, or he thought they were Muslims, or because they were immigrants - the awful result is the same.There was no mistaken identity. He targeted people because they were different from himself, and therefore beyond compassion. those who spread derisiveness and bigotry, need to seriously consider the effect they're having.Whatever form of bigotry they spread. Whether it is anti - Semitism, anti - Gay, anti - Black, anti - Muslim, anti - Arab, anti - Sikh or anti - immigrant, it doesn't matter. They are all equally wrong, and they poison the well of public discourse, and harm us all. It is corrosive and harms real human beings.

Boycott? Sure! But riddle me this Batman...

First off, lets look at the definition of the word.....
1. to combine in abstaining from, or preventing dealings with, as a means of intimidation or coercion: to boycott a place of business.
2. to abstain from buying or using: to boycott foreign products.
                                                                                Dictionary.com
Y'all know me. I can rant and rave till the cows or the Christ Himself comes home. Now, with that being said, what the hell is wrong with this world? Why are we acting like children? "Not me Mommie!" "It was them,Mommie!" Huh? Whats up?

So, Chick-Fil-A {CFA from here on out} COO Dan Cathy says the company is based on Christian principles. Sent money to support Anti-Gay Marriage groups and the like. WOO HOO!! Have we all been in the closet {So to speak}? Since the 1980's I have known they were a Christian based business. Closed on Sundays so that workers can attend church. Now do we expect that a Christian based business WOULDN'T support a group that had their beliefs? Why has it taken the gay community so long to come out of its closet and realise this? We should have been protesting this long long ago, my friends.

But my argument isn't with my community. No. My argument is with the people in SUPPORT of CFA.
Groups like One Million Moms {OMM} and the like. OMM has decided to take on the boycott fight. From J.C.Penny's and Ellen DeGeneres to NBC television to what have you. All because the say we are pushing the "Gay Agenda". Yeah! Like were the mafia. OK,I Digress. Now where was I?...oh yeah. Well fair is fair,right? Not to them. It's all good to protest what you believe is happening but, DO NOT protest us and our beliefs! Christian groups all this country over are crying foul that CFA has had this protest turn up against them. How dare these gay groups protest CFA for their beliefs.

Well riddle me this...Why is it ok for them and not for others. Mike Hukabee claims we are protesting CFA's First Amendment right. No that's not it at all. You have every right in the world to say what you want, right? Well, no. the Supreme Court of the United States has said that you can not yell fire in a crowded theatre. That would cause harm to others that may run out. We have Slander laws. Liable laws. Hate speech laws.

This is about what they do, not what they say. Say your Christian. I do. Say you don't agree with another's way of life. I do. But don't support known hate groups that want others or wish others dead! Or want to do harm! That is the protest we should and shall do.

OMM protest a business that they claim is destroying the moral fiber of our nation. Their new one is against NBC Studios for their new show "The New Normal" A single mom becomes a surrogate for a gay couple.
Oh My!!! Whatever shall we do? Other shows have teen sex, pre-marital sex, murder, nudity...but this?!? This can not happen! In the immortal words of Chris Brown {singer} "NO HOMO". What would be their cry if we protested the 700 club? Protested Pat Robertson?

I used to like going to CFA once in a while. Now? Now that I know they want to supress me or the ones I love. Now that I have realised they are in support of hate groups? My business goes elsewhere. This week a Wendy's Burgers in North Carolina posted signs on 86 different franchises that read "we stand with chick-Fil-A". Well corporate headquarters made them remove them. "It is not our beleif." is their claim. Well they noe have MY support. Just wait...the Mike Hukabees of the world and the OMM's will probably cry foul!!

Tyler Clementi gets justice.......

                                  ......Guilty verdict for video spying!
For those of you who don't know or remember, allow me to refresh. Tyler is the man who jumped off the George Washington Bridge because he was rudely outed by his roommate Dahrun Ravi. This case has many implications towards the future. For those of you that use the Internet to harass or tease or BULLY! Beware the rest of the world watches. This is a tragic lesson for young people about casual cruelties and unintended consequences in the Internet age.

Dahrun Ravi was found guilty of all 15 charges against him. This includes invasion of privacy and anti-gay intimidation. The jury concluded that he not only spied on Tyler as he kissed another man, but also singled him out because Tyler was gay. He could get up yo 10 years in prison and be deported back to his native India even though he has lived here legally since he was a boy.

The most serious of charges....two counts of bias intimidation based on sexual orientation....carry up to 10 years in jail. Ravi was also convicted of seven counts of covering up his actions by instructing a friend what to tell investigators and deleting tweets and text messages. How many of YOU out there cyber-bullying think that just by deleting things you do, you won't be caught? Hmm?

Some of the jurors said that Ravis tweets, especially the one where he "dared" friends to watch the webcast, were key evidence in convicting him of the anti-gay intimidation. "That post, what it said, struck a chord in all of us." said juror Ed Dolan.

In letting this case go to trial, Ravi lost big. He and his lawyers rejected a plea bargain that would have spared him jail time and the prosecutors would have helped him avoid deportation.

But more importantly, this case is stirring up a national conversation about anti-gay bullying and teen suicide. It illustrates the dangers of technology in the hands of those who have grown up with the likes of Twitter and Facebook. "They don't feel its spying. It's their own iPhone or laptop they are using. Hopefully parents will use this as an example to their children." said Fordham Law Professor Annamarie McAvoy.
Rutgers student Melvin Ways said, "The lesson here is that not everything is meant to be publicized to the entire world, especially private matters and things that are personal to people."

Tylers father said it best. "Your going to meet a lot of people in your life. Some of these people you may not like. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean you have to work against them."

Rest in peace Tyler, rest in peace.

YES ITS BEEN A WHILE.

Sorry it's been so long. Lots to catch you all up on. First, me. I recently had heart surgery. 4 stents. Then the blood pressure wouldn't stabilize. YUCK! Then my computer had a heart attack. Had to go in for surgery. Then as I was under, my Mom died of a coronary. Think she knew? I do. Its ok though. She was in a home. Had stroke and alzhiemers. She's in a better place.  I am doing so much better myself. No need to fret over me.
Fret instead for the elections. This is becoming a freaking circus. I want to be there when the clown car shows up at the Republican convention and they all pour out. They can't blame the economy as it's getting WAY better. Thank you Mr. Obama. So they are now picking on Gays and Women.  If Mittins or Frothy Santorum ever do win the election....Canada looks really good. Little cold, but I'll get used to it.
Think that it will be a brokered convention? Then we may have another Bushie in the house. Or maybe Chris Christie. GOD FORBID! We are just going backwards to the 1950's.
I urge all of you to get out and vote this oming election. Or get out and get the vote out. We need to turn this house around and get the Democrats back.
But enough of this rant for now. I'll get back to regular blogging soon. I promise. Love to you all.
MUWAHHHHH!

2011 Ends with great LGBT strides.........except!

As this year come to a close, I would like to wish everyone a prosperous 2012. We have had some good times and some not so good. Almost rough you would say. We have had tremendous breakthroughs.

*Marriage Equality in New York
*DADT (Dont Ask, Dont tell) repealed
*Doma is no longer going to be defended by the Obama Administration
*Federal Policy and Immigration. Under the direction of President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton declares to the world that Human rights are Gay rights. The Administration put an end to the deportation of legally married foreign nationals of same sex American citizens.
*Extension of Federal Benefits

These are WONDERFUL strides towards equality. There is one more giant hurdle to leap. That is the hurdle of teen suicide. 34,000 teens attempt or fulfill suicide each year.
It is the 3rd. leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds. LGBT youth attempt it 4 times more than their peers.
In terms of school climate, approximately 25% of LGBT students have been harassed due to sexual orientation. LGBT students do not feel safe at school 3 times more, 22% vs 7% heterosexual students. 90%of LGBT students have been harassed or assaulted in 2011 vs 62% of non-LGBT teens.

Sexual minority youth or teens that identify themselves as LGBT, are bullied 3 times more than heterosexual teens. And almost ALL transgendered students have been verbally harassed. e.g. called names or threatened in the past year because of their sexual orientation. (89%) and gender expression (90%)
So as you can see, we still have great strides to go. It's great for LGBT adults to have their freedoms, but what about our youth? But I propose we do not just focus on LGBT teens in the coming year. It's a sad state of affairs that so many teens in America attempt or follow through with suicide. We send our children to school to be taught not taunted.

I'm reminded of the words of a great man. But, until we get these numbers down, I do not believe they can be said. When that day comes, then we can say........
"That's one small step for Man, one giant leap for Mankind"  
Astronaut Neal Armstrong, first man on the moon.

Thank You to the GLSEN site for their statistics. That's the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

Sorry...No room at this inn!

You know...I read a disturbing article the other day. An article by the group known as the Rainbow Sash Movement.This is an LGBT group who's main mission is to hold the Roman Catholic Church to a higher standard in regards to sexuality. This is a wonderful group. Please Youtube them. I promise you, you will like them.

Now, their article was on the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities. It dealt with the high rate of homeless, hungry LGBT families that are out there in this world. We don't think of it, but yes, in this declining economy, we must look at the fact that even we LGBT'ers are affected. We've lost jobs. We've lost homes. And it's a sad fact that the nations two largest charitable organizations are...here I go...going to ruffle a few feathers...HOMOPHOBIC! Both organizations say that their religious beliefs on Homosexuality take precedence when it comes to taking care of the LGBT poor. In some cases, even refusing shelter to same sex couples unless they deny who they are and break up. REALLY? That's Christian? Where is that written? Not in my Bible!
I do not see Jesus the Christ healing the blind man or the centurions daughter, the lepers, the possessed or anyone with conditions! NO! He simply saw a need, fulfilled it.
The deed came not before the need. In fact it was the opposite. He filled the need and the deed followed.
I work in a major grocery store here where I live. I see the Salvation Army bell ringer every day. If they knew that he was as flamey as the Star of Bethlehem, his light would probably be without a job. And one of the women's shelters here is run by Catholic Charities. With a Big ole dykemeister in charge. I am beginning to think they treat us like the Black Entertainers of the 1950's.. It' ok to sing and dance for us, but do not sit at our tables or use our hotels.
So this holiday season I would like to remind ALL charitable groups the words of the Christ Himself..........
"For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink.
I was a stranger and you took Me in";.....Then the righteous will answer and say
"Lord when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
 Or see you as a stranger and take You in?".....And the King will answer "I say
 to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you
it to Me." Matthew 25:35-40.
May I say Merry Christmas...Happy Hanukkah....Happy Kwanzaa...Blessed Winter Solstice...Or whatever you believe.