Lots of goings on today ....

From the local front, two letters to the editor in the Post-Gazette.

David Schelbe, co-chair of PFLAG Pittsburgh, asks the crucial question -- how will amending the Pennsylvani constitution protect marriage?

Amy Beisel of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference opines that a one man/one woman marriage is unique and special, as well as fundamental to the well-being of children.  Same old drivel dressed up pretty to defend marriage from a nameless threat.  And I'm sure the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania families that don't meet the one man/one woman threshold love being shoved into second class citizenship along with us homos.  Very Christian of you Ms. Beisel ... good to know you are working hard so your future husband can make decisions in your best interest.  :-)

Ms Beisel -- can you please spell out how ... HOW ... gay marriage will impact your marriage (or future marriage)? 

Sue

The United Church of Christ has had another inclusive ad rejected by all major networks for being too "issue oriented."  The point of the ads is to reach out to people who feel alienated from church. You can view the ads here.  They are hysterical. 

Interestingly, the networks embrace the Christian Right -- which is decidedly NOT mainstream Christianity -- while shutting out a simple message like "you are welcome at our church."  Hmmm ....undoubtably the liberal media bias is at work here. 

BTW, I did a search on the UCC homepage and found 20 congregations within 20 miles of downtown Pgh. 

The American Family Association of Pennsylvania has some problems with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.  They claim that Chairman Stephen Glassman is using his position as a "bully pulpit" to promote the homosexual agenda. 

Mr. Glassman's sins include meeting with homosexual groups to discuss the anti-marriage amendment and working with local municipalities to add sexual orientation and gender identity to their non-discrimination policies.  Glassman was appointed to the HRC by a Republican (Schweiker) Governor in 2002, nominated as chair by Governor Rendell in 2003 and is currently the highest ranking openly gay appointed official in Pennsylvania. 

Imagine the Human Relations Commission advocating that all people be protected from discrimination!  What a horrible abuse of power! 

The AFA-PA wants proof that homos are being discriminated against in housing, employment and public accomodations.  They should visit the HRC website which includes statistics on bias complaints. 

Other critical concerns the AFA has about the homosexual agenda in Pennsylvania:

1.  Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission "desecrates" Independence Hall with a gay historical marker.

2.  Homosexual activists in Allentown used threats and intimidation to acquire signatures on a petition to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the human relations ordinance.

3.  In Allentown, men can wear dresses and shower with women in the workplace. 

So the AFA-PA wants Governor Rendell to reign in Glassman and make him concentrate only on legally protected classes, as sexual orientation and gender identity are not included in these classes.  My question is what the AFA-PA is doing to ensure that good Christian family members who fall into those included classes are being protected?  Are they ensuring that churches across the Commonwealth are fully accessible to the disabled?  Perhaps holding bake sales so churches with limited resources can afford to remodel in order to be fully welcoming of ALL peoples?  I'm guessing that their all-consuming obsession with homosexuality does not allow for these minor distractions.

Furthermore, the AFA does not seem to be doing much of anything for ANY people who fall into the following classes - race, color, familial status, religious creed, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, disability, use of guide or support animals because of the blindness, deafness or physical handicap of the user or because the use is a handler or trainer of support or guide animals.

Are they on the forefront protecting pagans from religious discrimiation?  Nope.  How about helping older adults pay for medicine AND food?  Nada.  Any action to assist immigrant farm workes in the middle of Pennsylvania?  No. 

While Pennsylvania families struggle to find decent jobs, put food on their table, pay for health insurance, keep up with property taxes and a myriad of other daily challengers, the AFA-PA has defined homosexuals as the biggest threat to family welfare.  Headed up by Stephen Glassman who tricked a Republican into appointing him so he could spread his homo agenda willy nilly throughout the Commonwealth. 

You can join the AFA-PA email list webdesigner@afaofpa.org to stay abreast of the latest.

Do you know someone who is homosexual?  Would you give your life for that person?  Christ did.   End religious based bigotry now. 

Some random notes...Rep. Randy Cunningham's loot came on the auction block last week. You remember Randy? The gentleman who ranted about the evils of gay people but then accepted bribes. The last time I checked, stealing was a big one in the ten commandments, but, uh...being gay ...WAS NOT.

Also, some observations about who might vote to take away gay folks right to marry. The pigeon sniper. The man who was seen walking on the roofs with an air rifle that looked like an assault rifle? Shooting piegeons. The person who locked down Pittsburgh for several hours and then, incredibly, tottered back to Fayette County. He can marry. He can breed. And they say gay people are a threat to society?

Finally, I attended the ACLU's annual meeting on Sunday and heard Randy Forrester speak. Seems among urban gays there's still a complacency about gay rights. A belief that being gay is becoming routine. Accepted. Let me say this, and not as eloquently as Mr. Forrester. The religious right, the self-righteous hypocrites that they may be, are coming after you. They don't like you. They want to establish a theocracy and, guess what? It won't include you. So wise up and get your head out of the sand.

Finally, I am also amused about the religious right's collective panties in a knot about the Afghanistan Christian that the Afghanistan government wants to execute. Bush came into that country and a "democratically" elected government was established. And this same government wants to execute this man. Not that I agree, but what did they expect? There also going after women and...gay people but you don't hear the focus on the family squawking about that, do you?

Now this makes for an interesting Monday morning read.  A letter to the Tribune Review from a pagan that stems from another letter commenting on an Anglican Nigerian Bishop.

Anne E. Lynch of Swissvale writes in response to John Patterson's letter.  You'll recall from last week that Mr. Patterson is an admirer of homophobic Nigerian Archbishop Akinola, noting his "spiritual testosterone" as well as his disdain for American sexual freedom. 

Ms. Lynch takes issue with Mr. Patterson's reference to "the rubber-band flexibility of neo-pagan permissiveness."  A practicing pagan, she notes that "all Pagans follow a code of moral, ethical, social and religious behavior."

Ms. Lynch then goes on to invite readers to visit Greater Pittsburgh Pagan Pride with a clear request that visitors avoid offering to save their souls.

She writes, "We don't proselytize or seek converts. Your spirituality is your business -- let us practice ours in peace.

Ah, Anne, if only all people of faith could live by that code.

This has been an intriguing thread and a fascinating example of the real dialogue around LGBT faith and spirituality issues and, perhaps, a microcosm of the larget societal debate.  Archbishop Chane's original epistle frames the conflict between a pastoral concern for members of the gay community and a failure to speak out when a church leader endorses a law that openly criminalizes homosexuality and strips homosexuals of their most basic civil liberties. 

This treasure trove has inspired many letters to the editor in both the Tri and the Post-Gazette with the vast majority expressing sympathy and compassion for the gay community.  How telling that the few letters defending Akinola's position are vitriolic rants from individuals who openly hate homosexuals. Excepting the tempered response opinion piece in the Post-Gazette.

That's the ultimate chasm.  These people -- the ones who speak up -- deeply hate homosexuals.  They are not content to love us in spite of our "sins."  They want to obliterate us from their churches, schools and government.  They have a clear, concise message that appeals to the vast masses who are acutely uncomfortable with homosexuality and find us a convenient target for all their post-modern angst.  (Obviously, they would not describe it that way).

The gay community, both in and out of the church, must find a way to reach out to the middle.  We are never going to convince the right wingnuts to let go of their hatred.  But I remain convinced that most people don't hate us; they simply don't understand us. Confronted with something new, they look for guidance and many turn to a warped moral schematic which puts queers in the category of immoral being. 

We chip away at this stigma, this sense of "other" with every positive interaction the middle folks have with an identified homosexual.  Some of my gay comrades prefer to keep a low-profile.  In the name of self-preservation, that's fine and sadly necessary.  But for those who ride under the radar simply because its easier or because its comfortable, you are doing a disservice to our community. 

People need to know queers on a personal level to overcome the homophobia they learn at school, church and home.    It is not the only battle, but its one that every queer can take on. 

Sue

How did I miss this? 

Published on March 9, this letter to the editor from Lionel Deimel of Mt. Lebanon rightly condemns the intolerant words and actions of Nigerian Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola.  Deimel opines:

Those applauding his principled stand in opposition to the consecration of gay bishops should recognize that Akinola's principles apparently also include intolerance, ignorance and hatred.

Archbishop Akinola's rhetoric may have more dire effects in Nigeria than mere repression, however. He recently warned rioting Muslims in Nigeria that "(our Muslim brothers) do not have the monopoly of violence in this nation" and that Christian Association of Nigeria, of which Akinola is president, "may no longer be able to contain our restive youths should this ugly trend continue."

And Ron Pedersen Jr. of North Versailles takes a similar stance, drawing on the esteemed Bishop Desmond Tutu in response to the hateful letter written by a Mr. John Patterson of Monroeville.  Pederson writes:

Patterson admires Akinola's ample supply of "spiritual testosterone" and comments that "It's a fine thing to see biblically minded African Archbishop Akinola spit upon Hollywood's code of sexual freedom, which lots of American Episcopal clergy relish with all of their lustful hearts."

In the face of such ridiculous ignorance, kudos to Mr.Deimel and Mr. Pederson for standing up to homophobic ignorant fools. 

You can count on your lesbian correspondents to let you know when mind shattering events, such as Trib readers defending homosexuals, take place in Pittsburgh.

According to an article in the Wednesday (March 15) Post-Gazette, several state legislators have decided to attempt to ban a notorius gay basher--Fred Phelps--from protesting at the funerals of fallen soldiers. Putting aside for a minute the First Amendment issues this ban would involve, I find this incredibly hypocritical. As perhaps some of you may know, Fred Phelps and his merry band of bigots has been protesting at funerals for aids victims, homosexuals, and several years ago, even paid a visit to Pittsburgh to protest at the funeral of--Fred Rogers-- of all people.  And, apparently that did not offend the sensibilities of Senators John Pippy, Bob Regola and Jennifer Mann, the sponsors of this proposed legislation. I have a suggestion. Instead of banning Fred Phelps' free speech rights, however despicable his speech may be, how about if these senators do something constructive and GASP Christian. How about Senators Pippy, Regola and Mann make a statement that everyone--regardless of who they are--deserves to be remembered and mourned in a respectful and reverant manner.

The thing that really gets me is when homo-bigots are not content to just hate us for ourselves, but have to take the extra step of connecting us with something vile ... like pedophilia, bestiality or white supremacy. From the New York City St. Patric's Day Parade comes this gem.

In an interview with the Irish Times published on Friday Hibernian chair John Dunleavy said, "If an Israeli group wants to march in New York, do you allow Neo-Nazis into their parade? If African Americans are marching in Harlem, do they have to let the Ku Klux Klan into their parade?"

Dunleavy went on to tell the paper that "People have rights. If we let the ILGO in, is it the Irish Prostitute Association next?"

For the past 16 years, the NYC parade organizers have kept the queer contingent from marching as an identified group as permitted by a court ruling on religious freedom.  Apparently, they are not content to simply disallow homos but have to take it one step further. 

And guess who marches in spite of these hate laced comments?  Senator Hillary Clinton.  Are you stunned that she'd sell us out for a good PR moment? 

1.  He never got married.

2.  He lived at home until he was 33.

3.  He was followed around by men who left their wives to be with him.

4.  He was "sensitive" toward women and other vulnerable people.

5. He was docile and loving toward others.

6.  He was persecuted by the church AND the government. 

Thanks to Correspondent Bob for this little joke.