The Post-Gazette reports that local gay business owner and community advocate, Jay Bernard, has passed away. Jay and his business partner Bill Stanhope owned Jay Design in Lawrenceville. Jay was the founder of the Boys of Lawrenceville "a benevolent organization of gay men" and the author of a monthly column about pet adoption. I've heard of Jay, but did not have the opportunity to meet him. Jay's company donated some items to an event I am hosting tonight for my day-job. I will be thinking of him when we raffle off those items. God speed.
The Presbyterian debate over gay marriage continues. From the PG:
A regional Presbyterian court's decision yesterday upheld Pittsburgh Presbytery's ban on gay marriage ceremonies, and reiterated the national church's stance that ordination requires chastity in singleness or fidelity in heterosexual marriage.
But the language was such that both sides of the local debate regarding the ban on actively gay clergy in the Presbyterian Church (USA) found aspects of the ruling acceptable.
Several Middle Eastern governments have filters in place to prevent their citizens from accessing gay and lesbian sites.
Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen had the strictest social-filtering practices, blocking pornography, gambling and gay and lesbian sites.
That's interesting. I usually have at least one IP address a day based in those very countries that visits my site, usually with a keyword search for "hot lesbians" or "lesbian photos" or "naked lesbians." Once it was "nudie lesbians." I chalk that up to a translation issue. Someone is getting through that filter.
Meanwhile, today's Trib runs this nice little affirmation of Falwell from the self-described "mean girl" Ann Coulter:
Let me be the first to say: I ALWAYS agreed with the Rev. Falwell.
Coulter sets the record "straight" on Tinky Winky's sexual orientation and explains why he didn't go far enough identifying who was responsible for 9/11 (hint: he's a Kennedy).
Meanwhile, South African churches get the go ahead to perform same-sex marriages.
Reports say that 5,000 people turned out for the Warsaw gay rights parade in spite of government sponsored crackdowns. Anti-gay crusaders want to ban gay propaganda in the schools. Does that sound familiar?
And, closer to home, Kent State has installed a "gender neutral" bathroom to accomodate transgender male and female students. Nearby Oberlin has a residence hall specifically for transgender students. The times they are a changin'.
The absurd ...a father is suing an Arkansas library because his sons "stumbled across" the Whole Lesbian Sex Book which disturbed them greatly. I believe the quote is that they had two sleepless nights at his house. Hmm ...
The ridiculous ...Rudy Guiliani does a big and very public flipflop on civil unions. In case you weren't keeping track, he was for them before he was against them. Pam's House Blend has the audiotape of Rudy discussing his "for them" stance back in 2003. When he wasn't running for President and courting the fundies.
CONCORD, N.H. -- The Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, says he and his partner of 18 years will be among the couples taking advantage of New Hampshire's soon-to-be-signed civil unions law.
I'm not even going to spoil the joy of their announcement by contemplating how Bishop Duncan and Archbishop Akinola must be spinning in their sanctuaries ...
Speaking of Nigeria ...a lesbian who married four women (as in took them as her wives, not performed the ceremony) has gone in hiding because she's facing imprisonment.
The ugly ...Poland. Censured by the EU for promoting homophobia, the Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski is speaking out in favor of repressive school based legislation that would make homosexual propaganda illegal. Here's the best part courtesy of Europe's gay news service:
"Nobody is limiting gay rights in Poland," Mr Kaczynski said.
"However, if we're talking about not having homosexual propaganda in Polish schools, I fully agree with those who feel this way.
"Such propaganda should not be in schools; it definitely doesn't serve youth well.
"It's not in the interests of any society to increase the number of homosexuals, that's obvious."
Not limiting gay rights indeed. I'm planning my trip to Poland right now.
Reverend Edwards once again faces church court charges for performing a lesbian wedding. Previous charges were dropped due to technicalities, which some suspect was a convenient way for the Presbyterian Church to sidestep the larger issues around gay and lesbian members of the faith community.
A Florida minister has again filed a complaint against the Rev. Janet Edwards, who faced charges in church court for marrying a lesbian couple before the court determined last year that the charges were filed four days too late.
The Rev. James Yearsley said he refiled the accusation with Pittsburgh Presbytery, charging that Ms. Edwards defied her vows and the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which prohibits same-sex marriages and bars pastors from performing them.
Ms. Edwards, 56, is a parish associate at the Community of Reconciliation in Oakland and a longtime activist for gay people in the church. She said she does not believe she violated the promises she made at ordination by marrying two West Virginia women in June 2005.
"Of course it is difficult to be called a heretic or apostate by a fellow Presbyterian and another Christian. But I really learned from the first round and I want to focus my soul on reconciling prayer," she said yesterday. "I'm hoping that I can talk with people who disagree with me and that we can find our way to reconciliation.''
Would that all Christians walk in such humility when confronted with someone who disagrees with them.
New Jersey's legislature has passed legislation legalizaing civil unions which should be signed by the Governor in the near future.
Hurrah for a step forward. But LGBTQ couples should take heed of just how complicated this little step can be .. a few twirls, hops to the right, touch your nose and hope for the best sort of step forward.
Read here to learn how the best civil union legislation in the world cannot confer the full rights of marriage ...
For the record, my church, Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church on the North Side, is openly and assertively GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) friendly. Until now, though, we have not been very public with our views. This is about to change.
This year, our 100th, we are completing our denomination's official GLBT welcoming process and will soon be certified as a Unitarian Universalist Association Welcoming Congregation.
Demonstrating once again that hate and intolerance have no room for compromise, a Floridian Presybterian minister is trying to re-start the case against her by gathering names to join him in filing charges -- again (Post-Gazette).
The Rev. James Yearsley, who filed the complaint against her last year, is gathering the signatures of ministers and elders in the Presbyterian Church (USA) who want to join him in pursuing the case. It would not be double jeopardy since she was never tried, he said.
"I'm still accumulating names. This means that the whole process starts over," said Mr. Yearsley, who has served churches in Pittsburgh Presbytery but now works in Florida.
Previous charges against the Reverend Janet Edwards, who conducted a marriage ceremony for a lesbian couple in June 2005, were dropped last month due to a procedural violation.
Yearsley had also considered filing charges against the Presbytery itself for "mishandling the matter." Does he imply they intentionally sidestepped the contextual issue? Imply perhaps while acknowledging there is no evidence. Imagine letting a little thing like evidentiary facts stand in the way of beating down the gay community!
Edwards has walked away from the process with a more subtle appreciation for the role of conflict resolution within the faith community:
"One thing I learned from the past 14 months is that the judicial process is not the best place in our church to work out our disagreement -- but it is one place where we do that," said Ms. Edwards, who is on the staff of the Community of Reconciliation in Oakland.
Here's PghLesbian previous coverage on Janet's story.
Mary and Heather will be two mommies. According to the Washington Post, Mary is pregnant and expected to deliver in the spring. They live in very homo-unfriendly Virginia to be near to the Dark Lord which does not bode well for Heather's legal status with regard to the baby.
However, while the LGBTQ bloggers speculate madly on the potential fallout from this revelation, I feel compelled to mention that this is Dick Cheney's grandchild. If he wants Heather in the baby's life, a little thing like the law won't stop it from happening. It hasn't stopped him from far greater abuses of power so why all the fuss now? The man parented a lesbian, his wife wrote a lesbian novel and they still ain't flipped on the political issue. A baby won't change that. He doesn't need legal support because he has what really counts -- power and wealth.
On the bright side, the wingnuts are showing their true unChristian colors over this latest little lesbian tidbit.
I wonder who will preside at the baby's christening -- Jimmy Dobson? Franklin Graham? Fred Phelps?
Oh that Diane Gramley and her whacky homobaiting ideas.
Today, as you may know, is World AIDS Day a day set aside to acknowledge the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The key is that progress in fighting the epidemic is possible through a united effort.
Ms. Gramley and her AFA morons think that the key to fighting the epidemic in the United States is to marginalize and criminalize homosexuality as well as pretty much any sexual activity outside of the man-woman marriage they hold so dear. So they've founded the AIDS Truth Coalition. <stop laughing!>
"While Christians and churches mobilize to fight the HIV pandemic on far away continents, let us not neglect the major catalyst for AIDS here in the United States of America: homosexual promiscuity, tolerated and encouraged by pro-'gay,' 'safer-sex' advocates," said Peter LaBarbera, President of Americans For Truth and member of the AIDS Truth Coalition. "It's time to acknowledge the pink elephant in the room: fighting AIDS without talking against homosexuality is like fighting lung cancer without talking against smoking."
Noting that the response of "politically correct AIDS organizations" is to distribute condoms, even at homosexual bathhouses, LaBarbera said, "Passing out condoms at sex clubs designed specifically to facilitate men having reckless, anonymous sex with other men is preposterous. Wouldn't it make more sense to mobilize all government agencies--federal, state and local--to close down these disease- spreading centers to save men's lives?"
To save lives you see! For Jesus! They've even issued some "talking points" for Christian parents. Because preaching about the evils of homosexuality is the best way to cure AIDS. For Jesus!
We now have famous preachers like the sadly compromised Rick Warren, who seems to have fallen in love with non-Christian "christians." Pro-abortion, pro-homosexual politician Barack Obama is now one of his chosen companions, invited to speak at Warren's Saddleback Church.
How sad that Scripture must now be kept in the closet, while deviant sin comes out.
Ohhhhhh, nice reference to gay-lingo! For actual facts on HIV/AIDS, click here.
Hallelujah! A higher court ruling in Virginia bodes well for a Vermont lesbian whose former partner fled to Virginia rather than allow the former partner to visit their daughter. Its been a long tangled case, but essentially the Virginia courts recognize that Vermont has jurisdiction in the case. Vermont has ordered shared custody. Here's more from Lambda Legal:
?The Virginia Court of Appeals rightly recognized that federal law protects parents against the very thing Lisa Miller did ? parents can ?t shop around looking for a court to give them sole custody.?
(Richmond, VA, November 28, 2006) ? Today, the Virginia Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the Commonwealth of Virginia has no say in a custody dispute that began in Vermont between Janet Jenkins and her former partner Lisa Miller.
?This has been a long road for Janet and now she?s that much closer to seeing her daughter again,? said Greg Nevins, Senior Staff Attorney in Lambda Legal?s Southern Regional Office in Atlanta. ?The Virginia Court of Appeals rightly recognized that federal law protects parents against the very thing Lisa Miller did?parents cannot shop around looking for a court to give them sole custody.?
Janet Jenkins (formerly Janet Miller-Jenkins) filed an appeal with the Virginia Court of Appeals seeking to enforce a Vermont court order saying she must have regular visitation with the now four-year-old daughter she and her former partner, Lisa Miller (formerly Miller-Jenkins), had when the two women were joined in a Vermont civil union. After the women ended their relationship, Miller moved to Virginia with the women?s daughter, and she asked a Vermont court to dissolve the couple?s civil union and sort out custody of the child. When the Vermont court ordered visitation for Jenkins, Miller filed a new lawsuit in Virginia court, successfully using that state?s antigay marriage law to have herself declared the child?s sole legal parent. The conflicting court orders - one from Vermont ordering regular visitation for Jenkins, and the other from a lower court in Virginia naming Miller the sole parent - led to today?s decision from Virginia?s intermediate court. Earlier this month the Vermont court found Miller in contempt for violation of its order for shared custody.
The 14-page decision by Senior Judges Willis and Annunziata and Judge Clements says, ?We hold that the trial court erred in failing to recognize that the PKPA [Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act] barred its exercise of jurisdiction. Accordingly we vacate the orders of the trial court and remand this case with instruction to grant full faith and credit to the custody and visitation orders of the Vermont court.?
Today?s decision was the result of Jenkins? appeal, which argued that the federal Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act and Virginia?s Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act make it clear that the Vermont court alone has jurisdiction in the matter and cannot be interfered with. Furthermore, the federal kidnapping law (PKPA) requires that the Vermont order be enforced in Virginia.
On Wednesday, November 15, 2006, Rev. Janet Edwards, PhD.will finally be put on trial by the Pittsburgh Presbytery for conducting a wedding between two women in June 2003. Many of you know Janet and were also at the wedding as all are involved in our VOICES FOR A NEW TOMORROW group. This is the culmination of 18 months of intrigue and silence, pain and elation, during which Janet faithfully kept to her message: Love and commitment is a gift of God.
You are invited to be present during the trial, and at its conclusion, celebrate God's Love and Commitment in worship and during lunch . The celebration will be in the style of the Cosmic Mass with visuals, sound, dancing, silence and ritual. Lunch is open to anyone. Janet "wants the world to come"...and bring their friends.
Here is how we expect the day to unfold:
9:00 Trial --Great Hall at the Priory 614 Pressley St. North Side of Pittsburgh
Press Conference to follow
11:00 Cosmic Celebration of Love and Commitment (Pittsburgh Golf Club- 5280 Northumberland St.
Schenley Park)
12:30 Lunch (Pittsburgh Golf Club)
For those of you unfamiliar with church procedures, a religious institution has the authority to hold "trials" and make decisions based on its own internal policies. When we say "trial" we of course aren't referring to civil law, but church law. Janet's stance of courage in putting her career on the line to speak out on equality and her view of God's affirmation of all families is to be commended. (and feared....she's a powerhouse!) If you can't take the day for this, then at least come for the lunch.
"Feel free to invite anyone."....and if you have someone important living outside of Pittsburgh, invite them, too.
Completmentary travel to Pittsburgh is provided through All Directions Travel. Ask for Jo at 412-566-1710, aldir@eartylink.netTravel . A block of rooms have been reserved at the Hampton Inn on the Boulevard of the Allies in the Oakland neighborhood.
[Janet] said she is reminded of Mordecai's words to the biblical heroine Esther, who was chosen to be a queen of Persia at a time when Jews faced genocide.
"He said that perhaps it was for this very moment that you were brought to the position you are in. I very much feel that the circumstances of my life -- both my economic circumstances and the fact that my children are now grown -- have all configured to have me step forward at this moment," she said.
