Abracadabra ... Mormons are now gay!

Feb 16, 2012 - The discovery this week of a proposed posthumous baptism for Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel ( Romanian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, Holocaust survivor and author of 57 books ) - who is alive - has revived a longstanding controversy surrounding the Mormon Church's practice of performing "saving ordinances" on behalf of its members' non-Mormons ancestors.

After The Huffington Post broke the story, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints moved quickly to assure Wiesel that it wouldn't allow a baptism—before or after his death. But the incident had already dragged Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney into an escalating, semi-informed debate that's bobbed in and out of public consciousness for nearly two decades.

The practice of posthumous baptism has been part of the church's theology almost since its founding. But since Jewish leaders first expressed concern in 1995 that the ordinances were being performed for Holocaust victims—a perceived affront to Jewish pride and heritage—the Mormon Church has made efforts to keep those names out of their temples.

READ THE FULL STORY ...

As a response to this revelation - and in the wake of the Mormon Church funding the defeat of Prop 8 which made same-sex marriage illegal again in California - the following website now offers similar rites for Mormons!

Sadly, many Mormons throughout history have died without having known the joys of homosexuality. With your help, these poor souls can be saved. 

Simply enter the name of your favorite dead Mormon* in the form below and click Convert! Presto, they're gay for eternity. There is no undo. 

Don't know any dead Mormons? Click the "Choose-a-Mormon" button and we'll find one for you. 

You're welcome!     

CONVERT A MORMON HERE ...

Bridge the Digital Divide

This man, his ideas and his implementation of them is really inspiring. He offers a snapshot of world poverty then discusses how internet can Bridge the Digital Divide.

Five billion people can’t use the Internet. Aleph Molinari empowers the digitally excluded by giving them access to computers and the know-how to use them.

Through education and technology-focused community centers, Aleph Molinari empowers the 5 billion people who cannot access or use the Internet and other technologies. Full bio »

Pro-Choice Protest of the Day

Pro-choice Oklahoma state Senator Constance Johnson (D) introduced an amendment to the Sooner State’s pro-life “personhood” bill (SB 1433) making masturbation illegal.

Oklahoma lawmakers are currently debating legislation that would make it mandatory for women to listen to their fetus’s heartbeat before being allowed to have an abortion.

To protest the bill, Sen. Johnson sought to have an amendment added that would make “any action in which a man ejaculates or otherwise deposits semen anywhere but in a woman’s vagina…an action against an unborn child.”

... and we welcome Washington State!

Washington state lawmakers voted to approve gay marriage Wednesday, setting the stage for the state to become the seventh in the nation to allow same-sex couples to wed.

The action comes a day after a federal appeals court declared California's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, saying it was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian couples.

The Washington House passed the bill on a 55-43 vote. The state Senate approved the measure last week, and Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign the measure into law next week.

READ THE FULL STORY ...

California's Prop 8 recinded and Supreme Court may not hear Appeal

I suggest that Obama will resolve this question on a Federal level when he is re-elected in November with a strong mandate.

  Until Tuesday, it looked like California's Proposition 8 gay marriage case would be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. But that looks less certain now.

The narrow California-only approach adopted by the 9th Circuit means the high court might choose to steer clear of the dispute.

If so, that would leave for another day — perhaps several years in the future — a national ruling on same-sex marriage.

READ THE WHOLE STORY ...

Obama officially ends ban on gays in military

United States Marines attend a training session to familiarize them with the military's new position regarding gay and lesbian service members and the repeal of the don't ask, don't tell policy at Camp Pendleton. (Lenny Ignelzi/The Associated Press)

Last Friday, President Barack Obama fulfilled a 2008 campaign pledge and formally ended the ban on gays in the military. 

After meeting with Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the president certified to Congress that repealing the ban would not jeopardize the military's ability to fight.

"As commander in chief, I have always been confident that our dedicated men and women in uniform would transition to a new policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness," Obama said in a statement. "Service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country."

Obama's action means that effective Sept. 20, gay service members will be able to openly acknowledge their sexual orientation. And it opens the door for those discharged over the past 17 years under Clinton's policy to re-apply to the military and possibly serve again.

OutGames 2011 in Vancouver this week

2nd GLISA North America Outgames
Vancouver 2011 | July 25th - July 31st

This continental event will include multi-sport elements supported by the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association [ GLISA ]. 

A key component to the games is the Human Rights Conference with workshops on diversity, and an awards ceremony recognizing individuals and corporations that have influenced LGBT rights. Additional elements include Cultural Activities and Opening and Closing ceremonies. 

Come enjoy one of the many events taking place during Pride Week! 

Don’t miss being part of one of the largest events happening in Vancouver this summer. With upwards of 1,000 athletes and participants expected in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, this is definitely going to be a week to remember!

OutGames

OutGames bring together lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) athletes from around the world in unprecedented numbers for a celebration of sport, culture and human rights. In the spirit of true inclusiveness, the OutGames are open to all, regardless of sexual orientation. 

OutGames Core Elements

Sport
Each OutGames has a sport component offering 8-10 sport disciplines at the Continental level and 30-35 sport disciplines at a World OutGames level. OutGames include events for everyone, from seasoned athletes to recreational participants. Which sports are included in an OutGames, is determined by both the Host City and GLISA and can be flexible to include sports that are regional or continental favourites.

Culture/Celebrations
Cultural activities include music, dance and social activities, such as country and western dance, marching bands, concert bands, big bands, colour guard, cheerleading, choral festivals and leather events to name a few. The events range from participatory to observatory and judged and non judged. All OutGames also include Opening and Closing Celebrations featuring dance, music, song, choreography and athleticism.

Human Rights Conference
World OutGames will play host to an International Conference on LGBT Human Rights, where delegates from every continent will come together for workshops and discussions led by internationally respected leaders in human rights, researchers, legal scholars and trade organisations.

Although the specific components of each OutGames vary slightly to reflect the priorities of the Host City’s region or continent, there are similar components to each set of OutGames. We provided a general overview here of the core elements of World and Continental OutGames, to see the specific components of any of the upcoming OutGames we encourage you to view the links on either the World or Continental OutGames pages under OutGames on the menu.

No mayor? No problem.

CP24/Chris Kitching

People carry a large rainbow flag along Yonge Street during the 2011 Pride parade Sunday, July 3, 2011.

With an estimated crowd of more than one million people, Toronto's annual Pride Week parade went off with its usual exhibition of colour, heart-pounding music and skin Sunday as people celebrated 31 years of Pride, despite Mayor Rob Ford's controversial absence.

For organizers and many participants, the record-breaking event was more than a massive celebration that takes over several city streets.

The parade was a chance to remind Toronto and the rest of the world there is still plenty of work to do to achieve equal rights for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) communities worldwide. CLICK HERE for a discussion of where we are.

Click on this post's title to watch videos of the entire Pride Parade as covered by CP24.

Hijabs, Turbans and Spaghetti Strainers?

An Austrian atheist has won the right to be shown on his driving-licence photo wearing a pasta strainer as "religious headgear".

The idea that the sieve was a requirement of his religion, Pastafarianism came into Mr Alm's noodle three years ago as a way of making a serious, if ironic, point.

A self-confessed atheist, Mr Alm says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a light-hearted, US-based faith whose members call themselves pastafarians.

The group's website states that "the only dogma allowed in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the rejection of dogma".

The right to ideas

National Film Board of Canada

In RiP: A remix manifesto, Web activist and filmmaker Brett Gaylor explores issues of copyright in the information age, mashing up the media landscape of the 20th century and shattering the wall between users and producers.

The film discusses the changes that have taken place with major music companies suing people who download music online. It raises important questions about the ownership of ideas and whether intellectual property laws should be less propietary and more like those of Brazil.

About Brett Gaylor: Brett Gaylor is the creator of opensourcecinema.org, a video remix community which supports the production of his feature documentary RiP: A remix manifesto.

From protesting for gay rights to the Order of Canada

Parliament Hill, site of Canada's first demonstration for gay rights, is visible from the National Gallery of Canada, where Charlie Hill is the long-time curator of the Canadian collection. (Paul Galipeau)

Charlie Hill, 65, is known for two things: he is a pioneer in the Canadian gay liberation movement and he is a prominent curator at the National Gallery of Canada. 



After the 1980s, Hill left gay politics and focused on his career. He was already known for his 1975 exhibition and catalogue Canadian Painting in the ’30s. In 2001, Governor General Adrienne Clarkson made him a member of the Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian art and gay liberation. Hill lives with his partner of 16 years, Brian Foss.  

The Sound of a Free Egypt

Protesters in Tahrir Square celebrate after Mubarek steps down.

For all 18 days, I witnessed on TV the determination, the terror, the frustration, the love, the peacefulness and the joy of the Egyptian Revolution.

This video and song depict the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square as the rest of us watched history unfold. Whether you understand the words or not, the song carries a genuine feeling of strength, joy, peace and the Humanity of the Egyptian people. Beautiful!



Click on the link to read a partial translation of the words.

One big step forward ... Human Rights Act to shield transgender, transsexual Canadians

2. The purpose of this Act is to extend the laws in Canada to give effect, within the purview of matters coming within the legislative authority of Parliament, to the principle that all individuals should have an opportunity equal with other individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have and to have their needs accommodated, consistent with their duties and obligations as members of society, without being hindered in or prevented from doing so by discriminatory practices based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, disability or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted.

OTTAWA — The House of Commons passed a bill Wednesday that will amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code to protect transgender and transsexual Canadians from discrimination.

"It's a great day," said the bill's author, NDP MP Bill Siksay. "It's been in the works for six years, and it's great to see people from all parties supporting the bill. This is not a partisan issue, it's a human rights issue."

When all heads were counted, 143 MPs voted for Bill C-389 and 135 voted against.

The amendments proposed in the bill prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression through adding "gender identity" and "gender expression" to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination in the Canada Human Rights Act, and through adding transgender and transsexual Canadians as identifiable groups in the Criminal Code's hate crimes law.

The term 'gender expression' refers to an individual's outward expression of their inward sense of gender, Siksay said.

A majority of Conservative members voted against the bill, prompting opposition members to applaud Tory ministers and members Lawrence Cannon, Lisa Raitt, John Baird, John Moore, Shelly Glover and Gerald Keddy when they rose to their feet to support the bill.

Gay couple marries in Argentina

Two Argentine men have succeeded in becoming Latin America's first same-sex married couple.

After their first attempt to wed earlier this month in Buenos Aires was thwarted, gay rights activists Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre took their civil ceremony to the capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, where a sympathetic governor backed their bid to make Latin American history.

The couple exchanged rings Monday in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, closer to Antarctica than Buenos Aires. The informal ceremony was witnessed by state and federal officials.

Di Bello, 41, an executive at the Argentine Red Cross, met Freyre, 39, executive director of the Buenos Aires AIDS Foundation, at an HIV awareness conference. Both are HIV-positive.

Gov. Fabiana Rios said in a statement that gay marriage "is an important advance in human rights and social inclusion and we are very happy that this has happened in our state."

Maybe Texas ain't so bad after all!

On Saturday, Houston, Texas became the first major U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor, Annise Parker, after a hotly contested run-off election that gave gay and lesbian supporters a symbolic victory following defeats over legalizing same-sex marriages in California and Maine.

"The voters of Houston have opened the door to history," Parker told supporters at a convention center in Houston. "I know what this win means to many of us who never thought we could achieve high office."

Ugandan law targeting gays is vile and hateful

The Canadian government is making its strongest defence yet of human rights for gays and lesbians, calling a proposed Ugandan law that would imprison and even execute homosexuals "vile and hateful."

The condemnation comes as Prime Minister Stephen Harper prepares to join leaders of Commonwealth countries at a meeting in Trinidad and Tobago this weekend.

The Ugandan "anti-homosexuality bill" is already spurring international calls for the country's suspension from the organization.

Peter Kent, minister of state for foreign affairs, said "Our position is that the proposed Uganda law is reprehensible, vile and hateful and it's appalling that such legislation would be brought to the parliament of a commonwealth democracy. "

... The new Chairman of the Commonwealth from Trinidad & Tobago doesn't seem much better.

CLICK HERE to read about the upcoming Commonwealth Summit.

CLICK HERE to see details about the Legal status of homosexuality worldwide as shown in the map above.

Maine voters reject same-sex marriage law

Minority rights once again trampled by the majority!

Voters in the northeastern state of Maine repealed a state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed, dealing the gay rights movement a heartbreaking defeat in the corner of the country most supportive of gay marriage.

Gay marriage has now lost in every single state — 31 in all — in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine — known for its moderate, independent-minded electorate — and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign.

With 87 per cent of the precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 per cent of the votes.

"The institution of marriage has been preserved in Maine and across the nation," declared Frank Schubert, chief organizer for the winning side.

Kissing, hugging, and touching are reasons to kill gay men and lesbians in Jamaica

Today (Oct. 30th) has been proclaimed 'Gay Eradication Day' by residents of the McGregor Gully community in East Kingston. Residents say that they will be taking action as a two-week notice given to all gays and lesbians to flee the community has now expired.

The Jamaica Star is reporting that two weeks ago, residents of McGregor Gully declared they were fed up with gay behavior, and ordered all gays to leave by today. Those who did not leave would "suffer the consequences" Those residents who are willing to admit that they are taking part in the gay rousting say they are doing it to protect their families and in an effort to keep their community from falling into disrepute. According to the residents, the main problem is a local hangout that is frequented by lesbians who "kiss, hug, and even touch each other." And the community's anger is directed mostly at those lesbians, though any gay men who reside in the area are also expected to leave. The residents say they will not stop until their community is "gay free" and are not afraid of resorting to extreme measures, though they would not explicitly say what those measures might be.

The Politics of Pride - Beyond Gay

WORLD PREMIERE: Image+Nation Festival of Cinema, Montreal Canada, October 25th

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE: Mix Brasil, Sao Paulo Brasil, November

EUROPEAN PREMIERE: Florence Queer Festival, FLorence Italy, December 3rd

HUMAN RIGHTS FESTIVAL: This Human World: Vienna Austria, December 5th

Canadian AIDS Society's Solution to blood-screening discrimination

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 27, 2009) - The Canadian AIDS Society (CAS), will be appearing as a Friend of the Court in the Freeman case, which contests the constitutionality of the Canadian Blood Services' lifetime deferral on gay men and men who have sex with men. In this role, CAS will propose an amendment to update the Canadian Blood Services' screening questionnaire, with a desire to improve safety and gain community support for the Canadian blood system.

"The current discriminatory wording of the screening questionnaire needs to be updated. With new, highly accurate HIV testing, it is no longer scientific, as American blood banks have acknowledged with respect to their own similar policy. It's eroding confidence in the blood system, which turns away many youth and gay men who are not at risk of HIV at a time when Canada's blood supply is in need of donors," says Douglas Elliott, the Canadian AIDS Society lawyer. "The questionnaire is not scientifically valid, which compromises the safety of the system by encouraging self-screening and inciting boycotts on blood donation based on human rights principles."

CAS is suggesting a long overdue change to one question of the current survey directed to male donors which reads: Have you had sex with a man, even one time since 1977? Presently, if prospective donors respond yes to this question, they are banned for life from donating blood. However, a deferral of only one year is imposed on women who have had sex with a bisexual man in the last 12 months, even though such women are at the same risk as men who have sex with men. The proposed change would read: Have you had sex with another man in the past 5 years. If the response is "no" they would be treated like any other donor. If yes, they would respond to a further question: Have you had unprotected anal sex (i.e., without a condom) with more than one male partner in the last 12 months. If the response is "yes," they would receive a 12 month deferral. If "no," they would receive a 6 month deferral.