"Minnesota Punter Puts His Foot in Maryland Solon's Azz"

“They Won’t Magically Turn You Into A Lustful Cockmonster”: Chris Kluwe Explains Gay Marriage To The Politician Who Is Offended By An NFL Player Supporting It

Chris Kluwe

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo has spoken out in favor of a Maryland ballot initiative that would legalize gay marriage. Yahoo has published a letter that Maryland state delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. wrote last week to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, urging him to "inhibit such expressions from your employee." This is Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe's response to Burns.
Dear Emmett C. Burns Jr.,
I find it inconceivable that you are an elected official of Maryland's state government. Your vitriolic hatred and bigotry make me ashamed and disgusted to think that you are in any way responsible for shaping policy at any level. The views you espouse neglect to consider several fundamental key points, which I will outline in great detail (you may want to hire an intern to help you with the longer words):
1. As I suspect you have not read the Constitution, I would like to remind you that the very first, the VERY FIRST Amendment in this founding document deals with the freedom of speech, particularly the abridgment of said freedom. By using your position as an elected official (when referring to your constituents so as to implicitly threaten the Ravens organization) to state that the Ravens should "inhibit such expressions from your employees," more specifically Brendon Ayanbadejo, not only are you clearly violating the First Amendment, you also come across as a narcissistic fromunda stain. What on earth would possess you to be so mind-boggingly stupid? It baffles me that a man such as yourself, a man who relies on that same First Amendment to pursue your own religious studies without fear of persecution from the state, could somehow justify stifling another person's right to speech. To call that hypocritical would be to do a disservice to the word. Mindfucking obscenely hypocritical starts to approach it a little bit.
2. "Many of your fans are opposed to such a view and feel it has no place in a sport that is strictly for pride, entertainment, and excitement." Holy fucking shitballs. Did you seriously just say that, as someone who's "deeply involved in government task forces on the legacy of slavery in Maryland"? Have you not heard of Kenny Washington? Jackie Robinson? As recently as 1962 the NFL still had segregation, which was only done away with by brave athletes and coaches daring to speak their mind and do the right thing, and you're going to say that political views have "no place in a sport"? I can't even begin to fathom the cognitive dissonance that must be coursing through your rapidly addled mind right now; the mental gymnastics your brain has to tortuously contort itself through to make such a preposterous statement are surely worthy of an Olympic gold medal (the Russian judge gives you a 10 for "beautiful oppressionism").
3. This is more a personal quibble of mine, but why do you hate freedom? Why do you hate the fact that other people want a chance to live their lives and be happy, even though they may believe in something different than you, or act different than you? How does gay marriage, in any way shape or form, affect your life? If gay marriage becomes legal, are you worried that all of a sudden you'll start thinking about penis? "Oh shit. Gay marriage just passed. Gotta get me some of that hot dong action!" Will all of your friends suddenly turn gay and refuse to come to your Sunday Ticket grill-outs? (Unlikely, since gay people enjoy watching football too.)
I can assure you that gay people getting married will have zero effect on your life. They won't come into your house and steal your children. They won't magically turn you into a lustful cockmonster. They won't even overthrow the government in an orgy of hedonistic debauchery because all of a sudden they have the same legal rights as the other 90 percent of our population—rights like Social Security benefits, child care tax credits, Family and Medical Leave to take care of loved ones, and COBRA healthcare for spouses and children. You know what having these rights will make gays? Full-fledged American citizens just like everyone else, with the freedom to pursue happiness and all that entails. Do the civil-rights struggles of the past 200 years mean absolutely nothing to you?
In closing, I would like to say that I hope this letter, in some small way, causes you to reflect upon the magnitude of the colossal foot in mouth clusterfuck you so brazenly unleashed on a man whose only crime was speaking out for something he believed in. Best of luck in the next election; I'm fairly certain you might need it.
Sincerely,
Chris Kluwe
P.S. I've also been vocal as hell about the issue of gay marriage so you can take your "I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing" and shove it in your close-minded, totally lacking in empathy piehole and choke on it. Asshole.

"Why I Oppose Gay Marriage"

The Washington Post published an op-ed piece on the topic of the Maryland Same Sex Law that is now on the ballot through a grassroots initiative. I think this comment on the article is one of the most eloquent that I have seen , and so I am reposting it here for your review. (Note the title of this blog is from the Washington Post opinion and is not my position. I support the commenter below). WP: "Why I Oppose Gay Marriage" Please weigh in with your comments:

from the Washington Post: "Why I Oppose Gay Marriage":

"SDK wrote:

10/2/2012 3:34 PM EDT

It's hard to understand people like this writer, other than to simply say that they are outside the mainstream of gay life. Gay people in settled relationships with children, like myself, both need and want marriage, not some new structure that is itself unproven. We are not breaking new ground. We are not different from straight people. My gayness does not define my life -- my toddler does.

I am fighting for marriage (and not some weird civil term) because I believe that marriage is the right container for my family. Maybe you spend your weekends at the bars -- maybe marriage seems foreign to you. I spend my weekends with my kids and they deserve a stable family -- a married family.

When the gay rights movement first started, gay sexuality was illegal in most states and homosexuals could lose their jobs, their children, even their freedom for the simple act of loving another adult human being. In that context, it is understandable that the first freedom we sought was sexual freedom.

But now that we are free to do as we will in a hotel room, we seek a deeper, more meaningful and more lasting freedom. This is not the freedom *from* constraints, *from* morality, but rather the freedom *to* create a stable family life and to be recognized as equal citizens when we do so.

Most gay people have realized that we are no longer teenagers. We want adult responsiblities and adult rights. Marriage is one of those rights. You may not want it for yourself -- but that's just not true for me and for most gay people. We want exactly the same rights AND the same rules that guide married life.

Marriage is hard. Raising children is hard. Balancing work and family and adult responsibilities is hard. We need more than an obscure legal term to pull us in. We need support and recognition, we need common words for common struggles. We need a loving community to pull us through. Even if civil unions were legal, I would seek marriage because I need *exactly* what you disparage -- the tradition and the permanancy it invokes. I do not need something new. I need something old.

What is new is that I claim it for my own. In that, I am no different from the first woman to attend medical school, the first African American lawyer, the first Catholic president. The fact that it is not tradition does not mean that you cannot "mess with it". It means that you have to work harder to claim your place.

This equality train is not stopping. Win or lose -- we are going to keep fighting for our families. We are a moral force, just like the moral force opposing us. You don't have to get on the train -- marriage is a personal choice. But the train isn't stopping -- so I suggest that you get out of its way."

U.S. asks Supreme Court to consider two more gay marriage cases

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday (September 11, 2012) asked the Supreme Court to consider two additional legal challenges to a federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, after submitting similar cases for review in July.

The two petitions filed by the department urge the high court to consider at least one gay marriage case in the near future to determine whether Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act violates legally married same-sex couples' rights by treating them differently than heterosexual couples. http://news.yahoo.com/u-asks-supreme-court-consider-two-more-gay-005447198.html

Here is my response:

Judaic-Christian (or any other religion) precepts have no place in American Jurisprudence. Marriage between two consenting adults is an issue of fairness. If it is legal for the majority, then it is protected by the 14th amendment for the minority. "No state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The language is plain and unequivocal. Attempts to introduce gender with the words of "one man, one woman" is inherently unconstitutional. Strict constructionist have to gyrate through Mosaic laws to find otherwise. It is a slippery slope when one starts to inject religion into the secular world of laws. Defense of Marriage Act was pushed through as a Congressional statute to provide political cover for politicians and pander to religious fundamentalists. Let's find statutory refuge in the Qu'ran or the Bhagavad Gita or some other theology. Get out of the business of limited government and create 50 smaller theocracies. Hmmm. Which states get to be Catholic, which Jewish, and don't forget to give Utah to the Mormons.

DADT and Amendment 10-A

Today is a unique day in the United States military. As of today, same gender loving (sgl) individuals may serve openly without the fear of losing their career, their benefits and their ability to make the ultimate sacrifice if necessary for the defense of their country. The Don't Ask; Don't Tell was a devil's bargain struck during the Clinton administration as a political compromise on a campaign promise by the then presidential nominee to gain the votes of the GLBT community. I say devil's bargain because men and women continued to suffer the effects of discrimination that should have ended in the 1970's rather than masquerading as a "kinder, gentler" form of discrimination.

Likewise, it is a unique day in the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta as local presbyterians seek a compromise policy that will allow congregations opposed to the change in the national constitution to allow the ordinations of openly gay and practicing gays and lesbians for service to the church. Once again, this body is coming to grips with change following an ecclesiastical compromise by the reuniting northern and southern churches that had called for ordination standard to include requirements of fidelity within marriage and chastity without. Those noble and lofty spiritual arrows were aimed specifically at same gender loving Presbyterians.

The military has taken from December 2010 to September 2011 to prepare soldiers to perform their duties in this changed environment. You would think that heterosexual soldiers had never been in combat or served with homosexual soldiers and thus a whole new culture is required to integrated SGL soldiers into the service. Likewise, the Presbyterian church is struggling to create a spiritual climate that avoids schism and everybody can "just get along."

Well, here is my take on it all. The United States Armed Forces did not collapse when President Truman issued an executive order that integrated our military. And Presbyterians have always gotten mad, created new Presbyterian denominations (there are currently 9 PC denominations in the U.S. alone), and continued to discern the will of God on earth.

So, the sun will rise tomorrow. Same gender loving soldiers will go to their jobs and yield outstanding service while preparing to "give the last full measure of their devotion" for the cause, and Presbyterian churches will open their doors on Sunday with heterosexual and homosexual parishioners singing from the same hymnbooks.

Grace and peace and Semper FI to you all.

Amen.

Court rejects appeal over DC gay marriage law

I have not seen much in the press on this Supreme Court decision which has a major impact in the gay community. Yahoo news published it but did not permit comments. I am posting it for comment. It is definitely a major step and especially for a conservative leaning Supreme Court for the moment. Other cases to watch include the California Prop 8 challenge which has been sent by the Ninth Circuit back to the California Supreme Court to determine whether the challengers to the District Court ruling have legal standing to bring the case before the courts. Meanwhile, how do you feel about the U. S. Supreme Court's rejection of the appeal to overturn same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from opponents of same-sex marriage who want to overturn the District of Columbia's gay marriage law.

The court did not comment Tuesday in turning away a challenge from a Maryland pastor and others who are trying to get a measure on the ballot to allow Washingtonians to vote on a measure that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Bishop Harry Jackson led a lawsuit against the district's Board of Elections and Ethics after it refused to put that initiative on the ballot. The board ruled that the ballot question would in effect authorize discrimination.

Last year, Washington began issuing marriage licenses for same-sex couples and in 2009, it began recognizing gay marriages performed elsewhere.

Same Sex Marriage - Proposition 8 in California

The following comment was posted by RP in response to the federal court decision in California invalidating Proposition 8 which defined marriage as between a man and woman only.

"The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"

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Boarding a plane isn't a constitutional right, neither is employment, but to deny people those things based on race or sexuality is an infringement on the individuals civil rights and fundamental freedom it is contrary to The Equal Protection Clause, of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
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The Supreme Court of the United States ruled the following in its decision, ending laws which banned marriage between "whites" and "colors" in the case:
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Loving v. Virginia- "Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival…. To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment."

Why is it so important to call it marriage?"
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Because the same but different isn't equal. Just as taps for blacks and taps for whites where not equal neither is a civil union equal to marriage. Marriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic. It is not owned by your church it predates them all.
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"decide on an issue not expressly included in the Constitution?
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You seem to have confused the role of the constitution in this, no one is arguing that marriage is a constitutional right rather that there is a constitutional right to equal access to and protections of the law for what is a basic civil right and fundamental freedom. If the law recognizes marriage of straight couples it MUST recognize the marriage of same sex couples!
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If your confusion lies in the belief that the church owns marriage, that is not the case the US government or State government thereof provides both the license to get married and the marriage certificate which forms the official record of such.

The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"
*
The Equal Protection Clause can be seen as an attempt to secure the promise of the United States' professed commitment to the proposition that "all men are created equal. It makes no exception for gay people or bi people or transgender people rather it says ALL PEOPLE are to be treated equal giving the same protections of the law!
*
The California Constitution itself sets out two ways to alter the document that sets the most basic rules about how state government works. Proposition 8 was put on the ballot through the initiative process. But any measure that would change the underlying principles of the constitution must first be approved by the legislature before being submitted to the voters. That didn't happen with Proposition 8, and that's why it's invalid.
*
If the voters approved an initiative that took the right to free speech away from women, but not from men, everyone would agree that such a measure conflicts with the basic ideals of equality enshrined in our constitution. Proposition 8 suffers from the same flaw – it removes a protected constitutional right."

I think his points are sound and valid.

Having My Say

One morning I had the opportunity to watch BET's "Meet the Faith." To set the stage for this discussion, here is the description from BET's website:"This heated and eye-opening conversation among guests Bishop E. Bernard Jordon, founder of Zoe Ministries; actress Sheryl Lee Ralph; and host of BETJ’s “My Two Cents,” Keith Boykin, will examine Black homosexuality -- its myths, realities and why it seems Blacks are more homophobic than other groups. The topic of has been heating up pulpits in Black churches across America for a few years now. And anti-gay sentiments are not only causing distrust in the Black church, they’re dividing the larger Black community. While some Black clergy and other Christian believers consider homosexuality a “mental disorder,” others say it is an abomination against God. Still others say that being gay is not a choice nor does it preclude one from being a child of God."The conversation that follows on the discussion board is sad. The large number of voices comes from the black religious right. It is filled with they usual condemnations, bible verses taken out of context, and venom. I hope that 1. more individuals of same sex desires will post comments, and 2. the discourse remain civil. Whether the gay rights movement should be compared to the civil rights movement is not as critical as whether the black community should be torn apart by homophobia.Even as I write this, there are men and women, teens struggling to survive after being separated from the family units that should be there to support them. One young man that I know of has critical health issues that could happen to any of us without regards to sexuality, but is cut off from the family that should be there for him now because of his homosexuality. The ability to love one another as Christ has loved us in lost in the uproar over how we live the lives that God has given us. The Bible has been and continues to be used to justify much wrong. But in the end, even those abuses will be wiped away as the real truth unadulterated by the tampering of men through the centuries is finally revealed. We need to be careful of how our community is being divided and what motivations are behind other groups who are using the faith of black people to win political elections and destroy unity.Appropriately, the day before the broadcast at a convention of the United Church of Christ, Sen. Barack Obama rightly cautioned that some right wing evangelical leaders have exploited and politicized religious beliefs in an effort to sow division. He says, "somehow, somewhere along the way, faith stopped being used to bring us together and faith started being used to drive us apart." He goes on to add that "faith got hijacked, partly because of the so-called Christian Right, all to eager to exploit what divides us." We need to reclaim our real moral center that truly motivates us that "ye love one another, as I [Christ] have loved you" - John 15:12. The Word of God for the people of God. I could not agree more wholeheartedly. Just having my say. Hotep.

Gay Marriage Group Tries New Tactic

(AP) Proponents of same-sex marriage have introduced an initiative that would put a whole new twist on traditional unions between men and women: It would require heterosexual couples to have kids within three years or else have their marriages annulled. Initiative 957 was filed by the Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance, which was formed last summer after the state Supreme Court upheld Washington's ban on same-sex marriage. In that 5-4 ruling, the court found that state lawmakers were justified in passing the 1998 Defense of Marriage Act, which restricts marriage to unions between a man and woman.

Under I-957, marriage would be limited to men and women who are able to have children. Couples would be required to prove they can have children to get a marriage license, and if they did not have children within three years, their marriages would be subject to annulment. All other marriages would be defined as "unrecognized" and people in them would be ineligible to receive any marriage benefits.

"Absurd? Very," the group says on its Web site, which adds it is planning two more initiatives involving marriage and procreation. "But there is a rational basis for this absurdity. By floating the initiatives, we hope to prompt discussion about the many misguided assumptions" underlying the Supreme Court's ruling. Gregory Gadow, who filed I-957 last month, said the three-year timeframe was arbitrary. "We did toy with the idea of (requiring) procreation before marriage," he said. "We didn't want to piss off the fundamentalists too much." Gadow said that if the group's initiatives were passed, the Supreme Court would be forced to strike them down as unconstitutional, which he believes would weaken the original ruling upholding the Defense of Marriage Act. But he said he highly doubts any of the initiatives will pass, and that they are being done "in the spirit of political street theater." "Our intention is not to actually put this into law," he said. "All we want is to get this on the ballot and cause people to talk about it." The group's Web site gives another reason: "And at the very least, it should be good fun to see the social conservatives who have long screamed that marriage exists for the sole purpose of procreation be forced to choke on their own rhetoric."

Cheryl Haskins, executive director of Allies for Marriage & Children, agreed with Gadow's group on at least one point about the initiative: "It's absurd," she said. Haskins said opponents of same-sex marriage "have never said that the sole purpose of marriage is procreation."

The New Lynch Mob

In the generation ahead of my own, the lynching of black people in America and black men in particular was a much feared act of terror. Anything from looking at whites the "wrong" way to accusations of rape would leave to a horrible murder of our people. The photographs of mutilated black men hanging from tree limbs exist in many historical collections today. In more than a few instances, the photos shows the genitals severed and then stuffed in the mouths of the victims. Fear of our blackness, hatred of our sexuality created a ghastly living hell for black men in America. All of these photos remind us of how inhuman one group of people with deep seated hatred of another race can perpetrate the most heinous crimes in humanity often without penalties of any kind.

Today, another black man is dead. He is one among a growing number of a new generation of men whose sexuality threatens the norm and triggers gross acts of violence. Just over a week ago, Michael Sandy, a 28 year old black, gay man from Brooklyn, was lured to an area by four men from his AOL instant messenger. But for Michael something went terribly wrong.

From the Daily News: "At some point, he broke free and ran onto the roadway, where he was struck by a car in the center lane, according to police. The driver of the car that struck Sandy did not stop. The assailants dragged his battered body off the highway—leaving him for dead only after one rifled through his pockets."
October 12th was Michael's 29th birthday but instead of celebrating with friends and family, Michael clung to life as his family struggled with the decision of whether to continue his life support. Eventually, they decided to let nature take its course and Michael Sandy died on October 13th. He is another victim of gay bashing, the new lynching offense in an America that must always find a new reason to hate.

There were memorials this week for Michael Sandy. Websites extolled his wonderful personality and the grief that his family must now endure. Michael was honest about himself and to those who knew him. His webpage at Friendster indicated his interest in meeting men. And because he chose to live honestly and forthrightly in a country that purports to value honesty and diversity and freedom, he now joins the ranks of victims to a cruel and mean "new lynch mob" intent on denying the right to live, love, and exist side-by-side in America.
Words of sympathy can hardly salve the wounds inflicted on his family. Nevertheless, I offer them along with a prayer that justice will be done in this instance and all of these gay bashings (new lynchings). For as long as this hatred exists for whatever reasons, America is diminished.

There has not been a great deal of press coverage in the mainstream about Michael's death and the surrounding circumstances. That is not uncommon these days as the black community and the greater society continue to try to ignore the presence of same gender loving black Americans. But it is incumbent upon you and me to give notice that these crimes "will not go quietly into the night." We must speak up, speak out, and speak boldly. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said that "a time comes when silence is betrayal." We cannot betray the Michael Sandys and the Rashawn Brazells of America. America cannot claim moral leadership in the world as long as it continues to shelter those who would lynch, bash, and murder its own people who simply choose to exist in truth and freedom.

Michael Sandy is gone. But he leaves behind some precious memories for those who may have known him. On is AOL messenger, Michael says:

"a real friend walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
Hotep.

I am still here

I know it has been a minute since I have written on this blog or posted on some others. To all of you who have sent emails or "what ups" I want to say thank you and that I appreciate you so very much. One of the things I have learned about blogging is that beyond the ruminations on sundry topics, there also exists the possibility to develop some very good friendships.

I have discovered some wonderful people on this journey that began for me in March 2005. No doubt some of you will be with me until our appointed time. I have no plans for an early departure, but I just wanted to say thanks for some great memories and conversations. One of the best things to have happened to me is to have started a conversation with someone on a blog (I have 2 going), have that conversation move to telephone, then to a meeting, and to open up the possibility for more.

I read just this weekend on a blog the question "Is it possible to be in a relationship where one person cares more than the other." I can say unequivocably yes, and I would further add that the one who cares more really needs to have a strong and realistic sense of how that relationship is constructed and where it is going to remain in it. This may seem like rambling now, and you may well have guessed that I find myself in just such a place. Nevertheless, it is based on honest conversation between us, and therefore we are both fully aware that this may never reach "the mountaintop."

I am not sure why we sometimes love so deeply those that we cannot have. His reasons are sound and valid. Doesn't make it hurt any less though when you feel your life has been changed in a way that cannot ever be restored. I am riding out a hurricane of emotions, but I know that inevitably the storm will pass and I will survive.

And while I cannot sing all of this song just yet, I believe it will happen for me with someone:

Larry Graham - "One In A Million You"
Love had played its games on me so long
I started to believe I'd never find anyone
Doubt had tried to convince me to give in,
said, "You can't win"
But one day the sun came a shinin· through
The rain had stopped and the skies were blue
And oh, what a revelation to see
Someone was saying "I love you" to me

A one in a million chance of a lifetime
And life showed compassion
And sent to me a stroke of love called "You"
A one in a million you
I was a lonely man with empty arms to fill
Then I found a piece of happiness to call my own
And life is worth livin·again
For to love you to me is to live

A one in a million chance of a lifetime
And life showed compassion
And sent to me a stroke of love called "You"
A one in a million you
A one in a million chance of a lifetime
And life showed compassion
And sent to me a stroke of love called "You"
One in a million you
A one in a million you


Hotep my friends.

The Epitome of Failure

Check this out!
1. Go to http://www.google.com/
2. Type in Failure
3. Look at the first listing

Today Is My Birthday and ...

I will let you figure out my age since I am:

35 years 9 months younger than Walter Cronkite, age 89
31 years 1 month younger than Nancy Reagan, age 85
28 years 2 months younger than George Herbert Bush, age 82
20 years 11 months younger than Barbara Walters, age 74
18 years 9 months younger than Larry King, age 72
12 years 6 months younger than Ted Koppel, age 66
9 years 1 month younger than Geraldo Rivera, age 63
6 years 1 month younger than George W. Bush, age 60
1 year 1 month younger than Jesse Ventura, age 55
3 years 2 months older than Bill Gates, age 50
8 years 0 months older than Cal Ripken Jr., age 45
13 years 10 months older than Mike Tyson, age 40
17 years 11 months older than Jennifer Lopez, age 36
23 years 4 months older than Tiger Woods, age 30
29 years 10 months older than Prince William, age 24

and that I was:

49 years old at the time of the 9-11 attack on America
47 years old on the first day of Y2K
45 years old when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash
42 years old at the time of Oklahoma City bombing
41 years old when O. J. Simpson was charged with murder
40 years old at the time of the 93 bombing of the World Trade Center
38 years old when Operation Desert Storm began
37 years old during the fall of the Berlin Wall
33 years old when the space shuttle Challenger exploded
31 years old when Apple introduced the Macintosh
30 years old during Sally Ride's travel in space
28 years old when Pres. Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr.
27 years old at the time the Iran hostage crisis began
23 years old on the U.S.'s bicentennial Fourth of July
21 years old when President Nixon left office
19 years old when Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot
16 years old at the time the first man stepped on the moon
15 years old when Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated
12 years old during the Watts riot11 years old at the time President Kennedy was assassinated
7 years old when Hawaii was admitted as 50th of the United States
5 years old when the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1 was launched
not yet 1 year old at the end of the Korean War

Now how old am I?

Find out about your birthday!

For Gays on the Streets, Survival Comes Before Pride

This article appeared a year ago (June 2004) in the NY Times. Sometimes, these issues get a minute of publicity and then fade from the public consciousness. I had an opportunity to observe firsthand the plight of some of these youth on the pier at the end of Christopher St. this spring. I also wrote about what I saw then.

In an effort to keep your attention on this serious issue facing our black, same gender loving youth, I remind you now of this article and encourage you to contribute your time, energy and money to help alleviate some their suffering and help give them a start toward being self sufficient black men. This is the story of OUR CHILDREN.

By ANDREW JACOBS

David Antoine's coming out last year did not exactly fill his family with pride. A few months shy of his high school graduation, Mr. Antoine said, his mother told him to pack his bags, and he was suddenly out on the icy streets of Brooklyn, his life stuffed into a trash bag, his bed the hard back of a subway car rumbling from one end of the city to the other.

Brian Murray is still trying to find his place in what is known as the gay community. A good night is the soft bed of a stranger and $100 in the morning. A bad night is an empty stomach, a park bench and the rousing jolt of a nightstick on his bare feet as he is ordered to move on.

Like Mr. Antoine and Mr. Murray, his friends, Michael Leatherbury, 25, would consider cheering his gay brothers and sisters marching down Fifth Avenue this afternoon if he had a few coins in his pocket and a place to call his own. No sense flirting with strangers, he says, when home is a lumpy cot in a city shelter. "Being homeless is not exactly conducive to dating," he says with a shrug. "These days, I'm not feeling very prideful."

Click here to read more....

From Fratman:

Step out of your comfort zone and do something to help someone who so desperately need your help. Find an organization that will feed, clothe and/or give a bed to these youth in your city or another. I suggest you start with GMAD. For more information about homelessness among homeless LGBT youth and a lists of shelters in your state, see the Safe Schools Coalition website. If you know of others, feel free to post them here in the comments section for others to see. Be sure to include contact information.

Hotep.

(Since I posted this, I have received one comment from the Captain. I hope you will also respond because as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has said:

"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.")

One Nation Under Whose God?

I received this email with the usual request to pass it on. I do so not with the intention of the sender, but that you might see the homophobia that is so blatantly and disturbingly a part of the mindset of the principal and leader of a public school. Note the first group that he chooses to denigrate in the name of God:

"A statement that was read at a Tennessee football game This is a statement that was read over the PA system at the football game at Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee, by school Principal, Jody McLeod. "It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games, to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and Country." Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a Prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law. As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it "an alternate lifestyle," and if someone is offended, that's OK. I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and calling it, "safe sex." If someone is offended, that's OK. I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a "viable means of birth control." If someone is offended, no problem... I can designate a school day as "Earth Day" and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess "Mother Earth" and call it "ecology." I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depict people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as "simple minded" and "ignorant" and call it "enlightenment." However, if anyone uses this facility to honor GOD and to ask HIM to Bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case Law is violated. This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical. Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone, except GOD and HIS Commandments. Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical... I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression. For this reason, I shall "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's," and ref rain from praying at this time. "However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank GOD and ask HIM, in the name of JESUS, to Bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet." One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray. They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer's Box! The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America - the Seat of "Justice" in the "one nation, under GOD." Somehow, Kingston, Tennessee, remembered what so many have forgotten. We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion. Praise GOD that HIS remnant remains! "

A final word from the Fratman:

Somehow, Kingston, Tennessee forgot that we are all one people created in the image of God and commanded to love one another as He has loved us.

Shem hotep.

(Note: This entry was republished due to technical difficulties and the 2 original comments were lost. If I can retrieve them from emails, I will re-post them)

Two previous comments:

Wow, that really pissed me off. And the bit about environmentalism...? Wow. This lady's head is so far up her ass, I'm amazed anyone could understand what she was saying on the PA system. --Posted by Jeff Crowder to Seasoned_Yet_New_In_Da_Life at 7/10/2006 04:18:52 PM

Note to self: Never drive through or stop in Kingston, TN. --Posted by Bernie to Seasoned_Yet_New_In_Da_Life at 7/10/2006 05:34:10 AM

The Human Rights Campaign Airs "Dirty Laundry"

Ok, now that I got your attention :

In January of this year while visiting DC, I had the unexpected pleasure of attending the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) luncheon for youth from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Aside from being in the presence of very vibrant youth who seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves in this positive and affirming environment, and being in the room with one of my fav authors, Alphonso Morgan (the man is just plain handsome, props), and listening to an inspiring message delivered by Dr. Michael Lomax (United Negro College Fund), the occasion gave me an opportunity to learn more about the work of this pioneering organization.

There are 2 things that I want to call to your attention:

1. The HRC has a great publication on the website entitled "Resource Guide to Coming Out for African-Americans." It covers the spectrum from 'religious organizations' (hmmm, gay black buddhists?) to 'Black Prides' (yeah, I am going back to the ATL in Sept., holla) to 'Hotlines' (not the kind of party you thinking). There aren't very many things left in life that are free, but this guide is yours for the downloading from the Human Rights Campaign Website. Get it while it's hot.

2. The HRC is sponsoring previews of Maurice Jamal's new film "Dirty Laundry" in several cities. Check out the listings and the movie trailer on the HRC website. Although the schedule ends with September 2006, a reliable source (hey, the NY Times isn't the only one with them) tells me that Greensboro, NC may be an additional location in October. Stay tuned.

So, let me end by giving a mad shout out to Brandon Braud and the crew of tireless workers at HRC for the good work that you are doing for African-Americans in 'the life.'
Shem hotep.

So Now It's Momma's Fault You're Gay

From the Los Angeles Times:
Study Links Male Gays, Birth of Older Brothers
A mother's antibodies may change with each boy, raising chances the next will be homosexual.

By Karen Kaplan

Times Staff WriterJune 27, 2006

Having one or more older brothers boosts the likelihood of a boy growing up to be gay — an effect due not to social factors, but biological events that occur in their mother's womb, according to a study published today.

In an analysis of 905 men and their siblings, Canadian psychologist Anthony Bogaert found no evidence that social interactions among family members played a role in determining whether a man was gay or straight.

The only significant factor was the number of times a mother had previously given birth to boys, according to the report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The so-called fraternal birth order effect is small: Each older brother increases the chances by 33%. Assuming the base rate of homosexuality among men is 2%, it would take 11 older brothers to give the next son about a 50-50 chance of being gay.

But at a time when, according to one survey, 42% of Americans consider homosexuality to be a lifestyle choice, the study provides more evidence of biology's role in determining sexuality."People are coming to realize that biology — in a broad sense of the word — does play an important role," said neurobiologist Simon LeVay, who has documented anatomical differences in the brains of gay and straight men. He is not connected with the study.

A 2003 survey found that 30% of Americans believed sexual orientation was innate and 14% said it was determined by upbringing, besides the 42% who considered it a lifestyle choice. That survey was conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Polls show that people who believe sexual orientation is governed by biology tend to support gay rights, whereas those who consider it a choice don't, said Dr. Jack Drescher, who chaired the American Psychiatric Assn.'s Committee on Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues for six years. "The question of whether it's biological is playing a large role in the culture wars," said Drescher, who was not involved in the study. "Decisions about civil rights and marriage are all argued around this issue."In a previous study, Bogaert and his colleagues estimated that about one in seven gay men in North America — roughly 1 million people — could attribute their sexual orientation to fraternal birth order. Bogaert, a professor of community health sciences and psychology at Brock University in Ontario, said he didn't know what biological mechanism was behind the fraternal effect, which he and a colleague first identified 10 years ago. The leading theory is that women's bodies react to male fetuses' proteins as foreign, making antibodies to fight them, Bogaert said. Such antibodies could affect the developing fetus, and the more times a woman has carried boys, the stronger the antibody response would be. This theory, dubbed the maternal immunization hypothesis, was originally proposed in 1985 to explain why boys are more likely than girls to develop conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and dyslexia.

"We thought it might be an interesting explanation for this," Bogaert said.

Scientists have not found any antibodies that may be responsible, but Michigan State University neuroscientist Marc Breedlove is trying to identify them in pregnant mice.

"We would love to identify the protein that she is targeting, or find out which brain regions are being affected," said Breedlove, who coauthored a commentary that accompanies the study. "Right now, it's the only plausible mechanism we can think of.

"Scientists have found other genetic links to sexual orientation. For example, if one identical twin is gay, there is a 52% chance that the other twin — who has the same DNA — is gay, according to a 1991 report in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Among fraternal twins, who share about half their DNA, the figure drops to 22%, and for other brothers it is 9%, according to the study.

Bogaert first reported a link between sexual orientation and older brothers in a 1996 study conducted with Ray Blanchard, who runs the Clinical Sexology Program at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. That finding has been replicated since then in other data on men in the U.S., Canada and Europe, as well as in data collected by the pioneering sex researcher Alfred Kinsey in the 1940s and 1950s.

In the new study, Bogaert's aim was to figure out whether older brothers influence the sexuality of younger ones through nature or nurture.

If the influence were due to social factors as the boys were growing up, he reasoned, then older brothers would have an impact as long as they were reared together. On the other hand, if the explanation hinged on prenatal biological factors, the physical presence of older brothers during childhood would be irrelevant. Bogaert collected biodemographic data on gay and straight men raised in families with various combinations of older and younger brothers and sisters. Some were full siblings, some shared only a mother or a father, some were step siblings, and some siblings were adopted.

"It doesn't seem to be that having an older brother around, regardless of whether that brother is a biological brother or a nonbiological brother, seems to have an effect on a man's sexual orientation," he said. "Biological older brothers, even ones they are not reared with, seem to be increasing the likelihood of male homosexuality.

"Previous studies have looked at the impact of older sisters on the chances of a girl growing up to be a lesbian, but they found no correlation. That result bolsters the maternal immunization theory, because female fetuses do not produce proteins that would be unfamiliar to pregnant women and thus prompt the production of antibodies.

From Fratman:

So what do you think of that?

What If ...(Part I)

KENTUCKY BAPTIST SCHOOL EXPELS STUDENT FOR GAY LIFESTYLE:

Homosexuality controversy lands another student outside the halls of learning. Jason Johnson, a sophomore at University of the Cumberlands got kicked out of school for being caught out of the closet.The 20-year-old theater major was expelled on April 6 because of his sexual orientation, as well as comments about his boyfriend that were shared on his MySpace.com blog.

The school’s spokesperson Larry Cockrum released a statement from Cumberlands President Jim Taylor saying the school had “followed our policies and procedures in keeping with our traditional denominational beliefs.” Homosexuality is not in alignment with the Christian based value system the Baptist college in Williamsburg, KY upholds.

However, Senior Jennifer Roberts told the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper, “I would consider Jason a Christian because so many of his values are Christian…. He embodies everything a friend should be. A lot of people are suffering because he is not here.” Cockrum maintained in the statement that, “We are different by design and are non-apologetic about our Christian beliefs.”

Because Johnson has retained an attorney, the school released an official statement on April 10 saying it would no longer comment on the decision. More openly gay collegians are experiencing scarlet-letter-styled scrutiny as evidence of what some consider their “sin” becomes transparent. According to Soulforce, a gay rights group, over 200 colleges and universities actively ban homosexual students.

Some schools with strict discipline toward gay students are John Brown University, in Siloam Springs, ARK, Baylor University in Dallas, TX, Mercer University in Atlanta, GA and North Central University in Minneapolis, MN.The Associated Press reports that the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, a pro-homosexual group, is appealing to Governor Ernie Fletcher to veto $11 million that state lawmakers have approved for scholarships and a pharmacy school at U of C. ‘Draw the line’ or ‘Bridge the Gap’As the temperature rises on gay rights issues, is America turning into a gay vs. straight society?

The Kentucky incident is just a snapshot of what is taking place in our society: gays are fighting for equal rights. In recent news the same sex marriage and domestic partnership arguments have hogged headlines with victories for both advocates and anti-gays.The erupting controversy lies in multi-faceted opinions from various religious, public and private institutions. Since the murder of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard, the University of Wyoming student who was killed in 1998 for being gay, there have been countless debates about treatment of homosexuals based in moral ideology and legal rights, some in the form of tolerance and some pertaining to acceptance.

Taking the “separate but equal” approach gay supporters have “drawn the line” by establishing all-gay schools and churches, for example. Yet, churches like the United Methodists church are attempting to “bridge the gap” in ad campaigns that embrace diversity. There is no simple solution for managing an imperfect society, yet tolerance seems to fall somewhere between “the line” and “the gap.” -- http://www.atlgospel.com/news/index.html

Further news on this story at: http://www.abpnews.com/944.article

http://www.heartstrong.org/HeartStrong/JasonJohnson.html

Our Nearly Invisible Queer Children

I had planned to write this entry about my travel to New York City this past week. I went to see the Color Purple on Broadway. It was indeed a powerful performance, and I will indeed blog about it later this week. But first, I have to talk about another powerful experience that occurred for me while in NYC. That was seeing same gender loving or queer kids (the labels don't much matter to them; they have more important things on their minds -- like surviving the night) congregated on the Pier at the end of Christopher St. in Manhattan.

Now I know that for New Yorkers, this is nothing new. I understand from my companion (I love you man for being there with me and opening my eyes) that these kids have been on that pier and in that vicinity for quite some time. Many are homeless and victimized by predators with money willing to lure them into prostitution. And so many succumb in desperation to eat and survive in the most powerful city in the country and arguably, the world.

Here are young adolescents with the promise of life already taken from them. They have been cast out by families that are homophobic or made to live in such unbearable conditions that it is preferable to face the unknowns of the street than to stay in physically and mentally abusive homes. And I watched them banding together for brotherhood, comradeship, support and security. They do not know where their next meal is coming from because they are not counted as protected clients of the vast social service agencies.

Their social interactions may be formed by the House Balls or Voguing or trading sexual favors for the essentials of survival. They are caught up in the porn industry where they risk their health for $200 to be able to eat and sleep for a few days/nights. The weather is getting warmer now. I suspect more will try to sleep on the streets as opposed to the few overcrowded shelters than try to give them a cramped space in the coldest weather.

The point is that these are our kids. They are not conservative republicans or liberal democrats. They are not "buppies" with Ivy league degrees scuffling for a place at the bottom of the corporate ladder on Wall Street. There are no trust funds to insure that they will survive to have a future beyond their childhoods; not even a vaccine to protect them from the scourges of sexual transmitted diseases that will rob them of their strength and ultimately of their lives. But there are those who instead of helping them would seek to marginalize them and sweep them further out of sight. Our actions may make the difference between a healthy life or a miserable survival at great costs.

I have written before about how my generation failed the succeeding generations by not providing the mentoring, nurturing and role modeling that was needed to help young black men of same sex desires transition to mentally healthy life. Now I hope that the next generation will not let the following generations have to carve out a place for themselves that is not healthy.

Small donations to worthwhile programs are a start. But even more, take on 1 or 2 guys and mentor them. Talk to them. Let them know that you care and love them. Make a financial donation to them, too. Buy some food, pay for a night's stay to get them off the street. Be an advocate for them; help them to fight the battles that they do not know how to fight for themselves.

And don't for one minute think this is a New York problem. You have only to look into the lives of "gutter punks" in New Orleans or the homeless kids in the Belmont neighborhood of Chicago or the homeless teens in your backyard.

1 John 4:7-11

[7] Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
[8] Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.
[9] God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
[10] In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
[11] Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.

Shem hotep.

The Ranks of the Free; Walking the Walk

You know it is much better to be able to speak from experience sometimes, to walk the walk as it were. Like other bloggers in this space, I have advocated safe sex and getting tested for HIV. You owe it to yourself and your partners to know your status if you have been or are active.

Back in December on World AIDS Day, I toyed with the idea of getting myself tested although I had not engaged in any high risk activities in years. Recently, I decided to become active again, so after a few encounters that led to quick lessons on STD's, I decided to take the full range of tests. There is no feeling in the world like hearing that you tested negative for HIV. I went on and had the test for syphillis as well since they were taking blood. Everything is looking good.I can assure you that I will sleep peacefully tonight. And so, I say to you who have not been tested, "JOIN THE RANKS WHO SLEEP PEACEFULLY. GET TESTED."

Meanwhile, here is a HIV knowledge test for you from the National HIV Testing Resources of the Centers for Disease Control.
Shem hotep.