Free and Equal in Dignity and Rights

Hillary Clinton's epic and history making speech to the United Nations brought me to tears.

"Gay Rights are Human Rights and Human Rights are Gay Rights."

My Thoughts

The quest for equality has been fought on many fronts through out history, and that fight continues today.

I always say when confronted with LGBT inequality, "it is the same argument, different minority", and if you look back into the pages of our most shameful history, you will find that religion has been used to justify some of the most horrific treatment of those considered "less and beneath" in society.

Native American's, Blacks, Jews, Women, LGBT and countless others have suffered despicable crimes, many of which were committed by "upstanding citizens" who quoted the bible as proof that their actions against these "savages, heathens, and non-believers", were blessed and allowable according to God.

Incredibly, during these religious "assimilation's" no one ever seems to question why their God would condone the beating, torture, rape, murder and mistreatment of his own creations... apparently "all created by God, and all his children", is a quickly forgotten belief when confronted with persons who are physically, sexually, or spirituality different from themselves.

America does not have Christian roots, there were religious beliefs that existed here long before the "white man" stole this country. Many of those religious beliefs were based on nature and the realization that all persons are naturally created and therefore, equal.

No one is more important or greater than another.

Invaders, yes I said invaders, of this country, brought with them their own conceited religious views and a dogmatic presumption that any who did not believe or worship as they did were heathens that should either be converted or systematically annihilated.

Sadly, the people who journeyed to this country to escape religious persecution, subjected the Natives to the same persecution they had fled.

A persecution that has continued through out the history of this country from one minority to the next.

America was built on contradictions and hypocrisy.

"I do not want to be persecuted for my belief's, but it is okay for me to persecute others for theirs."

"My freedoms are constitutionally protected, but yours are not."

I dare say if you base your right of religious expression on the Constitution, but fail to recognize that the freedom of religion you rely on applies to all persons, even those with a different religious view than you, you are a hypocrite.

For how do you uphold Constitutional rights for yourself, while denying them to others?

Further, according to the Constitution we are all endowed with certain inalienable rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Why would you presume that those inalienable rights only apply to yourself and others like you?

So many American's believe that the Constitution protects their speech, their religion, their freedom to live their life, yet in the same breath they turn around and condemn others, denying them the very rights they base their freedoms on.

I can marry whom I want, but you can't, because my religion says it is an abomination.

Your religion may accept same sex marriage, but my religion says homosexuality is wrong...my religion is Constitutionally protected, yours, in my opinion isn't, so my religion is the one that decides the morality of this issue.

And even those who are not using their religious beliefs to control the civil and human rights of others, believe that their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are Constitutionally protected, yet obviously believe that those they view as different from themselves, do not share those same Constitutional protections.

Just because you disagree with someone's life, does not mean that their rights are less than yours.

While you may not agree or understand the differences between you and another person/s, while you may believe that homosexuality is morally wrong, your belief's and feelings on the subject does not eliminate their rights.

It would be wise for all to remember, if individual beliefs and morals were powerful enough to control the rights of others, none of us would have any rights.

Bullying, It Stops Here (Anderson Cooper)

Jamey Rodemeyer: 250 Balloons to Remember the Fallen...

North Carolina House Fast-Tracks New Marriage Amendment Without Public Comment

Bravo and a very grateful thank you to the members of our legislature that spoke out against this bill. You will have my vote, because you stood up against hate and fear and tried to make a difference in this world. But to those that supported this discrimination, I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are not re-elected. We do not need people who are ruled by hate, intolerance and fear in our government.

My Letter to the NC House and NC Senate, regarding SB 514 or The Anti-LGBT Amendment

These are my Children…

I am very upset about SB514 and its rushed passage through the house yesterday, and its presentation to the Senate today…and I think as a constituent, I have the right to inform you exactly what I think of this proposed amendment and show you the faces of some of the people you are discriminating against.

This is my 18 year old son Jordan. Jordan is a highly intelligent, wonderful, loving member of society. He also happens to be an openly gay man.



Jordan came out when he was 14 years old, and it has not been easy for him. Anyone that thinks being gay is a choice should have to face the hate and discrimination that Jordan has faced on a daily basis; I assure you they would quickly change their minds. Jordan has been spit on, called derogatory names, assaulted, and discriminated against constantly. This is the same type of discrimination, bigotry and hate that you are encouraging with this marriage Amendment.
 
This is my 16 year old daughter Mariah. Mariah is a smart, independent, funny, free spirited young woman, she also happens to be openly bi-sexual.

Mariah also came out at a very early age, knowing that you are loved and accepted, just the way you are, makes a difference in how children perceive themselves and she knew that our feelings for her would not change in the slightest, because of our acceptance of her brother’s sexuality.

Mariah has also faced discrimination on a daily basis…from peers and teachers. Mariah has been punished at school based solely on her sexuality, by teachers who share many of the same views as the legislature that is supporting this horrible, discriminating amendment. Mariah has also been assaulted, called derogatory names, and discriminated against.

Both of my children agree, that being gay isn’t a choice, because if they had a choice in the matter…neither one would choose to live with such hate everyday of their lives.

Look at my incredible children; they are just like your children and grandchildren. Mariah and Jordan have the same hopes and dreams as every other child in this state, the same dreams that your children and grandchildren have. Jordan and Mariah dream of success, peace, harmony, they dream of love, home, children and family and they dream of someone to share their hopefully, long and fulfilling life with. This marriage amendment will shatter those dreams and make the dreams of my children and people like them unobtainable.

Who are you to deny my children their dreams? Who are you to tell them that their dreams are not as important as the dreams of straight children? Who are you to tell them that they cannot grow up and realize those dreams because of discrimination, bigotry and hate? Who are you to tell them who they can marry and spend their lives with?

By passing this amendment you are not only telling my children that their dreams of the future are worthless, but you are sending a loud and clear message to them that they are worthless. You are informing my children and the other LGBT children in this state that they are not valued the same as straight people, you are sending a message to not only my children, but to every LGBT person in this state that they are second class citizens who are not entitled to the same rights and protections under the law as straight people.

You are completely going against our state constitution which states in plain language that “all persons are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, the enjoyment of the fruits of their own labor, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Tell me as a parent:

• How am I supposed to tell Mariah and Jordan that the state that they call home hates them so much that they will pass a bill that could write discrimination into the Constitution that prevents them from marrying the person they love?
• How am I supposed to tell my children that in the state that they call home, they are regarded as second class citizens?
• How am I supposed to break my children's hearts because the state they live in cannot accept them because they were born LGBT?

• How am I supposed to protect them, when our own legislature passes bills and laws that promote the hate, intolerance and bigotry they face every single day, instead of laws that protect them and their civil rights as human beings?
• How am I, as a parent, supposed to reassure my children that they are beautiful, wonderful, deserving, members of society, when our own lawmakers are saying loud and clear that they don't believe they are?
• How am I supposed to protect those I love from discrimination like this? How can I keep them safe when our own legislature is the one letting everyone know that they do not deserve the same protections as everyone else?

How would you like to be the parent that has to tell their children this?

As a parent I want what all parents want for their children, health, happiness and love. I dream of the day they marry the person they were meant to spend the rest of their lives with, you are not only shattering their dreams, but the dreams of a mother who wants what every parent wants for their children. You are destroying the happy ending I have promised Jordan and Mariah their entire lives.

What you are doing also sends a message to the citizens in this state that hatred and intolerance is acceptable. You are telling them that they do not have to treat LGBT people as equals because in the eyes of the law, they’re not. You are allowing your own fear and prejudiced views to dictate who is important in our society and who is not.

I urge you, please vote no on SB514…it is not a bill that protects marriage, but a bill that destroys the dreams and aspirations of people like my children. It is a bill that classifies a group of people as being inferior to other people in this state and violates the very idea our country was created on.

Remember these are not nameless, faceless people you are harming…these are my children and people like them.

Sincerely,

Leesa Nixon, (registered voter, NC)

*Sadly, today the NC Senate voted in favor of putting this motion on the May ballot, during the republican primary...a time when most democrates do not go out and vote...but am urging each and every one of you...go to the polls, vote no to the Marriage Amendment..stand up against sneaky politic's, discrimination and hate.

No-one Should Have to Live Like This...Hunted and Persecuted for Their Sexual Orientation!

Moses, a gay Ugandan man seeking asylum in the United States, hides his face as he attends a news conference in Washington. (Jewel Samad)


Can you imagine the fear you would have to be in to publicaly wear a paper bag on your head? I can't, but the person in this photo sure in the hell does. This picture, taken here in America, is of a gay Ugandan man who is seeking asylum in the United States, so he can be protected from the persecution of gays that is occurring in Africa.

According to an article in the Washington Post,

"Persecution of gays is intensifying across Africa, fueled by fundamentalist preachers, intolerant governments and homophobic politicians. Gay people have been denied access to health care, detained, tortured and even killed, human rights activists and witnesses say.

The growing tide of homophobia comes at a time when gays in Africa are expressing themselves more openly, prompting greater media attention and debates about homosexuality. The rapid growth of Islam and evangelical forms of Christianity, both espousing conservative views on family values and marriage, have persuaded many Africans that homosexuality should not be tolerated in their societies.

"It has never been harder for gays and lesbians on the continent," said Monica Mbaru, Africa coordinator for the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, based in Cape Town. "Homophobia is on the rise."

Fearing for their lives, many activists are in hiding or have fled their countries."

With purposed legislation of a "kill and imprison the gays and their supporters bill" in Uganda and the "outing" of gays in newspapers calling for them to be hanged, attacked, and/or persecuted I would be running for my life and begging for a safe place to live too.

With the removal of sexual orientation from the U.N.'s resolution on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, (supposed to be voted on again Tuesday) the fear that homosexual's in Africa and other countries are feeling is understandable and very real...there is a price on their head's, and they are in immediate danger.

To completely understand the horrific nature of this very real threat, I recommend that you watch Missionaries of Hate. This is what hatred causes, the persecution, discrimination and annihilation of a certain class of people, in this case homosexual's, because of a perceived belief... a very wrong perception based on the propaganda and lies of Religious leaders and politician's.

These people are using the emotional fear tactic's that hit closest to the hearts of many, children...they claim that homosexual's prey on children and initiate them into the homosexual "lifestyle", a belief that has been disproved by competent research time and time again. In fact, statistic's show that most pedophiles identify as "straight".

There is also the blatant use of misconceptions about homosexual sex, such as homosexual's eat "poo poo" and fist each other, driven home and embedded into minds by the showing of graphic video's and pictures to onlookers and their congregation, including children!

Nor is it said where they obtained these video's and pictures, but I am sure they picked the most graphic ones, the most sexually extreme ones, they could find...for all I know they could be watching, "Two Girls, One Cup", which by normal standards among, straights, gays, lesbians, bi, and transgender person's alike was found completely disgusting!

Now I know many homosexual's both gay men and lesbian's and I can honestly say, I have never met one who liked to eat shit.

In fact most gay men I know recommend the use of enema's to cleanse the anus before sex. (If it is going to put out there, then put it all out there truthfully!!) As for the fisting, well what happens in private is none of my business, and to each their own. I know that there are people who practice fisting, but I don't believe this is a normal part of sex, for straights or gays, but more of a preference by certain individual's that have the right to do what they want, so long as it is between consenting adults.

Furthermore, it must be said, that some straight people also engage in these very same sexual experiences, anal sex and fisting, but I do not see a call to have them executed or imprisoned.

These people, ministers, and government official's are calling for the deaths and imprisonment of a specific class of people, based on "God's law", of course while they are using the "texts of terror" to convince people that homosexuality is an abomination to God, they are wearing, what appears to be blended fabrics, with their hair cut and the corners of their beard's rounded...which is also viewed as abominations and against "Gods Law. Am I the only one who sees the absolute hypocrisy involved here?

I think what drives the cruelty of these people home is in Missionaries of Hate, when Mariana Van Zeller, asks Otto Odonga, a member of the Ugandan Parliament, what he would do if one of his four daughters was a lesbian, and he basically states that if one of his daughters was a lesbian he would order and call for her death himself "to show everyone that this behavior is bad".

"Let her die, because she is doing the wrong thing...I am so disappointed that she is my daughter."

That these people could harbor so much hate in their hearts for homosexual's that they would kill their own children, that the hate they hold in their heart trumps the greatest gift on this planet, the love of a parent for their child, shows exactly how twisted and demented these people really are.

I hope the true extent of this hate, opens the eyes of this world, and that people stand up against these tyrants who would kill and imprison people because of who they love.




Rachel Maddow Interviews David Bahati, Author Of Ugandan 'Kill The Gays' Bill (VIDEO)

The True Christmas Spirit, Giving From the Heart

For me the Holidays are for celebrating the love of family, and giving to those who are less fortunate then ourselves. Sadly, this time of the year many in our LGBT community do not have family to share the holidays with, due to their families inability to accept them and love them unconditionally, because they are homosexual, something they had absolutely no choice about.

So I am urging all of you to open your homes and hearts to our LGBT&Q community members who have no where to go this Christmas, no one to share this wonderful season with, who are spending this season alone at home or on the street, feeling like no one gives a damn about them.

According to the Los Angeles Times,

Every year, hundreds of gay youths end up alone on the streets of Los Angeles County, where they make up a disproportionate share of the at least 4,200 people under 25 who are homeless on any given day.

A recent study found that 40% of the homeless youths in Hollywood, a gathering spot for these young people, identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or unsure of their sexual orientation. Five percent say they are transgender.

These startling statistic's are just from Los Angeles County and Hollywood.

In June, The Center for American Progress estimated "that gay and transgender youth account for 20-40 percent of homeless youth in the US, while only about 5-10 percent of the general youth population is LGBT."

And it isn't just the homeless LGBT youth and adults that are struggling and have no where to go this holiday season, many LGBT, have been disowned by their family and are finding themselves alone during Christmas.

So I am asking my readers, to reach out during this season of love and giving. If you know someone in this situation I am asking you to reach out to them and open your heart and home, buy them a gift, invite them for dinner, let them know that you care and that you are delighted they are a part of your life.

If you don't know anyone who is in this situation, you can contact local LGBT organizations and ask where you can drop off care packages and presents for homeless LGBT youth or adults, you can invite them out for dinner,donate blankets and warm clothes, give gift cards to McDonalds, Burger King and numerous other restaurants, so they can get something to eat...anything...just please reach out to our LGBT community that could be alone and without family this time of year!

You can visit http://glbtnearme.org/ to find an LGBT organization near you.

Also, the spirit of giving to this community isn't only needed once a year, there is a continuing need for donations all year round, so don't just block yourself into giving only once a year, give all year long if you can, be there for our LGBT community, become the family they are lacking.

Remember, the greatest gift that you can give yourself, is the love you give to others.

(Remember to be safe about who you invite into your home)