growing number of LBGT attacks

I must admit that I've been expecting a backlash of violence against Giblet (GLBT) persons for some time now. A simple rule of thumb extrapolated from history readings of Germany and Spain, Italy and the American South all support the idea that so called Radical Right wing persons and groups combine moral assurity (or Arrogance if you will) with a predisposition to violence. These forces kinda drive people of this political view to lash out against the percieved "enemies of righteousness" Which today, as you can guess, is the LBGT community (replacing in turn; Baptists, Catholics, Abolitionists, Blacks, Immgrants, and Women in the list or litany of oppressed American groups)
As the courts and legislatures of this land accept the rights of LBGT people to exist and to love equally under the protections of the American Constitution, Right Wingers feel increasingly threatened. Their monopolies on Religious Righteousness, and control of the political and financial structures are weakening, and the nation is evolving in ways out of their control.
The typical historical reaction in these situations is to break the law, lash out, and demonize those seeking justice and equality. Violence becomes inevitable as the rhetoric on that side of the fence becomes frighteningly more strident.
Rick Santorum is one example of this trend. He is a man whose insane presence on the Political stage has only been approached by Senator Joe McCarthy. However his rise to prominence comes on a wave of repressed terror of change inherit in Right Wing politics.
Witness the following article
Sadly I expect to see more of the same before the end of the election cycle.

a Blog posting I really like

Here's a blog entry that I think covers my feelings about Presidential Hopeful(ly not) Santorum

My Thursday Thoughts.

Good Morning World!
Another Thursday, which means I get to tell you all how lovely and fun Wednesday Night (5pm at Vagabond) Giblet Coffee was. If you were there, you know how much fun it was, if you weren't well, Tough Shiites to paraphrase my dear dad.
Read a lively and quick little piece this morning and thought I'd share It's by a lady named Jenifer Venasco, whose writing reminds me of Ms. O'Mally at the ADN. Enjoy!
Here's A Franklin Grahm interview, can't understand the lack of morality and ethics that peeks through this guys Christianist rhetoric. Step one; dodge the question, "do you believe President Obama is a Christian?", by saying you'd have to ask him. Step Two; define a Christian within a narrow view, ignoring the hundreds of less traditional types of Christianity; including non-trinitarian beliefs, Coptics, Nestorian, Adoptionist, Socianism, Arianism, Unitarianism, Palagianism, Manicheanism, Bogomilism...I could go on, but you get the idea.
Forgive me if I now express a religious opinion, it's not done to minimize the non-Christians among us, but I know how talk of God and Jesus can be painful and upsetting to many of us who have been persecuted by Christianists and Ignorants.
No one has a monopoly on the interpretation and understanding of what Christ is or was (or wasn't at all). Which is a fundamental, if increasingly ignored, principle of American Baptist theology. (The one inherent in the Baptist 4 Freedoms, for those who don't know;

Most Baptist traditions believe in the "Four Freedoms" articulated by Baptist historian Walter B. Shurden:^[41]

• Soul freedom: the soul is competent before God, and capable of making decisions in matters of faith without coercion or compulsion by any larger religious or civil body
• Church freedom: freedom of the local church from outside interference, whether government or civilian (subject only to the law)
• Bible freedom: the individual is free to interpret the Bible for himself or herself, using the best tools of scholarship and biblical study available to the individual
• Religious freedom: the individual is free to choose whether to practice their religion, another religion, or no religion; Separation)
  

It's was these principles that were at the root of the religious persecution of Baptists in the 1700s on the East Coast, and that persecution, ugly and violent, sickened the likes of Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the Founders. It's directly relevant to the WHY of the Constitutional protections of church from state.
Be wary of anyone who tells you what a Christian is, or is not. That said, I believe that persons using the Cross as an excuse for fascist, theocratic political manipulation are misusing the words of Christ himself; his greatest Commandment

"Love God, Love thy nieghbor as Thyself (actually the greek sense was more "as a member of thy household")".

The rest of his preaching seems mostly to be about the worthless-ness of wealth, and the need to build community by helping the "least of these" Those who annoy, who fail, who quit, who are sick in mind or body, (expressed as possessed by demons/spirits), and who fall short. Guess what, that last line includes EVERYONE.
There is a bumper sticker I love "When Jesus said to love thy enemy, he probably meant don't kill them". Isn't that the essence?
So, if you claim Christianity, then trust your God to be big enough to defend himself, he doesn't need your help. The changes Christiansts fear, in my mind, are the effects of that big old God making his Kingdom on Earth a better place.
When one fights and drags against it, it's a demonstration of a profound lack of faith in that God. It's the act of a fearful, insecure child. Trust God to bring the healing and fairness of Gay Marriage safely and healthily into the mainstream. Trust his teaching, and his guidance of scientists and physicians to learn about Transgendered people and the power to help them.
Trust that God can handle many interpretations of himself, and of his Christ, (and Buddha, and Mazda, and Mohammad, and the Earth Mother, and even the God with No Name, plus all the rest) and Quit trying to control the country because of the fearful LACK of faith the Christianist position betrays.

Anyhow, thanks for the chance to ramble.
Brianne

Meetings of minds

Hi again dear reader,

First I want to credit "Two Brides" at twobrides.com for this wonderful card image. Thanks You guys!

It's been a run of exciting days for those following the Gay Marriage phenomenon. Washington State, Maryland, Illinois, California of course, have all made great strides forward. I'm just plain thrilled to see people opening thier hearts and minds to the concept that LBGT people are not sick or inferior.
Those who are transgendered, however, are still plagued with reactionary fear driven problems from both the larger LBG community and the American populace at large. The good news is out there though. A brief review of recent headlines shows some great strides forward in protecting the welfare of Trans-persons.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, as this article shows has begun the process by making a study of the abuse of trans children, while sadly a very dark subject, the study opens the door for healing.
Dr. Joel Brader is crusading for a hospital to help Trans-kids as this article explains.
Even Pakistan, as Michele Langevine Leiby reports here, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/for-transgender-pakistanis-newfound-rights/2012/02/04/gIQAM0jG4Q_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage is making strides forward.
Now there are conservatives who fear change, and who object to our choice to live in the role of the opposite sex. I think the only way to keep prying the equal rights door open is to understand thier concepts of morality that creates the resistance, so we can argue our point on thier grounds and in thier vocabulary. Trying to confront the resistance head on is futile.
We have good reasons to believe that being a Transperson is indeed a rare but natural occurance, a simple by-product of imperfect natural processes. but argument with those opposed to our right to exist cannot be won with beligerance, or our own intolerance and anger.
What we must do is understand is the view of the arch conservative. What is at the root of the fear of who we are?
Personally, having spent time praying and thinking about this my own feelings are that much of the fear that drives the crusade against us rests in the belief that we create a moral landslide into anarchy. By breaking down the barriers dividing the sexes (for trans-people), or defying the taboo on same sex love, we threaten to bring down the entire structure that represents (for them) a healthy and safe world. Seen from the standpoint of breakdown and collapse, of creating moral anarchy, it's difficult to seperate what we want from ideas that equate homosexuality with morally repugnant things like rape, child abuse, and family destroying promiscuity. For these conservatives, Gay Rights really is the first step of a landslide of foul behaviors. They can't see the difference. They Honestly cannot see how our breaking down the social barriers regarding gender and sex can be done without giving license to child rape, animal sex, adult rape, murder, and complete social chaos. It's a terrifying proposition when seen from thier side of the fence isn't it?
So now we have to explain and frame our explanations within the conceptual constructs of Conservative Christianity. How do we show that love between same sex partners, and the rare, but real need for some people to cross the line of gender, is not the same as condoning harmful behaviors like rape, incest, and abuse? How do we explain within a Conservative Christian contex the idea that God is so large and powerful that he is able to bring diversity into the world in a safe and healthy way?
For Christian Conservatives law and natural order seem static, a moral anchor. We need to frame Giblet (GBLT) rights in the context of that. Gently and lovingly we must show how a God that loves the world, that is a creator of nearly endless diversity has espcially made us to reflect his Power of creativity, and in the LBGT people of the world he has made a powerful expression of his love. We are People who act morally. Promiscuity, and lack of commitment do happen among us, but it's not the norm, anymore than it is in the "straight" community. We can make healthy stable loving families. Our children grow up to be responsible strong adults. Our commited relationships actually stablize our communities and help them live up to ideals of honor and fair play and rule of law and order. We as a group show incredible strength, our commitments, even when made without the blessing of government or church stand the test of time. People may hate "Fags", but God the make of all of us, does not. I don't believe he is capable of Hate in any respect. Of course this is just my view, take what you want and leaave the rest!
Peace go with you,
Brianne

http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/Advertising_Standards_authority_says_contentious_ad_is_misleading-11557.aspx

Not a lot of time to look into this further right now, but I wanted to put it out there so I don't forget it...

The world is wonderful!

Hi There again!
It's been a grand week for the LBGT community. The Gay Marriage thing passed in Washington, In California Prop 8 was struck down,we survived mother nature's icerink Thursday, and then my facebook friend Kelli Ann Busey posted this lovely article, . So, in Nacho Libre's immortal words, "Life ees Good"

Saturday Night at the Harkin's place.

Hi all! Another Saturday night and Debbie and I are absorbed in the virtual world of Internetopia... That is to say, we're surfing the 'net like it's 1999.
I notice in the news that Washington seems to be on the very brink of legalizing Same Sex Marriage! I hope they do. I can't say that a whole lot else has grabbed my attention lately. Too busy moving in here at the "castle". My little nickname for our new apartment. I got shelves put up, and have been unboxing books. We got our exercise machines put in place, and the kitchen boxes have largely been found. A few more days like this and the Living room will be squared away. Oh Glorious Day!
Giblet (Glbt) Coffee is on as usual for Wednesday at 5pm, Vagabond Blues in Palmer.

On the other newsworthy item, Bobby Montoya's bid to join the Girl Scouts, here's some good factual information from Mother Jones News. Nothing Amazing really, but it's good to know the facts. You'll see as you read the rather unsurprising trend of people from the Bible Belt being bigots. Shock! Surprise!

Also if you're interested in the economic issues of today, here's a little piece by David Brin the genius scientist and writer; http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2012/02/must-rich-be-lured-into-investing-who.html?spref=fb

Welp, that's all I got!
See Ya at Giblet Coffee!