Clinton's View on Gay Marriage: "Evolving"?

Really?

I guess that is good...and about time.

I hope he told his old--or is that former--friend David Mixner, who couldn't believe the game Bill was playing in re to DADT.

On ABC-TV News:

On the issue of gay marriage -- which Clinton, like President Obama, personally opposes -- Clinton said of his position: "Frankly, it's evolving" as he sees more committed gay couples raising kids....

Clinton also expressed optimism that the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell policy” -- which he helped enact -- will eventually come off the books, allowing gay members of the armed services to serve openly.

"I think that time will lead to a repeal of this ban,” Clinton said.

All I can say is this: it is about time; better late than never.

Of course, Bush is still "no" on both of the above issues. No evolutionary thinking going on there (I know, cheap dig).

Hopefully, Obama will move quickly on this issue so that he too will not be late to the dance.

On another note:

Off on pilgrimage to Chimayo, walking 100 miles in 6 days. Buen camino!

Pace!

B

The Hook: Being Gay

One of the unexpected lessons of being in an environment in which I am clearly in the "minority" as a gay male who is there not because of law/justice, but because of strange circumstances, is the "hook" of vulnerability. I am vulnerable for being removed from my position simply because I am gay. It may not be said that it is because I am gay by those who would want to remove me, but it is an unconscious--and some times conscious--hook.

And I am easily snagged by this predicament: my job can be taken away simply for being gay and not based upon my character or job performance.

I can relate to the story of Lt. Col. Fehrenbach, a pilot in the Air Force, who was outed as a gay man who is waiting for Pres. Obama to reverse DADT. Click here for more. He is left vulnerable, stranded, alone, with no protections. It isn't because of the job he has done, but because of who he is: a gay man.

While we have our supporters, this position is crazy making.

Literally.

Figuratively.

It is time to change.

Pace!

B

Being in Relationships Works: On Opening the Minds of Others

In Nicholas Kristof's op-ed today in the nyt.com, there is an interesting study on opening the minds of each other to accept or consider an opposite view than we necessarily have or take. For example, when confronted with a "blow hard" caricature of an opposing point, our minds turn off and we rebuff another way of understanding life.

However, through relationships, things change:

So how do we discipline our brains to be more open-minded, more honest, more empirical? A start is to reach out to moderates on the other side — ideally eating meals with them, for that breaks down “us vs. them” battle lines that seem embedded in us. (In ancient times we divided into tribes; today, into political parties.) The Web site www.civilpolitics.org is an attempt to build this intuitive appreciation for the other side’s morality, even if it’s not our morality.

“Minds are very hard things to open, and the best way to open the mind is through the heart,” Professor Haidt says. “Our minds were not designed by evolution to discover the truth; they were designed to play social games.”

Thus persuasion may be most effective when built on human interactions. Gay rights were probably advanced largely by the public’s growing awareness of friends and family members who were gay.

A corollary is that the most potent way to win over opponents is to accept that they have legitimate concerns, for that triggers an instinct to reciprocate. As it happens, we have a brilliant exemplar of this style of rhetoric in politics right now — Barack Obama.

What this means is simply this: coming out of the closet, relating to others what and who we are, helps break down the walls of prejudice, homophobia, and heterosexism, along with a plethora of other walls.

Click here for more.

Pace, B

Inevitable News from CA: Prop. 8 Stands

It was the majority of the voters who voted for it.

This is democracy at work.

The news was inevitable. Those Californians who got married get to stay married--how weird is that?! Try explaining this to your kids and grand kids.

The next chapter has begun: same sex marriage across the US of A.

One day at a time, one challenge at a time.

Pace!

Stay strong!

Stay true!

Stay honest!

B

Same Sex America: A Must See

This morning--amid the news reports of a new supreme court nominee, the CA Supreme Court outcome, the Joint Chief of Staff's reluctance toward repealing DADT--I happened to watch "Same Sex America" on Logo tv. Directv does this to me: it throws out a few free days of these shows in order to trap me.

It may work this time.

At least I will get the DVD Same Sex America.

What an incredible documentary. While "For the Bible Tells Me So" is good, this show was even more powerful as it documents the lives of couples who are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the MA move toward a Constitutional Convention to ban same sex marriage, only to have it defeated.

I cried toward the end.

I was moved.

Watching the children, moms and dads, and grandparents interacting with each other, discussing the impact of this civil right enacted--so that all may marry--was profound.

Please see it!

Pace!

B

The Rev. Scott Rennie: Hero of the Church of Scotland

This on cnn.com: the Rev. Scott Rennie was confirmed, affirmed and O.K.'d as a pastor in the Church of Scotland, evenly though he is openly gay.

Here was the twist: even though the Old and New Testament arguments were used (again), the case was successfully made that what the Old and New Testaments referred to is not the same as the modern understanding and practice of what it means to be "gay" today.

Here was an interesting line at the end about the Church of Scotland hoping to be the exclusive body of Christ:

Ewen Gilchrist, interim moderator at Queen's Cross Church, was quoted by PA as saying: "It's a good decision for the General Assembly to have made because it sends out a message that we desire to be welcoming, accepting and inclusive. "The issue of sexual orientation and Scriptural authority is something that has to be wrestled with and cannot be hidden away.:

Click here for more.

This is extremely good news. Though we've used this argument through the PCUSA (as have other major denominations), it didn't have the certain gravity to it that it did in the Church of Scotland. Context matters! Church of Scotland was more receptive to that argument: modern construction of being LGBTQ is not the same as what was being portrayed in the Scriptures.

All I can say is: "Thanks be to God."

Pace!

B

Huffington Post: It's a gay, gay, gay, gay, world!

There are three (3, at last count) stories on gays and lesbians on today's www.huffingtonpost.com. 3!

Story One: the US State Department is making it possible for employees who are LGBTQ to have same benefits as straight employees. Click here.

Story Two: Frank Rich's essay/oped on LGBTQ folks growing tired of the Obama Administration doing nothing in re: to DOMA and DADT. He has the political advantage and yet does nothing. Click here.

Story Three: J. W. Lown of San Angelo, TX, Mayor, has ditched his public office to follow his Mexican gay lover to Mexico. Texas!? Click here.

We are everywhere.

We are in positions of change.

The world is changing.

It is a gay gay gay gay world.

Pace!

B