Holocaust Museum exhibition on homosexual persecution planned at UVM

Burlington Free Press

BURLINGTON -- The Holocaust Museum's traveling exhibition, "Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals: 1933-1945," will be on public display at the University of Vermont's Living/Learning Center Gallery from Aug. 18 through Sept. 30.

The Living/Learning Gallery and Outright Vermont this week announced the exhibition that examines - through reproductions of some 250 photographs and documents - the rationale, means and impact of the Nazi regime's attempt to eradicate homosexuality that left thousands dead.

The exhibition will be free and open to the public.

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Cayman Islands online poll hickup?

Back on the 15th I posted an article regarding a Cayman Islands online poll.


So today I decided to go take a look at the poll results:





At first I was elated the results had turned around but then I noticed a problem.


Here are the results from the first post (which you can also see on my original article):




It seems 1458 votes disappeared?

France to urge UN to decriminalise homosexuality

PARIS (AFP) — France plans to ask the United Nations to push for homosexuality to be decriminalised around the globe, a government minister said Saturday, as gays and lesbians worldwide marked the International Day Against Homophobia.

Human Rights Minister Rama Yade told a delegation of French gay and lesbian groups that Paris would push for "a European initiative calling for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality," according to a statement.

She said Paris would submit the initiative to the United Nations after it takes over the rotating six-month EU presidency in July -- a period during which France will speak for all EU member states at the UN General Assembly.

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Cayman Islands: Homosexualty should be outlawed

ARTICLE UPDATE

Recently a gay American was detained in the Cayman Islands due to a public display of affection towards his lover. [article]

Then there was an apology. [article]

Then there was mention of a boycott. [article]

So I visited the Cayman’s National Newspaper site, caycompass.com.

And noticed this poll:

and these results:

VIDEO: Is Homosexuality a choice?

Animated video titled: Is Homosexuality a choice?

Homosexuality isn’t Bestiality.

“So the church and state are separate… next thing you know they’ll be outlawing religion entirely.”

“So women want to vote… next thing you know they’ll have caucuses of crying babies.”

“So black people want civil rights… next thing you know we’ll be giving them to cattle.”

And on, and on, until, “so gay people want to get married. Next thing you know they’ll be marrying dogs.”

There is a difference between redefining law and abolishing it completely. Saying that marriage can occur between two consenting adults of legal status instead of between any male and female of legal status is not the same as saying, “marriage is open! Call in the sheep! Anything goes!” Just as separating the church and state didn’t lead to the abolishment of Catholicism outright and women being able to vote doesn’t mean that ANYONE can and black people having equal rights doesn’t mean that dogs do, too.

Just keep in mind that there is an insurmountable difference between two consenting adults who love each other wishing to be joined in a legally recognized and protected union, and having sexual relations with a beast. There is a difference, a huge difference. The difference is that any sane person can see that regardless of sex, affection between two humans is affection that can be returned in equal parts. Sex, as a result of affection, is not so different regardless of the genders engaging in it. And I do believe that most homosexuals do feel affection for their long-term partners. Sex with animals, on the other hand, is all about lust and control.

Homosexuality is NOT about lust and control.

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What the Science Says - And Doesn't Say - About Homosexuality

"A concise, accurate, and readable summary of scientific knowledge about homosexuality and gay people. This lucid resource calmly and effectively demolishes the hateful myths and slurs spread by anti-gay forces in U.S. society."

--Simon LeVay, PhD, neuroscientist, teacher, author, and pioneer in the study of brain structure and sexual orientation

"This is a current, comprehensive, and rigorous review of literature taken from our most well-respected social science and medical journals. Backed by all the major health, education, and mental health professional associations, Lutes makes an airtight case for ending the cruel and pejorative stereotype against gay and lesbian persons that continue to persist in our homes, institutions, and churches."

--Marsha McDonough, PhD, Psychologist and Family Therapist, Clinical Member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

"Not content to allow religious dogma to discredit scientific inquiry, or for scientific observation to dismiss spiritual insight, Lutes systematically loosens the death grip of obsolete and discredited pseudo-science on homosexuality. This amazing booklet brings a breath of fresh air, exposing toxic religious misinterpretations, shedding new light on the complexities of human sexuality, and offering new hope to gay and lesbian men and women, their families, and friends. A must-read for anyone seeking to know the truth!"

--Paul W. Dodd, DMin, LPC, American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) Fellow

"What the Science Says is a wonderfully concise, entirely accurate, and balanced presentation of the research on gay and lesbian issues. I especially recommend it for people who are in the process of coming out or still struggling with their basic love orientations, as well as for heterosexual readers."

--Robert-Jay Green, PhD, Executive Director, Rockway Institute, Co-Author, Lesbians and Gays in Couples and Families

website

Hate groups abound

About 15.6 percent of hate crime offenses in the United States targeted homosexuals, according to the FBI's 2006 Hate Crime Statistics.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are currently 844 active hate groups in the United States.

In Louisiana, there are 24 hate groups, including the Black Separatists, Ku Klux Klan, White Nationalists and Neo-Nazis.

California, where Lawrence King was murdered, has 63 active hate groups - more than any state in the country.

I'm still waiting to hear more about Lawrence Kings' murderer. Anyone want to bet his family is strongly grounded in religious right beliefs?

We've heard nothing about the parents. The parents should be going to jail also!

If the kid took their car and killed someone the parents would be held responsible.

But Brandon McInerney uses a gun (where did that gun come from?) to kill Lawrence King (a gay 14 year old who recently had asked the murderer to be his valentine) and the parents aren't even mentioned!

That's VERY VERY WRONG!

Butcher's Bill (February) ammended

BUTCHER'S BILL: 4 DEAD, 1 COUPLE INJURED

BUTCHER'S BILL STARTED FEBRUARY 2008



February Butcher's Bill:

Feb 9th - New York

Sanesha Stewart stabbed to death, in her home by Steve McMillian who had been seeing her



Feb 12th - California

15-year-old Lawrence King was shot in the head by another student



Feb 21st - Mexico

48-year-old Alejandro Fuentes Mejia was reportedly tortured, beaten with rocks, and suffocated



Feb 22nd - Florida

17-year-old Simmie Williams was transgendered and was known in the area by the first name of "Chris" or "Beyonce." Williams was wearing a dress and was shot about 12:45 a.m.. He was buried in male attire.



Feb 23rd - Florida

Less then 24 hours after Simmie Williams was shot to death, Melbourne Brunner was beaten outside The Floridian 24-hour diner by a man who shouted anti-gay slurs at him and his partner.



Although this addition was at the end of January I felt obligated to include it.



January 23 - South Carolina

18-year-old Adolphus Simmons . It was about 8 p.m. when Mary Ivory heard a commotion outside the apartment complex. A few doors down, Simmons lay on the ground with gunshot wounds. Simmons, a former student at Stall High School, was pronounced dead at Medical University Hospital at 9:08 p.m.

Lawrence King tragedy rings on (and that's a good thing)

As most know, 15-year-old Lawrence King was murdered at school on February 12, 2008 by a 14 year old fellow student.

Vigils in memory of Lawrence King, calling for an end to violence and harassment directed at LGBT people in schools, are being organized in communities across the country.

Click here to find a vigil in your area, or fill out the form to list a remembrance event in your community.

The more events we organize, the louder our collective voice.

Please help make sure that what happened to Lawrence never happens again.

Abstinence BS and Bush religious agenda

Abstinence like an ostrich (head in sand)

Our government uses taxpayer funds to push abstinence worldwide. Much of which is being used as a “shot in the arm” for religious organizations. (http://www.siecus.org/policy/egregrious_uses.pdf )

Since Bushco has taken over, the separation of church and state seems to not exist.

"If what you are asking is, has George Bush as president of the United States established priorities in spending for his administration? The answer is yes," said Wade F. Horn, who as assistant secretary for children and families at HHS oversees much of the spending going to conservative groups. "That is a prerogative that presidents have." (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/21/AR2006032101723_pf.html )

Congress appropriated $50 million in 2006. (http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-10-30-abstinence-message_x.htm )

The American Civil Liberties Union and Jenner & Block LLP filed a lawsuit challenging the federal government's misuse of taxpayer dollars to fund religious activities in the "Silver Ring Thing," a nationwide ministry program that uses abstinence-only sex education as a means to bring "unchurched" students to Jesus Christ.
(http://www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/gen/12602prs20050516.html )

Crushing news out of Uganda. The Bush administration’s $1 billion experiment in using abstinence messages as the basis of HIV prevention has born its first fruit: In a public speech on May 18, Uganda’s AIDS Commissioner Kihumuro Apuuli announced that HIV infections have almost doubled in Uganda over the past two years, from 70,000 in 2003 to 130,000 in 2005. And despite this chilling wake-up call, Bush has empowered Christian right activists to continue to push their abstinence-only agenda. (http://www.republicoft.com/2007/05/18/abstaining-from-reality/ )

The Bush administration is funding sexual health projects that teach children that HIV can be contracted through sweat and tears, touching genitals can result in pregnancy, and that a 43-day-old fetus is a thinking person.

The Virginia Governor has cut off state funding for abstinence-only sex education programs, citing recent studies finding that teenagers should also be taught about birth control and condoms to protect against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111201716.html?hpid=sec-education )

abstinence policy hasn't worked at all
(http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13076 )

Former Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso criticized the US for using the wrong strategy to fight Aids by promoting abstinence and fidelity. Brazil has halved the Aids death rate by setting up education campaigns, expanding basic health care and providing all those infected with anti-retroviral drugs.

Brazil announced last month that it would refuse to accept $40m in American aid rather than stigmatize prostitutes who Brazilian health workers said were essential to their anti-Aids strategy. Senegal was also cut off from US aid because prostitution is legal there.

While it goes without saying that abstinence is the best way of avoiding HIV infection, it does not make sense to ignore and deny resources to those that are sexually active who are in fact the ones most at risk of catching the virus. (http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/646 )

Brazil Refuses $40M in U.S. AIDS Grants To Protest Policy Requiring Groups To Condemn Commercial Sex Work (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/23744.php )

Growing up gay

Not one kid in my entire high school ever openly identified as being gay while I was a student there. This isn’t to say that all 500 of us were straight. Obviously, nobody felt comfortable coming out while they were still living in their parents’ house and confined to those gossip-filled beige hallways.

This may partially explain why I didn’t really have any gay friends until college.

Sixteen is now the national average for the age at which someone announces his or her homosexuality; people in the 1970s waited until they were 21.

Whenever people argue that gay couples shouldn’t get married, I think back to the night of May 16, 2004. I was living in Cambridge, Massachusetts and walked over to City Hall just before midnight to join the crowd celebrating the first ever same-sex marriage in the United States. Watching people dancing in the streets, embracing one another, it was clear that I was witnessing a historical moment. The actual granting of civil rights was happening right before my eyes.

Do you know what happened the next day? The sun rose. Traffic buzzed. Society did not fall apart.

full article

Video: Shame No More

What if "the norm" in society was Homosexuality!