Hartford Archdiocese To Offer Abstinence Groups For Gays

Image by tdietmut via Flickr

The Hartford Courant reports today that:

The Hartford Archdiocese wants gays and lesbians to practice abstinence in the new year.

On Tuesday, the archdiocese announced it was launching a local chapter of a national ministry called Courage “to support men and women who struggle with homosexual tendencies and to motivate them to live chaste and fruitful lives in accordance with Catholic Church teachings.”

In a press release, the archdiocese stated that its Office of Diaconate director, Robert Pallotti, had been working to establish an area program for more than four years. The Courage ministry is based in Norwalk, led by the Rev. Paul Check of the Bridgeport Diocese, and claims to have more than 100 chapters around the country.

Gay attraction is not the sin, the ministry preaches — only when one acts on those feelings is it immoral.

This teaching is based on the “natural law” argument: that sex is only appropriate when it is procreative- as shown/proven in/by the natural world- i.e. animals in nature.

Problem is, it’s a fallacy. Sexual activity is not limited to procreation in nature- nor is it limited to opposite-sex activity. See this article: Homosexual Behavior In Animals. It also goes against an important part of Catholic theology, which says that intercourse has two purposes: procreation and the promotion of conjugal love between the partners.When there is only one half of this equation being promoted, the limitation of marriage to young, fertile, childbearing-able couples is the only appropriate response.

That leaves out sterile, aged or sexually dysfunctional persons from the benefits of marriage- and that’s obviously not the case. Any two opposite sex persons can be married in the church, regardless of their ability or intention to bear children.

Gay feelings are not immoral, the church says, acting on them is.

Hmmph.

Let me see if I follow. So these non-immoral feelings are natural, and are a consequence of creation by God. By this equation God is a torturer, since the naturally created feelings are there to be felt but not acted on?

It’s a simplistically flawed argument, and I don’t buy it.

Full story here.

Gay-friendly clergy disinvited from Castro church (sfgate.com)
Sunday Protest Set In Response To Cardinal George’s KKK Statement (lezgetreal.com)
Los Angeles: archdiocese’s gay, lesbian ministry celebrates 25 years (catholicculture.org)

“25 Things Montana Voters (And Media) Need To Know About Dennis Rehberg”

Jan3 by D Gregory Smith

Don Pogreba over at Intelligent Discontent, has an excellently ordered post about vital Rehberg activities that need to be noticed by voters- and covered by media (The media is, apparently and statistically, securely in the back pocket of Rehberg’s designer jeans):

Image by DonkeyHotey via Flickr

I’ll admit that typically when I write about Montana’s sole representative in the House it’s to criticize him for not really doing anything. This year, however, no doubt inspired by his desire to move up an office, Rehberg has been a dynamo of activity. Unfortunately, most of it has been bad for Montana and the nation.

Back home, he’s made such poor business decisions that his net worth somehow dropped by over 50%, he’s claimed to struggle with the burden of being cash poor, he’s pursued a failed lawsuit against the City of Billings and its firefighters, and he’s managed to get Montana’s media to ignore many of his terrible decisions in Washington.

Honestly, guys, you need to do better. When Rehberg makes national news, you need to cover it.

While I’m sure I’ve missed more than a few Rehberg actions this year, these are simply 25 Things Montana Voters Should Know About Dennis Rehberg:

READ THEM HERE.

Rehberg Supports Raising Medicare Premiums (dgsma.wordpress.com)
MT Democrats: Rehberg’s Standing Against Jobs And Tax Relief (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Montana most-competitive Senate race as 2012 nears (politico.com)
Nonprofits triumph over House Republicans in 2012 budget battle (thehill.com)

Janus, Chaz, Hillary, The Military, Barack, Science And HIV

Jan1 by D Gregory Smith

Image via Wikipedia

(Also Published on LGBTQNation)
Janus was the Roman God of Thresholds, of transition, of beginnings and ending. He is often depicted with two faces, one for looking forward and one for looking back. January, the beginning month of the new year is named for Janus, and so, it’s natural that humans take this time to look back- and look forward- at the approach of the New Year.

As I take a look back, I’m very grateful for some amazing things that have happened this year in the U.S.- things that I never thought would happen in my lifetime- including:

Marriage equality in New York and the Suquamish Nation
Civil Unions in Delaware, Illinois, Rhode Island and Hawaii
Groundbreaking legislation mandating gay history components in schools, and greater awareness and legislation against school bullying
The end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Chaz Bono on Dancing With The Stars
Marriage equality polling high
The President not pursuing DOMA
Domestic Partner benefits for Marquette University
The US Department of Labor and the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Nevada banning discrimination based on gender identity
The Presbyterian Church officially allowing openly gay clergy
American Catholics polling high in favor of marriage equality, rights
An amazing number of openly Gay/Lesbian officials elected all over the country– including Montana
Hillary Clinton declaring to the United Nations that LGBT rights are human rights, and
Hillary Clinton calling for greater attention to treatment of HIV
The President releasing an additional 50 million dollars to fund HIV treatment and prevention
The HPTN 052 Study, showing early antiretroviral treatment decreases HIV transmission by as much as 96%
New medications approved for the treatment of HIV, Edurant and Complera
And many other things too exhaustive and amazing for one article.

All good stuff.

But what I am finding amazing is the conspicuous absence or light mentions in the LGBT media about the dramatic advances in HIV treatment and prevention in the “best of” roundups this year. A year when there have arguably been more advances in treatment, prevention and scientific breakthroughs than in any other year in the 30 since AIDS was discovered. A year when top government officials committed time, money and policy to ending this disease. A year when Science magazine called the HPTN 052 Study the scientific breakthrough of the year.

It’s puzzling.

Are we getting complacent about HIV? Are we in denial about the very real danger it still poses to our community? Do people understand that having HIV is difficult- creating financial, medical, emotional and social problems that can be devastating for people, families and communities?

It seems so.

I am, like I said, grateful for all the things listed above. I am grateful for Chaz and trans representation. I am grateful for relationship rcognition. I am grateful for advances in employment nondiscrimination. I am grateful that my government is taking LGBT rights seriously. I am especially grateful that the elected administration of this land is treating HIV like it should be treated- as a disease, a viral infection- and not as some Divine Punishment inflicted on the sexually and socially repugnant dregs of society. That is a big deal.

In fact it’s huge.

So why did we miss it?