An awesome opportunity for young gay/bi men in Montana to feel less isolated, learn about themselves, talk frankly about life and make some friends!
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GLAAD Announces ‘Commentator Accountability Project’ To Expose Anti-LGBT Voices
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Sick of seeing the homophobes spewing their hate on tv? Most of us are. And, we wonder why so many media outlets are willing to give them face time. GLAAD is launching a project to make sure the media knows exactly who they are dealing with:
The GLAAD Commentator Accountability Project (CAP) aims to put critical information about frequent anti-gay interviewees into the hands of newsrooms, editors, hosts and reporters. Journalists or producers who are on deadline often don’t have the time to dig into the histories of a commentator. Audiences need to be aware that when they’re not talking to the mainstream media, these voices are comparing the LGBT people to Nazi Germany, predicting that equal treatment of LGBT people will lead to the total collapse of society, and even making accusations of satanic influence.
The Commentator Accountability Project is bringing all of these statements to light, while calling attention to the sentiments behind them. We will show that the commentators who are most often asked to opine on issues like marriage equality or non-discrimination protections do not accurately represent the “other side” of those issues. They represent nothing but extreme animus towards the entire LGBT community.
Have you seen these anti-LGBT voices in your local media? Let GLAAD know today.
It’s an excellent idea- and local human rights organizations are encouraged to participate. Any Montana candidates? Send them to me through the comments- I won’t publish them unless you give me permission.
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Op Ed: Judge Cebull’s Email “Irreparably Damaged Ability, Impartiality of Federal Court”
A piece in today’s Missoulian by 6 UM Law School professors gives us an excellent reason to keep up the calls for his resignation and/or dismissal: the irreparable damage to impartiality. Excerpt:
Racism and sexism work in pernicious ways. Although there are still open racists and sexists everywhere, thanks to the civil and women’s rights movements much of what we now see resides in more subtle institutional arrangements and private, informal interactions that define our daily existence. Racism and sexism lurk in systemic processes, in implicit understandings, in gestures and jokes. Hidden from the light of public scorn, they thrive in structural formalities, personal relationships and private interactions.
Every once in a while, we catch a rare glimpse of these manifestations. U.S. Chief District Judge Richard Cebull’s e-mail and equivocations provided the latest example. Sent an admittedly racist and misogynistic email, Cebull chose to promote it to others. And when caught having forwarded the disturbing message, Cebull tried to distinguish the email’s content from his intent and his act from his character, demonstrating a profound misunderstanding of racism and sexism.
I know that I certainly would not feel comfortable having him decide a case involving me- or anyone I know for that matter. I would probably be able to make a case- as would anyone who has spoken out against him- for recusal. I would feel suspicion and mistrust- and fear. Not the feelings a Federal Judge should engender….
More:
We acknowledge Cebull’s contributions to our profession. We also hear his contrition and recognize that we have all made mistakes. But his is not a simple lapse in judgment or momentary moral failing. As a federal district judge – the chief judge of Montana – the consequences of his actions are that racial and ethnic minorities, women and even people with whom he disagrees politically now have clear reason to question his ability to be fair and impartial when they appear in his court. The cynical may even try to exploit his revealed biases.
Cebull has irreparably compromised his ability to promote the independence, integrity and impartiality of the United States District Court in Montana.
Agreed. I just hope we can do something about it.
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HIV Diminishes Lung Function
We know that uncontrolled HIV can lead to a host of problems (see illustration). You can now count breathing among them.
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A new study has shown that if you have untreated HIV, you are much more prone to a rapid decline in lung function. Because we know that smoking negatively affects lung function, this finding adds urgency to the message that persons with HIV will benefit greatly from not smoking.
The study seems to corroborate soft-tissue organ damage by unchecked HIV, and is yet another argument buttressing early treatment and lowering viral levels among persons with HIV disease. From AIDSMEDS:
Though the study results from a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine team note that people living with HIV—particularly those with viral loads not being kept in check with antiretroviral (ARV) therapy—have reduced lung strength and a more rapid loss of pulmonary function compared with HIV-negative controls, the researchers also point out that cigarette smoking was very common in the cohort studies and remains an important risk factor to contend with.
As explained by Michael Drummond, MD, of Johns Hopkins during his introductory remarks, HIV infection has been shown to increase the risk of obstructive lung diseases (OLD), such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis—both under the umbrella of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—and asthma.
According to a study reported in 2000, there was a greater prevalence of emphysema—documented using chest X-rays—in smokers living with HIV. And in a 2006 study, HIV infection was found to independently increase the risk of a COPD diagnosis by 47 percent.
More recently, in a study authored by Drummond and his colleagues in 2011, an HIV viral load in excess of 200,000 copies was associated with a 3.4-fold increase in the odds of having an OLD diagnosis using gold-standard pulmonary function tests. The cohort has enrolled more than 4,000 injection drug users, roughly a quarter of whom are people living with HIV.
People with uncontrolled HIV infection had a loss in lung function at a sharply higher rate than both HIV-negative people and those with good viral control. It means that if you smoke, you’re just going to make that loss of lung function happen faster. I quit smoking almost three years ago. In fact, I wrote about it right here.
There were a lot of reasons. But mostly, I quit because I wanted to consciously choose a healthy life. And I wanted to be able to credibly help others to do that, too. These facts from Nancy Reynolds study on HIV and smoking helped bring me out of the smokers’ corner for good:
- The lungs of a person with HIV are more susceptible to cancer, emphysema, pneumonia,acute bronchitis and tuberculosis. This risk increases dramatically among HIV+ smokers.
- The incidence of cancers, especially lung and cervical cancer are higher among HIV+ smokers and develop at a significantly younger age than the general population.
- And the biggie: Smokers with HIV negate some of the effects of antiretroviaral medications by smoking. Thus, HIV+ smokers had a 36% greater chance of developing an AIDS-defining condition and a 53% higher risk of dying than HIV+ persons who did not smoke.
In the last few years after I quit smoking, my health has steadily improved. My cardiac function increased. My CD4 counts went up. My bilirubin counts went down- so did my bad cholesterol. All good things. I can exercise more without gasping, and I look good (if I do say so myself).
So, again, I’ll make a plea: I don’t want to be one of those newly-converted who scowls every time somebody lights up a cigarette. I really don’t. I understand how much fun smoking is, and how complicated. I just want you to have the facts. The very disturbing facts.
And maybe, if you’re a Person With HIV, they’ll hit you like they did me and you’ll improve the quality and length of your life. Just maybe.
And if you know someone who’s HIV+ who still smokes, show them this article- and ask them if they need support to quit. There are a lot of resources out there- and a lot of good reasons to choose from.
Even more now.
Related articles
- Scans Show How HIV Attacks Brain (lass.org.uk)
- Drug helps purge hidden HIV virus (scienceblog.com)
- No women are exempt from HIV/AIDS (thegrio.com)
- Promising HIV Preventative Failed, It Turns Out, Because Patients Were Not Taking It (blogs.discovermagazine.com)
Candidates For Election Set Record
According to the Secretary Of State’s office, Montanans are filing in record numbers for public office. Yesterday there were a record 429 Montanan candidates filing for office. And that’s either a sign of increased participation among the population or increased activism- maybe both. Democrats are vying to regain lost Legislative seats and Republicans will be looking to take back the state Land Board, and make a dent in the higher offices of U S Senator, Governor and Attorney General- while trying to hold on to the seat vacated by Denny Rehberg in his bid for the Senate.
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Democrats are optimistic.
“Our candidates are firefighters from Billings, moms from Missoula, farmers from Big Sandy, and other hard working Montanans around the state,” said Jim Elliott, Chairman of the Democratic Party. “We are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a group of candidates who reflect the values of Montanans.”
Under Democrats’ leadership the state’s economy has maintained a budget in the black and a high record of job creation, higher than elsewhere in the nation.
“Attorney General Steve Bullock and Brigadier General John Walsh (retired) have what it takes to help small businesses create jobs, improve education and keep Montana’s economy on the right track,” said Elliott. “Montanans have come to expect fiscal responsibility from the Governor’s office, and that’s what they’re going to get from Steve and John.”
The Party announces its field of candidates at a time when women’s rights have been under extradoridnary attack in Congress and the State Legislature. Congressman Dennis Rehberg has been at the center of attempts to end women’s access to preventative care, and some Republican legislators went so far as to compare women to cattle.
“We are especially proud that we have dozens of strong women candidates running for office,” said Elliott. “We will not stand by while irresponsible political games threaten women’s health. Our candidates are committed to honoring the important role women play in all our lives.”
Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee chair Lauren Caldwell said during a news conference Monday that the large number of GOP candidates competing against each other in primary races is a telling sign of GOP disorganization and doesn’t send a message of unity.
“They’re struggling for the soul of their party right now,” Caldwell said. “They’re focused on political wrangling … and there is a struggle on their side to keep the candidates that they had in the last legislative session and to not have them challenged.”
Republicans aren’t having that. “Every single election cycle the Democrats try to use the same spin, and they are wrong every single time. Every one of those cycles we gain seats. It is a wrong interpretation of what goes on,” Montana GOP Executive Director Bowen Greenwood said. “We are a party that believes in competition and the free market of ideas. That produces winning candidates for us. It has in the past, and it will now.”
“We are committed to electing a legislature that advances the interests of Montanans in every community,” maintains Democrat Elliott. “Our field of legislative candidates will hold themselves accountable to the people they’re supposed to represent.”
On Saturday, nearly 1,100 Montanans attended the Party’s annual fundraiser, headlined by Jon Tester. That number that exceeds any in recent memory, with the exception of the 2008 event, which featured Presidential candidates.
In a year when the (mostly) Republican craziness of the 2011 Legislature still rings fresh in the minds of Montana voters, the Democrats may have more than a fighting chance
A list of current candidate filings can be found on the Secretary of State’s website at sos.mt.gov/Elections.
Related articles
- ‘Montanans With HIV’ makes the paper (dgsma.wordpress.com)
ADAP Watch March 12, 2012
From our friends at NAPWA:
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Related articles
- ADAP Watch 12/19/11 (dgsma.wordpress.com)
- ADAP Watch 1/13/2012 (dgsma.wordpress.com)
- Merck And The ADAP Crisis Task Force Announce New Agreement To Improve Access And Care For People With HIV (medicalnewstoday.com)
- Teenagers Born With HIV Tell of Life Under Society’s Radar (lass.org.uk)
Why I Loved An Unquenchable Thirst
I recently read a book I want to tell you about. It is a book that has changed my life. Now before you roll your eyes at that dramatic statement, hear me out.
An Unquenchable Thirst by Mary Johnson.
“An Unquenchable Thirst is the story of my twenty years as a Missionary of Charity, a nun with Mother Teresa of Calcutta. People tell me that the book is more than a fascinating story about nuns; they say it’s a book about being human. That pleases me.
Mother Teresa always used to tell us: “God made us to love and to be loved.” An Unquenchable Thirst is the story of the many ways love surprised and challenged me, and of how I came to understand myself as a woman with body, mind, desires, and what some would call soul. I hope you’ll enjoy my stories, and that my book will spark lively, honest discussion.”
It sparked something, all right. It sparked a long overdue look at some of the painful memories of my past. I was in the seminary in Rome at the same time the author was a sister there. I don’t remember if our paths crossed or not, but the similarities of experience and the struggles came back vividly as I read.
It has also sparked a correspondence with the author. We met through Twitter and have had some engaging letters about the book and about life in general. By way of a review, I would like to share a bit from a note that I wrote to her after I finished An Unquenchable Thirst:
First of all, I think it’s important for me to acknowledge the difficulty in which your book has placed me- I was allowed to confront the (sometimes) harsh realities of my Roman years gently through your own- but I have realized all of the unfinished work before me. I, too have dreams of those days that push me and pull me and wake me up panting for steady breath. There’s obviously more for me to do- and the difficulty is finding my own way to process the lessons of those years. I can’t put it off any longer, and I’m really grateful to you for kickstarting the process for me.
Having said that, I loved your book. The affection I feel for your experience and the way you tell your story is very real. With a very few changes of detail, nuance, situation and character, it is my story. It is the story of more than one of my classmates at the NAC- and of more than one sister I’ve met who has left. It’s the story of all people who strive to give love according to rules- and find that there are none. The institutions to which we innocently entrusted ourselves often became the painfully dramatic catalyst for a process of birthing a life-giving truth. You tell it beautifully, honestly and respectfully. I really appreciate that honesty and respect- especially for the women with whom you shared a great part of your life. You didn’t let the pain become the motivation, I think you correctly allowed it to appear as a symptom of your desire for love. But you didn’t gloss over the real issues, either. Power is always hard to talk about without descending into pontificating (irony intended). But you did it well, with the grace of concern and conviction.
The hard part for me was leaving the people of the church- the folks in the pews who believed in goodness and the message of Jesus. I loved being a part of their lives, I loved being a voice against fear. I loved being an advocate of justice, compassion and peace. I loved the sacraments- the true sense of sacrament which is mediating ‘The Divine’ to the world. But not being allowed to be myself nearly killed me. I tried to reconcile my experience of love to the church’s- and all I got was depression and malaise. When I finally figured out that my desire to give life was forcing me to contemplate the ending of my own, I found relief. The realization of that fallacy set me free. The church gave me a lot of excellent language to describe my true self- but it still does not accept me or my experience as valid expressions of truth love or meaning. Much like your love for Mother (Theresa), I also confused the need for love and acceptance with my own need for myself….
This book changed my life because it forced me to realize the work I had left to do in processing my own time in the church, work that I’ve now taken up again in earnest. It continues to change my life by providing words to some of those experiences. But mostly, I think, it changed my life by giving me a friend, a sister in the best sense of the word- someone who I’m getting to know better through correspondence and mutual support in our “lives outside”.
This book is not a Catholic-bashing fest. It is a respectfully honest and forthright memoir reflecting not only the experience of the author, but the experience of many others. Mary Johnson’s chronicle is a must-read for anyone interested in spirituality, integrity and the struggle of the self-awakening heart. I recommend it unreservedly.
~ Buy The Book ~
Related articles
- Book Review: An Unquenchable Thirst (bigthink.com)
The Pope Chooses War, I Choose Self Defense
Yesterday Pope Benedict XVI spoke to a group of bishops on their ad limina visit- and with all the topics available to him (hunger, poverty, abuse of women, social injustice, racial inequalities, nuclear threat, stewardship of resources, etc), he chose to speak to them about the necessity of battling the “powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage….The church’s conscientious effort to resist this pressure calls for a reasoned defense of marriage as a natural institution,” which is “rooted in the complementarity of the sexes and oriented to procreation,” he said.
“Sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage,” the pope said.
Defending traditional marriage is not simply a matter of church teaching, he said; it is a matter of “justice, since it entails safeguarding the good of the entire human community and the rights of parents and children alike.”
Whenever I hear a leader speak the word “Safeguard”, I pay attention. It is a word used by institutions and governments to promote the protection and defense of something fundamental to it. It is not a passive word. It says to me that the Pope is ready to fight for his narrow theological/historical position on sexuality and marriage. Something he believes is fundamental to Christian faith- even though marriage is curiously absent from the Nicene Creed (325-381 ad)- which most Christian churches profess as containing the essential, fundamental elements of Christian belief today.
He did not choose dialog or express interest in hearing about the experiences of thousands (millions?) of LGBTQ catholics and their families. He did not choose to understand, he chose to condemn.
In other words, he openly advocated war.
It’s a culture war, it’s a war of ideologies. It is, in fact, if you count all the open and affirming Christian churches that welcome LGBT persons and their partners and children into their congregations, a war of christian theology. But it’s a war nonetheless.
I believe it to be totally unnecessary- and I also believe it conflicts with the very theology the catholic church espouses.
“War” is defined thusly: “a state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state”. “Armed conflict” is an important term to notice here. I think it can also mean non-physical weapons- weapons of ideology or theology, for example. But I would be naive not to think that some of the faithful out there may hear in these words a clarion call to harm LGBT persons and their families. I would also submit that the Pope’s words have already harmed them by creating ‘enemies of the church” out of persons and families who have nothing more important in mind than following their hearts and minds- and souls. And, if you recall your history, enemies of the church have not fared so well.
And in that case, the Pope needs to take a closer look at his own catechism.
If someone attacks me and threatens my life or my way of life, according to the Catechism of The Catholic Church, I have the right to defend myself.
2264 Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one’s own right to life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow:
If a man in self-defense uses more than necessary violence, it will be unlawful: whereas if he repels force with moderation, his defense will be lawful…. Nor is it necessary for salvation that a man omit the act of moderate self-defense to avoid killing the other man, since one is bound to take more care of one’s own life than of another’s.[65]2265 Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another’s life. Preserving the common good requires rendering the unjust aggressor unable to inflict harm. To this end, those holding legitimate authority have the right to repel by armed force aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their charge.[66]
And with the rhetoric being used by the Pope to the bishops in his address yesterday, I have every reason to believe that these are not words of someone struggling to understand the reality of LGBT persons, these are the orders of attack given by a supreme commander to his highest officials. And I’m confused because- try as I might- I can’t imagine Jesus saying them.
I also have every reason to fear for my safety and the safety of all LGBTQ persons. And before you accuse me of being overly dramatic, remember that the pro-life message has spurred numerous acts of violence- in the name of life, I might add. People in Uganda, the Middle East and elsewhere are being butchered and abused because they are known or perceived to be gay.
So do you think these words will be like soothing balm on the righteous indignation of the zealot?: …”threats to freedom of conscience, religion and worship which need to be addressed urgently so that all men and women of faith, and the institutions they inspire, can act in accordance with their deepest moral convictions.”
I’m an idiot if I don’t believe that someone out there is going to see this as a reason for violence- physical or psychological. And remember how powerful psychological threats are- those are the very things killing our kids.
I want to be clear- I am not advocating violence in any form. I’m advocating self-defense. And I’m advocating a careful, calculated, firm and reasonable response to this madness. I want the argument to be two-sided. I want the voice of the Pope and the bishops to be countered by the voices of people who see the Christian message in a different way.
If the Pope chooses war, I choose to oppose that war. I challenge it on its very principle.
So, if I may be so brazen, I would like to be one of those counter voices. Feel free to add your own voice in the comments.
To my LGBTIQ family,
Love toward yourself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore it is important and necessary to insist on respect for your own right to life. I believe you have been created to fill a very important place in this world- a place often dramatically misunderstood and opposed by people out of ignorance and fear.
It is crucial that you understand that you are not alone- there are millions of people who want to understand you and accept you and who will love you. You have the right to be understood- and you have the right to love and be loved in the ways you feel are most faithful to your created nature.
You have the right to live free from fear of attack and violence. You have the right to defend yourself against ignorant attacks on your dignity, happiness and self-respect. You have the right to fulfill your potential and to follow your heart and mind and soul and dreams to the best of your ability. Despite ignorance, despite persecution, despite fear and power and hate.
I believe that we are all beloved by the God of our understanding. I believe that we are valuable in being beloved. And that value is not diminished, even in the face of anger, fear and ignorance. Even in the face of religious belief which would deny us that value.
We are a courageous, wonderful people, with visions of love and acceptance and equality and happiness that I believe are deeply important to the future of the world.
I beg you, don’t let go of these visions- no matter how strongly others try to pull them away from you. They are your birthright.
They are the key hope to a world filled with peace.
Amen.
Related articles
- Pope denounces gay marriage lobby to U.S. bishops, causing media ‘uproar,’ Christian activist says (miamiherald.typepad.com)
- When Will the Pope Speak Out, Too? (newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com)
- Pope denounces gay marriage lobby to US bishops (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Posted Without Comment
Apparently from the print edition of today’s New York Times: (click to enlarge)
“Silence Equals Death”
The Utah Legislature has defied science, reason and decency in passing a bill which would, in the words of The Salt Lake Tribune,
let schools skip teaching sex education and prohibit instruction in the use of contraception.
Senate debate over HB363 was relatively short Tuesday afternoon before senators passed it 19-10. In the end, many senators felt schools shouldn’t teach the subject.
“To replace the parent in the school setting, among people who we have no idea what their morals are, we have no ideas what their values are, yet we turn our children over to them to instruct them in the most sensitive sexual activities in their lives, I think is wrongheaded,” said Sen. Stuart Reid, R-Ogden.
A number of lawmakers, all Democrats, rose to speak against the bill Tuesday and ask questions. But Senate bill sponsor Sen. Margaret Datyon, R-Orem, refused to answer questions about the bill, saying “I think everybody basically knows where they are on this issue. Obviously, the senators may speak, but I don’t know that it’s going to be beneficial for me to try to debate or answer questions.” (emphasis mine)
Seriously? When is debate not beneficial? When are unanswered questions helpful?
Carol Spackman Moss , a member of the Utah House of Representatives takes issue with the process and the results of it, invoking a very familiar (to those outside the Utah Bubble) slogan:
Silence equals death. Once a slogan for AIDS activists, today it articulates the stakes in a legislative battle over sex education in Utah’s public schools. HB363, Health Education Amendments , has passed the House and Senate. Gov. Gary Herbert should veto it.
The bill is an effort to silence teachers from giving Utah teens accurate information about sex, contraceptives and homosexuality. It would even empower school districts to withdraw any education at all about human sexuality. In fact, withholding this vital information could result in death for some teenagers and undoubtedly would result in life-altering consequences for countless others, including unplanned pregnancies, STDs and even increased suicides.
Supporters of the bill want to deny Utah teens the knowledge that would assist them in making appropriate decisions, including abstinence. Unplanned parenthood will be just one consequence of purposeful ignorance about sex.
Unfortunately, more teenage pregnancies will likely lead to abortions. Silence about safer sex will do nothing to reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases among young people. The archaic — and unconstitutional — stigma on homosexuality will stain our community, promote the bullying of vulnerable teens, and contribute to the epidemic of suicide by gay teens.
These are some of the reasons HB363 is not only unwise, but dangerous, even immoral. The ban on information about sexuality endangers the lives of vulnerable children by prohibiting teachers from providing responses to spontaneous questions from students that might constitute “advocacy of homosexuality” or “the use of contraceptive methods or devices.”
These restrictions are unconstitutionally vague and ambiguous. Would a teacher violate this mandate by confirming for a student that the use of condoms significantly reduces the risk of pregnancy and the transmission of many diseases? If a student comes out to a teacher, can the teacher express support for the student? What about counseling a student about coming out to his parents? Would that be “advocacy of homosexuality” in violation of the proposed law?
The Utah Legislature should not command its schools to pretend that contraception, pre-marital sex and homosexuality do not exist. These issues are simply facts of life, and public schools should prepare students to live in the real world by providing age-appropriate information.
This woman is a hero. Full editorial from the Salt Lake Tribune here.
Related articles
- Utah Legislature Avoids Messy Facts, Science; Advances Bill Dropping Sex Ed (dgsma.wordpress.com)
- Utah Legislature Votes To Make Sex Ed Optional (thinkprogress.org)
- Study: Sex Education Leads To Healthier Sexual Behavior (thinkprogress.org)
From Eternity To Here 