Cut it out, Apple

From allout.org:

Right now, Apple is participating in a controversial online platform called Christian Values Network (CVN), which allows users to donate part of their purchases to “charity” - including anti-gay hate groups like Family Research Council, who recently asked members to pray for homosexuality to stay a criminal offense in Malawi, and even Abiding Truth Ministries, a group that has been tied to the "Kill the Gays" bill in Uganda.

Apple may not mean to be funding hate groups. In fact they've publicly supported LGBT rights in the past. But now that they know what’s really going on at CVN, it’s time to pull out.

BBC America, Microsoft, Delta, and most recently Macy’s have cut ties with CVN under public pressure, but computer giant Apple is still participating. So we need to turn up the heat and demand action. Join me and tell Apple to stop using CVN and stop funding anti-gay hate groups:

www.allout.org/stop_funding_hate

I signed up. Come with me.

Pride and Prom

I've got to say, this is adorable. Cute Nebraska couple wins a wedding package! And, of course, given the nature of this blog, they're both men. :)
It's been a big semester for me. I went to the DC Pride Parade a few weeks ago. What an amazing feeling. It put me in mind of that Glee song, because after all the people who hate on me, or my people, anyway, these people were literally, so I'm told, screaming our name. I couldn't hear them, but the adviser for our LGBT club could! They were cheering, slapping our hands, screaming for beads, which we ran out of long before we got to the end of the walk. And we each had three dozen. We had giant rainbow flags, which were fun to twirl, but heavy. Twice I shouted, "Do you love me?" to the crowd, and got cheers back!
Not one week later, I went to a GSA prom with a few (straight-ish) friends, hosted by their church. They are Unitarian Universalists. I asked one of them to define Unitarian Universalism.

"To understand Unitarian Universalists (UUs), it is necessary to understand the difference between a creed and a covenant. With most churches, there is a creed, a sacred doctrine that one must believe in order to consider oneself as part of that church. In Christianity, there is the bible, in Islam, the Koran. In creedal churches, one can strive to understand ones creed more thoroughly, but the same basic belief is always there. In UUism, there is no creed. Instead, the members of a UU congregation make an agreement, or covenant, with each other, based off of the seven UU principles. These principles are:

· The inherent worth and dignity of every person

· Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations

· Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations

· A free and responsible search for truth and meaning

· The right of conscience and use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large

· The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all

· Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

Under those principles, each member of a congregation is free to worship whoever/whatever they believe in and search for what they find truly meaningful and divine to themselves. Many UUs believe in a god. Many do not. Others believe in multiple gods, spirits, divine energy, or the love of the universe. What is important in a UU congregation is acceptance and support to one another in ones search for ones own spirituality. When people come together in love and trust and a willingness to learn and be surprised by faith and joy, then one has a UU congregation."

It was from these people that I felt acceptance. It was here I could be flamboyant and flirtatious, around complete strangers, without fear. I went to prom in dress pants, a silk shirt, and a top hat, and, perhaps given my short hair, felt far more natural, debonair, and just plain good-looking than I ever do in a dress.
My church is Christian, and the root of our belief is love. So it's supposed to be. As I study history, I find myself wondering whether the Christian church doesn't need another Reformation. Where is the love I am promised? Why do I find it at my friends' church instead of my own? Why do I break down crying, for I can see that their church loves them, unconditionally, and me? They don't care that I am not one of them, much less that I am gay, and accept me completely.

Know Your Rights

My mother was shocked today to hear that workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity is not illegal.
In fact, there are a lot of states that don't have laws against it. We looked up a couple of states and their laws. HCR.org allows you to select your state and see whether it recognizes same-sex marriage, has anti-discrimination laws and/or anti-hate laws, whether it has protection in schools, etc. Try it.
So we moved to the worldview. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Organization posts one of these every year. Explore the worldview on subjects such as whether one can change one's gender on one's birth certificate, whether hate crime based on sexual orientation is considered an aggravating circumstance, and whether adoption by couples is legal.
This is ridiculous. There is no good argument for not having legal rights.