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Loading ...Gay group protests Vatican stand on rights
04.14.2009 1:34pm EDT
(New York City) A nondenominational religious LGBT rights group will hold a two-day vigil outside the Vatican’s mission to the United Nations to protest its refusal to sign the United Nations Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
The April 22-23 vigil is being organized by Soulforce which regularly demonstrates at colleges and universities that deny admission to LGBT students.Last month, the Obama administration formally endorsed the U.N. declaration that calls for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality, a measure that former President George W. Bush had refused to sign.
To date, almost 70 of the 192 member countries of the UN have signed the declaration.
Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s Ambassador to the United Nations, was among the first to criticize the declaration, claiming it could be used to pressure countries to recognize same-sex marriage.
“If adopted,” said Migliore, “they would create new and implacable discriminations. For example, states which do not recognize same-sex unions as ‘matrimony’ will be pilloried and made an object of pressure.”
Being gay or lesbian is illegal in nearly 80 countries and subject to the death penalty in at least seven.
Migliore has not replied to a letter from Soulforce, calling on him to take a personal stand against the denigration of LGBT people and to work with the Vatican on respecting the human rights of everyone.
The vigil in New York City will coincide with similar Soulforce actions in Little Rock, Dallas, Phoenix, Detroit, Los Angeles and New Haven, the group said in a statement.
“We want to remind the Vatican,” said spokesperson Haven Herrin, “that the only path to justice is dignity and respect for all people.”
For several years, Soulforce has held the Equality Ride, where members attempt to visit campuses of universities and colleges that refuse to enroll openly gay students.
More than 200 U.S. colleges and universities have explicit policies that discriminate against LGBT students.
The Pope says gay people should be “accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity”. He also opposes the death penalty even for serial and mass murderers, yet refuses to oppose the death penalty for gay people who are guilty only of loving each other. His church and some others spend large amounts of money and resources fighting legal protections for people who only want to love each other, while fighting for humane treatment of those who spread hate and misery. To many, it is those who believe that Jesus stood for the marginalization of minorities who not only lose their credibility but also damage the credibility of Christianity.
The article mentions the fact that being gay or lesbian “…..and subject to the death penalty in at least seven.” The first thing that came to mind was the fact that in many more countries , being gay or lesbian subjects one to a greater risk of a ’street level’death penalty. I found it interesting , (to say the least), to read that ‘more than 200 US Colleges and Universities have explicit policies that discriminate against LGBT students.” Is there a list of those offenders , avalable ?
There is a book which places all religions on trial in the court of humanity. A positive spin on same sex relationships. revealing as to the motives and ethics of wrongful use of any belief.
What else would you expect with an absolutist church?
Go look at the other examples in history of what absolutist beliefs have created.
Go skim Mein Kampf – there you will find that hitler believed in a single strong leader, not anything approaching a democracy. That tells it all, if you add in the fact that he used the churches long term hatred of the Jews as one of the levers to gain total power.
We have our own taliban in the west. And the Catholic hierarchy is part of it, poisoning minds with their beliefs. Surprisingly, lots of lower level priests, and parishoniers believe that gays should have equality, though I understand they want “marriage” reserved for M-F couples. But these priests are also terrorized into a closet of fear, for to speak out against their dictator means banishment and the end of their career.
Because many lawmakers, politicians, corporate leaders, and the peoples of the world are Catholic, Protestant or Evangelical Christians they can be directly, or indirectly influenced in their policy decisions or law making by the leaders and teachings of their respective faith systems. Therefore, it is incumbent on the LGBT community to change the hearts and minds of all ecclesiastical leaders including those in the Vatican so we can enlist their support and influence to inspire and influence their followers in clerical and secular leadership positions to change their laws, policies and teachings in such a way that we gain and secure our safety and basic human rights. That is why the Catholic Action by Soulforce is relevant and should really matter to all of us in the LGBT community!
Who cares what the Vatican says? They shouldn’t be a member of the UN community anyway. Not with their hordes of pedopheliac Nazis.
Time is better spent de-comissioning them from any and all authority they have in the United Nations and the world at large.
If they don’t like it, they can get their God to bitch-slap me in person.
Could get into entire discussion of how Vatican is probably the last city-state in the world…with its own police force, military, etc. Maybe it and it correlating “embassies” should be treated as a country and not a church. But won’t.
Let’s just say that this article is very interesting, to say the least, juxtaposed against the article where Archbishop Dolan states that the Catholic church does support gays rights just not gay marriage.
Instructions:
1. Open Mouth A.
2. Insert Foot B.
3. Chew vigorously.
Alternate instructions:
1. Turn back to crowd.
2. Drop pants.
3. Commence speaking.
I’m really not that surprised the Vatican chooses to just oppose the U.N. declaration. It’s exactly like how it is in my family. 4 out of 6 of the people in my family (myself excluded) are both Catholic and unaccepting of my bisexuality (1 is Catholic and accepting). Not just unaccepting, but refusing to even discuss such a matter. (Side note: I still talk about LGBT issues around them, for I refuse to let them be ignorant.)
This is how the Catholic Church (as an institution) chooses to be. They don’t want to know about gays. They don’t want to learn about gays. They don’t want to accept gays. They don’t want to even talk about gays, unless in a judgmental or condescending way. And they’re going to get left behind.
Note: I say the Catholic Church as an institution because many of my friends are Catholic and accepting of me, and I can openly discuss gay issues with them.
I think after we decided not to keep religion et state as one this sort of thing would taper off. if anything else it has made things worse. I’m not sure I need to vatican’s approval for anything considering they are the ones who were in the news a few months ago for gay reasons of their own. I do not pretend to pay attention to thigs like this. I really have no oppionion on anything of this sort because I feel it’s never going to be heard anyhow. I live my life just like everyone else. I even have to kids to look after. Drive an SUV, shop for groceries every thursday et cash my pay on friday. An big ol’ OKAY! from anyone isnt going to change this. If everyone is so worried over what it is I do in my bedroom maybe they need a little something in theirs. Aside of that, if people have a problem with the way I shop for curtains online. Their problem. I’m not sure what else about my life differes from anyone elses. I’m not sure I care. My question is, Why do they?