Another Queer Jewish Buddhist

Marriage Equality in New York: Fighting Faith with Faith...

The advertising in states where marriage rights have been extended to queer couples that opposes this is often funded by what we sometimes call the religious right. Since the 80's the joke about that term is that they are neither religious nor right. And while I think it is essential that this fight be conducted and framed as civil and secular rights, I also think it is essential that our allies in faith communities should be made more of. When the voices from these communities is no longer monolithic in its opposition to our cause — when we have ministers and rabbis from mainstream congregations who speak out in our favor — these are the people who can best reach the hearts and minds of those citizens and legislators who are being misled by their spiritual leaders. At the recent day of lobbying upstate in Albany, Equality and Justice Day, one of the speakers on the Mall was Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein, of Congregation B'nai Jeshurun (where I am proud to be a member). Here is what he had to say to the people, and the legislators, of New York State, on the subject of marriage equality:

A Victory for Separation of Church and State: Same Sex Marriage Is Now Recognized Legally in Maine

After passing both houses of the legislature, the governor signed a marriage equality bill into law today. Americablog notes that the governor is a Catholic, who was lobbied hard by the local bishop to veto the bill. That makes it all the more notable that in his signing statement, Governor Baldacci said:

“Article I in the Maine Constitution states that ‘no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor be denied the equal protection of the laws, nor be denied the enjoyment of that person’s civil rights or be discriminated against.’”

“This new law does not force any religion to recognize a marriage that falls outside of its beliefs. It does not require the church to perform any ceremony with which it disagrees. Instead, it reaffirms the separation of Church and State,” Governor Baldacci said.

“It guarantees that Maine citizens will be treated equally under Maine’s civil marriage laws, and that is the responsibility of government.”

“Even as I sign this important legislation into law, I recognize that this may not be the final word,” Governor Baldacci said. “Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the State belongs to the people.”

“While the good and just people of Maine may determine this issue, my responsibility is to uphold the Constitution and do, as best as possible, what is right. I believe that signing this legislation is the right thing to do,” Governor Baldacci said.

That last statement is a nod to the fact that now the right will work to make the issue a referendum. However, if the legislature was not afraid of being voted out by the population, what makes the right think they can win this one by popular vote? They sure can't say this was mandated by the courts. This is representative government that is free of favoring any religious viewpoint. Nothing could be more American.

The New York Times ignores political reality in Iowa. What else is new?

In today's Week in Review article on marriage equality in the NY Times the facts about the Democrats official response to the decision of the state Supreme Court is completely ignored. Rather, we get a generalization instead of what actually happened:

"The patter on same-sex marriage," Professor Egan (who teaches politics and public policy at NYU) said, is that "Republicans react very opposed and Democrats very, very neutrally."

Uh, well perhaps generally speaking. But since this article purports to be about the slow sea change in attitudes (in the same edition the Style section opines whether Adam Lambert is gay and if so, whether he can win on Idol, in a story that's about 3 weeks late to the part) the reporter does not do the homework to find out what the Democrat's leadership response in Iowa was. So here it is for those of you who haven't seen it is a statement that is anything but neutral:

A joint statement from Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal and Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy on today’s Supreme Court decision:

“Thanks to today’s decision, Iowa continues to be a leader in guaranteeing all of our citizens’ equal rights. 

“The court has ruled today that when two Iowans promise to share their lives together, state law will respect that commitment, regardless of whether the couple is gay or straight. 

“When all is said and done, we believe the only lasting question about today’s events will be why it took us so long.  It is a tough question to answer because treating everyone fairly is really a matter of Iowa common sense and Iowa common decency.

“Today, the Iowa Supreme Court has reaffirmed those Iowa values by ruling that gay and lesbian Iowans have all the same rights and responsibilities of citizenship as any other Iowan.

“Iowa has always been a leader in the area of civil rights.

“In 1839, the Iowa Supreme Court rejected slavery in a decision that found that a slave named Ralph became free when he stepped on Iowa soil, 26 years before the end of the Civil War decided the issue.

“In 1868, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that racially segregated “separate but equal” schools had no place in Iowa, 85 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.

“In 1873, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled against racial discrimination in public accommodations, 91 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.

“In 1869, Iowa became the first state in the union to admit women to the practice of law.

“In the case of recognizing loving relationships between two adults, the Iowa Supreme Court is once again taking a leadership position on civil rights. 

“Today, we congratulate the thousands of Iowans who now can express their love for each other and have it recognized by our laws.”

Sunday Morning Cartoon: Life On Mars...not the David Bowie song

I remember back in the 90s when a soil sample suggested there was microbial life on Mars and there was a headline on the Daily News that simply read: Life Found On Mars. I don't think it was anything like this:

Iowa approve same sex marriage: "You really ought to give Iowa a try..."

From Meredith Wilson's Music Man, the quintessential American musical:

Oh, there's nothing halfway
About the Iowa way to treat you,
When we treat you
Which we may not do at all.
There's an Iowa kind of special
Chip-on-the-shoulder attitude.
We've never been without.
That we recall.
We can be cold
As a falling thermometer in December
If you ask about our weather in July.
And we're so by God stubborn
We could stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.
But what the heck, you're welcome,
Join us at the picnic.
You can eat your fill
Of all the food you bring yourself.
You really ought to give Iowa a try.
Provided you are contrary,
We can be cold
As a falling thermometer in December
If you ask about our weather in July.
And we're so by God stubborn
We can stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.
But we'll give you our shirt
And a back to go with it
If your crop should happen to die.
So, what the heck, you're welcome,
Glad to have you with us.
Even though we may not ever mention it again.
You really ought to give Iowa
Hawkeye Iowa
Dubuque, Des
Moines, Davenport, Marshalltown,
Mason City, Keokuk, Ames,
Clear Lake
Ought to give Iowa a try!

The Jewish press covers a synagogue getting an award for gay marriage activism

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency is sort of like the Associated Press for the Jewish world — news outlets around the world pick up stories that they cover. Which is why it's important that they've just posted a story about Congregation B'nai Jeshurun being recognized for its work in support of marriage equality in New York state.

Here's the story:

NEW YORK (JTA) -- A New York City synagogue has received an award for its leadership on the issue of gay marriage.

Congregation B'nai Jeshurun was given the Star Award from Empire State Pride Agenda in recognition of the synagogue's leadership on working to obtain passage of marriage equality legislation in New York State. It is the first time the award was bestowed on a group rather than an individual.

The Manhattan congregation formed a marriage equality commitee in the spring of 2006 to advocate for enactment of New York state legislation that affirms the rights of same-sex couples to have the same access to civil marriage and lawful rights as other couples. The committee hosted an action event in Manhattan later that spring with 500 activists, clergy and elected officials and has organized groups to attend the annual Equality & Justice Day in Albany to advocate for marriage equality -- bringing 40 people in 2008. The synagogue also organizes in-district meetings with legislators and sponsors discussion programs for the congregation.

The power of coalition politics vs. the "new gay movement 2.0"

JoeMyGod today reported on State Senator Diaz issuing a statement of support for Rick Warren. He then quoted one of our supposed new leaders, Jeff Campagna, of the Facebook group The Power as saying:

"As the leader of the movement to call on Diaz and his cronies to be good Democrats and to support their party's takeover of the New York State Senate, I'm disgusted to hear that Diaz is now using Rick Warren's invitation to the invocation as evidence that bigots like himself are welcome at the table."

Sorry, this is where facebook groups and silent protests fail. As a way to get out information fast, Facebook can't be beat. As a way to canvas a new generation, terrific. But who cares about Rick Warren, who actually affects no legislation in NYC. Diaz is the target, and to just ask people to write Change.gov about Warren is waste of time. There are a lot of big names attached to The Power group. I know they are doing more, and want to work smarter than this.

For example, ESPA has built a coalition with unions whose members live in the district Diaz represents -- because they understand that it's not just about us, it's about workers. So Elizabeth Benjamin at the Daily News reports that:

...some 8,000 Bronx members of 32BJ will receive direct direct mail pieces targeting two of the so-called Gang of Three - Senator-elect Pedro Espada Jr. and Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. - in an effort to crank up pressure on the dissidents to come back to the Democratic fold and back Malcolm Smith for majority leader.

The mailers, which are in both English and Spanish, are part of a wider campaign by a number of labor interests that were instrumental in helping the Senate Democrats win a majority of seats this fall for the first time since 1965 and don't want to see the fruits of their labor scuttled by three renegades.

Other union members of this pro-Democrat alliance include: Unite-HERE/ New York Hotel Trades Council, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and the Communications Workers of America.

All will be sending mail to their respective members to "prioritize a progressive agenda which puts the agenda of working families ahead of their own," according to 32BJ spokesman Eugenio H. Villasante.

Yep, we've got unions, strong unions, working with us. Because we have joint goals and a partnership that has been nurtured over time. This is what went wrong in California -- there was no outreach to minority communities or working class people. This is activism as narcissism. If you don't find common cause with people, then they sure aren't going to be there when you need them.

I may have worked on Madison Avenue for the last 30 years, but I come from lower middle class Brooklyn. And I know the power of unions, coalition building and simple door to door, face to face organizing. You don't get that from a Facebook group. Yeah, I know, I am old school. Or just old. But the web is only one tool in the arsenal. If you forget that you actually have to reach out to real people, they won't see us or our cause as real.

Yeah, a facebook group can fill a street full of people who are angry real fast-- people who can carry placards and march. But then what do you do? To quote Joan Baez singing about Joe Hill: organize.

Some Light Reading for the Second Night of Hanukkah: Rabbi Arthur Waskow on Same-Gender Marriage, Prop 8 and the Inauguration

One of our Living International Treasures is Rabbi Arthur Waskow, a progressive who speaks out regularly and does more than speak — he takes action to repair the world. Today he posted to the Shalom Center's blog an entry on the subject of Rick Warren's invitation. As always, Rabbi Waskow spreads light where so many of us see heat:

I am deeply disappointed by the decision of President-elect Obama to have Rev. Rick Warren invoke God at the Inauguration on January 20. To give Reverend Warren this honorific, symbolic role is precisely to honor his opinions and his leadership. Mr. Obama has defended his decision by saying that he hopes for an America where it is possible to disagree without being disagreeable. A praiseworthy goal -- - but not choosing to invite someone to invoke God at the Inauguration is not being disagreeable. Civil dialogue could continue without giving Rev. Warren this honorific role, one that is bound to affect public opinion.

Someone who uses the power of the state to deprive people of their right to the religious celebration and legal protection of their loving relationship is a bully -- no matter whether he smiles and smiles, he's still a bully.

The White House, Theodore Roosevelt once said, is a "bully pulpit." Noon on Inauguration Day is that pulpit at its peak. TR did not mean the White House should become a "bully's pulpit."

Whom could Obama have invited instead?

I do think it was a good idea to reach out to evangelicals, but there was a far better possible person -- better religiously, symbolically, politically.

Reverend Richard Cizik, who for 28 years has been vice-president and chief lobbyist of the National Association of Evangelicals, recently did an act that Jews called tshuvah. Literally, that means "turning" one's self toward the God Who is always evolving. That is the most profoundly religious act a person can undertake, and it often means losing prestige and power.

Cizik has put himself on the line for years, insisting that a true evangelical Christian must take action to heal God's creation from the wounds humans are inflicting on it -- especially from the global climate disaster looming before us. It was not a popular opinion among the institutional evangelical leadership, because they saw it as distracting from the sexuality issues - abortion, same-sex rights, etc. But more and more young evangelicals agreed.

Then a few weeks ago Cizik was being interviewed by NPR's Terry Gross:

Gross: "But now as you identify more with younger voters, would you say you have changed on gay marriage?"

Cizik: "I'm shifting, I have to admit. In other words, I would willingly say that I believe in civil unions. I don't officially support redefining marriage from its traditional definition, I don't think."

For this he was forced to resign.

Honoring people who despite institutional pressure move toward God's justice, God's compassion, God's shalom -- now that's an act of religious celebration. Might inviting Cizik have been seen as an act of confrontation? Yes, but not a confrontation with evangelical Christians --- since that's who Cizik is. Rather a confrontation with rigid bullies at the top of some evangelical institutions. A gift of hope and fresh air for evangelicals, young and old, who have begun to Wrestle. And a gift of fresh air to Americans at large, who might have remembered that invoking God does not mean bowing down to stodginess.

Obama has --- and rightly --- celebrated the confluence of his Inauguration with the birthday of Martin Luther King. Does he remember that before Dr. King became a saint he was a troublemaker? Rejected by many leaders of official Christianity, especially when he opposed the Vietnam War?

Obama should have asked Rev. Cizik to invoke the God we all need --- the God who Wrestles with us and asks us to Wrestle, all night and every morning, with our beliefs about the universe.

That would have put the issue where it belongs - in serious public dialogue and debate.

Sunday Morning Cartoon: Sports Are Gay

Present at the creation: head on over to the home page of one kukaipaa at youtube and you can watch the evolution of the curmudgeonly character that is realized in the odd little cartoon below: a rant about the homoeroticism in sports supposedly by an arch-conservative (except for the fact that half-way thru the character is broken to turn into a rant about the so-called religious opposition to same-sex marriage). Enjoy:

Sunday Morning Cartoon: Tom Cruise, Prop 8 and Simian Anchors

Newswitness news is a new animated news satire regular on youtube. The prop 8 stuff is about half way through, after the rather sophomoric celebrity sex humor.