Pittston has become the 31st municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance. The small city of about 8,000 is the first in Luzerne County and second in northeastern Pennsylvania to adopt this type of local law.
This wanton extravagance of lies and misinformation- that’s what allows this to be characterized as bigotry. It is an utter failure to see those who seek Marriage Equality as real people with a real interest, and is far more offensive than what we get from anti-gay groups like NOM. At least NOM acknowledges exactly what we want, even if they are fighting tooth and nail to stop us from achieving it.
In any cultural change where it is portrayed as one side has something crucial to lose, no possible progress can come to be if both sides don’t seek a “win” for themselves and a “loss” for the other. In this case, a win for both sides exists as well as the situation is primed for the BSA to accept gay leaders since this the currently policy is so illogical. To condemn the recent progress, dismisses the very hard work of many that got us this far, and sets an adversarial tone that can harm further cooperation and progress.
No matter where it is occurring- on Twitter, in the blogosphere, in verbal conversations or elsewhere. The solution to the intentional telling of lies and misinformation must be countered with the truth and dialogue. There is no room for simple name calling or dismissal. Rather, there must be a sharing of the truth. In the end, the truth will always win out if we seek to spread the truth. If you encounter a person like this, don’t just call them a name. Tell them what they have wrong ad counter it with truthful information.
But this demonstrates why the new policy is flawed and will not last. How is it that a boy of 16 or 17 who comes to understand that he is gay, can be welcomed and supported, but this very same person, is no longer welcome when he turns 18? The new policy opens opportunities for youth, but it is no more rational or logical than the old policy.
Boy Scouts of America Ends Controversial Ban on Gay Scouts; Out Pennsylvania Eagle Scouts Respond HARRISBURG– The Boy Scouts of America voted today, May 23, to end their controversial policy banning openly gay scouts from the organization. The new resolution reads, “No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.” Over 60% of the 1,400 delegates in the National Council’s voted to remove the[Read More…]
The Boy Scouts of today are going to be the leaders of tomorrow. We should be teaching our leaders the importance of diversity and respect. Maintaining the ban on gay adults sends a dangerous message to young people that gay adults, like their friends’ parents or even their teachers, can’t be trusted. By banning gay parents, the Boy Scouts are giving credence to long-debunked myths and stereotypes that promote fear, misunderstanding, discrimination, and hate.
Post contains links to various lists of endorsements. I want to encourage my readers in Pittsburgh to vote for Bill Peduto for Mayor of Pittsburgh. Bill has long been a friend of the LGBTQ community, and a hard working city officials for progressive issues. He is personable, willing to listen and discuss, and passionate about making Pittsburgh a great city. And despite how he is characterized in those swiftboat-like ads, he is a consensus builder and coalition builder.
In our democracy, there is a sharing of power between three branches of the government and also between the states and the Federal Government. Issue advocates may seek a singular decision from the highest court in the land that “changes everything,” but this is inconsistent with the very foundation of how our democracy works. Progress on an issue must occur at the state level, as well as at the Federal level simultaneously, and within public sentiment and cultural change must accompany legislative and legal victories.
The linked text comes from Politics USA, a liberal site, but these claims come from other media sources. It appears that Republicans created the edited emails which are the base evidence for a Benghazi scandal. Republicans also provided what they said was a quote from an email written by State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland. The Republican version quotes Nuland discussing, “The penultimate point is a paragraph talking about all the previous warnings provided by the[Read More…]