Brazilian President calls homophobia a "perverse disease"

I hope that Obama is as vigorous in his support for our community after he becomes President as Brazilian President Lula da Silva is being. It would be nice to have support from the White House instead of the incessant gay bashing we've been experiencing for the last seven and a half long years.

Brazilian President calls homophobia a "perverse disease"

From PinkNews
By Sophie Picheta • June 11, 2008 - 16:57

The president of Brazil has become the first nation leader to launch a conference with the sole purpose of promoting gay equality.

The First National Conference of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals was inaugurated by president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who called for a "time of reparation" in Brazil.

At last week's conference President Lula announced his support for gay rights, and stated he will "do all that is possible so that the criminalisation of homophobia and the civil union may be approved."

He also called homophobia "the most perverse disease impregnated in the human head."

Like all countries, homophobia still exists in Brazil but at least their President is trying to do something about it.

Read the full story at: PinkNews.

Once Again Republicans Protect Oil Companies!

In an attempt to confront the obscene profits the oil companies are making, the Senate proposed legislation that would tax any "unreasonable" profits made by the five largest U.S. oil companies. The legislation would also give the federal government more power to address oil market speculation that many experts believe has added to the crude oil price surge.

"Americans are furious about what's going on," declared Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and want Congress to do something about oil company profits and "an orgy of speculation" on oil markets.

Sounds like a much needed, fair (to you and I) and reasonable response to the blatant greed and astounding arrogance of those oil companies and speculators doesn't it? Well, guess what -- the senate republicans have blocked that effort!

According to Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., "If taxes are increased on the oil companies they (the sponsors of the proposal) will get exactly what they don't want. The bill will raise taxes and increase imports."

How incredibly idiotic is that!? Of course it will raise taxes -- ON THE OIL COMPANIES!! Increase imports? Isn't that the very foundation of the so-called market philosophy of supply and demand that the republicans are so fond of preaching? Wouldn't more oil available bring prices down? I'm certainly no expert on the world economy but even I can see the absurd hypocrisy and disturbing illogic of Senator Domenici's comments. According to him, we should just leave the oil companies and speculators alone or - heaven forbid - they'll punish us. As if paying well over $4.00 a gallon for gas isn't punishment already! Gimme a break!!

Whoever said that most republicans aren't in the pockets of big oil and pharmaceutical companies either isn't paying attention or are secretly in those pockets themselves!

I just hope that voters will remember this ON ELECTION DAY in November.

Click here for the full AP story

WAY TO GO KYLE!!

Mesa is right next door to Tempe where I live and beside its conservative Christian population mentioned in the article below, it also has a very sizable Mormon community and you don't get much more conservative than that. My partner, Peter, is Mormon - or rather ex-mormon since he resigned from the church and had his name taken off their membership roster so they couldn't claim him as a member. Their very homophobic teachings and policies just became too frustrating for both of us. We've been partnered for 7 years and have been friends for over 10.

The following is from Box Turtle Bulletin and I include it here in its entirety.

BOOS AND CHEERS FOR A HOMECOMING KING
Jim Burroway
June 9th, 2008
Eighteen-year-old Kyle Hutchinson accomplished something that no one at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona, has ever done before. He was crowned king of the high school prom as an openly gay man.

Kyle’s parents were present when he was crowned king Saturday night amid cheers and boos:

“He kept telling me he was going to win, and he had convinced me,” said his mother, Doreen Hutchinson. “When they called his name, we heard the cheering, but then we immediately heard the boos,” she said. “My heart went into my stomach. It was so awful. My husband said he was expecting it, but I wasn’t prepared. It was so sad.”

Hutchinson said he felt bad that his parents had to hear his classmates who weren’t supporting him. But he also said their reaction is something he has known his whole life, and he wasn’t about to let it ruin his moment.

Kyle said he had always been picked on for not fitting in with the other boys in school. He came out to his parents on his sixteenth birthday, and he moved from his former high school to Red Mountain the following year, he started his first day of class being open about his sexuality. And while Mesa is known for having a large conservative Christian population, Kyle found that he had very few problems until his prom night.

Kyle was crowned king after winning the contest in a landslide, which is perhaps indicative of the changing attitudes among the younger generation — even among young conservative Christians, 80% of whom thought the church was “too anti-homosexual” in one recent survey.

By the way, there is a very good Gay Mormon support group called "Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons" and if you're Morman and are having trouble coping with being gay and reconciling the contradictions between that and your church's teachings, I suggest you check them out. They have chapters all over the country and their website is www.affirmation.org. You are definitely NOT ALONE.