08/02/2006
News: Scary Clouds, Night Listener, Black Gay Pride
Pentagon may have criminally misled 9/11 commission regarding its activities on that day: "Suspicion of wrongdoing ran so deep that the 10-member commission, in a secret meeting at the end of its tenure in summer 2004, debated referring the matter to the Justice Department for criminal investigation, according to several commission sources. Staff members and some commissioners thought that e-mails and other evidence provided enough probable cause to believe that military and aviation officials violated the law by making false statements to Congress and to the commission, hoping to hide the bungled response to the hijackings, these sources said."
Harbingers of atmospheric destruction? Nacreous clouds appear over Antarctica...
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee exposes the GOP: The Fudge Report. Mike Rogers exposes a member of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Night Listener director Stettner on new Armistead Maupin film adaptation, which stars Robin Williams and opens Friday: "The producers are gay. The writer is gay. It was not an issue at all. The gayness of the film's characters is matter-of-fact. It is an advancement for gays, and Armistead is very proud of that. Here is a film that is being widely released, and it's not about his gayness; it's about the quality of the relationship."
Cathedral full of 300 break into applause as Bishop announces that gay cleric and avowed celibate the Rt Rev Jeffrey John marries his partner of 30 years in England: Bishop: "There are some who will consider it inappropriate for a priest to enter into a civil partnership. However, Jeffrey John has confirmed to me that the nature of his relationship remains in accord with the declarations he made in 2004 upon his appointment as Dean of St Albans, and therefore complies with the discipline of the Church of England as set out in the Bishops' Pastoral Statement on Civil Partnerships 2005.
Are U.S. Park Service officials trying to stop a Black Gay Pride event in New York?
Madonna is first star to be honored with cement hand imprint outside Wembley Arena.
Posted 11:52 AM EST by Andy Towle in Democratic Party, Elsewhere, Gay Marriage, Gay Pride, Global Warming, Great Britain, Madonna, Military, Nature, Religion, Republican Party | Permalink
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"Over that time there has been a small decrease in temperature, and that change is actually occurring faster than the warming at the surface of the earth," Klekociuk said. He explained that cooling of the stratosphere is predicted by scientists' models of global warming, "so it's quite possible the stratosphere is a good indicator of change happening lower down the atmosphere."
What does that mean exactly? Is that notion similar to the changing in temperatures of the oceanic belt? I.E. As the earth heats it directly responds by cooling at faster and alternate levels?
Posted by: Cory | Aug 2, 2006 1:25:31 PM
Hooray for a few level heads in the Church of England. Meanwhile some homophobes at the 38th annual conference of the Union of Black Episcopalians are pissing and moaning about the issue of gay Bishops. Their treasurer says that it's not "important to black Episcopalians sitting in pews," AS IF there are no black GAY Episcopalians. I hope his grip on their treasury is better than his grip on reality. Fuck him and those like him, and not in the good way! Their past president, however, a black woman, urged them to recognize that "We who have been oppressed and rejected ... do not need to be a part of rejecting and oppressing others." Bless her.
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/08/080206episc.htm
FAG = NIGGER = KIKE = SPIC = ...
Posted by: Leland | Aug 2, 2006 2:07:02 PM
Huh. I saw a "20/20" special about the case that inspired "The Night Listener." Of course, they tied in Maupin and the entire film. There was absolutely no gay content mentioned (nor was the word even tagged to Maupin).
Posted by: Anonymous | Aug 2, 2006 2:15:13 PM
Re the story about the Pentagon criminally misleading the 9/11 investigation: C-SPAN, of all things, has been airing an American Scholars Symposium conference devoted to disseminating the perspective that my partner and I have held since 2 days after 9/11 - namely, that the U.S. government was behind the terrible events of that day.
Before you reflexively dis me as a conspiracy nut (which I'm not; I'm actually quite a skeptic), consider the fact that a Zogby poll showed that nearly half of New Yorkers (the people who actually lived through the attacks) are of the same mind (http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=855). Go to http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/02_11_02_lucy.html and read the timeline of events leading up to 9/11 - compiled from reputable, mainstream sources - and see how the official story of 9/11 doesn't add up. Watch "Loose Change 2" at www.loosechange911.com, and it will be difficult to deny that we've been fed a pack of lies in order to incite the American public's support for war in the Middle East.
No one wants to think that our own government could be THAT evil, so it's natural to deride the idea that 9/11 was an inside job. But with the Bush Administration poised to make a nuclear attack on Iran, it's vitally important that people open their minds and learn the facts.
Posted by: JOE 2 | Aug 2, 2006 4:44:13 PM
Joe2 - huh?????
Posted by: hoya86 | Aug 2, 2006 5:16:27 PM
HOYA86 -
What is your question?
Posted by: JOE 2 | Aug 2, 2006 5:19:22 PM
With all due respect to the preceeding comments, I am appalled that there are only six comments and they barely address the refusal of the National Parks Service to issue a permit for the Pride in the City. When it was freeking mannequins in Boston that were slighted every homo with a Macy's card closed their account (including me), but when its Black Gay and Lesbians who are the victims of downright criminal discrimination, not a peep. Pitiful. Just freeking pitiful.
Posted by: Crixi Van Cheek | Aug 2, 2006 5:42:47 PM
Leland, it would appear that the article you read had a rather myopic slant to it. Everything I've read about the black Episcopalians says that they think the church should spend more time on life and death issues such as racism and poverty rather than allowing themselves to be sidetracked by who sleeps with whom. They did not denigrate the GLBT community but rather stated there are bigger fish to fry as it were.
Posted by: Ron | Aug 2, 2006 5:44:23 PM
Sounds like someone should start a blog.
Posted by: Malcontent | Aug 2, 2006 5:51:51 PM
Certainly the Associated Press often gets things wrong, but given that the "sidetrack" concern was clearly directed, in a direct quote, by the group's former president toward those in the group who oppose ordination of gays, and it was one of the group's officers who was directly quoted as saying, "The issues that the General Convention have been obsessed with have not been as important to black Episcopalians sitting in pews," the denigration of the LGBT community is not invisible except but to the myopic—it is glaring, naked, shameless homophobia. She is clearly saying that it is the homophobic members who have been wasting time, energy, and resources on fighting gay ordination rather than on poverty and racism issues. "Hello, Kettle. Meet Mr. Pot." Seeing only "black and STRAIGHT" is myopic. Imagining that racism is worse than homophobia is myopic. Imagining that poverty is not an issue for some gays, of whatever color, is myopic. Being fired or physically attacked or kicked out of your home by your parents or having your kids taken away et al. simply because you're gay, regardless of color, is a life and death issue for some, or, if you will, a big enough fish to fry.
This is not the first time Rev. Wilson has been, as it were, on the side of the angels. As president of the group in 2003 she said at that year's conference, "We stand together at our conference at a critical time in the history of the church, as we prepare for the National General Convention of the Episcopal Church, in which we will be called upon to take a stand for justice and righteousness and support our sisters and brothers in Christ in New Hampshire in their decision to elect a Bishop who is a homosexual man in a long term committed relationship.
Many feel that this is a controversial issue on which we do not need to respond, and yet respond we must, as we remember those who felt in 1919 that the Church was not ready for a Black Bishop, as Bishop Demby was elected. There were those who felt we were not ready for a woman Bishop in 1989 when Bishop Barbara Harris was consecrated.
There are those who feel we are not ready and the Church has not spoken, and so we would rather fight than prayerfully believe that God takes those whom God has chosen and makes them worthy. We who have been rejected must not reject others, and it is our prayer that we will remember how easily people can substitute a derogatory term for Blacks, Women or Gays and Lesbians. We who have been rejected need not reject others..........."
As for those whose claws cling to bigotry three years later, here is the full AP article:
Black Episcopalians: Too Much Emphasis On Gays
by The Associated Press
August 2, 2006 - 11:00 am ET
(Richmond, Virginia) National Episcopal leadership is focusing on the issue of gay ordination at the cost of addressing minority concerns, and is enlisting African bishops to fight a battle that's not theirs, speakers told a gathering of black Episcopalians Tuesday.
The church should look instead at fighting poverty and racism, and address the conservative versus liberal divide that underlies the gay debate, speakers said at the 38th annual conference of the Union of Black Episcopalians.
The national group, which represents close to 400,000 black Episcopalians, is meeting in Richmond all week.
About 500 clergy and parishioners are expected to attend discussions of topics such as reaching out to young black boys and strengthening the nation's historically black, Episcopal colleges.
At a luncheon Tuesday, speakers touched on everything from increasing black leadership in the largely white denomination to breaking down intraracial barriers between African and African-American Episcopalians.
Reaction was strongest, however, on the ordination of gays -- an issue that black leaders say has ballooned out of proportion.
"We waste our time trying to figure out who's sleeping with whom, instead of being about doing the work of mission and ministry," the Rev. Sandye Wilson, the group's immediate past president, told an applauding crowd. "Don't get sidetracked."
The issue of gay ordination has been the focus of intense scrutiny in the Anglican church, of which the Episcopals are a part, since 2003. That's when American Episcopal leaders elected the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson, of New Hampshire.
The controversy has split the denomination, with some saying scriptures condemn gay relationships and others arguing for a more inclusive church.
Early this week, the Anglican leaders awaited the announcement of an exclusive overseer for several conservative U.S. dioceses.
Among black Episcopalians, however, the issue takes a backseat to more standard minority concerns: improving the economy, health care and education, treasurer John Harris said. Episcopal leaders meet to discuss church issues at the General Convention every three years.
"The issues that the General Convention have been obsessed with have not been as important to black Episcopalians sitting in pews," Harris said. "We're still behind the eight ball."
Top among black Episcopalians' concerns is forming a singular voice that can share thoughts on racism and poverty with the larger church, Wilson said.
But their experiences haven't gone unnoticed, said Robert Williams, a spokesman for the Episcopal Church.
"The Union of Black Episcopalians is absolutely correct in identifying that life and death issues such as the eradication of hunger and poverty must have the church's full attention," he said. "The Episcopal church's record for civil rights achievement has been strong."
Wilson linked the debate over gay ordination to the decades-old ordination of women -- a pill she said conservative leaders never fully swallowed. With women now incorporated into many churches, she said gays have become a new scapegoat.
She joined other leaders who said the church enlisted the support of right-leaning African bishops while overlooking issues facing their continent, including the HIV crisis.
On Tuesday, she asked black Episcopalians to remember the civil rights era as she held up a copy of the Windsor Report, a 2004 document that urged U.S. Episcopal leaders to apologize for dividing the faith.
"As I looked at the Windsor Report, there were echoes of all the oppression that I've experienced throughout my life as a black woman," she said. "We who have been oppressed and rejected ... do not need to be a part of rejecting and oppressing others."
Posted by: Leland | Aug 2, 2006 6:38:29 PM
Crixi, you don't have to wonder why the pride celebration fiasco is a non-event around here, do you? Come on, now. It's a microcosm of society's segregated world like any other.
Posted by: 000000 | Aug 2, 2006 11:29:10 PM
Thorough, Leland.
Thorough
~
Posted by: Gilli | Aug 3, 2006 7:35:27 PM