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Consider joining:Today's Health/Excercise "Special" Message regarding Gay Teenage Suicide:Survey links gay suicides to religious messagesThe Salt Lake Tribune / Oct 21, 2010Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that messages from U.S. religious pulpits are connected to the rising rates of suicide among gay youths, according to a new poll.And though Americans are split about whether they see homosexual activity as a sin, 72 percent say religion contributes to negative views of gays and lesbians.
The survey includes breakouts of some faith traditions, but too few Mormons took part to draw conclusions about how members of Utah's predominant faith regard their own leaders' handling of the homosexuality issue, said Daniel Cox, research director for the Public Religion Research Institute, which conducted the survey in partnership with Religion News Service.
The Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been the target of anger from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy groups after its high-profile role in passing the Proposition 8 gay-marriage ban in California and, more recently, after a sermon by senior apostle Boyd K. Packer.
Speaking at the church's semiannual General Conference this month, Packer referred to same-sex attraction as "impure and unnatural." Protesters surrounded Temple Square for a silent protest in wake of those comments, and the church later issued a statement strongly condemning all bullying and unkindness to those harboring same-sex attraction.
The nationwide poll's high percentages startled Cox, whose nonprofit institute conducted the survey Oct. 14-17, prompted by a rash of teen suicides linked to anti-gay harassment and bullying. The poll has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
The executive director of Faith in America, a nonprofit group founded in 2005 to combat negative religious messages about homosexuality, pointed to the poll as progress for his cause.
"There is a growing awareness and understanding," Brent Childers told Religion News Service, "about the harm that is caused when society places a religious or moral stamp of disapproval on the lives of gay and lesbian individuals, especially youths."
In the survey, more than twice as many Americans give places of worship low marks in handling the homosexuality issue as give them high marks. Four in 10 poll respondents give religious organizations a D (18 percent) or an F (24 percent).
But many rate their own places of worship more favorably on the issue, with 28 percent giving them an A and 17 percent a B.
Of all religious groups, white evangelicals are most likely to give their own church high marks on the topic. Three-quarters give their church an A or a B. Catholics are most likely to hand their churches low grades, with nearly a third giving them a D or an F.
Younger people, women and Democrats are most likely to say messages from faith communities contribute to the suicides and negative perceptions of gays and lesbians.
Eric Ethington, a gay-rights activist who organized the protest of Packer's speech, says messages from the pulpit clearly cause stress for gay and lesbian LDS youths. But he suspects most Mormons would give their church high marks on the issue.
"Only members actually affected by it can recognize the [negative] effects," Ethington said.
David Melson, executive director of Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons, considers Packer's comments "inexcusable," given their power to influence LDS young people. He says there is evidence that three of 12 young gay and lesbian people who have taken their lives in North America recently were Mormons.
Although Melson believes religion deserves much of the blame for the stresses suffered by LGBT youths, he also believes it gets a bad rap.
"There are tens of thousands of welcoming congregations and denominations in the United States," he said. "Even within the LDS Church, there are wards and stakes that are welcoming and affirming."
Some religious leaders say the issue is too complicated to pin blame for deaths on what preachers say from the pulpit.
"I don't think we have nearly as much impact as that says," said Mike Gray, pastor of Southeast Baptist Church in Cottonwood Heights. "As a whole, I would think the Christian community offers hope, not condemnation."
At the same time, Gray added, preachers have the right and responsibility to warn about sin — "to tell people to stop at some places that are detrimental to their life and future."
Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, earlier this month said that while the suicides are tragic, it's unclear that most were caused by anti-gay bullying.
"Worse, it is libelous to suggest that because Christianity (and Judaism and Islam) is opposed to homosexuality that somehow it should be held responsible for whatever bullying did go on," Donohue said in a statement on the Catholic League's website. "Indeed, to suggest culpability is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to stifle religious speech."
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Take Action:
- Boycott advertisers of Glenn Beck on Fox News as well as all of FOX NEWS! Glenn has lied about Health-care, called our President a racist, and is anti-gay rights.
- We demand immediate end of DADT. It is out-right discrimination.
- Boycott Bill O'Reilly and FOX News and their advertisers. Bill discussed a French commerical by McDonalds that was meant to show that McDonalds is Gay Friendly. Bill said what is next? Is McDonalds going to get be Al-Qaida friendly as well? Further, Bill said that McDonalds would never show a gay friendly commercial in the USA. Imagine, Bill is comparing Gays to Al-Qaida!
- Boycott Arizona the home of senile - Sen. John McCain: because of their Hateful anti-Immigration Law that encourages racial profiling and increases hatred towards minorities. A remedy: Demand Republicans to support Immigration Reform. Further, Their Senator McCain voted against ending DADT and blocked Immigration reform! We shall hold the voters of Arizona responsible!
- NEW: Boycott Target and Best Buy for donating money towards anti-gay political candidates/organizations.
This group is called "Peckers PICS." The English - slang definition of "pecker" is to pluck at the truth. Therefore, we peck at items such as Gay Men's Health, Male Fitness, Gay (LGBT) Politics & Issues. In this section you may peck at each photo in order to decide the winner of the "war of the fittest!" Whereas, you should select the guy that may inspire you to exercise and "get fit!" Warning: This may stoke you!
Remember your participation in discussion of health / news articles - appearing in this message is greatly appreciated.
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Image Stylist: Ralph Espiritu
Location: SAV 2 Gym
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Image Stylist: Ralph Espiritu
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26Orlando, Fl. Gay Pride; Oct 9, 2010
Orlando, Fl. Gay Pride; Oct 9, 2010
By Phil Stewart | Thu Oct 21, 2010(Reuters) - The Pentagon tightened controls on discharges of gay members of the military on Thursday, as it predicted months of legal uncertainty over the future of its ban on homosexuals.The on-again, off-again "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has been revoked and reinstated by U.S. courts this month, fueling confusion within the military as activists try to legally force an end to a ban that Congress has failed to scrap on its own.
During an eight-day window that ended on Wednesday, the ban ceased to exist thanks to federal judge's ruling -- prompting veterans in New York City, Texas and elsewhere who had been discharged for being gay to apply to re-enlist.
Officials also fear some active gay or lesbian troops may have revealed their sexual orientation, potential grounds for discharge now that the ban is back in force. But that could change again next week.
Noting the confusion, Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued a memo on Thursday scaling back the authority to kick out troops under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which allows gay men and lesbians to serve in secret but discharges them if their sexual orientation is revealed.
Now, only the heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force, in coordination with two other officials, will be allowed to approve such discharges, as opposed to the hundreds of officers who could previously enforce the ban.
"You should not interpret that as: We are going to (discharge) more or less people," a senior U.S. defense official told reporters.
"We are going to elevate these decisions to ensure uniformity and care in the enforcement of the law. That's what it is. It is what it is."
OBAMA UNDER PRESSURE
The headline-grabbing debate has put the Obama administration in an uncomfortable position ahead of congressional elections in which Republicans -- who largely favor the ban -- are expected to make big gains.
President Barack Obama, who received strong support from gay rights activists in his 2008 election, insists he supports ending the ban. But his administration is challenging attempts by a federal judge to impose one, saying it's up to Congress, not the courts, and arguing that the military needs time to integrate openly serving homosexuals in an orderly way.
Democrats in Congress failed to pass a repeal last month and their chances in the future are uncertain.
U.S. defense officials acknowledge the legal battle is expected to drag on for months.
The U.S. defense official noted the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which just received the case, usually takes about 16 months to reach a verdict.
"A case of this magnitude, maybe sooner," the official, who is also an attorney, said. "But I think that likely (there will be) a decision at some point in 2011."
The big question at the Pentagon is whether the 9th Circuit Court will allow the ban to stay in force while it hears the case. That ruling could come next week.
"No doubt, I will have additional guidance for you at some point soon," Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Clifford Stanley said in a memo to top brass.
"Every gay and lesbian person who has been lucky enough to survive the turmoil of growing up is a survivor. Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges."
Remember: Boycott Target and Best Buy for donating money towards anti-gay political candidates/organizations and to Proposition 8 (California) to prevent gay marriage. The Formal Boycott began this past weekend. I stopped shopping these stores - even though I want a new washer/dryer and new clothes for the Fall. I would not purchase "Blood Diamonds," nor should a person / organization be contributing funds to both Hitler / Nazi's and the Jews at the same time! Obviously giving money to the Jews and not Hitler/Nazi's is the right thing to do. Hence, these companies violated my trust and well-being. They gave money to my enemy who would terminate me from my job, deny me housing and send me to a Internment camp. Therefore, goodbye Target and Best Buy! The CEO's of these companies have been insensitive to our reaction and do not even comprehend their actions! What takes so long to "fire" these Neanderthals?
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