Category: LGBTQ

Woman Arrested in Poland for Painting Virgin Mary with a Rainbow Halo

Virgin Mary of Czestochowa with rainbow halo
This artistic depiction of the Virgin Mary of Czestochowa with a rainbow halo could land a Polish woman in jail for two years.

Truly disgusting. Blasphemy is a crime against the state in Poland. An artist has been arrested and faces two years in prison.

From our friends at LGBTQNation:

A 51-year-old Polish woman has been arrested for blasphemy after she painted the Virgin Mary with a rainbow halo.

Polish interior minister Joachim Brudzi?ski announced the arrest, saying she was detained for “carrying out a profanation of the Virgin Mary of Cz?stochowa.” The Black Madonna of Cz?stochowa is a Byzantine icon that is housed in the country’s holiest Catholic shrine.

“Offending religious feeling” is a crime in Poland punishable by up to two years in prison.

“Telling stories about freedom and ‘tolerance’ doesn’t give anyone the right to offend the feelings of believers,” Brudzi?ski said, adding that the paintings are “cultural barbarism.”

How close are we to this happening in the United States under Trump?

Seriously!


The Fear of Trump Among the Elderly

senior, man, fearful, sad

senior, man, fearful, sad

A man fearful, sad. (Creative Commons)

I don’t know if there’s anything so under-reported and so heart-wrenching right now as the fear of Donald Trump among the elderly. There is a grave terror, almost, of what Trump and the Trump Administration might do to the safety net supporting the vast majority of our senior Americans. This is across the board, although some are more fearful than others, depending on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, veterans, those with physical or mental disabilities — no one seems to consider herself or himself safe.

Had a conversation yesterday with a retired couple. They’re white, middle class, now living on a fixed income. But their fear is palpable. The rumblings among the GOP in Congress to gut or privatize Social Security, slash Medicare — these are real concerns for this couple.

I’ve heard similar fears expressed by older family members and friends. The revolt would be great and gray.

GOP governors have already hacked away at Medicaid, with Maine’s GOP Governor Paul LePage saying earlier this month “he would rather ‘go to jail’ than expand Medicaid programs without a long-term plan for substantial funding.” That’s a nice statement, and, on the surface, it sounds like responsible economics. But what is he doing to secure such sustainable funding? And what is the economic cost of people dying early or young because of lack of access to health care?

If we examine news reports, we find some coverage of Social Security, fears of what Paul Ryan might do to Medicare, but this anxiety our longtime residents feel about Donald Trump, is, I believe, under-reported.

And I hope some news organizations begin to take a closer look.


More Color, More Pride: LGBT Flag Redesigned To Highlight People Of Color

LGBTQ pride flag redesigned

More Color, More Pride.

Well, now I know why I was able to “purchase” a 5′ by 3′ rainbow flag for shipping only.

The iconic LGBTQ pride flag has been redesigned to highlight people of color.

And that’s cool.

This, from More Color More Pride:

Read more here: https://morecolormorepride.com/


Lawmaker Names Bill Banning Conversion Therapy After Mike Pence

Mike Pence conversion therapy

Mike Pence.

A well-deserved jab at dangerous Mike Pence recently from a New York Erie County lawmaker:

The Prevention of Emotional Neglect and Childhood Endangerment — or PENCE — would block the harmful practice of trying to “change” the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBT minors in New York’s Erie County.

More from our friends at The Advocate:

Erie County Legislator Patrick Burke is trolling the president-elect by introducing a law banning conversion therapy under his name. Known as the Prevention of Emotional Neglect and Childhood Endangerment — or PENCE for short — the legislation, if passed, would make the New York county just one of a few municipalities to block the practice. Currently, five states and D.C. prohibit the use of conversion therapy outright.

The name is a direct jab at Mike Pence’s 2000 campaign website, which openly supported the harmful practice of attempting to “change” the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBT minors.

Well done.


America Opens Its Arms To Our Transgender Brothers And Sisters

Did you ever think it would happen in this country?

I have to admit that I’m not sure I’m there yet.

As a gay man, I’m still becoming comfortable with the notion of transgender men and women. I’m still learning.

Amazed, though, at how quickly America has embraced transgender men and women. In spite of the bathroom laws and the hysteria from the right.

And the cool, compassionate, adult-in-the-room Barack Obama.

Were you as amazed as I to see this?

Incredible.

We’ve come so far as a country the past 7+ years.

As Barack Obama “evolved” on LGBTQ issues–and as some of us lost our patience entirely with him, given his remarkable history on such issues when he was in Springfield, Illinois–as he evolved, we evolved too.

But he led. And continues to lead.

America, hats off to you.

Hats off to you, Mr. President.