Sunday, May 24, 2009

THE DALLAS PRINCIPLES

As far as I'm concerned, to this date Pres. Obama has shown himself to be no different from any other two-faced politician who couldn't care less about equal rights for Gay people! He has the ability to do away with DADT and has not taken advantage of it, losing very valuable military personnel in the process. Moreover, there is little hope that DOMA will be rescinded under his administration.

Enough is enough! And now there is a grassroots movement afoot to call him to task about his indolence in dealing with this fundamental issue of equal rights for all American citizens, and stating what must be done to achieve the goal of equal civil rights for LGBT people.

Obama ran on a platform of "change," and many of us see "business as usual" under his administration; his mantra of "change" that we so often heard during his campaign seems to have been empty rhetoric designed to have liberals and progressives, as well as LGBT people, drink the Kool Aid of his duplicity.

So, it's refreshing to know that a grassroots movement is initiating The Dallas Principles which can be seen below.

Barack Obama leveraged the Internet to capture the White House -- and now outside groups are doing to same to pressure his presidency.

A gay rights movement that began in the streets has increasingly moved online. And last weekend, a diverse group of gay activists, bloggers, Democratic Party organizers and fundraisers from across the country came together in Dallas to discuss how to more aggressively advance their agenda.

They believe the Obama White House and the Democratic-controlled Congress are not moving fast enough to address gay rights issues, such as setting a timetable to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and passing a federal hate crimes bill that covers sexual orientation and gender identity. After the outpouring of spontaneous grassroots support for same-sex marriage in the wake of the passage of Proposition 8 in California, "the timing is right," blogger and activist Lane Hudson said, "to push for full civil rights for LGBT people."


[For the full article, see here

The Dallas Principles are Listed Here Along With Their Rationale.

The Homepage For The Dallas Principles is Located Here.

The following is a very brief video embedded on their site that urges people to get involved with this movement:



TO SUPPORT THE DALLAS PRINCIPLES, PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK.
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6 comments:

Katie said...

As always, finding Christians who respect and support the LGBT community is refreshing.

I did want to address your small comment on the right about the use of the word, Queer.

While I understand and deeply appreciate your support of the community and your objection to use a word that for you signifies that there is something wrong with us, I have an alternative view.

I am a queer woman in my 30's. I have returned to college and I am getting my BA surrounded by students who are 10 years my junior. The GLBT community here is very different from the one I was raised in. These kids had far more freedom, access and support than I did when I was in high school in the early 90's in San Diego. Back then, we would never use the word queer but today it's all the rage. And I finally understand why.

The queer community here embraces the word as one that signifies their involvement in an alternative community without having to pin down their exact sexual orientation. This is an issue I have also faced over the years and one that has me claiming the queer word as well.

I am technically bisexual. I have been involved with both men and women through my life, though I spent 8 years married to a man. My orientation has shifted as I have aged, not in one direction but slowly moved about the Kinsey scale. I have been gay, a lesbian, a wife, bisexual and probably several other names. But to explain to someone all of this is both time consuming and honestly, none of their business. No one needs to know that I have been married to man or that I was once completely gay. By using the word queer, I am identified with the community but exactly what "qualifies" me is left ambiguous.

This becomes even more important with the inclusion of the transgendered community. As they face severe danger of not passing (both psychological and physical) to be able to use the word queer allows them a level of safety.

I also have some friends who have never had any same-sex relationships but are open to the possibility of love with anyone. They are pretty sure they will always be heterosexual, but some identify as queer as they are as deeply rooted in the community than any gay boy who came out when he was eight.

So while I respect your concern over the word I will politely disagree. The term queer frees the community from isolating labels that share too much of our private lives and separate us. For too long bisexuals have been separate from the "true" Gay and Lesbian community and Transgendered Folks have been completely invisible. Today the community is growing and changing and the term queer is indicative of that change.

Besides, here in Santa Cruz, the REAL radicals consider themselves transgendered. Now that's something that most of the country will take getting used to. lol.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this! I am a Roman Catholic and I wish the church would embrace with love all of God's people.

Jerry Maneker said...

Thanks Anonymous. You should know that you never have to expose yourself to discrimination and discriminatory rhetoric in any organization, especially one that affects your emotional and spiritual life. Best wishes, Jerry.

Jerry Maneker said...

Dear Katie: Thanks so much for your very thoughtful comment. I understand where you're coming from, and can appreciate the need to use an umbrella word to encompass the many facets of sexual and gender identity and expression.

However, a major concern is acquisition of full and equal civil rights, and the word "queer" denotes in the minds of most others what is "abnormal" and "deviant." I'm not only concerned about this identification for potential Straight allies, but also for young people who also see "queer" in that light, those who are not as mature, intact, and sophisticated as you, and that word has the power to create and reinforce self-loathing, no matter how often it's used.

Larry Kramer has an excellent take on the use of this word and other matters here. In my opinion, it's an excellent speech.

One can view oneself any way one wants to. However, the use of the word "queer" has the power to both encompass the many different gender and sexual identities and expressions, as you point out, AND also has the power to continue to consign a lot of LGBT people to psychological, social, and political ghettos; helping to prevent the acquisition of equal rights. That's pretty much where I'm coming from.
My very best wishes, Jerry.

DC HAMPTON JACOBS said...

Some of us (and I think our numbers are growing) can't be fooled when a rotten fish is served up to us in the guise of fine caviar. We know what the word "queer" is, and we know it doesn't make us safe from anything. On the contrary, it makes us vulnerable to the most damaging perceptions of LGBT status that exist.

Your logic is absurd, Katie. Your reasoning is fatally flawed if you come to the conclusion that the only word that accurately describes your kind is a slur that has "abnormal" as its core meaning. Realize that you've been brainwashed by the oppressor into seeing the products of his ignorance as things of value. They aren't! They're not only devoid of value, they're dangerous. Stop trying to recycle toxic waste!

Just go among Bible bigots brandishing "we're here, we're queer" signs, and see what happens. See the contempt you inspire in them. Respect is what you want to inspire, and "queer" conveys the opposite of respect. When you advocate that a vilified community be identified by so derogatory and insulting a term, you are helping to pave a path for our enemies and their heterosexist agenda.

Up until now, you may have done so unwittingly, but now that you know, there's no excuse for that kind of behavior on your part. If you want to be known as a Gay Rights progressive, act like it. Use language that really is progressive and not retrograde.

DC HAMPTON JACOBS said...

One more thing, Katie. No doubt you've heard of the California Supreme Court decision upholding Proposition 8? That's the kind of thing that happens to people society considers "queer" and has no respect for. In everything you do, promote respect for LGBT identity. Encouraging the use of anti-Gay slurs does not meet that criterion and never will. Whose side do you want to be on . . . the side of ignorance, or the side of justice? It's time to choose!