12/24/09

Integrity Uganda 12 Days of Blessings Episcopal Church's Christian Response

No doubt you have been following recent news about the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill that is currently before the Ugandan Parliament. If passed, LGBT Ugandans could be punished with life imprisonment or even death.

Now, more than ever, LGBT Anglicans in Uganda need our prayers and financial support. That's why Integrity USA's Board of Directors has designated 10% of all donations received during the 100,000 Blessings campaign to the Hopkins Fund for Global Mission—almost all of which will be allocated to the ministry of Integrity Uganda during 2010.

It costs $700 per month to provide the members of Integrity Uganda with a safe meeting space, public transportation to worship, and emergency assistance with basic living expenses. Many members have little or no income--they have been fired from their jobs and ostracized by their families because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Health care for malaria and HIV/AIDS is financially unobtainable for some.

During Christmastide, we're asking you to make a gift to the 100,000 Blessings campaign so that Integrity USA can continue providing vital aid to our sisters and brothers in Uganda . Our goal is to raise at least $8400 for Integrity Uganda during the next 12 days.
Click here to visit the campaign website and make a donation!
A contribution of $1000 or more will qualify you for lifetime membership. If you wish, you may give in honor or memory of a loved one. Remember that donations to Integrity are tax-deductible.--Posted By Integrity USA to Walking With Integrity at 12/24/2009 10:08:00 AM

Breakin News: Iranians, Ethiopians Seen Moving Towards Israel

This just in: According to sources masses of Persian Maji's have been seen moving towards Bethlehem Israel to find a child and plan to call Him Immanuel, which means,"God With us."

The Egyptian Times reports "King Herod Fooled, Furious at Deception".

King Herod ever mindful of the Iranian terrorism threat was moved to action. The Palace homeland security interned the Maji and using enhanced interrogation technics ascertained that a new star had been discovered and that three Maji priests of the Zarathustra religion had stopped at the Walmart and purchased gifts of gold, and frankincense and myrrh while enroute to the Christ Child.

"King Herod is really pissed" says a unnamed palace source who wished to remain anonymous. The King a orthodox conservative fearful that a new culture of love and inclusiveness might result acted on the information gleaned from the water boarded Maji. The Maji under interrogation had disclosed the exact time the star appeared. Herod then dispatched blackwater agents to the location to find the child and bring him back however they returned and reported the child was not to be found at that address.

King Orders Death To All Children in Bethlehem vicinity.

The Orthodox king Herod fearing that a new religion uniting Persians and Ethiopians alike might be spawned by this Christ child, issued a decree all infants are to be slain in Bethlehem.

Last updated 15 hrs BC.

12/22/09

Catholic's rejoice in United Nations "Slap to the face" to Transgender people

"This was a great victory for the natural law and the family and a slap in the face to the radicals," Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) was quoted as saying in a interview with Life site news titled UN General Assembly Eliminates Reference to "Sexual Orientation," Gender Identity.

"Radicals" is a obvious reference to Transgender and Gay people.

A "SLAP in the FACE" is violence.

Satisfaction is what the Catholic church enjoys in committing violence against transgender and gay people.

Its simple. The Catholic church would rather see you on the end of this



than on this.



12/16/09

Rwandan Parliament to Vote on Criminalizing Homosexuality


Breaking News: Rwandan Parliament to Vote on Criminalizing Homosexuality.


The lower house of the Rwandan Parliament will vote on a draft revision of the penal code that will, for the first time, make homosexuality a crime in Rwanda. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has learned that the proposed Article 217 of the draft Penal Code Act will criminalize "[a]ny person who practices, encourages or sensitizes people of the same sex, to sexual relation or any sexual practice." Rwanda's Chamber of Deputies will vote on the draft code December 16, 2009. If the Chamber of Deputies approves, the draft code will likely go before the Rwandan Senate in early 2010.
Article 217 violates Rwandans' basic human rights and is contradictory to the Rwandan Constitution as well as various regional and international conventions. IGLHRC, the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), and Rwanda's Horizon Community Association (HOCA) will shortly issue a call to action to demand that the Rwandan Parliament withdraw this article. We urge the international community to act against this proposed law and support the equality, dignity, and privacy of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Rwanda.
This draft provision targeting LGBT people closely follows the introduction of a similar measure in neighboring Uganda, where the nation's parliament is currently debating an Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The proposed Ugandan law would prohibit all LGBT activism and organizing, would further criminalize consensual same-sex conduct between adults, which is already illegal in Uganda, and in some cases apply the death penalty.
Find out more information about LGBT Human Rights in Rwanda %raquo;

12/15/09

New York State To Become Seventh State to Offer Job Protections to Transgender Public Employees

Governor Paterson To Sign Executive Order Prohibiting Discrimination in State Employment on the Basis of Gender Identity!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2009

Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund Hails Governor Paterson's Signing Tomorrow of Executive Order Barring Discrimination Against Transgender State Employees

New York State To Become Seventh State to Offer Job Protections to Transgender Public Employees

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) hails New York State Gov. David A. Paterson's planned signing tomorrow of an executive order barring discrimination against transgender state employees. New York will become the seventh state to protect public employees from discrimination based on gender identity or expression, after Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

"Like everyone else, transgender employees deserve to be judged on their ability to do the job, and not on who they are," TLDEF executive director Michael Silverman said. "This executive order will ensure that hard-working transgender employees of New York State can work without fear of discrimination, and provide for themselves and their families," he added. “We applaud Governor Paterson for taking this important step for transgender equal rights.”

Transgender people face tremendous discrimination in the workplace. Forty-seven percent of transgender people report being fired, or denied a job or promotion just because of who they are. In one recent Florida case, 17-year-old Zikerria Bellamy was denied a job at a McDonald's restaurant because she is transgender. Miss Bellamy applied online for the job, but after managers learned that she is transgender, she received a voicemail message from one of the them telling her, "You will not get hired. We do not hire fa**ots." TLDEF filed a complaint on Miss Bellamy's behalf on Dec. 7.

Few protections exist for transgender people who experience employment discrimination. In 38 states, there is no law protecting people from being fired because they are transgender. In New York, while a number of municipalities protect transgender workers from on-the-job discrimination, there is no statewide law offering such protection. The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, which would add gender identity and expression to the state's non-discrimination law, has been repeatedly introduced and passed by the state Assembly, but it has never been passed by the state Senate.

Federal law similarly offers no job protection for transgender people. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would address discrimination in the workplace by making it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, or refuse to promote an employee based on the person's gender identity or sexual orientation. ENDA has been stalled in the House of Representatives despite demands by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans that Congress take swift action to pass the legislation.

"We applaud Gov. Paterson for recognizing that transgender New Yorkers should have the chance to earn a living and provide for their families without being refused a job or fired for reasons that have nothing to do with their ability to do the job," Silverman added.

Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression, and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing and public policy efforts.