Does anyone really care that the Vatican now says that "gays aren't criminals?"

Thank you, Vatican. Reasonable people already know that, even if more than 87 countries (and many municipalities in the United States) continue to criminalize homosexuality.

This should be good news that Vatican is on the right side on issue for once... right?

Ah.. no.

"The Church is in favour of decriminalising homosexuality," Lombardi said. But it opposes granting "parity of rights", such as marriage. According to Catholic teaching, only unions between a man and a woman can be accorded such parity.

Here's my big middle finger to your Catholic teaching. Actually, here's both. Your "teaching" is backwards. Wrong. Discriminatory. And it's immoral.

Yes, immoral.

Of course, positioning itself as the advocate of equality, the Vatican, opposes "all forms of discrimination."

Unless, it's gay marriage of course. No parity of marriage for you, f ag.  

My irony meter broke on that one.


(Source)

You can almost bet that when an organization uses the word "family" or "pro-family" they are really about hating gay members of our society.

In Chicago, public schools CEO Arne Duncan, has proposed twenty new programs and among them a new school, the Social Justice High School, a place "to address the needs of the underserved population of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth and their allies."

Why is this school necessary? Because of the increasing bigotry that this population of students must face. The statics indicate:

• 35% of Illinois students report that sexual orientation is the most common reason students are bullied or harassed.
• 34% of Illinois students report that gender identity is the most common reason students are bullied or harassed.
• 74% of Illinois students report hearing homophobic remarks such as “*** got” or “dy ke” from other students in school
• 83%  of Illinois students report hearing homophobic remarks such as “that’s so gay”or “you’re so gay” from other students in school
• 48% of Illinois students report that teachers and other school staff rarely intervene when they hear homophobic language
• Students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are three times more likely than their non-gay peers to report missing school because they feel unsafe (33% vs. 11%)
• Students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are almost two times more likely than their non-gay peers to report being in a physical fight at school (32% vs. 17%)
• Students identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are nearly twice as likely as their non-gay peers to report suffering from depression (52% vs. 31%).
• Students identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are almost three times more likely than their non-gay peers to report attempting suicide (32% vs. 11%)

Of course, this has riled up the religious right. Laurie Higgins, of the Illinois "Family" Institute, argues

"A high school that is dedicated to or centrally focused on homosexuality necessarily requires that public educators have come to some prior conclusions about the nature and morality of homosexuality..."

Prior conclusions? Which are those? That gays, lesbians, and others should be treated fairly and receive a decent education free from harassment? No, the conclusion that Higgins wants lawmakers and school officials to make is one based on the Bible's morality. You know, the same book that not only condemns eating shell fish and mixing fabrics, but also advocates for the stoning of homosexuals, adulterers, disobedient children, and for collecting sticks on the sabbath.

Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (is it possible to be anymore preposterous!), in turn, argues

"The taxpayers -- whether they're Christians, Orthodox Jews, Muslims -- they will be funding [this] pro-homosexual indoctrination school for so-called 'gay' youth"

LaBarbera is making a special plead on religious grounds, as if all Christians, Jews and Muslims are monolithic in their beliefs - which they are evidently not. And many of these Christians, Jews and Muslims have many gay and lesbian adherents. However, for the sake of argument, let's contended that these religious groups are indeed monolithic and this is a matter of taxpayer rights.

If it's simply a matter of a tax-payer rights, then our taxpaying gays and lesbians - many of whom are religious, citizens should not be in the business of paying for "straight-schools" and creating so-called "straight-youth." And let's expand that. Should white taxpayers be in the business of educating black students? 

Indoctrination is the business of religion and LaBarbera fails to acknowledge this in his argument that the students who would be attending this school are already self-identified gay or otherwise. It seems that LaBarbera believes that Chicago school system is creating a "gay" factory.

Patently ridiculous.

Apparently, if your a bigot whose surety is alleged to be God's will, no argument in defense of such a worldview is truculent, or incoherent enough to make you reconsider your bigotry.

Harris and LaBarbera simply want to block any opportunity for gays and lesbians to achieve any semblance of equality in our society. They actively demand that these people be discriminated and blacklisted as unequals and as second class citizens. I have to wonder why stop at education? Why stop at marriage? Why stop at life? Why not actively pursue death sentences for homosexuality?

The Religious Right hates the family in all its splendid diversity. They hate your gay son. They hate your gay daughter. They hate your gay mother or father. They hate your gay friends and colleagues. And when called on it, they dress it up in Jesus' love. What a hollow, conditional love that is.

Here's a thought. If bigots like Harris and LaBarbera would stop encouraging religious intolerance that breeds the subsequent intolerance against homosexuality in our society, perhaps schools like the Social Justice High school would be unnecessary. Instead, they crusade in their full religious bigotry like they are engaged in some kind of Holy War. (And by their worldview, it is.)

Leaving aside religious intolerance, there are other criticisms of a school like the Social Justice High School. Hantas Farmer, a trans-gendered citizen, argues that

"Have any of you considered that this is nothing but de facto segregation? I support you in principle. School should be safe for everyone. But I'm not sure segregation is the way forward"

In my opinion, we've already seen a fracturing of the public school system with voucher programs that may be used for either religious or secular private schools. New York and Milwaukee already have similar schools.

I do not see the harm with one more school. A school like this will help to educate otherwise intelligent members of our society to become productive members so they are not as likely to exist off of government welfare in the future.

Last post, I predicted (the most obvious thing in the world) that the same-sex marriage ruling in Connecticut would bring out the religious-right bigots denouncing the court ruling. You know, the same type of "compassionate" conservatives that are known for shouting "off with his head" in reference to Obama at a recent Waukesha McCain/Palin rally.

Heck, these are same compassionate conservatives that are so blood thirsty that when McCain stated that Obama was a "decent" man, McCain was booed by his own supporters at a Minnesota rally.

Today, on the the 10th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death - the gay man that was murdered and allowed to die in a Wyoming corn field, Fred Phelp's Westboro Baptist Church, protested Hamilton High School because they dare to have a gay student association. This is the same group of religious conservatives who picket our soldiers funerals breathlessly screaming that it is God's punishment and that the soldiers are in burning and rotting in Hell. (Video from last night's report.)

As I watched the news video this evening, Phelps wretched daughter was spewing her hate while other members were waving signs of God Hates F ags and 10 Year Old Matthew is in Hell.

To the counter protesters and students at Hamilton High school who stood-up to these bullies and bigots, you truly represent the best that America promises.

You understand the values which America stands for and for that you shoud be acknowledged and congratulated.