Iranian Gay Men To Be Stoned Tomorrow

I wish I had better news to share.....Two men jailed for having sex and filming it on a cell phone are due for stoning tomorrow in Iran. Given my timezone(pac) it will probably happen sometime tonight. I know I can't stop it...probably none of us can, but neither can I let it slide by like it isn't happening.

Is The World Changing?

Yesterday this blog had the honor of hosting a video of one young boy who all gave us hope for the world. I wish that feeling could have stayed for more than 24 hours...sadly, the realities of the world come crashing back to remind us that while hope exists...so does tragedy and that their are those out there who still need our help. That help may take many forms...as with the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, blankets. food, and medicine were real ways that we could reach out and make a difference. And sometimes ...the only way we can help someone is to bear witness to what happened and let the world know that we are watching. Such is the case with the video of a Saudi man who was videotaped, dressed up in a police uniform and pretending to be an effeminate police officer pulling over a motorist. He then proceeded to imply to the pretend motorist (and camera man) that he could escape his situation by offering "comfort" he then bared his chest and fondled himself to music. Well....Youtube being what it is, the video went viral and got back into the hands of  Saudi authorities. Both men have since been arrested. Watch the video and read on below the fold.

Breaking Developments...Uganda

Unfortunately bringing light to an issue doesn't automatically mean that change will occur. However in Uganda, it seems to be working even if in degrees. The individuals who comprise groups like "The Family"(total mob overtones there) reley on the fact that no one is watching what they are up to. But when it DOES then they backpeddle away from it. Thats what they are doing now. As Ugandan lawmakers remove the Death and imprisonment clauses from their "kill the gays" bill...so do the evangelicals who helped influence its creation attempt to quietly back out of the scene.

Uganda has given us a frightening example of how much influence foreign lobbyists can have. Even Richard Cohen, who's ex-gay manifesto and credibility have been thouroughly trounced still wields an influence on lawmakers there. but why listen to me...Rachel Maddow does a much better job of breaking it down....video after the fold.

Then They Came For Me...

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Sorry for the melodrama, but today it truly fits. Reading around to all the blogs yesterday I came across an article on Pam's House Blend that talks about a topic that I mentioned here, earlier this week...Uganda and how America has a hand in whats happening there. The article from The Blend detailed a conversation between the author, Maura Hennessey, and a friend discussing the Ugandan bill that will result in imprisonment and/or death for Ugandan gays. While I can't agree with all of the articles sentiments, it does make some interesting observations about future implications if America continues to remain silent about Uganda's "final solution".

Spreading The Light...Uganda and America's Fundamentalists

Not so long ago, America's largest export used to be things that we had built with our own two hands. However, these days, we export ideologies more than products.

Our latest gift (/sarcasm off) to the developing countries of the world has been through the efforts of christian fundamentalists, who are again turning to African and Asian countries to find new believers and to advance their causes. A big goal of the American churchs, is to put gays back in the closet...or worse.

It has already been posted in comments on this blog how much the exgay movement in the U.K. owes its funding to American evangelicals here in the U.S. These churches sure seem to have inexhaustible funds to be able to support these oversees efforts AND resist marriage equality back home. Now there most recent efforts have put them in bed with some nasty bedfellows.