The Pope is at it again. Today for the second time in a week, the Roman Catholic Pontiff has attacked lesbian and gay families demanding that government stop recognizing civil unions and marriages, as well as advocating strongly by pressuring politicians and the Catholic people to vote against such equality legislation.
While in America the Pope has the right to free speech in many parts of Europe the legislation for hate speech has been broadened to include GLBT people as many believe there is a direct correlation between verbal attacks and physical violence against our community. The Pope is extremely careless in reiterating the importance of treating gays and lesbians with respect and dignity, and to demand that we as a community are able to work and live where we choose without fear of retaliation from employers and landlords.
France has fined a French politician, a member of President Jacques Chirac's ruling UMP, who did in fact declare gays and lesbians to be "inferior" to heterosexuals and that it is "dangerous for humanity if it was pushed to the limit" to recognize gays and lesbians in any respect. Fined nearly $6000.00, $4000.00 as the penalty ad $2000.00 in court costs, Christian Vanneste has vowed to take it to the EU court of appeals where it is expected that he will lose. Perhaps these sort of punitive damages will help create the same lack of tolerance for verbal abuse of gays and lesbians - just as disparaging Jewish and Black people is simply not tolerated.
However, when Churches and their leaders continue to use their religious freedom to consistently punish the gay community for simply being it is hardly surprising that we see numerous individuals and groups, such as Fred Phelps and the killers of Matthew Shephard who simply believe they are doing God's work to murder us. Just as we have put in place strong laws to protect the doctors who perform abortion we must put in place these same legal protections for all Gay, Lesbian, Bi sexual and Transgendered persons. It is not about extra rights or special privileges - it's about sending a clear message that no matter what your faith may teach you cannot disparage or injure or murder those whom disagree with your point of view.
As concerns these Churches involving themselves in politics and demanding their members vote as they direct it is opposed by the Church itself. The 1970's in South America saw priests and bishops routinely chastised for their attempt to politicize the terrible abuses by dictators to the common people, including abductions and murders, to be against the teaching and purpose of the Church. Such activity was considered to be well outside of the Churches authority as her place is simply to guide and teach, not finance and secure votes for a particular political party.
Shame to the Pope for his willful disregard for the safety and civil rights of Gays and Lesbians. We too are the People of God, and those of us who seek in good conscience to live a committed and monogamous relationship should be supported, not ostracized.
While in America the Pope has the right to free speech in many parts of Europe the legislation for hate speech has been broadened to include GLBT people as many believe there is a direct correlation between verbal attacks and physical violence against our community. The Pope is extremely careless in reiterating the importance of treating gays and lesbians with respect and dignity, and to demand that we as a community are able to work and live where we choose without fear of retaliation from employers and landlords.
France has fined a French politician, a member of President Jacques Chirac's ruling UMP, who did in fact declare gays and lesbians to be "inferior" to heterosexuals and that it is "dangerous for humanity if it was pushed to the limit" to recognize gays and lesbians in any respect. Fined nearly $6000.00, $4000.00 as the penalty ad $2000.00 in court costs, Christian Vanneste has vowed to take it to the EU court of appeals where it is expected that he will lose. Perhaps these sort of punitive damages will help create the same lack of tolerance for verbal abuse of gays and lesbians - just as disparaging Jewish and Black people is simply not tolerated.
However, when Churches and their leaders continue to use their religious freedom to consistently punish the gay community for simply being it is hardly surprising that we see numerous individuals and groups, such as Fred Phelps and the killers of Matthew Shephard who simply believe they are doing God's work to murder us. Just as we have put in place strong laws to protect the doctors who perform abortion we must put in place these same legal protections for all Gay, Lesbian, Bi sexual and Transgendered persons. It is not about extra rights or special privileges - it's about sending a clear message that no matter what your faith may teach you cannot disparage or injure or murder those whom disagree with your point of view.
As concerns these Churches involving themselves in politics and demanding their members vote as they direct it is opposed by the Church itself. The 1970's in South America saw priests and bishops routinely chastised for their attempt to politicize the terrible abuses by dictators to the common people, including abductions and murders, to be against the teaching and purpose of the Church. Such activity was considered to be well outside of the Churches authority as her place is simply to guide and teach, not finance and secure votes for a particular political party.
Shame to the Pope for his willful disregard for the safety and civil rights of Gays and Lesbians. We too are the People of God, and those of us who seek in good conscience to live a committed and monogamous relationship should be supported, not ostracized.
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