Happy MON Day

Hope everyone had a great weekend! and you have a great Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dan Haseltine, 'Jars Of Clay' Lead Singer, Tweets Support For Gay Marriage

Dan Haseltine, the lead singer of popular Christian band Jars of Clay, took to Twitter recently to voice his support for marriage equality.
Not only that, but Haseltine engaged with his followers in a discussion about the Biblical interpretation of marriage and he noted that he's unable to understand conservatives who use scripture to deny same-sex couples equal rights. The exchange started like this:

Dan Haseltine       

Not meaning to stir things up BUT... Is there a non-speculative or non "slippery slope" reason why gays shouldn't marry? I don't hear one.

Dan Haseltine        

I'm trying to make sense of the conservative argument. But It doesn't hold up to basic scrutiny. Feels akin to women's suffrage.

Dan Haseltine        

I just don't see a negative effect to allowing gay marriage. No societal breakdown, no war on traditional marriage. ?? Anyone?

Dan Haseltine        

Okay! Back online... Interesting responses. re: gay marriage. Never liked the phrase: "Scripture clearly says...(blank) about..."

Dan Haseltine       

Because most people read and interpret scripture wrong. I don't think scripture "clearly" states much of anything regarding morality.

Because most people read and interpret scripture wrong. I don't think scripture "clearly" states much of anything regarding morality.

 

I think the vast interpretation has left room for people to deal inhumanly and unlovingly toward others that don't fit their guidelines.

Dan Haseltine        

It is perhaps less important to know what is "right and wrong" morally speaking, than to know how to act toward those we consider "wrong."

Haseltine is still engaging with his followers and having an extremely thought-provoking conversation about rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and what the Bible has to say about these issues. You can read more by visiting his Twitter page.
The lead singer of another band, Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees, is also speaking out about religion and queer issues. Glenn, who is a Mormon, recently came out of the closet as gay. In a new interview he notes, "On the level of being a role model for kids or LGBT Mormon youth, I'm totally down because I come from that background and I would be able to speak to them honestly."

 

 

 

 

 

Is The Deep South The Next Big LGBT Rights Battleground?

Saturday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced a new initiative to advance LGBT equality in the Deep South. Entitled Project One America, the three-year, $8.5 million initiative will specifically target three states that currently offer no employment, housing, or marriage protections for LGBT residents: Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama.
The campaign has three primary goals, which include “changing hearts and minds, advancing enduring legal protections, and building more inclusive institutions for LGBT people from the church pew to the workplace.” Participating staff believe that engaging in personal conversations will encourage change in a region that has lagged in its acceptance of gay rights.
The organization plans to open an office in each state, and provide a total of twenty staff members to implement Project One America’s mission. One supporter in a same-sex partnership, Joce Pritchett, believes the interpersonal approach will be more effective than larger, “in-your-face” demonstrations.
With no legal protections, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama have substantial rates of discrimination against the LGBT community. A survey by the polling firm Anzalone Liszt Grove found that 65 percent of LGBT people living in the states experienced verbal abuse, and 20 percent experienced physical violence. Moreover, 25 percent reported discrimination in either the workplace or a “public accommodation.”
The launch of Project One America coincides with a larger progressive movement gaining traction in the South. Since its origin in North Carolina last year, Moral Monday protests have slammed the right-wing agendas of conservative leaders and tied today’s fights with the South’s history of civil rights activism. Specifically, cuts to unemployment benefits, refusals to expand Medicaid, and the implementation of voting rights restrictions have resulted in the protests’ movement throughout the region. Democrats are also pushing to turn deep-red states “purple”, as black, Latino and Asian American communities grow in the South.

Disclaimer:This blog does not claim credit for any images, videos, or other media items featured on this site, or sites linking to it, unless otherwise specified. All visual content, copy and images, are copyright to it’s respective owners. If you own rights to any of the featured images and articles and do not wish it to appear here, please email me and it will be removed from this blog. Bear in mind that the media items found within this site were all found publicly on the web, so removal from this site is not removal from the entire World Wide Web. I do my best to provide the most accurate information but errors and inaccuracies can occur. I do however not make warranty as to the correctness or reliability of the blog’s content. Should you encounter an error or inaccuracy, please inform us so it can be corrected. This is just all in good fun!