Religious Left

Stop the Slaughter A Vigil will be held in Philadelphia on Friday evening, November 20th to remember 19-year-old Jorge Lopez Mercado. Lopez, a Puerto Rican native was found partially burned, decapitated and with arms and legs dismembered, on the side of the road near his home town Caguas, Puerto Rico on Saturday, November 14th. The Vigil will be held at the Church of St. Luke and The Epiphany, 330 South 13th Street in Philadelphia from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organizations, activists and allies are invited. The Vigil will include the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, Gloria Casarez, LGBT Liaison to Mayor Nutter, Cynthia Vasquez, youth activist at the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative (GALAEI), and Malcolm Lazin , Executive Director of Equality Forum. There were 29 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) hate crime murders in the United States in 2008. “We must stop the homophobic slaughter,” stated Malcolm Lazin , Executive Directo...

(PRWEB) November 2, 2009 -- Ali Ghalib, head Imam of the Gay Mosque, is thrilled along with other members of the gay community, in celebrating the president's recent signing of of the expanded Hate Bill which will gets its funding from the $680 billion dollar defense authorization bill. This Bill is named after a homosexual teenager, Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr, an African-American, who was dragged to death. "With this improved hate crimes bill, the gay mosque will flourish in our communities making a better life for gay and happy Muslims everywhere in this blessed land, the United States of America. Blesses be America!" Imam Ghalib said. "This truly shows that the U.S. wants to help keep religion free," Imam Ali said. the gay mosque Ali Ghalib 2155551212 www.GayTalkRadio.org a 24/7 LGBTQIA Independent Internet Radio Station. Visit, Listen, Support and become involved.

www.GayTalkRadio.org a 24/7 LGBTQIA Independent Internet Radio Station. Visit, Listen, Support and become involved.

www.GayTalkRadio.org a 24/7 LGBTQIA Independent Internet Radio Station. Visit, Listen, Support and become involved.

Dear Mr. President, I'm a pretty patient guy, Mr. President. I must be, considering that while you were celebrating your 6th birthday I was putting my life on the line for my country, serving as a Military Policeman in Vietnam, even though I had to lie every minute of every waking hour to do so. I kept myself going with the faith that someday other patriotic gay and lesbian Americans would be able to proudly serve their nation without having to live a lie. I must be a patient man, Mr. President. When you were 8 years old I gave up a promising law enforcement career with the Washington State Patrol rather than continue to put up with the incredible pressure of attempting to pass as a heterosexual. I kept myself going with the faith that someday GLBT people would be protected in their jobs from the whims of heterosexual bigots. I must be a patient man, Mr. President. When you were 10 years old my good friend, John Singer and I were refused a license to marry. The courts of the ...

1/25/2009 - 2 hrs GayTalk at 9 AM (PST). Call in during the live show (347) 237-5246 otherwise call voicemail at (360) 283-5052 or send me email tom@2015Place.com . As always we have an Open Forum but hope discussion today includes Socialized Medicine and Hate Crimes. Click here to listen. I have started a new project to create a dedicated LGBT Channel/Station. To hear more about this, click here . Donations and or sponsors are welcome. Please click here to donate. All the best to you and yours.

1/22/2009 - 1 hr GayTalk at 9 AM (PST). Call in during the live show (347) 237-5246 otherwise call voicemail at (360) 283-5052 or send me email tom@2015Place.com . Today I'll speak on the recent Whitehouse.gov website changes and why that affects your personal safety, the APA, Mesa Arizona and more. Click here to listen. I have started a new project to create a dedicated LGBT Channel/Station. To hear more about this, click here . Donations and or sponsors are welcome. Please click here to donate. All the best to you and yours.

The Colorado Springs Gazette Colorado -- Is it worse to hate someone because she's Christian, than to hate her because she's beautiful, tall, short, thin or fat? The law says yes. Therefore, pay special attention to a recent case involving a man with a knife. District Attorney John Newsome told The Gazette on Tuesday he may seek what some call "hate crime" charges against Russell Bowman, who threatened two women with a giant knife early Saturday at an apartment building on Tia Juana Street. Police say Bowman made threats earlier that he wanted to behead the women because they were Christians. Bowman was stopped and seriously injured when another apartment resident hit him with the butt of a shotgun. full article

Bay Area Reporter It's been just over a year since Satendar Singh was brutally attacked at a recreation area near Sacramento, allegedly by Russian immigrants who perceived him to be gay. But without the inclusion of sexual orientation in the federal hate crimes law the man authorities believe delivered the fatal blow remains a fugitive from justice. One of those arrested, Alexsander Schevchenko, 22, was sentenced to 150 days in county jail after being found guilty on two misdemeanor charges. "Five months in jail for the murder of a man was a slap on the wrist," Sloan said of the sentence Schevchenko received. "It indicates that if you harm a gay person, chances are its not going to be costly." Sloan believes the attack - according to testimony at Schevchenko's trial and police reports, the perpetrators first sent their families home then called friends for additional back-up - "was a conspiracy and should have been prosecuted as one." Former Sacram...

Many, I dare say the majority, of religious folks would deny federal hate crime laws to assist in protecting the GLBT community from bias crime against them. In fact, over at the Christian Law Association website you can find a radio broadcast saying Christians should always oppose hate crime laws. I’ve also heard Black folks say GLBT folks shouldn’t have hate crime protection. Since the members of both communities currently enjoy hate crime protection it seems a bit foul of them to deny others the very protection they themselves possess. When we were children we considered this type of individual selfish. For adults to act this way is beyond selfish and borders on hypocrisy! According to Merriam-Webster: Hypocrisy – 1: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially: the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion 2: an act or instance of hypocrisy

by Mindy Boggs The Huntsville Times We cannot simply dismiss the recent Knoxville Unitarian church shooting with "There's another lunatic among us, and you just never know, so let's beef up security in the parking lot." No, we need to do much more than that. We need to examine "public opinion" and the people and institutions who "shape" that opinion. You do not have to be "crazy," or the town lunatic, to commit murder, as this man did. You just have to believe strongly enough about something. When someone places all responsibility for society's ills (or their personal ills), as they define them, on a group of people who share a different ethnic background, religion, or political beliefs, one may come to hate this group so much, it triggers the desire to commit a crime and "sacrifice" oneself, along with the "guilty" ones. Generalizing, stereotyping, blaming can lead to ideological fanaticism. When we hear it, read ...

KCRA 3 News SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento County's district attorney won't retry a hate crime claim against a man convicted of playing a part in a fatal fight at Lake Natoma. A jury found Aleksandr Shevchenko guilty of misdemeanor assault and disturbing the peace for his role in the death of Satendar Singh. However, authorities said Andrey Vusik is believed to have struck the fatal blow that killed Singh. Shevchenko was sentenced Friday to 150 days in prison, three years probation and fined $100. full article Related Articles Other Related Article

By DUNCAN MANSFIELD, Associated Press Writer The York Daily Record KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—An out-of-work truck driver (Jim D. Adkisson) accused of opening fire at a Unitarian church, killing two people, left behind a note suggesting that he targeted the congregation out of hatred for its liberal policies, including its acceptance of gays, authorities said Monday. Adkisson's ex-wife once belonged to the church but hadn't attended in years, said Ted Jones, the congregation's president. Adkisson remained jailed Monday on $1 million bond after being charged with one count of murder. More charges are expected. Four victims were hospitalized in critical condition. full article

BACKSTORY By 365gay Newscenter Staff Anderson County, S.C. -- An 18-year-old, who had told police he was beaten by his father after attending a gay pride parade, was charged Thursday with filing a false police report. Dwight Clark Ables told police last week that his father yelled, swung the bat and tried to “cast the demon of homosexuality out of him.” Investigators said Thursday they had found no evidence to support any of the allegations. full article

When the California supreme court made gay marriage a reality many were screaming "activists judges". At Pam's House Blend we read how the Pennsylvania supreme court has reversed hate crime legislation in that state. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision striking down amendments that added sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, gender, and mental and physical disability to the state hate crime law. The law, known as the Ethnic Intimidation and Institutional Vandalism Act, was amended in 2002 to include protections for these groups by a two-thirds majority of the state legislature. Then-governor Mark Schweiker signed it into law. The lower court ruled last November that the law was invalid because it had been tacked onto another, nonrelated bill. The ruling did not criticize the content of the law, only the way in which it had been passed. I would imagine few from the religious right consider these judges "activists judges"?

Not long ago we heard news about a group of teens stoning a school bus full of young Jewish students , in New York. Today I read about a Mexican immigrant who was killed by a group of teens in Pennsylvania. There has been a rash of graffiti , noose hangings , cross burning and anti-gay hate incidents throughout our country. One must feel distressed over what type of parents are raising these children? Some would say it's high time the parents were held responsible for their children's actions. After all, hate is TAUGHT and is a choice. If a teen doesn't possess sufficient self control or know right from wrong the parents have failed miserably. Of course this brand of hate is not limited to teens. Hate has become a cancer, eating away at humanity from the inside out. If everyone were to cast aside self control and act out on their personal beliefs the world would be in mass chaos. For those arrogantly feeling the need to do so the punishment should be s...

By Pearce Adams The Anderson Independent Mail Anderson, South Carolina - Violence broke out Sunday in Anderson when an 18-year-old man returned home from a gay pride parade and was assaulted by his father. During the assault, the teen's 49-year-old father yelled, cursed, swung a baseball bat, prayed and tried to “cast the demon of homosexuality out of him,” according to the teen's version of events to Deputy S.C. Weymouth, the incident report states. FOLLOWUP/UPDATE full article

By Valarie Honeycutt Spears Lexington Hearld-Leader Victims have reported at least 55 hate crimes in Lexington since 2000, eight in 2007 alone. And there are at least 14 hate groups operating in Kentucky, including eight Ku Klux Klan groups. With a report from the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission detailing the hate around us, the Commission and the Migrant Network Coalition on Saturday sponsored the Erase Hate Community Art Project. Volunteers gathered Saturday at Temple Adath Israel to create a visual art display of six wooden silhouettes that will be displayed at the Urban County Government-sponsored Diversity Festival on Saturday at the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse courtyard on Main Street. The silhouettes will be on display at the event's Human Rights Commission booth and will include stories about individuals in Lexington who say they have experienced bullying, bigotry or hatred because of who they are. full article

By Crystal Carreon Sacramento Bee A mistrial was declared Wednesday in Sacramento Superior Court on hate-crime charges against a man linked to a volatile feud at Lake Natoma last summer that killed Satender Singh. After more than four days of tense deliberations, the jury of seven women and five men could not agree on whether the defendant was involved in the confrontation because he believed Singh was gay. The panel emerged before noon and told Judge Gary S. Mullen that they were "irrevocably deadlocked" on the hate- crime allegation that Aleksandr Shevchenko, 22, faced for his role in last year's fight. The Sacramento man was found guilty on two misdemeanor counts: disturbing the peace and simple assault for throwing a bottle. related stories full article

By Crystal Carreon The Sacramento Bee Over the past three weeks, jurors heard testimony in the trial of Aleksandr Shevchenko, 22. But by the end of closing statements Thursday, the circumstances that led to the punch that killed 26-year-old Satender Singh appeared just as murky and controversial as they did last July. At issue is whether Singh's death resulted from a hate crime. The jury of six men and six women also will decide whether Shevchenko should be held responsible. related articles full article