Westhampton, MA - September 30, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
The September 27, 2009 New York Times Magazine cover story of a 13 year-old boy who has come out at school is notable in many ways:
-it was published by America's premier newspaper
-it was made a daring headline story with photos
-it's about homosexual youth in school
-it is set in conservative Oklahoma
-it includes gay boys and lesbian girls under the age of consent
-it portrays very courageous individuals who risk homophobic behavior
-it also portrays supportive parents, as well as schools and teachers
-it acknowledges that youth well under 18 have romantic and sexual lives
Some readers will say it's been said before
others will think it's too aggressive, part of the homosexual agenda
some will not let their children read it
others will gather around it at a parents' meeting for validation
But one thing the story will not do is persuade believers in sin that same-sex attraction is not a choice. They will continue to believe that sexual orientation is a moral choice and therefore a sinful commission, a volition of behavior. Regardless of the description of children testifying they knew they were gay as young as eleven, the moralists will discredit them and cling to their scriptural position that sexual awakening is somehow proscribed and governed by religious opinion and thus political code - evidenced by some African countries' currently proposed legislation against homosexuality, adding to the 80+ countries that already criminalize it.
Despite the evidence as depicted in the story that sexuality emerges from the psyche as naturally as pubic hair emerges from the body, the nay-sayers will continue to reject the idea.
There is nothing that can be said using the framework of medical, psychological or spiritual knowledge that will ever cause such people to think differently about human nature. It speaks to the intense grip that ignorance and belief systems have on the human mind even when confronted with obvious testimony to the contrary. Willful ignorance is like willful hate that locks the mind into 'neurological knot' in the brain and cannot unwind itself - so tightly that it is willing to become violent, mentally or physically, to assert its false truth.
To counter such ignorance and biased thinking, the truth of these out young gay lives as revealed in the Times story rings of authentic lived-in truth, not a political opinion or dogmatic belief. Real life unfolds in the testimony of these gay youths and over time 'the truth will out' as modern society moves into a higher consciousness about human sexuality, beyond the denial-based ideas derived from antiquated books written by mortals who lived in ancient times.
Link to International Gay Youth Organization
Read interview with 14-year old gay boy: "Kids have sexual feelings"
See Age of Consent Index
Also see this recent report: Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Students in Post-Primary Schools - Guidance for Principals and School Leaders
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The Complex Mind of a Nobel Prize Scientist, Demonized as a Pedophile
Westhampton, MA - September 27, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
This is a very sad story of world-class Nobel recipient gay man whose decades-long research made significant discoveries into a degenerative brain disease that struck particularly at children known as kuru--now known as the deadly Mad Cow Disease. For his work on kuru, Dr. Daniel Carleton Gajdusek (Sept. 9, 1923 – Dec. 12, 2008) shared the 1976 Nobel Prize for physiology and medicine. He used the $80,000 Prize money to set up a trust for the education of the Fore tribes in Papua New Guinea where he did much of his research. For over 30 years, he also adopted more than 50 boys and one girl from his expeditions to the Pacific and brought them up in America and supported their education.
During his decades in the South Pacific cultures, Gajdusek's homosexuality was encouraged by local traditions of sexual contact between adult men and boys not yet of marriage age. (See Gilbert Herdt's research about sexuality in Papua New Guinea). Far from the strictures of American sexual mores Gajdusek came to experience the 'natural nature' of male-male sexuality.
But trouble occurred in 1996 when one boy, then an adult, reported that Gajdusek (photo right) had sexually abused him when under his charge. The doctor was arrested in the U.S. Eventually seven people came forward with similar accusations. Other adoptees of his came forward with testimonies describing him in affectionate terms and describing him as their hero and savior. He was 74 years old. His attempt to justify the contact by claiming "sexual contact between children and adults is the most natural thing in the world" was of course rejected and only served to have him demonized as a disturbed pedophile. He denied the contact was 'abuse' but he was in the wrong culture for such a claim.
In a plea bargain, ameliorated by his esteemed worldwide reputation, he was sentenced to one year in jail after which he was allowed to travel to Europe to continue his research into virus-borne diseases. He died eleven years later in Norway while visiting colleagues. Gajdusek was an important pioneer in research that contributed to progress against measles, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and polio and malaria.
In 2009, a documentary title The Genius and the Boys was shown on BBC television that portrayed Gajdusek's seminal medical work and his eventual conflict with the law.
What was this brilliant gay scientist thinking to bring his youth-loving behavior into the U.S. where pedophilia was a highly sensitive and prohibited act? Did he think he was immune to the law because of his fame and stature? Was he reckless or naive or blind to the American cultural attitudes about adult-child sexual contact, which stigmatized such behavior? Had he spent too much time in the South Pacific and become too deeply imbued with a different sexual ethos that he could not re-form his behavior? Or was he delusional in his affirmed belief and desire about 'age-structured' sexuality? (See 'Homosexualities' by Stephen O. Murray)
It is intriguing to read about a highly intelligent mind that was obsessed with intellectually complex scientific analysis and also be desirous of sexual desire for the youthful male figure; the Greeks called such desirable figures 'puer'. It is a recurrent artistic archetypal figure through recorded human history and is present in all major museums' sculpture collections. Today's fashion and photography industries celebrate, indeed adore, such figures in full color and with millions of dollars.
Was Gajdusek a victim of 'puer eternus' desire that springs from unknown inner psycho-sexual depths of the soul? Did he have a choice in his urge to caress youthful beauty? Most likely not. Sexual desire--gay or straight or both or in between--comes from a mysterious source in the human psyche. Unfortunately or not civilization stamps particular acceptable and unacceptable standards of morality and legality on human sexual desire and many get caught in the forbidden zones of that web. Gajdusek clearly did, despite his great intellect that saved the lives of countless other puers around the world. He clearly loved youth in more ways than one.
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
This is a very sad story of world-class Nobel recipient gay man whose decades-long research made significant discoveries into a degenerative brain disease that struck particularly at children known as kuru--now known as the deadly Mad Cow Disease. For his work on kuru, Dr. Daniel Carleton Gajdusek (Sept. 9, 1923 – Dec. 12, 2008) shared the 1976 Nobel Prize for physiology and medicine. He used the $80,000 Prize money to set up a trust for the education of the Fore tribes in Papua New Guinea where he did much of his research. For over 30 years, he also adopted more than 50 boys and one girl from his expeditions to the Pacific and brought them up in America and supported their education.
During his decades in the South Pacific cultures, Gajdusek's homosexuality was encouraged by local traditions of sexual contact between adult men and boys not yet of marriage age. (See Gilbert Herdt's research about sexuality in Papua New Guinea). Far from the strictures of American sexual mores Gajdusek came to experience the 'natural nature' of male-male sexuality.
But trouble occurred in 1996 when one boy, then an adult, reported that Gajdusek (photo right) had sexually abused him when under his charge. The doctor was arrested in the U.S. Eventually seven people came forward with similar accusations. Other adoptees of his came forward with testimonies describing him in affectionate terms and describing him as their hero and savior. He was 74 years old. His attempt to justify the contact by claiming "sexual contact between children and adults is the most natural thing in the world" was of course rejected and only served to have him demonized as a disturbed pedophile. He denied the contact was 'abuse' but he was in the wrong culture for such a claim.
In a plea bargain, ameliorated by his esteemed worldwide reputation, he was sentenced to one year in jail after which he was allowed to travel to Europe to continue his research into virus-borne diseases. He died eleven years later in Norway while visiting colleagues. Gajdusek was an important pioneer in research that contributed to progress against measles, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and polio and malaria.
In 2009, a documentary title The Genius and the Boys was shown on BBC television that portrayed Gajdusek's seminal medical work and his eventual conflict with the law.
What was this brilliant gay scientist thinking to bring his youth-loving behavior into the U.S. where pedophilia was a highly sensitive and prohibited act? Did he think he was immune to the law because of his fame and stature? Was he reckless or naive or blind to the American cultural attitudes about adult-child sexual contact, which stigmatized such behavior? Had he spent too much time in the South Pacific and become too deeply imbued with a different sexual ethos that he could not re-form his behavior? Or was he delusional in his affirmed belief and desire about 'age-structured' sexuality? (See 'Homosexualities' by Stephen O. Murray)
It is intriguing to read about a highly intelligent mind that was obsessed with intellectually complex scientific analysis and also be desirous of sexual desire for the youthful male figure; the Greeks called such desirable figures 'puer'. It is a recurrent artistic archetypal figure through recorded human history and is present in all major museums' sculpture collections. Today's fashion and photography industries celebrate, indeed adore, such figures in full color and with millions of dollars.
Was Gajdusek a victim of 'puer eternus' desire that springs from unknown inner psycho-sexual depths of the soul? Did he have a choice in his urge to caress youthful beauty? Most likely not. Sexual desire--gay or straight or both or in between--comes from a mysterious source in the human psyche. Unfortunately or not civilization stamps particular acceptable and unacceptable standards of morality and legality on human sexual desire and many get caught in the forbidden zones of that web. Gajdusek clearly did, despite his great intellect that saved the lives of countless other puers around the world. He clearly loved youth in more ways than one.
Also see: http://www.childabusesurvivor.net/
Also see: Independent News
Also see: Answers listing
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Algerians Modernize Tradition of Circumcision
Westhampton, MA - September 24, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
This is a story from Magharebia News by Hayam El Hadi published yesterday about the ritual of male circumcision in Algeria. The action taken is a surgical removal of the penis foreskin, essentially a mutilation of the body. And for this pain and humiliation the boy is surrounded by dancing and singing and partying adults who are so tightly indoctrinated with 'tradition' that they have forgotten the original meaning of the act (as if there was a valid one) and are blind to the modern barbarity of the procedure.
What is it the about the male genitalia that it cannot be left alone? Why this obsession with cutting off the 'sleeve' of pre-pubescent boys that produces blood and pain and serves no physical advantage or increased value? (Some modernists arguably think it lowers HIV infection possibility.)
In a culture where sex is frowned upon outside of hetero marriage (causing countless men to engage in homosex) why is there this 'celebration' of the penis? Women mark this passage with excited cheers and prepared foods. In the old days the women would even whitewash the courtyards before starting to make traditional cakes. The father would bring a barber to the house to give the boy his first haircut. During this ritual cutting (of another sort on another head), a troupe of musicians would play.
Millions of men in Europe and Asia keep their foreskins and live healthy and sexually satisfying lives. They are not trapped in mysterious traditions that undo the natural form of male genitalia. The dim intelligence of historical tradition that packs modern minds to enact painful and frightening consequences is one of the serious shortcomings of modern civilization and pulls it backward instead of forging new thoughtful ventures that stimulate personal health and international compassion.
This is a story about a rude, unnecessary and painful bodily violation that is masked over with cakes, song and dancing and religious fervor.
The story:
Many Algerian families trade old-fashioned experts for modern medical clinics when the time comes to circumcise their sons. The festive period around Eid al-Fitr (it marks the end of the fasting of Ramadan) remains a favoured time for many Algerian families to have their sons circumcised, but some traditions are changing as this ritual keeps pace with the modern world.
As Ramadan drew to a close last week, cries of joy rang out from households across the country, announcing to the neighbourhood that another circumcision had been completed.
The child at the centre of the ceremony is traditionally dressed in white from head to toe, and is surrounded by his parents and grandparents as he is taken to the doctor's office. His mother, aunts and even some of the neighbourhood women mark this passage with excited cheers. Other women remain behind at the house to keep watch for the child's return, and busy themselves with preparing the traditional meal. A few hours later, the boy is greeted with happy ululating. Carried by a grandfather or uncle, the young circumcised child is made comfortable. Everyone's eyes are on him, and his family goes to great pains to satisfy his every whim to take his mind off the pain.
[Photo right by Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images: Modern clinics have replaced more traditional settings in Algerian families' circumcision rituals.]
"We give the children presents, money and treats to keep them quiet," said Baya, whose son Houcine was recently circumcised. "We do everything to stop them from thinking about the pain which, thanks to our grandmother's recipes, soon fades." Baya made no secret of how proud she is of her son.
Her mother-in-law, Houria, was less enthusiastic. She disapproves of the newer circumcision rituals, preferring instead the splendour of the old times. She recounted with nostalgia how circumcisions were celebrated in the old quarter of Algiers. "When a family had their son circumcised, all the women from the neighbouring houses would get to work," said Houria. "They'd whitewash the courtyards before starting to make traditional cakes."
The grandmother recalled how "on the actual day, the men would take over. The father would bring a barber to the house to give the boy his first haircut. While the barber was cutting the hair, a troupe of musicians would play. When the hadjam (the man responsible for the circumcision) arrived, they'd sit the boy down in a chair, the hadjam would go in under a curtain, and the men would try to distract the child while the circumcision took place," said Houria. "Right after that, the women would ululate for joy. Then the celebrations could start. We would dance for days on end, and hundreds of people would come for dinner. It was grander than a wedding banquet."
"Life was easier back then," said Mohamed, Houcine's father, to explain why the large celebrations no longer take place. "People relied on helping one another to get through life." He said that neighbours would give each other a hand, "but most importantly, the cost of living was much lower. Who could afford to hold some grandiose celebration these days? It would really cost far too much for a humble public sector worker."
"The approach of today's parents is different," explained Baya. "It's an excellent thing for children to be circumcised in a doctor's [office]. It lessens the risks, but you don't have to sacrifice all the traditions. Today, parents don't have any special ceremony for the occasion, and that's a shame, because these are traditions which are being lost," she said. Using the hadjam to perform a child's circumcision is one of these lost traditions. Having once commanded great respect, the hadjam has finally disappeared, now that families turn to medical centres to perform the deed.
"It's a profession that was once very highly thought of in society," said septuagenarian Ali, who mourns the loss of hadjams in circumcision customs. "In general, hadjams were quite old and known for their wisdom. They were very precise in their work, and as far as I can remember there were never any complications with the circumcisions they did," added the senior. "But who can stand in the way of progress? Today's parents prefer high-tech clinics."
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
This is a story from Magharebia News by Hayam El Hadi published yesterday about the ritual of male circumcision in Algeria. The action taken is a surgical removal of the penis foreskin, essentially a mutilation of the body. And for this pain and humiliation the boy is surrounded by dancing and singing and partying adults who are so tightly indoctrinated with 'tradition' that they have forgotten the original meaning of the act (as if there was a valid one) and are blind to the modern barbarity of the procedure.
What is it the about the male genitalia that it cannot be left alone? Why this obsession with cutting off the 'sleeve' of pre-pubescent boys that produces blood and pain and serves no physical advantage or increased value? (Some modernists arguably think it lowers HIV infection possibility.)
In a culture where sex is frowned upon outside of hetero marriage (causing countless men to engage in homosex) why is there this 'celebration' of the penis? Women mark this passage with excited cheers and prepared foods. In the old days the women would even whitewash the courtyards before starting to make traditional cakes. The father would bring a barber to the house to give the boy his first haircut. During this ritual cutting (of another sort on another head), a troupe of musicians would play.
Millions of men in Europe and Asia keep their foreskins and live healthy and sexually satisfying lives. They are not trapped in mysterious traditions that undo the natural form of male genitalia. The dim intelligence of historical tradition that packs modern minds to enact painful and frightening consequences is one of the serious shortcomings of modern civilization and pulls it backward instead of forging new thoughtful ventures that stimulate personal health and international compassion.
This is a story about a rude, unnecessary and painful bodily violation that is masked over with cakes, song and dancing and religious fervor.
The story:
Many Algerian families trade old-fashioned experts for modern medical clinics when the time comes to circumcise their sons. The festive period around Eid al-Fitr (it marks the end of the fasting of Ramadan) remains a favoured time for many Algerian families to have their sons circumcised, but some traditions are changing as this ritual keeps pace with the modern world.
As Ramadan drew to a close last week, cries of joy rang out from households across the country, announcing to the neighbourhood that another circumcision had been completed.
The child at the centre of the ceremony is traditionally dressed in white from head to toe, and is surrounded by his parents and grandparents as he is taken to the doctor's office. His mother, aunts and even some of the neighbourhood women mark this passage with excited cheers. Other women remain behind at the house to keep watch for the child's return, and busy themselves with preparing the traditional meal. A few hours later, the boy is greeted with happy ululating. Carried by a grandfather or uncle, the young circumcised child is made comfortable. Everyone's eyes are on him, and his family goes to great pains to satisfy his every whim to take his mind off the pain.
[Photo right by Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images: Modern clinics have replaced more traditional settings in Algerian families' circumcision rituals.]
"We give the children presents, money and treats to keep them quiet," said Baya, whose son Houcine was recently circumcised. "We do everything to stop them from thinking about the pain which, thanks to our grandmother's recipes, soon fades." Baya made no secret of how proud she is of her son.
Her mother-in-law, Houria, was less enthusiastic. She disapproves of the newer circumcision rituals, preferring instead the splendour of the old times. She recounted with nostalgia how circumcisions were celebrated in the old quarter of Algiers. "When a family had their son circumcised, all the women from the neighbouring houses would get to work," said Houria. "They'd whitewash the courtyards before starting to make traditional cakes."
The grandmother recalled how "on the actual day, the men would take over. The father would bring a barber to the house to give the boy his first haircut. While the barber was cutting the hair, a troupe of musicians would play. When the hadjam (the man responsible for the circumcision) arrived, they'd sit the boy down in a chair, the hadjam would go in under a curtain, and the men would try to distract the child while the circumcision took place," said Houria. "Right after that, the women would ululate for joy. Then the celebrations could start. We would dance for days on end, and hundreds of people would come for dinner. It was grander than a wedding banquet."
"Life was easier back then," said Mohamed, Houcine's father, to explain why the large celebrations no longer take place. "People relied on helping one another to get through life." He said that neighbours would give each other a hand, "but most importantly, the cost of living was much lower. Who could afford to hold some grandiose celebration these days? It would really cost far too much for a humble public sector worker."
"The approach of today's parents is different," explained Baya. "It's an excellent thing for children to be circumcised in a doctor's [office]. It lessens the risks, but you don't have to sacrifice all the traditions. Today, parents don't have any special ceremony for the occasion, and that's a shame, because these are traditions which are being lost," she said. Using the hadjam to perform a child's circumcision is one of these lost traditions. Having once commanded great respect, the hadjam has finally disappeared, now that families turn to medical centres to perform the deed.
"It's a profession that was once very highly thought of in society," said septuagenarian Ali, who mourns the loss of hadjams in circumcision customs. "In general, hadjams were quite old and known for their wisdom. They were very precise in their work, and as far as I can remember there were never any complications with the circumcisions they did," added the senior. "But who can stand in the way of progress? Today's parents prefer high-tech clinics."
National Equality March (NEM) in Washington D.C. Oct. 10-11
Westhampton, MA - September 24, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
The National Equality March (NEM) is being organized by Equality Across America (EAA) with one simple demand: full equality for all GLBT people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. Now.
Events are now taking place in every state as a national call to action to support full equality for GLBT people in all matters governed by civil law in the United States.
Whether you plan to travel to the March or not, San Diego activists can participate in other meaningful ways. The following are ten things that anyone can do in advance of the NEM:
1) Banners and flyers – The National Equality March has promotional materials for downloading and distributing to encourage people to come to Washington, D.C. and support the March. (http://equalityacrossamerica.org/blog/?page_id=1867)
2) Friends and word of mouth – Sunday, Oct. 11 is the 21st anniversary of National Coming Out Day. Tell friends about going to Washington, D.C. to demand of full equality under the law – as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
3) Equality Idol – Produce and submit a three-minute video and win a chance to speak to the crowds at the post-March rally. Winners will receive free airline tickets to the NEM! (http://equalityacrossamerica.org/blog/?page_id=1080)
4) Equality song contest – Aspiring songwriters can submit a tune for consideration to be played at the March and Rally. (http://equalityacrossamerica.org/blog/?page_id=2406)
5) T-Shirts, etc. – A whole host of NEM products are available online for purchase. The proceeds from these sales go directly back to offset NEM production costs. There are no corporate sponsors for the NEM, therefore every grassroots sale helps. (www.cafepress.com/NtlEQMarch)
6) Busloads – Organize a busload of your friends, family and neighbors to come to D.C.! Visit the NEM website for possible buses in your area. (http://equalityacrossamerica.org/blog/?page_id=2935)
7) Fundraisers – Many events and fundraising initiatives are already under way for the NEM. And even those not attending the NEM can support the activists who are! http://equalityacrossamerica.org/blog/?page_id=3040
8) Call congressional offices – The purpose of the NEM is to let our leaders know that we are full citizens and demand equal protection in all matters governed by civil law. Let your elected officials know that you support the NEM and full GLBT equality under law.
9) Start a local Facebook group – Stay in touch with NEM organizers and let everyone know what is happening in Washington, D.C. The momentum is growing every day, so make sure everyone is aware of the scope and impact of the March!
10) Donate miles to travelers – Frequent flyers who cannot attend the NEM may want to consider donating miles to activists who may not be able to afford airfare. (http://equalityacrossamerica.org/blog/?page_id=1519)
EAA is a network of decentralized organizers in every one of the 435 Congressional districts. These organizers form Congressional District Action Teams (CDATs) that work within their own communities to achieve full equality for GLBT Americans and their families.
The NEM is being organized by EAA to show broad-based support for full equality for GLBT Americans on the doorstep of those who can make that happen – the United States Congress. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 10 and Sunday, Oct. 11 in Washington, D.C. Each EAA Congressional District Action Team will mobilize its community to attend the event.
To get in contact with San Diegans who are organizing to participate in the NEM in a variety of ways, e-mail Lisa Kove at eyescu_921165@yahoo.com.
For more information about EAA and the NEM, and for a full list of endorsements, visit www.equalityacrossamerica.org.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Age of Consent in Vatican is 12 (?!?)
Westhampton, MA - September 19, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Ever wonder where the sexually abusive Catholic priests might have gotten the idea that sexual activity with children is acceptable--even legal?
Look at this:
There is an equal age of consent set at 12 years of age (Article 331 (1) of the Vatican laws). When there is a relationship of dependence (like teacher/priest/student, etc.) the age of consent is 15 years (Article 331 (2)). (See source) The age of consent in the Codice Penale in Italy was changed in 1930 to 14 years, but this had no effect on Vatican City.
I happened across this information while researching gay rights in tiny countries around the world, such as San Marino. Monaco, Malta, Tonga, Kiribati and others.
Separately, other inquirers have asked what is the lowest age of consent in the world. Responses are South Korea 13, Japan 13 (for males), Mexico 12 (for males), Spain 13, Angola 12, Burkina Faso 13, Cyprus 13, Nigeria 13, Philippines 12 (for males). Tunisia is the highest at 20.
Is it just a coincidence that of the three lowest consenting-age countries (Mexico, Philippines, Angola) the first two are predominantly Roman Catholic countries with Angola having a major Catholic presence of about 40% (46.8% of Angolans practice indigenous beliefs)
At first I thought this Vatican age of consent was a misprint, but the same number came up in other references including lively forums about this issue: goldismoney.info; godlikeproductions.com; catholic.org.
But no layman seems to know actually what the canonical laws say on the matter of age of consent.
Trying to find out what the reference above (in bold) means by Article 113 (1) is not easy to research and one quickly bogs down in a quagmire of ecclesio-legalistic wordage such as, " Ecclesiastical Laws
Can. 7: A law comes into being when it is promulgated. Can. 8 Universal ecclesiastical laws are promulgated by publication in the ‘Acta Apostolicae Sedis’, unless in particular cases another manner of promulgation has been prescribed. They come into force only on the expiry of three months from the date appearing on the particular issue of the ‘Acta’, unless because of the nature of the case they bind at once, or unless a shorter or a longer interval has been specifically and expressly prescribed in the law itself..."
Having spent at least two Internet hours trying to find sensible clarity on the issue of age of consent in the Vatican, I surrender to the density of the verbiage and the shadows of obfuscation.
I don't know what/which law says what/where about it. Any insightful advice or wisdom is welcome here. (See comment below.)
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Ever wonder where the sexually abusive Catholic priests might have gotten the idea that sexual activity with children is acceptable--even legal?
Look at this:
There is an equal age of consent set at 12 years of age (Article 331 (1) of the Vatican laws). When there is a relationship of dependence (like teacher/priest/student, etc.) the age of consent is 15 years (Article 331 (2)). (See source) The age of consent in the Codice Penale in Italy was changed in 1930 to 14 years, but this had no effect on Vatican City.
I happened across this information while researching gay rights in tiny countries around the world, such as San Marino. Monaco, Malta, Tonga, Kiribati and others.
Separately, other inquirers have asked what is the lowest age of consent in the world. Responses are South Korea 13, Japan 13 (for males), Mexico 12 (for males), Spain 13, Angola 12, Burkina Faso 13, Cyprus 13, Nigeria 13, Philippines 12 (for males). Tunisia is the highest at 20.
Is it just a coincidence that of the three lowest consenting-age countries (Mexico, Philippines, Angola) the first two are predominantly Roman Catholic countries with Angola having a major Catholic presence of about 40% (46.8% of Angolans practice indigenous beliefs)
At first I thought this Vatican age of consent was a misprint, but the same number came up in other references including lively forums about this issue: goldismoney.info; godlikeproductions.com; catholic.org.
But no layman seems to know actually what the canonical laws say on the matter of age of consent.
Trying to find out what the reference above (in bold) means by Article 113 (1) is not easy to research and one quickly bogs down in a quagmire of ecclesio-legalistic wordage such as, " Ecclesiastical Laws
Can. 7: A law comes into being when it is promulgated. Can. 8 Universal ecclesiastical laws are promulgated by publication in the ‘Acta Apostolicae Sedis’, unless in particular cases another manner of promulgation has been prescribed. They come into force only on the expiry of three months from the date appearing on the particular issue of the ‘Acta’, unless because of the nature of the case they bind at once, or unless a shorter or a longer interval has been specifically and expressly prescribed in the law itself..."
Having spent at least two Internet hours trying to find sensible clarity on the issue of age of consent in the Vatican, I surrender to the density of the verbiage and the shadows of obfuscation.
I don't know what/which law says what/where about it. Any insightful advice or wisdom is welcome here. (See comment below.)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Bush starts war, retires in luxury; protester throw shoes, goes to jail + tortured
Westhampton, MA - September 14, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Don't you just love the values and justice of our modern political world:
Bush started a war on false pretenses resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent people and got to retire in luxury, and a protesting journalist who opposed the war got thrown in jail.
It should have been the other way around!
Read this report about Muntadar al-Zaidi who threw his shoes at Bush last December to protest the war and was rewarded with incarceration. Such is the Iraqi justice system--and it only cost us a trillion dollars to set it up after we destroyed the government of another deceptive leader.
Finally Mr. al-Zaidiis being released after 10 months confinement.
During the incident while pinned on the ground by security personnel, al-Zaidi screamed: "You killed the Iraqis" as he was dragged away.
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Don't you just love the values and justice of our modern political world:
Bush started a war on false pretenses resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent people and got to retire in luxury, and a protesting journalist who opposed the war got thrown in jail.
It should have been the other way around!
Read this report about Muntadar al-Zaidi who threw his shoes at Bush last December to protest the war and was rewarded with incarceration. Such is the Iraqi justice system--and it only cost us a trillion dollars to set it up after we destroyed the government of another deceptive leader.
Finally Mr. al-Zaidiis being released after 10 months confinement.
During the incident while pinned on the ground by security personnel, al-Zaidi screamed: "You killed the Iraqis" as he was dragged away.
Hurling shoes at someone, or sitting so that the bottom of a shoe faces another person, is considered an insult among Muslims.
Upon his release, "he said that he was beaten with pipes and steel cables, and that he received electric shocks while in custody. He added that there were many who would like to see him dead, including members of unidentified American intelligence agencies."
He was unrepentant about his protest actions against Bush. “If those who blamed me knew how many destroyed houses I walked over with those shoes that I threw, and how many times those shoes mixed with the blood of the innocent, and how many times those shoes went into homes where the honor of those who lived there was disgraced, then it was probably the proper response.” (See full report of his release.)
Italy Grapples With Priest Sex Abuse and Cover Up
Westhampton, MA - September 14, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Quoted here are excerpts from the Associated Press of September 14, 2009 and published by the New York Times.
It is easy to be cynical and exaggerate the extent of abuse by clergy against children but that serves no purpose other than creating more abuse, in this case against innocent clergy who do not violate their vows or their students.
That said, I choked on the comment below about an accused child-molester being considered for sainthood since he was cleared of wrong-doing by an investigation that did not interview any victims. Incredible.
Read these excerpts or the full report yourself.
"The Associated Press has documented 73 cases with allegations of sexual abuse by priests against minors over the past decade in Italy, with more than 235 victims..."
"...Italian prelates often preyed on poor, physically or mentally disabled, or drug-addicted youths entrusted to their care..."
"...a spokesman for the diocese claimed former students had been manipulated into denouncing innocent priests
"...Verona's late bishop, Monsignor Giuseppe Carraro -- who is being considered for beatification (sainthood) -- is accused of molesting a child on five separate occasions while a student at Provolo school, which he attended from age 9 to 15..."
"A diocesan probe cleared Carraro of sex abuse. But the investigation interviewed none of the alleged victims, limiting testimony to surviving members of the Congregation, other school personnel and their affiliates, and documentation from the Congregation and Verona diocese. The late bishop's beatification process was suspended pending the investigation, but is now going ahead to the Vatican's saint-making office."
"Said the victim Gianni Bisoli, now 60, "the bishop started to touch me, grope me, running his hands up and down my body. I pulled away but he continued to touch me for 15, 20 minutes. I didn't know what to do." On a subsequent occasion, Bisoli said, the bishop tried to sodomize him with a banana. Another time, they were on the sofa and he sodomized him with his finger, offering him candy to appease him.
"The current bishop of Verona, Monsignor Giuseppe Zenti, initially accused the former students of fabricating their claims... But when one of the accused lay religious men admitted to sexual relations with students, Zenti ordered an internal investigation... The results found that some abuse occurred, albeit a fraction of what has been alleged.
"Zenti subsequently offered an apology last May, saying, "the feeling that prevails is above all one of profound solidarity with the victims of abuse. To them and their families, a humble request of forgiveness is made."
"...no criminal or civil action is pending in Verona because the statute of limitations has expired.
"Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican prosecutor in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- which handles cases of priestly sex abuse -- acknowledged that public awareness of the problem in Italy had increased as a result of the ''tsunami'' of cases that came to light in the United States.
"I don't think it's a question of happening. It has always happened. It's important that people talk about it, because otherwise we cannot bring the healing which the church can offer to people who need it -- both the victims and perpetrators."
"Even those with anti-clerical views acknowledge the important role the church plays in education, social services and caring for the poor. As a result, few dare to criticize it, including the mainstream independent and state-run media. In addition, there's a certain prudishness in small-town Italy, where one just doesn't speak about sex, much less sex between a priest and a child."
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Quoted here are excerpts from the Associated Press of September 14, 2009 and published by the New York Times.
It is easy to be cynical and exaggerate the extent of abuse by clergy against children but that serves no purpose other than creating more abuse, in this case against innocent clergy who do not violate their vows or their students.
That said, I choked on the comment below about an accused child-molester being considered for sainthood since he was cleared of wrong-doing by an investigation that did not interview any victims. Incredible.
Read these excerpts or the full report yourself.
"The Associated Press has documented 73 cases with allegations of sexual abuse by priests against minors over the past decade in Italy, with more than 235 victims..."
"...Italian prelates often preyed on poor, physically or mentally disabled, or drug-addicted youths entrusted to their care..."
"...a spokesman for the diocese claimed former students had been manipulated into denouncing innocent priests
"...Verona's late bishop, Monsignor Giuseppe Carraro -- who is being considered for beatification (sainthood) -- is accused of molesting a child on five separate occasions while a student at Provolo school, which he attended from age 9 to 15..."
"A diocesan probe cleared Carraro of sex abuse. But the investigation interviewed none of the alleged victims, limiting testimony to surviving members of the Congregation, other school personnel and their affiliates, and documentation from the Congregation and Verona diocese. The late bishop's beatification process was suspended pending the investigation, but is now going ahead to the Vatican's saint-making office."
"Said the victim Gianni Bisoli, now 60, "the bishop started to touch me, grope me, running his hands up and down my body. I pulled away but he continued to touch me for 15, 20 minutes. I didn't know what to do." On a subsequent occasion, Bisoli said, the bishop tried to sodomize him with a banana. Another time, they were on the sofa and he sodomized him with his finger, offering him candy to appease him.
"The current bishop of Verona, Monsignor Giuseppe Zenti, initially accused the former students of fabricating their claims... But when one of the accused lay religious men admitted to sexual relations with students, Zenti ordered an internal investigation... The results found that some abuse occurred, albeit a fraction of what has been alleged.
"Zenti subsequently offered an apology last May, saying, "the feeling that prevails is above all one of profound solidarity with the victims of abuse. To them and their families, a humble request of forgiveness is made."
"...no criminal or civil action is pending in Verona because the statute of limitations has expired.
"Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican prosecutor in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- which handles cases of priestly sex abuse -- acknowledged that public awareness of the problem in Italy had increased as a result of the ''tsunami'' of cases that came to light in the United States.
"I don't think it's a question of happening. It has always happened. It's important that people talk about it, because otherwise we cannot bring the healing which the church can offer to people who need it -- both the victims and perpetrators."
"Even those with anti-clerical views acknowledge the important role the church plays in education, social services and caring for the poor. As a result, few dare to criticize it, including the mainstream independent and state-run media. In addition, there's a certain prudishness in small-town Italy, where one just doesn't speak about sex, much less sex between a priest and a child."
Friday, September 11, 2009
UK Government Aplogy to WW2 Hero Alan Turing
Westhampton, MA - September 11, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
On September 10, 2009, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown officially apologized to Alan Turing for the UK Government's persecution of this WWII hero because of his homosexuality.
Turing brilliantly invented his 'Turing Bombe' that crucially helped crack the German Enigma coded messages (sometimes thousands per day) during the war that ultimately helped the Allies win the war. But Turing, recognized today as the founder of modern computing, tragically killed himself in 1954 aged only 41 after being convicted of having a sexual relationship with another man.
The Prime Minister said (in part): "Alan Turing deserves recognition for his contribution to humankind. For those of us born after 1945, into a Europe which is united, democratic and at peace, it is hard to imagine that our continent was once the theatre of mankind’s darkest hour. It is difficult to believe that in living memory, people could become so consumed by hate – by anti-Semitism, by homophobia, by xenophobia and other murderous prejudices – that the gas chambers and crematoria became a piece of the European landscape as surely as the galleries and universities and concert halls which had marked out the European civilisation for hundreds of years.
"It is thanks to men and women who were totally committed to fighting fascism, people like Alan Turing, that the horrors of the Holocaust and of total war are part of Europe’s history and not Europe’s present.
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
On September 10, 2009, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown officially apologized to Alan Turing for the UK Government's persecution of this WWII hero because of his homosexuality.
Turing brilliantly invented his 'Turing Bombe' that crucially helped crack the German Enigma coded messages (sometimes thousands per day) during the war that ultimately helped the Allies win the war. But Turing, recognized today as the founder of modern computing, tragically killed himself in 1954 aged only 41 after being convicted of having a sexual relationship with another man.
The Prime Minister said (in part): "Alan Turing deserves recognition for his contribution to humankind. For those of us born after 1945, into a Europe which is united, democratic and at peace, it is hard to imagine that our continent was once the theatre of mankind’s darkest hour. It is difficult to believe that in living memory, people could become so consumed by hate – by anti-Semitism, by homophobia, by xenophobia and other murderous prejudices – that the gas chambers and crematoria became a piece of the European landscape as surely as the galleries and universities and concert halls which had marked out the European civilisation for hundreds of years.
"It is thanks to men and women who were totally committed to fighting fascism, people like Alan Turing, that the horrors of the Holocaust and of total war are part of Europe’s history and not Europe’s present.
"So on behalf of the British government, and all those who live freely thanks to Alan’s work I am very proud to say: we’re sorry, you deserved so much better."
This is a worthy comment and much deserved and much belated. But it came only after thousands of petitioners signed a protest plea for the apology, not because the UK felt inwardly compelled by guilt or shame. (photo left: Alan Turing memorial in Sackville Park, London)
Retroactive wisdom is always welcome but it is of little value if it is not used to guide the present and future. And there are positive signs that this is happening: the British government has ordered its embassies to openly advocate for tolerance and acceptance of human rights for everyone, including homosexuals in all countries. In May 2008 the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed its commitment to "engage with foreign governments about the rights of gay. lesbian, bisexual and trans people". (Read the Report)
The apology is very welcome but as gay activist Nicholas Chinardet has written (in his blog): "let's not forget, at the risk of seeming ungrateful perhaps, that while the PM may have apologised, Alan Turing is still officially a criminal. He and all the other persecuted homosexuals should be pardoned, not solely apologised to. What are you going to do about that Mr Brown? An apology is not enough."
Someone has to lead the way to civilized world standards regarding sexual orientation and it's varieties. Sexual orientation is not an afterthought or decision or 'preference' or religious issue. It's a DNA issue.
Our appreciation goes to England and the few other enlightened governments who advocate equality and acceptance of human sexual varieties.
(...and what about the unfortunate case of Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Daniel Carlton Gajdusek?)
Thursday, September 10, 2009
A Murdered Friend, His Hate-filled Parents, and Lives Lost to Homophobia
Westhampton, MA - September 11, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
This is a very sad story, about a father and a son, a family and a culture torn by blind hatred.
Last year during a visit to Istanbul, Turkey my partner and I stayed with a Turkish couple in the city. Nicely furnished and designed with all the mod-cons of civilized life, their spacious apartment in the Uskadar district on the Asian side of the city was not just the tasteful home of our gay hosts. It was a regular informal social gathering place for friends with similar interests, ideas and food favorites.
One evening during our stay several of these like-minded friends gathered to discuss an upcoming conference and how they would prepare for it. My partner and I don’t speak Turkish so after some brief chat (most of them spoke some English) we went to our room to read and plan the next day’s visit to an old hamam or the Hagia Sophia.
Shortly, one of the friends knocked to come in and talk. His name was Ahmet Yildiz, a handsome soft spoken 26 year-old high school physics teacher and university student. He was planning a visit California, our home state, in a few months so of course he was curious to ask us some questions. We talked about the usual issues of transportation, weather, sights to see. We also recommended he come stay with us for a few days since our town, Laguna Beach, was a very gay-friendly place with beautiful beaches, art galleries, a wide variety of restaurants and he could met some of our friends as well.
His comfortable demeanor would make him a welcome visitor. So we parted with clear intentions to see each other later in the year as he returned to his friends and our hosts.
That was the end of a pleasant meet-and-greet with Ahmet.
But it was not the end of this story about him. Two months later he was shot to death right outside his house while he was buying ice cream. Shock and dismay, anger and fear gripped his friends for months afterward as they urged a thorough investigation by the police—who do not have a good reputation among the homosexual community in Turkey for supportive action.
Our hosts in Istanbul were sure Ahmet’s murder was an honor killing by a family member or a close family friend or someone hired by them. Ahmet had come out to his family earlier in the year partly because he wanted them to meet his beloved partner, a Turkish-German. But things did not go well at all. His family is from a very religious and conservative Muslim Kurdish sect which believes homosexuality in a son and/or loss of virginity by a daughter is a reason to kill. The father and mother were furious and embarrassed that this son who carried the family name was a sinner and violated the family honor.
Ahmet (left in photo) and his lover, Ibrahim Can (right), a Turkish German, told their friends on more than one occasion that members of his family might try to kill Ahmet because they could not accept his sexual orientation. To everyone’s horror, that’s what happened on June 6, 2008. Driven by his enraged wife the hapless husband was forced to act to 'revenge' the insult to the family and to the tribe/clan of their heritage.
More than a year later, on September 9, 2009, the international news services carried a report about the event describing Ahmet’s father as the killer but he was in hiding and could not be found. Nevertheless, the police authorities had moved ahead and tried him in absentia.
The entire episode is a grotesque tale—one of countless many--of how blind tribal hatred can destroy individual lives and family units with ferocious violence and stigmatize an otherwise ‘normal’ family for generations to come and stain the family’s reputation among many extended clan members.
Not to mention the emotional scars on Ahmet’s lover and close friends, reminding them every waking day of the potential danger they face in a homophobic culture and religion that continues to fester in ignorance about varieties of human nature and human love. However, on balance, our host also went on to tell me, "but many other conservative Muslim families treat their children a lot better [than Ahmet's]." Our hosts' parents were at first disapproving of their sons' sexuality but are now supportive and at no point would ever have considered extreme criminal vengeance.
I offer this commentary as a small remembrance of lovely Ahmet Yidliz, a person naturally born as a gay self, grown into a compassionate citizen, educated teacher, domestic partner and much-loved friend. Namaste.
The news report of September 9 is reprinted here:
From: Fridae.com
9 Sep 2009
Turkish father on trial for gay son's "honour killing"
by News Editor
A Turkish man, who is accused of fatally shooting his gay son in July last year, was tried in absentia in an Istanbul court. The case has been widely reported by Turkish and German media.
A father accused of murdering his gay son in what has been termed in the media as an "honour killing" was tried in absentia at the Üsküdar Courthouse in Istanbul yesterday.
According to Bianet, an independent Turkish news network, Yahya Yildiz, 49 - who is on the run and is being tried in absentia - is accused of shooting his 26-year-old son Ahmet in July 2008 some time after telling the latter told him about his relationship with a man from Cologne, Germany.
Ahmet Yıldız, a student at the Department of Physics at Marmara University and a high school teacher was shot dead in his home district of Üsküdar , an area of Istanbul on the Anatolian side.
The victim’s father is also charged with buying unlicensed firearms with ammunition, carrying and possessing them, premeditatedly killing of people and injuring close relatives.
Bianet quoted the victim’s German-Turkish boyfriend, Ibrahim Can, as saying that prior to the incident, the victim had mentioned that members of his family might kill him because of his homosexuality. “One year before Yıldız had told his family that he was gay. He had been threatened by his father and other family members.”
The second hearing of the case is scheduled for 23 December 2009.
Related Links to This Report
-Was Ahmet Yildiz the victim of Turkey's first gay honour killing? (The Independent)
-Ahmet Yıldız Murder Case Started. Fugitive Defendant: Yıldız's Father (Bianet)
-'Gay poster boy'' believed to be victim of Turkey's first gay honour killing
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
This is a very sad story, about a father and a son, a family and a culture torn by blind hatred.
Last year during a visit to Istanbul, Turkey my partner and I stayed with a Turkish couple in the city. Nicely furnished and designed with all the mod-cons of civilized life, their spacious apartment in the Uskadar district on the Asian side of the city was not just the tasteful home of our gay hosts. It was a regular informal social gathering place for friends with similar interests, ideas and food favorites.
One evening during our stay several of these like-minded friends gathered to discuss an upcoming conference and how they would prepare for it. My partner and I don’t speak Turkish so after some brief chat (most of them spoke some English) we went to our room to read and plan the next day’s visit to an old hamam or the Hagia Sophia.
Shortly, one of the friends knocked to come in and talk. His name was Ahmet Yildiz, a handsome soft spoken 26 year-old high school physics teacher and university student. He was planning a visit California, our home state, in a few months so of course he was curious to ask us some questions. We talked about the usual issues of transportation, weather, sights to see. We also recommended he come stay with us for a few days since our town, Laguna Beach, was a very gay-friendly place with beautiful beaches, art galleries, a wide variety of restaurants and he could met some of our friends as well.
His comfortable demeanor would make him a welcome visitor. So we parted with clear intentions to see each other later in the year as he returned to his friends and our hosts.
That was the end of a pleasant meet-and-greet with Ahmet.
But it was not the end of this story about him. Two months later he was shot to death right outside his house while he was buying ice cream. Shock and dismay, anger and fear gripped his friends for months afterward as they urged a thorough investigation by the police—who do not have a good reputation among the homosexual community in Turkey for supportive action.
Our hosts in Istanbul were sure Ahmet’s murder was an honor killing by a family member or a close family friend or someone hired by them. Ahmet had come out to his family earlier in the year partly because he wanted them to meet his beloved partner, a Turkish-German. But things did not go well at all. His family is from a very religious and conservative Muslim Kurdish sect which believes homosexuality in a son and/or loss of virginity by a daughter is a reason to kill. The father and mother were furious and embarrassed that this son who carried the family name was a sinner and violated the family honor.
Ahmet (left in photo) and his lover, Ibrahim Can (right), a Turkish German, told their friends on more than one occasion that members of his family might try to kill Ahmet because they could not accept his sexual orientation. To everyone’s horror, that’s what happened on June 6, 2008. Driven by his enraged wife the hapless husband was forced to act to 'revenge' the insult to the family and to the tribe/clan of their heritage.Said one of our hosts later,"it was more of a tribal code condemning homosexuality of boys and losing of virginity for girls. Elements of conservative Islam also played a role [in the killing]... Tribal/clan rules played a bigger role in Ahmet's case."
More than a year later, on September 9, 2009, the international news services carried a report about the event describing Ahmet’s father as the killer but he was in hiding and could not be found. Nevertheless, the police authorities had moved ahead and tried him in absentia.
The entire episode is a grotesque tale—one of countless many--of how blind tribal hatred can destroy individual lives and family units with ferocious violence and stigmatize an otherwise ‘normal’ family for generations to come and stain the family’s reputation among many extended clan members.
Not to mention the emotional scars on Ahmet’s lover and close friends, reminding them every waking day of the potential danger they face in a homophobic culture and religion that continues to fester in ignorance about varieties of human nature and human love. However, on balance, our host also went on to tell me, "but many other conservative Muslim families treat their children a lot better [than Ahmet's]." Our hosts' parents were at first disapproving of their sons' sexuality but are now supportive and at no point would ever have considered extreme criminal vengeance.
I offer this commentary as a small remembrance of lovely Ahmet Yidliz, a person naturally born as a gay self, grown into a compassionate citizen, educated teacher, domestic partner and much-loved friend. Namaste.
The news report of September 9 is reprinted here:
From: Fridae.com
9 Sep 2009
Turkish father on trial for gay son's "honour killing"
by News Editor
A Turkish man, who is accused of fatally shooting his gay son in July last year, was tried in absentia in an Istanbul court. The case has been widely reported by Turkish and German media.
A father accused of murdering his gay son in what has been termed in the media as an "honour killing" was tried in absentia at the Üsküdar Courthouse in Istanbul yesterday.
According to Bianet, an independent Turkish news network, Yahya Yildiz, 49 - who is on the run and is being tried in absentia - is accused of shooting his 26-year-old son Ahmet in July 2008 some time after telling the latter told him about his relationship with a man from Cologne, Germany.
Ahmet Yıldız, a student at the Department of Physics at Marmara University and a high school teacher was shot dead in his home district of Üsküdar , an area of Istanbul on the Anatolian side.
The victim’s father is also charged with buying unlicensed firearms with ammunition, carrying and possessing them, premeditatedly killing of people and injuring close relatives.
Bianet quoted the victim’s German-Turkish boyfriend, Ibrahim Can, as saying that prior to the incident, the victim had mentioned that members of his family might kill him because of his homosexuality. “One year before Yıldız had told his family that he was gay. He had been threatened by his father and other family members.”
The second hearing of the case is scheduled for 23 December 2009.
Related Links to This Report
-Was Ahmet Yildiz the victim of Turkey's first gay honour killing? (The Independent)
-Ahmet Yıldız Murder Case Started. Fugitive Defendant: Yıldız's Father (Bianet)
-'Gay poster boy'' believed to be victim of Turkey's first gay honour killing
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Let the Taliban Have Afghanistan
Westhampton, MA - September 5, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Let the Taliban have Afghanistan! They want a place to rule with primitive Sharia law so let them have that poor wretched patch so they can suppress people and move back in time—and in the process destroy the poppy crops and stop the warlords from seducing young trophy boys.
It is not America’s job to interfere with a foreign country’s own internal fate, for better or worse. (Afghanistan is a lot closer to Russia, China, India with their huge armies. Let them keep an eye on the Taliban.) Let the Taliban rule there. Just as we have let the lunacy happen in North Korea and Iran and Zimbabwe and Gabon and Kenya and Kazakhstan and Burma... If Karzai can’t win honestly we should not support him.
If we are looking to revenge 9-11 we have failed: more American’s have been killed (including Iraq) since 9-11 than on 9-11! How many more young American men and women and Afghan citizens do we want to sacrifice to the ill-planned Bush policy of revenge warfare? How many dead American young soldiers will it cost to put Afghani girls in school - and keep them there?
Recall that the communists took Russia, China, Cuba, Vietnam and several African countries ( Mozambique, Angola, Congo and Ethiopia all became Marxist-Leninist states for a while)...and then what happened? One by one they failed or changed because their idea of good governance failed and their economies steered them elsewhere to better prosperity.
Let the ‘market’ prevail and bad governance will fail, just as communism did and the Taliban will.
I voted for Obama because he is intelligent and thoughtful. If he lets the war-mongering military-industrial manipulators and overfed US Congress hawks override the wisdom available from history he will also fail like Johnson and Bush. The British got out of Africa and Asia after a century of countless deaths; we should too. America started with a revolution – let others have theirs.
‘Saving face’ is a pitiful excuse for sending our troops in harm’s way and bringing them home in a box or a wheelchair.
Let the Taliban have Afghanistan: they almost have it already: "The Taliban is today classified by security analysts as an "alternative government" in Afghanistan. It operates fifteen Sharia law courts in the country's southern provinces handling civil and commercial cases and collects taxes on harvests in farming areas."
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Let the Taliban have Afghanistan! They want a place to rule with primitive Sharia law so let them have that poor wretched patch so they can suppress people and move back in time—and in the process destroy the poppy crops and stop the warlords from seducing young trophy boys.
It is not America’s job to interfere with a foreign country’s own internal fate, for better or worse. (Afghanistan is a lot closer to Russia, China, India with their huge armies. Let them keep an eye on the Taliban.) Let the Taliban rule there. Just as we have let the lunacy happen in North Korea and Iran and Zimbabwe and Gabon and Kenya and Kazakhstan and Burma... If Karzai can’t win honestly we should not support him.
If we are looking to revenge 9-11 we have failed: more American’s have been killed (including Iraq) since 9-11 than on 9-11! How many more young American men and women and Afghan citizens do we want to sacrifice to the ill-planned Bush policy of revenge warfare? How many dead American young soldiers will it cost to put Afghani girls in school - and keep them there?
Recall that the communists took Russia, China, Cuba, Vietnam and several African countries ( Mozambique, Angola, Congo and Ethiopia all became Marxist-Leninist states for a while)...and then what happened? One by one they failed or changed because their idea of good governance failed and their economies steered them elsewhere to better prosperity.
Let the ‘market’ prevail and bad governance will fail, just as communism did and the Taliban will.
I voted for Obama because he is intelligent and thoughtful. If he lets the war-mongering military-industrial manipulators and overfed US Congress hawks override the wisdom available from history he will also fail like Johnson and Bush. The British got out of Africa and Asia after a century of countless deaths; we should too. America started with a revolution – let others have theirs.
‘Saving face’ is a pitiful excuse for sending our troops in harm’s way and bringing them home in a box or a wheelchair.
Let the Taliban have Afghanistan: they almost have it already: "The Taliban is today classified by security analysts as an "alternative government" in Afghanistan. It operates fifteen Sharia law courts in the country's southern provinces handling civil and commercial cases and collects taxes on harvests in farming areas."
Friday, September 4, 2009
Homophobic Discrimination Against Straight Athlete
Westhampton, MA - September 4, 2009Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
The Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (ABAT) has discriminated against a straight boxer for posing suggestively for the cover of a gay magazine.
This is a new take on homophobic discrimination: instead of acting prejudicially against a gay person, the ABAT has discriminated against a non-gay star boxer for posing for the cover of a magazine. How do we know it's homophobic? The magazine he posed for is a gay magazine, Stage, and for that non-obscene photo the boxing leaders have banned Olympic silver medalist Worapoj Petchkhoon for three months from athletic competition. (See story below and here.)
Appearing in a gay publication does not "present a good image" said boxing officials obviously suggesting the photo is disreputable. What is not clear is what the officials think is good or bad about the photo. If this same photo had appeared in one of the mainstream Thai fashion magazines would the boxing leaders have reacted with such disdain and with strong punishment? It's doubtful.
That leaves the message rather clear: homosexual magazines are bad and this straight athlete must be punished for the 'offense' of appearing in one. In the press conference the president of ABAT said the "reputation of the national athletes had been tarnished", as if boxing were a sterling sport - which it most definitely is not.
Thai boxing means kick-boxing, for anyone who has seen this sport up close it is a brutal and violent and often bloody sport that's a couple of notches below the brutal sport of western regular boxing (hands only) and only a couple of notches above cock-fighting. The one Thai boxing match I saw ended when a loud crack was heard and one fighter went down with a broken femur leg bone. He was carried out on a stretcher. How do you "tarnish" a sport as crude and senseless as this, as if it were a graceful sport like figure skating.
This blatant discriminatory and mean-spirited attitude is not dissimilar to the attitude and behavior commonly seen in European football (soccer) matches where certain star players have been verbally abused and demeaned with homophobic slurs by skinhead fans who believe rumors that the players might be gay. (Whether they are or not is no justification for insulting treatment from fans.) Fortunately, urged by human rights activists such as UK's Peter Tatchell, the British Football Association has begun to combat and prosecute such biased behavior. (Also see this Report.)
Champion boxer Worapoj Petchkhoon deserves more respect and fairer treatment than this over-reactive homophobic banishment for something he was not fully alert to and which harmed no one.
Voice your opposition to this unfair decision:
Thailand Amateur Boxing Federation
154, Rama 1 Road National Stadium BANGKOK , THAILAND
Tel.: +66 2 2169229 Fax: +66 2 2164983
E-mail: boxing_championships_thailand@abat.or.th
---------------------------
From BoxingScene.com
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
August 31, 2009
Thailand’s boxing silver medalist in the Athens Olympic Games, Worapoj Petchkhoon, will not see action in the Southeast Asian Games in Laos in December as he has been banned for three months as a punishment for modeling in a gay magazine.
There were reports that Worapoj appeared nearly naked in the Thai gay magazine STAGE which got the attention of the media as well as the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (ABAT).
In a press conference, President of the ABAT, General Thaweep Jantharo said the association had decided to ban Worapoj from the national boxing squad for three months, which will bar him from representing Thailand in the upcoming SEA Games in Laos at the end of this year. Taweep said Worapoj’s images in the gay magazine are not considered obscene, but still they have tarnished the reputation of the national athletes. Taweep stated that national athletes were supposed to present a good image.
Petchkhoom claims he didn’t know it was a gay magazine until halfway through the shoot, when his girlfriend caught on after requests that the boxer wear just underwear: "I did not know the magazine would turn out this way. I thought it would be an ordinary fashion shoot. I am straight, with a girlfriend, but the news has upset my family. Since the magazine appeared, another two gay titles have offered me work, but I turned them down. I meant to show my six pack - not my private parts." But Worapoj defended his actions claiming the images, including the one on the magazine cover, were “sporty” and not obscene. He also added, ""I regret what happened and would like to apologise to boxing fans. It is one of those life lessons – next time I shall have to be more careful."
Circumcision, Jesus and the Faithful
Westhampton, MA - September 4, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Given the current swirl of science, medicine, folk opinions and religious attitudes about male circumcision and its correlation (or not) with HIV infection in Africa and the West, it should not come as a surprise to see a zany book come out of left field regarding circumcision of the Savior Himself.
Can we not be spared the most private details of the most unusual holy relic - Jesus' foreskin (aka the Holy Prepuce) !? (Yes, Wikipedia has an entry about this item.)
Apparently not:
(From Publishers Weekly (July) . Copyright © Reed Business Information.)
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
Given the current swirl of science, medicine, folk opinions and religious attitudes about male circumcision and its correlation (or not) with HIV infection in Africa and the West, it should not come as a surprise to see a zany book come out of left field regarding circumcision of the Savior Himself.
Can we not be spared the most private details of the most unusual holy relic - Jesus' foreskin (aka the Holy Prepuce) !? (Yes, Wikipedia has an entry about this item.)
Apparently not:
(From Publishers Weekly (July) . Copyright © Reed Business Information.)
"Until one mysterious day in 1983, the foreskin of Jesus—once one of the Catholic Church's holiest of relics—lay nestled in a box in a small church in Calcata, a village in the hills of northern Italy. On that fateful day in December, however, priest Don Dario announced to his tiny congregation that the foreskin had disappeared.
"What happened to this holy relic? Who could have taken this piece of the divine that medieval saint Catherine of Siena was purported to have worn as a ring around her finger and about which writers as diverse as Joyce, Stendhal and José Saramago have written? Some postulated that it had been stolen by Satanists. Some said the priest himself was to blame. Some even pointed their fingers at the Vatican.
"In 2006, travel writer David Farley moved to Calcata, determined to find the missing foreskin, or at least find out the truth behind its disappearance. Farley recounts how the relic passed from Charlemagne to the papacy to a marauding sixteenth-century German solider before finally ending up in Calcata, where miracles occurred that made the sleepy town a major pilgrimage destination. Farley's adventures are told in his recent book An Irreverent Curiosity .
"Over the centuries, as Catholic theology evolved, the relic came to be viewed as something of an embarrassment, culminating in 1900 when the Vatican decreed that anyone who talked about the holy foreskin would face excommunication, thus cutting off its status as a holy relic. However, the parish church could display it but only on New Year's Day.
"In this humorous narrative, Farley sets off to solve the mystery of the missing foreskin. Part travelogue, part mystery story and part religious history, Farley's tale involves local winemakers, actors and priests, many of whom are tight-lipped about the relic's disappearance.
"Farley discovers that no one really knows whether this piece of holy skin ever existed in the first place, and that no one knows its whereabouts now. Although Farley's often repetitious tale might have been sufficient as a magazine article, his fast-paced storytelling and winning humor raise thoughtful questions about the nature of faith."
An Irreverent Curiosity interweaves this history with the curious landscape of C
alcata, (photo right) a beautiful and untouched medieval village set atop four-hundred-fifty-foot cliffs, which now, due to the inscrutable machinations of Italian bureaucracy, is a veritable counterculture coven. Blending history, travel, and perhaps the oddest story in Christian lore, An Irreverent Curiosity is a weird and wonderful tale of conspiracy and misadventure.
About the Author
David Farley's travel writing has appeared in The New York Times (including a feature on Calcata), The Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, Slate, and many other publications. He teaches writing at New York University.
An Irreverent Curiosity; published by Gotham Press
Available at Amazon Books
Also see our previous blog on circumcision.
"What happened to this holy relic? Who could have taken this piece of the divine that medieval saint Catherine of Siena was purported to have worn as a ring around her finger and about which writers as diverse as Joyce, Stendhal and José Saramago have written? Some postulated that it had been stolen by Satanists. Some said the priest himself was to blame. Some even pointed their fingers at the Vatican.
"In 2006, travel writer David Farley moved to Calcata, determined to find the missing foreskin, or at least find out the truth behind its disappearance. Farley recounts how the relic passed from Charlemagne to the papacy to a marauding sixteenth-century German solider before finally ending up in Calcata, where miracles occurred that made the sleepy town a major pilgrimage destination. Farley's adventures are told in his recent book An Irreverent Curiosity .
"Over the centuries, as Catholic theology evolved, the relic came to be viewed as something of an embarrassment, culminating in 1900 when the Vatican decreed that anyone who talked about the holy foreskin would face excommunication, thus cutting off its status as a holy relic. However, the parish church could display it but only on New Year's Day.
"In this humorous narrative, Farley sets off to solve the mystery of the missing foreskin. Part travelogue, part mystery story and part religious history, Farley's tale involves local winemakers, actors and priests, many of whom are tight-lipped about the relic's disappearance.
"Farley discovers that no one really knows whether this piece of holy skin ever existed in the first place, and that no one knows its whereabouts now. Although Farley's often repetitious tale might have been sufficient as a magazine article, his fast-paced storytelling and winning humor raise thoughtful questions about the nature of faith."
An Irreverent Curiosity interweaves this history with the curious landscape of C
alcata, (photo right) a beautiful and untouched medieval village set atop four-hundred-fifty-foot cliffs, which now, due to the inscrutable machinations of Italian bureaucracy, is a veritable counterculture coven. Blending history, travel, and perhaps the oddest story in Christian lore, An Irreverent Curiosity is a weird and wonderful tale of conspiracy and misadventure.About the Author
David Farley's travel writing has appeared in The New York Times (including a feature on Calcata), The Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, Slate, and many other publications. He teaches writing at New York University.
An Irreverent Curiosity; published by Gotham Press
Available at Amazon Books
Also see our previous blog on circumcision.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
In loving memory of Zambian lesbian activist Buumba Sikumba
Westhampton, MA - September 2, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
In loving memory of Zambian lesbian activist Buumba
Sikumba (BMJ) who was interviewed by me for the GlobalGayz story on gay life in Zambia in 2008. She passed away in September 2009 after an illness. She was a full spirit with a passion for life and for human rights. A bigger-than-life figure she was also a freelance journalist, radio producer and “one of the best DJs in Lusaka” said one admirer. Her energy and intelligence helped start the current LGBT organization Rainka. Her absence will be felt for a long time.
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
In loving memory of Zambian lesbian activist Buumba
Sikumba (BMJ) who was interviewed by me for the GlobalGayz story on gay life in Zambia in 2008. She passed away in September 2009 after an illness. She was a full spirit with a passion for life and for human rights. A bigger-than-life figure she was also a freelance journalist, radio producer and “one of the best DJs in Lusaka” said one admirer. Her energy and intelligence helped start the current LGBT organization Rainka. Her absence will be felt for a long time.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Gay Pride Budapest Supported by Whoopi Video
Westhampton, MA - September 1, 2009
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
For fifteen years attempts to conduct a peaceful pride parade in Budapest, Hungary have resulted in violence and arrests of right-wing groups who are fiercely homophobic.
Next up is the 2009 parade on September 5 when both sides of the battle will gear up for another confrontation. Since 1995 LGBT citizens have mounted festivals escorted by police troops. (A history of Budapest Pride can be read in the news reports on GlobalGayz.)
To support this year's Pride event, Whoopi Goldberg has recorded a short human rights video (click here) urging tolerance and open-mindedness toward LGBT people in Hungary. We hope some small measure of improvement may result from her words.
In addition to Whoopi's video, thirteen foreign embassies in Budapest have issued a joint statement to the government of Hungary urging tolerance and acceptance of sexual minorities in that country as an important part of respecting human rights:
Joint statement from 13 Embassies in Budapest:
Richard Ammon - GlobalGayz.com
For fifteen years attempts to conduct a peaceful pride parade in Budapest, Hungary have resulted in violence and arrests of right-wing groups who are fiercely homophobic.
Next up is the 2009 parade on September 5 when both sides of the battle will gear up for another confrontation. Since 1995 LGBT citizens have mounted festivals escorted by police troops. (A history of Budapest Pride can be read in the news reports on GlobalGayz.)
To support this year's Pride event, Whoopi Goldberg has recorded a short human rights video (click here) urging tolerance and open-mindedness toward LGBT people in Hungary. We hope some small measure of improvement may result from her words.
In addition to Whoopi's video, thirteen foreign embassies in Budapest have issued a joint statement to the government of Hungary urging tolerance and acceptance of sexual minorities in that country as an important part of respecting human rights:
Joint statement from 13 Embassies in Budapest:
"On the occasion of the 2009 Budapest Pride Festival, we express our support for, and solidarity with, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in Hungary. We support the right of these communities to use this traditional occasion to march together peacefully and lawfully, in order to express their desire to end the silence surrounding the specific issues that affect them.
“Human rights – including justice, equality, humanity, respect and freedom of expression – and the rule of law are the foundations upon which democratic states are built. Indeed, international human rights law is grounded on the premise that all individuals are entitled to the same rights and freedoms, as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“It is this respect for fundamental human values that obliges governments to protect all citizens from violence and to ensure that all people enjoy equal opportunities.
“Today, many individuals face discrimination, both systemic and overt, based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Our governments seek to combat such discrimination by promoting the human rights of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. We urge all governments to ensure that neither sexual orientation nor gender identity form the basis for criminal penalties.
Our governments` policies in this area are in accordance with the principles set out in the Joint statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity delivered at the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December, 2008."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)