RainboWind

Time to Make a Move!

2007-03-09T16:11:00.000-05:00

I am afraid that, with Blogspot's shift to Google, this site has become hard for me to update. Ben Carter of BlueGrass Roots created it for me, and he has moved on to better things.

So, I've created a new home at Google for this blog! Please go to:

http://rainbow-wind.blogspot.com/

in the future for political rants and weird observations. Or is that weird rants and political observations?

Sarah

2007-02-22T16:55:00.000-05:00

Hillsborough County, Florida, appears to be the first county in the country to have a 100% secular calendar. Normally, I’d be happy with the idea that certain religions weren’t going to be favored over others by the authorities, but this particular example reflects an unpleasant aspect of fundamentalist thought: it’s better to deny everybody privileges than to share them. Hillsborough County is no bastion of liberalism; it has a long track record of anti-gay discrimination and sour-faced ‘real Christians’ running the government.

What’s worse is that the people being blamed are not the people who decided that no one got their holidays off, but the poor folks who just wanted their holiday off, too.

... many of the people who sent more than 3,500 e-mails on the calendar issue last year blamed Muslims for taking away established Judeo-Christian holidays. The move to a secular calendar followed a request by the Muslim community for a day off for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

This is the same crap that happened with the airport in Washington State this past December, and the same crap that happened with the Gay Straight Alliance at Boyd County High School here in KY. When the school board realized that it couldn’t ban the one club it disapproved of while other, including religious, clubs met, they suspended all clubs for the school year.
Now Utah is trying to pass a law that lets certain clubs be banned for 'moral' reasons. Of course, it won't pass muster because the U.S. Supreme Court has already said that sort of ban won't fly. So, I foresee a costly court battle, followed by Utah cancelling all school clubs. And the gay students will be blamed, since we certainly can't blame the people who won't share.

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

2007-02-19T10:56:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know I haven’t posted in a while. Once again, real life has interfered with my blogging. I had a great Yule and a Happy Birthday, but after that my life went straight to hell. Let’s just say that 2007 appears to be the year when my wife and I have to repair everything.

I hope that everyone had a happy Imbolc. We attended a local celebration where we got to meet a large number of local Pagans that I’d only known as posters on the Kentucky Pagan Forum. We planted seeds as part of the celebration, and it looks like at least one is germinating. We figure it’s the squash. The ground should thaw before it gets too big for the pot (holding the remains of our late lamented rosemary).

Yesterday, we celebrated Fornacalia. I realize that this sounds dirtier than it is. It’s the annual blessing of ovens (‘fornax’ = ovens, stop thinking ‘fornix’, you pervs!), and we normally bake bread or cookies (this year was oatmeal cookies). Naturally, since the name sounds suggestive, we have people who usually make lewd shapes with the dough. This year was unusually tame. The closest thing we had to a pussy was a fellow who made cookies shaped like his kitty cats.

It was a pleasant, calm get-together, though. The celebration was followed by people receiving 2007 Tarot readings (the January session was snowed out) while the rest watched Eddie Izzard on DVD.

Anyway, I hope to post more in the future.

Sarah

Who's really launching a war during Christmas?

2006-12-14T12:37:00.000-05:00

December is upon us, and, once again, we're hearing screams about the "War on Christmas". The evil godless liberals are striking again, removing Christ from the holiday and forcing merchants to quake in fear of the forces of political correctness.

I got annoyed with this bullshit last year and made several remarks, mostly about fundamentalist churches who were hypocritical enough to complain about the secularization of Christmas, but cancelled services Christmas morning (the 25th fell on a Sunday last year) so everyone could stay home and open presents instead. This year, I’m going further, making some observations and suggestions to the wanna-be victims of ‘persecution’ out there.

1. Stop assuming that, when someone wishes you ‘Happy Holidays’, they’re attacking your religion. There are a number of other faiths that have holidays during this time, too, and we like to be included in well-wishes. Hell, even Lou Dobbs is telling people that Christmas gets most of its elements from Pagan religious holidays. We are out here, and we’re celebrating, too. Since our money is just as green as yours, don’t get angry at merchants who want our business. Besides, New Year’s Day is a holiday, too, hence ‘…and a Happy New Year’. ‘Happy Holidays’ is plural and shorter to say and print on banners, ads, etc.

2. Most people have no problem with being told to have a ‘Merry Christmas’ when it’s an honest sentiment instead of an announcement of one’s religious, and often political, views. I’ve even wished Christians ‘Merry Christmas’ back. Even the militant rabbi that caused all the flack at Sea-Tac this week didn’t ask the airport to take the holiday decorations down. He just wanted a big honkin’ menorah put up, too. It was the twits at the airport who decided to take everything down (if people have to share, the modern solution seems to be cancelling everything).

3. Learn to play well with others. Asking to have non-Xian faiths represented in decorations is not the same thing as attacking Christianity. If one of my grandsons claimed that putting up his brother’s drawings alongside his own on our refrigerator constituted an attack on him, he’d be told to stop being silly (or even selfish).

4. Finally: If you want more respect from Pagans, then stop bitching about Halloween! I’m tired of Xians complaining about people using the term ‘Happy Holidays’ when many of them are actively trying to ban recognition of Halloween, or are trying to morph it into a generic ‘Fall Festival’. Thanks for noticing that it’s a holiday, though. Now how about giving me the day off? I’ve worked over Christmas often enough.

Looking forward to the day when we can all wish each other well without worrying about insulting the wishee,

Sarah G

World AIDS Day

2006-12-01T16:55:00.000-05:00

What has it been, 25 years since the first news reports appeared..? It's a sad anniversary.

Main site:

http://www.worldaidsday.org/

Tri-state region (Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi):

http://www.worldaidsday2006.org/

Dept of Health & Human Services (has fact sheets in English and Spanish):

http://www.omhrc.gov/hivaidsobservances/world/

Here's Wildhunt.org's take on the Pagan view of AIDS...

http://www.wildhunt.org/2006/12/pagan-view-of-aids.html

And go HERE to ask Congress to make HIV/AIDS a priority again. Some of them might be sympathetic for a change...

http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/
ryanwhite_reauthorize_2007/

Sarah G

Fair-Weather Friend Time Again?

2006-10-27T17:22:00.000-04:00

As usual, I enter this election phase with trepidation. What will the consequences be for me? It doesn’t have as much to do with the Republican Party exploiting the recent decision in New Jersey as it does with distrust of my own party. I know that, when I pull that party lever on November 7th, some of the people chosen will not be my friends.

Despite years of volunteering and supporting the Democratic Party, gays remain a constituency that embarrasses the candidates we support. When scads of anti-gay amendments started appearing in state legislatures across the country, Democratic candidates rushed to support or even sponsor them in the hope that they would be seen as ‘moral'. It didn’t work; Democrats were still advertised (by the GOP) as the pro-'gay marriage' party, and voters bought into it because most of them don’t pay attention to what their legislators actually do in office. The candidates also shot themselves in the foot with gays and other progressives, because we do pay attention to what people do and a lot of people decided not to vote for either party.

Howard Dean, who took a lot of heat on gays' behalf after enforcing the civil unions compromise in Vermont, is on the hot seat these days. Poor Howard ran as a progressive when he was pursuing the presidency, and his organization, Democracy For America, is definitely progressive and very gay-friendly. As the leader of the Democratic National Committee, though, he has had to reconcile his previous Democratic base of progressives with party members that blame gays for Kerry's loss in 2004 and DLC supporters who think that a more 'moderate' (i.e. not gay-friendly) approach will win elections. It's gotta make him squirm.

Now gays think he has some ‘splaining to do. Earlier this year, Howard Dean got rid of the gay outreach coordinator for the party. When Dean went on the 700 Club and stated publicly that the Democratic Party platform stated that marriage was between a man and a woman (it says no such thing), Peter Rosenstein of the Washington Blade stated:

(Howard Dean) thinks gays are a burden on the party and is moving away from us as fast as he can get away with it.

And who can blame him for saying so? Dean attempted to reassure gays by telling them that he was combining all the outreach desks into a national desk that would integrate them into party activities at all levels. In August, however, the DNC refused to grant affirmative action status to LBGTs for the 2008 National Convention, instead creating an "inclusion" section to the party's delegate selection rules that refers to the "LGBT community and people with disabilities" as underrepresented groups.

What does that imply? Pow! Right in the foot again! Howard, how could you sign off on that without at least rewording it? To make matters worse, the "inclusion" section has no teeth. It suggest that it might be nice if a state selects LBGT delegates, but that's all. Do we at least get handicapped parking for the convention?

That's why my advice remains, for the time being, to find specific candidates that are gay-friendly and support them directly with your time and money. Only give to your local political party after examining their history with gays, or if you're a Yellow Dog type (if you don't know what that is, you aren't one). And participate in those primaries next year! It's the best way to send a message to the party functionaries above you. It shook things up in Connecticut...

In all fairness to the Democratic Party, though, it doesn’t help that gays act embarrassed by their own presence in the public eye. The ads against Proposition 107 (anti-marriage amendment) in Arizona show pictures of elderly couples and children, but gay couples are “conspicuously missing” from the ad. If you think your mere appearance will taint the ad, why shouldn’t other people assume you are tainted in some way? People respect the goat more than the apologetic sheep.

P.S. Assume that, if the Democrats don't get the seats they hope to pick up next month, that the New Jersey decision – and those pushy gays, wanting rights – will be blamed. You heard it here first.

Short Attention-Span Good News

2006-09-14T16:36:00.000-04:00

Pluto has been demoted from planethood by the scientists (okay, so they've renamed it a 'dwarf planet'), but leading astrologers say that as far as they're concerned, it's still a planet to them. After all, they're not scientists.

From Astrodienst:
"In astrology the term planet means something different than a planet in the astronomical sense. For example, astrology also counts the Sun and Moon as planets, in Hindu astrology even Rahu and Ketu, the lunar nodes.
In astrology a planet is used as a symbol; its properties as a physical object are not very relevant. Astronomy comes in where the position of the planet on the sky and in the chart has to be calculated precisely."

Meanwhile, the unnamed body outside Pluto's orbit, the one that caused the astronomical confusion in the first place, has been officially named "Eris". How... appropriate!
At least one Pagan veteran is getting a pentacle tombstone. Nevada has done what the Veterans' Administration refused to do. Sergeant Patrick Stewart (not the actor, Chandonn, stop clutching your chest!), killed in Afghanistan and posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, was a devout Wiccan. His widow requested that his headstone bear a pentacle, a symbol of his faith, but the VA refused. Never mind that they've approved over 30 symbols, including one for atheists. Guess there are atheists in foxholes... Fortunately, state officials in Nevada obtained a legal opinion stating that feds don't have any say over what goes up in state veterans' cemeteries. We say, Blessed Be!
The University of Kentucky Staff Senate has asked the University administration to follow the University of Louisville in offering domestic partner benefits.
All charges have been dropped against Mardin Amin, the man who took his penis pump to the airport. Prosecutors believe that there is a good chance the man's whispered words were simply interpreted. Personally, I think they decided that being known as the man with the penis pump internationally was punishment enough.
Singin' in the Rain was named the best musical ever by the American Film Institute. I fully agree, but The Rocky Horror Picture Show should at least have made the list!

Exciting Times for Astrologers!

2006-08-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

The recent proposal by the International Astronomical Union to increase the number of recognized planets in our solar system is being closely watched by astrologers. If the proposal is approved later this month, the asteroid Ceres will be re-granted planet status, Pluto's 'moon' Charon will be promoted, and an object known as 2003 UB 313 (out past Pluto)will also be named and recognized. Ceres, which was considered a planet for a short time in the 1800's, gets to be a 'dwarf planet', while Pluto and its little friends will be 'plutons' (IAU translation: they're dinky, and their orbits are wobbly, but Disney will sue us if we demote Mickey's dog).

The proposed planetary lineup: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto + Charon (a 'double planet'), and 2003 UB313, currently nicknamed 'Xena' for the television character (I shit you not).

The addition of these new planets will open up the astrology market as never before. Once meanings have been assigned to Charon and Xena (Ceres has already been defined by the goddess movement), every chart caster will need to buy an updated ephemeris. Astrologers will urge their clients to get a new, 'complete' natal chart, and, of course, updated editions of the basic books will be compiled and sold.

The IAU has indicated that even more planets could be promoted in future years. Let's hope not, since you know astrologers are now thinking: "Aha! 12 planets, 12 signs!" and arguing about which sign gets Ceres and which sign gets Xena.

Astrodienst has set up pages with the FAQs and the IAU press release, and visitors can access an ephemeris for 2003 UB 313 from the main page. Since it takes forever to load (it's very popular right now), let me save you some time: Xena moved into Aries in 1926, and it's still there. Since Aries is the Warrior, 'Xena' seems to be a somewhat appropriate name, but it will eventually leave the sign. Might I suggest 'Yuggoth' as a possible alternative?

Sarah G

Good News, Bad News, and Better News

2006-07-18T15:45:00.000-04:00

The good news:
The "Marriage Protection Act" (aka the "Let's make sure those evil gays don't ever get health insurance Act") failed to pass the House this afternoon.

The bad news:
The MPA did get a majority vote. We're still nasty homos that need to have doors slammed in our faces to prove the righteousness of others. (Bitter? Me?)

This number included KY's only Democratic House Rep, Ben Chandler. Then again, Chandler is not the sort of person you turn to when you want unpopular causes protected. He has some principles, but not where human quality of life is concerned: he also voted for the bankruptcy bill, which protects millionaires who overborrow while cutting off options for the working poor.

Better News:
Since the Act had already been voted down in the Senate, this vote was mostly symbolic (i.e. for re-election campaign purposes). Everyone could have taken the politically 'safe' stance of voting for "Marriage Protection", knowing there would be no actual passage, but didn't. Perhaps minds are changing; if not within Congress, then within their constituencies.

Sarah G
Fighting the Good Fight

Personal Mythology

2006-06-23T15:45:00.000-04:00

Personal Mythology explains how we put our experiences into mental and emotional order. Rather than our lives being a set of disjointed events, we tend to form an internal narrative, a storyline, to explain the things that happen. We look for cause and effect in our world. We also tend to have internal scripts, notions of how we’re supposed to act, how others are supposed to respond. The people around us play roles, as do we, and our fates respond accordingly.

A guiding myth tells its recipient, the hero, what sort of person he is and what type of story he is living in. Sometimes the myth is helpful, lending courage and willpower when the hero needs it the most, providing a moral code to live by, and giving him a lofty goal to pursue. Unfortunately, it can also limit the hero from looking at alternative ways to solve his problems, or prevent him from seeing that he has outgrown the book he’s in and needs to move on to a text of a higher grade level.

How do we identify a guiding myth? More specifically, how do we identify the myths that guide our own lives? The human potential movement has provided us with a wealth of personality inventories and archetype catalogs to help us determine the sort of people we are. Jean Shinoda Bolen explains how Greek mythological figures demonstrate different patterns of human mindset and behavior, and how they play out in our lives. Carol Pearson provides a group of human archetypes, the stories they live out, and a way of measuring which archetypes hold the most sway over our natures. There are several temperament sorters, such as the Myers-Briggs system, the ennead system, and Barbara Bowers’ ‘aura colors’.

We can use these methods to identify the qualities of our own nature, but we must go further. The hero has a story; we must identify our own stories by studying the context of our lives. Once we know the plotline our life has been following, we can decide for ourselves how it ends, or if it is time to go ‘off script’ and find a new role.

Works that can help you identify and work with your personal story include: Your Mythic Journey by Sam Keen and Anne Valley-Fox, The Mythic Path by David Feinstein and Stanley Krippner, and Path of the Everyday Hero: Drawing on the Power of Myth to Meet Life's Most Important Challenges by Lorna Catford and Michael Ray.

The above was part of my Summerfest presentation this year. The exercises we did afterwards were within the context of the themes of the celebration.

Addendum: Another useful text I omitted earlier is Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential by Caroline Myss. The book is a bit schizophrenic - the first part deals with examples of 'sacred contracts' with the Divine drawn from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism, while the second part deals with personal archetypes and their function in your daily life. I suspect Sacred Contracts began as two books and got merged into one for the sake of the booksellers. Huge tomes that sell for $20-30 are all the rage these days.-SEG

Cutting Down on Political Canvassers

2006-05-09T16:45:00.000-04:00

Now that the primary is almost upon us, I have become one of those people nearly as detested as Jehovah’s Witnesses – a political canvasser. Between the anti-marriage amendment on the ballot and the presidential race, I walked so much in 2004 that I wore holes in my shoes and had to buy orthotic inserts for my falling arches.

I know that many of my readers hate having people like me knocking on their door, so save me some shoe leather (okay, rubber) and time by considering the options below before November.

1. Choose a f---ing party, already!

You don’t have to agree with everything in the platform to join a party, but choosing one will cut down on the number of people knocking on your door. Many people think that by listing themselves as ‘independent’, the parties will leave them alone. They’re wrong. What this listing actually translates to in canvass-ese is “Undecided Voter to Persuade”. People who belong to a political party are less attractive to canvassers from other parties, and can even cut down on some traffic from the canvassers from nonpartisan races.

2. If asked about a specific candidate, give the canvasser a name.

Some people think that if they say that they haven’t made their mind up yet, the person will go away. As above, they’re wrong. Instead, they are also labeled “Undecided Voter to Persuade” and someone else will be assigned to return to your house. It’s better to either please or offend them by naming somebody and becoming an identified supporter or opponent. You can always change your mind at the ballot box.

3. Vote in the primary, if you have one.

In many places, parties discourage more than one person from running for the same office so people can keep their resources together for the November election. Occasionally, however, there will be competition between people seeking the same nomination (e.g. the Presidential nomination), and there are always nonpartisan races to consider (these tend to be City Council or judges’ races).

Canvassers purchase access to the voter rolls, where they can find out how many times you’ve voted in the past. A person who votes in primaries and general elections is often considered a ‘reliable participant’ by their party and garners less attention as a result.

4. Buy a house in a well-established neighborhood.

Canvassers regularly recheck apartment buildings and neighborhoods with rental homes because the population tends to be transient and they need to keep their records current. They also tend to have the largest group of people who aren’t registered to vote, which makes them a magnet for not only political parties, but also civic-minded groups like America Votes, the League of Women Voters, and other organizations interested in recruiting warm bodies for the Cause.

Things that don’t work:

“I’m not registered to vote.” – See above about those civic-minded groups. They live for this sort of challenge. Expect them to visit regularly till you surrender.

Posting a “No Soliciting” sign – Guess what? Voter canvassing doesn’t fall under the legal definition of soliciting. They’re doing their civic duty.

Living in an exclusive neighborhood - This may deter door-by-door attempts, but it identifies you as having money, which is even worse than having a vote. Expect mail, spam, phone calls, and personal approaches from people who’d like a little of your money – and a little more, and a little more… Some of them might even live in the same gated community you do!

Posting a “Beware of Dog” sign if you don’t actually have a dog - Please note that fencing in your property makes this more convincing, but canvassers usually look to see if a dog is really around, and, if so, how big it is. My grandfather had a sign that read “Furious Dog – Not Responsible for Bodily Harm”, but the dog in question was a dachshund. I look for the dog.

Even if you have a pit bull, the sign doesn’t work 100% of the time because some canvassers are convinced (correctly or incorrectly) that they are ‘dog people’ and will try approaching your door anyway. At least the sign should be helpful in the lawsuit.

I hope, if nothing else, that the above tips help you understand how folks like me think - or at least how we've been instructed to think.

Just making my 'job' (hell, I'm a volunteer!) easier,

Sarah G

Pagan Theories on Why There are LBGTI People

2006-04-21T12:57:00.000-04:00

During my compilation of information for the 2006 Come Together Kentucky conference, I encountered several explanations for why LBGTI people exist. Below are some of the theories!

The simplest answer is that the earth is overpopulated, and this is Mother Nature’s way of slowing down growth. We certainly don’t die off like we used to, but we're still breeding like crazy. Abstinence is not Nature's way, so homosexuality would seem to be a practical solution.

Others view homosexuality as part of the variety of sexual expression out there, and since sex is good, it’s good too. This theory is a bit vaguer on the ‘why’, but we’re only now getting an explanation for why men have nipples. Sexual preferences are pretty inexplicable in any case.

One of the most interesting theories is the existence of a ‘third gender’ – that there are certain sacred people “between the genders”. These people serve their community in some priestly or spiritual capacity. Examples given include the ‘two-spirit’ shamans in some Native American traditions, the hijras of India (men dressed as women who bless newborns, among other things), or the Galli, the ancient priests of Cybele.

Some New Age theories include an ancient androgynous people – sometimes considered to be the ‘first’ human race or the people of ancient Atlantis. Other New Age theories believe that as the human race evolves, androgynous people will begin to (re)appear. For example, in the misnamed Aura Color system ("Temperament Color" would be more accurate), Indigos are supposed to be a ‘new’ type of human coming into the world these days, and many of them appear visually androgynous. Perhaps this is connected to the recognition of intersexed people as a discrete group, adding an ‘I’ to the end of queer acronyms everywhere.

Got a better/different explanation? Feel free to post it in the 'Comments' section.

Sarah G

Highlights of the LBGT Paganism Lecture

2006-04-17T11:48:00.000-04:00

Parallels between being Gay and being Pagan:

* Both groups are at risk for losing custody battles if “the truth is found out”
* Both groups are at risk for losing their jobs under the same circumstances – and are often told to leave insignia, symbols, etc. at home
* Both groups experience rejection by family
* Pagans borrow terms from the gay experience to describe their own – e.g. “stuck in the broom-closet”, creating “Pagan Pride Days”

Pagan Attitudes On Sexuality:

* Wiccan Charge of the Goddess: “All acts of pleasure and love are my rituals.”
* Wiccan rede: “An’ if it harm none, do what thou wilt.”
* Some Pagan deities are bisexual: e.g. Apollo, Zeus
* Homosexuality appears in nature, so it must be natural
* Gender-switching and hermaphroditic themes in many myths: Tiresias, Hermaphroditus, Astarte, the Galli
* In general: SEX IS GOOD

Why Do LBGT People Exist? Some Pagan Theories:

* Mother Nature curbing overpopulation
* Homosexuality is simply part of the variety of nature
* Idea of a “Third Gender”, or certain sacred people being “between the genders” – e.g. Native American two-spirits, the hijras of India, the Galli, ancient priests of Cybele

How Pagan Groups Relate to LBGTs:

* Groups by gays, for gays (e.g. Radical Faeries, some Dianic groups)* “Open and affirming” circles that include gay sexuality in their theology & practices
* Groups with gay members, but gay sexuality is not included in their theology & practices
* Groups that haven’t given it much thought
* The homophobic (e.g. some ‘Aryan’ groups)

Useful books:

* Another Mother Tongue: Gay Words, Gay Worlds by Judy Grahn
* Gay Witchcraft: Empowering the Tribe by Christopher Penczak
* Bisexuality in the Ancient World by Eve Cantarella

Sarah G

Speaking on Saturday

2006-03-30T10:16:00.000-05:00

I am speaking about LBGTIs and Paganism this Saturday at Come Together Kentucky, an annual LBGTI gathering that travels from city to city. This year, it is taking place in Richmond, KY on the EKU campus. For more info on the meeting:

http://www.pridealliance.eku.edu/schedule.html

It should be interesting to describe the panoply of practices within Paganism, but there appears to be a shocking lack of theological thought about why some people are LBGTI. Homosexuality and gender-switching appear in the myths, to be sure, but many of the Pagan faiths especially the versions of Wicca - are polarity (God and Goddess) oriented. I've found a few items of interest, but anyone out there with ideas on the subject should feel free to post them here!

Sarah G

2006-03-27T13:32:00.000-05:00

Once again, a United Church of Christ's gay-inclusive ad is denied access to the airwaves. Meanwhile, right-wing fundamentalists find those same doors open.

Click on the picture to see how you can help the UCC get fair treatment.

Mr. Pwyll - 1988-2006

2006-03-09T14:57:00.000-05:00

I am sad to report that, after a brief but severe illness, we had to have Mr. Pwyll, my feline companion, euthanized. He had a bladder tumor and end-stage renal disease. Yesterday, the vet told us his body was shutting down and he would only live another day or two, max. He was suffering, and we decided to spare him some of it.

There are many, many things I could say about Pwyll, but I'm unable to gather those thoughts at the moment. We did find out, from the vet, that he was born some time in February (her son was born in March of the SAME YEAR). So, he was a full 18 years in age.

Thanks to everyone for their concern. Thanks also to the person who said he would be chasing 72 virgin mice through paradise. I think he'd prefer 72 women petting him, though. :)

Sarah G

Governor's Prayer Breakfast: Non-Xians Shut Up and Sit Down!

2006-01-30T11:27:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday, Kentucky governor Ernie Fletcher presided over the 43rd annual Governor's Prayer Breakfast in Frankfort. In past years, attempts were made to pay at least some lip service to non-Xian faiths, but not this year. This year, the speakers were all Christian. The program consisted of prayers (some naming Jesus), Bible readings, Gospel songs, and a call to convert!

The organizer of the Breakfast, Dale Ditto(head?), tried to spin this as courtesy to non-Christians:

"I consider the Jews my brothers and the Muslims, we're all descendants of Abraham," he said. "But I'm not going to ask them to pray in Jesus' name and they shouldn't ask me to pray in Allah's name."

As evidence of their ecumenical courtesy, the hosts pointed out that some of the Xian speakers had read from the Old Testament (don't everyone clap at once), and they had created a 'kosher' buffet line - serving breakfast bars instead of sausage. Even this Hellene knows there's more to 'kosher' food than being pork-free.

Dittohead explained why only Xians could lead the service:

"We wanted people that believe in the power of prayer and that would pray sincerely. We wanted people to sing who knew how to sing."

One attendee put it more baldly:

"I have been to tent revivals that were more secular. Pat Day's "speech" was a holy-roller full-on testimony including an actual call to come to Jesus and cards on the tables to fill out so church leaders could come browbeat you individually in the privacy of your own home.

It wasn't just Christian, it wasn't even just Protestant; it was no-holds-barred evangelical Southern Baptist only-the-saved-need-apply worship service."

All state employees were invited to this bash, along with several state officials. Non-Xians weren't barred from the event, but were expected to simply go along with the festivities. In other words, either pretend to be Xian for the morning, or, better, convert. I don't think it'd be hard to connect the dots here: If you want to participate in the leadership, be Christian. I suspect this philosophy isn't limited to breakfast.

And Fletcher's take on the hoo-hah?

"I certainly have utmost respect for different faiths," he said. "But I think most people knew when they were voting for me they were voting for somebody who held the Christian faith and I'm not going to be somebody different than who I am."

He did become something different when he was elected, though: the governor of Kentucky. And the governor is supposed to work for, and be answerable to, all the citizens in this state, especially when he hosts an official "Governor's" function on state property. What Fletcher does in his own church or at privately hosted functions is his own business. When he invokes his standing as governor, however, it calls him to a greater role, one that includes every person in the state of Kentucky. It's up to us, as citizens, to remind him of this.

Ways you can contact Ernie Fletcher:

Mailing Address:
Governor Ernie Fletcher
700 Capitol Avenue, Suite 100
Frankfort, KY 40601

Phone: (502) 564-2611
Fax: (502) 564-2517

On the Web: http://governor.ky.gov/contact.htm

Sarah G

Focus on KY's 88th LD: Stupidity: Repeating a failed action to see if it'll work THIS time

2006-01-11T16:35:00.000-05:00

My latest commentary, this time on local politics:

Focus on KY's 88th LD: Stupidity: Repeating a failed action to see if it'll work THIS time

Sarah G

What is a Woman, really?

2006-01-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

I'm always disappointed when I find Pagans who exhibit the same prejudices as Christian fundamentalists. A women's circle forming in Florida is only open to 'WOMB-yn', explained as 'woman born women'. M-to-F transgenders need not apply. I'm sure they could justify this as merely upholding Goddess-designated gender, but Pagan mythology - and worship - is full of people & gods who change gender. Tiresias and the 'effeminate' Dionysus come to this Hellene's mind immediately. The Gallae, worshippers of Cybele, castrated themselves to come closer to the Goddess. And Aphrodite Herself was created from tossing severed male genitalia into the sea! Now, that is a transgender-type image in and of itself!

This woman-born woman wonders what fears actually underlie such a specific exclusion. Are these 'wombyn' worried about men invading the group under the pretense of being transgendered? In that case, they might consider admitting post-surgery MtFs as people truly committed to becoming female. Are they worried about their own social conditioning to kowtow to men in conversation and group actions? Maybe they need this sort of challenge, then, to break free of that conditioning. Are they hoping to achieve a group with a truly feminine perspective? Think of what a MtF could learn about true womanhood from a group like that! Rather than exclude transgenders, why not admit MtFs as acolytes to womanhood? They could be restricted to merely asking questions for the first thirteen moons (a traditional cycle) so they can learn true feminity at the feet of the 'wombyn' around them.

This group can exclude whomever they wish, of course. It is their right as a private circle to do so. I do think, though, that their aversion to MtF women indicates a fear worth confronting. We, as modern Pagans, have no business marginalizing other people when we have so often been marginalized ourselves.

Sarah G

Holidays: Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Delete December from the Calendar

2005-12-21T16:06:00.000-05:00

This time of year, I see a lot of gay sites talk about 'coping with the holidays' and our special problems as - er - special people. Honestly, I don't think we have more problems than straight people, just different problems... sometimes. Some of the holiday plans and coping strategies posted on such sites sound a lot like those of straight people.

True, we do have a higher-than-normal percentage of 'black sheep' and disowned folks in our numbers. That's not always bad, though. Look at the articles aimed at 'normal' people to help them cope with the loving relatives they all supposedly have. Being shunned by some families can save mileage on your car, money for otherwise obligatory gifts, and time in rehab.

Long-term readers may have noted that my partner and I have developed our own coping strategies for fun outside the family fold. It's not like we don't have family to spend time with, though. For every condemning zealot out there, there's a relative who considers your peanut butter fudge more important than who else uses the kitchen. Some family members even - gasp! - still love us. If you have such relatives, treasure them. Even if they do still pinch your cheeks.

If you've been closed out by your family and feel depressed, though, consider renting or buying The Ref with Dennis Leary. It'll make you feel a lot better about being absent from what would really just be a table of your enemies. Invite some friends over to watch it. It seems that friends are actually healthier to be around than toxic family members. In many cases, friends are becoming a new family for marginalized folks. Just consider them an extension of the extended family.

Most importantly: remember that holidays fall on the just and the unjust. What happens with them, ultimately, is what you make of them.

And don't go into a mall without backup.

Blessed Yule,

Sarah G

The War on Yule - er, Christmas

2005-12-09T09:26:00.000-05:00

A book titled "The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse Than You Thought", authored by Fox News anchor John Gibson, recently hit the shelves. The "War on Christmas" is one of the latest rallying points by fundies hoping to further the culture wars. They claim that Jesus is being removed from His own holiday. Never mind that it wasn't a Christian holiday to start with. History isn't important here; the persecution of American Christians is.

The fundamentalists are so 'offended' by inclusive greetings that they've even criticized their usual darling, George W. Bush. Dubya recently received widespread criticism from previous backers by daring to mail out cards that wished recipients a happy 'holiday season'. If it doesn't say 'Christmas', it must be anti-Christian, right?

I am a liberal. I don't mind being wished a 'Merry Christmas'. Most well-wishers are simply expressing a hope that I be happy, hardly something to complain about. It's the people who say "Merry Kee-RIGH-st-mas" who get a "Joyous Yule" or "Happy Hanukkah" from me (don't say the latter if you're wearing a pentagram; they really will assume you're Jewish). These people aren't really wishing you a happy anything, they're making an assertion in disguise. I just make one back, which usually ends the transaction. I suspect most liberals feel the same way.

I think it's pretty hypocritical, though, for large fundamentalist churches to complain about a liberal "War on Christmas" when many of them will be closing their doors on Christmas Sunday. They claim that this is so worshippers, including their employees, can have 'family time' on this day, but I think I know the real reason: the kids will screech if they have to wait to open their toys.

This sends a really bad message to those kids. Johnny, forget learning how to delay gratification (a sadly missing skill in our society). Susie, never mind what I said about the spiritual being more important than the material (a cornerstone of Xian thought). Timmy, playing with your new Lazer Tag is much more important than going to another kid's birthday party, even if He did save you from the lake of fire.

Who's really taking the "Christ" out of "Christ"-mas this year?

Sarah G

A Consumer Complaint

2005-12-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

After nearly a year, I think I am within my rights to DISrecommend the HRC credit card. I signed up for the HRC Platinum VISA with the promise of no interest on transferred balances and the assurance that a portion of my purchases would go to the Human Rights Campaign.

I filled out the form and mailed it in. I was soon sent a notice that Providian was providing this donation opportunity. I looked them up and learned that they had recently begun offering themselves as a source of revenue for worthy causes. Shortly thereafter, I received a snazzy credit card with the HRC logo (to show my pride, natch), plus a notification that the balance from my CitiCard had been transferred without trouble.

Oh, wait. I had to pay $75 for a transfer fee. For transferring the balance, of course, that was somewhere in the small print. Let me clarify further: in the small print of the booklet Providian sent with the card. Not on the HRC application form itself, where I had been told to just give them the information on any balances I wanted moved. Okay, it was less than 1%. I paid the fee and decided it was a minor 'gotcha' that came along with the 0% rate for the first year.

The following month, I opened my bill and looked it over. They charged me interest for the fee! I emailed my objection and snail mailed a complaint form to them. It turns out that the $75 fee is defined as a purchase as far as Providian is concerned. Grumble, grumble, grumble. Hey, it's only interest on 75 bucks, right?

Skip ahead a few months. My cousin is getting married in Charleston, and I need to rent a car a little younger than the 1992 Corolla I inherited from my grandmother. I put it on the card, then paid it online when I got home (i.e. after my paycheck went through). I paid back the amount charged to my card within five business days. This was well within the 20 - 30 day grace period most credit cards give customers before they charge interest.

Notice that I said most credit cards. Providian was not one of these. They began charging me interest immediately. When I complained (again), they informed me that existing balances had to be paid before newer debits were touched. But, not to worry, I was getting my points.

Points? Yes, I have points through their system. Not enough to get any benefits, of course, since I had been thoughtlessly frugal with my purchases. After studying both my bill and the 'servicing' site, I also see no indication that Cent One had gone to the Human Rights Campaign, which ostensibly was the reason the card was a desirable one in the first place. I notice that the HRC no longer advertises the credit card on their site or in their emails to me. I think I know why.

I offer this conclusion: if you want to support the HRC, I'd suggest a direct donation or volunteering your personal time. I also offer this warning: Washington Mutual has just bought Providian, and Providian will be taking care of WaMu's credit card customers. I suggest you pay up and bail now.

Feeling surly,

Sarah G

Criminal Minds

2005-12-01T14:02:00.000-05:00

Last night's episode dealt with the agents investigating a so-called "Satanic" crime. On behalf of people waiting to catch the episode during the rerun season, I'll limit my description of the plot. Basically, dead people are found in a forest near a tree where Satanic symbols have been carved. The FBI agents are called in to assist.

I was very pleased to see the agents disabuse the police (and the viewers) of several myths. They described the "Satanic Panic" of the 1980s that spawned a number of urban legends about Satanists sacrificing people, abusing children during rituals, etc. The agents identified these legends as such, explaining that oftentimes the investigators/therapists inadvertently provoked the sort of 'recovered memories' they were looking for. They concluded by stating that there has yet to be a single proven case of Satanic human sacrifice. In contrast, there have been several non-Satanic cults that did perform murders.

Sadly, they did do the usual Satanists ='teenagers listening to heavy metal' bit. Maybe there is a grain of truth in the description; I'm sure that many self-described Satanists fall into this category. At least they didn't do the "Dungeons and Dragons is connected to Satanism" bit.

I found the interview with the leader of the "Satanists" to be the most interesting. He explained that all the word 'satan' means is 'opposer' (or 'enemy'), and that he viewed himself as opposing God, and His religion. He opposed the hypocrisy, the telling people how to live their lives, the restrictions.

He described Satanists as atheists, though, which is inaccurate. In order to oppose something, you generally need to believe it exists. I think mistheist might have been a better term. I notice that his intellectual world view didn't stop him from wearing black mascara, drawing inverted pentagrams, listening to thrash metal, or collecting a group of high school 'followers'. I think there might have a little bit of 'scare the mundanes' in his brand of spirituality, too. ;-)

I realize that Satanism really isn't a 'Pagan' topic, but Pagans do often get lumped in with them as a group. Anything that busts the 'you sacrifice babies, don't you?' mentality helps. I was pleased with the episode, even though they didn't get things 100% right.

Sarah G

The Whining Has Started

2005-11-17T10:16:00.000-05:00

The Kentucky Kernel, the UK's student paper, has printed its first 'Xians being persecuted' letter of the holiday season. Sadly, I have discovered over the years that the Kernel doesn't really print letters from UK staff unless they happen to be faculty.

The letter, like most of its ilk, conflates the blocking of Christian creches on government property with Christians being forbidden to wear crosses, display a Nativity on their own property, or 'witness' to others. All three are still legal, although I tend to view 'witnessing' as the social equivalent of farting in an elevator. No one else enjoys it, and the farter usually doesn't want you to return the favor.

It also claims that, by preventing the displays of any faith on government property, atheism is being forced down the throats of the public. You don't need a degree in philosophy or religion to know that an error in logic is being made here. The absence of religious symbols does not equal promoting atheism. Banners stretched across the courthouse entrance reading "No Gods - No Masters" or "Religion Stops a Thinking Mind" would be promoting atheism.

A Truly Anti-Christian Statement

Expect to see letters whining about persecution in your local papers till after the holiday. There are too many Christians who would like to see themselves as 'persecuted' when they control the White House, Congress, and have a firm grip on the Supreme Court. I've commented on this canard previously, so I'm not going to run it to ground again - at least not today. Let me just repeat that people who aren't getting government favortism cannot claim persecution. They have no idea what persecution really is.

When you find such a letter in the paper, please write in to correct this cherished falsehood. It's good for you, the author (who will probably not appreciate your concern), and good for the public. And if any UK students are reading this, please send a reply to the Kernel about yesterday's letter. Faith, like gas, is personal and the government has no business favoring yours over mine.

Sarah G

Holiday Fun

2005-10-31T11:13:00.000-05:00

Rather than bore you with yet another history of Samhain, or the various traditions associated with it, let me tell you what we did do for the holiday. It's been a three-day extravaganza for us.

The festivities started with Scary Story Night. This is an annual event, hosted during October, and is a purely social event at which the guests share scary stories (go figure). The little guy above was a gift I received from one of my friends that evening. My wife and I started SSN some years back because it is an ultimately cool thing to do during the Halloween season.

The next day, we arose to breakfast to Beatles music and a philosophical discussion of religious paths. Afterwards, my wife and I dropped by Argosy-Indiana on the way home from Ohio. That's a casino boat, for any unenlightened readers out there. The gods were smiling on us, since we actually came out $1.40 richer than we were going in. Anyone who has seen me play slots know that's good.

Monday, I took my little squidling around the office, to the amusement of my coworkers. He stayed behind when I left, perched on my hanging files in hopes of scaring the cleaning crew. Halloween night was spent at home. One of our friends dropped by, and was kind enough to dole out the candy while my wife and I ate dinner. Afterwards, we watched the Medium marathon on NBC.

I'm sure people out there have decided that I have absolutely no couth by this point, enjoying network programming instead of participating in some sort of moonlight ritual. Well, a) I wasn't specifically asked to attend someone's circle, and b) I don't follow a Celtic or Druidic path, so it's not actually 'required' of me to observe this holiday at all. I honor it because I love it. Other people sing "It's the most wonderful time of the year" in December. I sing it when the falling leaves begin to blow around my feet in October. It's just a marvelous time, and has little to do with the sugar buzz.

Besides, we found the weekend spiritually uplifting. Isn't that what truly matters, once the holiday is over?

Sarah G