All Things LGBTQ+ (8 Viewers)

[Farb]

Didn't really see a place for this so I thought I would start a thread about all things LGBTQ since this is a pretty hot topic in our culture right now

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/17/sup...y-that-refuses-to-work-with-lgbt-couples.html

• The Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a unanimous defeat to LGBT couples in a high-profile case over whether Philadelphia could refuse to contract with a Roman Catholic adoption agency that says its religious beliefs prevent it from working with same-sex foster parents.
• Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in an opinion for a majority of the court that Philadelphia violated the First Amendment by refusing to contract with Catholic Social Services once it learned that the organization would not certify same-sex couples for adoption.

I will admit, I was hopeful for this decision by the SCOTUS but I was surprised by the unanimous decision.

While I don't think there is anything wrong, per se, with same sex couples adopting and raising children (I actually think it is a good thing as it not an abortion) but I also did not want to see the state force a religious institution to bend to a societal norm.

 

[MT15]

https://www.foxnews.com/media/lia-t...er-room-after-meet-riley-gaines-dropped-pants

In an interview on "America Reports" Wednesday, the 12-time All-American and five-time SEC champion urged the National Collegiate Athletic Association to make separate locker rooms for transgender athletes, recounting her own discomfort when she was exposed to Thomas' "male genitalia" in a women's locker room after a meet.

"We were not forewarned beforehand that we would be sharing a locker room with Lia. We did not give our consent, they did not ask for our consent, but in that locker room we turned around, and there’s a 6’4" biological man dropping his pants and watching us undress, and we were exposed to male genitalia," Gaines said.

So at least you are kind of answering the question. You are fine with penises being in college female lockerrooms/bathrooms/changing rooms. Is it the age of the females present or the age of the person with the male penis?

At what age should you be worried penises in a female lockeroom/changing area/bathroom? What about High Schools? We can just start working down.

It’s almost like you don’t actually read what I type. Yes, we have the word of one college athlete who alleges she saw a penis. Her credibility might be suspect, because she is known to express anti-trans views, and I don’t know of anyone else who has corroborated. Even so, this is not the same as your assertion that this is happening in high schools or grade schools.

So, what proof do you have that trans athletes are changing in the same locker room or at the same time as others on the teams in grade school or high school?

 

[Optimus Prime]

Republicans can't stop fixating on penises. They're obsessed with trans peoples genitalia, no matter how inappropriate. The whole approach is to degrade trans people in the eyes of the public to make them easier targets for discrimination. It's a very effective and it's working in many parts of this country.

article from her about this
====================

I had not entered the halls of the Arkansas capitol building since I was in high school. I was nervous about speaking at my first Senate committee meeting, testifying against SB199 as a transgender female and doctor of pharmacy.

This legislation, like so many other bills nationwide, targets and limits access to care for the transgender community and further stigmatizes an already marginalized population.

The crusade to vilify those who just want to live life as their authentic self is baffling. Almost as much as the rationale, or lack thereof, behind the movement working to limit or halt care.

The committee meeting began with the author of the bill, Senator Stubblefield, speaking as one of the main sponsors. To me, the words coming out of his mouth sounded like that of a parodied conspiracy theorist. I thought surely no one was taking the gentleman seriously.

Then as his rhetoric continued, including the assertion that transitioning is a TikTok based plot being carried out by the Chinese, it became clear that his sentiment was being met in earnest by his colleagues and I began to recoil in my seat.

Having two children of my own, hearing a senator speak words like “children” and “orgasm” in the same sentence made me squeamish. Only one member of the public came to defend this bill, while two others were sent from the Arkansas Attorney General’s office.


After their remarks I was up first to speak. While the opposition was given an abundant amount of time to address the committee, we were only given two minutes each. Two minutes to somehow get across my professional experience, personal journey, and how this bill negatively affects my community.

Needless to say, I had to cut out a large portion of what I wanted to speak about. I sat down and began reading feverishly while my hands were shaking. The committee chair allowed me to finish my conclusion since I was in the middle of it when my time expired. Then began the questioning.

Senator McKee from Garland County was trying to corner me into answering his question and stated that there is a ”large body of medical evidence of harm that has come upon people who have gone through these processes”, which he neglected to cite and I obviously don’t agree with.

I responded: “I am familiar with the large body of evidence showing that providing good affirming care saves lives.” We went back and forth three times with him getting increasingly agitated with me each time.

He then asked if I was a trans woman, to which I replied back that I am a trans female. Then the most insulting, dehumanizing, egregious question was asked of me: “Do you have a penis?”

I was mortified, which was apparent by the expression on my face and my body language. The room erupted in protest to the question. But it felt like Senator McKee had accomplished his goal, I have never been so publicly humiliated in all my life.

In a room full of people, being streamed and broadcast, I was testifying before our elected senators when my lived experience, community outreach, doctoral degree, and most importantly my humanity, was reduced to a single body part.

I did not answer. I asked for my rights, demanded decency, and said I would continue with the next question. There were no more questions for me. I went back to my seat, determined to show solidarity while fighting back the tears in my eyes.

I don’t generally face this level of discrimination in person because I have been fortunate enough to create an atmosphere of empathy, education, and professionalism in my life.

I was naïve to believe I would be spared the prejudice my peers experience daily. I planned to go in, present good faith testimony, and encourage open dialogue to offer my perspective as a healthcare provider who is also in the transgender community.

I again naïvely expected the committee to demonstrate decorum and impartiality in a genuine effort to improve the lives of Arkansans. It quickly became clear the hearing was little more than a formality.

The one Democratic senator on the committee deserves special mention. Clarke Tucker was compassionate, logical, and showed an understanding of the imminent and lasting damage this kind of legislation can bring………

I’m a trans doctor. What happened to me in front of the Arkansas senate was appalling

The crusade to vilify those who just want to live life as their authentic self is baffling

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Optimus Prime]

Libby Gonzales says she has spent nearly half of her life “begging” for her state’s elected officials to see her.

“It feels like my legislators want everyone to believe that kids like me don’t exist,” according to the 12-year-old transgender student from Texas.

“I’m tired and scared,” she told reporters during a briefing with the Human Rights Campaign on the scale of legislation across the US targeting LGBT+ Americans this year. “Every time I go to the Capitol I think, ‘Maybe this time it will make an impact.’”

More than 70 bills that could negatively impact LGBT+ people in Texas have already been filed within the first weeks of 2023, according to Equality Texas.

Those bills join more than 300 similar pieces of legislation in state capitols across the US, following an explosive, unprecedented year of state-level measuresfuelled by influential conservative Christian legal groups and a “parental rights” agenda dominating Republican campaigns.

At least 150 bills in 2023 would specifically restrict the rights of trans people, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

“The people leading our government should want every kid to have a great childhood,” Libby said. “Instead they’re the biggest bullies.”.

Kelly Carter Merrill, the mother of a 14-year old transgender boy living in Hanover County, Virginia, told reporters on 14 February that a “minority of anti-trans extremists in our community feel emboldened by the national rhetoric to bring vile and often violent rhetoric” to local school board meetings.

“All we want is for our child to be treated with dignity and respect at school,” she said……..

An explosion of anti-LGBT+ bills is impacting youth mental health

A record number of state-level bills targeting transgender young people and the inflammatory right-wing rhetoric surrounding them are having a damaging effect on LGBT+ youth, Alex Woodward reports

www.independent.co.uk

 

[MT15]

Rs everywhere are writing bad and vague laws. Then they get mad when these bad laws have consequences.

 

[Optimus Prime]

This will go over well
================
The Church of England is considering whether to stop referring to God as “he”, after priests asked to be allowed to use gender-neutral terms instead.

The church said it would launch a new commission on the matter in the spring. Any potential alterations, which would mark a departure from traditional teachings dating back millennia, would have to be approved by synod, the Church’s decision-making body.

The Rt Rev Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield and vice-chair of the liturgical commission responsible for the matter, said the church had been “exploring the use of gendered language in relation to God for several years”……

It is unclear what would replace the term Our Father in the Lord’s Prayer, the central Christian prayer that Jesus is said to have instructed his followers to say together down the generations.

Conservative critics have hit back at the possibility of changes, with the Rev Dr Ian Paul telling the Telegraph that they would represent an abandonment of the Church’s own doctrine.

He said: “The fact that God is called ‘Father’ can’t be substituted by ‘Mother’ without changing meaning, nor can it be gender-neutralised to ‘Parent’ without loss of meaning.

“Fathers and mothers are not interchangeable but relate to their offspring in different ways.”

A spokesperson for the Church of England said: “This is nothing new. Christians have recognised since ancient times that God is neither male nor female, yet the variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship…….

Church of England to consider use of gender-neutral terms for God

Use of ‘he’ when referring to God to be examined by new a commission in spring

www.theguardian.com

 

[SystemShock]

A spokesperson for the Church of England said: “This is nothing new. Christians have recognised since ancient times that God is neither male nor female

Riiiiiiight.

This is amusing, but this is were we are now with the new gender frontier, that even Christians want to make Jesus non-binary

 

[coldseat]

Riiiiiiight.

This is amusing, but this is were we are now with the new gender frontier, that even Christians want to make Jesus non-binary

This is amusing indeed, but God "The Father" being male never made any sense given that binary is tied to human reproductive organs and reproduction. The "I am" really is non-binary. If I remember correctly we were even taught in CCD that God was neither male nor female, even though he was still "The Father".

But good luck getting other Christians to change that ... .

 

[Optimus Prime]

This is amusing indeed, but God "The Father" being male never made any sense given that binary is tied to human reproductive organs and reproduction. The "I am" really is non-binary. If I remember correctly we were even taught in CCD that God was neither male nor female, even though he was still "The Father".

But good luck getting other Christians to change that ... .

no kidding

I remember the firestorm that erupted when people said that Jesus wasn't white

And with every single image of God as being an older, long white haired bearded man, with all the Our father, He who art in Heaven, there's no way this gains any traction at all

What is CCD?

 

[Optimus Prime]

Far-right pundit Candace Owens smiled as she said that she would beat her hypothetical transgender grandchild with a cane if they came out to her. In her rant, she unintentionally showed why it’s dangerous for LGBTQ+ youth to be outed to their family members by schools as several states are considering passing laws forcing teachers to out trans youth to their families.

On the February 16 episode of her Daily Wire podcast, Owens discussed a story of a trans teen named Mike being rejected by their grandmother, calling the story “funny.” Owens used she/her pronouns to refer to the teen, probably because she assumed the teen’s gender assigned at birth is female.

“She cries because she’s told her grandma that she’s transitioning and that she wants her grandmother to start calling her ‘Michael,'” Owens said mockingly, getting Mike’s name wrong. “And her sweet little grandma said that she’s not gonna do that.”

Owens then played the video of Mike crying and explaining the situation and how they got a letter from their grandmother deadnaming them and complaining about the “anguish” that Mike’s transition is causing her.

“My anguish in your chosen name and what that means has to do with your eternal soul,” the grandmother wrote. She also said that she is “spending time with Jesus in adoration” because of her “concern” for the teen’s soul and said that she asked the teen’s five minor cousins to pray for them, effectively outing the teen to their family.

Owens then called Mike “mentally ill” and said that the grandmother was right to reject their identity. Owens said that “there’s no rejection here” because of the grandmother’s “love the sinner, hate the sin” schtick.

“You’re the best grandma ever, by the way. Because when I’m grandma, I get any foolishness like that, I don’t know,” Owens said, smiling. “I wanna be a sweet grandma, I really do, I wanna be a sweet old lady, but I feel like I may be the kind to hit somebody with a cane, I don’t know, I’d be like ‘Hey you want me to call you Michael?’ P-shew. That would probably be me.”...............

Cruel Candace Owens says she would beat her trans grandchild with a cane if they came out

 

[SystemShock]

This is amusing indeed, but God "The Father" being male never made any sense given that binary is tied to human reproductive organs and reproduction.

"God" doesn't make sense from a logical standpoint anyway, but in a biblical context, it makes sense that God is male: he creates out of nothing, he is "Lord" and he created man in his image. Woman is an afterthought, something he creates to satisfy his original creation. And the people who wrote the letters/books, they all lived in patriarchal societies where women were practically property.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Students across Florida are planning a statewide walkout after Gov. Ron DeSantis requested all public universities comply in delivering data from student health services on transgender students who sought gender-affirming care at the institutions.

DeSantis asked to see anonymized information of any student who has experienced gender dysphoria in the past five years. In addition, he wants their ages and the dates they received gender-affirming care. The deadline to submit those records was February 10.

Insider has confirmed that University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Central Florida, Florida A&M University, Florida International University, and the University of North Florida have complied with the request, but has yet to hear back from the rest.

Students at these universities are now planning rallies for next week along with the statewide walkout on February 23. Ben Braver, a junior at the University of South Florida and the outreach officer for the school's College Democrats chapter, is leading the initiative, known as the Stand for Freedom Florida Walkout................

"Hate is spread when it's innocuous, when it seems silly, and when it seems like taking a stand is an overreaction," Braver told Insider. "We, just like any generation, need to stand for the civil rights that have already been fought for, the ones that have been won, and those which are at stake right now." ...........

Ron DeSantis requested the information of trans students who sought care at Florida's public universities. Now students are planning a statewide walkout.

 

[coldseat]

"God" doesn't make sense from a logical standpoint anyway, but in a biblical context, it makes sense that God is male: he creates out of nothing, he is "Lord" and he created man in his image. Woman is an afterthought, something he creates to satisfy his original creation. And the people who wrote the letters/books, they all lived in patriarchal societies where women were practically property.

That makes some sense, but going back to the original Hebrew phrase, God creating man in his "image" didn't really mean a physical image. It didn't even mean create as we understand it, more so "fill up". God's name is given a masculine suffix in Hebrew, so that coincides with the patriarchal societies of the time.

======================

The Image of God​

By Jeff A. Benner

Genesis 1:27 - And God created man in his own image

God (Strong's #430)
The Hebrew word אלהים (elohiym) is the plural form of אלוה (elo'ah) literally meaning "strength" and "power" and is usually translated as God or god. The ים (iym) is the masculine plural suffix and when added to this word becomes אלהים (elohiym) which is usually translated as gods or judges as they are strong and powerful ones. But it is also commonly used for God as a name because he is "thee" strong and powerful one.

Create (Strong's #1254)
The Hebrew word behind created is the Hebrew verb ברא (bara). The idea of "creating" is an abstract thought that is foreign to Hebrew thought. The concrete understanding behind this word can be seen in 1 Samuel 2:29, "Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?" In this passage is the word "fattening" which is the same Hebrew verb ברא (bara). By extension this word also means to "fill up."

Man (Strong's #120)
The Hebrew word for man is אדם (adam) and is also the name of the first man.

Image (Strong's #6754)
The word צלם (tselem) is literally a shadow which is the outline or representation of the original.


And Elohiym, the Great Powerful One, filled the man with a representation of himself.

When we read "And God created man in his own image" our minds form a mental picture of what we look like and then attribute this picture to God himself. In the Hebrews mind it is not the appearance of something that they concentrate on but its function. This passage is not implying a picture of man or God but their function. Through the Hebrew words of this text, we see that God had placed within man a shadow or representation of his own function - goal, purpose, thought, etc. It is our responsibility to live our lives as representatives of God, acting in the same manner as he would.

==============

The Image of God | AHRC

An examination of three passages that reveal the image of God and how our lives reflect on this image.

www.ancient-hebrew.org

 

[coldseat]

no kidding

I remember the firestorm that erupted when people said that Jesus wasn't white

And with every single image of God as being an older, long white haired bearded man, with all the Our father, He who art in Heaven, there's no way this gains any traction at all

What is CCD?

CCD stands for the Conformity of Christian Doctrine. It's an origination that puts of religious education for Catholics. That's what the religious education classes are called for kids that aren't in Catholic private school.

 

[SystemShock]

That makes some sense, but going back to the original Hebrew phrase, God creating man in his "image" didn't really mean a physical image. It didn't even mean create as we understand it, more so "fill up". God's name is given a masculine suffix in Hebrew, so that coincides with the patriarchal societies of the time.

======================

The Image of God​

By Jeff A. Benner

Genesis 1:27 - And God created man in his own image

God (Strong's #430)
The Hebrew word אלהים (elohiym) is the plural form of אלוה (elo'ah) literally meaning "strength" and "power" and is usually translated as God or god. The ים (iym) is the masculine plural suffix and when added to this word becomes אלהים (elohiym) which is usually translated as gods or judges as they are strong and powerful ones. But it is also commonly used for God as a name because he is "thee" strong and powerful one.

Create (Strong's #1254)
The Hebrew word behind created is the Hebrew verb ברא (bara). The idea of "creating" is an abstract thought that is foreign to Hebrew thought. The concrete understanding behind this word can be seen in 1 Samuel 2:29, "Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?" In this passage is the word "fattening" which is the same Hebrew verb ברא (bara). By extension this word also means to "fill up."

Man (Strong's #120)
The Hebrew word for man is אדם (adam) and is also the name of the first man.

Image (Strong's #6754)
The word צלם (tselem) is literally a shadow which is the outline or representation of the original.


And Elohiym, the Great Powerful One, filled the man with a representation of himself.

When we read "And God created man in his own image" our minds form a mental picture of what we look like and then attribute this picture to God himself. In the Hebrews mind it is not the appearance of something that they concentrate on but its function. This passage is not implying a picture of man or God but their function. Through the Hebrew words of this text, we see that God had placed within man a shadow or representation of his own function - goal, purpose, thought, etc. It is our responsibility to live our lives as representatives of God, acting in the same manner as he would.

==============

The Image of God | AHRC

An examination of three passages that reveal the image of God and how our lives reflect on this image.

www.ancient-hebrew.org

Yet, if we remove the word "image" and go with "a shadow which is the outline or representation of the original" , when you cast a shadow, doesn't it look like you? Certainly the representation wasn't one of wisdom or power.

 

[coldseat]

Yet, if we remove the word "image" and go with "a shadow which is the outline or representation of the original" , when you cast a shadow, doesn't it look like you? Certainly the representation wasn't one of wisdom or power.

Yes, when we're talking about our shadow. But the original Hebrew text points more to this type of shadow:

This passage is not implying a picture of man or God but their function. Through the Hebrew words of this text, we see that God had placed within man a shadow or representation of his own function - goal, purpose, thought, etc.

The physical representation of God tied to male body came more along with Christianity and Jesus, as you pointed to in your original response.

That at least how I've always understood it.

 

[MT15]

This is the intended result of the current onslaught of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. It’s what the leaders of this movement expect and encourage.

 

[SystemShock]

Yes, when we're talking about our shadow. But the original Hebrew text points more to this type of shadow:



The physical representation of God tied to male body came more along with Christianity and Jesus, as you pointed to in your original response.

That at least how I've always understood it.

What would be a representation of God's function? What is God's function? What possible representation of a perfect, eternal, ethereal, all-knowing, all-powerful being could a flawed, sinful limited meatbag could provide?

Yahweh is male. He's "your Lord". He says so himself (allegedly ).

 

[CoolBrees]

If god is a dude, does he have junk and ….. stuff?

Why did he just make Adam but had to impregnate a Virgin with his own kid?