Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Open House New York

My friend Matt turned me onto this group. We took a tour of the restored St. Francis Xavier Church in Chelsea a few weeks ago that Open House New York sponsored. They have a very neat blog with a lot of photos and history of cool buildings in New York.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Santorum on Stools

Rick Santorum, who lost his Senate seat by double digits, is apparently running for President. As President, he wants to make sure no one gets an abortion or gay-married. He also gets angry when people don't understand stools.

"I don't think he understands what conservatism is all about," said Santorum of Daniels. "I don't think he understands that Reagan's three-legged stool is not just that we have three legs of the stool, the social conservative, the fiscal conservative and national security conservatives, but that the material made of all three parts of the stool is the same. And it's a moral and cultural heritage of this country, is what that stool, the material itself that the stool is made of."

I read this and thought, how true. The problem with conservatism is that people do not understand it's a stool. And it's also this country. America - and conservatism - is a stool. Our culture is a stool. Our heritage is a stool. Reagan knew this. Reagan knew stools. Why can't you socialists and homosexuals see that?

Rick Santorum is now and has always been a fucking idiot.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

David Kato

I've been thinking and reading a great deal about David Kato, his murder and the plight of gays and lesbians in Uganda. (Not to mention the role of prominent US Evangelicals in promoting anti-gay policy to Ugandan lawmakers.)

A few days ago, Mark Sisk, the Anglican Bishop of New York, released a statement which I think is worth posting.

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Statement on the Murder of David Kato
by the Bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of New York

28 January 2011

Like many around the world, we are horrified to learn of the vicious murder of Ugandan LGBT rights activist David Kato in Mukono, Kampala. Though the circumstances of Mr. Kato's death are still under investigation, we know that he, along with other activists in Uganda have lived under the threat of violence and imprisonment in recent times. Mr. Kato, who was the advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda, as well as Anglican Bishop Christopher Senyonjo and many others, was targeted last fall in a Ugandan magazine. All LGBT persons along with their advocates are at risk due to the general hostility toward them in Uganda and, in particular, due to pending legislation which would call for imprisonment or even death.

We call upon all people of good will, and especially the people of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and our sister and brother Anglicans around the world, to stand in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons, and to resist language, laws and actions which marginalize and even criminalize their relationships. Further, given the current hostile climate in Uganda, we call upon the Anglican church of Uganda to speak up for human rights for all God's children. Further, we call upon the United States government to grant asylum to LGBT persons from Uganda and other nations where the threat of violence is great.

We pray for the repose of the soul of David Kato, for his family and friends as they mourn, and for the LGBT community in Uganda and their allies as they struggle for an end to the fear and violence, which threaten them every day.

+Mark

The Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk
Bishop of New York

Well, Why Didn't Somebody Ask Her?

My review of Brian Friel's "Molly Sweeney," on NYTheatre.com.