Acclaimed boxer Manny Pacquiao is facing heat after he likened homosexuals and same-sex marriage to that of the biblically-damned Sodom and Gomorrah. The Nike spokesman went on to explain that it’s “God’s words first … obey God’s law first before considering the laws of man.” Pacquiao’s comments follow closely on the heels of President Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage announced this week.

The Courage Campaign has initiated a petition to remove Pacquiao as Nike spokesperson.

“He has lost many fans, unfortunately, and gained many critics.” said Anna Leah Sarabia, anthropologist and gender and development specialist. “He is trying to make up for lack of knowledge on social issues by being self-righteous and quoting the Bible out of context, and parroting the brainless statements of homophobic and misogynist priests and politicians.”

Danton Remoto, chair of the Ladlad LGBT political party, also told the Inquirer: “Like Miriam Quiambao, Pacquiao speaks with the zeal of the newly converted about things he knows nothing about. His reading of Christian teachings is narrow-minded, bigoted and, I am sorry to say, ignorant.”

The New Civil Rights Movement has dismissed much of the original interview at the Examiner citing poor writing and bad journalism skills that misinterpreted the boxer’s words. Last year, Pacquiano partnered with Cat Power and Giovanni Ribisi in a music video in which proceeds benefited LGBT youth.

According to Pacquiano’s official statement, the boxer does not believe the gay community deserves death as the original article in the Examiner quoted:

Manny Pacquiao has never stated that anyone in the Gay Community deserved death.

His statements were taken out of context, and were not his opinion.

Pacquiao is simply against the marriage of anyone that is not Man and Woman as he believes is stated in theBible.

“I didn’t say that, that’s a lie… I didn’t know that quote from Leviticus because I haven’t read the Book of Leviticus yet,” he said.

Pacquiao does not now and has never believed that people deserve death because of their sexual orientation.

Photo Credit: Pink News

Four men are scheduled to hang in the town of Choram in the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province of Iran. Saadat Arefi, Vahid Akbari, Javid Akbari and Houshmand Akbari have been sentenced to death for alleged sodomy, according to the Iranian Human Rights Activist News. Reports of their pending execution coincide with the launch of “LGBT Republic of Iran”, a pioneering report that documents the experiences of a diverse range of LGBT Iranians who live, or have lived, under the repressive, homophobic Tehran regime – and the importance of the internet to their lives, as means to meet, support each other, learn about LGBT life in the outside world and evade the censorship of their government.

The launch takes place on the eve of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), on Wednesday 16 May 2012 at 6:30pm, at Amnesty International’s Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EA. Map: goo.gl/eS9C7

Admission to the event is free, however, those who wish to attend need to reserve in advance. Please register here: goo.gl/ZLjRL
Wednesday’s event includes an overview of the report’s findings by Small Media’s Director of Operations, Dr Bronwen Robertson, a music performance from Iranian guitarist Ramtin Montazemi, a Q&A panel of Iranian experts moderated by the Guardian’s Brian Whitaker, featuring lesbian activist Shadi Amin, human rights lawyer Mehri Jafari, Guardian journalist Saeed Kamali Dehghan; as well as human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.

There will be a poetry reading of work by Iranian LGBT literary activists, a short film about Iranian LGBT refugees in Turkey, and video messages from LGBT Iranians who are enduring the repression of the Iranian government.

DynCorp contract machine-gunners

Despite the repeal of DADT, occurrences of alleged anti-LGBT hate crimes/incidents within the Department of Defense (DOD) has continued according to the LGBT nonprofit DOD FED GLOBE.

As part of a campaign to highlight this problem, DOD FED GLOBE is looking for volunteers to tell their stories of harassment as past and/or present employees of the DOD, including servicemembers, civil servants and contractors. The film, entitled ENDA NOW, will be distributed through the Internet and aims to put a human face on the suffering caused to real people by the actions of homophobic colleagues, supervisors and other ranking superiors.

The film will highlight incidents like the DOD contractor who was removed from his contract and secretly blacklisted for displaying pictures of himself and his husband at work.

Other recent incidents include a gay enlisted Marine who was murdered, a U.S. Army lesbian officer verbally and physically attacked by the most senior enlisted person in her command, and a civil servant stationed overseas harassed and threatened with being sent home, without his legally married European husband.

Lisa Kove, executive director of DOD FED GLOBE stressing the importance of the film said, “Historically societies can and have created unjust laws that are condoned and implemented by the highest authorities. Yet the laws that provide protection from discrimination are often under enforced. This is especially true in the DOD. The DOD has a horrendous track record in diversity. We need ENDA NOW for all. We must tackle this discrimination from within the federal workforce by coming out with our stories.”

Kove continues, “When the victims complain they are often treated as ‘trouble makers’ and reprisal actions take place. Those designated to investigate and protect reflect the modified version of a famous saying, ‘See no evil hear no evil report no evil do nothing.’ The system is dysfunctional.”

By contrast, a recently released report by The Williams Institute found that 86 percent of all federal contractors protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and 55 percent on the basis of gender identity. The combined total represents almost one-half of all federal contractors with LGBT protections, amounting to more than $249 billion in federal spending.

“Over the past three years, the Williams Institute, Center for American Progress and the Human Rights Campaign have built a larger and stronger record in support of this LGBT contractor policy than has ever been built in favor of any non-discrimination executive order in the history of the United States,” said Tico Almeida, president of Freedom to Work.

In February 2012, Freedom to Work launched a campaign targeting a Fairfax, Va. military contractor, DynCorp International LLC, for allowing anti-gay harassment in the workplace and failure to have policies in place that protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Washington Blade reported that DynCorp has since updated its non-discrimination policy to include protections for LGBT workers.

Despite this high profile case, Kove insists that more needs to be done. “These events could have been mitigated had the White House and DOD allowed LGBT employees to be recognized as a legitimate diversity group. That is why we need a full film on ENDA NOW distributed for free throughout the Web,” Kove said.

Filming for ENDA NOW is ongoing and anyone interested should contact Lisa Kove on 619-347-9357 or by email at Lisa.Kove@yahoo.com.

This article is based on Lisa Kove’s opine as the executive director of the LGBT 501C3 nonprofit DOD FED GLOBE and it is not her intent to reflect the views of her employer the Department of Defense (DOD).

WASHINGTON – New polling data from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press shows support for marriage equality at 47 percent – significantly higher than it was at any point prior to previous presidential elections. The poll also finds opposition to marriage equality has reached an all-time low. According to the polling, opposition to marriage equality has plummeted nearly 15 percentage points over the last decade, while support has climbed by more than 10 percentage points. The Pew data is just the latest in a number of polls illustrating how issues of LGBT equality are increasingly mainstream, and can no longer be used as divisive wedges.

The landscape surrounding support for LGBT issues has changed significantly since the 2008 presidential election. In previous elections, particularly in 2004, marriage equality was used as a wedge issue to divide voters. This growing wave of data shows that such strategies will no longer work.

For the first time in a Pew Research Center survey there is as much strong support as strong opposition to gay marriage. In the current survey, 22% say they strongly support allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally; an identical percentage (22%) strongly opposes gay marriage. In 2008, there was about twice as much strong opposition to as strong support for gay marriage (30 percent vs. 14 percent).

This latest round of data comes one week after Pew released statistics highlighting marriage equality as the least important issue on the minds of voters in advance of the 2012 election, signaling how matters of LGBT equality are no longer as divisive as they once were. That Pew poll identified the economy, jobs, and the budget deficit as weighing most heavily on voters’ minds.

Mother’s Day is upon us. What are you going to do? She did give you life and hopefully love and acceptance, before and after, you came out as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. If you’re perplexed about what to do – and by perplexed, I mean broke, like me – look no further. I offer you a low cost, DIY-style guide to Mother’s Day gifts that’s sure to make your mother smile. All that’s required is a little creativity.

Card

Mother’s Day gifts always seem to begin with a card and the best cards are the ones you create. That’s right – make your own card. If you have no supplies, introduce yourself to a neighbor with kids and ask to borrow some crayons or markers. Maybe they’d even give you a slice of construction paper. Fold it and make a pretty picture on the cover and on the inside. Then handwrite the proverbial “Happy Mother’s Day” on the cover and write about how you appreciate mom on the inside. It really doesn’t take much time, and even if it looks like a 5th grader made it, it was still made by you – which goes a long way in mother’s book.

Flowers

What is it about flowers and Mother’s Day? It’s seems like the two go hand in hand. I prefer to cut my own flowers, whether in my garden or from an undeveloped plot somewhere (don’t report me!). I go for the unconventional types of Mother’s Day flowers, whatever doesn’t come to mind when I think of the day (like wildflowers or hibiscus flowers). Even better, buy her some flowers that she can plant or that are already potted. That way, she’ll be able to enjoy them much longer than she would cut flowers. Heck, why not give her a potted plant? What does she like? My mother likes cacti, so I usually bring her some type of cactus with a big red bow around it for her special day.

Brunch

Make breakfast or lunch for mom. It doesn’t cost much. You know you still have some eggs left in the fridge – and coffee. Make it a special cup-a-joe by visiting one of our local, high-flavor, highly trendy coffeehouses. Can you remember how long that take-out Thai has been in your fridge? Mother would never know. It also couldn’t hurt to pick up some potatoes to make some hash browns. Presto! Brunch for mom or, you could make the meal together, something called quality time. You could also change it up and bring it to the park; have a picnic. It doesn’t take much to set up a picnic at the park: Tupperware, some sacks to carry the food, and a blanket or towel. Of course, don’t forget the utensils, and plates and cups!

Go somewhere

San Diego is a land of tourist traps, but many of them are still nice places to take your mother to. There is the behemoth that is Balboa Park with its gorgeous Spanish architecture, museums and landscapes. One could seriously spend a whole day at the park. If your mom is active, rent some bicycles and ride around the city, or use your legs and walk through it. There are so many beautiful and diverse little neighborhoods with their own eclectic character, including South Park, Little Italy, Gaslamp, Ocean Beach and, of course, Hillcrest. Want to get out of the city without leaving it? Take a trip to Point Loma and visit the Cabrillo National Monument. It does cost to drive in, but it’s very low. There you can visit the museum, watch a film about the history of San Diego, and drive down the hill and visit the tide pools. If you and mom love shopping, explore the numerous yard sales that take place across our city. It’s my mom’s favorite past time. Nearly every time I see my mom, she insists on driving to a couple of yard sales. Craigslist.org is a great place to find such postings.

Socialize

Invite mom on a hangout with your friends. You know she would love to get to know them more. If you’re planning on going to a bar with friends, take her along. If alcohol is an issue, order non-alcoholic drinks. Sometimes I have even more fun when I’m not drinking alcohol, and it’s probably better that way when mom is around. Or if you play in one of the many LGBT-friendly local sports teams, take her to a practice game. Let her watch you play or, better yet, let her join for a game. If religion is your thing, take her to church and introduce her to your church friends. If you attend an open support group, like a twelve step group, ask her to join you for a meeting. Maybe she’d better understand what you’re going through and perhaps even learn something in the process.

Do something for her

Besides cards, flowers, brunch, going somewhere or bringing her out with your friends, there are also lots of other things you can do to make mom feel special. Maybe she needs her weeds pulled. Maybe her car could use a hand wash. Or does she need help fixing something? What about a computer lesson? For many mother’s, it doesn’t take much to make them happy – a little love, creativity and thoughtfulness can go a long way. Happy Mother’s Day!

The Avengers

I just saw a headline online that asked, “Is The Avengers the greatest comic book movie ever?” I don’t know what the writer’s answer was, but I know what my response to the question would be: No, it’s not the greatest comic book movie ever. The Avengers is about as deep as its superfluous 3-D effects, but it is the most entertaining, and most expertly made, big-budget action movie of the year.

Marvel, the comic book brand that controls The Avengers, has been building up the movie for several years by foreshadowing it in the two Ironman movies and last summer’s Thor and Captain America. Samuel L. Jackson, playing Nick Fury, the director of the CIA-like S.H.I.E.L.D., pops up in all of these movies to hint at creating a group of superheroes to fight supervillains. In The Avengers, he finally succeeds, assembling Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (this time played by Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to fight the combined forces of Thor’s evil brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and an army of nasty aliens called the Chitauri.

They’re all fighting over a glowing mysterious cube of unlimited power called the Tesseract. But who cares? The Avengers was mostly constructed to get all of these iconic characters on screen together, participate in a great deal of witty repartee, and then get involved in massive, extremely destructive battles. However, because Marvel hired the fan boy god Joss Whedon what could have been a silly, muddled slog is instead a sharp, smart and expertly choreographed showcase for more than half a dozen beloved superheroes.

In two hours and twenty minutes, Whedon managed to develop the character of each of the heroes. Whedon has long been adept at directing complex comic ensembles, and he does those in The Avengers with great results. But he doesn’t have experience with long, CGI action sequences. Nevertheless, Whedon’s direction of the battle between the Avengers and Loki and his aliens is sparklingly clear. The destruction of New York during the battle reminded me of Michael Bay’s destruction of Chicago in last summer’s Transformers 3; the difference was that in The Avengers, I could follow all of the action, the impossible physics made sense, and it wasn’t cruelly violent. It was thrilling and fun, and it was even funny. In particular, Whedon has a lot of fun with the Hulk.

Not everything in The Avengers works. Hawkeye is barely a character, which is disappointing since Renner can be such a crackling screen presence. The aliens don’t have a point – they don’t seem to have a reason to want the Tesseract or destroy the world. And then there’s Samuel L. Jackson, who has never been worse. He seemed bored. This is especially weird since no one who is watching him in The Avengers could be bored. They’re too busy having fun.

The gay wedding mural at St John’s Church

EDINBURGH, Scotland – An Episcopal church located on one of Edinburgh’s busiest streets, Princes St., has unveiled a gay wedding mural.

St John’s Church chose the topic for the mural which shows two men with one about to place a ring on the other’s finger under the words “God is love.”

Associate Rector of the church, Donald Reid, told PinkNews.co.uk it was on the “progressive end of the spectrum.”

Displayed in full view to passers-by, Reid said that many people had taken photographs of the mural but there had not been any negative feedback.

The mural will remain on the side of the church for two weeks.

I’m back. As Sally Field said in her 1985 Academy Awards speech, “I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!” Thank you for the wonderful response to my debut article. So without much delay, I am here again bringing you the latest in design trends for your home, together with fabulous shopping locations.

In my travels through America’s Finest City in search of tantalizing new items to accessorize my chic pad, I came across this wonderful new boutique that just opened in Little Italy, called VI Star. Who knew that there was even a place called Little Italy?

Back in my home town Tackysburgh, our little Italy consisted of Little Joey’s Pizzeria and the owner Joey, shall I say, was a little person. So whenever we said we wanted Italian we said, “Let’s go to little Italy.” But I digress.

VI Star, is an exquisite collaboration of six different shops all in one wonderfully designed location.

Everywhere I looked I was tickled pink. The store is filled with everything a self-proclaimed design diva would need for those special little touches to create that perfect setting. Each individual boutique was filled with tchotchkes and fabulous vintage accent pieces.

Now with all these fabulous ideas I can’t wait to go home and redo my cozy condo with all these new tchotchkes! Where I come from, tchotchkes consist of old tractor parts left in the living room by my Papa. I remember my Mama always trying to make them sparkle when company was coming over; she was either making vases out of old mufflers or wall art out of broken gears. Looking back on that my Mama was a good ole country Martha Stewart. My Mama would always say, “What’s the sense of keeping a good home if there is no man there to share it with.” I am sure that Ms. Stewart could have learned a couple things from my Mama on proper etiquette. But I digress.

So with my keen sense of style and my Mama’s creativity, I look forward to helping those in need of some design style. I hope you enjoyed boutiquing with me and I look forward to our next design adventure.

VI Star: What’s Inside

1. Love & Aesthetics

Owner: Artist-designer Sean Barnes

Classic vintage and modern eclectic home accent pieces

“Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the trendiest of them all?”

2. Cathedral

Owner: Amy Capano

Fragrant candles, accessories and personal care items

“I do believe a home that smells good, looks even better!”

3. Colibri Home

Owner: Designer Pat MacLaggan

Vintage inspired custom furniture and classic accessories

“Anytime I can curl up with a good book, I feel right at home.”

4. Botanica

Innovative wedding and event design studio

“When this girl decides to tie the knot, again, I know where she’s going to get her wedding on!”

5. Seaside Papery

Owner: Jori Jackman

Themed stationery, personal gifts and custom invitations

“There is nothing more stylish than sending out personalized invitations to your next soiree.”

6. IN/EX

Owners: Designers Mark Overlunch and Scott Northcote

Found objets d’art, sculptures, furniture and plants

VI Star, 2355 India Street, San Diego • 619-295-6666 • info@VIstarSD.com

By Jason Coleman

Visionaries, artists and healers allow Santa Fe to represent herself as a one-of-a-kind beauty. With beautiful neighbors like Albuquerque, she is surrounded by intriguing places. However, Santa Fe really is the jewel of the desert.

Located in the heart of the desert, it’s best to visit during the spring or early summer months. Flying into Albuquerque is relatively easy and inexpensive if tickets are booked a few weeks in advance. Total ride time between the two areas is around an hour. A rental car from Albuquerque to Santa Fe is necessary for the traveler who wants to be his own guide; however there is an amazing rail system that links the two destinations as well. Both are fairly-priced options with the rail system being the best bargain.

Spending a little time in each location is recommended. Due to my frequent travels I have seen nearly all the seasons in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe. In combination with weather similarities, each share a variety of amazing outdoor murals revealing a part of the art scene in New Mexico. The adobe architectural style inspires awe in dreamscapes and sunsets and sidewalk cafés bring visitors back to reality. However, the folklore of Native American culture always seems to lead people directly into the desert for spiritual guidance and healing.

Although New Mexico offers a variety of outdoor activities, quaint villages and endless culture the real draw to this area is spirit. Built in 1781, the Santuario de Guadalupe, honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, is the oldest standing church in the U.S. Its home lies along the banks of the Santa Fe River. In 2008, the church received a remarkable gift from Mexico City; a twelve foot high sculpture that towers over a square dedicated to pilgrims. Vases of daily flowers as “offerings”, hundreds of rolled “intentions” and handwritten prayers are placed throughout the square, and an inlaid bronze Holy Rosary Walk in the pavement surrounds the statue.

Spiritual centers and alignment have been a part of this region for thousands of years. That tradition continues today. One such center, the Heart-Path Retreat Center on Destierro Trail in Santa Fe, allows a visitor to re-align themselves. The owner, Silvana Pagani, has built this outstanding center with only a contractor. No architect was needed. This private property borders sacred Native American land and covers seventeen acres. There are lodging facilities, breathtaking views, meditation rooms, a temple, gardens and countless sacred shrines with sites for contemplation. The Center is the home of “Heart-Path Realignment,” a profoundly powerful and deeply transformational healing approach taught exclusively at the Center and in four different languages (English, Spanish, German, and French). The Powerline Workout is a big draw for the yoga enthusiast and is offered exclusively at the Center. Visit heartpathretreatcenter.com for more information and photos. The Center also hosts weddings, special events and celebrations.

As mentioned previously, while lodging at the Heart-Path Retreat Center, it’s a great idea to have a rental car, especially if you are only staying for a long weekend. If you are taking the more intensive courses, workouts and healings, the train is a great substitute for traveling between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, since most of your time will be spent at the Center. While driving, I found the outdoor murals and art scene of the areas captivating. I couldn’t help but pull over and park. Walking around the cities to take photos was very meditative in itself and I counted at least thirty murals between the two cities. Many were the length of the side of a building and each mural was very intricate and detailed and some captured the historical references to the areas while others focused on the Native American lore and spirituality.

Finally, an artistic city wouldn’t be complete without a vibrant music and dance scene! Music and dance are arts in themselves and Albuquerque and Santa Fe both share a vibrant tango scene. The Tango Club of Albuquerque (abqtango.org) host milongas. These dance events include music, food and a dance space for around $10. A perfect evening event at a low cost and a great resource for adding some culture into your trip to the New Mexico region. With amazing teachers such as Travis Webb offering beginner classes at local art galleries, you can even practice and learn the basics before attending a milonga. If being a spectator and not a participant is your idea of experiencing the arts, there are also pow wow gatherings, folk/bluegrass festivals and professional mariachi events in both cities.

A trip to New Mexico and the cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe will leave you feeling like you’ve left the United States. However, you’ll still have plenty of money in your pocket. Relatively cheap travel and affordable accommodation make Santa Fe a great weekend retreat or ideal for a full-length vacation. Tapping into the arts scene, culture, variety dining and spirituality are all options in these desert cities. It’s important to remember that a journey can truly heal whatever ails a soul.

PNN Radio

We at LGBT Weekly would like to thank our readers for nominating us for the 2012 PrideNation People’s Choice Award for “Best Publication.”

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