Homophobia, Wingnuttery and Some Good News, Too!

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly those afflicted with homophobia will jump to a conclusion that is in no way related to reality. These 25 Homophobic Tweets in the immediate aftermath of the tragic bombing in Boston will probably amaze and disgust you as they did me.  The nut jobs at Westboro Baptist Church were the first to blame Marriage Equality for causing the bombing and tweeting the promise to picket the funerals of the victims.  Really, is there something in the water these people drink that makes them delusional or what?

In other Wingnuttery around the nation, hatemongers Scott Lively and AFA's Bryan Fischer are among others who claim LGBT advocates are homofacists who want to treat Christians like the Nazis treated the Jews.  In this video, Mat Staver says that the SPLC policy of labeling anti-gay Religious Right organizations as hate groups is just like what happened to the Jews in Nazi Germany.  Then over in Washington where the florist who refused to do the wedding for a Gay couple in violation of Washington’s nondiscrimination protections is being sued by the couple and the Washington AG.  Leading Joseph Backholm of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, the Family Research Council’s state affiliate, to proclaim he believes the inability for businesses to openly discriminate is a sign that “brown shirts” are coming.   This is a favorite trick of those who oppress others, to claim to be victims of those whom they themselves have oppressed when it is the oppressors who are guilty of the acts which they are blaming on the oppressed.  Pot, meet Kettle.  Sheesh!

In the Good News Department, New Zealand became the 13th Nation to permit nationwide Marriage Equality in a Parliament vote last night 77-44.  Hundreds of spectators in the gallery broke into a traditional Maori love song when the vote was announced.  Meanwhile, a little further north in Colombia, the Senate is set to vote on Marriage Equality today.  The Colombian Congress must take action to give same sex couples all rights equal to heterosexual couples by June 20. 2013 or those rights become theirs by default due to a 2001 Supreme Court ruling requiring such legislation.  So we may see Colombia as Nation Number 14 with Marriage Equality very soon. 

For your Musical Moment today, we turn to the music of George Friedrich Handel with his Sonatas for Transverse Flute and Basso Continuo.  The works included are the Sonata in E minor Op.1 No.1 HWV 359, the Sonata in G major Op.1 No.5 HWV 363b, the Sonata in B minor Op.1 No.9 HWV 367b, the Sonata in D major HWV 378, the Sonata in A minor HWV 374, the Sonata in E minor HWV 375, the Sonata in B minor HWV 376and the Sonata in E minor HWV 379.  Today's performance is by Barthold Kuijken [transverse flute], Wieland Kuijken [viola da gamba] and Robert Kohnen [harpsichord].

Then finally today, it has been a while since I featured any Men In Jeans, so I have corrected that with this collection of handsome hunks mostly in their jeans on display as you scroll down the page.  Thank you for spending some time at Nichevo today, see you once again on the morrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!