Today, for the first time ever, the White House held a reception to commemorate the Stonewall riots, an event that is frequently cited as the beginning of the Gay rights movement in the United States.
Today's reception, in combination with other events, shows clear Presidential support for Gays and Lesbians. This support is coming not only in the form of rhetoric or pageantry, but through a very significant appointment in the area of education.
Kevin Jennings, the founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network has been appointed Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education.
Read more about these events and their implication in our latest TwoMinuteBriefing, available by clicking here, or by visiting www.TwoMinuteBriefing.com.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Why Transsexual/Transgender Rights Matter
On June 11th, various news sources announced that Chastity Bono, the only daughter of Sonny and Cher, had begun sex change procedures earlier this year.
Although the transsexual/transgender segment of the population is very small, their fight for rights, and the attention they are receiving in the media, are a significant assault both on the traditional family, and on those religious authorities and denominations that proclaim that gender is divinely assigned.
Read about this issue in the TwoMinuteBriefing - Why Transsexual/Transgender Rights Matter.
To access the PDF file, click here.
Although the transsexual/transgender segment of the population is very small, their fight for rights, and the attention they are receiving in the media, are a significant assault both on the traditional family, and on those religious authorities and denominations that proclaim that gender is divinely assigned.
Read about this issue in the TwoMinuteBriefing - Why Transsexual/Transgender Rights Matter.
To access the PDF file, click here.
Monday, May 25, 2009
The Selling of Homosexuality
The din subsequent to the California Supreme Court decision on Proposition 8 to be issued May 26th at 10:00 a.m. may cause attention to focus on the protests, the protesters, their cause etc. and by doing so, two critical points may become lost: first, the legal decision itself, and second, and perhaps more important, how the protest or celebrations themselves fit into the broader plan of selling homosexuality to America.
Read about how a plan written in 1990 for selling Homosexuality to
To access this TwoMinuteBriefing, visit www.TwoMinuteBriefing.com or simply click here.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Moral Right or Political Might?
The last few weeks have seen a flurry of news articles discussing the future of the Republican Party. Most have called for change and a move to a more moderate stance.
Steve Schmidt, senior strategist for Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign has said that Republicans are in danger of losing younger voters.
Meghan McCain, Senator McCain’s daughter has similarly called for a moderating of some of the Party’s positions.
Senator Arlen Specter, who this week switched to the Democratic Party, noted that groups who target moderate to liberal Republicans in state primaries, are costing the party wins in general elections. He specifically noted former Senator Lincoln Chafee who spent resources to fend off a conservative challenger in 2006, and then narrowly lost in the general election.
Although there is some agreement that the far right wing of the Republican Party, and its unwillingness to compromise, are hurting the Party’s electoral successes; there is perhaps less agreement on how much and where that compromise should take place.
Of concern to some is that there is more willingness to compromise on morals than on economics.
For example, Schmidt’s concern about losing younger voters is that the Party does not realize how they feel about same-sex marriage. “Republicans should re-examine the extent to which we are being defined by positions on issues that I don’t believe are among our core values . . . .”
Meghan McCain expressed similar feelings, hoping that the Republican Party could become an umbrella party, more inclusive, and broader in its appeal.
How will the Republican Party change? On what will it compromise? If, as Schmidt intimates, moral issues are not among its core values, what are its core values?
For a PDF version of this post, please visit TwoMinuteBriefing.com
Steve Schmidt, senior strategist for Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign has said that Republicans are in danger of losing younger voters.
Meghan McCain, Senator McCain’s daughter has similarly called for a moderating of some of the Party’s positions.
Senator Arlen Specter, who this week switched to the Democratic Party, noted that groups who target moderate to liberal Republicans in state primaries, are costing the party wins in general elections. He specifically noted former Senator Lincoln Chafee who spent resources to fend off a conservative challenger in 2006, and then narrowly lost in the general election.
Although there is some agreement that the far right wing of the Republican Party, and its unwillingness to compromise, are hurting the Party’s electoral successes; there is perhaps less agreement on how much and where that compromise should take place.
Of concern to some is that there is more willingness to compromise on morals than on economics.
For example, Schmidt’s concern about losing younger voters is that the Party does not realize how they feel about same-sex marriage. “Republicans should re-examine the extent to which we are being defined by positions on issues that I don’t believe are among our core values . . . .”
Meghan McCain expressed similar feelings, hoping that the Republican Party could become an umbrella party, more inclusive, and broader in its appeal.
How will the Republican Party change? On what will it compromise? If, as Schmidt intimates, moral issues are not among its core values, what are its core values?
For a PDF version of this post, please visit TwoMinuteBriefing.com
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Catholic Church - Retrenching to Advance
In June 1988, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated 4 bishops without the consent of the Vatican. The Archbishop was the founder of the Society of St. Pius X which is still the world's largest Traditionalist Catholic priestly society.
For his actions, Archbishop Lefebvre, his co-consecrator, and the four bishops they consecrated were excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
Pope Benedict has now granted a remission of the excommunication of the four bishops.
This is significant on two counts:
For his actions, Archbishop Lefebvre, his co-consecrator, and the four bishops they consecrated were excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
Pope Benedict has now granted a remission of the excommunication of the four bishops.
This is significant on two counts:
- As noted in a briefing published by TwoMinuteBriefing in July of 2007 entitled The Catholic Church - Retrenching to Advance, under the direction of Pope Benedict, the Catholic Church appears to be retrenching, becoming more conservative, in order to court its more conservative core. It's conservative core is where its' strength lies. By courting its most conservative members, the Catholic Church places itself in a better position to face the challenges of the world today, and possibly to expand into Africa, Asia, and India.
- Causing controversy, however, is the fact that one of the four priests reinstated by this recent action is Bishop Richard Williamson who is on record as essentially denying the Holocaust. That the Vatican has looked favorably upon him in any degree, let alone reinstating him, has ired Jewish groups around the world. (Read the London Times article HERE.)
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