Peter Finnochiaro at Salon: Global-Warming Denial Concentrated in States Now Burning Up

The irony to which I pointed yesterday--namely, that the ongoing drought in the southern sector of the U.S. is occurring in states that now most fiercely defend the "right" of corporations to destroy the environment, states in which there are large numbers of climate-change deniers: that irony is not lost on Peter Finnochiaro, either.

News Coverage of Marcus Bachmann's Ex-Gay Therapy Accelerates

As Timothy Beauchamp points out at Americablog Gay today, citing Andy Towle at Towleroad, seven cable television shows have now given prominent coverage to Truth Wins Out's exposé of the "ex-gay" therapy being done by Marcus Bachmann's Minnesota clinic.  Beauchamp concludes that the story is huge.

Global Warming and the Drought of the Southern U.S.

I'm glad to see Peter Finnochiaro call the New York Times' hand re: its recent reporting on the horrific drought from Arizona to Florida.  Both in its article yesterday on the drought and its editorial today, the Times conspicuously omits any mention of global warming as a cause of the excessive heat and lack of rainfall across the southern tier of states, and suggests that La Niña is to blame.

California Catholic Bishops Oppose Curriculum Making Gays Visible

You cannot make people more unwelcome than by pretending they are not there.

Testimonies of Grace and the Vanishing Table

I'm struck this morning by how perfectly congruent two postings are on blogs I follow: Claire Bangasser writes at her Seat at the Table blog about how her heart has been warmed by the sweetness of divine encounter in which she finds Godde reaching out to embrace everyone, and not merely an approved elite; and Thom Curnutte writes at his Faith in the 21st Century blog about the tears that ran down his face when he first heard the hymn "All Are Welcome" at a Catholic liturgy.

Vatican's U.N. Rep Explains Catholic Rejection of U.N. Resolution Deploring Anti-Gay Violence and Discrimination

For those who still think it's worthwhile to try to make some sense out of the baffling silence of the Catholic intellectual center about matters of justice and human rights involving LGBT people, this recent "email interview" between the Vatican's rep on the United Nations Human Rights Council Silvano Tomasi and Catholic News Agency will prove illuminating.*  It demonstrates precisely how the folks now running the Catholic church (and the soft liberal intellectual center that continues to mouth their shameful ideas about these issues) manage to justify treating LGBT people as if we don't exist.  And have no rights.

"Torchwood" Affirms Good Parenting Skills

Did you "Torchwood" fans out there notice that Gwen Cooper did the responsible thing in the series premiere this last week, and put ear muffs on her baby's head before shooting a gun?

Always cover your baby's ears while shooting an enemy as you're holding your babe in your arms.

I'm glad to see an influential transatlantic television series promoting such good parenting skills.