Friday, August 2, 2013

Via JMG: Sec. Of State John Kerry: Visas Are Now Available For Same-Sex Couples


Secretary of State John Kerry today announced the immediate availability of visas for same-sex couples. Via Metro Weekly:
"If you are the spouse of a U.S. citizen, your visa application will be treated equally. If you are the spouse of a non-citizen, your visa application will be treated equally. And if you are in a country that doesn’t recognize your same-sex marriage, then your visa application will still be treated equally at every single one of our 222 visa processing centers around the world," Kerry said during an appearance at the U.S. embassy in London.
The announcement is the latest repercussion following the Supreme Court's June decision striking down Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage as between a man and a woman. "Now, as long as a marriage has been performed in a jurisdiction that recognizes it so that it is legal, then that marriage is valid under U.S. immigration laws, and every married couple will be treated exactly the same, and that is what we believe is appropriate," Kerry added.
The new policy will also apply to the children of the foreign spouse in a same-sex marriage.


Reposted from Joe

Via GayPolitics Report: LGBT Olympians may not "propagandize," Russian sports minister warns


LGBT athletes can participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, but they risk arrest if they advocate for LGBT equality while in Russia, says Vitaly L. Mutko, the Russian minister of sports. Mutko's comments this week contradict a statement issued earlier by the International Olympic Committee, which said it had received assurances from Russia that its new anti-LGBT laws would not be used against athletes and spectators at the games. Human rights groups want Olympic officials to speak more forcefully against the laws and urge their repeal, though a coalition of LGBT sports groups said this week they oppose a formal boycott of the games. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (8/1), USA Today (8/1), Washington Blade (Washington, D.C.) (8/2)
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma August 2, 2013

Expansive Peace

Whether we’re seeking inner peace or global peace or a combination of the two, the way to experience it is to build on the foundation of unconditional openness to all that arises. Peace isn’t an experience free of challenges, free of rough and smooth—it’s an experience that’s expansive enough to include all that arises without feeling threatened.
- Pema Chödrön, "Unlimited Friendliness"
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