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World Congress of Families Blessed By Georgian Orthodox Patriarch and George W. Bush; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…became the first transgender person elected to a congressional seat in the Philippines. Elected to the presidency was Rodrigo Duterte, a strongman mayor who has bragged about the number of extrajudicial killings during his tenure. Duterte has spoken in favor of LGBT equality and said he would consider legalizing marriage for same-sex coples. Cuba: U.S. Activists Join Mariela Castro For Pride Events Evan Wolfson, the American activists who master-m…

Warships, Animals, Pubs Eligible For Blessings From Church of England, But Not Same-Sex Couples; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…introduced Marriage equality legislation was introduced on Valentine’s Day Japan: New film featuring transgender character ‘breaks boundaries’ in Japanese cinema A new film by Naoko Ogigami, “Close-Knit,” won second prize in the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Kenta Kato reports for Asia Times: “A transgender character is at the film’s center and is played by one of Japan’s superstars in Toma Ikuta, no less.” Clo…

UN Human Rights Council Creates LGBT Watchdog; Orthodox Council Affirms Traditional Teaching on Family; Pope Francis Says Church Should Apologize to Gays; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…dren. Australia: Only one in five voters believe homosexuality is immoral A new survey reveals that 21 percent of Australian voters believe homosexuality is immoral. Japan: Using comics as cultural lifeline for LGBT youth A new manga series is meant to provide LGBT youth in Japan with a cultural lifeline by portraying gay and transgender characters. Philippines: Law enforcement charged with exploitation and abuse of LGBT people Reuters covers a re…

African Religious leaders complain about Obama advocacy for LGBT rights; Ultra-Orthodox Man Stabs Jerusalem Pride Parade Marchers, Again; Struggles over sexuality in Islam, Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican Churches; Global LGBT recap

By Peter Montgomery

…on. The first gay couple has also been married in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Japan: Second municipality to recognize same-sex partnerships Japan Times reports, Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward said it will start issuing certificates recognizing same-sex partnerships as early as November to support the rights of sexual minorities, becoming the second municipal government in Japan to take such a step.” The recognition is not legally binding but aims to assist co…

Pope Decries ‘Ideological Colonization’ of Family; Islamic State Executes Gays and Others; Gay Couple Gets Long-Delayed Wedding in Mexico; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…f the family’ Pope Francis drew massive crowds in this week’s visit to the Philippines, the Catholic Church’s stronghold in Asia. He drew the most attention for an off-the-cuff remark about Catholics not needing to breed like rabbits, but he also made some comments seemingly targeting moves toward marriage equality. “The family is threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the…

A Meditation on Shopping and Desire

By Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado

…We have an unprecedented access to cheap goods, yet we must recognize that cheap goods are cheaply made. I am not speaking of quality, I am speaking of cheap labor. We must recognize that through the act of shopping, whether it is for an article of clothing, a toy, a pint of strawberries, or even our morning cup of coffee, we participate in a global economy that values profit over people. Disposable goods are made by disposable people, faceless in…

Gambian Prez Rails Against Gay ‘Evil Empire’; Irish Priest Comes Out During Mass; Trans Talk on Tunisian TV Sparks Debate; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…inclusion, while shaking the conservative set, has attracted a far larger number of people back to the Church, especially the young.” The Philippines is the bulkhead of the faith in Asia, where 130 million Catholics now account for about 12 percent of the world total. That’s up from 5 percent in 1910, when 65 percent of the faithful were in Europe, according to a Pew Research Center’s survey. Europe now accounts for less than a quarter of world C…

Are Evangelical Films Destined to Leave Secular Audiences Behind?

By Daniel Silliman

…e success either. The opening weekend saw sales of more than $6 million in tickets. That’s the kind of number that will inspire others to try and figure out the formula for the faith-and-family blockbuster. Yet, with the cost of the film reportedly exceeding $30 million, it’s an open question whether or not the Left Behind reboot will get a second installment. The marketing problem of evangelical movies is still, stubbornly, a problem. The general…

The Faith that Faith Produced

By Haroon Moghul

…ou’ll read an excerpt below—has surprised me, too. I wish I could find my airline companion and give him this book, to surprise him, too—in a good way. (I would accept Lakers tickets in lieu of apologies, but I think that particular era is done.) This whole book is a result of a profound evolution, and needs to be seen as such. American Muslims have gone through a lot over the last few decades. We were never the caricature Islamophobes made us ou…

Corporations Have Consciences and Contraceptives Are Cheap: Hobby Lobby at the Supreme Court

By Sarah Posner

At oral argument in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties, Inc. v. Sebelius this morning, the Supreme Court justices spent a great deal of time questioning the lawyers in the case about whether corporations have a religious conscience, and whether Congress intended to protect it when enacting the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). What was most striking, though, was how all three female justices, Sonia So…