' We won.' Time to forgive church's anti-gay background|Letters to the editor

' We won.' Time to forgive church's anti-gay background|Letters to the editor

Re: Hysteria fires once more as Fort Lauderdale honors church with anti-gay history, March 17

I am a white gay man that has been active in the South Florida LGBTQ area for greater than thirty years. I praise Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis' recognizing of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.

As is commonly recognized, the church and also its pastor, the Rev. D. James Kennedy, waged a fierce battle versus acceptance of LGBT individuals for years.

In the 1970s, Kennedy invited Anita Bryant to mention the severe moral danger LGBT people posed to society. In the 1980s, the church produced video clips regarding the AIDS-HIV crisis, claiming it was begun by gay males's \"promiscuous\" behavior. In the late '90s, the church as well as Kennedy began the Center for Reclaiming America, which acquired advertisements in nine papers with a circulation of 8.7 million that revealed \"previous homosexuals\" who \"conquered\" their sexual orientation with petition and also the help of \"ex-gay ministries.\"

In a 1995 letter to church participants, Kennedy stated, \"The extreme homosexual activity has actually been making unbelievable inroads right into our society-- marketing their perversion as 'typical' with better and also better success. They obtained the president to welcome homosexuals right into the military. They mounted an initiative to honor homosexual marital relationships in Hawaii. They're dealing with hammer and tongs to maintain unique civil liberties as well as privileges for homosexuals.\"

In 2011 the Southern Hardship Regulation Facility marked the D. James Kennedy Ministries as a hate group, an organization that \"vilif [ies] others because of their race, religion, ethnic culture, sexual preference or gender identification.\"

So where are we currently? LGBT individuals have full legal civil liberties and also defenses. They serve in the military. They can wed and also elevate kids. They are identified as an useful component of the Fort Lauderdale community. As a gay man, it looks to me like we won. I believe we have the toughness and personality to be both magnanimous and also flexible.

It may be coincidental, yet not long ago, previous Head of state Trump at numerous rallies called COVID-19 \"The China Virus\" and \"The Kung Fu Virus.\" I have actually not listened to mention of it, but I would certainly not be stunned if a number of his most ardent fans are amongst those assaulting individuals who seem Eastern due to what Mr. Trump said.

The March 15th Sunlight Guard heading, \"Older elders falling back on vaccinations,\" causes this letter from a very old snowbird condo owner who is finding it hard to get an infection shot.

Florida has lots of gated communities with clubhouses where high numbers of at risk retired folks live. Usually, they own their condominiums as well as live in Florida for half the year. More chance ats faster rates would certainly be accomplished if teams of shot providers might target such communities. Notices might be sent to proprietors outlining days and times, section by area, suggesting when each apartment occupant can obtain a shot. A short journey from the front door to the club where the shots will certainly be given at each individual's selected time would lead to shots easily and easily obtained.

Below in West Boynton, there has been no initiative to immunize us who are homebound. The Johnson and Johnson one-shot does not require the extreme refrigeration and also can be established in a mobile system to immunize the homebound individuals in our Ponte Vecchio West area. Don't we count ??

More firms boycott Brunei over anti-gay regulations

London( CNN) A British television awards show and also a Swiss-owned travel agency have actually joined an expanding boycott of services owned by the kingdom of Brunei, after the country carried out brand-new regulations making gay sex and also adultery punishable by stoning to death.

television Choice publication revealed on Twitter that the yearly television Option Honors would no more happen at London's Dorchester Hotel, which runs under the Dorchester Collection brand, a deluxe chain owned by the Sultan of Brunei.

London-based paper the Financial Times likewise claimed in a tale on its site that it would certainly terminate a prepared event at the Dorchester Hotel as well as would not use any various other Dorchester Collection resorts.

Deutsche Financial institution introduced in a statement that its staff members would certainly no longer utilize Dorchester resorts on company business. \"The new legislations presented by Brunei breach the most basic human rights, as well as our company believe it is our duty as a firm to do something about it against them,\" the financial investment's chief risk policeman Stuart Lewis said.

\" We are pleased to sustain LGBTIQ legal rights around the globe, and as part of this we regularly examine our organization partnerships to ensure that they are lined up with this concept.\"

STA Travel, which focuses on travel for students as well as youths, created on Twitter that it would no more offer flights on Brunei's nationwide service provider, Royal Brunei Airlines, \"in protest at current modifications to the law in Brunei.\"

\" We're proud of our open and also varied society and also we anticipate our partners to show the same,\" STA Travel informed CNN in a declaration. \"We've taken this position to include our voice to the calls on Brunei to reverse this modification in the law as well as on behalf of LGBTQI people anywhere.\"

Consumers that have currently purchased trips on Royal Brunei Airlines will certainly be refunded if they no more wish to fly with them, STA Traveling stated. CNN has gotten in touch with the Dorchester Collection and also Royal Brunei Airlines for remark.

Brunei, a tiny country on the island of Borneo, first revealed the brutal new anti-LGBT regulations in 2014, as well as they entered into impact on April 3.

Celebs consisting of actor George Clooney, comedian Ellen DeGeneres, musician Elton John and also tennis celebrity Billie Jean King have asked for a boycott of 9 resorts had by the nation, which also include Resort Bel-Air and the Beverly Hills Resort in Los Angeles, Principe di Savoia in Milan as well as Le Meurice in Paris.

In a viewpoint item for home entertainment news website Deadline, Clooney composed: \"Every time we remain at, or take meetings at or eat at any one of these 9 resorts we are placing money straight right into the pockets of males that choose to rock and also whip to death their very own residents for being gay or charged of infidelity.

\" We need to do something now,\" DeGeneres composed on Instagram. \"Elevate your voices now. Get the word out. Rise up.\"

In a declaration on its web site, the Dorchester Collection stated: \"We do not tolerate any kind of form of discrimination, we never have and also we never will.\"

\" We understand people's anger as well as stress but this is a political and spiritual issue that we do not believe must be played out in our hotels and also amongst our 3,630 workers,\" the statement proceeded.

\" We're deeply saddened by what's occurring today and also the influence it is having on our staff members, guests, companions as well as suppliers particularly. Our values are much gotten rid of from the national politics of possession.\"