Tag: civil rights

MAR 30, 2012 - A gay blogger has released a handwritten letter he received from Fiona Apple way back in 2000, when he was a 16 year old student in high school. He met her briefly before a show in 2000, and asked if she could write a thing or two in support of gay people for his work with the gay-straight alliance that he was a member of. Fiona did write a handwritten letter of support and got it to him within days. He remarks about it on his Tumblr blog and wants to finally thank her for "taking time out and being so thoughtful, especially for a lonely, weirdo like me". See the letter on Bill's Tumblr blog here. 
(photo credit Sara C/Wiki)

MAR 26, 2012 - Last Friday on March 23, 2012 in Tampa, Florida Bruce Springsteen performed his controversial song "American Skin (41 Bullets)", a song he had only performed twice before. The song was written back in 2000 and was about the horrible shooting death of Amadou Diallo, who was shot by police 41 times when he was taking out his wallet. When Bruce performed the song in Atlanta back in 2000, the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association called for the boycott of Bruce Springsteen when he came to Madison Square Garden in NYC, where he sang the song again. The call for a boycott had no effect, Springsteen did an amazing 10-show run at MSG.

Many people are saying it is obvious the recent shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Florida last month inspired Springsteen to perform the song again. Millions of people and us here at JTMP have been shocked and horrified by the hunting down and murdering of a young man, and that the murderer is free. There is a petition over at Change.org with over 2 million signatures calling for the prosecution of the killer. The lines from the song unfortunately show in America you still can get shot for the color of your skin:

Well, is it a gun, is it a knife 
Is it a wallet, this is your life 
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) 
No secret my friend 
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

Listen to audio of the performance of "American Skin (41 Shots)" below.

MAR 23, 2012 - UPDATE: JTMP earlier reported on the anti-gay band Junkyard Prophet that put on a a hate-filled attack on the LBGT community at a high school and shocking the students who were unable to leave. (Watch the video below). The principal of Dunkerton High School facing heavy pressure resigned his position, but tried to assert he was leaving the position anyway for a superintendents position. Yeah right. A promotion for him? Turns out the band has spouted their hate at the school several times before.

Junkyard Prophet is part of this hate "ministry" called "You Can Run But You Cannot Hide" where they set up tables and pass out flyers filled with hateful attacks on the LBGT community, and they even vowed to return to Dunkertown, Iowa after getting all the heat following their tirade at the school back on March 8. The Dunkerton Community Hall board of directors denied them access, and the superintendent says they will NOT be performing at the school. "It won't be here" said school superintendent Jim Stanton. They ended up meeting Dunkerton parents at a church and tried to "explain themselves".

Bradlee Dean, founder of You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, clearly lays out their anti-gay, anti-equality stance on the ministry's website: "...we cannot accept the proposal that homosexuality is either private or moral." They also ridiculously assert that the gay community "is nothing but a political opportunity to the liberals".

MAR 15, 2012 - Musician Miley Cyrus Tweeted a pic the other day about science, stardust, and the scientific part of the origin of life, and angered her Christian Twitter followers. The Tweeted pic had a quote from Canadian-American theoretical physicist Professor Lawrence Krauss that said, "...forget Jesus. Stars died so you can live." (see Tweet and full quote below) After angering many of her religious and Christian followers, she responded with the famous Einstein quote, "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind". 

Miley Cyrus continues to be brave and take a stand for equality and tolerance by ReTweeting NOH8 Campaign Tweets, and now she takes a stand for science and facts, and didn't back down when attacked for her beliefs and free thought by religious extremists.

MAR 5, 2012 - Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta have launched the "Born This Way Foundation", a non-profit based out of Harvard University with a mission to stop bullying against the LBGT community in our schools and society. In a statement Lady Gaga said, "My mother and I have initiated a passion project. We call it the Born This Way Foundation. Together we hope to establish a standard of Bravery and Kindness, as well as a community worldwide that protects and nurtures others in the face of bullying and abandonment."

A "Born To Be Brave" bus will follow her current North American tour, to help spread awareness on this issue. A kick-off event was held on February 29, 2012, and along with Lady Gaga speaking, there was Oprah and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and others. Connect on Facebook with JTMP and Born This Way, and watch the video below of the event.