Monroe County Pride Alliance - Tennessee

Social media enables the spread of misinformation through echo chambers and algorithmic filtering. We need to be aware of how echo chambers influence our exposure to certain information and play a role in forming our worldview. To learn more, visit the newest page on our website about the psychology of misinformation: https://mentalimmunityproject.org/the-psychological-science-of-misinformation/

"Vance's record is one of homophobia and transphobia. Here are some of the highlights — or lowlights — compiled with the help of GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, and others."

JD Vance's horrendous record of homophobia and transphobia Donald Trump's vice-presidential pick hasn't been a senator long — but he's been in the public eye long enough to accrue a strongly anti-LGBTQ+ record.

We unequivocally condemn all forms of political violence and the incendiary rhetoric that incites it.

Silicon Chip Pioneer, Trans Activist Lynn Conway Remembered

Lynn Conway, a renowned computer scientist received an honorary Doctor of science degree during the Syracuse University’s Commencement in May, died June 9 in Michigan. She was 86.

Conway revolutionized global information technology by inventing methods for designing Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) silicon chips.

As a young engineer at IBM Research in the 1960s, Conway made pioneering innovations in computer architecture. IBM fired her in 1968 upon learning she was undergoing gender transition. She restarted her career in a new identity in “stealth-mode” after completing her transition.

While working at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s, Conway innovated breakthrough methods that enabled engineers to design very powerful, complex chips. In 1980, Conway’s seminal textbook “Introduction to VLSI Systems,” co-authored by Caltech Professor Carver Mead, became an instant classic, forever transforming computing and information technology. The late John V. Oldfield, then a professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), brought the new VLSI methods to Syracuse right at the beginning of that revolution.

In the early 1980s, Conway became assistant director for strategic computing at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In 1985 she joined the University of Michigan as professor of electrical engineering and computer science and associate dean of engineering.

When nearing retirement in 1999 she began quietly coming out as a trans woman, using her new website to share her story with friends and colleagues. Conway became active in transgender advocacy.

“Lynn made this world a better place in so many ways. Her work on VLSI revolutionized microelectronic education and manufacturing, and her advocacy for women and transgender people was courageous and important,” says ECS Dean Cole Smith. “She was a role model to many, and she helped to broaden the image of what an engineer or a computer scientist looks like. I am incredibly grateful that we had the chance to honor her at Syracuse University and recognize her for the tremendous impact she made.”

In 2012 Conway published a memoir that revealed how—closeted and hidden behind the scenes—she conceived the ideas and orchestrated the events that disruptively changed global industries.

Conway was a life fellow of the IEEE, fellow of the AAAS, winner of Computer Pioneer Award of the IEEE Computer Society, member of the Hall of Fellows of the Computer History Museum, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and held several honorary degrees. In 2023 she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for the invention of VLSI. She was awarded the James Clerk Maxwell Medal by the IEEE and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

In 2020, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna apologized on behalf of the company for IBM’s treatment of Conway back in 1968. She was also awarded the IBM Lifetime Achievement Award.

The concentration camps…

Or it coincides with their BIASES AND PREJUDICES.

“Every society has its protectors of status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.“

— Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Polls show nearly three-quarters of Americans, including 49% of Republicans and a majority of regular churchgoers, support same-sex marriage. And for good reason: A comprehensive new research report by the Rand organization finds that the consequences of two decades of legal same-sex marriage have been broadly positive for gay and straight Americans alike.

The researchers, who surveyed the existing literature and conducted their own analysis, could find no negative effects on straight couples’ rates of marriage, divorce or cohabitation as states legalized same-sex marriage. In fact, the effect on different-sex marriages was slightly positive. Meanwhile, same-sex couples saw a range of improved outcomes, such as greater health and financial security.

“Overall, the fears of opponents of same-sex marriage simply have not come to pass,” said the study’s co-author, Benjamin R. Karney, a Rand researcher and UCLA psychology professor.

Learn more about the study...

Benefits of Access to Same-Sex Marriage Are Unambiguously Positive In 20 years of extending marriage to same-sex couples in the United States, evidence suggests that the consequences have been consistently positive for same-sex couples and LGBT individuals, their children, and the general public. And there have been no negative effects on marriage or divorce among....

"Becoming an instrument of peace requires intellectual humility to seek first to understand… It’s remarkable what [researchers] are telling us about intellectual humility. They show a positive correlation between intellectual humility and traits like concern for the welfare of others, greater altruism, the capacity to build bridges among diverse people, the possibility of looking at others with greater tolerance, less political extremism and always looking with less contempt or disgust or anger toward those with whom we disagree."

- Lee C. Camp, No Small Endeavor: Live [November 2023]

In 1870, Julia Ward Howe, after witnessing the carnage of the American Civil War and the start of the Franco-Prussian War, she wrote the original Mother's Day Proclamation calling upon the women of the world to unite for peace. This "Mother's Day Proclamation" would plant the seed for what would eventually become a national holiday.

Arise then…women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
“We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”

From the bosom of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: “Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.”
Blood does not wipe out dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace…
Each bearing after her own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God –
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.
~ the original Mother’s Day Proclamation, 1870, by Julia Ward Howe

REDUCING PREJUDICE IMPROVES EVERYONE'S HEALTH & WELL-BEING!

Prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community is detrimental to the well-being of both those expressing it and those subjected to it.

A study by Mark L Hatzenbuehler et al. published in the Feb 2014 issue of the American Journal of Public Health found that heterosexuals who reported higher levels of antigay prejudice had higher mortality risk than those who reported lower levels, translating into a life expectancy difference of approximately 2.5 years between individuals with high versus low levels of antigay prejudice. Furthermore, antigay prejudice was specifically associated with increased risk of cardiovascular-related causes of death.

The findings contribute to a growing body of research suggesting that reducing prejudice may improve the health of both minority and majority populations.

Anti-Gay Prejudice and All-Cause Mortality Among Heterosexuals in the United States Objectives. We determined whether individuals who harbor antigay prejudice experience elevated mortality risk.Methods. Data on heterosexual sexual orientation (n = 20 226, aged 18–89 years), antigay attitudes, and mortality ...

The belief that biology creates two types of humans is invoked in a range of attempts to mandate and enforce how humans should behave. By recognizing the true diversity of the human experience, humanity can embrace an expansive and multifaceted way of envisioning and experiencing human nature. This outlook is more conducive to respect and flourishing.

- Agustín Fuentes is a professor of anthropology at Princeton University

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/biological-science-rejects-the-sex-binary-and-that-s-good-for-humanity-70008

HOMOPHOBIA IS A FEAR OF LOVE!

At its core, homophobia reflects a deep fear of love in all its forms. It suggests an apprehension toward the diversity of human expression and an unwillingness to accept love in its many manifestations. By fearing same-sex relationships, individuals are, in essence, fearing the expression of love itself.

Moreover, this fear of love inhibits individuals from fully experiencing life. Love is a fundamental aspect of the human experience, essential for personal growth, fulfillment, and connection with others. When one fears love, particularly in the context of same-sex relationships, they limit their own capacity for empathy, understanding, and acceptance.

In dealing with our homophobia and dropping the barriers to love, society and the church can move towards a more inclusive and compassionate understanding of human relationships. Embracing love in all its forms is not only a rejection of fear but also an affirmation of life and its inherent diversity.

There are many misconceptions regarding feminism. For a deeper understanding of one of the most influential persons in the movement, I recommend watching this program on PBS, Becoming bell hooks. Feminism is for everyone!

Becoming bell hooks | Episode 1 | PBS Explore the life and legacy of Kentucky-born author bell hooks.

Mark your calendars! Sweetwater Pride will be held on June 15th!

This year is going to be incredible and we can’t wait to see you all there!🏳️‍🌈

More details to come in the following weeks⭐️

"The single biggest thing I learned was from an indigenous elder of Cherokee descent, Stan Rushworth, who reminded me of the difference between a Western settler mindset and "I have rights" and an indigenous mindset of "I have obligations". Instead of thinking that I am born with rights, I choose to think that I am born with obligations to serve past, present and future generations, and the planet herself."

Today is Transgender Day of Visibility. We celebrate and give thanks for our trans siblings today! Transgender people come from every region of the world, from every racial and ethnic background, and from every faith community, including yours! Transgender people are our classmates, our coworkers, our neighbors, and our friends. With approximately 1.4 million transgender adults in the United States—and millions more around the world—chances are that you've met a transgender person, even if you don't know it.

Learn more: https://transequality.org/issues/resources/frequently-asked-questions-about-transgender-people

Historical le***an Anne Lister married Ann Walker on March 30, 1834 at Holy Trinity Church in York, England. Some say it's the first recorded le***an wedding in history. Lister’s affirmation of her le***an sexuality was matched by strong Christian faith.

Anne Lister had historic le***an church wedding in 1834 Historical le***an Anne Lister married Ann Walker on March 30, 1834 at Holy Trinity Church in York, England. Some say it's the first recorded le***an wedding in history. Lister’s affirmation of her le***an sexuality was matched by strong Christian faith.

This sounds interesting. "Starts With Us" claims to empower Americans with the skills to overcome toxic polarization and engage across our differences to move our country forward.

"Research shows that a person will permit themselves to be known when they believes their audience is a individual of goodwill. Self-disclosure follows an attitude of love and trust. If I love someone, not only do I strive to know them; I also display my love by letting them know me. At the same time, by doing so I permit them to love me. But, loving is scary, because when you permit yourself to be known you expose yourself not only to a lover's balm, but also to the hater's bombs!" (Sidney M. Jourard)