Vangsness has been out since 2007, when she came out to the broader audience on a blog relating to the series.

Ms Vangsness, according to the IMDB, first broke into acting in a Dr. Pepper commercial. She later went on to other roles, of course, but had a lot of different day jobs before even then. She spent time as a child councilor, a substitute teacher, a grand writer and a murder mystery theater actress. She is a member of the NOTE theater in Los Angeles. She continues to perform there.

Now in its fifth season, Criminal Minds has had a few nail biters with Vangsness’ character Penelope Garcia. In a two part episode, Garcia was shot and almost died after a predator thought that she had stumbled upon a series of crimes that the man had been committing. In that episode, Garcia met someone who paralleled her own life in a character played by Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Nicholas Brendon.

Over all, Ms Vangsness gives the impression of a very private person. Of course, we in the LGBT Community are always happy to have one of our own who is open about their sexuality. We wish her the best in her career and in her marriage.

In brief remarks from the Rose Garden yesterday, the president said the 220-215 House vote brings the country closer than it’s ever been to a health care overhaul and stated the “historic” passage of the House version of the Health Care Bill marked a “courageous vote” for many representatives, given the toxicity of the debate surrounding the bill, and predicted that lawmakers will view the eventual signing of the legislation as their “finest moment” in public service.

“Now it falls on the United States Senate to take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people. And I’m absolutely confident that they will,” said Obama.

Conveniently however, Obama made no reference to the Stupak-Pitts amendment in his remarks.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment will prohibit federal funds from being used for abortion services in any health exchange, public or private and prevents private insurance companies from receiving government subsidies if they cover abortions.

Many Health Care bill advocates, in an effort to bamboozle woman in to supporting this bill, are currently trying to sell a line of BULL CRAP saying that federal funding of abortion is already covered in current law and this amendment changes nothing.

But this is NOT the truth, as currently most private insurers cover reproductive health related services and that practice would cease if Stupak’s amendment remains in a finalized version of any legislation.

Those advocates are also saying that women could purchase a separate, single service rider to cover abortion related expenses. But no woman plans for an UNPLANNED pregnancy or one that has serious complications that would ultimately call for an abortion.

Under the mandates of the House version of the Health Care Bill all American citizens will be FORCED to participate, but women who are currently covered with reproductive health services under their current policies will now be FORCED to pay more for those services. This despite President Obama repeatedly saying, “If you like your health plan, you can keep it, the only thing that will change is that you’ll pay less.”

Right-wingers are hailing the passage of the Stupak measure “as a victory for the pro-life Americans across this country who have flooded Congress this week with the message that abortion does not belong in health care.”

The Human Rights Campaign is taking no notice of at all of the passage of Stupak on it web site and is saying the House Bill “a tremendous advance for the health needs of LGBT people,” conveniently ignoring the fact the “L” in LGBT are women who are being stripped of rights by this “tremendous advance.”

There are rumors on Capitol Hill that President Obama promised Henry Waxman Saturday that he will “personally” work to remove the Stupak language in conference…

From experience… I am sure Obama will “personally” work on Stupak the same way he has so far “personally” worked on the repeal of DOMA and DADT.

Over the weekend I have talked to many in the LBGT community trying to enlist their support in defeating Stupak… Unfortunately most have told me that while they don’t like Stupak and think it is wrong, they are willing to accept Stupak if it gets them a health care bill and a win for Obama ….

Many have told me I need to look at the bigger picture on this issue

Easy enough to say since many of those folks saying this will never have a need of or even the possibility to need any of the services being taken away from women by Stupak. And they need me to pay for THEIR health care.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Strict Abortion Ban Included In House Health Care Bill (huffingtonpost.com)

I’m also one of those people who won’t support the Salvation Army or the Boy Scouts because they actively discriminate against LGBT persons (and sometimes receive public funds to do so).  Walking by the red kettles is incredibly difficult. I feel like a complete jerk until I think of my sisters and brothers feelings when they experience the institutional discrimination these groups practice. I smile because the bell ringer isn’t to blame for institutional policies (probably not) and wish them a Happy Holiday as I walk past.

Finding an organization to support during the holidays that embraces the LGBT community requires some effort, but it can be a way to make your holiday donation go a little further toward helping our community – you might “adopt” the family with the gay child or your might simply help stretch the dollars of an organization that invests $$ into domestic partner benefits.

So what do you do?

First, ask.  More than a few of your LGBT friends (and allies) probably work for non-profits.  Ask if their organizations have holiday projects and then ask about the “LGBT-friendliness” of the organization.  Not only do you get firsthand insight, you have the added bonus of supporting the work of your friend.  As a supervisor, I certainly appreciate staff who invest their energy into helping me find donors for these particular projects.

Second, take a look at the LGBT focused organizations in your community.  They have food pantries and clothing closets and all sorts of projects that could benefit from your holiday support.  Google, phone book or local pink pages can lead you to an organization directly serving our community.  Maybe a few bags of groceries or office supplies isn’t what you have in mind, but you never know how you can make an impact.

Third, look for indicators.  When you google “giving tree” and your city name, find a contact and ask pointed questions.  Does the organization include sexual orientation and gender identity in their non-discrimination policy?  Do they offer domestic partner benefits?  Do they serve LGBT consumers?  I never shy away from questions and I’ve had no problem redirecting people to other holiday projects that are a better fit for their vision.  Some of this information may be available via their website or printed materials if you prefer to do the research.  Or it should be available, right?  If it matters.

Finally, use the power of Google.  Look in the local paper for recent stories about human service agencies.  Check out the blogs and Facebook for events spearheaded by LGBT civic groups and find out who they benefit. Conversely, see what the local LGBT performers and artists are doing and to benefit what groups.

The most important recommendation I can make is to please find a way to give.  Yes, it certainly makes a difference in the lives of those on the receiving end.  But having run holiday projects for several years, I can personally attest that the benefits of giving transcend the effort you may invest to find the right match.  I’ve seen the sheer joy when a carload of officemate pull up, jump out and start unloading.  Their care with wrapping, their careful designation of which gift belongs to which recipient and their shared pleasure are far and away some of the best moments of the year.

You might organize your office, your book club or even your immediate family to do a collective project or simply reach out on your own.  Organizations having Giving Trees, Adopt a Family, Food Basket and many other projects available.  Don’t be afraid to suggest your own.  I have a group of students who won’t be in town during the holidays, but they came up with the idea of preparing “stocking stuffers” that we can distribute during our party.  Another local restaurant is donating turkeys for our group homes to prepare a holiday meal, while staff contribute small gift items to help us ensure everyone has something to open.

It feels good to help other people.

*************************************************************************************************

Sue Kerr works for Pittsburgh based Community Human Services Corporation which is very active with the local LGBT community, particularly those experiencing homelessness or mental illness.  For more information on their holiday projects, visit  http://www.chscorp.org//Holiday%20Giving.html Feel free to “ask” her via email skerr@chscorp.org.

My problem here is that a press release was sent out initially making very harsh allegations against the campground and town with no further information provided. A brief round of response from the campground, one denial by the campground owner and a Georgia Lesbian activist via Southern Voice, a long delay in hearing from the event organizer, and then nothing. It seems that legal should have given the advice to “keep quiet” prior to the sending of the initial press release. Bottom line here is that an issue of safety at GLBT events is the issue we can and must address. All too many times I have seen our community members rush off to events with out a care or even slight investigation regarding security and or local attitudes toward our community. Of course they believed it was a safe event as sponsored by and or for the GLBT community.

That is not a good idea as this situation has defined. In my opinion it is the responsibility of the organizer and the host to insure such safety. No where did I see any information indicating a conversation about security and local attitudes took place on either side. Nor is the issue of how a permit was to be obtained addressed. In cases where I have been involved in the planning of such events, if permits are required it is a pretty cut and dried procedure. Complete with deadline dates, limits and coverage, as well as costs. Events I have been involved with have always shown it to be the organizer’s responsibility to obtain necessary required permits. I am not saying it is above belief that a small town would have more casually applied rules, just not something I have experienced in small or large towns.

All the information submitted is below for your edification. There are two sides to every story. Sadly we do not have any real answers. This casts a light of doubt over the organizer and campground for me. As pointed out in several posts in several topic/blog areas; there were no cameras at this event? In this day of cell phone cameras it seems we catch photos of everything from police actions to cute animal tricks. But none from this event. The organizer should have had information on any prior problems as well. If not offered by the host, then an investigation should have been initiated by the organizer. I also could not find an artist or attendee who would collaborate either side. So all information other than from “Carolyn Bowden, president of First City Network in Savannah, Ga., the oldest LGBT group in the state, said she was there and saw nothing of what Blankenship is claiming in her press release.” is from statements issued by both sides.

I would have preferred to see both sides sit down and go through some needed research.
How did it happen? Why did it happen? How can we prevent this from occurring again? This would have been of huge benefit to organizers and our community as a whole. As that did not occur we at this time are left to our own determinations. So be it. My recommendation is that before you attend any event or go on any trip to an unfamiliar location, investigate first! Sadly that is my recommendation with regard to events by either party in this case. As we have not been provided with answers, seek them yourself. Check on security, get details. Check local attitudes and laws. Not just through the host or organizer, check with the town and local businesses. Neither of the parties involved should expect any less. The shadow of doubt was cast by the involved parties themselves by not providing adequate information in a timely and complete manner.

I have made this same recommendation to those using travel agencies. In checking that area, I found many “community” travel agencies do not provide information to clients on local attitudes, local laws, and dangers pertinent to the GLBT community. That being said, what is the reason for using a community agency? Shouldn’t this information be automatic? So ask your agent before booking that trip. Make your safety and enjoyment level your priority, and a more secure and enjoyable time will be had by all.

——————————————————————————–

Below is what was received in chronological order.

Subject: Press Release: GA Women’s Festival Shut Down-Incident Report
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 14:59:56 +0000 (GMT)
From: Vicki Blankenship
Official Indiegrrl Women in the Arts Press Release:

Georgia Women’s Festival Shut Down – Incident Report

My name is Vicki Blankenship and I am the volunteer president of Indiegrrl Women in the Arts, Inc a non profit that works to create networking, educational, and showcasing opportunities for women in the arts. Indiegrrl does not discriminate against religion, race, sexuality, age, political views or anything else and accepts all women involved in the arts to participate in our programs and events. We work to build community type events to bring awareness to women in the arts and to raise monies for various charities and are presently working to raise funds to build a facility that will hold children’s music and art camps and songwriting/music retreats and workshops for adults. The prospective location for this facility is Mineral Bluff, GA which borders NC and is very close to TN.

Indiegrrl has produced many festivals in the southeast that were community events as well as showcases in venues all around the United States showcasing various female music acts, comedians, spoken word artists, and local artisans selling their arts and crafts. We have also produced 2 national music conferences, one in Spencer, VA in August 2008
and one in Nashville, TN in August 2009. We have future goals to produce many more events. All of these events have been welcomed with open arms in the communities in which they were held, accept for the very last event we produced this month on October 2, 3, 4 in Tattnall County, GA. This event was the first festival event that we produced as
a weekend event for women only ages 18 and up and was called the Georgia Women’s Festival. This event had the soul purpose to create a safe environment for a weekend of celebration in sisterhood through music and art, no matter what your religion, political view, ethnic race, or sexual views were. It was also a fund raiser to help bring in funds to
go toward the construction of bunk houses for the facility we plan to build in Mineral Bluff, GA. Roy’s Hideaway Campground located in Tattnall County Georgia between Reidsville and Collins Georgia was the hosting site for this festival and is a gay and lesbian 21 year old and up membership campground.

On two occasions prior to the festival taking place on October 2 to 4, campground owner Roy McLeroy tried going through the proper channels on finding out if we needed an event permit and if so to obtain the permit for the event to take place on his campground. He was told by the on duty deputies of Tattnall County Sheriff’s department that he did not need to obtain a permit since it was private property and also a membership campground and that Indiegrrl the producer of the event was a non profit organization. The second time he tried to obtain the permit was Thursday morning October 1, 2009 and he was told the exact same thing.

The GA Women’s Festival music was scheduled to begin on October 2 at 2:00pm and was advertised on both the campground website as well as the Indiegrrl website and event flyers. Our first two Friday music acts canceled the day before the event due to illness so the music was rescheduled to start at 4:00pm but we did not change the schedules on
our websites. At 3:00pm two local deputies arrived on site telling owner Roy McLeroy and our event sound engineer Steve Wolfe that neighbors of the campground had phoned in a complaint that the music was too loud and we would have to turn it down. Roy and Steve informed the deputies that the music had not even started and was not starting until
4:00pm. The deputies verified that no music was being played on the stage and that the stage was not even fully set up yet and the deputies left the premises. At 10:30pm that same night four cars full of deputies returned to the campground and told us we would have to stop the music. We were told in front of many witnesses whose names and contact info we have, that we could go get a permit at 10:00am, Saturday morning, at the Tattnall Sheriff Department from Captain Bradley and we could resume our event on Saturday after getting the permit. With the permit we would be allowed to play music until midnight. The deputies stated they had lots of complaints about the noise and a permit would allow us to over ride the complaints. After the deputies left the premises, people lined up outside the fenced perimeter of the campground and began yelling obscenities at the festival attendees and chanted “F___ing Queers go home”. One neighboring piece of property had cars line up in a field that separated the properties between them and the campground and shined their car headlights down into the campground, blared loud music from their car speakers, and proceeded to fire guns down into the pond areas in the campground. 911 calls were made to the Tattnall County Sheriff Department to come put a stop to this but nothing got stopped. I personally never saw a police vehicle respond to the area with the cars shining their headlights down on us and my cabin was 30 feet from the pond they were shooting into. This went on until 4:00am when they finally stopped.

On Saturday morning campground owner Roy McLeroy, his mother Dorothy, Steve Wolfe our sound engineer and I went to the Tattnall County Sheriff Department and asked for Captain Bradley to obtain our permit. We were told it was his day off so we asked if they would phone him to come in and explained out situation. When Captain Bradley arrived he walked past us and sat behind the window opening at the entrance. I extended my hand for him to shake as I introduced myself and he refused to shake my hand all the while as he kept his arms crossed and seemed to be very
irritated. I gave him our non profit brochure and our non profit federal number and asked if we could get the permit the deputies the night before had told us to get from him so we could resume our event today. He pushed the papers aside and told me he told them to shut us down and no he would not give us a permit. I explained that the deputies had told me in front of many witnesses that Captain Bradley would give us a permit so we could resume our fund raising festival on Saturday. I asked him on what grounds was he refusing us a permit. He said he would not give us a permit and again I questioned him as to why not. He stated “I just am not going to do it.” I asked to see a magistrate judge and Captain Bradley told me there was not one on duty and told me “leave the premises right now.” I then stated that I wanted to see a magistrate judge to know my rights on their laws and ordinances on event permits, noise restrictions, and event guidelines. At that point Captain Bradley demanded that I leave the premises and advised campground owner Roy McLeroy to make me leave the premises. I then stated that I have a right to stand on public property and that I was not breaking any laws and that I had the right to see in writing the laws and ordinances governing events and noise restrictions in their county. Captain Bradley, who was out of uniform and refused to give me his first name when I asked him, walked off again yelling “Roy take her out of here before I lock her up.” I told Captain Bradley he had no grounds to lock me up that no laws were being broken and that I would leave but I would find the proper authorities to find out the Tattnall County ordinances and laws. I also questioned him why the harassment from the people outside the campground toward the festival attendees was not stopped during the night along with the gun fire after numerous 911
calls were made. He said “We took care of that” and I stated “Well obviously not because it went on for 5 hours until 4:00am”. He again yelled “Roy get her out of here”. I then went to the parking lot and began making phone calls along with Steve Wolfe to try to find out the county ordinances. Inside the precinct Captain Bradley told Roy McLeroy
and Dorothy “Ms Blankenship better watch her back while driving out of this county or she might find herself locked up in my jail.” This was a verbal threat on my safety and well being.

We returned to the campground and gathered everyone and I made an announcement to the festival attendees that we were not granted the permit that the officers on Friday night told us we could get and that the stage could not resume with music. We then started phoning various county offices including the Sheriff’s department to find out what the county noise ordinance was and we were told several different answers including 9:00pm, 10:00pm, 2:00pm, and All Day. 30 minutes after returning to the campground the magistrate judge drove up. I then questioned him on the ordinances and questioned Captain Bradley’s behavior. His direct comment to me was “Well you know how small towns are and Captain Bradley is a good old boy and a pretty good officer.” I then stated “I only know about the small towns that go by their ordinances and laws that are on the books and that do not make up laws as they go along, and where police officers did not threaten people who were just asking to know their rights and to see those laws and
ordinances in writing.” The magistrate apologized for Captain Bradley’s behavior and stated he did not think we had to have a permit because the campground was private property in the county and a membership campground. He then walked away and phoned Sheriff Quinton Rush and came back and told me we could not go on with our event and that he would not issue us a permit.

At 8:00pm that night people once again lined up outside the campground fence line and resumed yelling obscenities at us and were chanting the same “F___ing Queers go home”. Once again the loud music, headlights from the cars, and the shooting of firearms into the ponds and into the air resumed until 5:00am on Sunday morning. Again 911 phone calls were made and nothing got stopped. The women in the campground were literally crying in their tents and cabins afraid for their lives and the Tattnall County Sheriff Department did not respond to or stop the harassment.

Indiegrrl had no prior knowledge that the neighboring community had harsh feelings towards Roy’s Hideaway Campground and had acted out against them in the past. We would not have organized an event at this facility if prior knowledge had existed. We in no way would put festival attendees in any danger by holding an event in a possible
hostile environment. We will not hold any more events at this facility in the future nor in the county of Tattnall. We do want to make the public aware of the unjust treatment that existed for this event and the harassment that did take place. Events that we produce bring monies to the local area including hotel rentals, restaurant revenues, gas and grocery revenues and more. Our goal at Indiegrrl is to create fun community events that benefit the attendees, the community, and the artists participating. Indiegrrl is still exploring our options on legal proceedings with this situation. It is unacceptable for this type of blatant harassment and prejudicial treatment to go on and the lives of US citizens to be put in jeopardy. There was a severe and open violation of civil rights on offering equal protection by the law in Tattnall County. This violation of safety was not a gay thing or a straight thing it was a human thing and a violation of human safety and human rights occurred.

Contact Info:
Vicki Blankenship
Indiegrrl Women in the Arts, Inc.
P.O. Box 4021
Martinsville, VA 24115

——————————————————————————–

Article in Southern Voice. on 10-8-2009 http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=27567#

——————————————————————————–

From Freddy Freeman 10-9-2009
Events and Promotions Director Roy’s Hideaway Campground

Dear Outvoicers;
There has been a lot of stuff going around about the recent events concerning Indiegrrl and Roy’s Hideaway. As the new Events Director , I am releasing a statement on Roy’s behalf. I was not at the event, but based upon my experiences there and the testimony of Roy, and a number of guests, I do not believe events occurred as alleged and do not believe anyone’s safety was at risk. I do however want to make it clear to Outvoice that we do support the mission of Indiegrrl and are committed to providing a safe environment for all of our community, and opportunities for all of its performing artists.

My Statement Below:

We are so sorry that Vicki Blankenship has had a negative experience in Tattnall County while holding an event at our facility; however the actual details of what occurred are unclear, and there have been conflicting accounts. Our main concern has always been to make sure that all of our guests feel safe, secure and respected. We have and will continue to work with local authorities to ensure our guests’ continued safety.

We are aware that there was some confusion over permits and noise levels, but the engineer was asked to lower the volume numerous times, but did not comply with the requests. The event was not fully shut down, as performances
continued poolside. Many of the women who attended have expressed how much they enjoyed themselves despite not being able to have amplified music.

Mr. McLeroy and other guests did not witness or experience the alleged harassment, but of course the safety of our guests is of utmost concern. Roy has met with Tattnall County Sheriff Quinton Rush, who has once again pledged his support, and also guaranteed permits for future events and even offered to post two deputies, if requested, at our larger events to ensure everyone’s safety. Mr. McLeroy has spent considerable time developing relationships with the community and has the full support of the Sherriff’s Office, Magistrates, Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations, who have all once again pledged their support of Roy’s Hideaway.

I have held events at Roy’s Hideaway and spent considerable time there getting to know Roy and his family, and I have also been into the community with Roy. I have never experienced anything but support and friendliness from anyone I have encountered. I held a very successful gay men’s music event with a number of musical acts there in August and we all had such a great time and never once felt threatened in any way. My friend (openly gay) singer-songwriter Charles K. Brown was even invited to play at the local Wiregrass Festival in Reidsville and had a wonderful time and was well received by the crowd. A local straight owned restaurant has also opened its doors during off hours to accommodate parties from Roy’s Hideaway.

The impression left on me by Roy and his establishment is so great that I am moving there to join his family and work on creating unique events and programs for the Campground. I have been involved in the LGBT music community for 8 years, doing conferences, festivals and other community activism. I am uprooting my whole life to be a part of his team, because I feel like it is a great place to build something positive for our community.

We are interested in what we can create for our community. I am looking forward to the opportunities a place like Roy’s Hideaway can give to LGBT people in South Georgia. In our experience, we are establishing a great relationship with the surrounding community. Local officials have expressed their desire to continue to work with us and show their support, so I think we should all try to turn this into a positive thing for our community. Please join us in creating positive change for all of us by working with the County and supporting Roy’s Hideaway. LGBT people of Georgia will be better
off if we accept the County’s offer of continued support and create new allies instead of enemies. Roy has worked hard to create something positive for all of us and I don’t want to see it fail because of a misunderstanding, especially when community leaders are so eager to fix the perceived problems. Wouldn’t it be nice to read articles about how local officials are supporting an LGBT campground and helping to combat homophobia and any other form of discrimination? If anyone has any questions about the campground, the surrounding community or anything else, please feel free to contact us, or visit our website at www.royshideaway.com

Freddy Freeman
Events and Promotions Director
Roy’s Hideaway Campground

——————————————————————————–

Final statement from Freddy Freeman 10-13-2009
Events and Promotions Director
Roy’s Hideaway Campground
Len;

I’m sorry I have not had the opportunity to fully answer your questions. As you are aware, we are currently dealing with unsubstantiated allegations and threats of legal action. I would like to let you know that Roy’s Hideaway is committed to providing a safe, friendly, and warm environment for performers, attendees and community members and will be moving forward with our 2009/2010 schedule. We look forward to offering many LGBT performers opportunities to perform in the coming year. I’m sorry I could not offer more information at this time, but Thank You for your efforts to resolve this and get to the truth. I will let you know when I am able to offer any more information.

Freddy Freeman
Events and Promotions Director
Roy’s Hideaway Campground

——————————————————————————–

Final and only statement received from Vickie Blankenship on 10-14-2009

For the Record:
Indiegrrl stands behind our initial statement as to the incidences that occurred at the GA Women’s Festival. We are being advised by legal as to the best way to pursue this incidence if we do decide to continue with legal action. We have a list of witnesses who were at the festival and were at the Tattnall Sheriff Department and saw various incidences take place and they have come forth voluntarily. This list will not be disclosed by Indiegrrl at present until we decide if legal action will take place.

Sincerely,
Vicki Blankenship
President
Indiegrrl Women in the Arts
P.O. Box 4021
Martinsville, VA 24115

——————————————————————————–

That is all the information I have received to this date. I held this end information in anticipation that someone else would respond with more information. If you would like to comment and or provide information email me len@stonewallsociety.com  and I will post here.
Thanks, Len Rogers
OutVoice / StoneWall Society Network

As many already are aware, Maine’s population recently vetoed marriage equality in the state, instead choosing to hold fast to the traditional Judeo-Greco-Christian view of marriage rather than to allow other traditions to inform what marriage should be.

On the subject of Maine, Thomas K. Duane, the chief sponsor of the marriage equality bill before the Legislature: “Legislators in a representative democracy are not simply beholden to a fearful majority, but have a duty to lead and educate their constituents on the importance of enacting civil rights for all of its citizens.” Duane has stated repeatedly that he has the votes to get the bill passed, including a number of Republicans.

The return of State Representative Dierdre Scozzafava will mean that marriage equality will continue to have some Republican support. Scozzafava was pushed out of the recent race to replace John McHugh, who went on to be the Secretary of the Army. Scozzafava’s stance on marriage equality- she has twice voted for laws extending marriage to LGBT citizens- did not fuel the collapse of her campaign with voters, or so it appears. It was part of what lead to the recruitment of Doug Hoffman, and the Tea Party Faction’s decision to try and force her from the race.

Given the chaos of the New York 23 vote, the fallout regarding any state level race would be hard to fathom. In truth, while many may feel that it would have an impact, the fact that the organizations behind it are more focused upon the national rather than the local and state stages, they are more than likely to stay out of any attempt to oust a local candidate based upon a vote regarding marriage equality.

According to Governor Paterson, the marriage equality bill is unfinished business. There appears to be support for it, including the former State Senate Majority Caucus Leader John Sampson. Governor Paterson noted “Senator Sampson I’ve heard on occasion say that he thinks the bill can pass… My understanding is he’s a supporter.”

The head of the Empire State Pride Agenda noted that he and others are optimistic that this bill will pass. Alan Van Capelle “Based on my conversations with senators, they are planning on being in Albany next week. That said, the governor is still required to issue an extraordinary session calendar. Our community should rest assured we have full commitment from the governor that the marriage equality bill will be on the very first calendar.” Van Capelle noted that trying to instill fear of LGBT citizens in New York does not work quite so well anymore.

New York City was the site of the Stonewall Riots, which was the initial impetus towards the current LGBT Civil Rights Movement.

Duane, ESPA Ready For Prime Time

The reasoning behind Ms Scozzafava’s support of abortion and marriage equality are important to look at. Recently, Michael Smerconish interviewed Ms Scozzafava for his radio show. A transcript of the interview was posted at The Daily Beast. For the record, Mr. Smerconish is a Republican.

On the subject of abortion:

Smerconish: [What about social issues?]
Scozzafava: Well, taking pro-choice, I think it’s up to each individual.
Smerconish: Because you regard it as a matter of individual liberty?
Scozzafava: Absolutely.

Mr. Smerconish then asked about the Terry Schaivo case:

Smerconish: OK, and I take it from that that like me you thought that the federal government had no business getting involved in the Schiavo case?
Scozzafava: Correct.
Smerconish: Yeah, because that is a fundamentally conservative opinion, which is let people determine their own fate.
Scozzafava: That’s right. And the second issue, on marriage equality, I still believe again that each person has certain unalienable rights, that it’s a civil-rights issue. I think it’s important to have the separation of church and state, that church should not have to adopt anything they don’t believe in. So I also have very much over my career pushed for freedom of religion as well. But they aren’t talking about those cases that I was involved in. This comes down to a couple of issues, and then they twisted and spun a lot of other things around it.

Scozzafava points out that on all other issues, she is a direct line Conservative. From Cap and Trade to federal regulation, Ms Scozzafava is very Conservative. It is largely upon the issues of civil rights and the government’s intrusion into people’s lives that she disagrees. In many ways, Ms Scozzafava is far truer to her beliefs than most people who say “I don’t want the government involved in regulating businesses, but I want them meddling in people’s lives.”

In large part, Ms Scozzafava was ousted from the race because she is a pragmatist and a social progressive. She exists in one of those odd places along side small government Liberals where labels do not really work properly. Part of the problem is that many of these labels have been so twisted into knots that they do not really have meaning anymore, but the drive to purge the Republican Party of their more pragmatic, socially accepting voices is something that could, in the long run, result in the Republican Party being stuck in the political desert for some time to come.

After being ousted from the race, Ms Scozzafava endorsed her Democratic rival. In part, it might be explained by this quote: “I think the Republican Party needs to know if they don’t have room for us and they don’t want us working with them, we’re going to find a way to work against them.” In the end, Bill Owens won.

The push for ENDA is one that has been long ongoing. Like the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act, the move to provide employment protections for lesbians, gays, and transpeople is one that has had its ups and downs. ENDA was first introduced in 1994.

“No American should be denied a job or the opportunity to earn promotions, pay raises and other benefits of employment because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity, which have no bearing on work performance. No one should be fired because he or she
is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender,” Mr. Perez stated.

In many ways, ENDA would simply add to the protections already garnered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That law, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by Lyndon Johnson, has granted rights to people based upon race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Title VII makes it illegal to fire anyone who is of those categories. ENDA would simply extend those protections to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transpeople.

According to Mr. Perez, nearly one million LGBT citizens work in a variety of government jobs across the country, and another seven million in private sector jobs, and discrimination is rampant. Twenty-nine states provide no protection when it comes to employment.

The last of the big non-discrimination laws was the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Mr. Perez went on to detail three cases of discrimination with regards to sexual orientation, including a police officer who was assaulted by another officer who had come out as gay.

One question that Mr. Perez did not address was whether or not this law would impact Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, a law which is, in and of itself, discriminatory.

Mr. Perez concluded his testimony with “Lastly, there is nothing to suggest that ENDA will burden employers, unleash a flood of
complaints that would threaten to overwhelm the EEOC or the Department of Justice, or clog the federal courts. On the contrary, the experience of states and local governments with sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination statutes for decades demonstrates that complaints under these statutes make up a relatively small portion of total employment discrimination complaints.”

Laws like ENDA typically protect those who are the most vulnerable to discrimination. It does not end discrimination entirely, but does help to damp down the problem.

The current bill, which was submitted by Representative Barney Frank includes gender orientation.

Ms Brewer did a fine job reporting on the Maine election despite her own dislike of the outcome. She did not stop reporting on the outcome until late in the night, and was up and at work reporting again early the next morning. The people who are busy commenting upon his blog are already stating that she is a big supporter of our cause, and that most had either not noticed or not been offended by her wording.

Ms Brewer was a natural choice for this report. The thirty-five year old is from Parsonsfield, Maine in York County. This is her home state.

When Mr. Towle chose to go after Ms Brewer for her phrasing, he said simply that she had done some fine reporting. She did do some fine reporting. By backhandedly complimenting Ms Brewer, Mr. Towle is still condemning her for using a phrase that he does not agree with.

To Mr. Towle, I would say this…we are not the Republican Party. Public pillorying of our own hurts us more than it helps us. Simply writing to Ms Brewer on this subject would have been better than dragging this into the public for a lot of people who, quite frankly, probably did not notice the words that she used.

Addendum: The story itself comes from Jamison Foser at Media Watch. While they are busy condemning Ms Brewer for using non-neutral language, they themselves are guilty of the same thing in not using non-neutral language to describe Ms Brewer’s stance on this issue. If the language is non-neutral in its tone, it does not help to attack someone for using it by implying that they are anti-gay, especially when the opposite is true.

If they had a problem, they should have used less problematic language in describing this.

Edited to reflect the removal of the post from Queers United.

Nor will this category be limited to just the recent in celebrity. The hope is that we can include many historic gays and lesbians and shine a belated light upon them. After all, it would be nice to raise the profile of some famous LGBT people from the past such as poet Amy Lowell.

Rep. Baldwin also pointed out a little known race outside of Texas where Houston would likely elect the first open lesbian to govern such a major city. “Annise Parker, an out lesbian, came in first in a crowded race and is now the frontrunner in the Dec. 12th run-off to elect that city’s mayor,” as Rep. Baldwin pointed out. Ms Parker, the City Controller of Houston, is openly lesbian, but that has not been a major issue.

“The results from Maine, where voters overturned the state’s same-sex marriage law, are deeply hurtful and disappointing. But we should not feel defeated. LGBT Americans and our allies will continue our march toward full equality. History and justice are on our side and we will prevail,” Rep. Baldwin finished by saying.

Jesus Christ: Queen of Heaven is part of the Glasgay!, a celebration of Scotland’s LGBT culture. Organizers of the festival have stated that they did not intend for this to be offensive or to cause controversy. Unfortunately, the play drew three hundred protesters who decried the play waving placards and singing hymns. Some of the placards could have been called incitement to homophobia and transphobia as well as being just plain provocative.

“”You can’t blaspheme God and use freedom of speech as an excuse for that. True biblical Christianity is becoming marginalised through political correctness,” said Pastor Jack Bell of Zion Baptist in Glasgow.

Of course, their decrying of freedom of speech should also be noted in that it is what allows them to both protest and use placards which equate transsexuality with perversion, and that being among the mildest of the signs, apparently. As the saying goes, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. As to Pastor Bell’s feelings about how, if this was about the Prophet Mohammed, it should be noted that Salman Rushdie was given a death sentence for blasphemy against Islam. Of course, if he and his church were to advocate that level of repression towards freedom of speech, then he would be rather rapidly rounded up as a terrorist.

In 1999, a gay bar was bombed in Soho, London, and it was deemed a terrorist act.

BBC News

Leviticus is clear. Lobster, as a shellfish, is on the list of unclean and forbidden animals to be eaten. Lobsters have neither fins nor scales and are not considered to be clean.

It is the duty of the LGBT Community to ensure that those who seek to inhabit the shadows and hide their beliefs behind a veil of secrecy share in the cleansing of a group of people who put their souls at risk to harvest unclean animals for the consumption of others.

The time has come to not buy Maine lobster.

After all, it is God’s Law that it not be consumed.

With more than 84 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday, the side seeking to repeal the law had 53 percent of the vote.

Mark Mutty of Stand for Marriage Maine said the effort to repeal same-sex marriage in the Pine Tree state “prevailed because the people of Maine, the silent majority, the folks back home, spoke with their vote tonight. And let’s be clear: What the people of Maine had to say was that marriage matters, and it is between a man and a woman.”

As of early this morning, however opponents of the repeal effort were still hoping for a last-minute boost from late returns, but the Associated Press has called the race for the Yes on One side.

At about 12:30 am, Jesse Connolly, No on One campaign manager, said, “It’s going to be a long night. We always said this was going to be a razor-thin election.” He continued, saying that each vote mattered and that the absentee ballots and votes from each town have not yet been collected.

“We won’t quit, because we’ve had an army of volunteers and families who’ve stood up for equality…we have an incredible staff,” he said. “We’ll be counting tonight…as long as it takes, because we have amazing friends who dug deep, who blogged, who jumped on a plane, or all of the above.”

Connolly went on to promise that the campaign would not rest until they found out “where each vote lives.”

And to the opponents of marriage equality, Connolly said, “It has to stop. It must stop,” speaking about discrimination and harassment.

“We’ll be fighting, we’ll be working, we will regroup,” he said. “This is about love, and commitment, and family. We’re going to stay the course, and we ask you to stay the course with us.”

Connolly however did not concede

Related articles by Zemanta

• Maddow: Group Who Worked To Pass Prop 8 Using Same Campaign To Repeal Gay Marriage In Maine (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
• Rachel Maddow Speaks to Maine Gov. John Baldacci on Question 1 (towleroad.com)
• Stand For Marriage Maine is forcing children to learn about same-sex marriage! (bilerico.com)
• The Religious Right is Swiftboating Same Sex Marriage in Maine (bilerico.com)
• Family Policy Council leader says: God took away the sun in Maine because of Same-Sex Marriage (lezgetreal.com)

Maine voters have decided that they would rather be bought out than uphold the traditions of liberty and freedom that have made New England a haven for those seeking rights away from the tyranny of others. They have bowed their heads to the nameless, faceless financiers of campaigns which continue to sew bigotry, hatred, and suspicion of their fellows. They have bowed their knees to potentates in the Catholic and Mormon Churches and claimed that this was about their freedom of religion.

They have betrayed all that made New England the unique place that it always was. They let themselves be scared by a state that is their neighbor.

What is worse, now that they have accepted those pieces of silver to betray their own state, expect that their Senators will be challenged by people from Alaska, Utah, Georgia, and Alabama. Let them face the fact that those who believe in buying elections will come knocking on their doors in order to unseat Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. Let them find out what it means to become a state that whores out its own opinions to others.

The day will come very soon when Maine will regret turning its back on equality. It is time that the legislature of Maine strip the Catholic Church of all its exemptions. It is time to force the National Organization into the light. It is time to purge their dens of iniquity and shame and to force them into the light.

It is time to dismantle those who seek through deception and fraud to repress others.

Maine has chosen. They have chosen to abandon freedom for tyranny. They have chosen to allow the repression of others to continue.

Today, Maine joined those who seek to dismantle what Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Gouverneur Morris sought to build. They saw a nation devoted to freedom and liberty where the minority was not the subject to the tyranny of the majority.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Jefferson.

Today, Maine voted to ensure the majority’s tyranny continued.

Governor Ventura is correct, and more. Had the Civil Rights Act of 1964 been put to the vote, it would have been struck down. Had any rights of the minorities been put to the popular vote, they would have been struck down.

And the Catholic and Mormon Churches should remember this, had the majority of the past had their way, their churches would not exist in America today.

If they had voted on the First Amendment, we, today, would all be required to be Anglicans.

For much of the night, the vote was in the direction of the No on 1 campaign. Only a couple of times did it drift into the Yes category. An hour and a half after the polls closed, the results were 52% No 48% Yes.

Deeds, who comes from the south of the state, ran a campaign that did not tack towards to the President, and did not capitalize upon the popularity of Obama.

The turnout was largely in the direction of older, more conservative voters. Young, minority, and liberal voters did not turn out in any kind of force.

Should Maine, which according to one recent study, has more gay and lesbian couples than any other state in the Union, and only slightly less than the District of Columbia, uphold marriage equality, it will become the first state to do so. Both sides poured in a lot of money, but the No on 1 campaign had nine times as many individualized donors as Yes on 1, which relied almost exclusively on funding from the National Organization for Marriage and the Roman Catholic Church in Portland.

“It’s intrinsically interesting that same-sex couples who use the term spouses look like opposite-sex married couples even with a characteristic like children. Most proponents of traditional marriage will say that when you allow these couples to marry, you are going to change the fundamental nature of marriage by decoupling it from procreation. Clearly, in the minds of same-sex couples who are marrying or think of themselves as married, you are not decoupling child-rearing from marriage,” ,” said UCLA demographer Gary Gates, the conductor of the survey.

It is not surprising that Massachusetts and Vermont, two long standing proponents of marriage equality in some form, have the highest percentages of gay and lesbian couples who consider themselves to be married. Hawaii, Utah, and Wyoming all come in below those two. One Utah resident stated that she believed that this was because of the mentality in Utah which fosters marriage.

In terms of gay and lesbian couples, however, the demographics shift if all couples are included. Washington, DC has more gay and lesbian couples than anywhere in the country, a factor that may mean that a ballot initiative to overrule the passage of marriage equality in the nation’s capitol could face stiff opposition. The next below DC is Maine, where voters are currently fighting to either repeal or keep the law granting marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples.

Anise Parker has been with her partner for the last twenty years, and they have two adopted children.

The race itself is both hotly contested and unclear with many undecideds left to be swayed on the eve of the election. It is unclear how many of them will turn out. In fact, the Houston race is similar to races across the country where polling is often all over the place, and experts are facing an impossible attempt to handicap the races at all. Until yesterday, the race in NY23 what up in the air, and even with the latest polling indicating that Hoffman could win, the results are still murky at best.

What follows is CNN’s report on Ms Parker.

In all likelihood, the money comes from the National Organization for Marriage out of New Jersey who are trying to buy- yes BUY- the election in Maine. If it does not come from NOM, then it may come from the Roman Catholic Church who are shuttering schools and churches in an attempt to stay solvent and running the risk of splitting their congregation at a time when the Catholic Church is already bruised from repeated scandals involving priests assaulting children.

The people of northern New England have always been proud of their independence. When outsiders have come to take our Senate seats, we have sent them packing. When the battle over marriage equality hit Vermont and New Hampshire, the outsiders were all but told to leave.

Tomorrow, Maine voters will go to the polls, and they will be offered their thirty pieces of silver by the potentates sitting in some exotic location like Atlanta, Salt Lake City, New Jersey, or even Rome. Tomorrow they will face the biggest decision of what it means to be a Mainer. Will they sell their votes to those who have provided all but nine percent of the funds for this No on 1 campaign and strip their fellow citizens of the rights that they worked so hard to obtain. Will they follow the nameless, faceless financiers of this campaign and condemn their fellow citizens to second class status?

Today, there were seven rallies in support of No on 1. At one rally, there were as many as two thousand people gathered. People of all faiths, all races, and all traditions gathered to state clearly that any nation that is willing to sell out the freedom of a few risks having freedom for none.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

In Georgia, I watched a political campaign in which a Mormon was smeared as being a non-Christian. His opponent said ‘vote for me, I’m a real Christian’. In Georgia, I watched as Catholics were discriminated against and called Papists and treated as if they were trying to take over the country. I listened to people talk as if Catholics liked to not only rape young children, but drank their blood and ate their flesh at Mass. In Georgia, I listened to people talk as if Jews were greedy, and that they too ate young children.

Bigotry does not stop simply because you say that you support their causes on one issue. The day will come when Catholics, Jews, Mormons, and others will be the next target. They do not want to hear that, but that is the reality.

This country was founded on the principles that all were created equal, and that freedom and liberty were for all people. In 1961, a war broke out to try and bring freedom and equality to all. That work is still not over.

But, tomorrow, Maine’s voters will go to the polls and they will find out whether or not their vote can be bought by a coalition of organizations who have made up, now, about ninety-two percent of the money used to fund the Yes on 1 campaign.

Only know this, if your vote can be bought, when they come for you, none of us will speak out for you.

An article in today’s Washington Times is reporting that Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway has emerged in internal Pentagon deliberations as the most outspoken opponent of permitting gay men and women to serve openly in the U.S. military, according to a former senior Pentagon official.

LGR reported in April that Conway had sent “P4” — personal-for message — to all 82 of his general officers, in it Conway asks four questions, including this one: “How strongly should we, as an institution, challenge the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy?”

Conway is the only service chief known to have actively surveyed his generals on the impact of repealing DADT.

At the time a Senior Department of Defense official told LGR that the commandant was not taking an official position, but was looking to get input from his general officers on any potential changes to the policy banning gays and lesbian from openly serving in the military.

According to the Times article…  most of the uniformed brass hold reservations about President Obama’s pledge to end the ban on gays in the military, especially in the middle of two wars that have put extra stress on the military, down to the platoon level, where soldiers and Marines would be expected to bond with openly gay colleagues.

However a well place Pentagon source has confirmed to LGR today that Conway has gone further than others in his opposition to a change in policy, and is actively speaking out to collages and subordinates that the removing the ban would be disruptive, and that Conway opposes it.

Conway’s private remarks stand in contrast to the public statements by his bosses, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Joint Chief Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, who have said if Congress should change the law, they will obey the law.

When asked by The Washington Times whether Gen. Conway has expressed opposition to the president’s proposed policy change, his spokesman, Maj. David Nevers, did not answer directly.

However, in a formal statement he said, “Our Marines are currently engaged in two fights, and our focus should not be drawn away from those priorities. When the time is right, we have full confidence that we will be asked to provide the best military advice concerning the readiness of the Corps as it relates to this issue.”

President Barack Obama said during his election campaign that he planned to repeal the policy and allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces, and again repeated that promise during a historic speech Oct. 10 at an HRC fund raising dinner in Washington.

Conway’s four-year term as Marine Commandant expires in November 2010.

The timing of this problem could not be worse. With twenty-four hours to go before the election, the negative press could hamper Christie, especially since the illegal use of someone’s intellectual rights runs contrary to the lawyerly image that Christie has attempted to craft. Christie was a Bush appointee for a Federal attorney’s job. Python alum Terry Jones stated “It is totally outrageous that a former US Attorney knows so little about the law that he thinks he can rip off people. On the other hand — another of Bush’s legal appointees was Alberto Gonzales and he didn’t seem to know much about the law either…”

Michael Palin had this to add to the whole issue: “I’m surprised that a former U.S. Attorney isn’t aware of his copyright infringement when he uses our material without permission. He’s clearly made a terrible mistake. It was the endorsement of Sarah Palin he was after — not that of Michael Palin.”

The GOP has a long history of infringing on other people’s intellectual property. In 2008, singers Anne and Nancy Wilson complained about the use of their song “Barracuda” as Sarah Palin’s theme song. While that was legally obtained, the funds that it generated for them and their late singing/songwriting partner Roger Fisher went to the Obama campaign. A song used by the McCain campaign written by Jackson Browne resulted in an out of court settlement.

Of course, could Chris Christie be elected governor, this incident will save the citizens of New Jersey some time in having a governor already embroiled in a political scandal.

Monty Python’s Flying Circus celebrated its fortieth anniversary last month.

Chris Christie Rips Off Monty Python, Troupe Threatens Suit

Only one poll right now show Yes on 1 winning, but by four points. A lot will depend on turnout, and what kind of people turn out. If the crowd is younger, there is a probability that the vote could go the other direction. If the turnout mirrors that of the 2006 election in terms of liberal and conservative, it could easily fall that the people will uphold the law.

Much of the Yes on 1 campaign has been recycled from the California Prop 8 battle including attacks on how marriage equality is already the norm in Massachusetts, a state which is a half hour drive from the southern border of Maine. The usual religious arguments have also fallen flat in Maine due to the fact that the state is, itself, like Vermont and not one of the most beholden to organized religion. Questions have also arisen as to the origin of much of the money from both the Roman Catholic Church Portland diocese and from NOM. The refusal of NOM to release their donor lists has brought charges that they are laundering money and allowing people to circumvent local, state and federal laws governing the amount of money being donated to political campaigns. The funneling of funds out of the Roman Catholic Church have come at a time when diocese across the country are filing for bankruptcy and closing schools and churches as funds dry up. The group Focus on the Family helped to initialize this ballot initiative, and they have put a lot of money into it at a time when donations are declining and they are having to lay off staff.

While the No on 1 campaign has received outside funding, it amounts to less than half their donations. Many Mainers have donated to the No on 1 campaign, and have, in fact, been donating small amounts rather than large ones.

The outcome of this election could have a national effect. If groups like NOM can buy an election in Maine, what is to stop groups like the Club for Growth from piping in a ton of money to unseat Senators Snowe and Collins. Should both senators be removed, that would seriously hurt Maine’s seniority in the Senate. It could also affect the race against Senator Pat Leahy if an outside group believes that they can just buy a New England election.

The election hinges greatly on the turnout. If Maine upholds the law, then it will be the first state to have had this issue go before the voters and be voted in favor of. Should this happen, it will obliterate one of the leading arguments that these groups have had that the voters should decide.

Delong is said to have allowed students to read the article “The Gay Animal Kingdom” from the June 7, 2006 science and culture publication, Seed magazine.

The controversy and Delong’s suspension began after the parent of one of the Delong’s students saw the website, thought it was not appropriate for her child and complained to the local school board.

Delong of Carlinville, Ill, is a straight married teacher who identifies as an ally of the LGBT community. He acknowledged his suspension to the local paper, but declined to comment further until he spoke with his union representative.

The article by Jonah Lehrer talks about the research of Joan Roughgarden, a biology professor at Stanford University who said she has documented homosexual societies among the more than 450 animal species.

A Facebook group called “Bring back Mr. Delong” has been created to show support and share information about this situation. Delong has the support of more than 400 parents, students and friends, seeking to have him reinstated.

Related articles by Zemanta

• IL Teacher Suspended For Assigning Article On Homosexuality In Animals (crooksandliars.com)

And with that purchase, The Windy City Times is reporting that the Chicago Cubs, possibly Major League Baseballs unluckiest team, will be the first team with an openly gay owner, because among the purchasers is Laura Ricketts, an open lesbian.

Laura Ricketts, 41, has a Philosophy degree from University of Chicago and a law degree from the University of Michigan.

Ricketts a co- founder of Ecotravel, a company aimed at promoting nature-based travel, serves on the board of directors of Lambda Legal.

She’s also a major donor to Chicago LGBT organizations like the Howard Brown Health Center and Center on Halsted and campaigns heavily for marriage rights. In fact, she and her partner, Heidi, are marrying in 2013.

Maybe with a lesbian at the helm the club can turn things around… the Cubs have not won it all since 1908 and have not even been to the World Series since 1945.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sale of Cubs, Wrigley to Ricketts family complete (cbssports.com)
• Sale of Cubs and Wrigley Field Is Complete (abcnews.go.com)
• Cubs close $845M US sale (cbc.ca)
• New Owner to Improve Wrigley, and Maybe the Cubs (nytimes.com)

The latest TV ad from the Yes on 1 campaign argues that same-sex marriage will be taught in school. If you were a child with same-sex parents, how would you feel watching this ad? How would you feel if your parents couldn’t marry? How would you feel if you were treated less than others? Wouldn’t you think we are all the same? So why then couldn’t your parents get married? Is that fair?

No, it’s not.

Vote No on 1.

-Sean Chapin

When the state Republican Party chose Scozzafava to replace John McHugh, the Club for Growth under the auspices of the Conservative Party nominated Doug Hoffman. For his part, Hoffman has had Republicans including Sarah Palin tripping over themselves in order to support him and prove to the reactionary wing of the Republican Party just how Conservative they are.

The decision by Scozzafava to drop out of the race and endorse the Democrat drew accusations of her being a traitor and a turncoat. One could argue that the Republican Party on a national level had already betrayed her by throwing her to the wolves. The GOP has invested little in Scozzafava’s run for the seat, and the lack of funds has made fending off attacks from both sides impossible.

Should Doug Hoffman win, he will, of course, be welcomed into the Republican fold by House Minority Leader John Boehner. Should this happen, of course, Hoffman will be more interested in national politics than actually fixing what ails one of the most depressed areas of the New York economy. The area of New York represented by NY23 is only just getting cellphone coverage for large sections. The seat is also the most likely to be redistricted should New York loose a seat in the 2010 census.

Representative Boehner stated that he does not believe that this in-party fighting is an indication of the future. According to Boehner, Moderates will still be welcome. Perhaps Rep. Boehner would find a discussion with the Club for Growth helpful. They have already stated their intention to purify the Republican party, and are planning on taking down Governor Chris Christie of Florida in his bid to become Senator. They have already run Senator Arlan Specter out of the GOP.

Barring a crushing defeat of Doug Hoffman, the reactionary wing of the GOP is likely to be emboldened by even a close victory in NY23. Should this happen, they may continue to ‘purify’ the Party and the result of that could be a minority party with little or no power outside the extremes of the South.

What follows was her last interview before she passed away.

The legal case against SkyWest over this issue and centers around a couple who are not being afforded the same benefits that heterosexual couples are afforded by the airline SkyWest.

Gilbert Caldwell (52) and David David Ferrel (72) were married in June 2008.

Caldwell, an employee of SkyWest, is suing his employer in order to gain the benefit of having his husband fly for free through the airline.

Married heterosexual couples are granted this particular benefit by the .

Caldwell works for SkyWest in Palm Springs, California. State law requires that all same-sex couples who are either married or have entered into a domestic partnership be granted the same rights as heterosexual couples who are married.

According to Caldwell’s lawyer Tara Borelli, SkyWest has been insisting that they are simply following the rules laid down by their regional partner, Delta. This appears to be contradictory to Delta’s policy on this issue. Delta treats all its employees equal irregardless of their sexual orientation.

Ms Borelli has stated that she is aware of other complaints regarding the treatment and respect of other marriages out of California, but this is the first one to go to court.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Judge refuses to throw out Prop 8 Challenge- while arraigning anti-same sex marriage Rhetoric (oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com)

In response to a lawsuit by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha M. Coakley, the Justice Department argued yesterday in court papers that states allowing gay marriage can’t force the federal government to provide benefits to those couples.

The state of Massachusetts has challenged DOMA, saying it denies federal marriage benefits to same-sex couples that are nonetheless legally married under Massachusetts law. Around 16,000 same-sex couples married in Massachusetts are being unfairly denied federal benefits given to heterosexual couples, according to Coakley’s suit. Those benefits include federal income tax credits, employment benefits, retirement benefits, health insurance coverage and Social Security payments

Massachusetts officials also say the federal law requires them to disregard the legally valid same-sex marriages in their state in relation to carrying out federal Medicaid and Veterans’ benefits programs. Such a requirement, they say, violates state sovereignty and is unconstitutional.

“This administration does not support DOMA as a matter of policy, believes that it is discriminatory, and supports its repeal,” says yesterdays Justice Department brief.

Nevertheless, Obama’s DOJ says, it has “long followed the practice of defending federal statutes as long as reasonable arguments can be made in support of their constitutionality, even if the Department disagrees with a particular statute, as it does here.”

DOMA doesn’t regulate marriage, according to the administration, because they reason the states remain free to decide for themselves whether a same-sex couple can marry and how to spend state money on programs for married couples. But the DOJ brief also says Congress had a logical reason for restricting federal benefits to marriages between men and women.

“Congress may subsequently decide to extend federal benefits to same-sex marriages, and this Administration believes that Congress should do so. But its decision not to do so at this point is not irrational or unconstitutional,” the DOJ brief argues.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Obama administration again defends DOMA in court, says gays have no “fundamental right” to marriage benefits (americablog.com)
• Massachusetts To Challenge Constitutionality of DOMA (crooksandliars.com)
• Obama Lawyers: Massachusetts Can’t Force Us To Give a Damn About Gay Marriages (queerty.com)

Scozzafava is a moderate, New York Republican who has faced intense pressure from both the Left and the Right with the Republican National Party unwilling to even really help her finance her campaign. Many of the national Republican figures such as Sarah Palin have flocked to Hoffman who they see as their kind of Conservative. Only Newt Gingrich came out in support for Scozzafava. Scozzafava supports LGBT rights, including same-sex marriage rights. This was, in part, why the Conservatives targeted her for removal from the national party. On a practical level, Scozzofava is very much a Northern Republican unlike Hoffman. Currently, opinion seems to be running that Hoffman is an outsider in NY 23, and unlikely to fit as their Representative. Doug Hoffman does not live in the district and has shown a surprising lack of ability to understand the local issues.

Despite the Susan B. Anthony List’s statement that Ms Scozzafava is doing what is right for her party, the loss of Scozzafava from the Republican Party is another indicator of a problem within the Republican Party. The shift towards the ultra-conservative in the Republican Party could, ultimately, mean that the GOP will become isolated to the South, and risks creating a party that will remain in the minority for another two or three generations.

This recently released ad hits the question dead on and asks viewers what type of person he or she wants to be.

AND asks the Mainers directly to think about the children.

Fight hate with love. Vote No on ONE.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Why do homophobes want to keep their names secret? (bilerico.com)

In an interesting choice of words, since the law is in part designed to prevent the lynching of gays by people like him, Robertson said the new hate crimes act is just the latest instance of the “noose” tightening that is around “the necks of Christians.”

Related articles by Zemanta

• Cyndi Lauper Lauds Passage of Hate Crimes Prevention Bill (towleroad.com)
• Can Shepard Bill Help Stop Global Hate Crimes? (advocate.com)
• Pat Robertson Is Not Happy About Hate Crimes Bill (themoderatevoice.com)

It is with great regret I announce today that I am withdrawing from the race for governor of California. With a young family and responsibilities at city hall, I have found it impossible to commit the time required to complete this effort the way it needs to — and should be — done. This is not an easy decision. But it is one made with the best intentions for my wife, my daughter, the residents of the city and county of San Francisco, and California Democrats.

When I embarked on this campaign in April, my goal was to engage thousands and thousands of Californians dedicated to reforming our broken system and bringing change to Sacramento.

I would like to thank those supporters, volunteers, and donors who have worked so hard on my behalf. I have been humbled by their support and am indebted to their efforts. They represent the spirit of change and determination essential to putting California back on the right track.

I will continue to fight for change and the causes and issues for which I care deeply — universal health care, a cleaner environment and a green economy for our families, better education for our children, and, of course, equal rights under the law for all citizens.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom”

I think he would have been a great Governor. Does this pave the way for SenatorFeinstein or is it the other way around? Maybe we will not need her sponsorship on UAFA- I would love her as a Governor but really miss her as a Senator.

Have a great San Francisco Style Halloween…. Luv Mel

Related articles by Zemanta

• Mayor Newsom ends run for Calif. governorship (msnbc.msn.com)
• Newsom Quits Governor’s Race (politicalwire.com)
• Gavin Newsom Drops Out of California Gubernatorial Race (towleroad.com)

He also went further and lamented that part of the problem was that the disease was originally seen as striking only one specific part of the population. “It has been nearly three decades since this virus first became known. But for years, we refused to recognize it for what it was. It was coined a “gay disease.” Those who had it were viewed with suspicion. There was a sense among some that people afflicted by AIDS somehow deserved their fate and that it was acceptable for our nation to look the other way,” he said.

What President Obama signed was the fourth reauthorization of the bill. The program set up under the bill helps to provide individuals with the medicines and treatments they need to fight this disease.

On Monday, President Obama will issue new rules regarding travel for people with HIV/AIDS. Stating at the signing, “If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it. And that’s why, on Monday my administration will publish a final rule that eliminates the travel ban effective just
after the New Year. “

HIV/AIDS strikes millions of people irregardless of their sexual orientation. Many gay men are more likely to be tested with regards to the disease, and are, thus, more often able to catch it while many straight men tend not to be tested. This is what likely accounts for the disparity in numbers with regards to which group has the most cases.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Obama On Ending The HIV Ban (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
• PUNCH: Obama Lifts Ban for HIV-AIDS Travelers to the U.S. (blogs.abcnews.com)
• Obama Just Killed HIV Travel Ban (Updated) (queerty.com)
• Obama to lift HIV entry ban soon (news.bbc.co.uk)

Maine’s citizens will go to the polls this upcoming Tuesday.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Rachel Maddow Speaks to Maine Gov. John Baldacci on Question 1 (towleroad.com)
• Maine Gov. John Baldacci Has No Idea What To Do If Voters Say No to Marriage (queerty.com)

I saw a very sweet and much publicized interview with gay-ol-Ellen D. and Ms. Swift, just today.   Ellen perfect timing- kindly ask your celebrity friend if she aspires to Nazi ideals because if she does, that puts you Ms. DeGeneres in the  next available Gas chamber.    If its a joke – I am not sure its one any lesbian could appreciate, given so many were victims of Nazi genocide   …..

One  Blogger said:  http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2009/10/taylor-swift-poses-with-jew-hating-swastika-lover/  “But we really hope she doesn’t feel the same way about Nazis. The 19-year old singer was photographed at Katy Perry’s birthday party last week, with her arm some hateful loser wearing a Swastika-covered t-shirt. We’re gonna give Swift a pass here and assume she had no idea the guy to her left was donning the symbol of such hate, evil and genocide. But she might wanna be careful about who she poses alongside of in the future.” Say What?   A Pose too ….   

Blogged by MELANIE NATHAN, CEO of Private Courts, Inc. Consulting, mediation & private advocacy ; motivated by injustice, I blog about family law/mediation, politics, news and LGBT equality and anything that ‘tickles my fancy.’ Otherwise blogging as O-blog-dee-o-blog-da. Websites and blogs include: http://www.privatecourts.com; http://www.divorcemediators.us; www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com.

The custody battle between Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins had carried on now for several years, there does not appear to be any end in sight for the moment.

On 25 August the ACLU requested that Lisa Miller be jailed for lack of compliance concerning visitation rights for Miller and Jenkins’ daughter Isabella; however, the Virginia courts did not agree with the ACLU. Lisa Miller will not be jailed, but for every day she is not in compliance with the orders of Rutland County Family Court Judge William Cohen she will be fine $100. The recent filings concerning this case are attempting to prevent Virginia officials from enforcing the visitation order issued in Vermont.

Judge Cohen granted visitation rights based upon the civil union of Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins. Shortly after the visitation order was handed down Lisa Miller fled to Virginia in hopes of avoiding the visitation order. Every case so far has ended with the Virginia courts and even the United States Supreme Court siding with Ms. Jenkins. The current contention is that while Virginia officials must recognize the Vermont orders they cannot enforce them. United States law is quite clear on this subject and the visitation order issued in one state must be adhered to in another.

So many have asked what people here in Virginia feel about the Vermont/Virginia Lesbian custody battle or Miller-Jenkins v. Miller-Jenkins custody case. I decided the best way to find that information was to take a small survey at a couple of local shopping malls. I was surprised that most knew what I was asking about and were happy to add some thoughts.

I took a manual poll of eighty people from two malls on the subject. A basic question of should the Virginia Court uphold the Vermont Court decision? And why or why not?

Breakdown:

55 women polled and agreed to answer anonymously.

25 men polled and agreed to answer anonymously.

Women’s response;

Forty-one women felt that the Virginia court should uphold the Vermont decision to provide what is best for the child.

Three women were undecided.

Eleven women felt that the Virginia Court should withhold custody from the “still active” Lesbian in Vermont.

Men’s response;

Fifteen men felt the Virginia court should not grant custody to the Vermont mother as she is still an active Lesbian.

One man was undecided.

Nine men felt that the Virginia Court should uphold the Vermont Court decision and do what is best for the child.

I realize this is a small sampling. But I thought the outcome on gender and opinion was very interesting.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Cross State Civil Union Custody Battle Heats Up Again (lezgetreal.com)

I have always taken pride in not voting a straight party ticket. As I lean more toward independent that only makes sense. However the ugly and dishonest politics of this year’s Virginia election may change all that. Since the onslaught of election ads it seems the Virginia Republican candidates only say three things, “They Lie”, “they have run a negative campaign” and “They will raise taxes”. Yep the party of no!

These statements of course are in the same ad/speech as the Republican candidates spend even more time and money on negative attacks and lies they themselves say they deplore. Led by ring-leader and top dog of the pack, Bob McDonnell. As a matter of fact, after watching the debates, listening to his speeches and interviews here is what I know about the candidate based on his own statements.

1.) Bob McDonnell is a Catholic.
2.) Bob McDonnell served in the military.
3.) Bob McDonnell has a large and handsome family.
4.) Bob McDonnell has a plan. (for many things, sadly I can not find the details.
5.) Bob McDonnell has a plan to fix the Virginia road/transportation problem without raising taxes. But the only thing I can find shows that he leans toward taking money from education. Already education is suffering in Virginia from budget short falls.
6.) Bob McDonnell will not continue the Executive order protecting GLBT employees against discrimination at the state executive level.
7.) Bob McDonnell says he still supports the writings of his twenty year old thesis. Although he admits some things have changed. Just does not tell us what has changed, his attitudes about working women, gays, feminists, or women in general.

However if we look a bit closer at those Mr. McDonnell supports in this race we start to see another possible Bob McDonnell agenda. Let us start with Ken Cuccinelli, candidate for State Attorney General. Mr. Cuccinelli has already shown his agenda with the following statement which was confirmed by Adam of his campaign office on 10-29-2009, “ “My view is that homosexual acts, not homosexuality, but homosexual acts are wrong,” said Cuccinelli, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

“They’re intrinsically wrong. And I think in a natural law based country it’s appropriate to have policies that reflect that. … They don’t comport with natural law. I happen to think that it represents (to put it politely; I need my thesaurus to be polite) behavior that is not healthy to an individual and in aggregate is not healthy to society.” Adam added, “ Ken is not going to use quotas.“ What is wrong with this picture? Wait let us look a bit deeper.

In his most recent attack/counter attack ad Cuccinelli, addresses an ad from his opponent Steve Shannon. In that ad Shannon’s contention is that Cuccinelli voted against protecting victims of domestic violence and also voted against clergy having to report child molestation. In the recent ad Cuccinelli denies voting against protecting victims of domestic violence, but said nothing about his protection of clergy with regard to reporting child molestation. Cuccinelli’s campaign office also did not deny his vote on clergy and child molestation reporting.

As a recovered Catholic I know all too well the lengths the Catholic Church will go to further the dogma. We all learned that through the Church’s protection of pedophile priests. I have heard McDonnell state on more than one occasion his Catholic roots. We all know how the Catholic Church feels about the GLBT community. Now McDonnell’s favored Attorney General Candidate who is for protecting clergy by not requiring they report child molestation. Not surprising. Does Virginia really want to place a strong religionist in any high government seat? Especially when that religionist is an Attorney General who favors protecting clergy from reporting child molestation? Something really wrong with this picture!!!

In the final debate McDonnell stated his agenda/goals were on growing jobs and making Virginia stronger not the “Narrow social agenda” his candidates accuse is his real goal. But in this bit of news about his favored Attorney General we see a different set of possibilities. Is this injection of Catholicism in the Virginia State Government? And what about child molestation victims in Virginia? If Cuccinelli wins the Attorney General spot how will he protect victims of child molestation by clergy? Or will he protect the clergy? How does this make Virginia stronger Mr. McDonnell? Ask McDonnell, Cuccinelli and yourself these questions and I hope a few more.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Candidate for Virginia Attorney General: “Homosexual Acts Are Wrong” (queersunited.blogspot.com)
• Deeds Running Behind Even in Rural Areas (politicalwire.com)
• Fornicators, beware of mild-mannered theocrat, Part Two (powerlineblog.com)

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act has made history: President Obama signs it into law on Oct. 28. But Judy Shepard’s work is far from done. Ever since Matthew’s brutal murder in 1998, Judy Shepard has been working tirelessly for LGBT rights, hate crime legislation and justice for her son.

Judy sat down with OURsceneTV and talked about her new book, The Meaning of Matthew: My Son’s Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed.

In this intimate interview, she reveals a Matthew the outside world never knew.

On Oct. 1, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices voted 3-2 to investigate the fundraising practices of the National Organization for Marriage. One concern is whether the group has violated state law by not registering as a “ballot question committee” and by withholding its contribution records. Maine law requires any individual or group that raises or spends more than $5,000 to influence a ballot question vote to disclose contributors who gave more than $100 for that purpose.

Judge D. Brock Hornby order on Wednesday denied the request for a temporary restraining order, and said the National Organization for Marriage is not likely to succeed on any of its claims. Nom had asked for a temporary restraining order that would have let it operate outside of the state’s reporting requirements while the lawsuit was pending.

“Maine is entitled to conclude that its electorate needs to know, on an ongoing basis, the source of financial support for those who are taking positions on a ballot initiative,” Hornby wrote in his 32-page ruling.

“I conclude that the state’s interest to provide this information to voters is ‘not only compelling but critical’ to the proper functioning of the system of direct democracy,” Hornby wrote, quoting from a similar case in California in which the National Organization for Marriage is a plaintiff.

Reinforced by Hornby’s ruling, Maine’s attorney general challenged the advocacy group Wednesday night to make its records public before next week’s vote on Question 1.

“We are not going to give them legal advice. We trust that their legal counsel will advise them to comply fully,” said Attorney General Janet Mills. “The court has ruled that it is in the public interest to do so, and the law couldn’t be clearer.

“I would hope that they would file before the election,” Mills said. “Why not? What is there to hide?”

Related articles by Zemanta

• National Organization for Marriage Loses Effort to Keep Names of Donors Disclosed in Maine (towleroad.com)
• Update on Maine: NOM Sues Over Reporting Requirements (towleroad.com)
• National Organization For Marriage Sues Maine To Keep Donor Lists Secret (topix.net)
• National Organization For Marriage Sues Maine To Keep Donor Lists Secret (lezgetreal.com)

According to a police statement, a man with a handgun approached the synagogue and shot two people in the leg in what is being labeled as a hate crime.

The victims, both Jewish, were shot as they were about to enter the temple for morning prayers. They were transported to a local hospital in stable condition, officials said.

Police say they are searching for a suspect described only as a black man.

Detectives who spoke with LGR this morning on the condition that they not be named because the investigation is ongoing, say they don’t believe the motive was robbery. They also said LAPD officials have alerted other synagogues around Los Angeles about the shooting, and police have stepped up patrols at Jewish religious institutions.

The synagogue is located next to an elementary school. It was not immediately known whether the suspect search affected the school.

The attack occurred 10 miles away from a 1999 shooting at a Jewish community center where white supremacist Buford Furrow wounded three children, a teenager and an adult. He later killed a letter carrier.

2 Shot at North Hollywood Synagogue – KTLA.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Apparent Hate Crime at Los Angeles Synagogue (themoderatevoice.com)

In released statements following the signing, President Obama stated “This is the culmination of a struggle that has lasted more than a decade…But the cause endured and the struggle continued, waged by the family of Matthew Shepard, by the family of James Byrd, by folks who held vigils and led marches, by those who rallied and organized and refused to give up, by the late Senator Ted Kennedy who fought so hard for this legislation and all who toiled for years to reach this day.” The President ran down the statistics for the last decade. In that time, 12,000 known hate crimes have been perpetrated based upon the assaulted’s sexual orientation. Roughly 7,600 hate crimes of one form or another occur every year.

“At root, this isn’t just about our laws; this is about who we are as a people. This is about whether we value one another — whether we embrace our differences, rather than allowing them to become a source of animus…But we sense where such cruelty begins: the moment we fail to see in another our common humanity — the very moment when we fail to recognize in a person the same fears and hopes, the same passions and imperfections, the same dreams that we all share,” the President went on to say.

Said Judy Shepard, Matthew’s mother and the president of the Matthew Shepard Foundation Board of Directors. “The legislation went through so many versions and so many votes that we had to constantly keep our hopes in check to keep from getting discouraged,” she continued. “But with President Obama’s support and the continually growing bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate lining up behind the bill this year, it became clear that 2009 was the year it would finally happen.”

Shepard added, “We are incredibly grateful to Congress and the president for taking this step forward on behalf of hate crime victims and their families, especially given the continuing attacks on people simply for living their lives openly and honestly.”

At the signing was Representative Tammy Baldwin. Rep. Baldwin is openly lesbian, and one of the first openly gay or lesbian members of Congress to be elected. She and Jared Polis were both elected after coming out. Representative Barney Frank did not come out of the closet until after he had already won election. Baldwin is also the co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. She said this about the death of Matthew Shepard on the day of the signing of the bill that, in part, bears his name, “I remember where I was and what was happening when the news of Matthew Shepard’s murder began to circulate. I remember how many people I encountered who felt scared and frightened themselves because such a heinous attack had been perpetrated against him because of his sexual orientation. It is high time that this Act become law. It has been an effort that I’ve worked on ever since I came to the Congress of the United States, and I think it will send a very powerful message.”

Below is a video from Rep. Baldwin regarding the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act.

AP is saying that, “The dramatic image of a president on the tarmac was a portrait not witnessed in years. Former President George W. Bush spent lots of time with grieving military families but never went to Dover to meet the remains coming off the cargo plane. Obama did so with the weight of knowing he may soon send more troops off to war.”

The solemn process of transferring remains of 15 soldiers and three Drug Enforcement Agency agents unfolded in four separate movements. Obama took part in all of them. as a chaplain offered prayers for the fallen, the crews that brought them home, the families who lost a loved one, and a nation embroiled in war.

President Obama Pays His Respects As Fallen Americans Return Home – The Two-Way – Breaking News, Analysis Blog : NPR.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Obama honors fallen soldiers at Dover (msnbc.msn.com)
• Obama Heads To Dover Air Force Base To Honor Fallen Soldiers (huffingtonpost.com)
• Obama honours Afghanistan killed (news.bbc.co.uk)

“We were living ordinary lives. Then Prop 8 passed, and our lives changed toward the extraordinary.”

A video montage of 34 noted videos I’ve produced since Prop 8 passed in November 2008.

It was an emotional experience to watch this video back. It’s been an amazing year, and I pray that we will one day be completely free in America.

-Sean Chapin

In front of an East Room audience that included, Vice President Joseph Biden, Attorney General Eric Holder, Members of Congress, Department of Defense senior civilian and military officials, the Shepherd and Byrd families, Mrs. Vicki Kennedy, and members of the Kennedy family, Obama said before signing the bill, “After more than a decade of opposition we passed inclusive hate crimes legislation to help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray or who they are.”

The new law will also permit federal authorities to assist local governments in hate crime investigations and increase their capacity through training programs.

“This law honors our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters whose lives were cut short because of hate,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Today’s signing of the first major piece of civil rights legislation to protect LGBT Americans represents a historic milestone in the inevitable march towards equality. Although this is a major step in fighting the scourge of hate violence, it is not the end of the road. As a community, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to changing not only laws but also hearts and minds. We know that hate crimes not only harm individuals, but they terrorize entire communities. After more than a decade of advocacy, local police and sheriffs’ departments now have the full resources of the Justice Department available to them.”

As a lesbian all I can say is… I am crying as I type this article, because I feel like I am finally on the way to being a citizen in my own country…

Related articles by Zemanta

• Mother finds solace in hate crimes bill (cnn.com)
• The Gay Hate Crimes Crisis Isn’t Over Yet (bilerico.com)

Washington:

Who we are: Approve Referendum 71 is the campaign to preserve domestic partnerships in Washington State. By voting to approve, voters retain the domestic partnership laws that were passed during this year’s legislative session, including using sick leave to care for a partner, adoption rights, insurance rights, and more.

What we need: We need phone bankers to get our supporters out to vote. Washington is an all mail-in ballot state, and we need to ensure our supporters put their ballots in the mail. Also, youth turnout is a critical component of our campaign, and youth turnout historically drops in off-year elections. So we need a lot of help to turn them out.

How you do it: Sign up here to make remote calls for Approve 71. We’ll then contact you for a training, and you can make GOTV calls.

Maine:

Who we are: The No On 1/Protect Maine Equality campaign is working to protect Maine’s recently-passed law legalizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Our opponents have put the issue on the ballot for Nov 3, 2009. Because of Maine’s early voting election laws, people are already voting at the polls, so we need help immediately to turn out our side at the polls.

What we need: We need you to devote a few hours to Call for Equality. Call for Equality is a virtual phonebank set up so that you can call Maine voters wherever you are. Much of Maine is rural, where canvassing isn’t effective, so we need to reach these voters- along with other supporters- by phone. All you need is a phone and internet connection. No experience required! We’ll provide the training, and all you need is a a few hours to help get a win in Maine.

How you do it: Click here to sign up for a training and your shift. There are lots of times available for your convenience.

Kalamazoo, MI:

Who We Are: The Yes on Ordinance 1856 / One Kalamazoo campaign is working in Michigan to support the City Commission of Kalamazoo’s twice approved ordinance for housing, employment, and public accommodation protections for gay and transgender residents. Opponents forced a public referendum on the ordinance so dedicated local volunteers, led by former Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Jon Hoadley, are working to ensure voters say YES to fairness and equality and keep Ordinance 1856.

Why The Urgency: In the final weeks, the opposition has gone all out with aggressive disinformation and misleading red herrings to try to defeat the ordinance. This includes signs that say “No to Discrimination” (even though voting No actually supports continued discrimination of GLBT residents), transphobic door hangers and fliers, and now radio ads that falsely suggest that criminal behavior will become legal when this simply isn’t true. The Yes on Ordinance 1856 supporters are better organized but many voters who want to vote for gay and transgender people are getting confused by the opposition.

How To Help:

1) Help the One Kalamazoo campaign raise a final $10,000 specifically dedicated to fight back against the lies on the local TV and radio airwaves and fully fund the campaign’s final field and GOTV efforts.

Give here: http://www.actblue.com/page/3-2-1-countdown

2) If you live nearby and can physically volunteer in Kalamazoo sign up here. If you know anyone that lives in Kalamazoo, use the One Kalamazoo campaign’s online canvass tool to remind those voters that they need to vote on November 3rd and vote YES on Ordinance 1856 to support equality for gay and transgender people.

Contact voters: http://www.onekalamazoo.com/tellfriends2

Last week Jones launched a petition drive from Change.org after the popular children’s book club excluded author Lauren Myracle’s best-selling children’s book, Luv Ya Bunches over concerns Myracle included same-sex parents in her book and then refused to include a heterosexual couple when that was requested by Scholastic.

The controversy over Myracle’s book began after The School Library Journal reported that global children’s publishing, education and media giant decided not to include a book about the friendship among four elementary school girls, with one of those girls, Milla, having lesbian moms, from its Scholastic Book Fair, because the company says one of the main characters had same-sex parents.

According to Jones, the reversal by Scholastic came after more than 4,000 people contacted the publisher expressing concern Scholastic was attempting to censor books with LGBT characters.

A statement from Scholastic said…

“Scholastic does not censor books. We review thousands of titles each year for our book clubs and book fairs, and we are committed to a review process that considers all books equally regardless of their inclusion of LGBT characters and same sex parents. In an interview with School Library Journal, Scholastic stated that we are currently carrying Luv Ya Bunches by Lauren Myracle in our school book clubs. We also said we were still reviewing the book for possible inclusion in our book fairs. Having completed our review of Luv Ya Bunches, Scholastic Book Fairs will carry the title in our spring fairs for middle school.

Scholastic is proud of our long history of providing books that will appeal to the wide range of interests and reading abilities of children in the many diverse cultures and communities we serve. Luv Ya Bunches is just one example.”

The Scholastic Mission Credo notes the company produces educational materials to assist and inspire students:

• To cultivate their minds to utmost capacity
• To become familiar with our cultural heritage
• To strive for excellence in creative expression in all fields of learning, literature, and art
• To seek effective ways to live a satisfying life
• To enlarge students’ concern for and understanding of today’s world
• To help build a society free of prejudice and hate, and dedicated to the highest quality of life in community and nation.

Lesbian Mom Blogger Dana Rudolph, who was instrumental in alerting parents about Scholastics slight on Luv Ya Bunches said, “I am pleased Scholastic has decided to include Luv Ya Bunches in its School Book Fairs. It is unfortunate that they initially felt the need to ask Myracle to change the lesbian moms (who play only a minor role in the book) to a mom and a dad, but it is heartening to know that they listened to the more than 4000 people, LGBT and not, who signed Change.org’s petition in support of the author. The upside is that going forward, the company is on record as stating: “We are committed to a review process that considers all books equally regardless of their inclusion of LGBT characters and same sex parents.” I hope that will benefit many authors—and, more importantly, many children—in the future.”

Related articles by Zemanta

• Children’s book club say lesbian moms are “inappropriate” (lezgetreal.com)
• Scholastic Bans Book with Lesbian Moms from Book Fairs (bilerico.com)
• Scholastic Censors Book Because Main Character has Two Moms (queersunited.blogspot.com)

In response to Senator Arlen Specters post yesterday on the Huffington Post calling for the repeal of The Defense of Marriage Act, Congressman Joe Sestak’s Senate campaign issued the following statement to the long-time Republican, Senator Specter’s latest attempt to follow Joe Sestak’s leadership just to help himself politically – this following Sestaks call to repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA):

“As the long-time Republican Senator carries on his attempt to run away from his 30-year Republican record, this time on his vote to support the Defense of Marriage Act, he should be honest about his votes to oppose equal rights for LGBT Americans. He actually voted with Republican Senator Rick Santorum to deny equal benefits to legally married LGBT Americans in the first place. Without Joe Sestak’s leadership in supporting LGBT rights, the Senator would continue to deny married gay and lesbian couples their right to file joint tax returns, receive spouse benefits under social security, take an unpaid leave to take care of a sick or injured partner, or share retirement benefits like straight couples. Senator Specter’s willingness to reposition himself just to help himself politically should give pause to Pennsylvanians who are looking for a loyal Senator who will put principle over politics for the next generation. As Senator, Joe Sestak will continue to stand up for equal rights for all Americans – before, during, and after an election year.”

Senator Specter’s Opposition to LGBT Rights:

• Specter voted with Santorum for DOMA [HR 3396, 9/10/96, Record Vote 280]
• Specter voted with Santorum against adding sexual orientation to the definition of hate crimes [2002, S. 625]
• In a letter to a constituent last month, Specter defended his support of DOMA and went on to say “I appreciate the goal of the proposed amendment (to ban gay marriage)” and “I support traditional marriage as defined in DOMA.”

LGBT Leaders Call Specter Out

Active leaders in the LGBT community voiced their support for Joe as the leader Pennsylvania needs in the Senate to fight for equality. Among those to speak up on Joe’s behalf were Steve Glassman, Chairperson of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission; Paul Scoles, President of Gittings Trust, a non-partisan organization working to advance equality for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People through the political process; and Mel Heifetz and Arthur Kaplan, prominent LGBT activists. They said they were committed to Joe because he is a man of principle who has consistently been on the right side on the issues not to win an election, but because he knows, for example, that repealing DOMA is the right thing to do.

Arthur Kaplan, who is also the Vice President of the Philadelphia ACLU, further said, “Speaking as an individual, Senator Specter’s recently reaffirmed support for DOMA, while also calling for its repeal, apparently depending on his audience, is the height of hypocrisy. After his longstanding opposition to our community, voting against our civil rights time and again, and placing bigots on the Courts just to win elections as a Republican, how could I or anyone ever trust him to do what is right, once this primary election has passed? I know Joe Sestak and he is someone Pennsylvanians can trust to put their best interests above his own.”

Since its passage in 1996, the Defense of Marriage Act has discriminated against LGBT Americans by excluding federal benefits from same-sex partners who have been legally married in states that recognize their marriage. Since 1996, eight states and the District of Columbia have granted same-sex couples equal access to state programs, but those couples remain excluded from the same rights under federal law.

Joe Sestak has called for a repeal of DOMA since he first ran for Congress in 2006. Since then, he has co-sponsored legislation to provide federal civilian LGBT employees with the same partnership benefits that are currently provided to all spouses of federal employees; end the federal tax inequities for employer-sponsored health coverage provided to domestic partners and other non-spouse, non-dependent beneficiaries; permit an employee to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave from work if his or her domestic partner or same-sex spouse has a serious health condition; prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation; and repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Paula Brooks | Create Your Badge