Federation Blog

Friday State Sweep

2010-06-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

Equality North Carolina's executive director, Ian Palmquist, was invited to the White House for a reception honoring Pride Month.

The Tennessee Equality Project's Grand Divisions blog discusses two types of incremental progress for LGBT equality, what we gain and what we lose.

Equality Florida and the ACLU will give a joint town hall and training on adoption, June 18 and 19.

Election Day revealed support for LGBT and pro-equality candidates in California, reports Equality California. Nearly all of their endorsed candidates won their primary fights.

TransOhio lists some of the presenters for their upcoming 3rd Annual TransOhio Transgender & Ally Symposium, August 13 - 15, 2010.

And

Empire State Pride Agenda emphasizes the importance of straight allies in the workplace through their Pride in My Workplace program.

A reading of the Prop. 8 trial transcripts will be performed June 18 and 19 at the Brody Theater in Portland. 25% of the proceeds will go to benefit Basic Rights Oregon.

The Road to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

2010-06-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

from our allies at the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, here is a guide to the end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - cross-posted at their site.

REPORTER GUIDE: The Path Forward on the Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), a national, legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), released a guide today on the path to repeal.

THE SENATE VOTE:

After the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the U.S. Senate is now poised to take it up. An amendment that would allow for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was successfully attached to the NDAA in both the House and Senate.

Senate floor debate on the NDAA may begin as early as June 18, but it could come later.

SLDN and other repeal advocates will be working to shore up a filibuster proof majority, 60 Senate votes, to proceed to consideration of the NDAA. While this is traditionally a “must-pass” piece of legislation, the White House has threatened to veto the bill due to spending disagreements unrelated to the repeal of DADT.

Even with a filibuster proof 60-vote majority, SLDN and our repeal allies will be closely watching for any crippling amendments offered on the floor and a “motion to strike” that could allow repeal opponents to remove the repeal language from the defense bill.

SLDN is working closely with Senators Joseph Lieberman and Carl Levin to guard against any attempts to strike repeal or weaken its provisions.

For instance, we will vigorously oppose any amendment to expand the certification process in the “compromise." Opponents of open service may be considering an amendment that would require all of the Joints Chiefs to sign off on the certificaiton process. This killer amendment is designed to delay open service for years.

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE:

After passage in the Senate, repeal advocates will focus on the conference committee where staff work would begin shortly thereafter. The committee will be tasked with resolving any differences in the House and Senate versions of the NDAA. At this time, the language in the repeal amendment for DADT is the same in both chambers – a good thing.

With similar amendment language in both chambers, there will be little to resolve. However, SLDN does not under estimate the “Big Four.” The “Big Four” are the chairs and ranking members in the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. Only one of the four supports repeal: Senate Chairman Carl Levin. The ranking member in the Senate, Sen. John McCain, and House Chairman Ike Skelton and ranking member Rep. Howard McKeon, do not.

The conference committee will produce a conference report and we expect a vote in both the House and Senate chambers on that report in September or early October.

PRESIDENTIAL BILL SIGNING:

Generally, the NDAA is signed each year in late October or early November. When the president signs the NDAA – with the repeal amendment attached – nothing would happen. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will still be the law. Service members will still be discharged. Read SLDN’s warnings: www.sldn.org/StillAtRisk.

THE PENTAGON WORKING GROUP REPORT:

On or before December 1, the Pentagon Working Group is required to submit its report to Congress and the Secretary of Defense. The working group was established to author a report on “how” to implement repeal, not “if” repeal should happen.

CERTIFICATION:

At some point after the Pentagon Working Group submits its report, the President would transmit to the congressional Armed Services Committees a written certification, signed by the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stating each of the following:

(A) That the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have considered the recommendations contained in the report and the report’s proposed plan of action.

(B) That the Department of Defense has prepared the necessary policies and regulations to exercise the discretion provided by the amendments made by subsection (f)

(C) That the implementation of necessary policies and regulations pursuant to the discretion provided by the amendments made by subsection (f) is consistent with the standards of military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention of the Armed Forces.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will still be the law at this point. Service members will still be discharged. Read SLDN’s warnings: www.sldn.org/StillAtRisk.

REPEAL EFFECTIVE 60-DAYS AFTER TRANSMITTAL:

After the President transmits written certification to the congressional Armed Services Committees, full repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would be effective 60 days later.

OPEN SERVICE:

Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would NOT automatically allow for “open service.” Policies and regulations to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly would need to be written and put in place. SLDN will also encourage the President to issue an executive order protecting service members from discrimination based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (www.sldn.org) is a national, non-profit legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Elizabeth A. Shirey
Grassroots/Policy Advocate
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network

In Washington D.C. National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Leaders, Community Members Demand Vote on Employment Non-Discrimination Act

2010-05-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

crossposted from www.endanow.com

In Washington D.C. National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Leaders, Community Members Demand Vote on Employment Non-Discrimination Act
May 17, 2010
tags: Employment Non-Discrimination Act, ENDA, National Week of Action
by endanow

At Tuesday press conference, LGBT rights advocates will highlight congressional inaction on ENDA as part of National ENDA Action Week

WHAT:

Press conference to demand immediate action in both the House and Senate on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a federal bill prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It is part of a series of nationwide actions this week calling for a vote on ENDA.

WHO:

Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Jody M. Huckaby, Executive Director, PFLAG National
Frank Kameny, longtime activist who was fired from his job over five decades ago due to sexual orientation discrimination; 50-plus years later, he is tired of waiting for equality as he turns 85 this week
Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality
Sharon Lettman, Executive Director, National Black Justice Coalition
Michael Mitchell, Executive Director, National Stonewall Democrats
Gloria Nieto, California resident, former member of the Democratic National Committee, former executive director of the People of Color AIDS Foundation, currently unemployed
Liz Seaton, Director of Projects and Managing Attorney, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Peggy Shorey, Executive Director, Pride at Work
Terrance L., a gay man who has been closeted in previous employment
Donna P., a transgender woman from the Baltimore area who was fired from two jobs

WHEN:

Tuesday, May 18, Noon (ET)

WHERE:

National Press Club, 529 14th Street, N.W., Lisagor Room, Washington, D.C.

WHY:

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocates have been lobbying for ENDA’s passage for years. There is more support for ENDA than ever before in Congress, growing every day. Congress needs to prioritize ENDA for passage to secure the most basic of civil rights, the right to work, for LGBT people. LGBT rights leaders and community members are demanding an immediate vote on ENDA and are sending a united message to Congress: No more excuses, no more delays: Pass ENDA now.

Round Up of State Blogs - Successes, Surprises, and Struggles

2010-05-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

Fair Wisconsin takes on Marquette University after it rescinded deanship offer made to out lesbian, Dr. Jodi O'Brien.

A new Washington Post poll shows that Equality Maryland has something to be happy about, support for marriage equality has out-stripped opposition.

Equality Florida is following the train wreck that is George Rekers. He's resigning from the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality Board.

Cancel Harvey Milk Day? Equality California tells us what the people who brought us Prop. 8 are up to now.

TransOhio lets us know about “Minorities Within Minorities” - The Black Gay Experience, coming up on May 20.

Basic Rights Oregon shows that they're busy around the state.

And Equality North Carolina thinks about Mothers' Day

It's May - Whip Around the States

2010-05-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

Students for a Fair Wisconsin reached out to faith leaders.

Small towns are leading the education effort for marriage equality, writes Basic Rights Oregon.

Indiana Equality has many good events coming up.

Equality California notes that the closing arguments for the Prop. 8 trial are set for June 16, 2010.

TransOhio's May newsletter is available online.

A candidate for Tennessee's 8th congressional district who wants to keep "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and laughed about "taking care of" homosexuals in the military, complains that he's being attacked by liberals.

Equality North Carolina reminds you that we need to push and lobby for ENDA.

Week-End Roundup

2010-04-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

TransOhio asks us all to help the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition pass the Transgender Rights Bill in the MA state legislature.

Equality North Carolina is collecting stories to make healthcare fair for LGBT people.

Fair Wisconsin holds a faith panel next week.

Inland Empire PFLAG president on Equality California's Marriage Equality Roundtable.

Basic Rights Oregon does the right thing on racial justice, invites everyone to the table.

The Tennessee Equality Project fights for sane sexual health education.

Empire state Pride Agenda sweeps the internet and finds some interesting LGBT content.

The Miami Beach Commission supports the Uniting American Families Act, according to Equality Florida, a bill that helps same-sex families stay together in the USA.

Mid-Week Roundup

2010-04-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

"You can't support equality and gay bait." Equality Texas calls out homophobic behavior by Democratic incumbent in primary race.

Equality Maryland introduces a new field director.

The Tennessee Equality Project looks at gubernatorial hopefuls positions on adoption.

There's more to celebrate in Florida than close (35 votes!) win in Gainesville mayoral election. Equality Florida tells us that an equality champion has won a seat in Congress in yesterday's runoff election.

Fair Wisconsin announces four-day intensive training by ally Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute coming to Minneapolis in June.

Empire State Pride Agenda follows up on teenager's suit against school district for bullying in their weekly sweep.

And there's more,

LGBT community marches in the San Jose Tet parade, reports Equality California.

Indiana Equality let us know that Judy Shepard will be giving a free and public talk in Indianapolis.

The Philippine Supreme Court has ruled to accredit a gay political party challenging a national election (from Equality South Dakota).

Basic Rights Oregon co-hosts an Elton John tribute night. It's a benefit, so break out your rhinestone glasses for equality.

Equality North Carolina congratulates Iowa on its first year of marriage equality.

Has the "Truth Truck" Been in Your Town?

2010-04-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

The anti-equality "Truth Truck" is in Annapolis Md. Equality Maryland has more.

State Roundup

2010-04-02T11:10:00.001-07:00

TransOhio posts a call for works on transmasculine sexuality.

Indiana Equality posts a video on why it's time for a change.

If you missed National LGBT Health Awareness Week, read about it on Equality North Carolina's blog.

Equality Maryland follows the attempt of a House representative to impeach Attorney General Gansler for Gansler's opinion supporting marriage equality.

Equality California meditates on Cesar Chavez' legacy to all of us.

Empire State Pride Agenda swept the blogs last week.

Equality Florida urges members to take action to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" by signing on to a letter to Senator Bill Nelson.

And the Federation made it possible for thirteen LGBT families from across the country to take part in the White House Easter Egg Roll!

Friday Wrapup

2010-03-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

Tennessee's Grand Division blog thinks about activism.

Want to phone bank for ENDA? TransOhio tells you how.

Equality North Carolina discusses Lambda Legal's latest report on health care for LGBT people. (Spoiler: it's not good.)

Empire State Pride Agenda gives an update on GENDA campaign.

Equality California posts the thoughts of a volunteer field worker.

Equality Florida covers the weird "family-friendly" film bill out of Tallahassee.

Indiana Equality has some upcoming media trainings.

Midweek Roundup

2010-03-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

Equality Maryland celebrates marriage equality in nearby DC.

Empire State Pride Agenda's news sweep catches Harold Ford's decision to drop out of senate race.

TransOhio puts out a call for scholars to develop research on LGBTQI issues in education.

Basic Rights Oregon takes a stand against racism and police violence.

Equality North Carolina looks at changes in public attitudes towards lesbians and gay men in the military.

In Michigan Michigan Equality and Triangle Foundation announce their merger.

Equality Florida covers pressure on state to repeal anti-gay adoption laws.

2010 Census is Nearly Here and It's Time to Queer It

2010-02-24T12:17:00.001-08:00

If you've been watching the Olympics (and probably even if you haven't) you've seen the ads for the upcoming census. This enormous project has a huge influence on how federal money flows to the states, how civil rights laws are enforced and other crucial social and civil issues.

LGBT communities need to be part of the count

Equality Federation is a member of the Our Families Count Partnership which wants to bring more LGBT visibility to this snapshot of America. You can hear Che Ruddell-Tabisola, from Our Families Count on the Windy City Queercast on why it's important for all of us to get counted.

The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) has joined in partnership with the US Census and OFC to get their congregants and communities counted.

If you're on Facebook (and who isn't?) become a fan of Queer the Census. And be sure to be counted in 2010.

Friday Roundup

2010-02-19T10:12:00.000-08:00

This is Indiana Equality's weekend of Love is Equal dinners.

TransOhio is sponsoring the film City of Borders at the 34th Cleveland International Film Festival.

Equality North Carolina celebrates SAGE's new federal grant and ambitious new initiatives.

Basic Rights Oregon calls our attention to two strong trainings coming up soon.

And Tennessee's Grand Division has an interesting quote of the day.

Around the States

2010-02-16T09:51:00.000-08:00

Equality Texas reflects on Creating Change and how to create change at home.

Equality South Dakota highlights NYT Op Ed on the curious silence of the Right on DADT.

Equality California's guest blogger, one on the 18,000 couples married before Prop. 8, tells her heart-warming story.

Equality Florida notes panel discussion on employment discrimination.

Friday State Roundup

2010-02-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

TransOhio's February newsletter is available online.

Equality California remembers Lawrence King in the second anniversary of his murder.

Basic Rights Oregon offers an anti-racism toolkit for LGBT equality organizations and activists.

Equality Florida launches the Council of 1000.

And Equality North Carolina tell you how to oppose DADT.

Support for Ending DADT From the Most Surprising People

2010-02-09T13:21:00.001-08:00

Last week we saw top military officers calling for an end to Don't Ask, Don't Tell. But this week, we didn't expect support from conservative (and generally anti-LGBT) Fox News.
(via Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish)

Freedom to Marry Week 2010

2010-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's the thirteenth anniversary of Freedom to Marry Week. in 2010 there are five states that have marriage equality - Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The District of Columbia is on the way to join them.

Freedom to Marry has information about the celebrations going on across the country and a great FAQ about marriage equality.

Celebrate, tell your stories February 8 - 14 and every other day of the year for equality.

Morning Around the States

2010-02-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

Indiana Equality promotes a Mass Call Out to advertise LGBT resources at Indiana University.

The Tennessee Equality Project's Grand Divisions Blog uncovers opposition to transgender inclusive anti-discrimination policy at Middle Tennessee State University.

Equality Florida covers President Obama's speech in Tampa, supporting equal benefits for same-sex couples.

Empire State Pride Agenda notes the first Congressional Hearing on DADT in 17 years and an analysis of the Prop. 8 trial from Slate.com

Finally Equality California and California Church IMPACT support a bill by state senator, Mark Leno, that allows clergy to refuse to perform same-sex marriages. This bill is expected to reassure those faith communities who are afraid that marriage equality will force them to go against their beliefs.

Prop. 8 Trial - Defense Witnesses and LGBT Political Power

2010-01-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

The defense has tried to show that the LGBT community has immense political power and influence. But skillful cross-examination by plantiff attorney, David Boies, shows that despite the progress of the last four decades our community is still vulnerable to majority communities: politically, economically, and physically. Follow the trial on liveblogs from the Courage Campaign or Firedoglake. Shannon Minter from NCLR provides an informed summary each day on Pam's Houseblend.

Monday Around the States

2010-01-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

Equality Florida discusses candidates in upcoming Attorney General race.

Empire State Pride Agenda's Morning Sweep highlights weekend NYT article on the work of the Transgender Legal and Education Fund.

Basic Rights Oregon mobilizes to prevent cuts to services crucial to LGBT communities.

Equality California crossposts NCLR attorney Shannon Minter's analysis of the Prop.8 trial.

Fair Wisconsin applauds marriage equality support from Meghan and Cindy McCain.

TransOhio publishes call for panelists for 2010 National Women's Studies Association Conference. The panel, "Gender Performance: Transgender Perspectives,” will address conference thematic areas - Complicating the Queer and “Outsider” Feminisms

Prop 8 Trial Observer Looks at LGBT Political Power

2010-01-21T10:20:00.001-08:00

crossposted from Prop 8 Trail Tracker
By Rick Jacobs - Chair and Founder of the Courage Campaign

The essential question coming out of Day 7 of the Prop 8 trial is clear:

What is political power?

Today, Gary M. Segura, a Stanford Political Science professor, convincingly testified about the relative political power of the LGBT community as a class of citizens, as well as the level of vulnerability experienced by gays and lesbians in the political process.

Segura first defined the differences between political power and weaknesses. He then showed that gays and lesbians do not have that much power, which is surprising to some. Protect Marriage attorney David Thompson is trying to show that gays do have power because we give money, have access to public figures like Speaker Pelosi, have marriage in a few states and raised $43 million against Prop 8.But juxtapose this with the amazing revelation of documents earlier this afternoon that show how clearly the Mormon and Catholic Churches coordinated and ran the field campaign for Prop 8. We knew the churches were involved deeply, but now we see that they essentially made the campaign work.

The summary from both sides reduces to this: After 30 years, we have a hate crimes bill. And even though Mr. Thompson keeps touting the Human Rights Campaign’s own writings promoting HRC, we see that we have little real power.

Let’s look at the record:

1. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was a gift of the Clinton Administration; there is no sign that President Obama is going to move to repeal it anytime soon, especially after the Coakley defeat last night.

2. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a gift of the Clinton Administration. We still have no commitment from President Obama or the Democratic leadership in Congress that this will be repealed and certainly not when.

3. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) languishes somewhere between the House and grey skies.

4. We have lost 33 out 34 ballot fights and 75% of the 200 or so initiatives that have been waged against us.

As Mr. Thompson for the defense inadvertently points out by having played excerpts from Obama’s speech, the gays get politicians to show up and get invited to parties. But nothing happens. We see that the hundreds of millions of dollars that the LGBT community has spent has not resulted in very little real power — the kind of power that can actually conjure fear in the minds of elected officials. As a friend and senior advisor to Obama remarked to me recently, not one federal office holder worries in the least about what the gay community says or does.

Professor Segura made clear that the foregoing is not necessarily true for Latinos or African Americans or women or evangelicals, as office holders appear to factor the votes of these specific constituencies into their decisions more often (recognizing, of course, that the the LGBT community is inclusive of all of these constituencies).

On this first anniversary of Barack Obama’s inauguration when Democrats are wringing their hands over the meaning of Martha Coakley’s defeat in Massachusetts, this trial shows us the clear path ahead.

First, progressives and the LGBT community itself must continue to support such breakthrough efforts as this trial. It is truly a groundbreaking event.

Second, we must build true political power. That means we have to show office holders that we will fight them, that we will run primaries against them and that we will reward them for good behavior. The idea that getting lots of stories in the newspaper is somehow going to change politics is ludicrous.

Third, we have to embrace and empower the grassroots communities that we see reading this blog and participating in any number of activities to advance equality, online and offline. An organization like the Courage Campaign Institute is more powerful with hundreds of thousands of small donors than this movement can ever be with a few donations from big corporations. And we are most powerful when we have hundreds of thousands of people across this country who will exercise political power.

Finally, we have to tell our stories. Let’s never forget how this trial began and of what this fight consists. It’s all about Jeff and Paul, Kris and Sandy. It’s about each and every family, straight and gay.

Those who possess power get results. If we have it, we don’t use it very well. It’s time to change all of that. And it’s starting right here in a Federal court in San Francisco

Prop 8 Trial: Day 7 - On LGBT Politcal Power

2010-01-20T12:46:00.001-08:00

Today's testimony contains an interesting analysis of LGBT political power by political scientist Dr. Segura. It's chilling. And it's why Federation groups are key to winning equality.

Week Two of the Prop. 8 Trial

2010-01-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

If you haven't been following the trial (especially since it won't be on YouTube, you should check out one of the many liveblog covering the trial.

The Prop. 8 Tracker comes from the Courage Campaign.

Progressive blog, Firedoglake has analysis, videos, and a Twitter feed.

Towleroad also has analysis of the issues, including background on the presiding judge.

Pam's House Blend hosts a Twitter feed and legal analyses from NCLR lawyer, Shannon Minter.

Prop 8 Trial Starts in San Francisco, Unseen

2010-01-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

The Federal Supreme Court has blocked video coverage of the trial on Prop. 8. Marriage equality opponents have argued that video coverage on YouTube would keep them from receiving a fair trial. Civil trails have been recorded and posted before, but the people who supported Prop. 8, who supported bigotry, want to stay anonymous and hidden.

The video is being streamed to other rooms in the courthouse. The stay on live streaming will expire on Wednesday.

No Marriage Equality for NJ, Garden State Equality Heads Back to Court

2010-01-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

Garden State Equality Chair and CEO Steven Goldstein delivered the remarks below at a news conference in Trenton on Thursday, January 7, 2010, after the New Jersey Senate’s vote on the marriage equality bill.

With today’s vote in the state Senate, the New Jersey legislature defaulted on its constitutional obligation to provide same-sex couples in New Jersey equal protection, as unanimously mandated by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2006. That’s why we at Garden State Equality are here with our partner Lambda Legal, which has an extraordinary track record of advancing LGBT civil rights in the courts. Now our organizations will announce major news. Our side is going back to court to win marriage equality.

We’ll hear from Lambda Legal in a moment. Let’s be clear about what this news means. We are not waiting out the term of any new Administration to bring equality to same-sex couples in our state.

In 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court told the legislature it could enact marriage or another structure that provides the equal protection of marriage. But the civil union law failed to do that. Too often, civil union couples too often cannot visit loved ones in hospitals, make medical decisions for their partners or receive equal health benefits from employers. Hospitals and employers have treated civil union couples differently because they’ve been labeled differently. Children have been treated differently at school because their families are labeled differently.

In recent months, including today and at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in December, New Jersey legislators publicly recognized these failures. They publicly acknowledged that the civil union law has not provided equal protection. That’s important. New Jersey legislators themselves said it. Our opponents in the legislature said it.

In other words, though we didn’t achieve our final victory today, we’re better positioned than we were a few months ago to win marriage equality. So if you’re wondering how we feel, it’s complicated. On the one hand, we resent, more than you can imagine, remaining second-class citizens a bit longer. On the other hand, the ball has moved forward. The public record for the courts is mighty, and we’re closer than ever to winning.

In 2006, New Jersey enacted an experiment called civil union. In 2010, New Jersey has a mountain of proof that the experiment has failed.

Now let’s talk about what happened politically.

Things didn’t go our way in the legislature because of one factor: Governor Corzine lost reelection.

After his win in November, Governor-elect Christie persuaded a number of legislators to reverse their support of the bill. Before the election, nearly every neutral observer in New Jersey thought marriage equality was certain to become law in lame duck. It became the zeitgeist in Trenton, with good reason. In contrast to today’s outcome, before the election we had votes to spare in the Senate, including from a number of Republicans.

But the election changed everything and our national opponents changed nothing. They didn’t do much or spend much in New Jersey. As you saw from our thousands of members at the State House these past few weeks who symbolized the massiveness of our campaign, we overwhelmed our opponents on every front – but one. Our opponents had the Governor-elect on their side, and that’s all they needed to have. It’s ironic given that marriage equality wasn’t even an issue in the election, and that the candidates who favored marriage equality together won a majority.

All this said, we extend to Governor-elect Christie an outstretched hand. He will be the Governor of all of us. We ask him to continue the tradition of his Republican predecessors, Christie Whitman and Tom Kean, who always kept an open door to the LGBT community. And though we differ with the Governor-elect on marriage equality, we also seek to explore with him and his Administration the issues on which we may have agreement and can work together.

No political party should write off any constituency. And no party should take any constituency for granted either. Our fundamental right to equality should never have been left to sudden death overtime by the party to which the LGBT community and our allies have been unstintingly loyal and have given so much.

To be clear, we will continue to support those who support us. Over the past five-and-a-half years, the separate Garden State Equality political committee has provided thousands of campaign volunteers and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for supportive candidates through contributions to the organization, or through contributions from individuals directly to candidates.

Of course, when we exceed politicians’ expectations in ways they like, we never hear, you’re going too far, your fervor is too much. That double standard, which other minority communities have heard in their own fights for equality, hurts deeply. And it hurts everyone who stands for equality, including supporters in the majority.

Now there will be a sustained response not only from the LGBT community, but also from straight progressive voters who have been our equal partners. Marriage equality stopped being just a gay issue long ago.

To those who let us all down, here’s our policy: Don’t ask, don’t expect. You can’t take progressives’ money and volunteers with one hand, slap us in the face with the other, and then act astonished when we declare our independence. The marketplace of democracy runs along a two-way street.

Members and friends, today was not an outcome lost, but rather a juncture in an otherwise glorious road to justice. Since Garden State Equality’s founding in 2004, New Jersey has enacted 210 LGBT civil rights laws at the state, county and local levels, a national record. We have 64,000 members – LGBT and straight alike – who have improved the lives of millions. A watchdog organization, eQualityGiving.com, just ranked New Jersey #1 in America for LGBT rights, tied with three other states, and we haven’t even won marriage equality yet.

But we will soon. Cesar Chavez said it best. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the people who feel pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.

Before I introduce our colleagues from Lambda Legal, some thanks are in order. Thank you to all our Senate sponsors, including prime sponsors Loretta Weinberg and Raymond Lesniak. We appreciate Loretta and Raymond beyond measure for their indefatigable leadership, and extend to them our love. We thank Senators Bill Baroni and Nia Gill – unwavering voices for justice at our committee hearing. We thank all our Assembly sponsors, including prime sponsors Reed Gusciora, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, John McKeon and Mila Jasey. We thank our Governor Corzine and Speaker Roberts for their support. And let me say this about Governor Dick Codey: He’s been an extraordinary champion of equality who kept his word about a Senate vote. Every progressive in New Jersey should view Governor Codey as a hero.

We thank the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Human Rights Campaign, Gill Action, the Civil Marriage Collaborative, the Arcus Foundation and Freedom to Marry, which have given us resources and wisdom. We thank our partners at the state level, including the ACLU of New Jersey, BlueWave, Democracy for America, New Jersey Citizen Action, New Jersey Stonewall Democrats and the state’s progressive voice on the web, Blue Jersey, to which we owe so much.

We thank our spectacular field staff who joined us from across the country. We thank our executive committee, board, staff and donors who make Garden State Equality possible. We thank the New Jersey Lesbian and Gay Coalition for its decades of groundwork. We thank all the supportive staff in the legislature and executive branch. We especially thank our thousands of volunteers – the stars of Garden State Equality – who rallied at the State House and worked in our offices and in the field throughout the year. And if I may, I thank my partner Daniel and all the loved ones of our staff and volunteers who have supported us and sacrificed so much.

Most of all, we thank our colleagues at Lambda Legal, without whom our march toward equality would never have gotten this far. We’re thrilled to reunite with our partner Lambda Legal in the next stage of the battle. Please welcome Leslie Gabel-Brett, Lambda Legal’s director of education and public affairs.

The Gutierrez Bill, Immigration Reform and Our Families

2009-12-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

crossposted from the Immigration Equality Blog

Earlier today, Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) introduced an immigration reform proposal in the House of Representatives that does not include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families. We pushed hard for inclusion in this bill, and we are deeply disappointed. However, I want to be clear: this is not the comprehensive immigration reform package which will move through the House. And, there are many reasons to remain optimistic about our inclusion in CIR down the road.

First, it is important to note that Congressman Gutierrez remains a co-sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) and the LGBT-inclusive Reuniting Families Act (RFA) in Congress. In the weeks and months leading up to the introduction of the Gutierrez bill, Immigration Equality pushed for inclusion of our families. When it became clear that this was not to be, we asked for the Congressman to continue to work for an end to immigration laws that discriminate against LGBT families, and we have every expectation that he will do so.

Second, this bill is not the large-scale, comprehensive immigration reform bill that is expected in Congress early next year. That bill is currently being written, and a number of our champions – including Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Congressman Mike Honda and Senator Patrick Leahy – continue to work to ensure that bill includes our families.

Third, some LGBT families will benefit from other provisions in this bill: for starters, those who have fallen out of status because they cannot be sponsored by their partners; LGBT detainees, who are too often victimized and discriminated against under our current system; those who need a path to citizenship in order to keep their family intact; and queer teenagers who have grown up and come out in this country but who have no future without a change in the law.

Immigration Equality will not rest until Congress passes LGBT-inclusive immigration reform. We continue to push – every day – for passage of the Uniting American Families Act, the Reuniting Families Act and every other possible victory for our families. Our strategy has been – and remains – to pursue every available avenue for success.

The bill introduced today is, for all of us, disappointing. But the immediate future remains hopeful. There are many more steps on our journey together – and in the Congressional process – and we remain confident that, in the end, our champions will stand with us, and immigration reform will include our families, too.

Hate Crimes in Florida - Powerful Video

2009-12-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

From Equality Florida on their website

A Meditation on AIDS and Silences

2009-12-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

Though World AIDS Day ended a week ago, there's no end to the ways that the disease, treatments, and policies have affected our communities. And there are silences around HIV/AIDS that the LGBT communities have yet to break. From Federation member,Gunner Scott ED of Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.

International AIDS Day

2009-12-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

Tennessee Equality Project highlights Secretary of State Clinton's speech. She identifies discrimination as a major barrier to HIV treatment.

Empire State Pride Agenda does their morning sweep.

Equality Florida posts the President's Proclamation on World AIDS Day.

And Indiana Equality asks you to go shopping for equality.

We'll Be Back, and We'll Win

2009-11-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

crossposted from Equality North Carolina's blog

Waking up this morning to the news that Maine voters narrowly approved a measure overturning the marriage equality law passed by the legislature was a kick in the gut. The memory of California's Prop. 8 last year is still fresh.

My thoughts go out to all the families in Maine who will continue to be denied dignity and equality under the law. Many of us will need time to grieve over the fact that a majority of our fellow citizens would vote to deny lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people their full civil rights.

And yet, I'm also encouraged by what happened in Maine. Just under half of voters — tens of thousands of people — voted for marriage equality. While it wasn't enough, let's not forget that just fifteen years ago, few Americans had even heard of the concept of marriage equality for same-sex couples.

We've come a long way fast. And, despite the heartbreaking setback of yesterday's vote, the momentum is still very much on our side.

I also find hope in the phenomenal campaign that the No On 1 team ran. They talked one on one with tens of thousands of voters. They put the faces and stories of same-sex couples and families at the forefront. They engaged leaders from local elected officials to the Governor in the fight for marriage equality.

We even had a number of Equality North Carolina supporters who went up to Maine to help out, and many more who made calls to Maine voters from their homes.

Of course, after some time to grieve, we should look at what worked well and what could be done better next time. But I suspect that in the final analysis we'll see that the work No On 1 did won over thousands and thousands of voters to our side.

The state just wasn't quite there yet. But it will be.

A little history: Maine voters went to the polls four times to vote on nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation. The first three times they rejected it. But Equality Maine didn't give up, and the state legislators who believed in fairness didn't give up. Now it's the law of the land.

We've got to keep fighting in Maine and in every state.

Yesterday, voters in Washington state approved comprehensive domestic partnerships, and in Kalamazoo, Michigan, voters rejected vicious attacks on the transgender community to support the city's nondiscrimination ordinance.

New York and New Jersey have a real chance of passing marriage equality legislation this year. The Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would protect many workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, could become law in the next few months.

All of that's going to take a lot of hard work.

Rest assured, if we do that work, we'll win marriage back in Maine, California, and, eventually we'll win our full civil rights in states like North Carolina and the whole nation. We know how to do it.

I'm in it to win it. Are you?And here is the rest of it.

Representative Baldwin on Hate Crimes Bill Signed Today

2009-10-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (WI-02) lauds President Obama's signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law on October 28, 2009.

Joint Statement on Hate Crimes Act - History in the Making

2009-10-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

It took much too long, more than a decade. And it came at too great a price: the brutal killings of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. are just two among the thousands of crimes motivated by hate and bigotry.

But this week, the president put pen to paper and fulfilled a campaign promise, the signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, extending the federal hate crimes statute to include sexual orientation and gender identity along with race, religion, gender, national origin and disability. Our deepest hope and strong belief is that this new law will save lives. Now, lawmakers and the president have made an imperative statement to the country and the world: Our nation will no longer tolerate hate-motivated violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

We have worked long and hard for this and its passage is historic. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, there are nearly 8,000 hate crime-related incidents annually, and more than 1,200 of those incidents involve violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity. And even more alarming, while the overall occurrence of hate crimes is declining nationally, hate crimes against LGBT people have been increasing. This year alone, we saw hate crimes trials in the brutal killings of two transgender women, Angie Zapata and Lateisha Green.

As a result of this legislation, if local jurisdictions are unable or unwilling to investigate or prosecute hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the Justice Department can now step in. And that’s why the LGBT community never stopped working for this historic day.

This legislation not only has practical value, but is a symbol of our progress. It is the first time in the nation’s history that Congress has passed explicit protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. We could not have reached this moment without the powerful support of our allies who stood with us every step of the way. We are deeply grateful to civil rights, civic, faith and disability rights groups, as well as law enforcement and district attorney organizations that worked side by side with the LGBT advocates. We are equally thankful to Congress, President Obama and members of his administration for passing and signing this bill into law.

While today we celebrate this marker of progress, we must recognize it as only one of the building blocks to full equality and demand that it be just a first step toward equal treatment under federal law in all areas of our lives. And we must focus on the next step.

The passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act provides us with an opportunity. We must use this moment to educate and keep the momentum going so that we can continue to make progress on the local, state and federal levels. Yes, legislation takes a long time — often years of work. Yet, our community is on the cusp of passing much-needed protections.

This week, we call upon lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, families and allies to take this opportunity of increased media and public attention on hate crimes to educate co-workers, classmates, neighbors, family members and friends about our lives, and about why we need not only their friendship and love, but their vocal support for a more just and equal America for LGBT people. If your members of Congress voted in support of hate crimes legislation, call them and thank them. Then ask them to be there for us again when the vote turns to workplace nondiscrimination, military service and partnership rights.

With your help and our collective pressure, equality is within reach.

When talking about the need for hate crimes legislation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: “The time for debate is over.”

She was right.

Just as the time has finally come for stronger hate crime protections, it is also time to pass an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and ensure that health care, economic policy and immigration reform incorporate the needs of LGBT people.

The time for debate is over.

Signed by:

Jo Kenny, AFL-CIO Pride at Work
Terry Stone, Centerlink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Gabe Javier, Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals
Marianne Duddy-Burke, DignityUSA
Toni Broaddus, Equality Federation
Jennifer Chrisler, Family Equality Council
Evan Wolfson, Freedom to Marry
Lee Swislow, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders
Rebecca Allison, M.D., Gay & Lesbian Medical Association
Chuck Wolfe, Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Eliza Byard, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
Marjorie Hill, Gay Men’s Health Crisis
Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign
Rachel Tiven, Immigration Equality
Earl Fowlkes, International Federation of Black Prides
Kevin M. Cathcart, Lambda Legal
Leslie Calman, Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization
Sharon Lettman, National Black Justice Coalition
Kate Kendell, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Mara Keisling, National Center for Transgender Equality
Justin Nelson, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
Rea Carey, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Paul Kawata, National Minority AIDS Council
Kyle Bailey, National Stonewall Democrats
Greg Varnum, National Youth Advocacy Coalition
Sharon Stapel, New York Anti-Violence Project
Jody Michael Huckaby, PFLAG National
Aubrey Sarvis, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
Michael Adams, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)

Historic Hate Crimes Bill Signed Today

2009-10-28T12:16:00.001-07:00

President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. It's taken a decade to get this law passed.Some wonder what difference it will make. NPR reported that one boon to local hate crime laws will be the availability of federal money for investigations. But the effect on states and municipalities without local hate crime laws isn't clear.

Equality Texas has an eloquent blog post up on this law that has been such a long time coming.

Midweek State Blog Round Up

2009-10-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Empire State Pride Agenda launches its click to call campaign for marriage equality.

Equality Florida raises an eyebrow at anti gay OK Rep. Tom Coburn's opinion piece in The Advocate and makes an important endorsement.

The Tennessee Equality Project reports on an important Federal bill that could remove hurdles to LGBT adoption.

GLSEN's new report on the experience of trans youth in schools reviewed by Equality North Carolina.

Fair Wisconsin travels to celebrate domestic partnership protections.

TransOhio cheers the NY State appellate judges who struck down "doctor's note" requirement for transgender name changes.

LA Times Editorial Trivializes Harvey Milk Day Victory

2009-10-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

reprinted with permission from the California Ripple Effect (EQCA's blog)

In the past our community has counted on the Los Angeles Times editorial board to have our back. Last year they calmly and rationally made the case against Prop 8 to their readers, but this morning we awoke to a shocking and inexcusable editorial criticizing Gov. Schwarzenegger’s historic signature making Harvey Milk Day a reality in California:

Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger's lame-duck status may have given him the courage to sign some controversial bills that we wish he hadn't...

…By taking a grown-up political fight to schoolchildren, Leno's bill will only add to the hysteria surrounding gay rights, proving to conservatives that proponents really are eager to teach homosexuality in the schools. Schools have an obligation to teach history, but they shouldn't be used as a platform for a political agenda. Although Milk deserves recognition as a gay-rights pioneer, there are more appropriate ways to honor him. At times like this, we miss the days when Schwarzenegger lacked a backbone.

Not only does this editorial miss the point of Harvey Milk Day, it’s insulting.

The only ones using schools as a platform for a political agenda are anti-LGBT extremists who try to make easy targets of our community’s most vulnerable, in this case LGBT students. These people have actually fought against anti-bullying and nondiscrimination protections for students, have tried to systematically erase the contributions of LGBT people from history books, have tried to clamp down on students’ free speech and association rights and have exploited student-led Day of Silence demonstrations to promote grown-up led, vicious hate rallies at public schools targeting LGBT students and allies.

Furthermore, Harvey Milk Day does not mandate any changes to the curriculum at all. It simply encourages schools to offer appropriate commemorative exercises. Let’s remember that California has some of the most generous parental opt-out laws in the country. Parents can take their children out of just about any lesson whatsoever they find objectionable. Let’s also remember that the campaign that passed Prop 8 routinely lied about this fact to scare parents into supporting a vile amendment that had absolutely nothing to do with our schools.

During that time period, the GSA Network documented a marked increase in anti-LGBT bullying. LGBT schoolchildren are already at much higher risk of bullying and suicide because anti-LGBT grown-ups have already taken this political fight to them.

With all due respect, members of the editorial board, we are not the ones trying to politicize classrooms. We are not the ones waging our battles on the backs of vulnerable youth. Harvey Milk Day, as well as a number of nondiscrimination and safe schools bills that EQCA has helped to pass, make sure that LGBT students are safe to learn, grow and be themselves and that other students learn the value of diversity and the cost of violence.

At a time when the same people who took away marriage in California are again using schoolchildren as pawns to further their anti-LGBT agenda in Maine, lying about anti-bullying curriculums in California and about the so-called “consequences” of the freedom to marry, we really should be able to count on one of the country’s most esteemed newspapers to cut through the spin and look at the facts.

You can share your opinion, too and send a letter to the editor.

Basic Rights Oregon's New Campaign: Increasing Health Care for Transgender Oregonians

2009-10-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

After months of careful research and analysis from our Trans Policy Working Group, and after hearing from transgender and allied Oregonians from across the state, the team of volunteers leading this effort has selected a campaign for transgender justice: increasing access to health care for transgender Oregonians.

Why health care? Because transgender, genderqueer and gender nonconforming Oregonians face serious barriers to accessing appropriate, affordable care:

* It’s common practice in Oregon to deny health care to transgender Oregonians just because of their identity. In fact, the vast majority of health care plans specifically exclude transition-related health care—so transgender Oregonians can’t access hormones, surgery, counseling and other critical care.
* Many health care providers have little or no experience treating transgender patients, making it extraordinarily difficult for many transpeople to find appropriate care—and leaving many doctors and nurses unsure of how best to treat their patients.

These factors leave many transgender Oregonians with insufficient health care, and with tens of thousands of dollars of medical bills to pay out of pocket—simply because of their gender identity. It’s tough enough for anyone to get health care. No one should be denied care just because of their identity.

That’s why Basic Rights Oregon will work to increase access to trans-inclusive health care plans, and work with health care providers to increase their knowledge and comfort in treating transgender, genderqueer and gender nonconforming patients.

For more about barriers to health care for transgender Oregonians, read Issues in Trans Justice: Health Care on the Basic Rights Oregon blog. And stay tuned to our blog & enews for updates and opportunities to get involved!

Monday State Blog Round Up

2009-10-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Tennessee Equality Project Foundation is rolling out several new initiatives.

Tampa Bay celebrates Coming Out Day and Equality Florida's own Tobias Packer inspires the crowd at the National Equality March.

Former Federation intern, Stephen Wiseman, blogs about ENDA for Equality North Carolina.

At Basic Rights Oregon, a benefit for Polk County Democrats, a rally for Immigration Reform, and BRO's new campaign for transgender justice.

And Geoff Kors, Equality California, calls this A Time for Action,

Friday State Blog Round Up

2009-10-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

Basic Rights Oregon and other state groups are presenting The Laramie Project. BRO is also offering a Safe Schools Training and (psst) they're hiring.

Empire State Pride Agenda's Pride in My Workplace Coordinator reports on their recent Business Leaders for LGBT Equality Series

Equality California reminds us that October 15 is Latino AIDS Awareness day

Equality Florida invites you to meet their outspoken Congressman Grayson at their upcoming gala.

An ex-Equality Maryland intern talks about field work for No On 1.

Equality North Carolina does its own roundup of local and not-so-local news.

Equality South Dakota notes study showing gay parents are good parents (no surprise) and reports on organized labor's support for full inclusion (maybe a little surprise).

And the Tennessee Equality Project channels Morrissey as they think about approaching equality.

Is there a Single, One-Stop, Equality for All, Federal Solution?

2009-09-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve been hearing a lot of talk lately about this idea that we should demand a single federal solution for equality. I’ve heard it from donors, I’ve heard it from Equality March organizers, and I’ve heard it from angry lgbt Americans.

Much as that sounds like a great idea, equality is not going to happen that way.

A single federal solution is simply not possible. Here’s why.

The separation of powers between the federal and state governments means that states reserve all the powers not granted to the federal government by the Constitution. This means that states hold the power to regulate marriage and family matters, a power upon which the federal government has been loathe to intrude. When the federal government does act, it must rely upon constitutional protections (like equal protection or the right to due process) as grounds for regulating state rules or behaviors. And while the federal government also may use the power of the purse (tying highway funds to higher age limits for buying alcohol, for example), it is unlikely to impose new rules that don’t already have support or precedent in the states.

No historical precedent exists. Now, this does not mean that we couldn’t or shouldn’t try to create a new precedent. But it would be an uphill struggle. We could not do it in the courts (where cases are based on actual circumstances of individuals and must generally be limited to the most narrow, specific ruling available to resolve the litigated issues). We would have to do it legislatively. But see #4. Achieving equality for women or black Americans – the movements we most often look to for inspiration – did not happen with the passage of a single law covering voting rights, equal pay, status as property of whites/men, employment discrimination, housing rights, health disparities, and so on. Inequality breeds a whole range of harms, and to try to address all of them in one bill would fail to adequately address each of them. See #3. You think the health care legislation is complex?

Politics requires compromise. We may not like it, we may believe that equality should brook no compromise, but the fact remains that political maneuvering for power is how our democracy is implemented every single day. We can rail against it, or we can educate ourselves about how to navigate through the egos and fear tactics and cynicism and favor trading and all the rest so that we can actually achieve the change we seek. We must understand that politicians do not lead, they follow. Demonstrations and marches are important because they increase our visibility and force politicians to think about our issues. But we still have to get votes for our legislation. Unfortunately, the courageous politician is an exceedingly rare creature. Add to that the politics in our own movement. Plenty of folks love or hate particular leaders in the movement (especially those who lead movement organizations), but guess what? Those leaders are simply a microcosm of the larger community and we, too, have intense disagreements about which strategies are best or where we should prioritize the allocation of resources. So compromise is required in our own community in order to move forward.

We can’t amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is a proposal I’ve heard many times, and on the face of it I think it’s a great idea. Why wouldn’t we add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to a bill that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin? It’s a brilliant and simple strategy! Unfortunately, it’s really not. The fact is, civil rights laws passed after this great Act have been subject to attempts (many successful) to water down the kinds of protections they provide. So, for example, we have a pretty big religious exemption in ENDA that many of us don’t like but that we know we have to include if we are going to move this bill forward at all. And if we tried to amend the Civil Rights Act, we would certainly see amendments and exemptions to our simple, brilliant proposal that would actually weaken the law. Because of this, some of our strongest allies in the civil rights community could not and would not support us in trying to amend this law. And if leaders in the civil rights community actively opposed us in this approach, we would simply be unable to get the votes we needed to pass our proposal. So – we could try doing this, but it is not really a promising use of our resources or political capital.

Existing proposed legislation has momentum now and multiple bills are already lined up for passage. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is currently moving through Congress and, if we all do our part, it should pass this year. Hate crimes legislation has had a hard road but it will also pass soon. The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is inching forward and I expect to see it happen next year, hopefully in the spring. We are actively building support right now for immigration law reforms to end discrimination against lgbt families, as well as laws to extend domestic partner benefits to federal employees and to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Even if you think I’m wrong about everything else I’ve said here, this is not the time to abandon legislation that our community has been working on for years.

Assuming, for the sake of argument, that we actually could pass an all-purpose federal equality law, we will still need state laws to truly achieve equality. ENDA will be a great step forward for our community, and it will protect millions of American currently protected under no other laws. But it won’t actually cover everyone. Small businesses, for example, will mostly be exempt from ENDA based on the size of their staff. In most states with employment protections, more businesses are required to comply so millions of workers not covered by federal law are actually covered by state law. And even if we repeal DOMA, we still have to get marriage in as many states as we can if we are to have any hope of winning a court challenge to the constitutionality of state DOMA’s. In the American version of government, state and federal legislation may pass independently, but its impact is most often felt in the application of an interconnected web of laws.

In this country, democracy works in something of a circular pattern. Big social issues aren’t tackled first in our nation’s capital. Instead, they bubble up from our local communities, where the harms are closer to home and citizens can work to get their local governments to address those harms. State government action often follows, learning and improving upon strategies already implemented locally, and expanding protections across the entire state. When enough states have addressed a particular issue, the national understanding of that issue will begin to shift, so a critical mass of policy changes or a social tipping point is reached. Then we see the federal government begin to take action. Finally, the action at the federal level will reach back down to the state and local level in places where we have been unable to make local and state policy changes.

Or, a law is passed and the courts must rule it constitutional or not. The legislature may have to take action again. Or litigation is filed, and the outcome of that case may spur action by the voters. That’s the beautiful thing about democracy – there are many approaches we can take to changing public policy. Of course, that means we may also be attacked on any level (witness Kalamazoo, Maine, Washington state, and Congress generally).

My point is simply this. We will not achieve equality by abandoning our work at any level of the political process. We must continue to increase the pressure to achieve the promise of equality under the law at all levels and in all branches of government. There is no magic bullet. Our strategy must be focused while also casting a very large net. And that’s how we will finally achieve equal protection under the law.

State Blog Round Up

2009-09-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

At Michigan Equality, an intern reflects on her summer.

From Basic Rights Oregon there's a post on their great fundraiser with Kate Kendell of NCLR.

Equality Arizona highlights Colorado's Sent(a)Mental Project.

On Equality California's blog a guest editorial makes a strong case for 2012.

Equality Florida notes who has (and hasn't) cancelled homophobic Buju Banton's performances in Florida.

The Tennessee Equality Project supports the upcoming National Equality March on Washington

The arguments for and against marriage equality are covered at Equality North Carolina.

And Fair Wisconsin does some traveling.

Introducing The Equality Agenda

2009-08-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

By Toni Broaddus, Equality Federation Executive Director

In its September cover story on President Obama’s progress on gay rights issues, the Advocate notes that

“Groups like the Equality Federation…have organized grassroots work that’s delivered unprecedented progress with staggering speed toward the goal of marriage equality…”

We are pleased to be noticed. But even when we don’t get in the big stories, you can bet we are working to knit together the strongest and most strategic network of professional organizers that the lgbt equal rights movement has ever seen.

We are not leaving our equality up to chance. State leaders have an agenda – we call it The Equality Agenda. It’s a state by state plan for how we can achieve the most victories and create the strongest possible momentum for achieving equal rights.

Stay tuned over the next year and we’ll share that Agenda with you. We’ll alert you to opportunities to make a real difference in the communities and on the issues you care about.

So, let’s get this Agenda started with some key state strategies and campaigns.

In Maine, volunteers are hard at work to prove that this movement can and will successfully defend marriage equality. A victory in Maine is critical not only to protect the rights of that state’s families, but also to provide the momentum for success in New Jersey and New York in the next year. We have not yet won marriage at the ballot box, and this is our chance to do it.

To win, we need your help. Donate whatever you can to the campaign now. Today. Whether you can give $10 or $10,000 dollars, do it here now. Early money wins campaigns. Your money will help win this campaign.

Maybe you were thinking about going to DC to meet up with other activists on the Mall. My advice? If you want a life-changing experience, go immerse yourself in a campaign for a week. Make phone calls, knock on doors, help with community meetings, stand on corners with campaign signs. You can do this in October in Maine. It’s called Volunteer Vacation and it’s one of the best things you’ll ever be glad you did. Plus you get fall in New England… what could be better? Sign up!

In California, winning back the right to marry is going to take longer – there are a lot more voters that we have to persuade and we have to do it through one-on-one conversations. Equality California spent the past several months talking to lgbt community members and groups, POC community members and groups, pollsters, seasoned campaign consultants, and donors. What they heard convinced EQCA to recommend that our community wait until 2012 to go back to the people for a vote on marriage equality.

Read the EQCA Report. This is one of the most thoughtful strategic documents that I have seen in this movement. It is certainly unprecedented in that it is a strategy openly shared with the community for discussion and debate. The evidence is in the report, check it out.

But as we always say at the Federation, marriage is not our only priority. We need to defend a Kalamazoo ordinance that bans discrimination against gay and transgender people. We need to put an end to this attempt by the intolerance wing of the Republican party that seeks to derail equality by sensationalizing the lives of the transgender members of our community. We have to draw a line in Kalamazoo.

So many ways to get involved! Isn’t it exciting?

But wait, there’s more. The Equality Agenda is a road map to what we can do over the next three years: twenty states will be working to pass nondiscrimination laws, including several states that will finally include gender identity in existing laws; twenty-one states will be working on legislation that protects LGBT youth and educates the public about the very real harms of bullying and harassment in our public schools; seventeen states are working to pass relationship recognition laws that protect our families and fourteen will be defending their state’s citizens from attacks on our families.

We have work to do at the federal level, too. Have you talked to your own representatives in Congress about the hate crimes bill, ENDA, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, DOMA or the Uniting All Families Act? All of these bills are part of The Equality Agenda. Sign up for Equality Federation Action Alerts and we’ll let you know when an email to your federal representatives will make a difference and help move us one step closer to equality.

Don’t forget – August is the time of year when our Senators and Representatives come home to our communities and meet with the people they work for. You are a constituent – call up your representative’s office and schedule an appointment. Take your friends and neighbors – let your electeds know what you expect of them. Tell them your story.

Aren’t sure who represents you? Click here to find out. Don’t be shy – speak your mind to someone who has the power to vote for your equality.

And while you are breathlessly waiting for the next installment of The Equality Agenda, find out what’s going on in your own state. I’ll bet there are opportunities to volunteer, to give, to speak out, to participate. Your state equality group needs you – the Federation can help you get connected.

"No Excuses. No Delays." Do we really mean it?

2009-05-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

by Nadine Smith - Equality Florida

At a recent speaking engagement, I asked a group of people what the world would be like if from the day they were born prejudice had never touched their lives.

No homophobic bullying in school. Supportive families at homes No trans-bashing humor on TV.

No workplace discrimination. Equal treatment of all families regardless or orientation or gender identity.

No closet, ever, because you had never, ever needed one.

Most of the people responded by talking about new laws that would be in effect but they struggled to name the deeper, more personal impact on the texture of their daily lives.

A few talked about what they would no longer fear but struggled to articulate what affirmative would replace those fears.

And one man wept and said it broke his heart that he could not imagine, even for a moment, what his life would have been without the constant presence of bigotry and hatred he'd endured for more than 60 years.

I encourage everyone to try this exercise because it is surprisingly difficult, and because I believe it is the pathway to our most potent tools in response to government-imposed second class citizenship:

A Sense of Urgency and the Willingness to Sacrifice to harness the transformational power of living "as if." "As if" the laws had already changed. "As if" society were just.

Sitting at a lunch counter that bans your presence is living "as if". Keeping your seat when ordered to relinquish it to someone the law has designated your superior is living "as if."

As a child I was told that Rosa Parks was tired and fed up one fateful day and decided right then and there that she would not give up her seat. I was impressed by her courage.

Later, when I learned that her protest had been contemplated at length with the consequences fully measured, I was inspired even more deeply by her willingness to intentionally sacrifice her freedom and safety to make the country confront the ugliness of Jim Crow.

So where are the places where we contemplate the consequences of living "as if" equality had already arrived. Housing discrimination, workplace discrimination, adoption/ custody issues and hate violence are constant threats in LGBT lives, but not in inevitable or predictable ways. Where are the "sit -in" opportunities for the LGBT movement that can expose the contradiction between what our fellow Americans believe they stand for and what they allow to be done in their name?

Certainly discrimination in marriage laws and the military provide the most direct opportunities. These are the places the law defines us specifically as unequal, where we can make a reliable appointment with discrimination and be certain it will show up right on time.

Servicemembers who come out while on active duty and fight for the right to continue to do their jobs are a model for this kind of personal commitment and sacrifice. They decide not to participate in their own discrimination. They and the organizations fighting for them are shifting public opinion in dramatic ways.

What is the civilian equivalent? What can we do that demonstrates not only the rhetoric of equality but the personal sacrifice that will awaken the conscience of a nation?

What if those of us who are married lived as if our marriages are universally legally recognized? What if we literally refused to deny our spouse on any form, under any circumstances- ever?

When the government asks legally married couples in Massachusetts to file as 'married' in their state and then mark 'single' on the Federal Tax form, they are asking that couple to participate in their own discrimination so that the government doesn't have to dirty it's hands.
They are literally demanding that we lie, to tell an untruth about our marital status, so they can avoid confronting the difference between the hate-based discrimination they impose on us and the reality of our loving families.

Imagine the ripple effect of government issued letters to married gay couples ordering them to deny their spouse on federal forms.
We have to compel these moments by deciding that our lives will be about honesty and self-respect. Even if it comes at a price.

Rosa Parks showed us that even a one family refusing to participate in their own discrimination will have an impact.

But thousands of us, all of us, can decide to leave the discrimination up to the other side. We can refuse to collaborate in our own discrimination.

If we refuse to deny our spouses even when the law tries to force us to lie.

If we insist on paying our taxes as married couples, even though the Federal government assessed our taxes as though we were single

If we risked being detained at the border by customs agents who insist we mark single on Declaration forms despite the marriage certificate we hold.

With growing frequency I hear from people who are weighing the consequences of refusing to deny their spouse ever again. I find myself asking the same questions as well.

Even with expert legal guidance detailing the risks, a good dose of uncertainty would be inevitable for anyone taking such a stand into uncharted territory.

Am I willing to take that risk? Are you? Are we all?

We march, we lobby, we educate, we protest and we should and we must. But it seems increasingly clear to me that we must now do what civil rights movements have always done: with forethought and solemnity place ourselves visibly at odds with an unjust law to provoke the consequences that can prick the conscience of our country.

Are we willing to pay the price that civil rights movements require at this critical moment when a reinvigorated national dialogue is raging about our place under the law?
Are we willing to compel the government be as ugly as it will have to be to enforce its determination that we are not married?

Are we willing to say we are married, regardless of the costs?

'No excuses, no delays' is a fine rallying cry, but it's one that has to cut both ways.

When we call our on our government to take action we must also call upon ourselves to do more.

In focus groups we hosted several years ago, a panel of straight people who knew gay people said they did not believe discrimination was real or nearly bad as we described it because their gay friends or family would have told them these things. Then, in the all-gay focus groups, participants were asked: Do you share your fears and experiences of discrimination with your straight friends and family? They said "NO, if they cared they would ask." They don't ask, we don't tell and rarely are they required to see with their own eyes the deep harm and real pain inflicted by laws that tell us we are less than our neighbors.

Every civil rights struggle in this country has required people to sacrifice and make institutionalized discrimination so visible no one could avert their eyes.

People stepped forward knowing they could lose their homes, lose their jobs, their safety, They walked willingly toward hateful mobs and police with snarling dogs.

They turned a proposed one day bus boycott into 381 days of solidarity. They sacrificed and the country watched and changed.

Every civil rights struggle in this country has required people to sacrifice.

The country is watching. Are we ready to do the same?

Nadine Smith
nadine@eqfl.org

-- Posted By Nadine to Equality Florida Blog at
5/29/2009 08:55:00 AM