|
|||||
 PRESS RELEASE ‘THE UNITED STATES ENDS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE LGBT COMMUNITY’ On this truly historic day, President Barak Obama has signed into law The American Equality Bill, the crowning jewel of his remarkable Presidency. “The era of overt discrimination against LGBT Americans is over” exclaimed the President in a signing ceremony held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on a brilliant day in June overlooking an ocean of rainbows as far as the eyes could see. This most remarkable of humanitarian victories unfolded through an uncommon vision launched by drafters of the first omnibus bill, back in 2009. Now signed into law, The American Equality ACT*, in one gigantic push has added sexual orientation and gender identity to every protective law and wiped out inequality in every state. “In no one’s wildest imaginary dreams did we believe we would pass this bill so fast” said The Coalition, a group of grassroots independent activists who filed the bill in 2010. “We never dreamed the American people would join our fight like they did.” When asked what they will do now, one blue-eyed veteran tearful with joy replied: “Retire with dignity!” While at the same time, a glowing-eyed teenager shouted: “Be equal!” _____ _____ _____ ______ LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN Yours in cause, Tif To Join The American Equality Bill grassroots campaign, go to: http://bit.ly/AEBnow *One a bill passes, it becomes an “Act” of Congress.
Today a young brave college student asked President Obama about DADT and Marriage Equality. It is almost embarrassing watching Obama stumble through his answer. I think President Obama using the Representative Tammy Baldwin bill providing domestic partner benefits to federal employees as political cover is shameful, and unacceptable. Representive Baldwin and other Members of Congress should not allow that to happen. The LGBT community at-large has never fought for such legislation, we never made it a priority for our movement, but the Administration and various national LGBT organizations have been co-opted to accept this crumb as progress. President Obama doesn’t say anything about DADT which is troubling since he was asked to name specific steps that he is taking. President Obama then goes on to say that he is out of time, but spends another 5 minutes wrapping up (which isn’t captured on this video). The game is changing and the LGBT community will no longer accept being treated as a pariah from the Democratic President. Either the Democratic Party insiders have no access, are not being listened to, or they are being walked all over. Here is the transcript thanks to Towelroad.com.
 The horrible consequences of the Supreme Court Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling. -by Tommy News The Conservative Supreme Court of The United States has murdered Democracy as we know it. Supreme Court Sanctioned Murder Of Democracy! Keith Olbermann Special Comment Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMTJ–JWJqM Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9ZeUjSpF5g What we can do: Protest and contact our elected officials. Take Action: Sign The Save Our Democracy Petition From Congressinal Candidate Alan Grayson: The Supreme Court stabbed Democracy this morning. I was there; I saw it happen. I brought our petition with me — your signatures — and presented them to the Court. Now it’s time to act. We have filed six bills to reverse this assault, the “Save Our Democracy” platform. Sign this petition today, and show your support for saving our democracy. Together, we will move these bills forward and prevent the sale of our government to the highest bidder. Petition Text: PETITION TEXT I support the “Save Our Democracy” Platform: We cannot have a government that is bought and paid for by huge multinational corporations. We need a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Sign the petition Here and forward this message on: http://salsa.mydccc.org/o/30019/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4&tag=redirect http://salsa.mydccc.org/o/30019/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4&tag=redirect
Hi Folks, Out4Immigration has been organizing a weekly letter writing campaign to get more support for Equal Immigration Rights for LGBT Couples. Each week, we urged actions on 5 representative in congress (senate and house) to get them to consider sponsoring the Uniting American Families Act as well as an INCLUSIVE Comprehensive Immigration Reform (ie, one that includes LGBT Families) You can find all of the recent actions on change.org: http://www.change.org/ideas/actions/equal_immigration_rights_for_same_sex_binational_couples Some actions of particular importance that I want to emphasize on: Rep Gutierrez’s introduced a CIR bill in December that excluded LGBT Families and we would like to urge you to express your disappointment to his office as well as demand that we be included in the final bill. The action can be found here: http://www.change.org/ideas/2008/view_action/please_tell_rep_gutierrez_that_lgbt_families_must_be_included_in_cir_asap Sen Schumer as well as Rep Lofgren will be introducing their version of Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill by the end of January. We need to also keep the pressure up to make sure that both the house and senate version of CIR is an inclusive bill that includes LGBT Families. We believe NOBODY should be left out of immigration reform! The specific action to Sen Schumer as well as Rep Lofgren can be found here: http://www.change.org/ideas/2008/view_action/urge_sen_schumer_and_rep_lofgren_to_include_lgbt_families_in_their_comprehensive_immigration_bill Please join our action by clicking through every week, to ensure that we have an INCLUSIVE Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Thank you, Amos Lim http://www.change.org/ideas/actions/equal_immigration_rights_for_same_sex_binational_couples
Oh boy – things are freaky in Massachusetts!!! It’s not April Fools, nor Halloween, but it is a day of reckoning, or so it seems. Remarkably, Scott Brown (R)’s website has this for his position on gay marriage: “I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. States should be free to make their own laws in this area, so long as they reflect the people’s will as expressed through them directly, or as expressed through their elected representatives.” Nevertheless he’s ahead in the polls, having closed a 15 point lead in Massachusetts’ impromptu Senate election to replace a liberal Hero. Marthy Coakley (D), the highly regarded Attorney General is the anointed one who was ahead until people got to know her in reportedly one of the worst campaigns ever. A good friend and seasoned political operative told me why, and it’s such a great story I don’t want to verify it: “If you type “Marthy Coakley” on the web the first result is: “Scott Brown for Senate”. Ok, I checked – and on my system in NY it didn’t, but she’s in MA so who knows, and she was very serious. The whole matter seems to remind her of an inappropriate Dan Aykroyd reference, and glancing at other websites about the campaign, I saw similar. Ouch. My friend then rattled off a litany of bad choices and moments that got worse and worse. Supposedly Coakley remains in denial about her campaign’s failure to connect with the electorate, they evidently are still over estimating both the loyalty to Ted Kennedy’s legacy, and her ability to capitalize on it, and she’s lost debates on due process for terrorist suspects and abortion, gone negative in ads in off-putting ways, etc., etc., etc. “Ted Kennedy was Ted Kennedy. Like Elvis Presley was EP.” my friend reminds me. “That’s over.” I argue this could be necessary to stimulate the base to vote, and that Kennedy is the best angle for that. But given my friend’s insistence that no one cares (at least in mid-state), I wonder. Health care reform in Washington is also not firing, with 51% of the state opposing reform, because some states see themselves worse off? So saving Kennedy’s dream is not a strong sell, and thus, nor is casting Brown as the anti-health care devil. It’s not helping that the Democrats keep insisting that the seat still belongs to Kennedy and in-directly to them. Brown answered that the “seat belonged to the people” and that resonated like a touch down, carried by the truth. Massachusetts doesn’t like being told what to do or think. They are 1/3 independents, a smart bunch and not that emotional. But a bad campaign does not make a bad Senator, and by many accounts Marthy Coakley, Esquire was a good Attorney General and would make a strong Senator for our concerns. But frankly, that’s almost irrelevant at this point. WE the PEOPLE need Senator Coakley (D-MA). We need to win this race to support the Obama Presidency that our community worked so hard for AND for the LGBTIQ Movement which is now facing it’s greatest moment. We need this to rebuke all the opposition building against this President AND his support for our agenda. We need to prove that the message of change can work when given reasonable time. This is no joke. Fair or not, this race has become a ridiculous one-year referendum on the Obama Presidency. While not perfectly, President Obama has demonstrated unprecedented courage for change. But changing a Monolith of the size of the US Government is a herculean task. Just imagine if you were changing something about your own work operation, then multiply by millions of employees and back seat drivers. I see an apocalypse if we loose this. It may domino the mid-terms, at which point the game is over or radically altered. The idea of change will suffer, our fight against corporate control of government will suffer, our struggle will loose almost every advantage it just gained moments ago after a decade of despair. The hope we are just beginning to muster will splinter into fear — or so says my gut and my own fear-mongering instinct. Of course maybe a loss, if it happens, would force Obama to respond to his base, to be less timid and conciliatory on matters of principle, and to move faster, i.e., to start operating like he only has one term. Maybe this will create the lion we need. But more likely, a loss in MA would mean a deeper strategy of caution. Either way, it will have us on the defensive, and we do not need to lose to learn lessons from the close call — hopefully. We can not let slip the new dream we celebrated so recently. The opening statement above from Scott Brown reveals a major troubling truth: He does not believe in the role of the Judiciary in resolving the question of our human right to equality. His logic leads us to a US Constitutional Amendment fight and if we loose that, to drastic action. While it may come down to this one day, we can not afford to have elected officials from Massachusetts paving the way. Let the people speak now – when it matters so vitally and when it is appropriate to vote. A new perfect storm of bad timing is unfolding in Massachusetts where popular frustration is meeting party arrogance is meeting a campaign problem. But as we look to the horizon, we must keep our eyes on the prize, and ride each wave on course. This coming Tuesday, January 19, 2010 is an important day for our movement. I pray that everyone who can votes enthusiastically. That everyone who can not vote, helps encourage others to vote for them. And that our community gathers Tuesday in common spirit and intention to manifest equality for all now. Organizing for America is calling for phone banking (see below). The President is asking us for help supporting Marthy Coakley. President Obama is our greatest hope at the moment, and we need to have his back. On Tuesday – our equality is on the chopping block and it’s the devil of impatience (not Brown) verses the democrats. Vote early and often. p.s. Here is the OFA phonebanking info: The race for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat in Massachusetts is coming down to the wire. And if Martha Coakley loses, her opponent could be that final Senate obstructionist the Republicans need to defeat health reform and the rest of President Obama’s agenda. We need to do everything we can to make sure voters know how important their vote for Coakley is — and that they get to the polls Tuesday. So I need you to keep calling voters in Massachusetts — or start today if you haven’t yet. Click here to log-in and start making calls. And this time, we’re going to do it a little differently. On Sunday, supporters from around the country will call in to a national conference call. We’ll recognize the top callers from today (Saturday), talk about what we’re about to do, get the lay of the land from some folks in Massachusetts right now, and set some big goals for each other. And then we’ll get calling. Can you join us for a conference call at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 17th, followed by a round of calls to Massachusetts? It’ll be a fun way to start our calling off with others around the country — and it could well make the difference in the fight for health reform. The call-in Number is (712) 432-0075, and the participant code is 404-284. Please sign up for your call, and submit any questions you’d like: http://ma.barackobama.com/MAn2nCall Let’s finish this, Jeremy Jeremy Bird P.S. — There will also be a conference call at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. You can sign up for whichever is more convenient for you here: http://ma.barackobama.com/MAn2nCall
The 30 latest tweets from our folks in the Prop 8 Trial Courtroom can now be viewed here. Just keep this post open and watch the latest trial coverage roll right in. You can also follow us @ActOnPrinciples to get all of our trial and non-trial tweets delivered right to your favoirte twitter client. You can also comment on trial coverage in the comments section. We love hearing from you!
The lesbian and gay community is closely watching Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to see if he includes LGBT families in his Senate version of Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) legislation. Senator Schumer is scheduled to introduce his bill within a couple of weeks. Will his bill be an inclusive bill? The Democratic Party has a history of telling the LGBT community that we are part of their America, part of their vision for America. In fact, Senator Schumer himself as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) made similar statements when fundraising in the gay community. Now that Senator Schumer is responsible for the Senate version of CIR, we will find out whether all these words were hollow or if he meant them. Will Senator Schumer’s immigration bill demonstrate that gays are part of his America? Will it be inclusive of gays? There are innumerable reasons why any Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill must include gay and lesbian couples. Here are just a few: 1. It’s really not comprehensive if it doesn’t include our families. 2. The Democratic/Obama/Progressive coalition includes women, blacks, Latinos AND gays and this coalition should not be divided by our own side. The Republicans always try to divide us. The Democrats shouldn’t be helping them do this. The coalition is strongest when it’s together. 3. In a bill that is going to cover 12 to 15 million immigrants, gay partners add only 18,000 more people (there are 36,000 binational gay couples — and one half of each couple is already a US citizen). Adding 18,000 to a bill that will include 12 to 15 million total people is miniscule. 4. After repeatedly telling us that we are part of their America, to exclude LGBT foreign born partners when the immigration laws are being revised to welcome new immigrants, would be a slap in the face by Senator Schumer in particular and the Democratic Party in general. 5. It’s simply the right thing to do. Another reason gays must be part of immigration reform is to simply catch up with the rest of the civilized world. Of the world’s leading 20 democracies, 19 allow their gay citizens to sponsor their foreign born partner so that both can live in that country together. The 20th country, the United States, does not. Most of these countries, like the US, don’t recognize gay marriage, so it’s not a marriage issue. In fact, all the other English speaking countries (our cultural cousins) have provisions in their immigrations laws to allow gay partners to stay together in that country. Unfortunately, a US citizen who falls in love with a foreign born citizen usually ends up having to move to another country. The citizen must live in exile if the couple wishes to stay together. If you wish to weigh in with Senator Schumer to tell him CIR must be inclusive of gay families, his office number is: (202) 224-6542. Ask to speak with or leave a message for a Judiciary Aide.
Off Topic Action: Haiti Earthquake Relief: Resources and how to help -resources compiled by Tommy News Haiti Chief Says Thousands May Be Dead United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today issued an urgent call to the international community to assist Haiti following yesterday’s catastrophic earthquake that has devastated the impoverished Caribbean nation’s capital. “There is no doubt that we are facing a major humanitarian emergency and that a major relief effort will be required,” he said. Expressing gratitude to nations rushing aid to the earthquake’s victims, he called for the world to “come to Haiti’s aid in this hour of need.” The UN, he said, is also mobilizing an emergency response team to help coordinate humanitarian relief efforts and is expected to be on the ground shortly. Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33470&Cr=haiti&Cr1 United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Donate Here: http://ochaonline.un.org/cerf/DonateNow/HowtoDonate/tabid/1819/language/en-US/Default.aspx Haiti: Resources and how to help Associated Press: The U.S. State Department Operations Center set up the following number for Americans seeking information about relatives in Haiti: (888) 407-4747. The department cautioned that because of heavy volume, some callers may hear a recording. The department also suggested contacting agencies such as the Red Cross or Mercy Corps to help with relief efforts. American Red Cross Disaster Online Newsroom Disaster Alert: Earthquake in Haiti 12:30am (1/13/2010) You can text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to American Red Cross relief for Haiti. The donation will be charged to your cellphone bill. 6:20 pm The American Red Cross is pledging an initial $200,000 to assist communities impacted by this earthquake, and is prepared to take further action as local responders assess the situation. As with most earthquakes, we expect to see immediate needs for food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support. The American Red Cross is accepting donations through their International Response Fund. Donations can be sent to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at www.redcross.org. Mercy Corps Make a donation through Mercy Corps Call for registered nurses to help quake victims OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A national organization of registered nurses is calling for nurse volunteers to assist residents of earthquake devastated Haiti. In a statement Tuesday, National Nurses United Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro said the organization is calling on nurses throughout the U.S. to join in this critical effort. Through the Registered Nurse Response Network, the organization says it hopes to send nurses to provide emergency short term and long term medical support as it has in previous major disasters. The organization says details are still being worked out, but nurses can sign up at the NNU Web site, www.nationalnursesunited.org. The 7.0-magnitude quake — the most powerful to hit Haiti in more than 200 years — struck Haiti’s capital on Tuesday. http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fgw-haiti-earthquake-resources13-2009jan13,0,1415237.story Huffington Post: An earthquake centered near the impoverished Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince caused the collapse of several buildings and an unknown number of fatalities Tuesday. The quake measured 7.0 on the Richter scale and at least 1.8 million people live within the area where the earthquake had its highest intensity. Huffington Post Impact is working to collect a comprehensive list of links and ways to get involved in relief efforts, detailed below. NOTE: We will continually be updating this page. If you have more information about how people can get involved in relief efforts, leave a comment or e-mail us at [email protected] U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that his “thoughts and prayers” were with the people of Haiti. “We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti,” Obama said in a statement. The Obama administration said that the State Department, USAID and the U.S. military were working to coordinate an assessment of the situation and any possible assistance. •The American Red Cross is pledging an initial $200,000 to assist communities impacted by this earthquake. They expect to provide immediate needs for food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support. They are accepting donations through their International Response Fund. •UNICEF has issued a statement that “Children are always the most vulnerable population in any natural disaster, and UNICEF is there for them.” UNICEF requests donations for relief for children in Haiti via their Haiti Earthquake Fund. You can also call 1-800-4UNICEF. •Donate through Wyclef Jean’s foundation, Yele Haiti. Text “Yele” to 501501 and $5 will be charged to your phone bill and given to relief projects through the organization. •Operation USA is appealing for donations of funds from the public and corporate donations in bulk of health care materials, water purification supplies and food supplements which it will ship to the region from its base in the Port of Los Angeles. Donate online at www.opusa.org, by phone at 1-800-678-7255 or, by check made out to Operation USA, 3617 Hayden Ave, Suite A, Culver City, CA 90232. •Ben Stiller’s Stillerstrong campaign will be temporarily diverting all donations to support the Haiti relief effort. •Partners In Health reports its Port-au-Prince clinical director , Louise Ivers, has appealed for assistance: “Port-au-Prince is devastated, lot of deaths. SOS. SOS… Temporary field hospital by us at UNDP needs supplies, pain meds, bandages. Please help us.” Donate to their Haiti earthquake fund. •Mercy Corps is sending a team of emergency responders to assess damage, and seek to fulfill immediate needs of quake survivors. The agency aided families after earthquakes in Peru in 2007, China and Pakistan in 2008, and Indonesia last year. Donate online, call 1-888-256-1900 or send checks to Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund; Dept NR; PO Box 2669; Portland, OR 97208. •Direct Relief is committing up to $1 million in aid for the response and is coordinating with its other in-country partners and colleague organizations. Their partners in Haiti include Partners in Health, St. Damien Children’s Hospital, and the Visitation Hospital, which are particularly active in emergency response. Donate to Direct Relief online. •Oxfam is rushing in teams from around the region to respond to the situation to provide clean water, shelter, sanitation and help people recover. Donate to Oxfam America online. •International Medical Corps is assembling a team of first responders and resources to provide lifesaving medical care and other emergency services to survivors of the earthquake. Donate online. Go Here for the links: http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100113/cm_huffpost/421014 http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100113/cm_huffpost/421014
According to Cleve Jones, the lawsuit shows a change in the leadership of gay movement. I have to agree. What do you think?
A number of Act On Principles Champions will attempt to snag very limited seating to live microblog the Federal District bench trial Perry v. Schwarzenegger. The trial, started yesterday in San Francisco, has become known as the Boies/Olson Case, after the famous attorneys who are attempting to prove that California Proposition 8 and all state marriage bans, violate the United States Constitution. The attorneys will claim that marriage bans violate both the first and second clauses of the fourteenth amendment by denying LGBT citizens liberty and due process. Although U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker had ordered that the trial would be streamed live to courthouses throughout the region and uploaded periodically for delayed viewing on YouTube, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling temporarily banning such videography until it can take up the issue in a fuller hearing. Therefore, only individuals able to enter the San Francisco Federal Building can see the trial live, until at least Wednesday afternoon. Local Act On Principles Champions will attempt to gain seats in the courthouse in order to provide regular tweets. You can follow those tweets, and all Act On Principles tweets at http://twitter.com/actonprinciples/
|
 
 | ||||
