ACT On Principles

Please indulge me in this experiment. Music has been pivotal in prior civil rights movements. And I wonder if there is space for it in our current LGBT movement. I’d like to share with you every Friday night a great song from our LGBT movement and other civil rights movements to inspire and educate the current and prior struggles that we have a had as a human race. Let me know if other songs of struggle and social justice should be shared, and I’ll happily post in future “Friday Night Video” postings.

The first song comes from an artist named Sean Chapin from California who I first discovered from around the Prop 8 challenge. Sean Chapin is a talent that is adding the music to our movement. You can visit his website at http://www.moreequalunion.com/.

Not only is following catchy and motivational, it clearly articulates our LGBT struggle . Enjoy the cameo from heroes Dan Choi and Cleve Jones. And you might see some other faces that you recognize.

Here are the lyrics of Equality Now by Sean Chapin.

Wake up America. It’s time we make a change. this is the land of the free and we got to be brave.
We the people, all together in life and liberty. And we will not wait until we are treated equally.

Can you see who we really are? Can you hear what we have to say? Do you know why all of us are here? We are coming out because we want equality now.

Wake up United States. It’s time that we evolve. Denying us our civil rights will only hurt us all. We pursue our happiness and the great American Dream. And we do not deserve to face all the pain and suffering.

Can you see who we really are? Can you hear what we have to say? Do you know why all of us are here? We are coming out because we want equality now.

Let’s demand equality now! Hey, we want equality now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykglh7bapWk

From Project 1138:

What Is Project 1138?: Project 1138 is designed to increase public awareness of the 1,138 federal marital benefits and protections denied to same-sex couples as the result of marriage inequality.

How Did It Originate?: On September 5, 1996, Congressman Henry Hyde sent a request to the General Accounting Office of the United States. In it, he asked how many federal benefits were contingent on marital status. In response, the GAO identified 1,049 federal laws in which martial status applied. January 31, 1997 letter to Henry Hyde

In January 1997, Senator Bill Frist asked the GAO to update this number. Due to changes in laws over the previous seven years, the number of federal benefits had increased to 1,138. January 23, 2004 letter to Bill Frist

Share Your Story!
For more than a thousand reasons, YOUR relationship deserves equal treatment under the law. Take a stand against marriage inequality and share your story. Participate in Equality Forum’s Project 1138 blog by sharing your comments on our stories. Please e-mail Chip Alfred to share your story!

Here is the latest story shared on the site:

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Michael & Tony
Tony and I have been together for almost 20 years.
We met on July 20, 1984, in Long Beach, CA. We started dating, and pretty much moved in with each other after 6 months. Tony and I had a ceremony on July 26, 1986, to bless our relationship. A Catholic priest officiated over a full Catholic Mass in front of more than 200 of our friends and family.
When we first met, Tony was an undergraduate student and I was a “non-working” actor. He is now a physician and a partner in a large family medicine practice, and I’m an Ivy League-schooled attorney. We’re both involved with civic, cultural and political activities, in and out of the LGBT community.
Tony and I are just as married as any heterosexual couple we know. I take that back; we’re MORE married because of all the hardships we’ve both had to face for being openly gay. For better, for worse, in sickness and in health, we have stayed together because we love each other. I am still crazy about him; only the Goddess knows why he puts up with me! It’s gotta be love…

http://www.1138project.blogspot.com/

• @AMERICAblogGay WTF?!? Free at last: White House gives HRC 130 tour tickets for board members http://bit.ly/aRY6mJ #LGBT #OBAMA #
• @PamsHouseBlend Delusional Collusion – Roy Ashburn's closet was protected by newspapers, local gays http://bit.ly/ansC3w #LGBT #