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 This year we have the historic opportunity to elect Dr. Dana Beyer to the Maryland Assembly. This would be the first transgender to America’s history to hold public office. In addition to this historic opportunity, Dana should be very well known here. She is co-author of The Dallas Principles, a champion of Act On Principles, and member of the Advisory Board for eQualityGiving. It isn’t just that we need to elect the nation’s first transgender person to office. We also need a progressive voice in politics and a voice that is strong and substantial. In fact, Dana is a principled woman and has demonstrated it amply on this forum—and she is a real fierce advocate. Support her campaign by donating, organizing fundraisers, telling your friends about her, etc. Check her website now www.DanaBeyer.com
 eQualityGiving announced yesterday its first set of Endorsed Candidates to Fund for the 2010 elections. eQualityGiving endorsed pro-equality candidates in competitive races for federal or statewide office. The endorsement process is rigorous and requires the candidates to support all Equality Goals in writing (including marriage). Additionally, each candidate has been personally interviewed. Donating by the reporting date of March 31st is strategic because these candidates are in very close races and will be stronger for the rest of the campaign with a good financial report now. Endorsements are updated periodically. Check the online list of eQualityGiving Endorsed Candidates here. On top of eQualityGiving list is to re-elect one of our Equality Heroes, Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania. >> Give to Re-elect Congressman PATRICK MURPHY
. . >> Give to Elect Congressman JOE SESTAK to the US Senate
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. >>Give to Elect ROXANNE CONLIN to the US Senate
. . >> Give to Elect Mayor STEVE POUGNET to the US House
. . >> Give to Elect Mayor DAVID CICILLINE to the US House
Donate to David Cicilline here . . >> Give to Elect Councilman SCOTT GALVIN to the US House
. . >> Give to Elect EDWARD POTOSNAK to the US House
. . >> Give to Elect KRYSTAL BALL to the US House
. . >> Give to Elect State Rep PAUL THISSEN for Governor of Minnesota
. . . >> Co-endorsing for Governor of Vermont Vermont has marriage equality and only lacks passage of the Gender Identity Act to reach full equality and become the only state to score a perfect 6 on eQualityGiving’s States of Equality Scorecard. Gubernatorial candidates for the open seat include three Democrats who would sign the bill. Check all the details at eQualityGiving’s website.
Victory! Expelled, Abusive, Anti-gay Former New York State Senator Hiram Monserrate Loses Bid to Regain Seat, Democrat Jose Perlata Wins Special Election.This is a victory for New York State. Monserate was one of the 38 New York State Senators who voted against Marriage Equality. We have 37 more to vote out of office, and 24 who voted Aye for Equality to re-elect. From The New York Times: Hiram Monserrate, who was expelled from the State Senate after being convicted of assaulting his companion, was handily defeated on Tuesday by José R. Peralta in a special election in Queens for Mr. Monserrate’s former seat. The election followed a fierce, if brief, campaign in which a debate over same-sex marriage, which Mr. Peralta favors and Mr. Monserrate opposes, often overshadowed discussions on issues that are vital to many of the largely Hispanic district’s working-class and immigrant residents, like affordable health care and school overcrowding. With 94 percent of the vote counted, unofficial returns from the overwhelmingly Democratic 13th State Senate District showed Mr. Peralta with 66 percent and Mr. Monserrate with 27 percent. The Republican candidate, Robert Beltrani, an administrative law judge, came in third with 7 percent. “Tonight we put an end to dysfunction,” Mr. Peralta told a crowd at a restaurant in East Elmhurst. “Our nightmare is over.” Mr. Peralta, meanwhile, had a virtual army of outside supporters at his disposal, including union members, women’s rights groups and gay activists, among them members of Fight Back New York, a well-financed political action committee that works to oust state senators who oppose same-sex marriage and put Mr. Monserrate first on its list. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/nyregion/17hiram.html
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Iraq War veteran Murphy will be in a very close race again, this time facing a Republican opponent with the backing of Rick Santorum and the well-funded right-wing religious community intended to stop Murphy’s leadership of the House bill to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He is one of our strongest allies in the House, so his seat is a top priority to preserve.
This Pennsylvania Congressman and retired 3-star Navy Admiral has been publicly outspoken and has used his military credentials in Washington to drum up support to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Electing him will put a strong voice and sure vote for this and all the other pro-equality legislation in the Senate.
Roxanne is confident that polls are correct, showing Iowans prefer her values to GOP Senator Grassley’s (and showing Grassley’s favorability ratings sink into the 20’s). We are confident as well and are endorsing this ground-breaking, and locally popular civil liberties attorney to give Iowa, which now has marriage equality, a pro-equality Senator.
The popular Mayor of Palm Springs is openly gay, legally married, and has been named a Red-to-Blue candidate by the DCCC. Having a Tea Party candidate in the race increases his chances to defeat the vulnerable GOP incumbent, Mary Bono Mack, who holds the seat once held by former Mayor Sonny Bono. Obama won this district in 2008.
Cicilline came out while serving four terms as a Rhode Island State Legislator. He then won two landslide elections for mayor. Now he wants to fill the House seat being vacated by Patrick Kennedy. Winning the highly competitive September 14 primary is this popular politician’s biggest hurdle in a strongly Democratic district.
Galvin has earned respect in his solidly Democratic district and has twice won re-election to his North Miami council seat. Having served five years as an aide to former Congresswoman Carrie Meek, Galvin, who is openly gay, could easily emerge as the standout candidate to win the seat being vacated by Kendrick Meek, but only if his fundraising meets its target.
Potosnak, one of 4 openly gay men running for Congress, was an aide to Congressman Honda. He’s now running to defeat a vulnerable incumbent GOP freshman in a toss up district that voted for Obama. A win here by this teacher and small business owner would put a young and energetic voice in the House and add strength to the LGBT caucus.
This young mother has become the darling of the progressive community, and she’s a very strong advocate for full LGBT civil rights. She was the first candidate we endorsed, back in June. Her race could go down to the wire since she is running against an unpopular GOP incumbent in a year when the electorate wants change.
As governor, Thissen would sign a marriage equality bill currently making its way through the legislature. With no constitutional amendment forbidding it, Minnesota could join its midwest neighbor Iowa. While co-endorsing may occur in this very close race, Thissen has emerged first due to his strong reputation for getting pro-equality legislation passed.
