ACT On Principles

The CA senate yesterday voted 23 -12 that included bipartisan support and passed AJR 15 (Assembly Joint Resolution 15) which formally requests that the United States Congress pass and President Obama sign the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). The bill, if passed, will allow an LGBT American and permanent citizens to sponsor their foreign born partner for immigration.

The resolution was passed by the assembly in September last year.

You can read the news coverage here.

As part of the grassroots campaign, Out4Immigration and its allies have managed to secure support from about 20 cities

We need more of you on the ground to help us get more support for the passage of UAFA and its inclusion in any CIR bill! It is very easy to do – please contact Tom Tierney for more information!

www.out4immigration.org

The following landed in my inbox from an activist friend of mine in Seattle, Stuart Wilber.   I thought I would  share it with you.

I listened today to Solicitor General Kagan’s statement this afternoon. She movingly quoted the words that are etched in marble above the entrance to the Supreme Court, ”Equal Justice Under Law”.  And I said to John, my husband when we visit Canada; my partner if we don’t venture in the wrong direction from the State of Washington,- in Oregon we’re recognized, in Idaho, we’re not. I asked, “Where is our equal justice under the law?” “When do we see GLBT people treated equally under the law?”

In about 2 years, we will undoubtedly see Perry v. Schwarzenegger go before the Supreme Court.  I propose we consider possible, dignified actions both locally and in DC that will pose that question to the Justices and all Americans, “Where is our equal justice under the law?”  Be they rolling hunger fasts, non violent sit-ins or creative actions that our diverse community conceives; the question needs to be asked continually and with coordinated NVCD actions across our country, “When will we have equal justice under the law?

I don’t suggest we wait two years to take action to demand our equal rights, but I think we need to start planning coordinated actions both in response to and in anticipation of issues. Exodus held its 35^th Anniversary celebration in Orange County and the protests went virtually unnoticed. Yesterday, tens of thousands of people came out to Pride events in Seattle, but a few weeks ago we couldn’t muster ten dozen to protest DADT.  There must be a way to motivate those tens of thousands.

Saturday and Sunday I posted a request on many of your FB walls; I also mentioned the idea to the list-serve: As we are planning direct actions, please remember one of the most powerful is to reinforce good behavior with a thank you. I’d like to suggest that every activist organization set up a ‘good cop squad’ of letter writers to thank those who advocate on our behalf. Sometimes in our anger and impatience we forget to take this gentle direct action, especially with our straight allies and advocates many of whom risk their careers on our behalf. A few sent e-mails; almost none re-posted. Here in Seattle the rainbow flag is flying over the space needle for the first time in history. Let’s make sure it flies there next year. Please it’s so easy, just a thank you. Here’s one to start with:president@spaceneedle.com.

Many may celebrate, embrace, and laud “interim measures” that are provided by the Obama Administration such as the domestic partner benefits for federal employees, hospital visitation rights for same-sex partners, and family leave for our partner’s children. Although it is true that all of the new policies provide new rights to the LGBT community, they are not providing us truly equal treatment of our marriages, just a separate set of laws and policies needed to address fundamental inequalities for second-class citizens.

We are starting down a path of creating an entirely new subset of laws and policies to address at the Federal level the inequality and discrimination we experience as families (hospital visitation, FLMA, etc.). Separate is never equal.

Such progress is a path that I feel uncomfortable going too-far down, without always coming back to the main legislative barriers to our legal equality such as DOMA, anti-LGBT state laws, and the absence of a comprehensive federal non-discrimination law addressing sexual orientation and gender identity.

With regards to the recent FLMA announcement, because of DOMA, we still do not have the Federal right to take off work to care for our same-sex partner. Although many corporations and states allow such leave. In addition, we are assuming that all LGBT families feel comfortable accessing such work-around FMLA benefits, when we know many fear the risk of being fired based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. ENDA is needed to allow fuller access to such benefits.

Repeal of DOMA is the mother-lode that brings over 1100 federal rights and responsibilities. It should not be downplayed by advocates as we are given sentimental and significant, yet far from comprehensive, expansion of our Constitutional rights from this Administration, or any other for that matter.

Tears are all I can summon as I anticipate Pride. So I cry more about that. Deep tears, like mourning a great loss.

Fire Island Classics is playing and it’s a beautiful Friday. I keep trying to think about what to wear to the Drag March tonight. The faeries are gathering soon to glitter up at Le Petite Versailles garden and dress or undress in preparation. Last year, it rained, but it was a glorious day until a police man once again pushed a road barrier against us to move us out of the street. Gently, but Still. That was 2009.

I remember the crowd messing up the words to Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I’ll look them over and maybe head that off tonight, if I can gather that spirit. They are a bit tricky, like so many things.

The most hope-inspiring happening I can see is TAKE BACK PRIDE. One activist, Jamie McGonnigal, who organized buses for the October March on Washington for Broadway Impact, has done what 1000s of existing organizations were blind to. He is seeking to inspire a movement.

Pride is that moment. In 2008, I crossed the ocean and back to come home for Pride. I was living in Africa and supposed to stay the entire year, but the sadness was overwhelming. After a few months there, it occurred to me what I was feeling. Africans individually had no sense of entitlement. Generations of slaves had lost their intrinsic sense of self worth. It’s the most insidious aspect of being treated as inferior.

Americans feel the opposite. But not US. Having seen the absence of it,  I now see entitlement everywhere. I also see where it is not. And it is not in our movement strategy.

So I cry for Pride. For the lack of Pride in our Movement. For a million people on Pride Day, and 50 on lobby day. For 30 million LGBT people and only 10 or so arrested in 2010 (though that’s 10 more than in 2009)? For a group of bills in congress that don’t add up to shit – including ENDA which creates a “separate water fountain” for gay discrimination compared to what everyone else has under The Civil Rights Act. For a new generation of grassroots activists infiltrated by the International Socialists Organization. For an HRC and Task Force that won’t even say the words “gay civil rights” – now alone demand them in a piece of legislation.

But I’m most sad today about myself. I see the struggle ahead, but I don’t know if I have the strength to take it on. It’s hard to speak up and harder to motivate. I want to, but I am tired. I feel compelled to, but I am tired. So I cry for Pride.

“Gay” Civil Rights is also tricky –  or so I’m told by one amazing young activist, Chloe Noble. Evidently, young people 2 to 1 prefer “Queer”, but older folks (60s at least, I hope) aren’t comfortable with that. It sure makes the publicity messy.

When asked if he preferred “The American Equality Bill” or “The Gay Civil Rights Bill,” a self identified “gay black man” at the Folsom Street Fair last week popped back: “I like the Gay Civil Rights Bill much better! …. Any more questions?” (and he explained it: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=466827023635&oid=278882199073).

The most interesting thing is that — without any context — he knew exactly what I was talking about: including US in the civil rights laws.

Isn’t that what a title is supposed to do?

But The American Equality Bill is a “better sell” right?      Think about it.

. . .

I think I’m done crying for Pride for a bit. We’ll see.

It’s definitely Time to put a little (more) mascara on and DRAG MARCH to the Stonewall!

Today would be a very bad day for any officer to push a barricade against me.

It’s WAY PAST TIME for another Stonewall UPRISING.

Wow. What do you know. Speaking up has actually made me feel better.

Try it.

HAPPY PRIDE.

LOVE, TIF

• RT @ltdanchoi: @SgtMatlovich taught us that honor is only earned in TRUTH, not rank, privilege, or status. #LGBT #DADT #

Activist, Author, and Civil Rights leader David Mixner has a few words for President Obama and his invited guests in his article entitled The President and the LGBT Community.

Freedom is absolute; there is no such thing as partial freedom. We are involved in daily struggle for full equality and freedom. The President must be judged on not incremental steps but on concrete actions that clearly show he is on the right side of history in this battle. Overall, the President doesn’t seem to ‘get it.’ His failure to lead on so many fronts illustrates that he still believes we are a constituency group to be placated or just another long list of issues that is in front of him. There is no indication that he is yet willing to show the courage of a President Kennedy or President Johnson and take major, decisive and historic action. In actuality we have mostly seen timid and tepid responses to the major issues and at times downright hostility.

The record of this President and this Congress on DOMA, DADT and ENDA is dismal. The DADT ‘compromise’ promises us nothing but a promise that maybe it will be dealt with next year. There is no ’stop-loss’ order, no mandate, no timeline and no criteria for implementation of the repeal. And even this compromise has yet to pass the United States Senate. We still don’t know if we are included in the immigration legislation to allow our partners to stay in America. The LGBT community’s issues were stripped from the healthcare legislation. While I appreciate the Attorney General’s lovely Gay Pride speech, the record of opposing us every step of the way in the courts with inflamed language is appalling. Their failure to side with us in the courts on Proposition 8 is unforgivable. The failure to speak out in opposing the initiative in Maine was a cowardly political decision.

Read the full article here.

• RT @AMERICAblogGay: Will Obama hear complaints tonight from LGBT leaders? http://bit.ly/9PqClr #