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 wrote to my Senator, Kristen Gillibrand, and asked her to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Here is her reply to that letter. Your Senators and Representatives are listening, so please continue to write and call. Get contact information at www.congress.org. -Tommy Dear Tommy, Thank you for writing to me with regard to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. It is my firm belief that this discriminatory policy should be overturned, and I am a cosponsor of S.3065, The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010 would repeal the current policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” This policy is not only discriminatory, but it has resulted in an unacceptable high cost for the military, which is already experiencing the strain of fighting two wars. Since “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has been in effect, nearly 13,000 service members, approximately 800 of them in mission critical areas, have been discharged from the United States Armed Forces based entirely on their sexual orientation. Nearly 10% of our foreign language speakers, including 59 Arabic interpreters and 9 Farsi interpreters, have been dismissed at a time when those skills are needed more than ever. This ruling has resulted in increased costs of 100 million dollars for the recruitment and training personnel to replace those who have been discharged. Many in both our civilian and uniformed military leadership agree that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is ineffective and undermines military readiness and the command structure. President Obama has stated his commitment to ending the policy. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have both expressed the need for reform, calling for a policy that is “more humane” and “less draconian.” I will continue to be a advocate in the United States Senate to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and allow the thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans who bravely and honorably wish to serve their country with the ability to do so openly, and without the threat of fear and intimidation that they will lose their jobs and benefits. It is my hope that the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010 will be passed this year. Thank you again for writing to express your concerns, and I hope that you keep in touch with my office regarding future legislation. For more information on this and other important issues, please visit my website at http://gillibrand.senate.gov and sign up for my e-newsletter. Sincerely yours, Kirsten Gillibrand Get Contact information for your Senators and Congress Member here: www.congress.org
From The Human Rights Campaign: We’re counting down to the end of this Congress. With the 2010 election approaching, we don’t have much time, and our lawmakers need to hear from us – right away. Why? Because though critical bills may be moving in Congress, we need them to move faster. Brave men and women are still being kicked out of the military for being open about who they are. And people can still be fired in a majority of states just for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). That’s why, along with our friends at the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), we’re launching Countdown 2010 – a new campaign to connect people like you with members of Congress as they visit their home districts in August. Your in-person meeting, email, or call can make a huge impact on the issues we care about. Will you be a part of it? Watch our video and make your voice heard: www.hrc.org/countdown2010. Taking action has never been easier. Whether you visit your lawmaker’s office, send an email, or make a phone call, our online tools and videos will walk you through it. You don’t need to be an expert. Elected officials need to hear from everyday Americans – both LGBT and straight – speaking from the heart, expressing sincere opinions and sharing stories. Countdown 2010 builds on HRC’s successful “No Excuses” campaign last summer, where thousands of HRC members got involved – many for the first time – and made a meaningful impact. Take Dan in Pennsylvania, who told his representative how he had been fired when his employer found out he was gay. The very next day, Dan’s congressman signed on as a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. As members of Congress return home for a long August recess, we can’t afford to let them off the hook. The Senate still hasn’t voted to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Neither chamber has taken up the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. When their constituents talk, lawmakers listen – especially during an election year. We have to seize this opportunity to let them know that we are watching. Check out our video and learn more: www.hrc.org/countdown2010 It really is a simple way to make a difference. But it will only have an impact if people like you get involved. Thanks so much for your help. Warmly, Joe Solmonese Sign up here: www.hrc.org/countdown2010
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The following op-ed was published on New American Media,/a. about the need to make sure that Comprehensive Immigration Reform includes LGBT Families! Editor’s Note: The White House has been reaching out to the evangelical churches for support on immigration reform. While several prominent evangelical leaders have extended their support, some have said if same-sex couple were included in family reunification proposals that would be a deal breaker. Amos Lim, founding board member of Out4Immigration, a group advocating for bi-national same-sex couples has a response. Not many people realize that within the United States there are approximately 36,000 couples who are struggling to be together because they are binational same-sex couples. The Uniting American Families Act would allow U.S. citizens or permanent residents to sponsor their partners to become permanent residents. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., recently held a press conference with more than 40 advocacy groups to urge congress to pass the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) this year by ensuring that it gets included in comprehensive immigration reform. Here in the state of California, our state legislature voted overwhelmingly in a bipartisan way a few weeks ago for AJR15 — a joint resolution that makes California the first state to support the passage of UAFA and its inclusion in comprehensive immigration reform. Most people are still unaware of this situation — that an LGBT American does not have any right to sponsor his/her foreign spouse for a green card while their heterosexual brothers and sisters have those rights. It really does not matter if you are one of the 18,000 couples legally married in the State of California, or one of the many LGBT couples who are married in the states that recognize marriage equality — the federal government does not recognize those marriages because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In fact, being legally married or registered for domestic partnership could create problems for some couples as the foreign partner could easily be classified as an overstay risk and be denied entry into this country even if they follow all the rules. All these stories are real! Falling in love and wanting to commit the rest of your life to someone should be one of the biggest joys in your life, but when you are a same-sex bi-national couple, it could also be the start of a nightmare — being forced to choose between love and country. SF Weekly recently did a cover story in their June 9 issue titled, “Worlds Apart” about this issue. In it, they highlighted a gay couple, Mark and Sang, who are legally married in San Francisco, but the foreign spouse has since been denied entry into the country. Sen. John Kerry petitioned personally for a gay couple in Massachusetts who have been separated due to the unjust immigration laws. California’s Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced a private bill last year to help stay the deportation order for Shirley Tan so she would not be separated from her wife Jay and twin sons. Ms Tan’s private bill will expire at the end of this year, which means she will face the threat of deportation again, when the new Congress is sworn in. Now there are reports that adding the language of the Uniting American Families Act could potentially be a deal breaker for comprehensive immigration reform. I want to let all those who oppose adding LGBT couples into the immigration reform bill to know that we are families too! A lot of our couples have made a commitment to each other to stay together in sickness and in health. Even though the obstacles for us to stay together seem insurmountable, we are still here and we are still together! For immigration reform to be truly comprehensive, LGBT families must be included in the reform. Many LGBT couples have already left the country to live in exile in one of the 20 countries that accepts same sex immigration. It is time the United States recognizes this issue and passes immigration reform that includes same sex bi-national couples, so that Shirleys and Jays, Marks and Sangs and the thousands of others out there could live their lives without worrying perpetually about separation. By not including LGBT families in immigration reform, or not passing the Uniting American Families Act, we will be forcing families to separate and that is wrong. Don’t forget, LGBT families are families too! www.out4immigration.org
(No Ratings Yet) This past week, Netroots Nation met in Las Vegas. Many LGBT groups were present, however one stood out, GetEqual. Here are two powerful videos of GetEqual and their presence pushing Senator Reid on a vote on ENDA and a vote on DADT repeal.
From Fight Back New York: Sen. Ruben Diaz has spent the last few years showing that he will stop at nothing to attack and insult LGBT New Yorkers. When we asked you to vote on which senators you wanted us to send packin’, Diaz topped the list. We heard you. Now Fight Back New York is gearing up to build the case against New York’s most notoriously anti-gay state senator. Let’s be clear – this isn’t a typical Fight Back NY race. Ruben Diaz has an annoying political survival instinct, but we want to set the record straight. Fight Back New York can play a unique role in this race by showing in a very public and powerful way that Ruben is not just bad for LGBT people, he’s bad for New York. In order to do this effectively, we need your help; we need more ammunition. We need to be able to show voters in his district that he does not represent their interests and is not fit to serve New Yorkers. Ruben has a murky past, but what exactly is he hiding? Here’s what we propose: Fight Back NY will hire expert political researchers to find every piece of information we can on Ruben Diaz. What he’s said, how he’s voted, what he’s done, and what he thought he got away with. We’ll post everything online, so Diaz’s opponents, the media, and voters in his district will be able to use the facts against him in the primary. But we need your help to do it. We’re only 6 weeks away from the primary election – which will be the one real shot at getting rid of Diaz. Help us fund a search into Ruben’s closet. We need to send a clear message to Ruben Diaz – and other senators who think like him: You can’t vote and speak out against equality without paying a price. Donate what you can today. We need your help to uncover the real Ruben Diaz. Take action here: http://fightbackpac.com/closet/
Out4Immigration is an all grassroots organization and our letter writing campaign is now in its 73rdweek. We must continue to keep this issue out front and make sure UAFA’s language is included in any bill that moves forward. Our efforts have gained us a LOT of co-sponsors in both the House (24) and Senate (5), and it’s important to remember the impact that continued, consistent grass roots efforts have. WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE! This week, we are focusing on five more members of the House:
- Let’s finally hit our goal of 500 signatures! Click on this link to send an e-mail to all of these members of Congress, and please also forward this on to as many family and friends, and share on Facebook, Twitter, etc… We need as many people to sign this each week as possible, and the change.org link makes doing this quick and easy! Please also be sure to sign all of our previous weekly petitions for UAFA: http://www.change.org/my_change/search?content_type=Petitions&global_keyword=lgbt+immigration+Rights We are also working on getting UAFA-supportive resolutions passed by city councils all around the country, and getting State, County and City elected officials to send letters to members of Congress urging them to support UAFA. Please contact Tom Tierney if you can help (it’s very easy!!). Out4immigration.org
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-by Tommy News Thomas The Reicht wing has launched a campaign to discredit and boycott Home Depot due to their support of LGBT pride events and the LGBT community. We must fight back against this homophobic hatred. Please contact Home Depot and shop there too! From Julia on Facebook: Home Depot has set itself out as a corporate leader in employment non-discrimination policies with a fine record of inclusion and diversity. It’s time that the LGBTQI community show public support of Home Depot’s actions – because honestly, big corporations who publicly align themselves as allies get a lot of flack from our very vocal opponents. It shouldn’t be risky to stand on the side of equality, diversity, and inclusion…, but that is unfortunately still the reality. Anti-Gay activists have been calling for a boycott of the Home Depot, including the American “Family” Association (http://action.afa.net/). Join me in a quick phone call or email of support to let our local and national Home Depot management know that we are aware of their support and are so very grateful to have them on our side. TAKE ACTION: You can also call the nationwide customer care department at 1-800-466-3337. Phone-phobic? You can also send the Home Depot an email through the Contact Us link on their main web page. It’s at the bottom right-hand side at www.homedepot.com Here’s a sample script; please modify as needed and add your own voice: “Hello, my name is _____. I’m a Home Depot customer from (city, state). I just wanted to give you a quick call/send you a quick note to share my support of Home Depot’s corporate inclusion and diversity policies. I am lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered/a straight ally, and I am deeply touched by the public stand that the Home Depot takes, especially in regard to employment non-discrimination, inclusive hiring policies, your support of various Pride celebrations nationwide, and extending insurance benefits to partners of lesbian and gay employees. Because of your message of diversity and because Home Depot is truly a corporate roll-model, you have a loyal customer for life and I sincerely thank you.” Some of Home Depot’s praise-worthy contributions: Home Depot offers insurance benefits to their employees’ same-sex partners including gender-reassignment surgery (source: HRC Corporate Equality Index). Home Depot has been a large corporate sponsor of many Pride events nationwide, and allows employees to participate in these Pride parades and festivals in “any way they choose.” The Home Depot has seven Affinity Groups which are “teams of people who come together around a single aspect of diversity to take action that supports the Company’s business objectives and policies.” One of the Affinity Groups is The Home Depot Pride. From their employment website (https://careers.homedepot.com/cg/content.do?p=diversity): “Diversity is the catalyst for innovative thinking, entrepreneurial spirit and new ways of building our communities. The greater the diversity of our people, the greater our ability to serve our customers. “At The Home Depot, we firmly believe that talent comes in many forms, and we celebrate each and every one of them. It is talent above all else that is cultivated, nourished and is considered to be the foundation of our culture. There’s no doubt we’re at our best when we bring all of our diverse talents to bear on creating a great customer and associate experience. “The Home Depot does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.” Let’s not let good work go unrewarded. Can you spare five minutes to give praise where praise is due? Source: You can send the Home Depot an email through the Contact Us link on their main web page. It’s at the bottom right-hand side at this link: www.homedepot.com
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