ACT On Principles

This year eQualityGiving.org ran a poll about how much Congress and the President have done to meet your expectations.

As you can see 72% responded that they thought that Congress and the President had done less or much less than they expected. Of course, no internet poll can be considered a scientific measure.

We are running the poll again to check the new pulse.

Here is some of what has been accomplished at the federal level by Congress and the President:

- Passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in October last year.

- Passed the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 this week as a stand alone bill.

- Policy changes: extended some benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, banned gender identity discrimination for federal employees, committed to ensuring the HUD programs are open to all, created the National Resource Center for LGBT seniors, ensured LGBT visitation rights in hospitals, issued regulations for gender appropriate passports, extended domestic violence protections for LGBT victims, extended the Medical and Family Leave Act to include same sex partners. And many more actions in a list compiled by Andy Tobias here.

There is still much more to be done at the federal level:

- ENDA has yet to be passed, and there is no bill to forbid discrimination in housing, public accommodation, public facilities, and credit.

- DOMA is still the law of the land.

- There is still LGBT discrimination in disability, immigration, and publicly funded programs and activities.

- Anti-bullying has just recently made the national scene, and bills were introduced in the House and Senate last month.

What do you think? How much has Congress and the President accomplished so far compared to your expectations?

Please take 30 seconds to vote on this poll (right hand column of eQualityGiving’s home page). Tell others to do the same. You can see the results on the spot.

Congratulations and a sincere thank you to all who lobbied Congress and helped make this historic victory for equalitypossible. We have much to celebrate, but we have much more to do. Now we should move on to ENDA, UAFA, DOMA Repeal, and The American Equality Bill for full civil rights. Happy holidays to you and yours.
Love and Namaste from Tommy News Thomas

From President Obama:

Tommy –

Moments ago, the Senate voted to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

When that bill reaches my desk, I will sign it, and this
discriminatory law will be repealed.

Gay and lesbian service members — brave Americans who enable our
freedoms — will no longer have to hide who they are.

The fight for civil rights, a struggle that continues, will no longer
include this one.

This victory belongs to you. Without your commitment, the promise I
made as a candidate would have remained just that.

Instead, you helped prove again that no one should underestimate this
movement. Every phone call to a senator on the fence, every letter to
the editor in a local paper, and every message in a congressional
inbox makes it clear to those who would stand in the way of justice:
We will not quit.

This victory also belongs to Senator Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
and our many allies in Congress who refused to let politics get in the
way of what was right.

Like you, they never gave up, and I want them to know how grateful we
are for that commitment.

Will you join me in thanking them by adding your name to Organizing
for America’s letter?

http://my.barackobama.com/Repealed4

I will make sure these messages are delivered — you can also add a
comment about what the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” means to you.

As Commander in Chief, I fought to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
because it weakens our national security and military readiness. It
violates the fundamental American principles of equality and fairness.

But this victory is also personal.

I will never know what it feels like to be discriminated against
because of my sexual orientation.

But I know my story would not be possible without the sacrifice and
struggle of those who came before me — many I will never meet, and
can never thank.

I know this repeal is a crucial step for civil rights, and that it
strengthens our military and national security. I know it is the right
thing to do.

But the rightness of our cause does not guarantee success, and today,
celebration of this historic step forward is tempered by the defeat of
another — the DREAM Act. I am incredibly disappointed that a minority
of senators refused to move forward on this important, commonsense
reform that most Americans understand is the right thing for our
country. On this issue, our work must continue.

Today, I’m proud that we took these fights on.

Please join me in thanking those in Congress who helped make “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal possible:

http://my.barackobama.com/Repealed4

Thank you,

Barack

The President mentions “civil rights” TWICE in this message, and links our struggle to the broader civil rights movement very clearly.

I’ve been reading these OFA messages very carefully, and believe this is the first time this has happened.

These things don’t happen lightly, and I think it’s a very strong statement. It’s time to make our move.

Congrats to all on DADT. Next: EQUAL CIVIL RIGHTS & DOMA (repeal).

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Barack Obama
Date: Sat, Dec 18, 2010 at 5:54 PM
Subject: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Friend –

Moments ago, the Senate voted to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

When that bill reaches my desk, I will sign it, and this discriminatory law will be repealed.

Gay and lesbian service members — brave Americans who enable our freedoms — will no longer have to hide who they are.

The fight for civil rights, a struggle that continues, will no longer include this one.

This victory belongs to you. Without your commitment, the promise I made as a candidate would have remained just that.

Instead, you helped prove again that no one should underestimate this movement. Every phone call to a senator on the fence, every letter to the editor in a local paper, and every message in a congressional inbox makes it clear to those who would stand in the way of justice: We will not quit.

This victory also belongs to Senator Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and our many allies in Congress who refused to let politics get in the way of what was right.

Like you, they never gave up, and I want them to know how grateful we are for that commitment.

Will you join me in thanking them by adding your name to Organizing for America’s letter?

I will make sure these messages are delivered — you can also add a comment about what the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” means to you.

As Commander in Chief, I fought to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” because it weakens our national security and military readiness. It violates the fundamental American principles of equality and fairness.

But this victory is also personal.

I will never know what it feels like to be discriminated against because of my sexual orientation.

But I know my story would not be possible without the sacrifice and struggle of those who came before me — many I will never meet, and can never thank.

I know this repeal is a crucial step for civil rights, and that it strengthens our military and national security. I know it is the right thing to do.

But the rightness of our cause does not guarantee success, and today, celebration of this historic step forward is tempered by the defeat of another — the DREAM Act. I am incredibly disappointed that a minority of senators refused to move forward on this important, commonsense reform that most Americans understand is the right thing for our country. On this issue, our work must continue.

Today, I’m proud that we took these fights on.

Please join me in thanking those in Congress who helped make “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal possible:

http://my.barackobama.com/Repealed

Thank you,

Barack

Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee — 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Hats off for International Human Rights Day!

This year it honors Human Rights Defenders, the activists across the ages dedicated to realizing our ideals and perfecting our humanity.

Appropriate to our plight, the call this year is to “End Discrimination” and the High Commissioner for Human Rights even included “sexual orientation” in her remarks.*

Hope is on the horizon, or at least visible via Hubble.

Why December 10th you ask?

It was on this day in 1948 that a ray of hope emerged from a waring humanity via the United Nations with the adoption and proclamation of The Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

It was the first world statement of governmental intent and obligation to protect certain inalienable aspects of human life in a societal context, including the right to equal protection of the law, freedom from discrimination, freedom of speech, freedom to marry, and protection of the family.**

Like the United Nation itself, its purpose was the avoidance of tyranny and war inevitable in the face of human atrocities, but its ideals constituted truths reflective of our coexistence and oneness.

In that spirit, and in a happening we might better appreciate, men of war were joined by a woman who is largely credited with its virtue and completion – Elenore Roosevelt, herself often rumored to be part of the magical two-spirit tribe. It was a hopeful time.

Yet despite our country’s leading role, here we are 62 years later, on December 10, 2012, and the United States has not only disregarded its promises, but has actually repudiated the ideals in this magic document as it pertains to LGBT Americans, the last acceptably dishonored minority.

As we know, yet still unbelievably, not a single non-discrimination law has been passed by the United States Congress to protect us, while two aggressively pursued, proactively discriminatory laws stand defiantly thumbing their nose at the world of human rights and the natural law of justice.

There is, however, a widely cherished iconic law  in America designed to fulfill these most basic of mutual and governmental obligations: The Civil Rights Act of 1964.

But, as with the more detailed international human rights covenants, the writers of the Civil Rights Act intentionally excluded protection based on “sexual orientation and gender identity.”    And 46 years later, it still does,  despite the instrumental involvement of yet another member of the tribe, Bayard Rustin.

Although harsh sounding, today our Congress sits as traitors to our Country’s finest International covenants, as well as our Constitution, both of which purport to proclaim the most fundamental values of humankind:  equality under the law and freedom from discrimination.  How could this be?

Perhaps it is because we are invisible and can avoid the degree and nature of persecution that really impacts nation building and peace.

Were we not invisible, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered peoples of this earth would surely have long ago forced the confrontation with the powers that deny us our basic human dignity.

The abuse would have been more atrocious and more pointedly provoked the necessary response to root out the evil protected by our silence.

But because we are able to hide, blend in, walk down the street, get a home and have a job – as long as we are invisible, we endure this violation of our humanity in quiet suffering of unknown vastness.

Is it possible to imagine what life would have been in another world?

A world were we lived as equals, were respected for our gifts, and simply, but truly, appreciated for our being.

A world where human rights for all included us — “of course.”

A world where the United States Congress took pride in passing non-discrimination laws to cover all minorities facing oppression, took pride in fulfilling the oath of office to uphold the Constitution including Treaties, and showed honor in realizing the ideals of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

Alas that world does not exist – yet.  And as we hope for this world to materialize, we need to do more than imagine it.

We need to ask ourselves HOW we have sought to right this injustice.

Have we demanded full equality? Have we revealed the homophobia at its root? Have we demonstrated the dignity in our being, organizations and movement that we seek from our society?

In short, have we demanded equal civil rights and the full non-discrimination protections they contain?

62 years ago Elenore put it out there. In 1950 Harry Hay put it out there. In 1964 Martin Luther King and Bayard Rustin put it out there.

When are we going to put it out there?    If not now, when?

HUMAN RIGHTS NOW = END DISCRIMINATION NOW = CIVIL RIGHTS NOW.

*Int’l Human Rights Day. (http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/2010/pillay.shtml)

**EXCERPTS from the Universal Declaration on Human Rights:

Preamble:
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
. . .

Article 1
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 7
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 12
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 16

1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

The full Declaration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights