Homelessness, Kalamazoo, The District of Columbia, Christmas, Obamaville and love

In a conversation a few weeks back I heard these words; “I’m going to wait until after the first of the year for my advertising campaign”. Not that I have a degree in marketing but I told them they should take advantage of the Christmas season instead of waiting. I also said, “you know after the New Year everyone starts worrying about taxes”.

So I thought I should take my own advice and take advantage of the holiday ‘love’.

Just a brief side thought. Does the population in general show more love during the holidays? I think so. Which brings to question, why? Why do we tone down the love during the non-holiday time?

I can hear some one saying “We still love the same, we just don’t show it”, or something like “We can’t afford to give gifts all year round”, etc.

Anyhow, getting back on track.

For some reason in my daily cyber-travels today I seemed to run across many articles related to homelessness.

I read about a tent city in Colorado named Obamaville. They had a very large commercially produced banner out front. (article)

In recent news we’ve heard how The District of Columbia has signed off on marriage equality (article). Prior to the passing of the new law the Catholic Church (in D.C.) stated it would discontinue services to the homeless if the law passed (article). So far the Catholic Church has lied once again!

However, over in Kalamazoo, Michigan the story is a little bit different. In recent news we heard how Kalamazoo, Michigan passed a gay rights ordinance (article). Today I read that three churches in Kalamazoo are opting out on helping the homeless (article).

Here we are living in one of the richest nations in the world and we have homeless?

In case you’re brave enough to look into the face of homelessness here are some great places to start:

www.InvisiblePeople.tv

www.change.org

Oh, and Happy Holidays

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LGBT Civil Rights Fight Longer Than All Others

In a world where almost anything is possible it’s easy to expect the unexpected.

To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.
Oscar Wilde

Of course we all favor what is important in our lives. So we hope our desires will be met. But, some would say, it’s selfish to think solely of our own desires.

So we hope we aren’t a minority because it’s not possible to be equally considered if we aren’t part of the majority. After all our society is federalist by design and it’s all about the numbers, right?

I guess that part about “All Men are created equal” was a slip of the tounge.

We’ve seen women obtain civil rights during women’s suffrage. They were a minority. It took 21 years before states started to pass laws in support of women and another 50 years before the federal government would act. Totaling 71 years for federal recognition.

We’ve seen the African American community fight for their civil rights. They were a minority. It took them 80 years to receive federal recognition.

I’m part of the gay civil rights movement. We are a minority. Our fight started in 1924 when The Society for Human Rights, in Chicago, became the country's earliest known gay rights organization. It’s been 85 years so far!

So many seem to feel Stonewall was the start of the LGBT Civil Rights Movement.

I hope this information clears up the confusion.

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Dear President Obama from Col. Dan Tepfer (USAF) retired

Dear President Obama,


My wife and I and our three children, now adults, served as a military family for 23 years before I retired as a colonel in the Air Force. While my family did not have to experience frequent separations or my death or serious injury like so many service families do now, all military families make sacrifices. We moved twice with kids who were entering their senior year of high school. We appreciate that you and Michelle have made military families a top priority.


Our three adult children are responsible citizens who all work in education, one at an early childhood special needs school in Columbus, OH, one at a high school in Prince Georges County, MD and one at the University of Maryland. We are so very proud of all of them.


One of our children is gay, and that is the motivation for this letter. We have been encouraged by the difficult and courageous decisions you have made in many areas, domestic and international, and we are grateful for the promises you have made to secure civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) citizens. We worry, however, that you are moving too cautiously. Several bills are working their way through Congress, but so far we haven’t seen the special push from the White House that could accelerate the process.


As a retired military officer, the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t tell is of paramount importance to me, and I spoke on the Capitol lawn with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network in March. I understand there is a legislative procedure to follow, but a stop-loss order from you now could prevent the dismissal of Lt. Dan Choi, Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, Major Margaret Witt, and all the other valuable gay military members who are losing their beloved careers while the ponderous legislative process lumbers along.


Hate crimes. Housing and employment discrimination. Immigration policy. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Defense of Marriage Act. Each of these may seem like a small matter, but taken together, they represent a significant and unconscionable disservice by our federal government to its GLBT citizens. Change is imperative.


I understand there are always political costs to evaluate, but I no longer think moving quickly on these issues will have the negative consequences you might fear. The country’s attitude toward equality for GLBT citizens is moving with a speed we could not have imagined just a few years ago, even on the issue of marriage which has always been the most controversial.


Please act with the courage of your convictions. Use the power of your office to advance equality and fairness for all without further delay.


Sincerely,


Col. Daniel Tepfer, USAF (ret.)

GayTalkRadio - Oprah, Spirituality, Philadelphia, P.A. Equality Rally 2009

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Another year without the passage of any anti-GLBT bills in Tennessee?

by Jeff
Proud Parenting

Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) President Chris Sanders is telling HRC Back Story that his state may get through another year without anti-gay legislation.

full article

[52 Ways] Tell Your Story to Someone You Don’t Know

This week in 52 Ways, we’re encouraging parents to tell your family stories to a complete stranger when an assumption is made about you and/or your family.

When studies show that knowing three or more LGBTQ individuals makes straight people more likely to oppose anti-LGBTQ policies, it’s imperative that we get our stories out to as many people as possible. Conversely, if people don’t know about your family, they’re less likely to support policies that are beneficial to your family.

Maybe you’re at your son Billy’s little league game. Billy hits a double and brings in the winning run. You and your partner are cheering and the coach comes over to congratulate you saying, “Billy’s a great kid. His dad must be so proud of him!” This is a perfect occasion to explain that Billy has a mom and a mommy and no “dad.” Tell him about your family, how Billy was created through donor insemination and carried by your partner, how you acquired a second-parent adoption and that you are actually the one who taught Billy how to hit. A couple of minutes can change the coach’s conception of who comprises a family.

full article

Only one presidential candidate is about equality

by dedmonds

Unless your candidate is Kucinich, your candidate is NOT for LGBT equality.


Obama is NOT for LGBT equality. He's for civil unions. I don't care if they involve all the same rights with a different name. Separate but Equal ring any bells?

Edwards is NOT for LGBT equality. His wife is for marriage, but Edwards? He's not so comfortable with "those people."

Clinton is NOT for LGBT equality. Though I'll give her this: I've yet to hear her call us "those people" and she didn't have Donnie McClurkin at any campaign events. If I were a single issue voter, she'd probably be my candidate. But I'm not, so she's not.

But I'm really getting tired of reading candidate diaries touting candidate positions on LGBT issues.

Unless your candidate is Kucinich, your candidate isn't for equality. At best, your candidate is for separate but equal.

And I'm all right with that, because I know this will take time.

Just quit touting your candidate as being good on LGBT issues. The big three all have roughly the same stated positions.

And not one of them goes far enough.

Suck it up and recognize the imperfection. They're all telling us our civil rights have to wait. Don't tell me they aren't, and stop pretending otherwise to yourself.

Deal?

full post

Immigration is a hot topic for the GLBT community

Packed immigration forum held in New York City proves that immigration is a hot topic for the GLBT community

Last night, Immigration Equality and HRC hosted a forum with Stonewall Democrats on immigration issues affecting the gay community at the LGBT Community Center in New York City. The forum featured Congressman Jerrold Nadler, D-NY (pictured), lead sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), legislation to allow citizens and legal residents in same-sex relationships to sponsor their partners for immigration purposes.

http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2007/08/packed-immigrat.html

Record 94% of FORTUNE 500 Companies Provide Sexual Orientation Discrimination Protection

470 (94%) of the 2007 FORTUNE 500 Companies voluntarily include sexual orientation in their employment nondiscrimination policies.

89% of U.S. citizens believe that gays and lesbians should have workplace discrimination protection. There is no federal workplace protection based on sexual orientation and only 20 states include sexual orientation nondiscrimination in their workplace statutes.

Of the 30 FORTUNE 500 Companies that are noncompliant, 13 (43.3%) are headquartered in Texas.

"When 94% of the FORTUNE 500 Companies and 89% of the public support workplace equality, Congress is derelict by its failure to include GLBT citizens in federal workplace discrimination protection," stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum. "There is no cost to provide sexual orientation protection. Corporations and shareholders benefit from a workplace where merit, not intolerance, prevails."

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-29-2007/0004653622&EDATE=