2009 – Heroes and Zeros!

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12-31-2009-  By – Melanie Nathan

HEROES  -

BEST in Year:- Secretary of State Hilary Clinton  – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been the most vocal Secretary of State on LGBT human rights in history, denouncing international homophobia.  

Best in Congress, Rep. Jerold Nadler , New York, – for re-introducing Uniting American Families Act ( UAFA )H.R. 1024, S. 424) a U.S. bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws by permitting permanent partners of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as spouses of citizens and lawful permanent residents and to penalize immigration fraud in connection with permanent partnerships.

Also for  introducing the most courageous LGBT piece of legislation this year or ever, –   H.R.3567 – Respect for Marriage Act of 2009 – despite objections and all against all odds.  Those who do not fear failure are the most courageous amongst us.  For jumping to help constituents, negotiating the release a lesbian binational immigration detainee.

Best in Senate – Patrick Leahy, Vermont for his warmth and compassion and willingness to work toward LGBT equality on all levels. Thank you for holding UAFA hearings. 

Best new in Senate-Senator  Kirstin Gillibrand, (lezgetreal articles – http://lezgetreal.com/?p=22407 ; http://lezgetreal.com/?p=22419 ; http://lezgetreal.com/?p=23029 ; http://lezgetreal.com/?p=24048

Best new in Congress- Rep Jackie Speier, Pacifica California- for her courage, support of LGBT issues, holding pro LGBT Town Hall for gay leaders in San Francisco and Bay Area, for assisting to support and advocate for Shirley Tan and her extraordinary responsiveness. http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/congresswoman-jackie-speir-provides-valuable-opinion-on-uafa/

Best in compassion – Senator Dianne Feinstein for her hard work toward introducing Shirley Tan’s private Bill (see Oblogdee) ; a silent friend with valid concerns that the LGBT organizations are failing to address.  She also voted vs. DOMA

Best in dignity Caster Semenya , South African Athlete and World Champion– For enduring the invasion of privacy and embarrassment with such dignity. See  Article on LGR

Best in Legacy – Sen. Edward (Ted) Kennedy, of memory, for shining a light on unconditional equality.

Best in Activism - Lt. Dan Choi and the entire Tan-Mercado family;  – for becoming the faces of critical LGBT plights and all The Binationals who speak their stories and endure the unspeakable.

Best on Bench –  U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker for his judgments on Prop 8 litigation- See Article. ” Judge Vaughn Walker, wants to examine other issues that are part of the political rhetoric surrounding same-sex marriage but rarely surface in courtrooms. Among the questions he plans to entertain at the trial are whether sexual orientation is a “fixed or immutable characteristic, whether gays are a politically powerful group, and if same-sex marriage bans such as Proposition 8 were motivated by anti-gay bias.”   Picture Judge Walker

Best in Court – Dennis Herrera for his work on behalf of LGBT marriage in San Francisco-  Voters have re-elected Mr.Dennis Herrera as the San Francisco City Attorney. As City Attorney, Dennis Herrera leads what American Lawyer magazine described in 2004 as “one of the most aggressive and talented city law departments in the nation.  Under Herrera’s leadership the City Attorney’s Office has tackled several high-profile local issue – same-sex marriage, gang injunctions, the Mirant power plant, the “sanctuary” policy for illegal immigrants, and recently deceptive health claims in marketing of food products. Herrera also filed the first ever government lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of state marriage laws that discriminate against gay and lesbian couples. Over the course of four years of litigation, his leadership would prove instrumental in eventually uniting twenty-one California cities and counties — including 7 of the state’s 8 largest cities — to stand in support of marriage equality for same-sex partners.

Best in Business – You know who you are!

Ultimate Heroes – All the binational Americans and their Partners who endure the worst kind of hardship imaginable to stay together in their relationships and who make changes and sacrifices in honor of their love. Sign Petition. To help these Heroes!

ZEROS

Worst- Worst -Worst – and it cannot get worse: Dick Cheney, for hypocrisy, treason, racism, lies, insidious infiltration of the airwaves, failure to respect the office of the Presidency.    No  the one could say it better than Rachel Maddow tonight in an explosive revelation of well researched facts, exposing this onkey for his lies and deceit.  She challenges all Media to fact check and to stop letting him get away with his cow poop. see the vidoe at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#34637162

Worst amongst our own:-  Joe Solmonese HRC –Selling out the LGBT community and failed leadership, patronizing President Obama.  Rachel Tiven and Immigration Equality, for pulling the wool over our eyes by professing zero as victories and claiming ownership of victories not their own; Ellen DeGeneresfor distancing herself from the LGBT community – for not reaching out to binationals and supporting the cause.

Worst Hypocrite Jeff Miller – Orange County California State Assembly Member for hypocrisy.  I gave testimony to a Resolution AJR 15, in the CA Judicial Assembly in support of UAFA. He lambasted my testimony with a salacious lack of solicitude  and he said his words were based on his desire to protect his constituents from gay marriage and the harm he would do to his constituents if he voted against their collective beliefs.  While that had little to do with LGBT immigration, he made a real ass of himself when a mere two weeks later – lo and behold- instant Karma- He was kicked off the Ethics Committee. Why? Remember the California Assembly open mike discussion between two reps. Well one, Michael Duvall was telling the other all about his sexual exploits with named lobbyists – mind you no detail spared.  Jeff Miller, the guy who thought voting  for my gay rights would let his Orange County, CA constituents down, did just that all by his duplicitous self,  by being caught on live TV, laughing and reveling in the lewd discussion about sex and adultery. see article Birds of a Feather.   watch?v=icrwU3Ak_SU and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZRnOw45HR0

Worst LGBT Politician – Barney Frank – Thinking his way is the only way; criticizing Nadler’s DOMA repeal legislation instead of embracing it with his influence. Seems his ego for success in DADT and ENDA is more important than the most significant legislation for LGBT equality.

Worst in Congress-  ALL THE SCHMENDRICKS – I mean Republicans – each and every one of them for their lockstep, listless, brainless, racist, betrayal of the American people.

Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown –   anti-gay Mambas . (Sorry Snakes) Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown run National Organization for Marriage. They illegally avoid federal tax, pusillanimously concealing donor rolls, and trying to derail LGBT marriage equality. They are one of the lead organizations dedicated to taking civil rights away (or preventing them in the first place) from gays and lesbians.  

Worst Senator- Jeff Sessions , ranking GOP member of Senate Judiciary Committee- his hypocrisy, disgustingly rude snub and maleficent treatment of the witnesses at the UAFA hearings in the Committee, especially of Shirley Tan and her young twins. Also his abrasive and insulting. By the way he did the same to Judge Sotomayor.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5YJCDAVe2I Watch this video and you will see what a completely ignorant idiot he is!     This man is anti immigrant and has zero feelings he is like a walking robot lockstep voting ah – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qSb1dzPQwk Agisnt Dream Act and just an all around piece of human garbage.

Worst Back Stabbers:  Joe Lieberman,  Congressman Louis Guiterrez leaving UAFA out of CIR ,  and also the Cowards who voted down marriage in NYC:  “THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE GUTLESS”  http://lezgetreal.com/?p=23463

Worst Representatives of Jesus Christ – The Catholic Church, Debbie Thurman  http://theformers.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/this-is-true-motherhood/ and those who participated in the Manhattan Declaration.  Mary-Jo Anderson – writer for trying to provide Catholics with a ridiculous ’secular’ argument against Gay Marriage. Read my rebuff of her ridiculous and furtive argument.  See Articles http://lezgetreal.com/?p=23371

Lisa Miller – for denying her ex lesbian Partner her visitation rights in the first place, causing immeasurable harm to their child, and using her new found Christianity as an excuse.   See Article – http://lezgetreal.com/?p=24267

Worst Business – Wolf Car Dealership , Wheat Ridge, Colorado, owner Philip Wolf for using a insult against the USA (the Birth-er Billboard idiot)  in a sordid attempt  to advertize his business.  See Article  http://lezgetreal.com/?p=23428

THE ULTIMATE ZERO- ALL who deny fellow Americans their pursuit of happiness in their inability to be loyal Americans by their failure to honor equality, civil rights and the separation of Church and State – you know who you are!

I am not sure which of my writer colleagues here on LGR agree with my choices; it does represent my personal view- I invite comments – who would you add or delete.

Thanks to all my supporters and loyal readers please keep coming back to the site – thanks  to those for signing the Peition on Change.org,thanks to the wonderful team at LGR – for your encouragement and support  Paula, Bridgette, Julie- it has been a fun year to spend- thanks to all the binationals and activists for changing my life, my wife and kids , family and friends, for their patience through this extraordinary year.     All staffers in Congress – you are amazing.  Susan Young at People Magazine, Mike Swift at Mercury News, Out4Immigration, EQCA, Marriage Equality.

THAT SAID A Very Happy New year and a BOLD and COURAGEOUS 2010.

Melanie Nathan – nathan@privatecourts.com
http://immigration.change.org/actions/view/special_visa_for_binational_lgbt_spouse-perma-partners
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