Melanie Nathan,  2/08/10 .  On the 3^rd of February I posted the news that Senator Schumer will not be including our LGBT families in his immigration reform Bill.  Amongst the very many e-mails sent to me as a result, here is one example, sent to us by a very angry binational same-sex partner.  http://lezgetreal.com/?p=25829   I reported –  ” Have you ever wondered why a long silence actually starts to sound like a deafening noise? It is now that the silence from Senator Schumer is deafening, with the shocking revelation from a reliable source informing us at Lezgetreal that Senator Schumer will not be including UAFA or LGBT rights in his immigration reform bill to be introduced in the weeks ahead” 

  Perhaps this forthcoming exclusion is what sparked todays letter by 60 Congressional representatives to the President and Congress, urging inclusion of gay and lesbian families in immigration reform or via UAFA.  The effort led by Rep Tammy Baldwin sent a letter to the White House and Congress to urge support for UAFA and LGBT inclusion in comprehensive immigration reform. Soon thereafter our website, known for its assertive coverage of the binational plight was visited again by members of Congress and offices much higher than that.  Perhaps the White House is going to take action. 

 Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the lead House sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act, which would also end discrimination against LGBT binational families, asserts “We must take the government out of the business of singling out LGBT families for discriminatory treatment and live up to our democratic ideal of equality under the law,” Nadler said. “I join my colleagues in calling on Congress and the White House to include the Uniting American Families Act, which I have introduced in every Congress since 2000, in any immigration reform legislation, and end discrimination against binational LGBT families.” 

 What I find particularly disconcerting is that Immigration Equality, who holds itself out as the “pre-imminent” organization for immigration equality rights, has failed to come forward with the knowledge that Senator Schumer is not planning to include us, and continues to msilead us by their silence. 

  Does IE have a duty to play level with binationals?  I believe they do for as long as they find themselves in the number one  slot on the issue.    What has stopped them from keeping us fully informed?  

 This organization has led us down a treacherous and unwise path – into the corner we now find ourselves, and still they make decisions without our involvement as a community.  They have made a choice to side with those who do not want us and to try and convince the strongest of all faith based powers that it is a good idea to include gays and lesbians.   

 So now that the White House has been alerted to Act - 

 The question becomes: 

 1. Would you like to see quick and soon passage of UAFA as a standalone;  Or 

 2. Are you ready for the long and hateful haul of immigration reform; 

 The difference between the two lies in the philosophy: Whereas the first seems to rest on equality the second will rest on immigration. Which is the tougher argument.  Will the immigrant community be impressed by the fact that the house already has 60 on board for immigration reform?  Will that make them think we are worthy to their cause? 

  While much hated in the eyes of so many in this Country – gays and lesbians, et al, may now be coupled with  the other most disliked group – whom the conservatives choose to refer to as ‘illegal aliens,’ and progressives refer to as ‘undocumented workers/immigrants.’ 

 It is already apparent that even amongst those immigrants seeking respite from the woes of the system, resentment is building because some feel they have a much more worthy cause than ‘the gays’ – I have received emails to this effect – more worthy because we are maybe 100,000 and they are 12 million in number.   An example of some dialogue can be found at the comments at http://lezgetreal.com/?p=25829

 Schumer is known to have stated that he has chosen to abate the voracious displeasure of the Catholic community.  Can you imagine once we are included what is yet to come? 

 That said perhaps Schumer will be doing us a favor. 

 I too am calling on President Obama to PLEASE urge Congress to pass a stand-alone Bill right now – UAFA.  I for one will be glad to accept an amendment to the Current Nadler legislation – where the evidentiary proof of permanent partnership must include an affirming certificate from any Jurisdiction in the World. (eg. marriage certificate, DP or civil union certificate.)  That will dismantle the fraud argument because we will be on a level playing field with the straight spousal community. 

 Please help us avert a faith based immigration vs. LGBT equality battle – already emerging. 

A  READER’S LETTER (amongst hundreds);Sunday, February 07, 2010
TO;
President Obama
Senator Gillibrand
Senator Chuck Schumer
Congressman Peter king
State Department, Hilary Clinton
Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi
Congressman Steve Israel
CNN
Melanie Nathan at http://lezgetreal.com
New York Times
 

“To  Senator Chuck Schumer
Sir:  

I never thought that I would be calling you a liar and a cheat but I was wrong. When I watched you at the UAFA Senate hearing I was so happy that you where a senator from Long Island standing up to the right wing nuts, the church and all the bigots in this country. But after reading a story on Lezgetreal.com (http://lezgetreal.com/?p=25829 ) I was so wrong about you! I guess you are like all the rest that say something and turn around and do something else.  

After I talked to L. Fresco in your office I thought I could just sit back and just wait till you came out with the bill on Immigration reform but once again my government let me down. He had told me that you where not going to include the UAFA into your bill till the Latino senators and congressman were made happy and they got their way.  

 Because I was told they would block the bill and not support it. It looks like you couldn’t get there support so you turned your back on us. Because of you and senator Gillibrand and Congressman Peter King I now have to make plans on leaving my country for good to be with my husband, yes we are legally married in Canada and 20 other countries. I’ve sent your office my marriage Lic, faxed it to your DC office, and hand delivered it to your long island office.  

Not only that I had sent the forms from the US state department to sponsor my husband but didn’t get an answer from you, Gillibrand, Peter King and the white house. This was to proof that I am legally married to a non American and asking for help to sponsor him into this once great country. But since this is a gay issue and an immigrations issue no one will help.  

Just to let you know I am now going to contact ever single congressman, senator and newspaper in this country to let them know that you lied in a the senate hearing (6/2/2009) and because of your actions not including the uniting American families act into your immigration reform bill anther taxpaying US citizen has to leave his home land for good.  

I’m really mad and upset that I’m sitting here and my husband is half way around the world all because of the Republican Party and the church that has it in for gay rights and civil rights. I’m really mad and upset that the Democratic Party for not having a back bone and standing up to the right wing. I’m also mad and upset that I can be legally married in 20 countries and the country that claims civil rights has very little to gay people. I’m also mad and upset at Chuck Schumer for talking the talk but can’t walk the walk! I’m, also upset that the US state department is handing out visas like water to the people of Haiti and I can’t get one for my husband who has legal rights to one being married to an American. What a wonderful country this is, ya right!  

Thank you for your none help!
 I, am a  US Taxpayer who can’t get any help  

Action Alert -February 8th, 2010  

At 10:30am on February 11 — one week after our call-in to Senator Schumer’s office — the Long Island Immigrant Alliance will hold a rally outside of Schumer’s Melville office (145 Pine Lawn Road, Melville, NY 11747). The rally will show support for Senator Schumer’s comprehensive immigration reform bill, which would fix a broken immigration system, end the exploitation and demonization of immigrants, strengthen our economy by $1.5 trillion, and support our nation’s values. For more information about the rally, call 631-789-0720    Long Island Immigrant Alliance  …  

Melanie Nathan

LAST THOUGHT: None of this would be necessary as this would all be moot if DOMA were repealed and Sexual orientation was included in the Civil Rights Act.

By: Melanie Nathan  

nathan@privatecourts.com
www.privatecourts.com
Human Rights and Personal Advocacy.

 

 

 

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• Reblog from Me at LGR BREAKING: SHOCKING REALITY- Senator Chuck Schumer Is Planning To Exclude Gay And Lesbians From Immigration Reform Bill. (oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com)
• Senator Gillibrand LGBT Meet and Greet- binationals ask for UAFA answers. (topix.net)

  

 Senator Schumer has not confirmed, nor announced, what specific proposals will be in his immigration reform bill. We do encourage everyone, however – as we always have – to make sure they reach out to their representatives and urge them to support inclusion of our families in any immigration reform bill.
 If you haven’t already done so, you can click here to send that message to your Members of Congress.
 It is critical that everyone call on their Members to support our inclusion. Now – in the days and weeks prior to the bill’s introduction – is the time to take action.
 Once lawmakers announce the specifics of their legislation, we’ll have more information here. Comment by Steve @ Immigration Equality — February 4, 2010 @ 2:43 pm 

STEVE do not tell me that you and all at IE have not had the news for a month that UAFA was being excluded by Schumer’s Bill. Time to come clean is NOW!

02/06/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Natalie Portman was “terrified” when she had to kiss Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, That 70’s Show, Family Guy) in her new movie ‘Black Swan’. Black Swan is a movie about two rival prima ballerinas in the high stakes world of ballet dancing. In the movie (spoiler alert, only if you are planning to see the movie, which I’m pretty sure you aren’t) Portman and Kunis have a sex scene together. In an interview Portman states:

“I was terrified. At the moment I lived in a state of inner terror.”

Inner terror? Kissing a beautiful accomplished actress is terrifying? Portman who has previously shot nude scenes and played a stripper in the movie “Closer” is also worried the lesbian sex sequence is overshadowing the plot of the film and worries it will make her be taken less seriously as an actress. She added: “Nudity is something absolutely natural and I’m not prudish – but in a film it can be distracting. But stripping isn’t? Portman goes on to say:

“Doing ‘Black Swan’ I couldn’t say no. The project is a huge opportunity for me to show a new me. I can’t always play the nice mothers. My other problem is that single pictures are being taken out of context and put on the internet.” Right, Portman is always playing the nice mother, or the nice stripper. Playing a nice lesbian is a huge leap for her. There is nothing wrong with strippers, but it’s sad that Portman regards playing a lesbian as her least family friendly role.

Portman studied psychology at Harvard has a reputation for being “I can guarantee you I’m not one of the most intelligent actresses of the world.” I completely agree with you Natalie and to prove it, I’m running some of Portman’s best quotes below:

“Star Wars hasn’t changed my life at all.”

Except for the millions of dollars you made and the wooden acting that eventually will become your legacy among the millions of Star Wars fans worldwide.

“When a guy tells me I’m cute, it’s not something desirable. Cute is more like what you want your pet to be.”

Cute is awesome. We can’t all be devastatingly gorgeous in a half-fed way.

And then there was the time she compared meat lovers to rapists: I say that Foer’s ethical charge against animal eating is brave because not only is it unpopular, it has also been characterized as unmanly, inconsiderate, and juvenile. But he reminds us that being a man, and a human, takes more thought than just “This is tasty, and that’s why I do it.” He posits that consideration, as promoted by Michael Pollan in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which has more to do with being polite to your tablemates than sticking to your own ideals, would be absurd if applied to any other belief (e.g., I don’t believe in rape, but if it’s what it takes to please my dinner hosts, then so be it).

Portman told Allure magazine in an interview, regarding being famous: “I’m not black, but I know what it feels like.” That quote speaks for itself. Natalie Portman: Not America’s Smartest Actress.

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By Melanie Nathan, san Francisco, February 3, 2010, –  The National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, started today, with events planned through Sunday at Sheraton Dallas Hotel.  

This conference is starting on his very day when I broke this story “Shocking Reality” - many of my readers called Senator Schumer’s office only to be shunned off with comments such as “Oh yes, Melanie Nathan’s article is just an opinion piece… and said that Senator Schumer is a sponsor of UAFA anyway…. “ 

Well, well as if we did not know that and if  so why not then include us? Is that a message that we should pursue UAFA as a stand alone only?   We will be looking for answers…     That said, my source was informed of this directly by the Senator himself. 

I am hoping that when the conference attendees get together and realize that the entire movement is screwed by lack of cohesive planning,  and piecemeal legislation, our brothers and sisters will, ‘carpe diem’ and all come to a simple conclusion – 2 words “OMNIBUS BILL.”   Amend the Civil Rights Act to include all Americans.   This rediculous state of affairs with a Senator sponsoring a bill and then possibly thwarting its progress through an alternate venue, is illustrative of my point…. piecemeal be damned – we want our CIVIL RIGHTS and now.  “The Color of my skin Senator, is GAY!!!”

The Creating Change conference at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel downtown will feature Army National Guard Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and Iraq war veteran who faced discharge after announcing on television that he is gay.  They seem to be focusing a lot of attention on DADT because Lt. Dan Choi will be speaking.  This is great and hopefully more Americans will be reached through further visibility. ( I am not sure how much more visible Dan can get in our community.)

Also on the agenda this week: gay marriage, which will probably be top of mind among conference attendees. In California, a trial is under way seeking to overturn that state’s voter-approved measure that bans same-sex marriage – a case that could make its way to the Supreme Court.   

Other sessions will feature workplace equality, HIV in older adults and creating safer environments for gay youth.  They will also explore aging issues among gays and lesbians and homophobia in nursing homes and extended-care facilities, according to the spokesperson Sue Hyde.  Great! But…. 

I researched interviews and comments with Task Force’ the organizers - noting some basic information in  articles in Dallas Press, including  The Dallas Morning News  and then also the Task force Press Release about the Conference  which I quote below:

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 — National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey will present the annual State of the Movement address at the National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, in which she will present a vision for the year ahead in the struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. 

Just a week after President Obama delivered his State of the Union address, 2,000 LGBT activists will converge in Dallas, Texas, for the 22nd National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, Feb. 3-7. Activists will strategize on how to advance LGBT equality and acquire the skills needed to build the political power of the LGBT community in 2010 and beyond. 

“This is a critical and exciting time in our struggle for LGBT equality,” says Carey. “Having 2,000 LGBT rights supporters come together to plan and strategize is an unparalleled opportunity to create change.”

 The State of the Movement address is an opportunity to take stock of the past year and lay out a plan to move forward in the year ahead. It is one of the most anticipated events of the Creating Change conference. Carey will address critical legislative issues specifically affecting the LGBT community, including passing an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Other broader areas of focus will include the need for access to quality/affordable health care and racial and economic justice-related issues. Carey’s State of the Movement address will take place on Friday, Feb. 5, at 1:45 p.m. (CST) in the Dallas Ballroom of the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in downtown Dallas, Texas.  

I was unable to find any publicity that specifically referred to the three most important things our community could possibly address right now, especially given the fact the Conference, according to its Executive Director (above),  will be an unaparalleled opportunity to strategize.    I am hoping these issues are in the State of the Movement Address – and if not that those at the Conference make the most of the opprtunity for transparent, reflective, remedial and productive co-ordination of efforts.  Its not a race to the finish line, my friends, its an opportunity for a hole in one!  

The Course…  

1. Piecemeal Legislation is working against us; our limited resources are too wide spread, affecting zero result;  

2. The need for a comprehensive and cohesive plan where we work to accomplish the repeal of DOMA – the inclusion of Sexual orientation in the Civil Rights Act;  

3. Immigration Reform for Gays and Lesbian spouses/ DP’s etc.  

My contribution to the Conference is breaking of the news about Senator Schumer’s Bill – that gay and lesbian immigration reform will be excluded from the Bill, just as it was by Guiterrez in the House Bill for comprehensive immigration reform.  My suspicion is that this fact may have been well known to some, yet not revealed.   The imprtance of this revelation is a call out to the entire LGBTQI community and America that this is unfathomable.  I dont give a continental brick about long term strategies, I want my inequality recognized for exactly what it is and NOW!!  So the 2,000 of you there in Dallas – pick up your courage and go for the BIG one!!

 Maybe my preceding , SHOCKING REALITY- article could help change Schumer’s stance – even though Senator Schumer’s staffers are informing callers that my article is merely an opinion piece.  I can tell you that it was the Senator himself who told my source that this was his plan.  

Wake up you guys at the conference – forget the bits and pieces and talk about CIVIL RIGHTS for us…..   Once same is accomplished everything else that smacks of LGBT discrimination will fall into place – because the law will then require, via one bill, that we be treated equally.  

How much louder can I yell..” THE   COLOR  OF   MY   SKIN   IS   GAY!”

Conference details : What: The National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change  When: Today through Sunday at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel Highlights: Speakers include Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and Rea Carey, executive director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Kai Wright, a writer and editor, will moderate a panel of youths.  Cost: Full conference rate $350; daily rate $75

 

 Posted by Melanie Nathan,  

 nathan@privatecourts.com
www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com  
 www.privatecourts.com 

 @oblogdeeoblogda – I Twitter too! 

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1/29/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

In a public display of open homophobia rarely seen by large corporations today, CBS rejected an ad featuring two men kissing from the Super Bowl lineup. The ad was for the gay dating site, ManCrunch.com. CBS stated that the ad”is not within the Network’s broadcast standards for Super Bowl Sunday.” However, in the past Super Bowl ads have featured half naked women violently fighting with each other while being sprayed with water. These are the values that CBS feels are more appropriate to align themselves with.

 CBS is known for running the most entertaining and cutting edge commercials during the Super Bowl, as advertisers go all out in terms of both expenditure and creativity to catch the eye of the large viewing audience. Even news websites, such as Slate, run reviews of Super Bowl commercials, making the commercials more of a part of the viewing experience of the game than an afterthought.  Excluding representation of gay men from the airwaves during the event, is effectively exiling them from sharing in this Nationwide event.    

Advocates for CBS are making the argument that ManCrunch staged this as a publicity stunt. However, how could this stunt be staged without the presumption of anti-gay bias on behalf of both CBS and Super Bowl viewers? Refusing to air this ad during the Super Bowl is insulting to every straight man who watches the Super Bowl, who is comfortable with his own sexuality and with the gay community. CBS is assuming ignorance and homophobia on behalf of a large population of men. It’s unfair to paint football fans with the same brush.  Hopefully, with increased media pressure, CBS will change their stance and air the ad.

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I really believe this is the case. It will go to the Supreme Court – regardless of who wins.  What makes it so astounding is the parameters of the evidence.   Maybe a historian can answer – has there ever been any such spectacle, where an entire minority community has been put on trial and had their existence questioned in this way?   It hits me hard everytime I hear any of the evidence, whether it be a scientist, a young gay person who has been subjected to reparative therapy. Whatever is stated in that courtroom is a statement for tens of thousands more LGBT people out there.   I feel like a mother trying to protect her children.  I want to shake President Obama and wake him up.  Is he watching – is he seeing this testimony?  Please Mr. President help stop this craziness – its criminal for us to be raked over the coals in this way.  How do I tell my children that their family is less than?  That they do not have a valid family?   Please stop this trial now – you can do it, Sir.    Why should we wait 10 years?  Please repeal DOMA now!  I feel like I am in Salem at a witch trial.

Gregg Cassin reporting for LGR from Court today “”It’s impossible to overstate the importance of this case to the future of marriage in America,” said Ron Prentice of ProtectMarriage.com. “Not only is the constitutionality of California’s Prop 8 at stake, but so are the marriage laws of 45 other states and the federal Defense of Marriage Act.” 

That said if you have the stomach there will be a re-enactment of the trial and it will be found at http://www.johnirelandonline.com/Trial/Prop8Trial.html    in the meantime if you visit this site you can see the start as well as picyures of all the witnesses and attorneys.  

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Posted by Melanie Nathan

1/20/2010-by Natasia Langfelder

Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain, posed for the NOH8 campaign to raise awareness for marriage equality. Cindy McCain is not known for championing political causes and during her husband’s run for the presidency, remained quiet and reserved. Her daughter, Megan McCain, has been very outspoken about her support of marriage equality. It’s refreshing to see two strong women taking a stand for a cause they believe in, even if it flies in the face of the Republican Party’s value. Megan in particular has caused a stir in the Republican Party; calling for change in the party’s social policies in order to further fiscal policies.

Cindy and Megan McCain are raising awareness and supporting the LGBT community more than Michelle Obama or the Obama administration has. Considering the promises the Obamas made to us while they were on the campaign trail, this is surprising and dissapointing. I welcome and appreciate the support of the McCain women.   

To view Cindy McCain’s picture, click the link:

http://www.bouska.net/noh8/index.htm

Natalie Cassidy is a British actress who appeared on the popular UK soap, EastEnders for 16 years. Cassidy played “Sonia Jackson” since she was ten years old, but left the show in 2007 after Sonia had an affair with Naomi, a fellow nurse.

Cassidy told Reveal Magazine that she left EastEnders because she didn’t feel comfortable with her character engaging in a same sex relationship.  She calls the relationship not true to the character of Sonia and calls the lesbian story itself “shocking.” Cassidy goes on to display her ignorance further when she says that she would consider going back to EastEnders, but only if Sonia was the star of a really “shocking” storyline. Basically, she is claiming she would return to the show for the same reason she says she left the show. Someone call MENSA, this girl is a genius. Obviously, Cassidy is upset that she was cast as a lesbian. I would like to applaud EastEnders for including lesbians in their stories, lesbians exist in real life and deserve to be represented on the screen. Only most of us are much more attractive than Natalie Cassidy. Cassidy has also appeared on the UK version of dancing with the stars, “Strickly Come Dancing.” I would like to nominate Cassidy to appear on Oxygen’s “Dance Your Ass Off.” That show is much more appropriate for her.

 Blogged by melanie nathan – Kudos to Chris Johnson of DC AGENDA  for a great report;  Rep. Jerrold Nadler  said the Respect for Marriage Act,  would overturn the Defense of Marriage Act,  and would notpass next year.  The sponsor of the bill that would overturn the Defense of Marriage Act said repeal won’t happen in this Congress and that efforts next year will instead be focused on building support on the issue.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in an interview with DC Agenda that lawmakers will work on passing other pro-LGBT bills next year, and could take up legislation to repeal DOMA — known as the Respect for Marriage Act — at the end of the two-year session starting in 2011. “The Respect for Marriage Act is a bill that we can’t pass right now; we know we can’t pass it right now,” he said.

Nadler apparently is reiterating the Barney Frank strategy voiced that Congress won’t take up the DOMA repeal next year because other LGBT-related bills, including the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, legislation providing partner benefits for LGBT federal workers and a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” are taking precedence. Supporters hope to pass those measures by the end of 2010.  Nowhere do we have mention of UAFA (Uniting American Families Act) other than if it is not in Comprehensive Immigration reform, Nadler will come in with an amendment –albeit hard to the fight.

So as a tired activist having read this article we can all note that the order of things is the same, the timing is pushed even further forward and the progressives are following the beat of the usual drum.   The interview reports Nadler as saying,  “The Respect for Marriage Act comes up after that, maybe at the end of the next Congress, maybe afterward,” he said.

Nadler’s legislation would overturn DOMA, allowing the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages. It also has a “transport provision” that would allow same-sex couples to marry in one state and still receive federal benefits even if they move to another state where gay nuptials aare not recognized. 

The ripple impact of the removal of DOMA is that in all likelihood the US will have to recognize married gay couples for the purposes of immigration and then UAFA and immigration equality would be moot. There are an estimated 90,000 binational couples around the world, in hiding in US, abroad in exile, pending deportation or waiting for visas to expire.  Every time a gay married American’s spouse leaves the USA, entry back into the USA, even with a valid visa, is not guaranteed.

The entire article about the DOMA repeal legislation and all LGBT strategy can be found at http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/10/no-doma-repeal-next-year-nadler and is a worthy read.

So it seems to me that it is now all about building the support.  If this is the only way that this repeal happen then it is incumbent on all of us to get ourselves and families out there in front of our politicians – not giving up our dollars so easily to rusty old campaigners- and looking for the blood that beats from hearts such as ours.

 Even though we need to call our senators and members of Congress, asking them to sign on to the bill, we still need to wake America up to the fact that we exist, we are decent and we are not going away.

Gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) hasn’t signed on as a co-sponsor to Nadler’s bill, saying that lawmakers will instead focus on other LGBT issues this Congress and the bill’s trasport provision could cause political problems for House members seeking re-election. I completely disagree – this is a damned if you do and damned if you don’t moment.   I am so appalled at the tip- toe –thru- the –tulips  technique that smacks of low- self- politcal -rights- esteem. 

The article points out that  Nadler said he hasn’t “had too many conversations” with Pelosi on the proposed DOMA repeal since it was introduced, but noted that the speaker has privately encouraged House members to co-sponsor the bill. We all know – healthcare-healthcare-healthcare – financial crisis – queers get to the back of the line and with a little luck we may still be here for you when we get to you.  A big miscalculation by our own leadership – the timing -   did they think that a healthcare debacle and  would be the impetus for our legislation or the measure of faded promises?

  DC Agenda also reports Nadler had not spoken much with Frank on the issue since the bill’s introduction and from this I garnish perhaps some harsh feelings remain, a sense I had from my own discussions with senior staffers close to both Congressmen when the new bill was originally introduced. I believe Frank felt slighted at the fact that Nadler had jumped in with the all-encompassing legislation (The Big One) that would may have rendered Frank’s pets ENDA and DADT redundant.

Although supporters have said other bills will take priority this Congress, advocates for the DOMA repeal have hoped for congressional hearings on marriage by the end of next year. This is where the support can happen as we bring our stories to DC. 

Right now we cannot allow ourselves to be put off by or rely on a fragmented strategy and ineffective leadership we cannot  miss our beat – we have our work cut out for us more than ever.  This is our lives they are playing with and we don’t have time anymore. We have to play this differently to what we have been doing – or not doing! Eevery queer- gay- lesbian- treansgender- bi- questioning must get their story out to our members of Congress and Senators, in more than mere letter form.  Forget those standard letters they keep sending you to send – do this do that – blah – okay do it but that is not all you need to do. Write your own letter explaining who you are, what you do, what you like, what you want, tell them about your kids and how much everything is costing you without your rights. Get personal.  Our members of Congress are asking you to do it. Nadler has asked repeatedly to hear from our community. They want to meet you. Make an appointment with your member of congress or a staffer of your Senator. Turn uop and say I am here to collect my rights. Be nice be polite – let them see we are decent normal people.

Dc Agenda adds the quotes  -  “Some of the people we’re dealing with are very busy with a number of other things.”   There’s not a sense of urgency, the sense that this bill has to have a Senate sponsor right now because it’s going to pass right now, because it’s not, so we’re talking.” Even without a sense of urgency among lawmakers, Nadler said he thinks DOMA should be repealed because it’s “a stain on the national honor.” – Indeed I agree with Rep Nadler, but for me, because  it is such a severe civil rights abuse it is unconscionable, yet it is always on the backburner. 

Excluding a handful, our lawmakers do not care about us gays and lesbians – we are not a priority – and like an abandoned child I must cry and  tell them who I am – we must all cry out loudly now.  Rep. Nadler is a dear friend to our community, he can do no wrong in my eyes;  he is willing to truly stand up for what he believes to be the right thing, fearless of political misfire.  I know no other member of Congress as truly concerned– and so it is with gratitude that I commend the Congressman for being so open in the interview.  I know he is up against a huge brick wall and he is in essence begging for OUR help.

 Write a personal letter; attach photographs. Do it three times a year. Send a Holiday card with your family picture and tell them you are waiting for your equal treatment. It will go a long collective way.  Imagine if one in  every ten cards turns out to be from a queer constituent.

When it comes to UAFA – the major obstacle that UAFA supporters will face is opposition from Catholic leaders. This what I have been saying for a long time. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has urged lawmakers to exclude the provision from immigration reform because church leaders support reform, but oppose the LGBT-specific provision. The recent Manhattan Declaration certainly adds to this taint.  

Rep. Nadler said opposition to UAFA from Catholic leaders will make inclusion of the measure in the bill “a very difficult fight.”  This is precisely why I have been personally advocating for UAFA as a stand- alone Bill to give LGBT couples immigration rights; this is what I am sure Rep Nadler would have preferred. But one man can’t take on all.

I have been in disagreement with the Immigration Equality strategy since June of this year when they failed to pursue UAFA as a stand -alone at the appropriate time.  My earlier articles refer to this in more detail. Hanging around waiting for immigration reform has hurt binationals and the UAFA cause really badly. I pray that this strategy will work in the long run. I cannot wait to eat my words!  I too have had to join this imposed badwagon and have indeed risen to the occaision.  However as an advocate currently helping other binationals in crisis,  on a daily basis, this strategy is not serving us and remains risky and costly.  

I am not sure if the politicians get quite how cruel this lack of law is.  I rue the day when Steve Ralls and Immigration Equality sold out the “equality” in immigration for “immigrant reform.”  They might as well change their name to just that. It may seem like semantics, but it is not, and I fear our time has been lost by this dire distraction.

Even with opposition from Catholic leaders, Ralls said the list of religious groups who support the inclusion of UAFA in immigration reform “is very long and diverse,” and includes Quakers and Episcopalians. Ralls underestimates the Catholic power and did he forget the religious right?  The problem is that the Catholic leaders are now knee deep in our civil life and shoulder deep in immigration matters.

Ralls told DC Agenda  - “If the Conference of Catholic Bishops decides that they’re willing to throw the immigrant community under the bus because of the inclusion of LGBT couples, I think that would be a shame because, at the end of the day, immigration reform can help millions of families — both gay and straight — and that should be Congress’ priority.”  Well duh ….. it would be a shame, but what do you think is going to happen and when did you think people came ahead of zealot agenda and religious ferver seeking a bed in the center of Congress? It will not be seen as the fault of the Church it will be used against us and it will hurt. As the Catholic Church prepares to shoot its devotees in the toe, mostly Latina immigrants, the gay community will be vilified further and there will be a huge rise in Latina vs. gay animosity. 

We do not need it. It is a dire strategy by chosing it we are not bringing our exiles home. Why are you not fighting for the stand-alone based- not on immigration reform but rather based on the question of inequality; what about equality for the American gay  spouse who cannot sponsor a spouse?  Why have you coupled our inequality with immigration reform? It makes no sense to me. Entering the world of religious homophobia – purposefully, thinking that is our answer. We need UAFA as a stand- alone bill and now it may be too late.

When asked whether he would support immigration reform legislation that doesn’t include a UAFA provision, Nadler replied, “I hope it doesn’t come to that.” “All my efforts are designed to make sure it doesn’t come to that, so I’m not going to get into what happens at that point,” he said.

Again I urge my brothers and sisters to pick up the fight – we cannot sit back anymore – we all need to put a story in a card to our Reps.  Keep a look out there will be more to come and soon…

Blogged by melanie nathan,
www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com
nathan@privatecourts.com
Picture: Rep. Jerrold Nadler & melanie nathan.

  Blogged by Melanie Nathan.  The statement below my comment was released today by the undersigned LGBT organizations;   an expression of the frustration felt by the leadership on behalf of the organizations which they represent.   I agree with what they express but at the same time I would be remiss if I failed to communicate what I believe to be the true grass root question – perhaps somewhat rhetorical and then the sentiment: Why are you able to come together in this fashion when things do not happen and unable to do so to form a multi-organizational PINKPLAN to address our entire movement.  Why do we not all move toward a CIVIL RIGHT ACT AMENDMENT and from that everything would flow? 

My opinion is that these expressions of frustration are a result of a fractured leadership, where organizations struggle to survive through their specific micro-causes, at the inextricably detrimental shot in the toe to our movement as a whole.  The other part of the problem are the grassroots – who when asked to write letters to congress, tell their stories etc, fall so way low of what we could achieve.   It is time to wake up LGBT community we are being thrown to the wolves on every issue, by everyone- all we have is us and there are 2 ways to get this done-

1. Forget the fragnmented micro legislation as an emphasis for victory – DEMAND leadership conference and establish a PINKPLAN with the ultimate goal 1. Civil rights amendment and 2. Repeal of DOMA

2. Get out on the Streets and stand on corners

3. Boycott everything and everyone anti gay

4. That would include the US Government; “I refuse to pay tax from this moment on!”

5. Law firms come out to help us!

6. All Gay closeted folk – now is when you should show us who you are. You should come out in the name of equality

7. ALL members of the military COME OUT ON THE SAME DAY in defiance of DADT- how about TAX day? April 15^th – that will give you time to get your savings accounts in order

8. Call on our friends in Congress to take the helm and push for us: I specifically name:

Reps and Sens:  Kristin Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer,  Jerrold Nadler, Zoe Lofgren, Lynn Woolsey. Jackie Speier, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Sestak (wants Specter’s Senate seat),  Patrick Leahy, Barbara Boxer (up fro reelection) and please feel free to add to the list.

9. Go to your corporate employers and ask them to take a stand

10. LGBT non profits – risk your status and stop paying payroll taxes for your employees. 

THIS IS THE STATEMENT THAT TRIGGERED MY COMMENTS:

In light of continuing delays in the House of Representatives, we must state clearly and unequivocally: Passing basic job protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people must happen now.

At a time when our government is deeply focused on the critical issue of employment, it is inexcusable to delay action on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Each and every job lost to prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity needlessly compounds the unemployment challenges facing our nation. We call on Congress for the immediate passage of ENDA.

For decades now, we have called upon Congress to pass legislation to address the basic right of LGBT people to work free from discrimination at our jobs, and now Congress tells us we must wait another year. In 29 states, it remains legal to fire people based on sexual orientation and in 38 states, discrimination based on gender identity remains legal. In failing to take swift action to pass ENDA, our government allows unfettered bigotry to go unchecked, leading to the loss of jobs, fear in the workplace, economic instability, and personal hardship, while allowing employers to lose competent experienced workers. ENDA is urgently needed by our communities.

The majority of Americans consistently state their support for employment protections and voters have affirmed similar state and local measures. There is absolutely no reason for Congress to continue to delay this non-controversial bill or drop LGBT issues to the bottom of their agenda. We will not be denied basic rights any longer. Nothing is more important than protecting people’s jobs, so ENDA must pass now. Further delays are absolutely unacceptable.

Those who signed the Statement:

Matthew Coles & James Esseks, Co-Directors, American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Project

Terry Stone, Executive Director, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers

Toni Broaddus, Executive Director, Equality Federation

Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director, Family Equality Council

Lee Swislow, Executive Director, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders

Jarrett Tomás Barrios, President, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

Joe Solmonese, President, Human Rights Campaign

Rachel B. Tiven, Executive Director, Immigration Equality

Earl Fowlkes, President/CEO, International Federation of Black Prides, Inc.

Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director, Lambda Legal

Christian Berle, Director of the Log Cabin Republicans National Office

Sharon J. Lettman, Executive Director/CEO, National Black Justice Coalition

Kate Kendell, Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights

Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality

Rebecca Fox, Executive Director, National Coalition for LGBT Health

Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund

Michael Mitchell, Executive Director, National Stonewall Democrats

Gregory Varnum, Executive Director, National Youth Advocacy Coalition

Selisse Berry, Founding Executive Director, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

Jody Huckaby, Executive Director, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National

Jo Kenny, Interim Director, Pride at Work AFL-CIO

Masen Davis, Executive Director, Transgender Law Center

 Blogged by Melanie Nathan

 By Melanie Nathan The billboard, located at 4855 Miller Road, shows two cartoonish images of Obama wearing a Muslim turban and reads “PRESIDENT or JIHAD?” It also says “BIRTH CERTIFICATE – PROVE IT!” alluding to the conspiracy theory which claims Barack Obama was born in Kenya rather than Hawaii, which would disqualify him for the office of President.  The words “WAKE UP AMERICA! REMEMBER FT. HOOD!” appear on the bottom of the billboard. The sign belongs to a sleazy looking bloke (sorry my judgment)  used car dealer who describes his business as a “car dealership.”

“Since Fort Hood, I’ve had it,” owner Phil Wolf, displaying an educated command of the English language, told FOX 31 News Friday. “You can’t suggest things. You can’t profile. You gotta call a spade a spade.”    ”Everything I have read about Mr. Obama points right to the fact that he is a Muslim. And that is the agenda of what Muslim is all about. It’s about anti-American, it’s about anti-Christianity,” Wolf said.  (I call that treason talk, Mr. Wolfe not freedom of speech – !) 

The Anti-Defamation League condemned the sign, as did AM760 radio host David Sirota, who discussed the sign and interviewed Wolf on his program Friday morning. “It’s out of control,” Sirota said. “This conservative hatred of Barack Obama is out of contol, and this brings together all those strands of it: the racism, the anti-Muslim fervor. It’s one thing to criticize the president on health care, or Wall Street reform, or immigration. But this is outrageous. And I think it’s a fair question to ask why these questions about religion and ancestry are being directed so viciously at the first African-American President of the United States.” 

 “Are you a racist Wolf?” asked Ed Schultz on his ED SHOW, MSNBC TV?  “I am not,” answered Wolf.  I was unclear as to why Ed Schultz gave this apology of an American the time of day.  Did Ed think he would get a retraction from him? Or an explanation that made any sense?    Anyway I was much relieved to hear Mr. Schultz speaking to a woman named Pat on his radio show the next morning, and was proud of her resilience and her courage. 

 A  small group of dedicated progressive women, led by PAT have been protesting at the Wolf car lot since last Friday. They are organizing a big protest for Saturday Nov 28, starting at 10 am (“until we run out of volunteers to carry signs”).  This will probably go for at least 3-4 hours if the ladies’ past efforts are any guide. An internet  notice said “Would be great if a lot of men showed up, this time too.”

On the Ed morning show, she explained how a few women had pulled together and protested at the site of the billboard in question.  They braved the insults of a group of male bullies who went scurrying the moment men arrived to stand on the side of the women.  The minute the good men left the little cowardly bullies would reappear with their insults and threats. 

I thought Pat was amazing – a brave hero- standing before a group of adversaries for hours and enduring the insults.   She insists on continuing her protest and will be out there tomorrow with a big request for many more to join her side and that of the progressive women who show no fear.   

 The  ADL issued a statement calling the billboard an exploitation of the Ft. Hood shootings that is “divisive and offensive, and perpetuates hateful and harmful stereotypes about Muslims”, prominent conservatives have been silent thus far. “That could suggest that conservative leaders are afraid to confront the extreme fringe of their base,” Sirota said. “Or it suggests they actually condone this message. Either way, it’s disturbing.”

I ASK YOU – Help these wonderful progressive women protest the Racist Anti-Obama Billboard in Wheatridge Sat Nov 28 @ 10:00 AM (Visibility / Sign Waving)  -    They are getting some flack from the dealership. Having some men with them could help. The protesters and the sign are just 50 feet from I-70 Westbound so the protest has the potential to be seen by hundreds of thousands of Black Friday-Christmas Shoppers driving by on Saturday.  

Their message is – Dust off your old Anti-Iraq War signs, impeach, Stop Torture, whatever… and bring them Saturday. Show the public what Wolf is so proud of.  Help change the discussion back to the crimes of the Bush Administration, The protest is at Wolf interstate Leasing and Sales Location: 4855 Miller St Wheat Ridge, CO 80033  Map from the Wolf Website .   http://wolfwheatridge.com/index.asp?s=7772

To contact the organizer of the event directly email Saturday, November 28 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM patdunn4@comcast.net 

Hope this post gets a few over there to help/.  Have a Great Weekend and goodluck to you brave ones who speak for us all….

UPDATE Apparently Wolf had erected the Billboard in response to a challenge by a Denver  radio host Peter Boyles, who hosts the top-rated morning program on Denver’s KHOW-AM, Wolf who owns multi State car lots is planning on erecting more Billboards across the Country.

My thoughts: Where does one draw the line? While freedom of speech serves our essence as a nation, this language is deplorable both in intent and effect. We are a Country at War.  The proponents of this language are in essence committing a subversive and treasonous act when one considers all the circumstances. They accuse the President of the United States as being on the side of the enemy during a time of war? I would never have imagined seeing anything like this.  Its not mere lack of decorum or common decency – it is a sign that racial hate is so intensely pervasive that it has the power to cause Americans to turn into traitors.  Speaking of our President in the fashion has the significant stench of siding with the enemy.

 Blogged by Melanie Nathan nathan@privatecourts.com 

 By Melanie Nathan:  With the potential to give all Church’s a bad rap, a diverse group of Christian leaders joined together Nov. 20 to declare a commitment to defend the sanctity of human life, biblical marriage and religious liberty without compromise. One hundred and fifty evangelical, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox signers said they were coming together to “embrace our obligation” to speak and act in support of the dignity of all human beings, marriage as the union of a man and a woman, and the freedom to express religious convictions. It is imperative that Church leaders and those of faith who disagree with this, not remain silent, but provide the backlash such hate deserves.

The 4,700-word statement, yet another reproach for the LGBT communities, named the Manhattan Declaration,  asserted: “[W]e will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act,” the statement says, “nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family. We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.”

 ”If you look at the Manhattan Declaration, we are clear that we see a genuine increase in the threat, especially on the sanctity of life front,” said Robert George, a Roman Catholic and a professor at Princeton University. “That’s the result of the federal government having an administration that is deeply committed to legal abortion and [government funding] and a majority in both houses of Congress that share that commitment…. We could have said many of the things that we are saying today a year ago, but some of the things we are saying today have an urgency to them as a result of the [Obama administration].”

 This declaration was drafted in last summer and was worked upon for several months before it was declared on Friday by the leaders of Conservative Christian communities.

The Conservative Christian communities in this declaration are implored to disagree with all rules and regulations that   accept any ideals against Christian doctrines, marriages in same sex and abortion. The leaders of Christianity supporting the declaration stated, “They are motivated and come from the deepest resources of our faith.” They also added that they could have made the declaration earlier but they consider this declaration to be more relevant for the present and future. According to the advocates of this declaration, ‘historic understanding of marriage’, ‘religious liberty’ and ’sanctity of life’ are the major highlights of this declaration.    

Yet, in snide hypocrisy these so called Leaders of Catholic, Evangelical and Orthodox groups were present during the declaration and made it clear that the declaration does not have any political interest.

 So yes, those of a faith that declares its hate – you may – but do not take the majority of Americans for fools, for we believe that you are in truth endeavoring to impact politically. I trust that the majority of true Christians will declare opposition to this statement that purports to speak for all of faith- because it is simply not so for those who subscribe to G-d as a loving G-d.

 Let us not forget the way the various Churches and doctrines have been used to pronounce upon policy through the world over many an era; in modern times we can look to the abhorrent example of Apartheid.  Born from Calvinism in Europe and transported to South Africa via the arrival of Jan Van Riebeck in 1652 on the Shores of the Cape, developed a group who considered themselves a nation of people, the Afrikaner, a white minority in Southern Africa.  They used gunpowder and bible under the Dutch Reform Church’s teachings to ensure that black people were ruled undeserving of equality, that black Africans had an inferior place, one of servitude in a society of religious fervor. In 1949 Apartheid was born, a direct concomitant of these interpretations of the Bible and that birth was engendered in the form of LAW, yes legislation that declared racial prejudice legal, but also institutionalized the required compliance with its discriminatory codes.

 By: Melanie Nathan,
www.nathan@privatecourts.com 
www.visualcv.com/melnathan 
Note Photo: Consist of Archbishop Wuerl/

Updated – Donald William Wuerl (born November 12, 1940) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the sixth and current Archbishop of Washington, having previously served as Bishop of Pittsburgh from 1988 to 2006.  Evangelicals like Chuck Colson, Roman Catholics like Archbishop Donald Wuerl, and the other religious leaders who signed the “Manhattan Declaration” don’t seem to understand that justifying discrimination in the name of religious freedom is dangerous to society.

UPDATED: By now we have all heard about the Manhattan Declaration put out by various religious right figures and groups urging, among other things, non-cooperation with laws that in any way recognize same sex couples. It has been condemned in many circles and for good reason.  Wayne Besen of Truthwinsout.org said the following: “This is a disturbing call for anarchy from a group of radical clerics and activists who believe they don’t have play by the same rules as other taxpaying Americans.”  And according to the blog Instaputz, there is another reason to not only oppose this document but also raise the alarm about it.   Some of the names those signing the declaration aren’t a surprise. They are the usual folks who oppose lgbt equality – Tony Perkins, James Dobson, Maggie Gallagher, Gary Bauer, etc.

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• The Manhattan Declaration – Go Sign it! (liveactivecultures.net)

   By Melanie Nathan- Congratulations to Shirley Tan and Jay Mercado  and the boys and Mommy. Shirley was named  ADVOCATE MAGAZINE ’s  Activist of the Year for 2009.   This is well deserved.  However they may have been used in a way that could result in resentment from the community rather than the applause they deserve:   Here are the comments from Immigration Equality’s (IE) BLOG site where IE makes the announcement:   Quoting the Announcement by IE on their BLOG:

“Congratulations are in order for Shirley Tan (pictured here with her family), who has been chosen as one of The Advocate’s “People of the Year” for 2009.   Shirley, who testified before the Senate in June and was also recently featured in People Magazine, was chosen by Advocate editors as their 2009 Activist.  “There are two types of activists,” the magazine writes, “. . . those who revel in the spotlight, and those who would rather slink away from it when the speech is over. Speaking with Shirley Tan, who catapulted into national discourse following an early-morning arrest last January by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in her Pacifica, Calif., home, you get the sense that she’d prefer going back to relative anonymity.”  But, the magazine notes, Shirley “is visible, but not eagerly.”    “I’m certainly not used to this,” she told The Advocate. “I’m just an ordinary housewife, living my own life, doing everything for my kids and my family. But this is what I have to do now. It’s not only for our family, but the 36,000 bi-national couples who are relying on UAFA.”

 Indeed, Tan has become a passionate and effective advocate for bi-national families. In addition to her testimony before the Senate, she has also met with White House officials and spoken out widely in the media about the need to pass immigration reform that will help families like hers.  All of us at Immigration Equality applaud – and thank – Shirley and her family for their extraordinary work. We are proud to be standing with them to end our country’s discriminatory immigration laws.

 To read the full write-up about Shirley, pick up a copy of the December/January issue of The Advocate, on newsstands now. ”

HERE are the first seven comments that followed the post - including my own – number 7….

1. Check this out on Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125816110639347917.html
If they are the key players for the immigration overhaul, we might be screwed, especially with Rep. Luis Gutierrez’s bill because he is a co sponsor of UAFA, but under his bill, he did not include us in his bill. On the other hand, Chuck Schumer is also a big supporter of UAFA, but whether he will include us in the bill remains unknown. Unless we can gain momentum for UAFA, let’s keep fighting for the inclusion of bi national couples in the bigger immigration bill. If we don’t do anything, we will be ignored and defeated again!! Comment by Chung Cheng Fang — November 14, 2009 @ 11:08 pm

2. I am so sincerely happy for this family. At the same time, disappointed that all of us are not being afforded the same opportunity with extended stays for our partners, etc. We all deserve the same attention and “exceptions” – Again, I truly, am happy for you! Tom Comment by Very happy For the Tan Family But Disappointed For the Rest Of Us — November 15, 2009 @ 4:32 am

3.We don’t yet know if Gutierrez has included us. His bill hasn’t been introduced yet. The House version of the CIR will be introduced in December. Or perhaps I missed something. Comment by nola — November 15, 2009 @ 10:02 am

4. There is a lot of talk about moving Immingration reform to the top of priorities for Obama…ARE YOU ON IT IE? We need to be in there getting our rights! Comment by Brian — November 15, 2009 @ 12:30 pm

5. re – the talk about moving immigration reform to the top of priorities – where is this information coming from or is it hearsay? Comment by Where Is This Talk Comming From — November 15, 2009 @ 3:51 pm

6. It would really piss me off if any immigration bill didn’t include UAFA. I think I would leave and never come back to this country again. It would be disgusting if 12 million illegal immigrantsget in front of someone that has been in the usa legally, and has been in a relationship with an American citizen for almost 4 years. Comment by Gerry D — November 15, 2009 @ 11:15 pm

7.  MY COMMENTS :- This week I testified together with Shirley Tan at a symposium with the Immigration Commission in San Francisco.  Nancy Pelosi sent a staffer as did Zoe Lofgren. The symposium had a group of panelists including Professors at Law schools etc.  NCLR was invited and did not show up.**(update)  IE had no rep there either.  There were no panelists to speak for UAFA- yes at a symposium that was looking for advice on Immigration Reform, reporting to Mayor Newsom and the SF  Board Of Supervisors . My verbal testimony is  published on my BLOG at http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com/uafa-hearings/.   Reluctantly trapped in IE’s strategy I did promote UAFA as a component of CIR and asked the commission to work on behalf of its locals to ensure that UAFA is included in CIR.  Afterwards a  key Immigration Organization insider in D.C. who was on the panel suggested that IE had made a big mistake – that we should have pushed for UAFA as a stand alone.  This is something I have been writing about since June 4th, 2009. I brought Shirley and Jay to IE and worked as the lead advocate and strategist on Shirley Tan’s Private Bill. I promised Julie Kruse of IE that Shirley would advocate for UAFA, as she had given me her word in exchange for my pro bono work.  Indeed instead IE used Shirley to promote UAFA as a component of CIR.  A strategy I would only have pursued AFTER exhausting all opportunities to get UAFA moving on its own. Shirley and Jay have innocently followed their lead.   A mere few made this decision on behalf of all binationals.  The grassroots have had no control over this as only IE has an effective lobby with the HILL and no other LGBT organization seems to show much interest in UAFA. IE left Shirley with no choice but to advocate for CIR. 

I just want to be clear- that if UAFA is not in CIR – Shirley was used by IE for their own strategy and should not be blamed.   If UAFA is in CIR, it may be very bad for us because then we can  no longer promote it as a stand alone and we will be at the mercy of the bigger Immigration Lobby, including the faith based groups who are anti LGBT.  If we are NOT included it could be very bad because then UAFA may be perceived as DOA…. Basically we are screwed either way. HOWEVER maybe it is best left out and we can be sneaked in -through committee – we have our necks in a very tight noose right now, the noose of IE strategy and the components that were not thought through.  I hope that this will have all LGBT and friends call reps tomorrow to sign on to UAFA NOW, regardless of CIR!!!  “”     end of Immigration equality BLOG comments

 I am documenting this in the hope that for prosterity we all remember that Shirley and Jay are innocent bystanders to their own activism – who got caught up in a situation where they received help due to their unique circumstances.  They have been inadvertent, yet willing  activists and are being guided by those around them. If anything goes wrong it will not be for lack of trying on their behalf to help others. It would have been much easier for them to remain silent.  I resent those who display their short vision by thinking Shirley and Jay received special treatment – they did not – their case was unique and as their advocate I seized the oppportunity and took the risks that relied completely on their particular circumstances.    We were told that a Private Bill could not be done and yet we went ahead.  The risk was great and no others were willing to take it on.  It happens our strategy worked.  So I am asking for 3 things:

1. Tell ALL your stories NOW to local press; tere are still not enough stories out there. Once you have told your story report the publication of it to my BLOG or to OUT4immiggration.com You can keep the foreign partner/ spouse invisible. Its the American partner who is missing his/her right;

2. Ask your National Reps to Support and co-sign UAFA NOW.  It will help whichever Strategy we end up with;

3. Call your local city councils, counties, state legislators, commissions and ask for Resolutions to support LGBT bi-nationals with UAFA and to ensure that we are part of ALL Immigration Reform discussions. Our leadership is asleep at the local level when it comes to advocating. That was clear to me when NCLR had signed up as a partner for the Symposium in San Francisco and failed to provide a speaker, or even show up and also failed to refer our interests out to another LGBT organization.

4. Always respect what Shirley and Jay are doing, regardless of your own needs and regardless of the strategy that they may find themselves hhaving to support; and most of all regardless of outcome.  When I asked them to go out for UAFA, they had no conditions except one – they did not want any money or fundraising in relation to their advocacy.  All they wanted to do was help others and ensure ultimately that Shirley, who is still at risk, is not deported.   

** UPDATE; 11/18/09  re: “NCLR was invited and did not show up” Today I received a phone call from NCLR’s communications director, Calla Devlin, who explained that NCLR was ONLY asked to co-sponsor the event, but was never asked to to participate in any form. This was clearly a misunderstanding in that the organizers seemed to think that NCLR would be there.  Nonetheless Calla reassured me that NCLR has UAFA and its LGBT immigration asylum cases at the helm of pivotal issues.  Of course resources are limited.  This is one organization that I would send my dollars to especially because while others are decreasing staff, they plan to ramp up on legislative staffer/s in DC.  Perhaps I should have called NCLR before mentioning this as a ‘no show’ and I apologize for that to NCLR.   I am pleased that we were able to have a discussion that touched on a lot more about LGBT binational interests . 

Thanks for the visit and the support…… keep the fight for UAFA strong. Contact me if you want to get involved in a bigger better way…. nathan@privatecourts.com     
  You can see my Testimony to the SF commission (albeit a strategy I disagree with – I am cornered into having to promote UAFA  with Comprehensive Immigration reform and so I will do it..)

 Blogged by MELANIE NATHAN, CEO of Private Courts, Inc. Consulting, mediation & private advocacy ; motivated by injustice, I blog about family law/mediation, politics, news and LGBT equality and anything that ‘tickles my fancy.’ Otherwise blogging as O-blog-dee-o-blog-da. Websites and blogs include: http://www.privatecourts.com; http://www.divorcemediators.us; www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com.

 Equality California is requesting that President Obama file a brief in the Federal Case against proposition 8.  I hope I can pursuade our valued readers to jump on this one.  One can go beyond the Petition and send the Whitehouse your own Stories. My child was personally impacted by Prop. 8 and I have vowed to keep republishing the story until such time as prop 8  is prop zero!  The story can be found on this site at: 
  ” HOW PROP 8 HURT MYCHILD”  -  

Exerpts  from the story: 

“Despite my promise to my daughter to keep hush, “I flew like a bat out of hell” to see the Principal, who, ironically an “out” lesbian, was not surprised to see me show up on the issue; she mentioned that I was the fourth parent to complain about this lack of discretion on the part of the teacher. I explained that my child was extremely conflicted in trying to reconcile her respect and admiration for her teacher with her love and pride for her family.” 

” The advertisement had clearly hurt my child; its viciousness was not something she had been subjected to before. What could be worse than adults lashing out like that at children? It was direct and personal and having heard it before, was not personally outraged as when I realized the irresponsibility and how damaging those lies were to my babies.”

“I have to show my child that our family is worth fighting for and that anything short of complete equality is simply not good enough.  I think this story illustrates the far reaching effects of de jure disqualification and the de facto reality of inequality. Whether we receive equal rights or not, nothing will derogate from the fact that we are here; us, our spouses and our kids and nothing can or will ever change that simple fact.”

Petition to President Obama:

The Obama administration was absent in yet another critical fight for the soul of our nation. His failure to speak out forcibly against Question 1 in Maine is unacceptable. Sign our petition. Then, ask everyone you know to do the same.

President Obama, I urge you to immediately file a brief in the federal court challenge to Prop 8 and ask the court to rule that it is unconstitutional to allow a majority to take away the rights of a minority.   www.eqca.org

 PLEASE HELP AND SIGN THE PETITION

 Last night the city council of Salt Lake City unanimously passed an ordinance outlawing discrimination against gays in employment and housing, the first such law in the entire state of Utah. Very surprisingly, among those speaking in support of the bill were official representatives of the LDS Church.

Hours after the LDS Church announced its support Tuesday night of proposed Salt Lake City ordinances aimed at protecting gay and transgender residents from discrimination in housing and employment, the City Council unanimously approved the measures.

Mormon teachings assert that the Church believes in human dignity, respect even when in disagreement.   The Council opted to vote after dozens of residents in the overflowing crowd expressed their support. “Guaranteeing a right to fair housing and fair employment is not an issue of compromise,” Councilwoman Jill Remington Love said. “We are a stronger, better city this evening. I’m proud to serve on a City Council where this isn’t even controversial.”

Yet that said what about the Mormon money for Prop 8 Hate ads which I believe got the vote against Gay marriage. Perhaps we should read into what may be a slap in the fact statement when Michael Otterson, a spokesperson  intrigued with “The church supports these ordinances, because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage.”  I imagine still justifying their interference in another State. If described in these terms as to do VIOLENCE- imagine how passionate they must have been when parting with those furtive millions! So inferring that gay marriage may do violence to marriage by virtue of their support of prop 8 – is not too far reaching…

Although an astounding feat, the LDS Church’s endorsement was applauded by LGBT leaders in Utah’s gay community.   Although I agree this can and must be viewed as positive in the big scheme of things; please call me ungrateful because “AS LONG AS the queers (you know the ones your compassionately adorn with limited equality) do not cause havoc to your marriages there in Utah – even those where your teaching and silence condones many wives – you will remain solid behind your church influenced dollars that robbed my buddies of their right to one spouse each!

Blogged by MELANIE NATHAN, CEO of Private Courts, Inc. Consulting, mediation & private advocacy; motivated by injustice, I blog about family law/mediation, politics, news and LGBT equality and anything that ‘tickles my fancy.’ Otherwise blogging as O-blog-dee-o-blog-da. Websites and blogs include: http://www.privatecourts.com; http://www.divorcemediators.us; www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com.

 NY assembly shelves gay marriage vote…

(AFP) –reported  8 hours ago-  NEW YORK — New York’s state assembly on Tuesday put off a tentatively planned vote on a bill that would allow same-sex marriage. “A vote did not take place. They are negotiating,” a spokeswoman for the assembly’s upper house, the State Senate, told AFP.

Governor David Paterson had asked Monday for the upper house to vote Tuesday on a bill allowing gay nuptials. The bill was approved in the state’s lower house in May, but faces a tougher battle in the Senate. Commentators said it was unlikely to have mustered the necessary 32 votes.

No date was set for the next possible debate and vote on the measure. The issue is being raised in New York days after voters in Maine voted in a referendum to overturn a gay marriage law passed by their state legislature in May.

Maine was the third state where voters repealed the local government’s approval of same-sex marriage rights, following California and Hawaii. Gay marriage has not yet won a popular vote in any US state. Five states that have moved to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples have done so through court rulings or votes in the state legislature. Those states are Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont. New Hampshire will allow gay marriage starting in January.

Melanie Nathan’s Comment  :  This is just too much.  I keep thinking why do they disapprove of us?  Why are we so badly thought of  by our fellow Americans-  that they would not want to give us our equality?   It makes me realize that we need a PR Campaign. One where we can introduce our families to America. We must get out there and be visible. Perhaps activists in a less aggressive fashion. (Although there is room for that too! )  But we must march our families to the fore of public opinion.  By Showing America who we are and waht we do for our Communities and  Country.  We have depended for too long on Non-profits with itemized and limited agendas.  Although great progress has been made, most of America does not know who we truly are, that we are the same as they are. We must pitch stories to local press, volunteer in our communities, join Board and Committees, Be on the PTA, . Perhaps readers can comment on PR ideas.

We should all take up the MANTRA:  “look me in the eye and tell me I am not the same as you” Per openly gay NY City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.    I Invite you all to JOIN the Great Gay PR Campaign. We must change minds and public opinion win hearts or whatever that cliche suggests…. this is up to eacg and every one of us.   This is the only way we will win – together of course with unified and not fragmented advocacy. 

Blogged by MELANIE NATHAN, CEO of Private Courts, Inc. Consulting, mediation & private advocacy ; motivated by injustice, I blog about family law/mediation, politics, news and LGBT equality and anything that ‘tickles my fancy.’ Otherwise blogging as O-blog-dee-o-blog-da. Websites and blogs include: http://www.privatecourts.com; http://www.divorcemediators.us; www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com.

Quoting: The Democratic Party Site – CALL OUT: 

 “A lot of folks use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family. For Sarah Palin, it’s a great way to spread lies about health insurance reform.  A few months back, Palin took to Facebook to declare that health reform would create “death panels,” and drive private insurers out of business — and nonpartisan fact-check sites and the independent Congressional Budget Office debunked those lies.

But that hasn’t stopped Sarah Palin. She’s back with a new Facebook note claiming that reform will raise costs on families and drive up deficits. Unfortunately for her, even the conservative “Tax Foundation” says those claims are false. “

So we’re calling out Sarah Palin, and taking to Facebook to debunk her lies on the very same pages she’s using to spread them.  Call Sarah Palin at 202-747-1812″

No more lies – it is not going to work anymore….

Refs: http://www.democrats.org/page/content/callemoutpalin

 Melanie Nathan -Quoting from Democratic Party Webpage and e-mail. Spread the word good lezgetrealpeeps- especially on your facebook sites!

Bishop E. W. Jackson Sr., who leads Exodus Faith Ministries in Chesapeake, Va., says that while he’s against anti-gay violence, he also opposes homosexuality and wants to be free to preach against it, as reported in the Virginian-Pilot. While reading this I am clear that the smiling Bishop and I clearly do not share the same Adonai. His comments were made in conjunction with President Obama’s signing of the Mathew Shepard Hate Crime Act into law, yesterday. Jackson stated that federal legislation defining attacks on gays and lesbians as “hate crimes” will stifle religious freedom.

I say – if stifling religious freedom saves lives, so be it!

Jackson told the newspaper he fears religious leaders could be prosecuted for inciting anti-gay violence, even though the legislation — expected to be signed Wednesday by President Barack Obama — contains language meant to preclude prosecution of religious leaders and others on the basis of speech or beliefs.

I say – let the chips fall where they may!

“We could find ourselves in a situation where we’re accused of inciting someone,” Jackson said. “I am categorically opposed to the hate crimes bill.”

I ask -Why did he not come out against Hate Crimes before sexual orientation was included?

Thank my Adonai for the solace I find in the voice of Rev. Steve Jolly of Freemason Street Baptist Church in Norfolk’s who disagrees, telling the Virginian-Pilot: “If I stand up in the pulpit and say the consumption of alcohol is evil and we should pour it all in the river, that’s a personal opinion. That’s very different from saying, ‘There’s a bar down the road; let’s break in and pour all the alcohol into the river.’”

But I must say – people like the BISHOP – scare me still! Has he considered that the Hate Crimes ACT protects lesbians like me from people like him? His intent is clear and I am pleased to recall my law school lesson where I learnt mens rea is mens rea!

Refs: http://blackchristiannews.com/news/2009/10/virginia-pastor-says-hate-crimes-bill-stifles-religion.html

Blogged by MELANIE NATHAN, of Private Courts, Inc. Consulting, mediation & private advocacy; motivated by injustice, I blog about family, law, mediation, politics, news and LGBT equality and anything that ‘tickles my fancy.’ Otherwise blogging as O-blog-dee-o-blog-da. Websites and blogs include: http://www.privatecourts.com; http://www.divorcemediators.us; www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com. nathan@privatecourts.com

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BOSTON — Associated Press reports today that a gay Brazilian man has been denied asylum by the Obama administration and won’t be reunited with his Massachusetts husband in the U.S.

Tim Coco, the US citizen binational spouse said that  Attorney General Eric Holder did not act on a Friday deadline in the case of Genesio “Junior” Oliveira, effectively denying the 30-year-old Brazilian man’s request for asylum in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds.

This is not the first time a gay man from Brazil has been denied an immigration path through marriage to the USA.  The other case involving a Brazilian is that of the husband of US citizen Gordon Stewart, as Pfizer employee who is now living in exile in the United Kingdom so he and his spouse can live their marital relationship.

In June 2009, Gordo, together with Shirley Tan provided oral testimony before Senator Leahy and other Senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee in the hope that the Uniting American Families Act would engage congress enough to do something about the inequities in our immigration law.

Coco said, “We needed the Attorney General to make a decision on whether Junior could come home,” said Coco, 48, of Haverhill. “He didn’t take this request seriously.”  It seems as if the Justice department has yet to respond to questions about this case.

In 2002, Oliveira had sought asylum in the U.S. apparently basing his case on a rape as a teenager in Brazil.  But an immigration judge denied his request.  The Associated Press noted that it does not typically name rape victims, but Oliveira speaks openly about his case and is allowing his name to be used.

Oliveira  and Coco married in Massachusetts in 2005 and bought a house together. However unlike other married couples in the US, gay marriages have no bearing on the immigration law that overtly discriminates against same-sex spouses.  The undeniable fact is that gays and lesbians are allowed  to marry in the US in under the law of certain States. Yet because of the Defense of Marriage Act they are precluded from federal rights which includes that provided by the Immigration and Naturalization Act.

In March, Sen. John Kerry asked Attorney General Eric Holder to grant Oliveira asylum on humanitarian grounds.  Kerry spokeswoman Brigid O’Rourke said Monday that the senator will continue to work toward a solution that would reunite the couple for good. The fact is that if Tim and Junior were a heterosexual married couple, they would never have suffered through more than two years of separation,” said O’Rourke.

The Uniting American Families needs it’s time now. While there are thousands of unpublicized stories in the shadows right now, many more are being exposed to Congress and yet Senators such as Kerry who favor the passage of UAFA are still failing in their leadership on the issues.  What is the point of advocating for individuals when you have the power of the legislation in your hands?

Coco said he thought there was “no way” the Obama Administration would deny Oliveira’s asylum request after Kerry made his plea to Holder.  “We are profoundly sad,” said Coco. “This is more than any married should have to face.”

AP reports, the case comes as Obama tries to smooth a rocky relationship with gay activists, who want him to end the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays, which he has pledged to do but hasn’t given a timeline. Tens of thousands of gay rights supporters marched in Washington earlier this month, demanding Obama keep his promise to end the policy.

Coco said he has spent about $250,000 in legal bills and hasn’t seen Oliveira since January, though the two video chat online every night. A heterosexual sponsorship of a spouse costs $750-$1500 if you use an attorney.

Oliveira was denied a visa to return to Massachusetts last year for the funeral of Coco’s mother. Gordon Stewart’s husband has been denied the right to visit his spouse’s sister who has cancer. 

Coco said the couple plans to launch a legal challenge against the federal Defense of Marriage Act as a violation of immigration laws.

That may be a worthy attempt but with my experience in this issue I believe that energy should be put into legislation – we should be calling all our Representatives in Congress and demanding the change we were promised.  Challenging this in the Courts will still yield one major shield for those who are not allowed to marry in their respective States.  Until marriage is uniform, UAFA, which ascribes the right to Permanent Partners, as the relationship that seeks validity to circumvent DOMA.  

 In the meantime, pending legislation, which must happen and soon,  I call on Senators Feinstein, Kerry, Gillibrand, Schumer, Frank to pave the way for binationals by enacting / introducing/Class Private Bill whatever it takes -a moratorium on all deportations of married LGBT spouses;  by providing a special Visa Program with status for married LGBT couples (perhaps one that can sunset pending a solution or legislation– similar to the R1 (religious workers visa program) for married lesbians and gay spouses.

When I was in DC during August I spoke with congressional staffers and received an “interested” response to this idea. 

The reason for this is based less on the privilege granted to ‘a would be immigrant,’ but rather based on the RIGHT – the CIVIL RIGHT of the American Spouse…. Never since the days pre-civil rights movement has there been such a flagrant apartheid-esque practice perpetuated upon US citizens.  We do not have a right that other Americans have.

O’Rourke said Kerry supports the couple’s legal challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, which limits how state, local and federal bodies can recognize partnerships and determine benefits. He also called for a law to extend benefits to domestic partners. This I personally find outrages. Why does Senator Kerry not get behind the REPEAL of DOMA.  Congressman Nadler has had the courage to introduce it in the form of the Respect of Marriage Act.  Why is he talking Domestic Partnership.  Another incremental crumb? I don’t want to hear that word…Domestic Partnership.

This month, Obama called on Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Well do it. This case is one in thousands. We need our remedy now. I am not available for a life on hold. Neither is Mr. Coco.

 Melanie Nathan. nathan@privatecourts.com

blogger  and personal advocate
www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com

The question remains – and answers are still needed.

When listening to the Video, below, I am wondering which would be the hottest political hot potato – UAFA (Uniting American Families Act, ) as stand-alone legislation or comprehensive immigation reform or comprehensive immigration reform including UAFA?

The bottom lines is we must push very hard for UAFA now - to ensure that it will be included in CIR and that this time line is adhered to. That is Senator Gillibrand’s loud and clear message.   Surely  our organizations should take heed of these important words. Given the time constraints -  with us the pending hot potato issue,  is it not time to rally behind Rep. Nadler and ensure we get RMA (Respect for Marraige Act)  the shot of the excitement it deserves and so badly needs?  Wake up activists and get together to talk about a comprehesnive strategy- we have mere months left…

Are we still waiting for Barney Frank to have his day with DADT before pushing for the very  legislation that serves as the essence of who we are ? The critical repeal of Defense of Marriage Act? (DOMA;) the  legislation that denies our relationships, with the one that calls for its RESPECT- which defines who we are?  I believe that Hate Crimes, ENDA, DADT, UAFA, CIR would be a relative breeze if the psycho-politico-socio recognition of our most basic civil right- the de jure recognition of our de facto relationships was at the helm of our struggle!

Blogged by MELANIE NATHAN, CEO of Private Courts, Inc. Consulting, mediation & private advocacy; motivated by injustice, I blog about family law/mediation, politics, news and LGBT equality and anything that ‘tickles my fancy.’ Otherwise blogging as O-blog-dee-o-blog-da. Websites and blogs include: http://www.privatecourts.com; http://www.divorcemediators.us; www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com.  Contact nathan@privatecourts.com

“Pass the Uniting American Families Act” and I say

now!

Senator Leahy and Melanie Nathan June 2009.

 

The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) of 2009,  would grant same-sex couples the same immigration benefits — and responsibilities — as opposite-sex couples, under the same existing legal framework.  It is cosponsored by 22 senators and 117 members of the House of Representatives and has the support of a diverse coalition of businesses and civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, the American Bar Association and the Anti-Defamation League. In highlighting some of the hardships, the article should be read, and more importantly the comments that appear thereafter.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)   reflect on the legislation introduced to what they refer to as “to right the  wrong”.   The words of both Senators appear in a jointly authored article appearing in publication  –  ”THE HLL” today.   

“We must change the law to end the gratuitous cruelty being imposed  thousands of couples  around the country. We urge Congress to incorporate UAFA into the forthcoming comprehensive immigration reform. No immigration reform we enact can be truly comprehensive unless it also addresses this deprivation of the civil rights of bi-national families. There is no rational reason to continue this discriminatory treatment. It is long past time that Congress did something about it.”

I for one have always feared that UAFA will take a back seat as a stand alone bill to Comprehensive Immigration Reform. while I understand and truly appreciate the Senator and Congressman’s plea for inclusion in CIR, I fear that this may derogate from the work that still needs to be done to sweeten UAFA  and pass it as a stand alone, this year.  My own comments, together with the very valuable input by Lavi Soloway, founder of Immigration Equality,  are noted in the posting’s comment section. I for one believe that if organizations such as Immigration equality worked directly with the Senator and Congressman, they could forward UAFA.  Instead IE has nailed their hat onto the Comprehensive Immigration reform hat stand.    This action could have served well to compliment out4immigrations letter writing campaign, but again we find our organizations’  inability to unite in strategy.

What I find most interesting is the Article’s heading – “PASS THE UNTING AMERICAN FAMILES ACT” and so I hold hope that Senator Leahy and Rep. Jerrold Nadler will continue to lead and motivate to acheive this ultimate goal.  I am still urging Immigration Equality to work on the underlying impediments to UAFA with Senator Leahy and Rep. Nadler. Please work on the Feinstein concern – the underlying contractual nexus issue – it is the ultimate key to passage and you have known this since 2007.

I am calling on all Gay and Lesbian and Bisexual and Transgender communties to appeal urgently to your representatives to help those who are suffering now.  Those who are about to leave their homes for countries abroad.  I have 25 cases on my list right now of people facing this huge challenge – who are set for exile in the coming months and it is plain wrong!  Some have aging parents, one has a heart ailment;  these Americans are being forced to leave the US to be with their loved ones at great cost.  Its a civil rights and a human rights abomination and American Law is the culprit.  It must change and I for one am intolerant of the fact that they are being asked to wait for Comprehensive Immigration reform when in fact they are the subject of discrimination and inequality that has nothing to do with Comprehensive immigration reform.     If you want to learn more about how to effectively advocate, contact www.Out4Immigration.org

Melanie Nathan, of Private Courts Inc.  An Advocacy and Conflict Resolution Firm. www.privatecourts.com and www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com  and www.divorcemediattors.com  nathan@privatecourts.com

I love Tegan & Sara, I’ve been a fan for over 5 years and I’ve seen them perform several times. I really, really love them! I’m not obsessed or anything, although I know I sometimes seem like a stalker. I just admire and respect them. Their music is amazing, they’re talented, they’re awesome, they’re funny & cute, and they rock! How could you not like them? They’re guaranteed to be in my friends and family’s music library. My nieces and I could have a family sing-a-long to Tegan & Sara songs.

Speaking of songs, on August 18th, Stereogum.com had an exclusive premiere of the Tiësto and Tegan & Sara collaboration track “Feel It In My Bones”. DJ Tiësto remixed “Back In Your Head” and was a major success in the clubs. Last June at the Bonnaroo Festival, Tegan & Sara joined Tiësto on stage during his set and sang vocals for the remix. I’m uncertain but maybe shortly after that performance there was talk of the artists collaborating on a song because, in a recent vlog, Tegan and Sara said that they wrote the song a year ago and have been dancing to it ever since.

I enjoy the song very much and I love how they’re exploring different genres; Feel It In My Bones is streaming at myspace.com/tiesto. It’s a dance feel good track that I’m sure will get played at clubs throughout the world. This song is featured on Kaleidoscope, the fourth studio album by Tiësto, along side with his other collaborations with artists such as Emily Haines, Calvin Harris and Nelly Furtado, to be released 10/6/2009.

Another important date is October 27, 2009; Tegan and Sara’s sixth studio album Sainthood is released. The album’s title is taken from a lyric from the song “Came So Far For Beauty” by Leonard Cohen. I’m really looking forward to this album because it’s the first time that Tegan & Sara co-wrote some songs together and I’m interested in the album’s new sound. “It’s a really great sounding record. The songs are so different and it’s obvious even to me that we have changed, grown and challenged ourselves a lot with this one.” – Per Tegan’s blog (teganandsara.com).

Earlier this week, Sara posted the album artwork & track listing on their website along with a couple of tour dates, Los Angeles, Oct 25 at The Orpheum Theater and New York, Oct 30 & 31 at Town Hall, in support of the new album. All shows are currently on sale through ticketmaster.com. It seems like these girls are just non-stop music making muses. Tegan & Sara truly are a dynamic duo.

Video from Fox & Friends is unbelievable. There is no way these guys should be allowed to get away with this. They don’t deserve to be entrusted with badges, guns, and obviously tasers. Raw Story Writes:

Well at least this time the video came out honestly, unlike my local Bart cops confiscating all the footage, and lying about the murder of Oscar Grant. Get more on the story I reported early last week, here. Unfortunately, more proof that police brutality is spiraling out of control across the nation in Lewiston, Idaho: Boy, 15, Dies After Police Taser Him.

Please remember this story the next time someone starts preaching to you about all the “non-lethal” weapons options the government has at its disposal. When police brutality becomes this epidemic throughout the system, I have to wonder, as in the case of abu ghraib, if these officers are being trained to behave this way towards all of us. We certainly need to figure out something, because we cannot continue letting our peace force be perverted by these criminal acts. The more power we give over to them, the more corrupt they become. The police need to be reminded that they are officers of the peace.

-Updated 06/10/09 – New footage folks!

C’mon, there is no excuse for tasing an old woman like this. It’s psychotic.

Another update 06/10/09, more info from abc news:

”

Winkfein was eventually charged with resisting arrest, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and fines up to $4,000.

A telephone message left with Constable Sgt. Maj. Gary Griffin of the constable’s office was not immediately returned Wednesday. Telephone calls to a number listed for Kathryn Winkfein in Marble Falls, about 50 miles west of Austin, went unanswered.

Griffin has defended Bieze’s actions and that Winkfein was belligerent and difficult to handle.

But Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton, whose office does not oversee the constables, issued a statement Wednesday saying:

“I do not personally agree with the actions of the deputy constable as they are shown in the video. When I look at the video I am in awe of what happened.”

Keith Olbermann offers his commentary on the Carrie Prejean controversy after Donald Trump announced that she will be keeping the Miss California crown.

]]> http://lezgetreal.com/?feed=rss2&p=12767 0 http://lezgetreal.com/?p=12355 http://lezgetreal.com/?p=12355#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 19:01:34 +0000 Lezgetreal http://lezgetreal.com/?p=12355

Rupert Murdoch has let it slip that corporations hemorrhaging money are desperate to find a way to end the internet as we know it. Companies like Murdoch’s newspapers and TV networks, which include Fox News and the Asian Star Network, have seen profits plunge from $216m to just $7m year-to-year. The plans to drastically transform the internet are not just the choice move of print and television media though. Corporate giants like Youtube are going bankrupt, and even new fad Twitter is deep in the red. And let’s not forget that Rupert Murdoch also owns myspace, which is also failing fast.

That’s why the “You” is being taken out of Youtube. Everyone who vlogs has been pissed about the mass video censorship in progress. The corporate giant’s advertising is now all over youtube, and the user created content is being downplayed. Corporate America caught on to how youtube affected the last election, and by buying them up they can regain their vice grip on news and information that reaches the people unfiltered.

The corporate elite have been planning for a while to overhaul the unruly internet, with all it’s free content. What’s the point without profit, right? The Nation reported over two years ago:

“The nation’s largest telephone and cable companies are crafting an alarming set of strategies that would transform the free, open and nondiscriminatory Internet of today to a privately run and branded service that would charge a fee for virtually everything we do online.”

Murdoch, taking questions on a conference call with reporters and analysts, said that moves could begin “within the next 12 months‚” adding: “The current days of the internet will soon be over.”- The Guardian

So enjoy it while you can. If the powers that be get their way, the internet as we know it is on it’s way to becoming a fond memory.

Jenime is an artist living in the SF bay area. You can watch her musings and ravings any time by visiting her channel on YouTube.

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Rachel Maddow Interviews Matthew Shepard’s Mother Judy Shepard

Here is a story that says our friends (?)from north of the border either have too much time or too many drugs on their hands… and left me staring at my computer screen asking just who pays for studies like these anyway and is this study all just part of a Canadian plot against American children and to undermine the American Family?

An article from CBC news is saying.… A study, published in the online issue of the Canadian Journal of Pediatrics, found that children born to women who had been nauseous and vomiting during pregnancy performed better on a number of tests used to assess IQ and mental acuity…. And is suggesting that children born to women who suffered from nausea in pregnancy may be smarter.

The study also found that children born to women who took the drug diclectin for pregnancy-related nausea did not have lower scores than children whose mothers didn’t use the drug to control morning sickness…

Diclectin is the same thing as Bendectin, which was produced in the United States until 1983 and then voluntarily removed by its manufacture Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals from the market following a slew of lawsuits alleging birth defects…

But in studying the drug, Dr. Gideon Koren, director of the Motherisk Program at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and his colleagues also looked at the children of women who refused treatment for their morning sickness and found that they scored higher on tests than children whose mothers didn’t suffer from nausea during pregnancy.

“A lot of women are still afraid to treat their morning sickness because of the fear of medications, often with very severe costs on their health,” said senior author.

“They can be dehydrated, they cannot work. Poor quality of life. So in a way this study further supports them and empowers them to treat themselves.”

Koren was quick to add that while the difference was statistically significant in scientific terms, it doesn’t mean that the children whose mothers weren’t nauseated were developmentally slow. Rather, it was just that the other children scored a bit higher.

The concerns about Bendectin, came to light after the thalidomide scandal, led to the drug being extensively studied, said Dr. Tina Chambers, a teratologist at the University of California, San Diego’s School of Medicine. Teratology is the study of abnormal fetal development, congenital malformations and what causes them, btw.

Chambers said the evidence overwhelmingly supports the notion that the drug is safe for use in pregnancy and this study adds further weight to the argument.

A Canadian Drug manufacture plans seek approval to market Diclectin in the United States later this year.

Recently U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has taken a lot of crap from Republicans and conservative groups for comparing the U.S.-Canada border to the U.S.-Mexico border and questioning Canadian immigration policies.

But when I was pregnant… I spent a lot of time with my head in the toilet throwing up and do have some pretty smart babies… but I took no Canadian drugs… so stuff like this may also yet prove Janet Napolitano right about those Canadians not having our best interest in mind…

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I’ve heard the rantings and ravings about how gay people and gay marriage are destroying society including the ozone layer and everything in-between!

The most recent rant by media moron Dennis Prager has me thinking “What the heck do the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America have to do with me wanting to have the same marriage rights as he does?” He talks about the poor children and what a shame it is..blah blah blah…

Listen Prager, my kids are just fine, and you know what, the fact that DNA is not shared between us means absolutely nothing to them or me.

I am theirs! I am Mama, plain and simple, and I will be Mama until the end of time! Plenty of us have been raised by loving and very caring step-parents, which in turn have taught us to see that DNA doesn’t matter, love does. We should all take a stand and let anyone who wants to use the “kid card” that a family is first built on love, no matter what the circumstance.

Mom and Dad, Mom and Mama, Dad and Papa, whatever the title might be, just make sure its a deserved term-of-endearment.

I’m going to kiss my babies now, and hope for a better and kinder future for them and their children.

My response to the National Day of Truancy (which is in response to today’s National Day of Silence):

None of us were born gay truant. I think that being gay truant is a choice.

I mean, you can’t help it if your parent is a bigot and wants to keep you in the closet home from school to prove a point. Never mind your happiness education, or giving you the fundamental rights learning the fundamental basics that you need to survive in this world. Just think about the chaos and upheaval joy you could bring to your parents life if you made the conscious choice to be gay truant!

Never mind your desires to come out and admit that you’re gay go to school and get and education.

Everybody has those desires… but you don’t have to act on them! Every child as soon as they are born has the ability to choose for themselves whether they are going to be gay truant or not.

So do the right thing, make the bigots proud.

Stay in the closet and continue to endure the hate like they want you to.

Be truant on the National Day of Silence like they want you to.

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So I was reading the news today and for every other day for that matter and I came across something in the gay community.

A lot of people complain or have good comments on the stories that people write but they don’t do anything about it. They voice there opinion on a website with a story that’s only seen by us everywhere and no on else.

Go out and rally do something – write to your local paper!

Don’t just sit there and let everything go by and your not doing anything to help! I know your probably sitting there thinking well what are you doing? Well I just got a rude awakening from reading half the stories I did so I’m going to do all I can to help.

The things that worry me is Prop 8 there is so much stuff about Prop 8 and other laws that might be passed for gays.

But while we’re worrying about getting one little bill passed for marriage theirs about 9 countries who don’t even have the option of walking around and even mentioning there gay. I just read yesterday that in South Africa if your a lesbian you might get raped or yelled at by African man that you can get the “lesbian raped out of you”. What person in there right mind thinks that’s okay? One lady in the article I believe said that you can’t even walk alone sometimes walking in pairs doesn’t even work.

Would you like to live in that fear of not knowing if today your going to get “the lesbian raped out of you” ?

I know that I would never want to live like that and you could tell them heck go to the police. But the police aren’t going to help they don’t care about gays they have hundreds of deaths and rapes reported to the cops and they get shoved aside the cops are there but nothing gets done because I guess we have something wrong with us are we the walking plague?

Than there is Iraq where its basically like Hitlers back all over again going after the Jews.

They have group of Iraqis that go around with guns and they kill gays any way they can. How is this acceptable why isn’t there anything being done? Is it because not many people know about it? well than we should be getting this out there! Why worry about a marriage law when people are dieing in other countries! Look at the gays you know and may not know just think if you were in a different country out of a 100 of you maybe 20 of you will survive.

How is this okay? We should be living in a world now that we can all live together in piece and that doesn’t seem to be the case.

What were all those wars for? Were they for nothing? Were we not fighting for our freedom? It doesn’t seem like we got our freedom yet when many of us are struggling to survive to live to the next day. These are the problems that we should be working on I know marriage and those other laws are important but wouldn’t making sure everyone can live to enjoy the laws that may be passed or may not way better than hearing about how they have died??

This is as Peter says in family guy “what really grinds my gears”.

Kayla Tate is a 19 year old high school graduate looking to attend Winnipeg Technical for Carpentry. Kayla had a 19 year old mid-life crisis and decided that her voice needs to be heard, so she writes to help the LGBT community.

I took a step back today and started to realize something have you noticed that there is a lot in the newspapers about gays?

But not just that theirs also A LOT of lawsuits going on that involve gays in some way shape or form. Kanye West was the first one to demand that straight people take back the rainbow and maybe hes right.

This recent law suit involved a 14 year old boy who wasn’t allowed to wear his wrist band to school because it said “rainbows are gay”.

The principle told him to take it off or turn it inside out so that you can’t see the writing.When asked why the principle did this he merely said it was because “he was putting his sexuality out there” Svornic who stated that it was “offensive” was also the person who made the ACLU complaint which pointed out that kids had permission to wear black armbands in opposition to Vietnam war based on a ruling that happend over 40 years ago. This ruling that was passed basically gives students freedom of speech and expression in schools everywhere. But yet someone always has to complain.

Now this story may not turn into a lawsuit but every time I see something like this I scroll down to see who they are charging and what with because in every gay story it seems to not be uncommon that someones getting sued or that there needs to be some law passed.

Can’t the government and the president and who ever else take a step back and look at whats going on?

If they passed a couple of laws there would be no more problems for us and we would be out of the newspaper and would be living at peace. I know that’s not how things work these days but we can only hope right? Maybe some one some day will stop what they are doing and look back and realize that these problems could have been solved easily if they just would have listened.

Just to leave you with something to think about…

Christianity: if god didn’t want us gays to be here he would have broke the mold when he made just one of us.

Kayla Tate is a 19 year old high school graduate looking to attend Winnipeg Technical for Carpentry. She loves sports,being out doors and is happily dating. Kayla had a 19 year old mid-life crisis and decided that her voice needs to be heard, so she writes to help the LGBT community.

Brazil is the world’s most populous Catholic country and The Roman Catholic Church welds a lot of power in here…

But in Brazil it is starting to look to many that the Roman Catholic Church in this country really needs to start getting the log out of it own eye before it gets the mote out of everyone else’s… And they need to do some cleaning of their house … before Brazilians come burn that house down for them…

In recent weeks here in Brazil, The Catholic Church has been doing it’s best to suppress personal freedom and has been going after anyone who dares speak out against religious discrimination against LGBT’s or is questioning of church doctrines in anyway…. And they have been doing it in some pretty heavy-handed and not altogether compassionate ways…

Last month a Brazilian bishop suspended a priest, Fr. Luiz Couto, who also happens to be a member of the Brazilian National Congress, for speaking out against discrimination aimed at gays and lesbians by saying… “We must struggle day by day against prejudice and intolerance,” and for questioning church doctrines about the use of contraceptives, when he said… “I defend the use of the condom as a matter of public health”.

Fr. Couto’s remarks were judged to be “intolerable” by the Archbishop, Aldo Pagotto, who presides over Couto’s diocese. Pagotto declared that, “As the head of the Archdiocese of Paraiba,” he was compelled to suspend the priest “from the use his orders in our ecclesiastical jurisdiction, because of his summary statements, which provoke confusion among the Christian faithful as long as they are not retracted explicitly,” adding that Fr. Couto’s comments contradict “the doctrinal, ethical, and moral orientations held by the Catholic Church.”

Archbishop Pagotto also said Fr. Couto’s support for a proposed “homophobia” law that would prohibit criticism of homosexual behavior and require that all organizations open to the public accept homosexuals as members would be getting him sent to hell straight away.

The Church in Brazil has a problem with other abnormalities and sins as well…

This month the Archbishop of Recife, Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, excommunicated a mother who gave her permission to doctors to perform an abortion on her daughter after the nine-year-old girl got pregnant as the result of being raped by her stepfather.

Doctors believed that the nine-year-old was too small to have twins and that going ahead with the birth would have put her life in danger.

The local Catholic hierarchy tried to stop the procedure anyway (which is allowed in Brazil only in cases of rape or to save the life of the mother), but when it failed to do so, the local archbishop decided to excommunicate the girl’s mother and the doctors.

However, the archbishop didn’t excommunicate the stepfather who is in jail now.

Archbishop Sobrinho defended his action and when asked why he did not excommunicate the 23-year-old stepfather, Sobrinho said: “He committed an extremely serious crime. But that crime, according to canon law, is not punished with automatic excommunication.

“Human law has no value” when it’s contrary to God’s law, the archbishop explained.

Archbishop Sobrinho did not say how long he has been talking to God, but Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, head of the Congregation for Bishops at the Vatican must be talking with God too because he agreed with Sobrinho saying, … “Life must always be protected.”

And the Catholic Church tells me as a lesbian I am immoral?

Helloooo… did these palhaços miss the part that said a nine year old child was RAPED and would DIE?

Our president, Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva, didn’t and has criticized (only criticized mind you, and has not arrested Sobrinho and committed to the insane asylum where he clearly belongs) Archbishop Sobrinho and the Catholic Church for doing this, saying… “As a Christian and a Catholic, I deeply regret that a bishop has had such conservative behavior… In this case, medicine is more right than the Church.”

So I guess that President da Silva should probably expect to be excommunicated as well here pretty soon.

In Brazil, the 1980 census showed that 89 percent of residents described themselves as Catholic. Experts say that number has fallen to 70 percent of the population, and according to an official Catholic Church study, 600,000 of their faithful here in Brazil convert annually to a Protestant denomination or fall away from faith completely and are willing call themselves anything but Catholics….

Add in that Brazilians have not missed the pedophile priests scandals, complete with church cover ups, both in this country and around the world or that the church recently ex ex communicated a whole bunch of Neo Nazi priest’s who say the holocausts never happened, one of whom was recently deported by our neighbor Argentina, because they are not in to sheltering Nazis anymore, and one would not have to ask of this trend of Brazilians heading to other religions… Geewiz… I wonder just why that would be happening? (Sic)

Lezzie is half-closeted Brazilian Philosophy High School teacher writing on everything she has the opportunity to read, listen to and see (as a good Gemini).You can find out more about here by checking her profile at http://lezgetreal.ning.com/profile/Boudecca.

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To the Honorable Justices of the Supreme Court of California:

We were married on October 4, 2008, and have spent every day since fighting for our right to remain married and for every other LGBT citizen to be treated equally. When the ruling legalizing same-sex marriage was issued May 15, 2008, it was a breakthrough day for us as a couple and as individuals.

We finally felt like equal citizens in the eyes of this state that we call home.

Our one-month wedding anniversary was spent being yelled at, berated, and treated like trash by voters at the polls, and we woke up the next morning in a very different state. Our brief honeymoon was over. We hope that the Court can see that the will of the people isn’t always just, and that the Court will protect our family from the voters who wish to see us remain second-class citizens.

Please don’t forcibly divorce us.

Please protect our family as the millions of heterosexual married couples are protected. Please give us a chance to be blissful newlyweds once again.

Sincerely,

Liz Poindexter & Felicia Carbajal

Now we protected marriage and we protected our children by voting yes on Prop 8 back in November… But we can’t stop there… no siree…

We must continue to protect marriage and to protect children. That is why I am asking you to sign my petition to prohibit divorce between heterosexual married couples.

You see I am one of the millions of children who is a victim of heterosexual divorce. And just look what happened to me…

Divorce destroyed my family and my life. My parent’s heterosexual divorce pushed me away from my cherished Catholic Church and I now think the Holy Father is probably a closet case Nazi.

Since of my parent’s heterosexual divorce, I also find myself turning my dogs lose on those nice, well groomed Mormon Missionary kids when they come knocking on my door at inconvenient times and constantly ridiculing Republicans unfairly for their insistence we continue to use their Herbert Hoover/ voodoo economic policies which ran our economy into the ditch its in right now the first place.

And worst of all, I am pretty sure it was my parent’s heterosexual divorce… that turned me into a… gasp… homosexual lesbian mom and caused me to vote for the Anti-Christ, Barack Obama for president….

I therefore feel heterosexual divorce is the single biggest threat to the American way of life and the American Family.

Please take a stand me and defend the American Family. God is on our side. The Bible condemns divorce just as it condemns homosexuals.

We can do it! Yes We Can!!!

Thank you for considering my petition.

Paula Brooks…
Executive Editor
Lez Get Real and a Concerned Homosexual Lesbian Mom

Divorce destroys the sanctity of marriage and its powerful influence on the betterment of society. This proposition would keep the very meaning of marriage from being transformed into nothing more than a contractual relationship between two adults. Prohibiting divorce between heterosexual married couples will keep the interests of children and families intact. We will continue to celebrate marriage as the union of husband and wife, not as a relationship between “Party A” and “Party B.” The marriage of a man and a woman has been at the heart of society since the beginning of time and it promotes the ideal opportunity for children to be raised by a mother and a father in a family held together by the legal, communal, and spiritual bonds of marriage. As a society we should put the best interests of children first, and those interests lie in traditional marriage. Permitting divorce destroys marriage, as we know it and causes a profound harm to society. We should be restoring marriage, not undermining it.

And for those of you who voted yes on Prop 8 but disagree with this petition…Why?

This petition is copied and pasted from literature from your website, ProtectMarriage.com, but applied to Heterosexual Divorce instead of Gay Marriage.

So how can you argue with your own words?

Just leave a comment… We will make sure it gets to the right place….

Today is George W. Bush’s last day as President of the United States – thank goodness.

George W. Bush actually thinks he did a good job as President, but many of us have been waiting for this guy to be out of office since he was brought into office 8 years ago. Many people like myself thought for sure he was out in ‘04 after taking part in one of the biggest scandals in U.S. history when he stole the Presidency from Al Gore in 2000. Need I even mention 9/11, the war in Iraq, and the Hurricane Katrina disaster all happened on his watch.

My religious philosophy teaches that hate is the enemy, and forgiveness is necessary, even for the seemingly unforgiveable.

I will be honest here, whenever I think of GWB hate fills my heart. I can’t stand when he talks, and I have to change the channel if he’s on TV. I cried when he was re-elected in 2004 and have been waiting for this day with hope for a better future once he is out. Thank goodness John McCain was not elected and Barack Obama is taking over or I might have had another 4 to 8 years of yelling at the President through the TV!

I will work on my hate thoughts about George W. Bush, but for today all I have to say is:

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her by visiting her page on MySpace.

This pro-life billboard went up on December 31, declaring “Abortion Hurts Women”.

It’s on one of the busiest bridges in the country and it went up before the annual Walk for Life event, which is on January 24th. The advertising board includes the phone number to a post abortion help line staffed by women who have themselves experienced abortion.

There is nothing like Christian Zealot always having to have it their way.

This is a double standard that they are really good at. They make a choice in lifestyle by choosing a religion and then they want to cram it down your throat.

But when they don’t like what they see, because they find it offensive, like they did when The Freedom From Religion Foundation put a billboard up in Rancho Cucamonga, California that said, “Imagine No Religion”, and they have that taken down right away.

In the words of Walk for Life co-chair Eva Muntean:

San Francisco is a beautiful city but there is a lot of sadness beneath the surface–until recently we had more abortions than live births, and a high percentage of our population has experienced abortion. We need to reach those women (and men) who are hurting, and this seemed like the most effective method.

I’m just wondering how this “sadness” is seen in such a big city? I mean, does this sadness have to do with the fact that not everyone is of the same religion as hers? Of course, it doesn’t matter that these women have a choice.

The 20’x60’ billboard is located at Fourth and Bryant Streets in San Francisco. There are approximately 270,000 cars a day traveling on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, according to state Department of Transportation statistics.

Now according to the Christian newswire, this ‘Walk for Life’ event draws a crowd of 25,000 and they are getting younger by the minute.

You know what I say? You know how they always like to show up at our events with their propaganda?

How about we all show up at their event with our propaganda about “CHOICE”? Just a thought.

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

About a month ago I quoted Lisa Derrick from the Huffington Post:

During the Yes on 8 campaign, Mormons got used like an ugly chick by a sleazy rock band–it was fine for her to pay for rent, food and gas, and provide certain services, but when it comes time for the record release party, she won’t be on the list.

Here is an example, a prime example.

The Mormon Times is reporting that Focus on the Family has pulled an article off their website because the faith of the person is a “cult” and is a “false religion” and shouldn’t be promoted by a Christian ministry.

This all started on December 22, when an anti-Mormon group called Underground Apologetics issued a release through Christian News Wire which read:

Focus on the Family has a story on Glenn Beck, a Mormon, on their CitizenLink Web site.

Glenn Beck was a CNN host and will move to Fox News in January.

Beck is currently promoting his book, ‘The Christmas Sweater.’

The CitizenLink story focuses on Beck’s faith and why he wrote ‘The Christmas Sweater.’

While Glenn’s social views are compatible with many Christian views, his beliefs in Mormonism are not. Clearly, Mormonism is a cult. The CitizenLink story does not mention Beck’s Mormon faith, however, the story makes it look as if Beck is a Christian who believes in the essential doctrines of the faith.

Through the years, Focus on the Family has done great things to help the family and has brought attention to the many social ills that are attacking the family. However, to promote a Mormon as a Christian is not helpful to the cause of Jesus Christ. For Christians to influence society, Christians should be promoting the central issues of the faith properly without opening the door to false religions.

Can I get an “OUCH!”

Hey Glenn seems your money was good, however, you, your products, and your beliefs, are no good.

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of these, you have done it unto me. ~Jesus of Nazereth

Lez Get Real is running a piece on the lesbian in California who was gang raped, because she was a lesbian.

If you haven’t had a chance to read the comments, you should take a look. I liked this one in particular:

excuse me, i’m non-religious, have faith in the Father, son, and the holy spirit, but this has nothing to do with followers of God as this lezzie’s blabbing may or may not say. homosexuality is wrong and should not be supported in any shape or form. you wish to have such filthy conduct, thats fine, but we don’t need to hear of it.

Secondly, God gave males a curse for desire of the female, they cannot in God’s eyes be held liable for that which is not in thier control.

Thirdly, and on the brighter side, maybe she will be cured of her disease….

This was put on December 24th, Christmas Eve. I didn’t read this until yesterday, Christmas Day, and I can’t tell you how much it angered me. It isn’t a surprise to get a comment like that from someone who preaches to believe in “the Father, son, and the holy spirit”, and in that same breath state that a brutal rape, because that is what it was, BRUTAL, will “maybe cure” the victim “of her disease”. So, I ask, what will cure the religious/”non-religious”, believers that spew hatred and view a brutal rape as something deserving? Obviously a belief in “the Father, son, and the holy spirit” is not working, so what will? Will it take someone to strip them of the “rights” that they so use to hate another human being?

A recent Gallup Poll found that just 27 percent of Americans perceive religion’s influence to be on the upswing while 67 percent of Americans say religion as a whole is losing influence on American life. I certainly hope that this is true, because all that religion teaches, is hate.

I am going to change what was written up above and see if you “Christians” like what I am going to say:

excuse me, i’m non-religious, have faith in the Father, son, and the holy spirit, and this has everything to do with followers of God as this straight commenter blabbing may or may not say. religious fanaticism is wrong and should not be supported in any shape or form. you wish to have such filthy conduct, thats fine, but we don’t need to hear of it and we certainly don’t need you to enforce it upon us.

Secondly, God gave me a curse for a temper, so I cannot in God’s eyes be held liable for that which is not in my control, so when a religious/”non-religious” person is in front of me, I will be able to act out on my temper.

Thirdly, and on the brighter side, maybe America will be cured of this disease and peace will finally abound.

God in no way would have approved of this horrendous crime. God didn’t curse anyone, maybe your God did, by cursing you with a low level of intelligence.

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

On Dateline, Rick Warren:

Tolerance used to mean, “I treat you with respect, even though we disagree”

How is it tolerant, on his behalf to equate homosexuality to incest and pedophilia? How is that demonstrating respect towards homosexuals?

I have been reading blogs on this and there are a lot of differing opinions. I ran into a blog by a lesbian woman saying “Gay Drama Queens Want All of Obama’s Choices to Meet Their Approval”, no, that isn’t what I want, and I am not being a “Drama Queen”. Today on twitter, the talk was about “The HRC has been very divisive and misleading re: Warren”, let me tell you something, I can think on my own. I don’t run where the crowds run, I weigh things out.

This isn’t about Obama being black and the HRC being “white gays”. This isn’t even about Warren backing Prop 8. This is about his comment that he did not rescind. Suddenly someone posted that what has been stated about Warren is false. Really, hummmm, let’s see:

Yep, sounds to me like he said a strong, “I DO!”

Now those that back Obama, and Obama himself, state that this is a way to be “inclusive” and having everyone on the table with different views and opening dialogue with those that oppose our views. Ok, but the thing about it is the following, you and I can debate, but if I were to call you a name, or make a racial slur, or equate you in some way to something you consider derogatory, how would that dialogue change your view or at least, plant a seed of doubt? In debates, great debates, there is no name calling, at least there shouldn’t be.

Second, this isn’t just a regular conference, this is an INAUGURATION. This is a big deal. Save him for something else. This man has made a disgusting remark about a group of Americans, of which most of those Americans helped by volunteering to campaign for Obama. I remember volunteering for the No on 8 and we were sharing a building with Obama supporters. Some of us volunteered half the day for No on 8 and the other half for Obama.

For those that state, well, if Obama rescinds his invite Christians will want him to rescind the invitation for the gay band, that is like comparing apples to bananas. Again, I stated it before, I will state it again, this isn’t about someone saying, “Sinner”, this is about someone saying “YOU ARE IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS A PEDOPHILE, OR THOSE THAT PRACTICE INCEST.”

Speaking of “Gay Is the New Black”, what if a President Elect had invited a preacher that was for slavery? If your out cry is: THAT IS WAY DIFFERENT! No, it isn’t, because for many of us, we are upset about this in that same way. For those, like Warren, saying he has donated millions towards victims of AIDS, remember: some of those slave owners did not only think it was a Biblical right to own slaves, but thought they were doing slaves a favor. They thought they treated their slaves good.

For crying out loud, this isn’t a person that is a nobody, like me, this is a person that has been stated to be a “powerful man”. Big difference. We are in the year of 2008, there have been enough scientific evidence to prove that some of us, if not all of us are genetically comprised this way, oh, wait, religion doesn’t base themselves on facts, either way, a man of his position should know better than to equate those three together.

I applaud Geoff Kors for

Accordingly, I have decided to decline the invitation to attend the inauguration as I cannot be part of a celebration that highlights and gives voice to someone who advocated repealing rights from me and millions of other Californians.

I don’t expect that from everyone, but I would like to put it out there that if Obama stands firm with this idiot, then when the idiot speaks, it would be great for people to turn their back on him. Then again, maybe a lesbian throwing a shoe at him will get him to see the rainbow…

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

I am truly disgusted with his pick.

The number one reason:

You can find the transcript on beliefnet

The issue to me, I’m not opposed to that as much as I’m opposed to redefinition of a 5,000 year definition of marriage. I’m opposed to having a brother and sister being together and calling that marriage. I’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage.

BELIEFNET: Do you think those are equivalent to gays getting married?

Oh , I do. For 5,000 years, marriage has been defined by every single culture and every single religion – this is not a Christian issue. Buddhist, Muslims, Jews – historically, marriage is a man and a woman. And the reason I supported Proposition 8, is really a free speech issue. Because first the court overrode the will of the people, but second there were all kinds of threats that if that did not pass then any pastor could be considered doing hate speech if he shared his views that he didn’t think homosexuality was the most natural way for relationships, and that would be hate speech. We should have freedom of speech, ok? And you should be able to have freedom of speech to make your position and I should be able to have freedom of speech to make my position, and can’t we do this in a civil way.

For someone to say that the GLBTQ community is the same as those that practice incest or pedophiles is an UNEDUCATED IDIOT!

With that said, Amy Billiett, of Join the Impact has released the following:

JoinTheImpact. com Garners Support from National Grass-Roots Orgs and Media to Light up the Night for Equal Rights

NATIONAL – On December 20th, thousands of volunteers from around the country with take to the streets and Join the Impact yet again! In response to the rights lost on November 4th, and recently to the Reverend Rick Warren invocation pick, members of the LGBTQ community will come out by the thousands to “Light up the Night for Equal Rights.” Joining the cause are national groups like the HRC, the Courage Campaign, and Marriage Equality USA, and international news sources like LOGO, 365Gay.com and LezGetReal.com.

A recent LOGO press release states, “As members of the LGBT community and allies gather across the nation, LOGO will keep its audience up-to-date that evening with an “on-air candle” directing viewers to the latest news from 365gay.com, the online source for the latest LGBT news, opinion, video blogs and streaming video news.”

Joining LOGO and 365gay.com is the LezGetReal network of bloggers where JoinTheImpact co-founder, Amy Balliett, was recently invited to act as a guest blogger. “The girls at LezGetReal have shown amazing support for this event by both getting the word out and stepping up to organize in their cities where needed. They truly are an inspiration. ” says Balliett.

Lending their support are grassroots organizations like the Courage Campaign and Marriage Equality USA, and the national Human Rights Campaign. “Marriage Equality USA has done a great deal for this movement and for JoinTheImpact. ” Balliett says. The HRC reached out to Balliett to let her know they were spreading the message and have even added Light up the Night to the home page of their highly trafficked site, hrc.org.

The Courage Campaign added a spark of genius to the event with their “Milk + Love” movement stating, “We want people around California who care about marriage equality to bring their friends and families to see “MILK”, and then convert the emotional resonance of the film into the candlelight vigils following the screening.”

Light up the Night was an idea sparked by one of the many members of JoinTheImpact who utilized the membership platform to put his voice into this movement. The goal of the night is to reach one million people with the message of equality by educating the private sector. Volunteers will take to their local shopping districts on Saturday night and host candlelight vigils in response to the rights lost on November 4th. The recent announcement of Rick Warren’s presence as the invocation speaker at the upcoming inauguration has fueled this need for education. Attendees of the vigil will be asked to shed light on the many rights not afforded to one in ten US citizens. They will do this through passing out educational holiday cards, and wearing their message of “2nd Class Status” for all to see.

“Many don’t even know what basic rights we are fighting for. Few know that ninety percent of the population receives necessary protections under the law that are restricted from members of the LGBTQ community. If we truly are an equal and free country, then everyone would have the same legal protections. Until then, our lack of rights leads to a second class status. This event will shed light on our struggle and bring the conversation of equality to the dinner table this Holiday season.” Balliett concludes.

To get involved with Light up the Night, please visit http://www.jointhei mpact.wetpaint. com and find your city page to learn about the vigil in your area.

HRC also has a media plan, they are going to be on every single nightly network newscast tonight as well as an exhaustive list of cable news programs. And over 835 media outlets throughout the country. Tomorrow morning Joe will have an op-ed in the Washington Post! Turn on your TV’s tonight as HRC spokespeople appear across the airwaves speaking out forcefully against Rev. Warren’s selection.

The organizer for the inauguration is Senator Diane Fienstein, her Washington office: Senator Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-3841
Fax: (202) 228-3954
TTY/TDD: (202) 224-2501

E-mail here

Or one of her State offices here.

Saddleback Church has contact information here. I am pasting his comment and e-mailing them to let them know I find it offensive and disgusting that a man like him would say something like this.

Let me tell you something, I don’t care what others are saying, WE SHOULD ALL TAKE THIS AS A PERSONAL INSULT. THIS MAN, RICK WARREN, IS AN UNEDUCATED IDIOT. ONE THING IS TO SAY OUR “LIFESTYLE” IS AN ABOMINATION TO GOD, ANOTHER IS TO CALL US PEDOPHILES OR COMPARE US TO THOSE THAT PRACTICE INCEST (WHICH ARE AGAINST THE LAW). REMEMBER, WE LOVE ANOTHER CONSENTING ADULT!

Idiot.

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

This week on Lez Get Real we received tragic news, one of our family member is actually going through tragic pain.

Every morning of this week that I have woken up, I have heard of how many jobs have laid people off. This morning the news was showing a woman walking with her resume printed on the front and back of her shirt. She stated she has submitted her resume 40 times a day. Meanwhile, the stupid commercials on t.v. run all these sales and promote what we should buy our loved ones. You change the channel and someone is losing their house. I surf the net and someone is comparing the Mumbai attacks to the protests our community have held. I pick up a magazine and it is talking about the “war” between the Atheists and the Christians. I turn around and “someone” in a city nearby didn’t want to put a Menorah that has always gone up before.

As you guys should be aware by now, religion is my passion, I usually find humor in it, but lately, I think of the bible or a priest or something of that nature and I start getting really ticked off, seriously, I feel like grabbing one of my bibles and chucking it at the poster of the Holy See. I feel like I’m uptight right now. I have also been sick, I got the cold really bad. It seems like I got the stomach flu and the regular flu at the same time. I must have sounded like crap, because on Wednesday I took the car to the car wash, the store Out of the Closet is in the same structure, so I went inside. I was walking around and the sales guy came up to say hi, I said a simple “hello” and walked away. As I took 4 steps away from him I heard, “pssss” I turned to look and he was viciously spraying the area I was in. I am serious, he was in a cloud of spray. Has it been this bad for you too?

I know it has. It seems like everyone is walking on egg shells. So you know what I say? SOUND OFF! Blast my comment section and just let it RIP! Blow off some steam! Seriously, DO IT! If not, then write in there how you blow off steam. How do you handle this time of year?

As for me, I will usually tell my sisters to send me a picture of the kids, that usually makes me smile or laugh. Other times, I turn up the music really loud in my car as I am driving and I start singing at the top of my lungs, I mean, sometimes I really think I can belt it. I also tend to be spotless this time of year, cause I shower every morning and I take hot showers at night. My other distraction, people watch. I love to do that, especially when it is a hot chick. I spot them, and that song comes on in my head “ta ta tom OH YEAH” and I even picture the walk in slow motion, hey, I have to amuse myself. If all else fails, I will try to just sleep.

You know, in all seriousness, let’s remember that some people are really going through a rough time right now. Let’s try to be positive amongst all this chaos. Let’s try to make someone smile or let’s just laugh, or let’s just learn to blow it somewhere else and not take it out on someone that didn’t mean any harm towards you.

If this post didn’t help you, let me know, I’ll try a little harder, next time. Perhaps me massaging you? Me feeding you grapes while you lay on the sofa? Me taking on one of your stressful tasks? Me washing your car? Your kids? I mean, just say it. Let’s work something out…

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

That New York Times ad is exactly what’s wrong with religion in this country.

How much did it cost to run a full page add like that? How many people could you have fed with that money? How many freezing people could have had somewhere to stay tonight?

These money grubbing religions make me sick. They take, and take, and take from this country, and then turn around and spit on it. Condemnation of our people, manipulation of our government, and destruction of our peace is what we get in return for protecting their right to believe what they want. Its not enough for them. Its not enough to be free of persecution, they have to tell us what to do. Its like a badly written cliche sitcom episode where the Mother-In-Law comes to visit, and makes everyone miserable. You are a guest, because you don’t pay taxes, so act with a little respect. The land you have is ours, and we protect it from terrorists, and the people you piss off with your hateful actions for FREE. Who are you to tell us what to do?

Churches don’t call the Vatican when somebody throws a brick through the window.

You don’t sit down and pray about it. You call the cops. If the church goes on fire GOD doesn’t put it out, public, secular Firefighters put it out. And they don’t do it with holy water. Our bridges, roads, schools, YOU NAME IT, are falling apart, and you complain that some of the people who actually pay for these things want to have the same rights as everybody else who does. Shut up religion, and stop destracting our people from these REAL problems you don’t think are worth a dime of your money. And it’s money Americans give to you! Doesn’t it make you feel a little bit sick inside taking it all?

It is despicable for religious organizations to ride on the back of America and do nothing but complain. You don’t like it? Then how about you start putting your money where your mouth is and pay taxes like everyone else?

If you are serious about changing America in any way, your religion should volunteer to give up your tax exempt status. How many millions, perhaps billions of dollars are we talking about here? You should be injecting this into our economy during an economic crisis! Otherwise there won’t be any money left in your people’s pockets to put in your golden pans. Don’t you think its a bit selfish to stand there and watch as your parishioner’s lives inch closer and closer to desolation? They are starving and you smirk and shrug and say let them eat prayer? Is that how it works? How many more grandiose Mormon temples do you need? How much did that gigantic egg one here in Oakland cost? What a hideous waste of money. Don’t you think there are better ways to spend it than on idolatry like this?

How about you show a standard ounce of that patriotism you brag about so much?

Jenime is an artist living in the SF bay area. You can watch her musings and ravings any time by visiting her channel on YouTube.

Orca is at it again. She posted on LaGrange Daily News Online about our community. BOO-HOO! She started off by stating to take her column as a grain of salt. Ok…then goes on to over dramatize the events after November 4th. What I found interesting is what she stated that happened on the Dr. Phil show…

I also sat next to Joe Solmonese, head of the Human Rights Campaign, when a young Mormon in the audience asked him, “Why are you singling out my faith when so many other people supported Prop 8?” Did Joe, an amiable guy, take a moment to call his troops to back off from religious bigotry, to refocus on the larger problem – 7 million Californians disagree with his organization’s gay marriage civil rights dogma?

No. I sat silent, dumbfounded, next to Joe when he pointed at the young man and cried, “We are going to go after your church every day for the next two years unless and until Prop 8 is overturned.”

Orca, have you? Have you told your side to lay off of us? Have you ever told your troops to leave us alone? You have talked crap about us on public airways, on every different newspaper and every different silly on-line website that will put your commentary on. You stated on the Dr. Phil show, “IT ISN’T DISCRIMINATION TO TREAT DIFFERENT THINGS DIFFERENTLY”, which I found insulting and now you are crying me a river?! Get over it, lady!

We are not, like you try to portray us, being violent. We are not going after the Mormons like a mob. Our community has gotten beaten, killed and during our gay prides and gay weddings your side shows up with these huge signs and loud speakers condemning us.

When the fires were occurring here in California, your side was blogging away that it was God’s wrath upon us. When the 9/11 attacks occurred, it was your side stating it was because of our lifestyle. It is about time that we stand up for ourselves. Why don’t you take a seat and Shut the Hell(being nice here)Up! Your commentary is never a grain of salt because it is just instigating hate towards us.

Any news media that uses her fat mouth should be told by us to just knock it off. This lady has no facts, lies and is on over-drama-drive.

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

On Friday’s airing of the Dr. Phil show, Maggie Gallagher stated: “It isn’t discrimination when you treat different people, differently.” Who is this woman, and where does she get off saying something like that?!

In 2002 she repeatedly defended President Bush’s push for a $300 million initiative encouraging marriage as a way of strengthening families. She “forgot to mention” that she had a $21,500 contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to help promote the president’s proposal. Gallagher received an additional $20,000 from the Bush administration in 2002 and 2003 for writing a report, titled “Can Government Strengthen Marriage?”, for a private organization called the National Fatherhood Initiative. On January 28, 2005 the Middletown Journal in Ohio announced that it was dropping Gallagher’s column. “When she accepted money to produce government literature — propaganda, some would say — as disgraced syndicated columnist Armstrong Williams did on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education and the ‘No Child Left Behind’ program, she gave her detractors reason to question whether her beliefs are genuine or are for profit,” the paper editorialized. “Our readers should never have to wonder whether the columnists we publish are expressing their honest opinions or are being paid to deliver someone else’s.”

On December 1, 2003, in the weekly Standard she wrote:

When family scholars and marriage advocates speak of the benefits of marriage for men and women, for children, and for society, we are talking about the good things that happen when husbands and wives are joined in permanent, public, sexual, emotional, financial, and parenting unions. Most notably, there is now a consensus across ideological lines, based on 20 years’ worth of social science research, that children do better when their mother and father are married and stay married. Here, for example, is how Child Trends, a mainstream child welfare organization, summed up the scholarly consensus recently: “Research clearly demonstrates that family structure matters for children, and the family structure that helps the most is a family headed by two biological parents in a low-conflict marriage. Children in single-parent families, children born to unmarried mothers, and children in stepfamilies or cohabiting relationships face higher risks of poor outcomes. . . . There is thus value for children in promoting strong, stable marriages between biological parents.”

It’s safe to presume that, she not only targets gays but single parents and “blended” families as well. What year does she live in? Seriously, you need to evolve, because apparently our society isn’t going to go backward. Then again, this is probably the propaganda that Bush was paying for.

In August 26, 2005, NPR ran a bit about Maggie Gallagher and the movie March of the Penguins. She saw “beauty, goodness, love and devotion” in the movie. Just like Gloria Allred said to her, she didn’t do her homework, there are gay penguins. Um, Maggie, even though we like to sleep with the same sex, we are not different. You will still find those same qualities that you mentioned in the March of the Penguins, in our same-sex relationships. Do your homework. Will someone take it for the team and invite this women to spend some time with your family?

On the above CNN interview or debate and on the Dr. Phil show she was very upset and passionate about the name calling and “backlash” that has erupted since proposition 8 passed. Let’s see: November 1, 2008, on the Los Angeles Times opinion section she wrote:

If Californians vote no on Proposition 8, the great historical cross-cultural meaning of marriage will be replaced by the new government dogma on which gay marriage is based: There is no difference between same-sex unions and opposite-sex unions; anyone who thinks otherwise is just a bigot.

Our children will imbibe this new dogma in hundreds of ways, and the old marriage idea — marriage matters because children need a mother and a father, long for a mother and a father, deserve a mother and a father — will be publicly discredited as discriminatory.

Maggie, you already knew this was going to happen, why? Because deep inside you, you know that this is discrimination and this is a form of bigotry. Stating, in your own words, through your own mouth, “it is not discrimination when you treat different people, differently” is the most awful, hated thing a living creature can state, you bigot.

My question is, why do people listen to her? Why is she given credit by the media? She doesn’t have scruples and she is uninformed. She goes around spewing this misinformation. I am referring to her constant banter that domestic partnership is the same as civil marriage. She not only targets gays, but single-parent homes and blended families. The media needs to stop using people, and I am referring to both sides, that spew ignorance and bigotry and hate. They do not represent their sides correctly and they only cause hatred. She is so passionate about our side and the “backlash” that has erupted, but look at her, targeting us since way back when. I say we all start educating her on how different we really are. I think she deserves our undivided attention. She deserves to know that the statement, “treating different people differently is not discrimination” isn’t going to go unnoticed. This isn’t only for the gay community but for every community out there that has “different” in their families.

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

This is a BBC documentary on the Westboro Baptist Church (The Phelp’s Family), and their aggressive campaign to let America know it’s doomed. Now I know you might be thinking, “Why would I want to watch this?”

Because they are even weirder than you think, in a mesmerizing way. More importantly, there’s a lot to be learned. And it’s more than know thy enemey. There is another meaning I found to this wonderful piece; Don’t become what you hate. The beginning of the program had me happily disliking these people and feeling vindicated in it. How could anyone feel anything else for people who picket soldier’s funerals? Well there’s a part in there where something happens to one of the children, and it made me sit up and realize that I was de-humanizing them in my own way. I don’t want to be like that, no matter how crazy I think someone is. I pity these people now. I feel a great sadness for these people who are completely trapped by fear.

I wish that tomorrow Fred Phelps gains a conscious, comes downstairs, and tells his children and grandchildren a new message. I hope he tells them to follow their dreams, trust their hearts, and love their neighbor better than themselves. It’s not an impossibility, even if it’s really unlikely. He is a human being, they all are. Someday, they can change. But let’s let the lesson be learned, we can never change people’s minds by insulting them.

Jenime is an artist living in the SF bay area. You can watch her musings and ravings any time by visiting her channel on YouTube.

On July 30th 2005 on the day Gay Marriage was approved by the Spanish Senate, Spain’s Prime Minister gave a speech that just compelled me.

He stated that this had to do with Liberty and Equality, two “unstoppable forces”. He mentioned that this is allowing happiness to their neighbors, co-workers, friends and family

and at the same time building a more decent society because a decent society is the one that does not humiliate it’s members.

He went on to call it a triumph of freedom that betters all of them and that it doesn’t jeopardize the institution of marriage but does the opposite, which is to validate and recognize marriage. He mentioned the only consequence of passing this law was the sparing of unnecessary suffering of human beings and a society that spares that on its people makes it a better society. He concluded by saying that with the approval of this law their country has taken a step towards freedom and tolerance, which demonstrates that societies can better themselves and head towards tolerance and reverse the space of humiliation and unhappiness.

I don’t know, today is November 18, 2008 that was July 30, 2005, is Spain still up and about? Did they combust in a ball of flames?

What a shame that those that call themselves “AMERICANS” hold their head up with pride while they are speaking for intolerance and prejudice.

That they are content to make people in their society feel unhappy and most importantly feel like second class citizens. We sit here, blogging, boycotting, e-mailing, speaking to the media and protesting with our signs letting them know exactly how we feel and they don’t care. They don’t care that they are allowing a group feel like they are not a part of their society. They don’t care that the rest of the world is watching these acts of intolerance. We have those in the media, public figures and religious leaders not giving a care that there are people saying, “I feel like you personally attacked me”.

Shame. Shame on them and Shame on those that stand by this intolerance.

One thing is to have your faith. One thing is to have your beliefs. Another is to make a person feel humiliated, unhappy and feel like a second class citizen.

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

“prop 8 passed…go read the bible if you need to know what is right and wrong…maybe your illiterate so you cant read it, that could be a possibility. Most likely your not and you can read…let me just reiterate for you what the bible says and what prop. 8 says…MARRAGE=MAN+WOMAN…if you cant swallow this then im sorry not my problem. Im not the one going to hell because i dont read and listen to my bible. “

“It’s bad enough that you insist on the lifestyle you do instead of looking at homosexuality as what it is: a mental illness that needs to be treated. So, be my guest. Keep fighting for your “gay rights”. I will keep fighting for the rights that this country was founded on, and the Person that it was founded under. “

“I think it’s funny that the gay community see the poll results and think they have come a long way since 2000. Get real. This was your best shot, and you know it. You went behind the backs of the voters and had judges do your bidding for you, and it almost worked. The strategy was to get gay marriage approved through litigation (not democracy)so when the proposition came up in this election (which it was destined to anyway)prop 8 proponents would come off as bigots for trying to steal rights from people (which I would like to mention were stolen in the first place). Enough people saw through the deception of your campaign and stuck with their choice from 2000. Now when you try this same stunt again, everybody already knows your game plan and you slide backwards.”

“I think the gay community needs to stop. They have gone behind the backs of so many and still have failed to get their prop passed. Dont you think its about time you people stop? Homosexuality is a child of our culture. HUMANS are not naturally gay for gods sake. Do you really think cavemen were gay? Really? You people are freaks.”

“If our existence was meant for a man and a man to be married, or a woman and a woman to be married, then our bodies would have been created with both a vagina and a penis…We are not created that way, nor are two men, nor two women meant to be married for goodness sakes… Don’t mess with that…the reality that those who are gay or lesbian should mess with traditional marriages that are sacred between a man and a woman…and to bring CHILDREN into this?…unbelievable!!! Keep your “rights” to yourselves. Get over the fact that prop 8 passed and get over it!!! It’s not “RIGHT”…talking about rights here. Create a gay/lesbian marriage document that you can call your own separate from our traditional marriage documents. Traditional marriage should not in any way be any part of two people marrying of the same sex. Party “A” and Party “B”….so so sad. You all weren’t created by two men or two women being together for goodness sakes!!!! GET REAL and GET OVER IT”

“By the way….There are a lot of people who believe in the sacred joining of a man and a women in married ONLY who don’t necessarily believe in God. I do, but that is me. It is in the bible, but people who don’t know God also believe that our physiological beings are meant for a man and a women to be together. Your “rights” are to understand that….so get out of the streets and get over the fact that its not meant to be that way, Biblical or not Biblical. Its just not how we were made as human beings. “

“When did anyone say anything about straight people “hating” gay and lesbians? I don’t agree with it, but I don’t hate you people. You get to do anything you want…but now are crying because you can’t be on a marriage document. Do straight people go around saying that they “hate” gay people? Is there something that I am missing here? So stop the hate signs, and equality signs….once again, a marriage between a man and a woman is NOT equal to a gay/lesbian marriage. It’s NOT the same, so how could gay/lesbian expect to say it is? You get to stand out for who you are, and we straight people are forced to accept it on a daily basis. Leave the marriage documents alone. It’s for a man and a woman.”

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

Yesterday the Yes on Prop. 8 campaign held a “Sick Out” where they kept their children home from school in protest of the $1 million dollar donation by the CTA.

Funny how the boy who picks on my son for having two moms wasn’t at school yesterday. Note to Yes on Prop h8ers, depriving your kids of an education is not the answer to The Marriage Crisis you have brought upon us all. This post is for all of the Yes on Prop. 8 advocates online who have contributed to the discriminatory measure by spreading their lies about what they call The Gay Agenda. Let me tell you, my gay agenda is to raise my children and make a positive impact on this world. So Prop 8 backers, what is your agenda? To Protect Marriage? Then Protect Mine!! Vote NO on Prop 8! But you won’t. You’ll probably go back to your blog and post about the angry lesbian who linked your page. Well, your damn right I’m angry and hell yes I linked your page. You know why?? Because the website you all promote so much, ProtectMarriage.com, won’t even link you themselves. Oh sure, they have a form to fill out for a ‘BlogRoll’ and tell you to give up your email and they will link your blog. But all they did was harvest your email to send you convoluted messages about how you should proceed in denying a whole group of people a basic human right.

Along with that goes my children’s health coverage, and other things you haven’t even thought about.

All your kids that were kept home yesterday were able to have either parent sign their absence note. So my children don’t deserve that right? Is either parent in your family forced to wait in the hallway at the doctor’s office, even in an emergency for you or your kids? What about your taxes? What if you couldn’t claim your own children on your taxes??

So here you go!

Below is a list of the latest bloggers to post a message advocating Proposition 8 in California, which effectively strips away the rights of thousands of households across the state. These bloggers have no problem telling us we are sexual deviants, fake families, social misfits and what have you. With Election Day so close, the LGBT community can’t afford to let these people believe their own BS any longer!

I encourage all readers of this post, whether you are FOR or AGAINST Proposition 8 to stand up and come out now!!

Here is a list of blogs that are FOR Prop 8 go ahead and add any others you know of in a comment, maybe your own. Let’s open the discussion let’s talk about it. Let’s clear the air. You think we are full of it, we think you are. We are angry and so are you. Emotions are escalating and leading to despair on both sides. We want you to know how we feel… we feel like second class citizens. Whatever side your on we need to just get our feelings out and known. Then voters will have a clear picture of the TRUTH when they vote on November 4th.

So visit these blogs and tell them how you feel about Proposition 8!!!

BeetleBabee
AbbeyEarth
the Mitt Blog
Real Tolerance
Two Blog Right/
Akinas 4 prop 8
California Crusader
MamaPro
WKA Neen
The Coffeys
The Orange Juice Blog (*No on 8 site, but this is a Yes on 8 blogger giving perspective.)
John Malloy
Benjamin 8
Brady Bunch Mom
Darin 4 Family
Chicker Pen
Protecting Marriage
Couple for 8
NRL 4 Prop 8
The Twilight Plains
Fan 0mm
The Rogue Quill
Christo Centric
Protecting Marriage Prop 8
1 Rad Dad
Champions of Marriage
Forester Inc
The Scoggin Family
Turn It Down

Plus here are some YouTube Channels broadcasting for Yes on Prop. 8…

here
here
here
here
here
here
here
and
here

And in case you haven’t seen this one before, it’s extremely fitting for this post:

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her by visiting her page on MySpace.

Many a times we have had scriptures thrown at us about the LAW of God and been told, “the bible says”.

One that is always mentioned is the book of Leviticus. Now, I for one have this to say, first of all, this is found in the Old Testament, which was Before Christ. Christ was sent here to throw those laws out the door. Therefore, unless you are Jewish, which I am not, those laws are thrown out the door and don’t pertain to me. The second one mentioned is 1 Corinthians. Who is the author? Paul. Paul is the person quoted in that text. Not Jesus. So, let’s throw that out the door. Why? Because Jesus (for the sake of discussion) was the ONE that was sent by God, not Paul. The same goes with the other chapter thrown at us: 1 Timothy, also written by Paul. I am not interested in Paul or any other Apostle, because to me, for all I know, they were just blogging like I am now. I do want to focus on Jesus, because those that are in opposition of who I love and those that are in opposition of my friends that want to marry the same sex, tend to say that they are Jesus followers. I have asked this question before and I will ask it again, CAN YOU PLEASE DIRECT ME TO ANY PART OF THE BIBLE WHERE JESUS DENOUNCED A HOMOSEXUAL OR A LESBIAN DIRECTLY? By directly I mean HE was speaking. Now according to Jesus own mouth, found in Matthew 19:18-21, these are the rules to keep:

MATTHEW 19: 18 He says to him, Which? And Jesus said, Do not put anyone to death, Do not be untrue in married life, Do not take what is not yours, Do not give false witness,19 Give honor to your father and your mother: and, Have love for your neighbor as for yourself. 20 The young man says to him, All these things have I done: what more is there? 21 Jesus said to him, If you have a desire to be complete, go, get money for your property, and give it to the poor, and you will have wealth in heaven: and come after me.

I have to hand it to the bible, when it accounts for Jesus, He was always amongst children, the sick, the poor, prostitutes, and all those that society looked down upon. He was always amongst them, giving them hope, healing them, helping them and most importantly loving them.

I get it, you say I am a sinner, you don’t want to accept me, to which I say that is ok. You don’t feed me, pay my bills or, you know, sleep with me. Just let me be judged by HIM. Don’t judge me unless, I am killing you, cheating (either on you or around you), stealing from you, or making up stories against you, cussing my parents out or abusing them, or acting like a mad woman and treating people like crap or unequally, THEN judge me, but then, again, you really are no one to be judging.

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.

How come all the cool girls are lesbians?

Who says all the cool girls are lesbians? This cool vintage poster says so for one.

The cool girls are not all lesbians. Some of the coolest women I know are straight. Some of the uncoolest women I know are lesbians.

Of course there are many cool lesbians. We all know them. We all love them. Some of them are famous. Most of them aren’t. Maybe you’re one of the cool lesbians.

But what about the uncool lesbians? Who am I to judge? C’mon, we all know uncool lesbos. Hell, your ex-girlfriend is probably one of them. Or your girlfriend’s ex-girlfriend is one of them. Maybe even you are an uncool lesbian. Care to admit it?

This brings us to another question. What’s the definition of cool? Cool means many different things to many different people. Lesbians are people too, so cool means many different things to many different lesbians. What does cool mean to you? It’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it.

Which brings us back to cool and uncool lesbians. My best friend is a cool lesbian. My worst enemy is an uncool lesbian.

It bothers me when people lump people together in categories. How come all blondes are dumb? How come all real men don’t eat quiche? How come all Irish people are drunks? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I could go on and on and on.

Even though all the cool girls are not lesbians and all the lesbians are not cool girls, I’m glad I’m a lesbian. Whether I’m one of the cool ones or not, hell if I know. Lez all be cool.

Jules Joyce is the Fighter Writer, a playwright and blogger who lives in Iowa. You can find her speaking more of her mind on her blog The Fighter Writer.

Seems Sarah Palin wants to toss mud and wants us to remember that Barack Obama once had a very causal relationship with 60’s radical Bill Ayers, and she is now saying Obama is “palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.”

Her reference was exaggerated at best if not outright false. No evidence shows they were “pals” or even close when they worked on community boards years ago and Ayers only hosted one political event for Obama early in his career.

Now I think Palins attack was unsubstantiated and clearly carried a very racially tinged subtext; she is trying to send out a post-9-11 America message to “Joe Six Pack”, that terrorists are dark-skinned radical Muslims, not the homegrown student radical of 40 years ago.

Bad Sarah… Bad Sarah…

But I think Sarah Palin needs to remember that a few of us out there also remember something called the Keating 5.

For those of you who may have forgotten this little piece of history, the Keating Five was a political scandal, in which five U.S. senators were implicated in an influence-peddling scheme.

It was named for Charles Keating, who headed Lincoln Savings and who made $300,000 as political contributions to them in the 1980s.

Three of those senators – Alan Cranston (D-CA), Don Riegle (D-MI), and Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) – found their political careers cut short as a result. Two others – John Glenn (D-OH) and John McCain (R-AZ) – were rebuked by the Senate Ethics Committee for exercising “poor judgment” for intervening with the federal regulators on behalf of Keating.

Yes that’s right, it was a banking scandal, where 23,000 mostly elderly investors lost their life savings, that lead the 1990-1991 economic recession and had a lot of parallels to the sub prime mortgage crisis currently hitting our country now.

Now in that one McCain, along with John Glenn got off with a slap on the wrist because no one wanted to diminish American Hero’s. You see when it comes to scandals, it pays to be an Ex POW or the first man to orbit the Earth.

But According to the Los Angeles Times, “McCain was the only one of the five senators with close personal ties to Keating.” McCain and Keating had become personal friends following their initial contacts and McCain was the closest socially to Keating of the five senators. McCain also considered Keating a constituent as he lived in Arizona and between 1982 and 1987, McCain had received $112,000 in political contributions from Keating and his associates. In addition, McCain’s wife Cindy McCain and her father Jim Hensley had invested $359,100 in a Keating shopping center in April 1986, a year before McCain met with the regulators.

McCain and his family also made nine trips at Keating’s expense, sometimes aboard Keating’s jet. Three of the trips were made during vacations to Keating’s opulent Bahamas retreat at Cat Cay that were valued by the FBI at $13,433. McCain did not pay Keating for these trips until years after they were taken, and only after he learned that Keating was in trouble over Lincoln.

Because of these connections, Phoenix New Times in 1989 stated McCain was the “most reprehensible” of the five.

Wanna throw mud Sarah? Then I would get ready to be up to your knees in it if I were you.

Paula Brooks lives in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with her partner, their twin daughters and her hearing helper dog, where they own and operate a vacation home rental business. You can visit her Blogger profile here.