LGBT Rights and Politics
Newark Mayor Cory Booker Talks LGBT Rights
Published August 26, 2009 @ 07:35AM PT
Guest blogger Alex Davidson attended a presentation by Newark Mayor Cory Booker this past weekend in New Jersey. Booker, one of the nation's rising political stars, spoke to members of the New York chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker addressed everything from bias crimes to re-development issues this past weekend in a forum with journalists and community members organized by the New York chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
Booker started off the discussion by admitting that Newark has not historically been an “enlightened” community when it comes to LGBT issues. Although he did not note clarify his remarks, those in the audience knew what he was talking about: the 2003 killing of Sakia Gunn and the 2007 school yard shootings of three college students. Gunn’s murder was a hate crime but the school yard deaths were not, even though much speculation still circulates since that area was a known hangout space for LGBT youth.
The mayor addressed the need to get Newark’s police better trained on dealing with LGBT cases and people, and he asked those in the audience to help codify what the city should view as bias crimes. He said he also is still working toward creating a “safe space” in Newark where LGBT youth can congregate.
“The challenges are perverse and pervasive,” Booker said of the hurdles Newark faces in establishing equal treatment for its LGBT residents. “We’ve made some good progress over the last three years, but we have more to do.”
Booker conceded that he’s waging an uphill fight when it comes to championing the LGBT cause. He conceded that, “…in the city of Newark, it’s ok to be hateful.” That mindset means citizens, clergy and politicians do not have to treat LGBT residents as equal and thus the community is routinely marginalized.
Community residents peppered booker with questions about how he can improve relations between LGBT people and the Newark Police Department. Booker said his office is close to announcing the creation of a LGBT liaison position that will work with the LGBT community on discrimination. The mayor also said that he is looking for consultants to come in and train the city’s police force on how to deal with LGBT residents and crimes against the community.
To date, Booker conceded the police force has not been the most aware of issues in the LGBT community. “We recognized the problem and it’s a major concern of ours,” he said.
Booker asked Newark residents to help him find religious allies who support the LGBT equality cause. The city, he explained, has a lot of clergy railing against LGBT folks and the fair treatment they seek. Personally, though, Booker described himself as a Christian and said: “I’m so offended by the depth of hatred (against LGBT people).”
On the national level, the mayor echoed his support for President Obama but said that, as a citizen, he is frustrated at the slow pace of change in for LGBT Americans. “We should continue pushing and agitating for change,” he said. “As an American, I am very concerned where we are on issues of equality and justice.”
Still, Booker said he understands that the president, as an executive, has to deal with multiple, country-changing issues that must first be dealt with.
The last points Booker made were about the upcoming gubernatorial election in New Jersey and the re-development of Newark.
For the governor’s race, Booker said he’s still backing incumbent Democratic Gov. John Corzine because, if re-elected, Corzine will fully support equal marriage rights in the Garden State. He also said Corzine’s re-election is necessary because there are New Jersey Supreme Court appointments coming up.
As for Newark’s renaissance, Booker said new businesses and residents continue moving into the city, making it on of the fastest-growing cities in the northeast. Booker encouraged LGBT couples to move into Newark because they will create demand for LGBT-owned establishments that could transform the face of downtown businesses.
Sen. Edward Kennedy Leaves a Lasting Legacy of Fighting for LGBT Rights
Published August 26, 2009 @ 04:36AM PT
Sen. Edward Kennedy, the lion of the U.S. Senate and the man who President Barack Obama called 'the greatest Senator of our time,' has died after more than a year's struggle with brain cancer. While Sen. Kennedy leaves behind a legacy on a number of issues, from education to health care, his contributions to making the world better for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender folks cannot go unnoticed. His legacy of fighting for LGBT rights made him one of the best straight allies ever to serve in the halls of Congress.
Sen. Kennedy was one of only fourteen votes in 1996 to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), proving that Kennedy was not only willing to put himself out there on a limb for LGBT rights, but be the type of politician who was ahead of his time. Efforts to repeal DOMA have never been stronger. They started with that 'No' vote that Kennedy and thirteen other Senators cast.
Subsequently, Kennedy fought to block a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, championed by a number of conservative Senators. As early as June 2002 Sen. Kennedy supported adding sexual orientation and gender identity to federal hate crimes laws.
And in the wake of Massachusetts becoming the first state in the country to legalizing same-sex marriage, Sen. Kennedy didn't back away from commenting on the historical impact for civil rights that this decision had.
"The nation’s eyes were on Massachusetts today, and they saw a triumph for civil rights and fundamental fairness. Today’s historic vote will have a national impact on civil rights for years to come. Massachusetts has led the nation in education, in health care and in biotechnology, and today Massachusetts renewed its commitment as a proud leader in civil rights."
And those words certainly rang true, as Massachusetts has been cited as a leader as neighboring states (and Iowa) have moved toward marriage equality.
Sen. Kennedy earlier this year also became one of the leading co-sponsors of a Senate 'Employment Non-Discrimination Act' (ENDA). Joining Sens. Jeff Merkley, Susan Collins, and Olympia Snowe, Kennedy said: "Ensuring equality for all Americans is the least we can do in living up to the standards of inclusion that this nation is built upon. There is no place for discriminating against any of our citizens for whatever reason and I commend my colleagues for their willingness to champion equal rights for every American."
Today the world will remember the legacy of Sen. Edward Kennedy. Part of that meme must include his tireless work to fight for equal rights for LGBT Americans.
UPDATE: Chris Geidner over at Law Dork adds that in addition to Kennedy's opposition to DOMA and his support for same-sex marriage, the good Senator was championing a federal gay rights bill as early as 1993.
And for more great coverage of Ted Kennedy's legacy here at change.org, check out our Women's Rights, Immigration, and End Homelessness bloggers. They've all got memorial pieces running that show just how much of a champion this Senator was for the causes that so many of us believe in.
UPDATE TWO: What better way to commemorate the legacy of Sen. Edward Kennedy than by taking action for one of his most cherished causes - universal health care. This petition right here will go to your U.S. Senator, urging them to make sure that quality health care is a fundamental right in this country, and not a privilege. Please sign.
The National Organization for Marriage Cooks Up an Iowa Strategy to Defeat Gay Marriage
Published August 25, 2009 @ 04:55AM PT
Iowa's Supreme Court may have ruled earlier this year that the state's constitution requires the recognition of same-sex marriage, based on an equal rights clause that provides for basic fairness and equality for all of Iowa's citizens. But that's not stopping the National Organization for Marriage, the radical anti-LGBT group hell-bent on repealing the rights of gays and lesbians, from pouring loads of money into the state and working behind the scenes to ignite a political movement that will strip marriage rights from same-sex couples.
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM by many standards) is pledging to support politicians in Iowa that oppose same-sex marriage. Their first honoree? A guy named Stephen Burgmeier, a conservative Republican running in a special election for Iowa's House District 90. Burgmeier wants to put same-sex marriage on a ballot - ala California and now Maine - to take away the civil rights of gays and lesbians to get married.
Not only is NOM choosing to support Burgmeier, but they are giving him the equivalent of a Tiffany's store in the realm of political donations. This fairly rural house district has a very small media market. But NOM is dumping almost $90,000 into the district to support Bergmeier, which may not only buy a blanket airing of television commercials, but it might just be enough for Bergmeier to buy himself his own damn television station.
Is this race that important to NOM that they would dump nearly $90K in it? Yup, sure is. NOM wants to show that they can get people elected who support putting same-sex marriage on a ballot in Iowa. A special election is a ripe time to do that because (1) turnout is always lower, which means that (2) special interest groups like NOM can sometimes have a much more serious impact than normal election cycles.
This one bears watching. At nearly $90,000 and counting, this special election house seat in Iowa is shaping up to be ridiculously expensive. But the more expensive outcome would be to not pay attention to where NOM is funneling its Rick Santorum-raised money, in hopes to place anti-LGBT political candidates in positions of power.
Catholic Church Gives Millions to Fight Gay Marriage. Why Won't They Give Money for Health Care?
Published August 24, 2009 @ 05:49AM PT
The Catholic Church gave more than $500,000 to help enact a same-sex marriage ban in Michigan. The Catholic Church gave $200,000 directly (and up to $1 million more through networks like the Knights of Columbus) to efforts to take away marriage equality in California, by supporting Proposition 8 like gangbusters. This year, the Catholic Church is expected to give up to $2 million (they've already donated more than $100,000 to date) to take away marriage equality in Maine, spending yet more money to take away civil rights for gays and lesbians.
If the Catholic Church can spend all that money on an issue like same-sex marriage, why can't they spend any money or give any institutional pull to help pass national health care, one of the Church's priorities?
Politics certainly seems to be the short answer, given that the institutional bishops have become really close to a political party in this country whose members by and large oppose national health care. Instead of wading into the debate about health care and how health care impacts poverty, education, immigration, and many other supposed priorities of the Church, Catholic bishops and many Catholic organizations have instead spent the past decade focusing on a series of 'non-negotiable' issues that have become increasingly less controversial for the American public: same-sex marriage, euthanasia, and stem cell research. There's also abortion, too, and while that remains a touchy subject in some parts of the U.S., most of the country still believes that women should have the ability to determine their reproductive health.
Makes one wonder if the Catholic Church in this country, while still a source of money for very conservative causes, is watching its political influence dry up. Last week Obama gathered numerous faith groups together to talk about universal health care. There were Jewish organizations, Methodist organizations, Baptist organizations, Muslim organizations, and evangelical organizations in the fold. But no Catholic Bishops.
On paper, the church supports universal health care. On paper, the church supports a public option. On paper, the church says that ending poverty is a fundamental issue of our time.
But in practice, the Church is spending millions of dollars to take away the civil rights of gay and lesbian people in places like Maine, instead of supporting national health care for all. Our country is having the largest conversation about health care in nearly twenty years, but the Church is more concerned about whether Lutherans will accept gay clergy.
Misplaced priorities? Well, if the sky is blue....
Students vs. the Defense of Marriage Act
Published August 22, 2009 @ 01:12PM PT
Activists working to dismantle the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) need all the help they can get. Enter a new entrepreneurship contest, which may just help one group of students with a $10,000 grant to organize for LGBT rights and nationwide marriage equality.
The National Marriage Boycott, a student-driven effort to encourage the Obama administration and Congress to repeal DOMA, is one of the finalists for a $10,000 grant from Ideablob – an entrepreneurial Web site that helps small businesses and organizations find the seed money they need to take their campaigns and initiatives to the next level. Now it’s a contest to see which of eight finalists will win $10K, and there’s just over one week left of voting.
As Nathaniel Whittemore, change.org's Social Entrepreneurship blogger, puts it, Ideablob's contest is yet another example of how the Internet is bringing activists together, regardless of geography, and making it easier than ever to organize passion. The end result for the National Marriage Boycott could be a huge chunk of change to take their campaign to the next level, and build the type of networks needed to hammer home change.
The premise behind the National Marriage Boycott is simple: don’t get married until everyone – straight folks and LGBTQ folks – have the same rights to civil marriage. It’s a campaign that started at Stanford, but it’s growing fast. This year organizers want to take the campaign to every state, and engage college campuses and young adults across the country to work for marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples.
According to Boycott organizers, “Now is the moment in American history when same-sex couples have the opportunity to achieve equal rights under the law. However, in order for a minority group to achieve equal rights, progressive members of the majority must stand in solidarity with them.” What does that solidarity look like?
It looks like a pledge that activists can take that demands full equality now.
“President Obama has advocated for the repeal of DOMA, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages - and yet this discriminatory law still stands. Under this act, same-sex couples are denied more than a thousand rights, including the right to visit a dying partner in the hospital. To demonstrate our desire for an immediate repeal of DOMA, we choose not to participate in marriage until everyone can marry.”
In return for signing the pledge, folks also have the option of purchasing an equality ring to wear as a public show of support for the idea of civil marriage for all. Organizers hope these rings can serve as conversation starters for equality, as well as mobilize even more young people – straight and queer – to say “No” to the idea of marriage until everyone has access to it.
Now that sounds like a campaign worthy of $10,000. Here’s where you can vote on Ideablob for the National Marriage Boycott. To win they’ll need all the support from LGBT folks and straight allies that they can get. Help spread the word; and make sure to vote before August 31.
The Fourth Largest U.S. City Might Just Elect a Lesbian Mayor
Published August 22, 2009 @ 08:59AM PT
The vote on same-sex marriage in Maine won't necessarily be the only election that LGBT folks will be watching this coming November. The fourth largest city in the U.S. - Houston, Texas - will be holding its mayoral election, and on the ballot is a 20-year public servant in the city who has been elected citywide six times with broad-level support. Oh, and did we mention that she's openly lesbian?
Annise Parker, currently the Houston City Controller, is running against three other candidates for the city's top spot. Parker, a candidate supported by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, is the most experienced candidate in the race, and the candidate who has been endorsed by SEIU, UNITE HERE, as well as 56 precinct chairs from the city of Houston. In other words, she's got a great network of support for what may just be a history making election in Texas.
Parker was profiled by the Washington Blade this week, and in the article Parker says that her activism within LGBT rights circles feeds directly to the type of activism she wants to do as Mayor to make Houston a better place.
“I … spent 10 years as the most visible lesbian activist in Houston — in Texas — and I spent 10 years very active in civic clubs and on quality-of-life issues in Houston,” Parker said. “At some point, I realized that I would get more accomplished from the inside than the outside.”
And talk about being on the inside. If she's elected Mayor this November, she'll be the highest-ranking LGBT politician on a citywide level anywhere in the country, joining openly-gay Mayors in Portland, Oregon and Providence, Rhode Island.
Parker's Facebook page is here. She's also an avid Tweeter (or Twitterer, depending on how you like your vocabulary).
Protecting marriage equality in Maine. Electing an openly lesbian Mayor in Houston. Oh yeah, and let's not forget about New Jersey, where the Governor's race is also partly a referendum on the future of marriage equality in the state.
Election Day 2009 is shaping up to be just as important - at least from an LGBT perspective - as Election Day 2008.
Gay Marriage Won't Impact Straight Marriage
Published August 21, 2009 @ 10:07AM PT
Sheesh, even Lou Dobbs thinks that the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) doesn't have a good reason for being so virulently against same-sex marriage. Last night, Maggie Gallagher (the former George W. Bush protege who now directs NOM) and LGBT activist Tobias Wolff were on Lou Dobbs tonight talking about the Defense of Marriage Act. Dobbs isn't necessarily known as a supporter of marriage equality. In fact, he's been invited to speak at the Family Research Council's Value Voters Summit this year.
But who knows...maybe on this issue, even Dobbs is able to recognize common sense. And by all accounts, common sense leads the majority of people to conclude that same-sex marriage will have absolutely no impact on straight marriages. Here's part of the transcript:
DOBBS: Of all of the things that I have seen over the course of my career, you know, listening as an assault on heterosexual marriage, I have never seen -- and you correct me. I mean, where does gay marriage stand? Where is it in the queue for threat against heterosexual marriage?
GALLAGHER: Well, I think...
DOBBS: And what is the causal relationship?
GALLAGHER: Well, I think that when the government changes the definition of marriage, it changes for everyone. And when the government says the idea that marriage...
DOBBS: No, I'm not (inaudible) about -- no, no, no. Excuse me, please.
GALLAGHER: Yes.
DOBBS: I'm not asking -- I'm not asking anybody to change the definition of anything. I'm just asking you how is a heterosexual couple in marriage in any way assaulted by a homosexual couple in marriage.
Gallagher doesn't really have an answer to the question of why gay marriage would impact straight marriage. And that's probably because there is no good reason why gay marriage would negatively impact straight marriage. And that's a point Dobbs nails home at the end.
DOBBS: One in two marriages in this country, heterosexual marriages, ends in divorce.
We are watching two-thirds in some cases of children born out of wedlock. We have a disaster in this country. And, I mean, it could be argued, it seems to me, at least -- and forgive me for saying it this way -- that you're blaming homosexuals for an institution that's under assault from just about everyone but gays.
There's that old line that heterosexuals have done a fine enough job of messing up the idea of marriage without needing gays to help. That seems to be where Dobbs is coming from.
Besides, if two people love one another - straight or gay - then the institution of marriage is better off letting both of these sets of couples get together. Maggie Gallagher will never have an adequate comeback for that, because essentially she'd have to argue against love.
And life is just too short for most people to listen to haters who want to argue against love.
