Soulforce Equility Riders coming to Dallas and Ft. Worth !

Don't miss it! The Q Riders will be in the DFW !

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF 10/24-10/27

Friday, October 24th, Dallas Baptist University,
11:30 am, Press conference outside DBU (not open to public)

12:00 noon, Riders enter campus


Saturday, October 25th,

2:00 pm, Community Gathering at Reverchon Park, 3505 Maple Ave. Dallas

Monday, October 27, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

2:00 pm, Equality Riders are escorted onto campus

3:30-5:30 pm, Vigil on the edge of campus

From glaadblog.org
Call and email the Museum of Broadcast Communications and tell them not to induct homophobic,transphobic hate mongering lieing James Dobson into the hall of Fame.



Call: (312) 822-0512

Email: Bruce Dumont (CEO) - brucedumont@museum.tv

Email: Gina Doyle - gdoyle@museum.tv

California's top educator calls Prop 8 commercials 'despicable'

Keep marriage right. Donate if you can Say NO to Prop 8

ACLU : New FBI guidelines permit unrestricted spying

New Attorney General proposed guidelines for the operation of the FBI could open the door for unscrupulous spying according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) the FBI would have authority to collect information by misrepresentation without limitations to duration or probable cause.

Racial profiling no longer is inhibited and the proposed guidelines are specific in allowing unrestricted spying on any event the FBI deems ".....threats to the national security that occur in the context of or in connection with civil disorders or demonstrations."



This paragraph would permit the FBI to make our dissent of governmental infringement on our personal lives i.e. "NO to California's proposition 8", the unnecessary redundant removal of civil rights proposed by Florida's proposed amendment 2, the protest by Queer Folk over being excluded from the human rights movement or the current Soulforce Equality Ride a legitimate target for unrestricted FBI spying.

ACTIVISTS UNITE IN PROTEST OF HRC GALA

This just in from Queers with Out Borders

Boston - Over 60 LGBTQ activists from throughout New England have signed up to attend the protest of national gay-rights organization Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) annual Gala to be held in Boston on October 25th. The protest, organized by local QueerToday.com activists Trevor Wright and Ethan St. Pierre, is in response to HRC’s lack of support for the Trasngender community and their consistent alignment with conservative candidates like Joe Lieberman, a staunch supporter of McCain for president, and Susan Collins of Maine who supported all of George Bush’s Supreme Court Nominees.


“HRC has a long history of ignoring human rights by betraying the trans community and dividing the progressive movement. It’s time to stop giving them your money,” said Arturo Meneses. “When you give to HRC you are supporting transphobia and endorsing pro-war, anti-choice, and anti-labor candidates.”

Transgender activists from around the country have been protesting HRC for over a year in response to their short-sighted support of a version of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) that did not include protections for transgender people. During that time HRC’s only Transgender board member resigned. In New York City last year, every single LGBTQ elected official boycotted the dinner. And in San Francisco this summer the scheduled keynote speaker Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa decided to boycott the dinner in response to queer labor protests.

Labor activists are upset that HRC continues to use non-unionized venues and supported anti-labor candidates. The New England HRC Dinner venue was changed at the last minute due to pressure from Unite Here! Hotel Workers, an ally of QueerToday.com, who have been protesting the Hynes Convention Center and Aramark Catering. Anti-war activists are upset with HRC because of their support of candidates like Joe Lieberman, who celebrate the occupation of Iraq. Ironically, Lieberman who only supports civil-unions was endorsed by HRC over Ned Lamont who supports full same-sex marriage rights. Women’s rights activists note HRC’s endorsements of several ant-reproductive justice Republicans including Al D’Amato (R) who voted to repeal abortion rights. Mary Bono (R), also endorsed by HRC, received a 20% rating from NARAL on women’s rights, a 27% rating from ACLU on Civil Rights, and a 36% rating from the NAACP. This year HRC criticized the Log Cabin Republicans for their endorsement of John McCain but they continue to sponsor the Log Cabin’s annual dinner and give them and other Republicans tens of thousands of dollars. QueerToday.com activists believe such endorsements and donations divide progressives who we need to act in coalition to enact human rights reforms.

Activists from around the country have endorsed the protest including The Massachusetts Chapter of The Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA), Know Thy Neighbor, Queers Without Borders, The World Gender Coalition, Dallas Transgender Advocates, What Queer!, and TransFM.org,

The protest of the New England HRC Dinner will be held on October 25th at 5pm at the Sheraton Boston. All are invited to join a sign making party to be held at the conference room at 14 Beacon Street at 3pm. An after party, the “Left Out Party,” will be held at Spontaneous Celebrations in Jamaica Plain located at 45 Danforth St.Ethan St. Pierre
radicalguy@gmail.com
978.518.1835

Trevor Wright
Trevor.william.wright@gmail.com
781.985.3800

QueerToday.com is an activist group that uses the internet to organize campaigns and protests. It was founded in Boston in 2000 and has garnered headlines worldwide for organizing direct-action protests including the largest ever protest of James Dobson’s Focus on The Family. The organization recently transitioned its website to a platform that lets activists create blogs and profiles, and allows for national organizing and networking. For more information about QueerToday.com contact Mark Snyder at markdanielsnyder@gmail.com or 617.416.0552

Three Equality Riders Arrested at Heritage Christian University

National Tour of Christian Colleges Advocates Safety for Gay and Transgender Students
******************************************
SOULFORCE PRESS RELEASE: October 17, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact: Caitlin MacIntyre, Equality Ride Media Director
Cell: 612-715-6138
caitlin@equalityride.com
******************************************

(Florence, AL) -- At 10:30 am today, three Equality Riders walked onto the campus of Heritage Christian University (HCU) to deliver letters that described their personal experiences and advocated for the safety and acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. The young women were arrested for trespassing before they reached the end of the driveway. Prior to the arrests, an HCU administrator read a letter stating that the university was officially declining their request for dialogue.

Yesterday, Equality Riders met with one student from HCU who described the climate on campus as a "homophobic panic." He explained that students and staff were discouraged from speaking to members of the Equality Ride.

"The way we were treated today is a clear indication that gay and transgender people are not welcome at this institution. The school's choice to arrest us shows just how far they will go to suppress the message we bring," said Jarrett Lucas, Equality Ride Co-director. "HCU trains missionaries to go beyond the walls of their school to spread the inclusive gospel of Christ, but today they chose not to uphold the principles they preach."

This visit to HCU is the sixth Equality Ride stop this year. Now in its third year, the Equality Ride has visited over fifty schools, most of which have been welcoming. At other schools, participants have hosted public forums, participated in panel discussions, and taken part in worship services and Bible studies. The goal is to inspire further conversation and to empower students, faculty, and administrators to make their school welcoming to all students. The organizers of the Equality Ride use a collaborative approach, writing to college administrators months in advance and inviting them to work together to design programming that examines diverse points of view -- including points of view that affirm gay and transgender students.

The three women arrested were Caitlin MacIntyre, 19, of Houston, TX, Katie Higgins, 26, of Charleston, SC, and Taueret Manu, 21, of the Bronx, NY. The remaining Equality Riders are standing vigil in hopes that students will come out for conversation. They will remain there until 4pm CST.

Soulforce Q is the young adult division of Soulforce, a social justice organization that works to end political and religious oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people through relentless nonviolent resistance. For more information, go to www.equalityride.com.