2/17/10

Texas Instruments Hosts Enda Discussion

Texas Instruments will host a panel discussion on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The panel has been created to discuss the impact of ENDA on working Americans and the benefits of businesses supporting such legislation that would:

Support existing non-discrimination policies without adding a financial burden
Eliminate inconsistency across operations, business clients and suppliers
Reinforce corporate reputation

WHEN: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 8am - 9:30am CST
WHERE: Texas Instruments South Campus
12500 TI Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75243
Map

TI Entrance/Gate 1, Parking in Lot I
Enter building through the South Lobby (South Lobby and Auditorium)
TIME: 8:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m., Continental breakfast will be provided
RSVP: It is important to RSVP for this event by February 19, 2010. Please send your RSVP to political@hrcdfw.org

We are honored to have the following individuals contribute as panelists:
Rebecca Solomon (Bank of America)
Ken Upton (LAMBDA Legal)
Tony Vedda (North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce)
Cece Cox, Associate Executive Director, Resource Center Dallas will facilitate the panel

2/16/10

Ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

What does the United States and Somalia have in common?

They are the only governments worldwide refusing to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.




The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child protects children. Only two nations in the world have yet to join the global community in ratifying this agreement: Somalia and the United States. Urge President Obama and Congress to ratify the convention without delay.

"We, the undersigned, support US ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We urge President Obama to submit the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to the US Senate for its advice and consent without delay. We further call on the US Senate to move swiftly to approve this convention.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child protects children by defining their basic human rights. It is the most comprehensive, accepted international agreement on basic protections for children. 193 countries have committed to support it.

Only two countries have failed to ratify this UN convention - Somalia and the United States of America. US failure to ratify the convention is an embarrassment.

Americans cherish our children and are generous in aiding boys and girls in need around the world. Now, with the advent of the 20th anniversary of the Convention, it is time to act. 2 countries in the world have yet to ratify. Let’s cut that number in half.

Sign the petition now so that children no longer pay the price for the United States' delay.

http://www.alternet.org/

2/13/10

Brittany Novotny Representing Keith Kimmel Lawsuit to have a Oklahoma 'IM Gay' License Plate

Kimmel points out officials allowed tags such as STR8FAN and STR8SXI.

Transgender lawyer Brittany Novotny is also the political Challenger to Sally Kerns for state representative after Kern's homophobic tirade made her infamous among LGBT people everywhere.
Brittany has made it clear that she does not wish gender issues to cloud the race for 2010, but the topic now will be unavoidable in her pursuit of liberty and justice for all.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Keith Kimmel,
405.886.5095,
http://tinyurl.com/otcplatecase

Oklahoma City, OK – An Oklahoma taxpayer has filed a civil lawsuit in Oklahoma County District Court against the Oklahoma Tax Commission, continuing a battle for freedom of speech on vanity license plates. The suit seeks to have part of the Commission's rules regarding the issuance of personalized license plates declared unconstitutional.

Keith Kimmel, who filed the suit through his attorney, provided the following statement: "The Oklahoma Tax Commission is continuing to subject Oklahomans to a subjective decision making process in issuing personalized vanity license plates. Under our state Constitution, all Oklahomans enjoy the right to freedom of speech and an equal opportunity to express their viewpoints. Previous testimony in the administrative proceedings held on this matter have shown that the Commission is selectively granting and denying applications based on Commission employees’ own personal prejudices and viewpoints. The Constitution requires that state rules are viewpoint neutral, with an objective standard that puts the taxpayer on notice of what is legal and what is not. This suit is intended to put an end to the Tax Commission’s unconstitutional practice of subjecting taxpayers to the whim of individual employees."

The case is Keith Kimmel v. State of Oklahoma, ex rel, Oklahoma Tax Commission, Oklahoma County Case No. CJ-2010-1072.

OCIS Case Summary Kimmel, Keith , Plaintiff
State of Oklahoma, ex rel., Oklahoma Tax Commission , Defendant


Facebook Keith Kimmel - Oklahoma 'IM Gay' License Plate Litigant

ENDA Whats the HoldUP? Bathrooms Again!?!

Bil Browning talks with Mara Keisling about the present state of ENDA.



I find Mara to be spot on about the reasons that ENDA have not been moved for a full committee vote.

However, the wordsmithing of Enda is only a glitch and easily amicably remedied. The real issue once again is bathrooms.

Religious and run of the mill right-wing zealot fearmongers fortelling the end of humanity if a transgender person is allowed into a bathroom and warning if the trans inclusive ordinance is passed it will open the door for predators to attack ciswoman and children while they are most vulnerable.

I can only speak from my experiences helping to pass city trans inclusive ordinances.

Tell congress to grow a pair. In city councils nationwide transgender inclusive ordinances are being proposed and passed by us and our allies as people realize that this isn't about pooing and peeing. It's about human rights

2/11/10

Garden State Equality invites You to Help DEMOLISH THE DiViDE!

Next week marks the three-year anniversary of one of the worst public policy failures of our time, New Jersey's civil union law. Many hospitals and employers still reject the law because it is not marriage. At the recent state Senate hearing and floor vote, even legislators who oppose marriage equality admitted the civil union law has failed.
New Jersey's civil union law took effect on February 22, 2007. Through waivers of the waiting period, the first couples got civil unioned on February 19, 2007.
DEMOLISH THE DIVIDE! To mark the three-year anniversary of the civil union law, join Garden State Equality at marriage equality rallies, marches and free dinners from Wednesday night, February 17, 2010 through Monday night, February 22, 2010. New Jersey Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, a great champion of marriage equality, is our special speaker at the Thursday night, February 18 event in Montclair.
No tickets, no RSVP required. Just show up and please spread the word by emailing your friends and colleagues and by posting on list servs, blogs and Facebook. Questions? Press, contact Chair Steven Goldstein at Goldstein@GardenStateEquality.org or cell (917) 449-8918. Members, contact Field Manager Troy Stevenson at Stevenson@GardenStateEquality.org or cell (405) 802-8229.
The schedule for DEMOLISH THE DIVIDE:
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 7:00 pm, Collingswood. Meet at 7:00 pm for a rally at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike. We'll then do a candlelight march through Collingswood, ending at Cafe Antonio in downtown Collingswood for a free pizza dinner. This event is in the district of Senator Jim Beach, who abstained on the marriage equality bill.
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 7:00 pm, Montclair. Meet at 7:00 pm for a rally at Bnai Keshet Reconstructionist Synagogue, 99 South Fullerton Avenue, with Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver. We'll then do a candlelight march through Montclair, ending at the Lower Lounge in downtown Montclair for a free pizza dinner.
Friday, February 19, 2010 at 7:00 pm, Asbury Park. Meet at 7:00 pm in front of Garden State Equality's Asbury Park office, 658 Cookman Avenue. From there we'll do a candlelight march through downtown Asbury Park, past the law office of Senator Sean Kean and then onto the Brickwall restaurant for a free dinner. This event is in the district of Senator Sean Kean, who voted no on the marriage equality bill.
Monday, February 22, 2010 at 6:00 pm, Trenton (note time). Meet at 6:00 pm in front of the Hughes Justice Complex, 25 Market Street, where we'll hold a candlelight vigil on the plaza. From there we'll do a candlelight march through Trenton, ending the evening at Covello’s Pizza in downtown Trenton for a free pizza dinner. Note: This event is in the district of Senator Shirley Turner, who voted no on the marriage equality bill.

Dallas Freedom to Marry Day 2010

Freedom to Marry Day 2010 is still on despite possible inclement weather. The Kay and Wendy's wedding ceremony will begin at 12:00 PM on Friday at the Records Building (509 Main St). After the kiss and bouquet toss the couple with crown in tow will make it's way to the Marriage License Office to place an application.

The Dallas Voice has reported that Joey Faust and his band of Christian bigots are planning on crashing our party. At previous QL events this group of right wing extremists have been very aggressive towards LGBT demonstrators. Please join us in solidarity as we celebrate the union of Kay and Wendy Churitch.

Some 1300+ rights and benefits that accompany a civil marriage are consistently denied to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) couples. These rights include:

· Access to a deceased spouses Social Security pension

· Sponsorship of a spouse for immigration

· Legally recognized joint parenting

· Next-of-kin status for emergency medical decision

· Property inheritance

· Domestic violence intervention

LGBT families lack the same legal protection that straight families often times take for granted. The denial of access to marriage is tantamount to the denial of full citizenship. For the our personal wellbeing and that of our families and society we demand to no longer be treated as second-class citizens.

Many are correct when they say that marriage is the bedrock of society. It’s a grave injustice however that such a fundamental institution is denied to a group of citizens solely on the basis of their gender. As LGBT couples become more integrated into society our demands of equality and to be treated with respect grows louder. In order for the LGBT community to make serious advancements in our struggle for equality and liberation we must come out of the closet and in the great tradition of previous civil rights movements take our grievances as an oppressed people into the streets. As the great abolitionist Frederick Douglas said “power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and never will”!

President Obama took the 2008 election full of promises to the LGBT community. His tepidness and lack of leadership in standing up for minority's rights has been quite troubling.

Unfortunately, during his campaign Obama chose to cozy up to anti-gay foes such as Rick Warren while backing off marriage equality. This constitutional lawyer turned president of the United States once supported marriage equality when in the Illinois Senate. In the run up to the election Obama said to the Chicago Tribune, "I'm a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman."

As a GLBT community we must demand that Obama grow a spine, separate church and state and begin using the most powerful position in the world to advocate for Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgender equality and liberation. We can, and must, do better for ourselves. Like any oppressed group, however, the onus to liberate ourselves lies solely on us. Organize, agitate and demand a brighter future for yourself and your Queer family!