HRC Back Story

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter signed legislation today prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in housing, public accommodations, credit transactions, juror service, and other areas.  The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Jennifer Veiga and state Rep. Joel Judd, expands existing laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, religion, disability, and other characteristics. The new law takes effect immediately.

Joe Solmonese issued this statement today: 

HRC congratulates Gov. Ritter, Sen. Veiga, and Rep. Judd on taking this important step to advance equality for Coloradans.  We also thank and congratulate Equal Rights Colorado and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado for their hard work.  As Gov. Ritter has said, this law is about basic fairness and treating people equally.  Opponents of equality did their best to scare and divide Coloradans, but it’s heartening to see that their tactics were rejected.  This is a positive step forward for Colorado, coming on the heels of two pro-equality laws enacted in 2007.

In 2007, Colorado enacted laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and providing for second parent adoption. 

Does the encouraging news from California and New York on same-sex marriage mean that the floodgates are opening for more states to wholeheartedly pursue marriage equality? Check out this LA Times editorial on why the fight for marriage equality may one day be little more than a distant memory:

As the California Supreme Court decision outlawing this state's ban on same-sex marriage settles in, we are being treated to the unmistakable cracking sounds of long-held, icy bigotries giving way to a wellspring of justice.

In New York, the governor has ordered state agencies to recognize marriages of same-sex couples performed elsewhere. In California, polls show growing acceptance of same-sex marriage, most notably among young people. And, perhaps most telling of all, Macy's this week took out a full-page ad that solicited the business of same-sex couples planning their nuptials. "First comes love. Then comes marriage," the ad proclaims beneath an image of two wedding rings. "And now it's a milestone every couple in California can celebrate."

And why not? Surely the trailing edges of society will soon reflect on the resistance to this phenomenon with chagrin and more than a little embarrassment. It is bracing, after all, to realize how recently much of this nation blanched at interracial marriage, and thrilling to recognize how quickly most of us buried that prejudice, first in law, then in custom.[...]

We are at the outset of that same process with respect to same-sex marriage. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, with his acceptance of the California ruling, is helping that along, and Democratic Gov. David Paterson, with his order to New York agencies, has spread its impact. As other businesses follow the lead of Macy's and acknowledge that marriage -- whatever the sex of the loving adults -- is not just good politics but also good commerce, the battle will be over. Equality has a way of winning.

New York Governor David Paterson has created a Daily Kos diary where his first post talks about his decision to have New York state agencies recognize same-sex marriages:

For decades, New York has had laws on the books designed to protect the rights of couples who were legally married in states and jurisdictions other than New York. I believe, and our courts strenuously agree, that those laws are meant to protect all legal marriages, including unions involving same-sex couples.

That is why I have ordered all New York State agencies to review their policies and ensure that none of the more than 1100 rights and privileges extended to married couples by the State are denied to same-sex couples granted marriage licenses in other states and jurisdictions.

If New York does not take this step, it would encourage discrimination and open our State to costly lawsuits.

I also wanted you to know that I will use all legal means to ensure that same-sex couples are not discriminated against. To that end, I will continue to support a legislative solution that gives same-sex couples the right to marry in New York.

The full post with a video snippet of Gov. Paterson's Thursday press conference is here.

The University of Wisconsin - Madison is poised to confirm Carolyn "Biddy" Martin (pictured below), an open lesbian, as its next chancellor (Associated Press):

Cornell University Provost Biddy Martin was recommended Wednesday to be the next chancellor at UW-Madison, a top national research university with 40,000 students.

Martin, the No. 2 official at Cornell since 2000, is a professor of women's studies and German studies and author of the 1995 book "Femininity Played Straight: The Significance of Being Lesbian."

About eight to 10 openly gay people have become college presidents and chancellors but mostly at small colleges, said Candace Gingrich of the Human Rights Campaign.

"None the size of UW-Madison," she said in a phone interview. "It is a big milestone, and it's part of the progress that we're seeing at the college and university levels. When you've got more and more openly gay faculty members and openly gay administrators, there are bound to be those who want to aspire to presidencies and chancellorships."

UW System spokesman David Giroux said Martin's sexual orientation was not a factor in her appointment, which is expected to be confirmed by the Board of Regents next week.

Candace Gingrich, HRC's senior youth & campus outreach manager who was quoted in the article, says the new chancellor will serve as a high profile role model for students:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s incoming Chancellor, Carolyn "Biddy" Martin, is an out lesbian. This is huge - not that she is the first out queer person to head a university or college - there are some others. But none of those campuses are as large as UW-Madison with its 44,000 students. I almost want to quote Holly Near and say “imagine my surprise” but I’m not really all that surprised. Why? Mainly because a decade ago, I was in Madison when the students at the university provided the deciding votes that sent Tammy Baldwin to office - the first openly gay person to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. (It's true that other Members of Congress had been re-elected after they came out as gay, but Tammy was the first elected by voters who knew she was openly gay).

While I may not be surprised at the announcement, I still think this appointment is a big deal. It shows progress. It shows that more faculty and administration members are out about their sexuality - many of which are bound to have further career aspirations in higher education. It’s also good for students – talk about your high profile role models!

I look forward to reading about the first transgender president of a university. That day is coming and I won’t be surprised one bit then, either.

Our well-traveled field operative Terry McGuire has been dispatched to Arizona to help lead HRC's Phoenix Camp Equality this weekend. He sent us this report today:

Hello from sunny Phoenix! I'm here, along with fellow HRC staffer Tony Wagner, working on this weekend's upcoming Camp Equality™. We are looking forward to a great event. As you may already know, Camp Equality™ is HRC's exciting 2008 program to train hundreds of grassroots activists around the country.

With the help of our partnering organizations and our local Steering Committees we are poised to put in place an army of GLBT and allied activists who will have a dramatic impact on this year's election.

If you live in the Phoenix area and haven't yet signed up, please do so!

Participants are sure to have a great time. There will be invaluable campaign skills and materials to take home, passionate speakers, a great lunch and reception, and the experience of networking with dozens of like-minded Arizona voters! What are you waiting for?!?

Last night I had the privelege of attending a fundraiser at the home of HRC Board Members Linda Elliot and Carolyn Lane. The event was held to raise funds and honor Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ). Congressman Grijalva has been an unwavering ally to our community - consistently scoring a 100% on our Congressional Scorecard. The congressman spoke passionately about the work the GLBT community is doing to make this a more fair and just community. He praised HRC and promised to stand by our community as we work together to bring about positive change and elect a fair-minded President. It was a great event! As you can see from the picture, he left me grinning ear-to-ear.

Terry McGuire, Congressman Grijalva, and Linda Elliot, HRC Board of Directors

Keep an eye out for another post following the close of our Phoenix Camp Equality™. Bye for now!

From the Associated Press:

Barring a stay of a historic California Supreme Court ruling, same-sex couples will be able to wed in the state beginning June 17, according to a state directive issued Wednesday.

And such unions might soon be recognized at the other end of the country in New York, where the governor has directed state agencies to do so.

California said it chose June 17 because the state Supreme Court has until the day before to decide whether to grant a stay of its May 15 ruling legalizing gay marriage.

The guidelines from Janet McKee, chief of the California office of Vital records, to the state's 58 county clerks also contained copies of new marriage forms that include lines for "Party A" and "Party B" instead of bride and groom.

"Effective June 17, 2008, only the enclosed new forms may be issued for the issuance of marriage licenses in California," the directive reads.

The amended forms also contain a change to accommodate same-sex couples who already have registered as domestic partners, a category created in 2003 that bestowed the legal rights and benefits of marriage to gay men and lesbians without the title.

This is so great:

ALBANY — Gov. David A. Paterson [pictured, left] has directed all state agencies to begin to revise their policies and regulations to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, like Massachusetts, California and Canada.

In a directive issued on May 14, the governor’s legal counsel, David Nocenti, instructed the agencies that gay couples married elsewhere “should be afforded the same recognition as any other legally performed union.”

The revisions are most likely to involve as many as 1,300 statutes and regulations in New York governing everything from joint filing of income tax returns to transferring fishing licenses between spouses.[...]

Legal experts said Mr. Paterson’s decision would make New York the only state that did not itself allow gay marriage but fully recognized same-sex unions entered into elsewhere.

The directive is the strongest signal yet that Mr. Paterson, who developed strong ties to the gay community as a legislator, plans to push aggressively to legalize same-sex unions as governor. His predecessor, Eliot Spitzer, introduced a bill last year that would have legalized gay marriage, but even as he submitted it, doubted that it would pass. The Democratic-dominated Assembly passed the measure, but the Republican-led Senate has refused to call a vote on it.

Short of an act by the Legislature, the directive ordered by Mr. Paterson is the one of the strongest statements a state can make in favor of gay unions.

This post was taken from an email newsletter distributed by Tennessee Equality Project Chair Chris Sanders. We thought we'd repost it here to share the good news about the Tennessee legislature adjourning before it acted on legislation that would be harmful to the local GLBT community:

At 11:30 last night Speaker Jimmy Naifeh brought the final gavel down on the House session followed shortly by Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey in the Senate.  The 105th Tennessee General Assembly stands adjourned sine die. 

None of the discriminatory bills that we have been lobbying were revived at the last hour.  In particular, we were watching SB 3910/HB 3713 that would have banned unmarried cohabiting couples from adopting.  But we are glad to say that we end another session without passage of any bills harmful to the GLBT community.  Now we can give thanks, especially to those legislators who stood up for us, without reservation and move into a summer of relief.  We have been on alert since October of last year about the adoption bill.  8 months is a long time to fight a piece of legislation and many people were involved.  I’d like to thank some of them.

• Everyone who participated in Advancing Equality Day on the Hill.  Over 100 of you from around the state came to the Capitol and spoke eloquently about the bills we’ve been lobbying.  A particularly large delegation from Shelby County caught the attention of lawmakers.
• Everyone who made contact with your legislators over the last few months.  Did you know that the emails that you sent combined with emails that our allies sent probably hit the 15,000 mark?  It’s an incredible achievement. 
• Those who supported us financially.  There are too many to name all of them, but we’ll mention a few.  We are grateful to the members of our Corporate Circle.  We’d like to thank Dr. Michael Burcham for his unhesitating and substantial support.  And we have to thank Van Pond and David Glasgow, who coincidentally were holding a house party for us in October a few days after we heard the adoption issue would be live again.  That gathering of more than 80 people gave us great momentum as we ramped up our efforts to fight the adoption ban.
• We must especially thank the Human Rights Campaign for their major gift this session and all the exposure they gave state legislation at this year’s Equality Dinner.  More than just the financial support, though, is the level of communication and coordination that we enjoy with them.  I would like to single out Marty Rouse, Chris Edelson, and Jeremy Pittman in particular for their efforts on behalf of Tennessee.  They were positive and helpful without fail.
• We are grateful to our allies the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition and the ACLU of TN, who are forceful advocates for equality on the Hill and spent long hours defending the rights of our community this session.  With them, we look forward to the day when we will pass positive legislation like the birth certificate bills that TTPC did such an incredible job advancing this year.
• The GLBT press around the state have covered legislation and played a vital role in keeping the community informed.  Over the last few years, Tennessee’s GLBT community is fortunate to have been served by Out & About Newspaper, Out & About Today on Channel 5+, the Triangle Journal, the Equality Herald, and Gaze Memphis. 
• The TEP Team.  The public policy committee put together an incredible Advancing Equality Day on the Hill.  We are receiving new energy from county committees around the state.  Their growth is the future of TEP and it’s the future of the equality movement in our state.  Our webmaster Lane Scoggin of SBResults spent a lot of time over the last 8 months getting you timely email communication and making changes to the website.  And last, but not least, our lobbyist Jenny Ford coordinated TEP’s strategy on the Hill with great effect again this year.  We understand that she’s a personal friend of St. George and will be ready to slay the dragons again in January when the 106th General Assembly reconvenes. 

As TEP approaches our fourth birthday, we cannot think of a more fitting gift than the end of another session without the passage of any discriminatory legislation.  It gives added joy to the approaching Memorial Day holiday.  We wish you well as you and your family celebrate together over the next few days.

Yours,

Chris Sanders
Chair and President

While many Washingtonians were heading out of town to enjoy the long Memorial Day holiday at the beach, thousands of black GLBT people from around the country converged upon the city for the 18th DC Black Pride, held May 21-26.  Organized in 1991, DC Black Pride is a five-day event complete with workshops, receptions, cultural arts activities, and small and large nightclub events.  The event is considered to be world's largest Black Pride Festival. Courtney Snowden, a longtime friend and supporter of the Human Rights Campaign, served as president for the 2008 DC Black Pride celebration.

One of the highlights of the weekend was a performance by singer and American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino on Sunday night at the Avenue, a Washington nightclub. Joe Solmonese and HRC Associate Director of Diversity Donna Payne threw their hands in the air for the flame-haired songstress (and made sure they had their picture taken with the star of the evening, of course!):

This memorial to gay victims of the Holocaust is long overdue: Berlin inaugurates memorial to Nazi's gay victims. It's great to see the German government recognize the lives of the thousands of homosexual men who were brutally murdered and maimed under Nazi rule - especially since gay German men continued to be persecuted under Nazi law for years after World War II (See a picture of the memorial here):

Nazi Germany declared homosexuality a threat to the German race and convicted some 50,000 homosexuals as criminals. An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 gay men were deported to concentration camps, where few survived.[...]

Few gays convicted by the Nazis came forward after World War II because of the stigma attached to homosexuality. The law used against them remained on the books in West Germany until 1969, and Dworek said there were 50,000 convictions under the legislation after the war.

Not until 2002 did the German parliament issue a formal pardon for homosexuals convicted under the Nazis.

Even after the end of Hitler's reign of terror that left thousands of gays dead, homosexuality was not formally decriminalized in Germany until 1994. Berlin's openly gay mayor, Klaus Wowereit, is to be commended for his statement regarding the discrimination still faced by gays even today:

"The monument consecrated today is a reminder to us of the horrors of the past and draws our attention to the degree of discrimination that currently exists," Wowereit said.

"Great efforts will still need to be undertaken before the sight of two men or women kissing here or in Moscow or elsewhere on the planet is accepted by society in general."

Here's a clip of the video that is featured in a continuous loop at the memorial:

hat tip Andy Towle.

Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford (D) says that although he refuses to sign a gay pride proclamation requested by Central Alabama Pride for the city's June 7 gay pride parade and month-long pride celebration, he will not block efforts to obtain a parade permit from the police department.

Local gay residents and activists were rightfully outraged with Mayor Langford thundered last week that, contrary to his predecessors, he would not sign a proclamation, allow signage on government property or grant the permit for the 20th Gay Pride Parade sponsored by Central Alabama Pride. On Saturday the mayor clarified that the police department issues parade permits and that his signature is not required.

Openly gay Alabama state representative Patricia Todd says that while she disagrees with the mayor's position, she wants to continue working with him:

Langford spoke with state Rep. Patricia Todd and clarified his position on the parade. The 20th Gay Pride Parade, sponsored by Central Alabama Pride, will be June 7 in Five Points South.

"We don't agree on everything, but I still want to maintain a relationship and have an open dialog with him," Todd said. Langford on Friday he would not sign a proclamation, allow banners on city property or sign a parade permit. The mayor said he rejected those requests because it was inappropriate for government to endorse a lifestyle.[...]

"I thought I had stated my position very clearly. If I were to sign the permit to put up banners on city right of ways I would be condoning that which I don't condone," he said. "To give a proclamation is totally under the purview of the mayor."

This article by HRC Legal Director Lara Schwartz on the California Supreme Court marriage decision was originally published by Legal Times (Click here to download the PDF ):

Last week the California Supreme Court rolled in a 121-page blackboard and taught Americans a lesson in bread-and-butter constitutional principles.

The court ruled that the state could not constitutionally maintain a legal distinction between gay and lesbian couples and their heterosexual counterparts. Noting that marriage has long been considered a fundamental right, the court restated the bedrock constitutional principle that in order to deny access to a fundamental right, not only must the state have a compelling interest but the denial must be necessary to achieve that interest. The court also concluded that crafting separate but purportedly equal legal statuses for families headed by gay and straight couples violates the state’s equal protection clause, in part because marriage alone gives the utmost dignity and respect to a family.

The state cannot deny a fundamental right absent a compelling interest. The state cannot create distinctions in legal status among classifications of people absent a compelling interest.

These same principles have laid the foundation for hundreds of state and federal cases in the past several decades. By the conclusion of Con­sti­tu­tional Law I, every law student is familiar with them.

Yet critics of the May 15 decision are saying that it is a radical departure from prior law. It is not. It is simply a departure from prior resistance to acknowledging that gay people are equal to everyone else.

If gay people — and the families that thousands in California have created, nurtured, and loved — were not equal to their heterosexual neighbors, then a constitutional mandate of equal protection and fundamental rights could be considered a departure from the settled principles the court claimed to espouse. But once you understand — as the Amer­i­can Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and every mainstream social welfare, mental health, and children’s welfare group have done — that gay and lesbian couples love each other as much, live as well, parent as well, and support each other as responsibly as anyone else, In re Marriage Cases becomes the easiest Constitutional Law exam answer ever: Apply strict scrutiny, and place all citizens on equal footing with one another.

IN JUDICIAL HANDS

The critics of the California decision are therefore wrong when they argue that the court read a right to “gay marriage” into the state constitution or redefined what marriage is. The court did not create a new right, but rather recognized that a previously excluded group of people possessed an already existing right. Coming to this conclusion simply required the justices to conclude that there is nothing about gay people that disqualifies them from the rights guaranteed to all citizens of California by the state constitution.

Critics have also accused the court of usurping the power of the legislature and the people to determine whether gay and lesbian couples should be considered equal under state marriage laws. This argument is both politically inaccurate and legally incorrect.

Before the court issued its decision last week, the California Legislature had twice passed a bill legalizing marriage for same-sex couples. Citing the previous ballot initiative and the pending court challenge to the initiative, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger twice refused to sign the bill, saying that either the voters or the courts would decide the issue. In other words, the legislative branch attempted to act, and the executive deferred instead to the judiciary.

The political argument isn’t passing muster in Massachusetts either. After the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declared that the state could not bar same-sex marriage in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health (2003), the state legislature failed to pass an amendment reversing the decision. In the next election cycle, the voters overwhelmingly re-elected legislators who voted against that amendment and replaced several anti-marriage-equality members with supporters of marriage equality. Following the will of the electorate, the state legislature has reinforced the court’s ruling.

Yet some still find it convenient to assail judicial action in favor of same-sex marriage as somehow unauthorized, because that garners suspicion among laypeople.

The charge that the California court has usurped political power is also flawed as a matter of law. When the court acknowledges — as the facts demand —that gay and lesbian couples are equal to any others, it is both nonsensical and unconstitutional to demand that those couples pull together a political majority before they will actually be treated equally. Nowhere in the California Constitution can you find a gay exception to fundamental rights. To write such an exception into the document is results-oriented and, to use the phrase favored by critics of the decision, “activist.”

WHAT IS NEW

If In re Marriage Cases represents an embrace of, rather than a departure from, well-settled constitutional principles, then why does it still feel so new? And why, after years of outright losses since Goodridge and halfway decisions in which courts fabricated gay exceptions to the nonmajoritarian principle of equal rights in order to “punt” to legislatures, did the California Supreme Court rule as it did?

No matter how pure and enduring the constitutional principles that direct its decisions, no court operates in a vacuum. As Justice Felix Frankfurter wrote, courts “should not be ignorant as judges of what we know as men.” The justices in California know gay people and their families. And knowing them, the court could not possibly conclude that excluding them from equal treatment under law is necessary to further any state interest.

Four years after Massachusetts granted the first marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples in the United States, we know that doing so did not “rewrite” the marriage laws, change the character of marriage, or affect in any way the state’s interest in promoting marriage as a stable institution for nurturing children and providing social and financial stability.

For opponents of gay and lesbian equality, it is uncomfortable — and strategically unwise — to concede that the case did not turn on a novel or inappropriate interpretation of the law, but rather a recognition of facts that conflict with their own views and values. These people believe that gay people must audition before the majority to secure their human rights because their actions or very nature render them unfit to claim these rights as people.

That is a political decision. Whether gay and lesbian families are guaranteed equal dignity under law is not.

I came across an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times that takes another look at the particular challenges black GLBT students face in living their lives openly at culturally conservative Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The article focuses on how gay students, who are coming of age in an American society that is increasingly supportive of GLBT people living openly, must regress to chipping away at ingrained homophobia to carve out their places on campuses like Atlanta's all-male Morehouse College:

"Morehouse is like this enclave where Stonewall never happened," [openly gay Morehouse senior Michael] Brewer said, referring to the 1969 New York protest that galvanized the gay rights movement. "It just doesn't exist in this realm of reality."

Morehouse, which claims many civil rights icons such as Martin Luther King Jr. and the NAACP's Julian Bond as alumni, is an institution that has prided itself on producing generations of pioneering black male leaders that have come to be esteemed as the "Morehouse man."  As more young GLBT people hit college campuses already secure and open about their sexuality, the increased visibility of gay students at Morehouse is challenging the implied heterosexuality of the "Morehouse man" archetype:

"Black colleges functioned for years and years to discredit the claims that black people were somehow inferior," said Horace Griffin, a Morehouse graduate and theology professor who has written about gay history.

Back when homosexuality was considered a perversion, he said, black colleges strove to deny that it was present on their campuses.

For generations, the unspoken rule for gay Morehouse men was "don't ask, don't tell." In some cases, defiance of that rule meant trouble. University of Texas professor Jafari Sinclaire Allen was a gay student at Morehouse in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Socially ostracized after coming out -- and later forming a gay student group that eventually dissolved -- he recalled fleeing the campus one evening after a forum on homophobia turned ugly. He and his friends feared he might be beaten. Allen didn't return to campus for 17 years.

An uglier incident occurred in 2002, two years before Brewer arrived. A sophomore named Aaron Price beat a student with a baseball bat because he thought the man was making a sexual advance.

Price was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Administrators fretted over the bad publicity, and influential alumni weighed in on the best course of action for the school. Kevin Rome, the vice president of student services, joined the staff three years ago and heard some alumni suggest screening out gay applicants.[...]

Junior Devrin Lindsay worried that overly effeminate men were harmful to Morehouse's image in the same way men dressed in thug-wear were harmful.

What would parents think when they brought their sons to see Morehouse, he asked. Wouldn't it harm the school if they saw a Morehouse man who "swishes down the campus like he's on a runway?"

Read the full article here.

[Photo:  Jessica McGowan / For The Times. Openly gay senior Michael Brewer, right, leads a candlelight vigil at Morehouse College honoring victims of homophobia. The historically black all-male school was once regularly listed by the Princeton Review as among the top 20 homophobic campuses, but according to Brewer, “the tide is definitely changing.”]

Dear Friends,

Sen. Ted Kennedy:

I want to start this week’s message by sending our best wishes to Senator Ted Kennedy and his family.  The news that our good friend and unfailing ally was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor shocked and saddened everyone here at the Human Rights Campaign and in our community across the country.  Many of us have had the great honor and pleasure of working with Senator Kennedy, who is the living icon in the fight for equality for all Americans.  As a Massachusetts native, I’ve always been honored to call Sen. Kennedy my senator.  Just last month, Senator Kennedy spoke at our spring board meeting.  I’m including a link to the video of those remarks.  Watch and you’ll be reminded just what a champion he is for our community.  As he faces this challenge, Senator Kennedy is very much in our thoughts.

Healthcare Equality Index:

Last week, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation released our second annual “Healthcare Equality Index,” which rated 88 participating hospitals on their policies and practices related to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. The HEI focuses on five main policy criteria: patient non-discrimination, hospital visitation, decision making, cultural competency training and employment policies.  In the 2008 Healthcare Equality Index 45 hospitals reported GLBT-inclusive policies and practices for every one of the 10 HEI rating criteria.

An Associated Press article covered the HEI, which meant that it appeared in papers and on news sites across the country.  In fact, over 200 publications picked up the article.

In the Huffington Post, I shared the story Ken Johnson told during our conference call with the media about the HEI.  Ken, a lawyer from Northern Virginia, was denied access to his partner, James, who had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.  When Ken arrived at the emergency room, the nurse told him "You're just a friend; I can only release information to immediate family members."  That should not happen to anyone in our community in America again.

California marriage decision:

As you probably know, in a landmark decision last week, California’s Supreme Court ruled that the prohibition of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.  Last week, we celebrated.   Now, however, we must prepare for a proposed constitutional amendment in November that threatens to make null and void the historic ruling. 

This week, the Human Rights Campaign pledged an initial contribution of $500,000 to the Equality for All campaign to protect marriage equality and defeat the amendment.  Through our commitment to Equality for All, HRC aims to ensure that California remains a state in which every person has the opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams by being able to marry the person they love.  The pledge is in addition to resources HRC has already contributed to the fight for marriage equality in California.  Already this year, HRC provided six full-time staff members and $100,000 to Equality for All. 

Final thoughts:

I want to close by wishing everyone a safe and restful Memorial Day weekend.  Between California and the elections across the country this may be the last break we get for a while.  So, take advantage of this weekend to recharge and spend some time with your loved ones -- because we are going to need each and every one of you in this fight through November.

Sincerely,

P.S. Check out HRC’s new online fundraising program for pro-equality candidates. You can help change the face of Congress by electing fair-minded candidates such as Al Franken (D-Minn), who is running for U.S. Senate, and Betsy Markey (D-CO), who is running against anti-gay extremist, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R).  Each dollar you contribute goes directly to the candidates, and helps build power and clout for the GLBT community. Go to http://democracyengine.com/page/hrc1 for more information.

Sarah Warbelow (pictured below), our Justice for All fellow, writes up the Wednesday Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that struck a blow against the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" anti-gay policy:

Once again California is at the forefront of significant potential changes for GLB Americans.

Major Margaret Witt served 18 years in the U.S. Air Force as a flight nurse receiving numerous distinctions. Two years short of retirement with full benefits she was dismissed because the military received a tip that she was in a long-term relationship with a female civilian. Maj. Witt’s distressing story has been all too common under the Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy (DADT), yet a shift in the courts may well be under way. On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California ruled that Maj. Witt can continue to pursue her case challenging her discharge and that the military must show it has an important reason for her dismissal.

It is important to be aware that the 9th Circuit did not overturn DADT, but the language of the court limits its usage.  Most notably, the military is required to demonstrate that each individual, such as Maj. Witt, has a negative impact on his/her unit because of his/ her sexual orientation. It is no longer enough for the military to argue that GLB service members in general hurt overall morale in the military. In addition, the court has changed how individuals discharged under DADT are considered by the court. This shift in language means that it is more difficult for the government to justify treating GLB service members differently from straight service members. In this instance, the 9th Circuit is treating sexual orientation as roughly analogous to sex, but stops short of giving sexual orientation protections similar to race.

The case may be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and other Circuit courts need not follow the ruling, but the willingness of one of the highest courts in the United States to increase the protections offered GLB service members is a huge step towards equality under the law. The case is a definite victory!

Ohio televangelist - and "spiritual guide" - Rod Parsley has a certain way with words when it comes to describing the "threat" of "America's tortured and angry homosexual population."  RightWingWatch.com - a program by People for the American Way - has put together a video of some of Pastor Parsley's greatest rants against gay people and our quest for hate crimes protections and equal marriage rights.

You've really got to see the video for yourself to hear how wicked Parsley thinks we are. (And we're not talking about our wicked senses of humor, PS).  He calls Christians to "man their battle stations" to defend themselves against the incoming attack of our lavender Trojan horse to "pervert God's original intention." The anti-gay mouth foaming starts around 1:40:

And the gays aren't the only ones that gets Parsley wagging his finger of condemnation.

Today Brian Ross, Avni Patel and Rehab El-Burif of ABC News expose Parsley's anti-Islamic views that are some of his favorite talking points:

"Islam is an anti-Christ religion that intends through violence to conquer the world," Parsley says on the DVDs reviewed by ABC News.

"America was founded with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed," Parsley says, "and I believe Sept. 11, 2001 was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore."[...]

Parsley says he can be silent no more about Islam. "I will rail against the idea that the God of Christianity and the God of Islam are the same being. I will sound the alarm about the pernicious agenda of the enemies of my country and the cross of my Christ, and I will proclaim the truth at every opportunity."

Parsley, through a spokesperson at his church, declined to be interviewed by ABC News.

In a statement, a spokesperson, Gene Pierce, said Parsley's comments "were in response to militant Islamic leaders' repeated pledges to kill Americans and destroy the United States and Western culture and democracies."

His Web site, said the spokesperson, "also makes a distinction between Muslim terrorists and the vast majority of peaceful Muslims."

I actually checked his Web site to see if he makes a distinction between "tortured and angry" homosexuals and any other varieties - but no such luck.  But considering that Parsley led the battle in Ohio on the 2004 anti-gay marriage amendment, I'm guessing posting an enlightened commentary on the GLBT community may be the one area where he may actually be silent....

***UPDATE: Here's GMA footage of the ABC News piece on Parsley (hat tip John Aravosis):

Our members in Minnesota have been busy! Here's an update from Minnesota's Twin Cities by HRC member Milo Pinkerton:

***************

On Tuesday night, May 20th, HRC Minnesota PAC held its annual fundraiser in the Twin Cities.  Over $20,000 was raised to help ensure that the GLBT community is seen and heard during the 2008 election season. 

Among others, HRC Minnesota PAC local leaders Charlie Rounds and I spoke about why we are involved in HRC and HRC Minnesota PAC and how the PAC’s efforts have made a tremendous difference in ensuring that neither the state house nor state senate will ever vote to put an anti-marriage amendment on the ballot.  State Representative Steve Simon recounted that his first speech on the state house floor was against the anti-marriage amendment, and reinforced his commitment to full equality for the GLBT community.  HRC organizer Laurie Crelly described the work she has done on behalf of Minnesota and highlighted the work she will be doing on behalf of HRC Minnesota PAC during the 2008 elections.   

This is an important election year, so let’s make sure our voice is heard.  If you’d like to get involved in the work we are doing in Minnesota, feel free to contact Midwest Regional Field Director Stuart Rosenberg at 202 386-8982 or stuart.rosenberg@hrc.org.

Special thanks to Rich Bonin and Paul Kaminski for opening up their home for this important event, and to all the hosts who made the event such a success. 

[Photo (L to R): Virat Madia, Stuart Rosenberg, Senator Scott Dibble, Rich Bonin, State Rep. Steve Simon, Charlie Rounds, Laurie Crelly, Paul Kaminski, Milo Pinkerton.]

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Ellen Degeneres talk marriage on her show that airs today:

Andy Towle transcribed their convo:

MCCAIN: I just believe in the unique status of marriage between man and woman. And I know that we have a respectful disagreement on that issue.

ELLEN: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think that it is looked at and some people are saying the same that blacks and women did not have the right to vote. Women just got the right to vote in 1920. Blacks didn't have the right to vote till 1870. It just feels like there's this old way of thinking (that) we are not all the same. We are all the same people. All of us. You're no different than I am. Our love is the same. (applause) To me what it feels like just, you know, I will speak for myself...it feels when someone says you can have a contract and you'll still have insurance and you'll get all that. It sounds to me like saying well you can sit there (points in one direction), you just can't sit there (points in another direction). That's what it sounds like to me. It doesn't feel inclusive. It feels isolated. It feels like we aren't owed the same things and the same wording.

MCCAIN: Well, I've heard you articulate that position in a very eloquent fashion. We just have a disagreement and I, along with many, many others wish you every happiness.

ELLEN: Thank you. So you'll walk me down the aisle? Is that what you said?

(laughter)

MCCAIN: Touché

Unmarried Miami-Dade County residents can now register with the county's Consumer Services Department as domestic partners, thanks to a Tuesday vote by the county commission:

Unmarried couples in Miami-Dade won the right to hospital and jail visitation on Tuesday, following an 8-4 vote by the County Commission, and county employees will be able to buy health coverage for their partners.

Couples will be able to register their partnerships with the county's Consumer Services Department by late August. The system is open to unmarried, nonrelated couples -- gay or straight -- who are at least 18 and live together.

County staff estimated 900 couples would file this year.

Those couples would have the same visitation rights as spouses in county healthcare facilities, jails and juvenile detention centers. They would have the same rights as spouses to visit a partner's children and parents.

For county workers, the option to buy health insurance would extend to their domestic partner and that partner's children.

Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams (pictured), an openly gay man, was elected mayor of Portland, Oregon on Tuesday. Adams, who avoided a runoff by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote in last night's primary, will become the first openly gay mayor of a Top 40 U.S. city. 

Adams told PolitickerOR.com at his victory party that he is "thrilled, humbled and surprised" to be elected Portland's next mayor and credited his staff with putting together a winning grassroots campaign.

It’s been a big week for the GLBT community and The Agenda had a big show last night to celebrate marriage in California - and look forward to the political battles ahead. If you missed the show with Joe and co-host Mary Breslauer, you can download audio clips of some segments of the program - or just use the player below:

Augusten Burroughs:

The celebrated author talks about his new work A Wolf at the Table. Download the audio:
·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080519/burroughs.mp3

George Takei & Brad Altman:

The former Star Trek star and his partner discuss their impending nuptial.  Download the audio:
·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080519/takeialtman.mp3

Bob Shrum:

The veteran political consultant discusses the presidential campaign news of the day.  Download the audio:
·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080519/shrum.mp3

Drew Westen:

The political psychologist discusses his book The Political Brain and how voters use emotion to make decisions.  Download the audio:
·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080519/westen1.mp3
·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080519/westen2.mp3

Caitlin Rother:

The author discusses her book Twisted Triangle about the real-life lesbian love triangle involving author Patricia Cornwell  Download the audio:

·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080519/rother.mp3

To read the full blog entry on last night’s show, go to: http://www.theagendaonxm.org/2008/05/20/126

Use the player below to listen to segments from Monday's show:

Powered by Podbean.com

Author Augusten Burroughs, known for bestsellers Running with Scissors and Dry, will read from his latest book A Wolf at the Table tonight at the HRC Building at 6:30 p.m.  Hosted by local GLBT favorite Lambda Rising, Burroughs will also sign copies of his new memoir that is described by USA Today's Deirdre Donahue as "a moving depiction of fear and powerlessness from a child's point of view."

Tonight's event is free and open to the public. The HRC Building is located at 1640 Rhode Island Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036.

Augusten Burroughs was a guest on Monday's The Agenda with Joe Solmonese XM Satellite Radio Show where he talked about his new book. You can download the interview here (mp3) or just use the player below (21:24)

BREAKING: Civil rights and GLBT community champion Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor today after being hospitalized following a seizure Saturday morning at his home on Cape Cod. We're waiting for doctors to perform additional medical evaluations and determine the best treatment options for Sen. Kennedy. Doctors said today that Kennedy is stable:

"He has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital," said a joint statement issued by Dr. Lee Schwamm, vice chairman of the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Larry Ronan, Kennedy's primary care physician.

The doctors said Kennedy will remain in the hospital "for the next couple of days according to routine protocol."

"He remains in good spirits and full of energy," they said.

Kennedy's wife and children have been with him each day but have made no public statements.

Malignant gliomas are a type of brain cancer diagnosed in abo