Archive for the ‘District of Columbia’ Category

The following post comes from HRC Diversity Coordinator Hyacinth Alvaran:

Under the ya es hora iCiudadania! civic engagement banner, Human Rights Campaign steering committees and volunteers in Las Vegas, San Antonio, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., partnered with local and national organizations throughout the month of July (July 10th – 24th) to hold workshops providing assistance to the immigrant community in their applications for U.S. citizenship.

An air of excitement moved through the Equality Forum at the Human Rights Campaign last week. A diverse crowd of forty, including couples, seasoned community advocates, and excited neophytes, gathered for a couples meet and greet hosted by HRC and the DC marriage collaborative. The cause, to galvanize support for a continuing marriage equality education initiative, is entrenched in a broader undertaking by the DC marriage collaborative and HRC, to make inroads, build relationships and overcome differences within the community.

The road to today’s important ruling by the Court of Appeals, D.C.’s highest court, began more than 30 years ago when the D.C. Council adopted, at the urging of local civil rights leaders, a law that restricts ballot initiatives that discriminate against protected minority groups. Long before there was a Prop. 8 in California or Question 1 in Maine, the drafters of the 1979 D.C. law showed considerable foresight that, even in a democracy, people’s fundamental rights should never be put to a public vote.

Big victory for marriage equality in DC! Today the DC Court of Appeals ruled against foes of DC marriage equality who had wanted to put an initiative on the ballot to invalidate same-sex marriages entered into in D.C.

“The court’s ruling today is a significant victory for justice, the rule of law and the protection of all D.C. residents against discrimination,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “It’s time for the National Organization for Marriage to realize equality is here to stay no matter how much money they want to throw at turning back the clock.”

The following post comes from Jeshawn Wholley, the president of Afrekete, the GSA at Spelman College.

On June 22, 2010 the White House hosted a historically progressive event. Just days away from the 41th anniversary of the renowned Stonewall protest, the White House organized an LGBT pride reception, hosted by President Obama. I was so proud I had the opportunity to be a part of this event.

On Sunday, Sultan Shakir and I worked the HRC DC Pride booth to ask Virginia residents to call Senator Warner and urge him to support the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Senator Warner will have the opportunity to vote on the side of fairness and equality when the DADT repeal bill, which is attached to the National Defense Authorization Act, comes before the full Senate for a vote in the next month or so.

Three hundred vets, and growing. But it’s not enough.

We are on the path of creating the biggest veteran-focused lobby day on DADT in history. Veterans from around the country – from Massachussetts to Florida, from California to Virginia, from Indiana to Ohio to West Virginia – are coming to represent not only their home state, but their individual capacity as veterans who have dedicated a portion of their lives to serving the United States.

With Veterans’ Lobby Day only 7 days away, we’re working hard across our six priority states making sure our legislators know that repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” needs to happen this year.

On May 11th, veterans, and friends and family of veterans will join HRC and Servicemembers United in Washington, DC to meet face to face with their legislators and make their voices heard.

This morning the D.C. Court of Appeals is hearing a case brought by outside groups opposed to marriage equality in the District and local organizations are speaking out against the effort to put the rights of one group up to a popular vote.

The case concerns whether equality opponents can put an initiative on the ballot to invalidate same-sex marriages entered into in D.C.

On Tuesday, April 27th, at around 4:00, I left Charlotte, NC, with fellow members of Charlotte Rainbow Action Network for Equality (CRANE) and HRC Charlotte supporters Matt Comer and Lacey Williams. After a quick stop by Raleigh to pick up another member of the group, Melissa Siegel, and to grab a bite to eat, we were DC bound. Our plans: to set up a demonstration the next day on Capitol Hill for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.