HRC Back Story

NOTE FROM CHRIS: As our field team and volunteers prepare for the Dallas Camp Equality this upcoming weekend (Aug. 15-17), the reviews are coming in for the Denver Camp Equality! Here's the first one, submitted by campers Melissa Rawsky and Ivan Duric:

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When we signed up to attend the two-day Camp Equality seminar this weekend, neither of us knew quite what to expect.

Melissa, a long-time friend of the LGBT community and advocate of public causes who only recently became directly involved in politics, was hoping to learn more about how to run a campaign and mobilize the community in the important upcoming elections. Ivan, on the other hand, a Serbian national seeking political asylum based on sexual orientation, primarily wanted to learn more about the Human Rights Campaign and its stance on gay immigration and related issues.

We were both pleasantly surprised to receive so much expertly-delivered information on what the HRC is all about, what its overall strategy is for getting out the information about current progressive issues both locally and nationally, and how to really run an effective candidate or ballot issue campaign based on creating a consistent message that will resonate with voters.

Even though we come from such different backgrounds and had different motivations, we both have found the sacrifice of two beautiful Colorado days to be a small one in exchange for the wealth of information and instructive, entertaining stories from the presenters about their political experiences.

We can’t wait to apply our new knowledge and get more people involved! We know that we are not alone in wanting to elect fair-minded candidates this Nov 4th. If you want to effect change Colorado this election cycle please join us today. Email our Camp Leader, Joe Peterson at josephp197@gmail.com, to find out about the exciting work we are doing in Denver and all across Colorado. Together we can make 2008 The Year to Win!!!

For a list of upcoming camps, visit www.hrc.org/campequality

[PHOTO: A group picture of the Denver Camp Equality participants.]

Good afternoon,

It’s hard to believe, but the Human Rights Campaign Twelfth Annual National Dinner is just two months away.

Earlier this week, HRC announced that personal finance expert Suze Orman will be presented with the National Equality Award. In addition to being a best-selling author and Emmy Award-winning talk show host, Suze is someone whose commonsense financial advice has been heard by people across the nation and the globe. That this advice comes from an open lesbian bridges the divide between LGBT and heterosexual communities and proves that we all share the same concerns about paying our bills, feeding and clothing our children, and buying homes.

This idea is particularly resonant in this election year. The night of the dinner, October 4th, is exactly one month from Election Day, and HRC will be working overtime to guarantee that the first Tuesday in November brings the change that our community has worked so hard to achieve.

By that time, HRC and our state and local partners will have trained hundreds of pro-equality activists to volunteer in some of this year’s most crucial races through our Camp Equality program. The success of these two-day trainings led us to increase the number of camps from the originally slated 13 to 18. The twenty-six promising young participants in the Campaign College program will be deployed to targeted races across the country, working full-time as members of the staffs of fair-minded candidates and campaigns to beat back discriminatory ballot measures. To keep up with the latest news on these programs, check out the HRC Back Story blog.

This is our Year to Win. There is so much our community stands to gain—relationship recognition, working to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and the passage of fully inclusive hate crimes and employment protections.

But this week brought another solemn example of just what we’re fighting for. Angie Zapata, an 18-year-old transgender woman, was brutally murdered in Greeley, Colorado in what prosecutors are calling a hate crime. Jose Andrade, charged with first-degree murder and a possibly sentence-extending bias crime, has attempted to justify his actions by invoking a “trans panic” defense. It’s nothing more than a scurrilous attempt to blame the victim for this heinous crime. The case is a reminder of the violence that threatens transgender people every day, and the urgent work we must do to put an end to it. Just this week, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reported on a rash of hate crimes that have plagued the nation since February.

One need look only to Angie, to Lawrence King, to former Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, or to Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon to understand just how much is at stake in 2008. I hope you’ll join us, for Camp Equality or the National Dinner or on the campaign trail.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

P.S. There’s another important election year event between today and the National Dinner. On August 26th, HRC will hold the Rock to Win event in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper and Rufus Wainwright will perform. There’s still time to reserve your seat! Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

NOTE FROM CHRIS: A lot of people are well aware that International Best Dressed List rapper/producer/blogger (and fellow Gemini) Kanye West can be rather, er, outspoken on his beliefs - especially when he feels slighted by "the industry." Well, according to my tally, Kanye deserves to be commended for the bold way he's stood up to the ingrained homophobia that's widely accepted in the hip-hop music machine - even though many of the stylists, choreographers, video directors, money people, and other professionals that work behind the scenes to bring the artists' music to life are LGBT.

This week, Kanye spoke out again on the need for his fans to "open their minds" and continue to shed their prejudices against LGBT people at the end of his August 5 "Glow in the the Dark" concert at NYC's Madison Square Garden.  Andy Towle has posted a YouTube video of his fearless comments, which start about 1:45 in the clip. YouTube may soon take the video down, so watch it now while you can:

Andy also typed up a rough transcript of Kanye literally using his platform and microphone to speak out against homophobia:

Open your f** minds. Open your minds. Be accepting of different people and let people be who they are. You know how many people came to me calling me gay cause I wear my jeans the fresh way? Or, because I said "hey, dude, how you gonna say 'fag' right in front of a gay dude's face and act like that's ok?" That s** is disrespectful. Coming from Chicago, where if you saw somebody that was gay you were supppoed to stay ten feet away. It should be time to break out of the intuitions that I was sayin', the steretypes, or the fear, the backlash that I would get if you don't believe in what I believe in, acceptin' people for who they are...they're very talented and if they do something special in the world and they're discriminated. I've flown across the world y'all, and I've come back here to tell you — open your minds and live a happier life..."

Now THAT's what we need more of. That's the kind of talk by a prominent pop culture figure that can help curb the type of anti-gay hatred and violence that's still aimed at LGBT people of all races.  Hat's off to Kanye for saying the right thing, in the right place, and definitely at the right time. 

Big hat tip to Andy Towle on this one.

Yesterday, the Human Rights Campaign released a statement on the death of Angie Zapata, an 18-year-old transgender woman who was murdered in her Greeley, Colorado apartment.   Zapata's alleged killer, Allen Ray Andrade, 32, has been charged with first-degree murder and a hate crime in the case.

Read more Back Story coverage on the arrest of Allen Andrade here.

Joe Solmonese condemned the use of the "trans panic" defense in a statement:

The murder of Angie Zapata, just 18 years old, is a tragic reminder of the hate and ignorance that threatens the transgender community every day.  Even worse is that Angie’s alleged killer is using her gender identity in an attempt to justify his heinous, inexcusable actions. The shameful ‘trans panic’ defense is nothing more than a scurrilous attempt to blame the victim for this horrible crime.  We are grateful that Weld County is properly pursuing the hate crime charge, and hope that strict enforcement of Colorado’s hate crime law continues.

Allyson Robinson, HRC's new Associate Director of Diversity, weighed in by calling for inclusive hate crimes protection:

The sheer brutality of Angie's murder—the way her killer viewed her as less than human simply because of her gender identity and expression—highlights our community's desperate need for hate crimes protection.  As a transgender woman, I am horrified by this crime, but as human beings, we should all be outraged.

This is a case that we'll be following closely and will post updates as news warrants. 

Good afternoon,

To me, this week vividly illustrated the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community’s progress, inching ever closer to our goal of full equality. We’re building momentum—and it couldn’t have come at a better time. This momentum is our signal to ramp up our efforts and throw all our community’s strength and energy into working to make fairness and justice a reality.

The president’s signing of the PEPFAR reauthorization bill with the repeal of the HIV travel and immigration ban presents us with just this sort of opportunity. We appreciate the president signing the repeal of this unjust and sweeping policy that deems HIV-positive individuals inadmissible to the United States, and we thank our allies on Capitol Hill who fought to end this injustice.

But we’re not done yet.

Now, we must call on Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt to remove the remaining regulatory barriers to HIV-positive visitors and immigrants. To remove HIV/AIDS from the list of communicable diseases precluding entry into the United States, HHS will have to promulgate new regulations. The new regulations must first be published in the Federal Register, to allow for public comment. After the proposed regulation first appears there, a 30, 60, or 90-day comment period follows and only then is it finalized. I will be sure to let all of you know what you can do to speed up this process when we learn more.

Yesterday, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a repeal of a 1913 law that was used to bar out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying in the state. Same-sex couples from any state will now be able to marry in Massachusetts, although their marriage may not be recognized by their home state.

Governor Patrick, the Massachusetts legislature, MassEquality, and GLAD deserve applause for repealing this antiquated and discriminatory law. The law’s repeal isn’t just a victory for loving, committed couples who wish to have at least some legal recognition of their relationship. This law’s repeal is a moral acknowledgment that the fundamental right to marry knows no borders, and that gay and lesbian couples shouldn’t be barred from marrying in Massachusetts just because their home states have discriminatory marriage laws.

Across the nation, the LGBT community and our allies are using these victories to fuel themselves for what could be the most important fight of our lives: the elections in November and the ballot initiative battles in California, Arizona, Florida and Arkansas.

Last weekend, HRC Board of Directors member Bruce Basttian stood up during our annual San Francisco gala dinner and pledged $1 million to the campaign to defeat California’s Proposition 8, which would end marriage equality in the state. Bruce’s unforgettably generous donation was motivated not only by his personal dedication to LGBT equality, but by a desire to inspire those who have heretofore stood on the sidelines to rise up, as he did, and vow to contribute to this vitally important struggle.

If the events of this week are any indication of things to come, then we could be on the verge of breakthroughs that could lead us to the passage of fully-inclusive employment protections, the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and more widespread recognition of LGBT families. But we’ve got no time to rest. Our community and its allies must join together and work harder than we ever have to capitalize on this momentum and move full-speed ahead toward our goal: full equality, full inclusion, and full recognition under the law.

As always, I’ll be sure to keep all of you updated on our progress, the obstacles we must overcome, and how you can play a part in it.

Before I end today, I want to send our thoughts and prayers to the members of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville on behalf of the entire HRC family. Harry Knox, director of the HRC Foundation’s Religion and Faith Program, attended a candlelight vigil honoring the victims on Monday of this week. He praised the Unitarian Universalists for their staunch support of the LGBT community. To learn more about the vigil, please read a Boston Globe article on the event here.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

P.S. Check your mailboxes for the latest issue of Equality Magazine, which features Senator Barack Obama on its cover.  Other topics in this quarter’s issue include Senator John McCain’s record on LGBT issues, the California marriage battle, and last month’s Congressional hearing on transgender issues.

HRC released the following testimony offered today by Allison Herwitt, our legislative director, at the National Platform Drafting Committee meeting held by the Democratic National Committee in Cleveland, Ohio.

Here's the full text of her testimony:

Written Statement of Allison Herwitt
Legislative Director
Human Rights Campaign

National Platform Drafting Committee
Democratic National Committee
Cleveland, Ohio
August 1, 2008

Members of the Drafting Committee:

My name is Allison Herwitt and I am Legislative Director for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, or GLBT, civil rights organization. On behalf of our over 700,000 members and supporters nationwide, I thank you for the opportunity to testify before the drafting committee today regarding the 2008 platform.

First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the Democratic Party’s long-standing role as a friend, ally and advocate of the GLBT community. The Democratic Party Platform has historically reflected that commitment to this constituency, and, most recently, the 2004 platform included support for a number of policy priorities critical to our community. I come before you today to ask that you once again include strong support for the rights of GLBT people in the Democratic platform, and increase the range of support from the 2004 platform, by explicitly supporting the equality and dignity of transgender people.

HIV and AIDS remains a critical issue for GLBT people, as the epidemic continues to affect our community disproportionately, particularly young people and gay and bisexual men of color. We ask that the platform continue to call for robust funding of prevention, care and research efforts. Prevention programs must be comprehensive, science-based and focused on the communities they are meant to serve. We ask that the platform include a call for the development and implementation of a comprehensive national strategy on HIV/AIDS.

Despite advances, far too many GLBT Americans continue to face workplace discrimination. It remains legal to fire someone based solely on sexual orientation in 30 states, and in 38 states based on gender identity. Transgender people are particularly vulnerable to discrimination in the workplace and it is absolutely crucial that the platform explicitly support workplace protections based on gender identity. We ask that the platform call for the adoption of a federal law that prohibits employment discrimination against all members of our community.

GLBT people have proudly served in our nation as members of the Armed Forces and are defending our nation today in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Yet, our country maintains a policy that requires courageous men and women to serve in silence, fearing that they could be discharged for reasons unrelated to their honorable service to our country. We ask that the platform continue to call for an end to the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and to support the ability of patriotic gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans to serve openly and honestly.

Hate violence continues to threaten the ability of GLBT people to live their lives and participate in their communities. FBI statistics consistently show that a substantial portion of hate crimes are committed based on sexual orientation, and reports of particularly vicious violence against transgender people are all too frequent. We ask that the platform continue to support a strong federal hate crimes measure that protects all members of our community.

While marriage and other forms of relationship recognition are a reality for gay and lesbian couples in more and more states, federal law continues to deny them access to a myriad of rights and benefits. For example, these committed couples do not have equal access to Social Security survivor benefits, equitable taxation of their health insurance benefits, or the ability to attain permanent legal status for a foreign partner. We ask that the platform continue to support equal rights, benefits and responsibilities for gay and lesbian couples and to oppose any effort to amend the U.S. Constitution to define marriage.

We recognize the important role faith-based organizations play in tackling social problems, but are also keenly aware that religion is too often used a proxy to discriminate against GLBT people. We ask that the platform continue to insist that these organizations not be permitted to use federal funds to discriminate.

Landmark decisions like that in Lawrence v. Texas, guaranteeing the most basic right of GLBT people not to be branded as criminals for who they love, emphasize the importance of the judiciary to our community’s well-being. We ask that the platform continue to support the nomination of fair and impartial judges.

On behalf of the Human Rights Campaign, I thank you for the opportunity to testify today. We are proud to stand with Senator Obama and the leaders of the Democratic Party, who are committed to our vision of equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

From Cristina Finch, our senior legal counsel:

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Good news in the fight for our community’s visibility and hate crime reporting.  Yesterday, Congress took another step towards passing a bill that would bring uniformity to hate crime reporting by campus authorities and the FBI.  A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 was passed last night by the Senate after it was approved by the House and now heads to the President for signature.

Under current law, colleges and universities are required to report to the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) on incidents of campus crime, including violent, bias-motivated crimes.  The bill voted on today contains a provision that will require the hate crimes data reported by campus security personnel be identical to that reported by state and local authorities to the FBI.  In other words, colleges and universities will be required to report hate crimes based on the more comprehensive requirements of the FBI.   

In addition, the current Higher Education Act requirements contain critical omissions that have resulted in significant gaps and inconsistencies between FBI and OPE hate crime statistics, making an accurate assessment of hate crimes on a particular campus impossible as well as between campuses and the surrounding communities. The change will also provide parents and students with a better sense of campus safety – essential for young GLBT students leaving home for the first time.

While these needed amendments will ensure that hate crimes based on sexual orientation are fully included in reports of campus crimes, there is more work to be done.  The Matthew Shepard Act contains language that would add gender identity to the FBI categories, ensuring the reporting by both campus and state and local authorities includes all hate crimes committed against the GLBT community.  This documentation provides vital data in the fight against bias-motivated violence and for federal hate crimes protections. 

We applaud the efforts of Congressional members that helped bring about this positive change, especially Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) for his efforts in ensuring this provision was successfully added to the bill. 

Although we look forward to a time when hate crime reporting is unnecessary, we are heartened at the increased visibility and documentation of the violence against our community that is provided by these amendments.

On Wednesday Police, the Greeley Police Department of Colorado arrested Allen Ray Andrade, 31, for the murder of Angie Zapata, an 18-year-old transgender woman who was found dead in her apartment on July 17:

A Greeley transgender woman was apparently murdered this month because a man she met on the Internet became angry when he discovered she was biologically male.

The Weld District Attorney charged Allen Ray Andrade, 32, of Thornton with second-degree murder and aggravated motor vehicle theft Wednesday after Thornton police arrested him on traffic warrants and Greeley police arrested him thereafter on the murder charge. He was picked up while he was in the dead woman’s car.

The news came as an incredible relief for Angie Zapata’s sister, Monica Zapata.

“I thought they were never going to find him, honestly, I was doubting the police. I was doubting everybody. I just thought he was going to be out there forever,” Monica Zapata said in an interview with Fox 31. “But when they called me and they told me I was the first one they called, it lifted away from me — that knot from your throat, like it was not there anymore.”

An arrest affidavits shows Andrade told officers he met Angie Zapata on the Internet and they got together in Greeley. When he discovered Zapata was biologically male, he beat her to death with a fire extinguisher.

The full article goes into some of the gruesome details about how Andrade brutally bludgeoned Zapata to her death - and how callously referred to his victim as "it."  The murder of yet another transgender woman is just so heartbreaking. Our hearts go out to Zapata's family and the Greeley community as they deal with their loss. 

Local authorities are still determing if Andrade will be charged with a hate crime. Colorado does have a state hate crimes law in place that is inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity. It will be telling to see what line of defense will be argued on behalf of Andrade.   All too often, people who commit violence against transgender women use various claims of temporary insanity to explain their actions. The real tragedy of these acts of rage are the permanent scars forced upon the lives of their victims and their families:

The charge of second-degree murder may change in the next 72 hours, [Weld District Attorney Ken] Buck said, as they study Andrade’s story. It could be changed to first-degree murder, or it could also be classified as a hate crime, which would add another felony to the charges against Andrade.

With tears rolling down her face, Angie’s sister Ashley said she is still finding it hard to find closure — even with the arrest.

“I don’t know because he still took my sister,” Ashley Zapata said. “Even if he’s in (prison), he’s still going to get fed, he’s still going to get taken care of — my sister’s not. He’s still going to be able to talk to his family. They’re going to be able to tell him they love him and what? We can’t tell Angie. Angie was a big part of our lives, she was.”

Watch the video of the Greeley Police Department press conference regarding Zapata's murder:

With just 100 days to go before November’s election, we had a great show focusing on some of the politics of the moment as well as some lighter topics last night on The Agenda with Joe Solmonese.  Here are audio clips of some segments of the program:

Rep. Robert Wexler
The six term Florida Congressman talks about his new book “Fire Breathing Liberal.”  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080728/wexler.mp3

Page Gardner
The executive director of Women’s Voices. Women Vote. talks about Barack Obama’s advantage among unmarried women.  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080728/gardner.mp3

Dan Hunt
The filmmaker behind the new documentary “Bear Run” discusses the gay male bear subculture.  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080728/hunt.mp3

Paul Alexander
This biographer of McCain gives an in-depth look at the Senator.  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080728/alexander1.mp3
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080728/alexander2.mp3

Damien Holbrook
The TV Guide senior writer discusses the fall TV season.  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080728/holbrook1.mp3
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080728/holbrook2.mp3

To read the full blog entry on last night’s show, go to: http://www.theagendaonxm.org/2008/07/29/135

Three people who were wounded after a disturbed Knoxville, TN man opened fire in a local Unitarian Universalist church service are reportedly in critical condition following the Sunday morning shooting. According to reports, the assailant, Jim Adkisson, was an unemployed mechanical engineer who fostered long-simmering resentment against the "liberal movement" and "blacks, gays and others different from him."  It's thought that he aimed his shotgun at the Tennessee Valley UU Church parishioners in part because of their advertising as a gay-friendly congregation: 

Jim D. Adkisson, 58, an out-of-work truck driver, is accused of killing two people and wounding six others during a children's musical at the church Sunday morning.

Some of those children ended Monday's service by singing, "The sun will come out tomorrow," a line from the signature song from the musical "Annie."

On Sunday, gunfire shattered the performance of that song at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, which authorities said Adkisson targeted because of its congregation's liberal policies.

...Three people who were shot were in serious condition and a fourth was stable at Tennessee Medical Center, nursing supervisor Susan Wilson said Tuesday. Killed were Greg McKendry, 60, and Linda Kraeger, 61.

Still in the hospital were Jack Barnhart, 69, Linda Chavez, 41, and Tammy Sommers, all in serious condition, and Joe Barnhart, 76, who was stable, Wilson said. Two others who were shot were treated and released, and a seventh person was hurt diving under a pew, authorities have said.

The attack Sunday morning lasted only minutes. But the anger behind it may have been building for months, if not years.

A four-page letter found in Adkisson's SUV indicated he picked the church because, the police chief said, "he hated the liberal movement."

"It appears that what brought him to this horrible event was his lack of being able to obtain a job, his frustration over that, and his stated hatred for the liberal movement," Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen said of Adkisson.

...Adkisson was a loner who hates "blacks, gays and anyone different from him," longtime acquaintance Carol Smallwood of Alice, Texas, told the Knoxville News Sentinel.

HRC's Religion and Faith Director Harry Knox, went to Knoxville to show solidarity with the UU congregation and attended the memorial service held Monday night at the Second Presbyterian Church next door. He emailed this quick update from the crowded scene yesterday afternoon:

-----Original Message-----
From: Harry Knox
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 7:37 PM
Subject: Re: Knoxville shooting

I am at the Presbyterian Church next door where the vigil is being held. Overflowing despite a terrible storm complete with "stay in your homes" warnings from the weather service.

People standing all along the sides of the sanctuary, seated in the choir loft and standing in the hallway.
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

This is a story we'll continue to follow and will post updates as news warrants...

Today is the last full day of the Netroots Nation 2008 blogger's conference in Austin, Texas. Check out my latest updates from the convention here.

Joe and Mary might have been on vacation but that didn’t keep them from offering a fresh new edition of The Agenda with Joe Solmonese last night. They were broadcasting live from Martha’s Vineyard and gave us a GLBT taste of the island.  If you missed the show, you can download audio clips of some segments of the program - or just use the player below (Internet Explorer only):

Alan Dershowitz:
The attorney and famed constitutional scholar discussed the Bush record on civil liberties and the future of the Supreme Court. LISTEN HERE.

Peter Simon:
Carly Simon’s brother discussed his photography of Martha’s Vineyard and his books on reggae.  LISTEN HERE.

Tony Lombardi:
The program director at the Safe Haven Project discussed HIV/AIDS education on the island.  LISTEN HERE. PART I, PART II.

To read the full blog entry on last night’s show, go to: http://www.theagendaonxm.org/2008/07/15/133/

On Tonight’s The Agenda with Joe Solmonese:

Special “vacation edition” live from Martha’s Vineyard:

·         Attorney Alan Dershowitz

·         Jill Nelson, author of Finding Martha’s Vineyard, African Americans at Home on an Island

·         Julia Wells, Vineyard Gazette editor

·         Peter Simon, photographer and author (and Carly’s Brother)

·         Dan Waters, local poet, printer and printmaker

Tune in live from 6 – 8 p.m. eastern every Monday on XM channel 155.  Download clips at www.hrc.org/TheAgenda every Tuesday.

To start out the new week, there's a must-read front-page story in today's Washington Post that should serve as an encouraging reminder of how brave and resilent young GLBT people can be.  As more young people become aware of their sexuality and come out at earlier ages, they must rely upon that strength just to live their lives in the face of anti-gay hostility from their peers - and even teachers.  Some, like Larry King, become the ultimate victim of the type of disgusting violence directed at gay and non-gender conforming students by their classmates.

The WaPo article introduces us to Saro Harvey, a 15 year-old high school student who attends school in neighboring Arlington, VA.  Harvey is openly gay and one of the ways he likes to express himself is through his clothing. He's even known to toss a handbag over his arm every now and then. Like many GLBT teenagers across the country, he's navigating the tough obstacle course of staying true to himself before the eyes of anxious adolescents and sometimes unsympathetic teachers. Unfortunately, the occurrance of untrained (or simply uninterested) teachers on how to properly guide GLBT students is a pattern repeated too often nationwide:

The first time Saro said aloud what he had always felt -- that he liked boys -- came when he lived in Prince George's County. The words tumbled out, Saro said, as he and another sixth-grader were walking home. The boy shrugged it off with a "So?"

Later that year, that boy called him an anti-gay slur. When Saro ran to tell the teacher, according to a letter his parents wrote to the school, he was told: "Well, you act like one, so you should be used to it by now."

While children are coming out younger, studies show that they are doing so in schools where staff members have received little training in the area, where their fellow students use such language as "That's so gay" every day to express dislike, and where anti-bullying policies often don't exist or don't specifically protect students on the basis of sexual orientation.

In May, Maryland became the 11th state to enact a law to protect schoolchildren from being bullied because of sexual orientation. The District has had such a law since 1973; Virginia does not have one.

But California's anti-bullying policy, which is among only a handful to cite gender identity in addition to sexual orientation, could not stop what happened in February to the openly gay eighth-grader in a computer class in Oxnard.

Larry King lost his life because our culture continues to teach kids (and adults) that there's no cost too high to pay to keep one's straight street cred firmly in check.  Thankfully, there are some students who have decided to take a stand against anti-gay bullying and violence by forming important gay-straight alliances. Many others are understanding the importance of something even more fundamental: just being there as a friend. A little more of that could go a long way.

And as for Saro, this is one tough kid:

"I tell my friends all the time, I'm like, 'What makes them think talking about me is going to make me change who I am?' " Saro says. "They can talk about me. They can do anything. But I'm still Saro. It doesn't bother me."

Even when he wore baggy pants and clothes in neutral gray and black in middle school, classmates questioned him. And before he ever posted the word "Queer," prominently and in rainbow colors, on his MySpace page, insults were slung.

"I swear I think I was in second grade and this boy, he was like, 'Are you gay?' And I was like, 'I don't know what that is,' " Saro says. "I've always been feminine but just never knew what it was."

Samantha says the stares bother her more than him. She was with him in Baltimore on a field trip this year when several teenagers called him names and then, seeking to pick a fight, attempted to shove their way past the teachers onto the school bus.

"I think you just don't even think about it. You don't even question it," Samantha says to Saro. "If you sat there and thought about everything people said and would take it in, you wouldn't be the person you are. You would be depressed every day going to school. You wouldn't want to be you."

"I wouldn't be Saro."

"Yeah, you wouldn't be Saro."

As far as I'm concerned, I just have one word to say after that: WORK!

Good afternoon,

I hope all of you had a happy and safe Independence Day full of family, friends, and fireworks. It was on the fourth that the death of former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms was announced, ironically on the day we celebrate our nation’s noble ideals of freedom, opportunity, and equality.

Death of GLBT community foe Jesse Helms:

Jesse Helms represented, for so many, exactly what the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality movement is up against: antiquated notions about what constitutes morality; stubborn refusal to let go of prejudices based on nothing but mean-spirited, unfounded fears; a false sense that those who are different are somehow inferior.

Such attitudes continue to be well represented in Washington and across the nation. However, they have been significantly quieted by increasingly vibrant voices rejecting those outdated viewpoints and recognizing that the time to treat everyone equally under the law has arrived.

While we should not relish in Helms’ passing, it does symbolize the changing of the old guard. Of this I have no doubt: equality is on the move.

For the Bible Tells Me So study guide:

Since 1980, the Human Rights Campaign has been at the forefront of the activism, education and outreach that have slowly but surely coaxed those who believe in basic fairness to speak out about their feelings and encourage others to do the same.

As part of this work, the HRC Foundation’s Religion and Faith Program this week released a study guide to accompany the celebrated documentary For the Bible Tells Me So. The film, a 2008 GLAAD Media Award recipient and 2007 Sundance Film Festival nominee for the Grand Jury Prize, spotlights the stories of GLBT people of faith and their families, including New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Reverend Gene Robinson and his parents.

HRC’s user-friendly guide, available at no charge at www.hrc.org/religion, is divided into three parts: a discussion of the feelings the film evokes about families and faith; a conversation about the Bible—both how it is misused to discriminate against GLBT people and how it is a source of empowerment and liberation; and a step-by-step training to move people of faith and congregations from acceptance to public advocacy. What a signal of the progress we’ve made: we’re not only reaching out to communities of faith, but giving them an active role to play in the pursuit of equality.

For communities of faith who plan to use the guide in conjunction with a screening of the film, a package including a DVD copy and HRC’s accompanying educational license is available at a discounted rate at of $50.00 for those who agree to use the study guide. This rate is only available through the HRC Store. Visit the online store at www.hrc.org/shop.

Year to Win Campaign:

There is no greater evidence of how far we’ve come than the upcoming elections. Our community stands at the precipice of dramatic breakthroughs in public policy as well as public opinion. I have in previous weeks told you about HRC’s “Year to Win” initiative, a nationwide electoral effort aimed at mobilizing pro-equality voters in the 2008 election season. With your help, we are poised to elect pro-equality candidates to Congress, statehouses across the country, and the White House, and to beat back discriminatory ballot measures in California, Arizona, Florida and Arkansas. It’s a stunning contrast from just four years ago—let alone Jesse Helms’ heyday. Visit the Year to Win website at www.hrc.org/yeartowin to learn more how you can get involved.

Final Thoughts:

We’ve got a long way to go, but what a wonderful feeling to look back at how much the political landscape has changed. No longer must we contend with the shocking, cold-hearted ignorance of the likes of Jesse Helms. HRC stands with you as those relics crumble around us.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

On Tonight’s The Agenda with Joe Solmonese:

·         Gregg Goldstein, Hollywood Reporter

·         Gary Gates, Williams Institute at UCLA

·         Scott Sherman, author of First You Fall

·         Dan Gilgoff, BeliefNet

Tune in live from 6 – 8 p.m. eastern every Monday on XM channel 155.  Download clips at www.hrc.org/TheAgenda every Tuesday.

We also have clips from last week’s show. Download clips below, or just use the player (Internet Explorer Only):

Terence Samuel

The deputy editor of TheRoot.com discusses race in the presidential contest.  Listen:

·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080630/samuel.mp3

Kim Severson

The New York Times food writer discusses summer cooking and gay vs. straight wedding planning.  Listen:

·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080630/severson1.mp3

·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080630/severson2.mp3

Ed Salvato

The editor of the Out Traveler discusses GLBT vacation destinations.  Listen:

·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080630/salvato.mp3

Dennis Patrick

The participant in the FX show “30 Days” talks about opening his home with his partner and children to an opponent of same-sex parenting.  Listen:

·         http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080630/patrick.mp3

This year, as we enjoy barbecues, fireworks and the company of family and friends, let’s take a moment to reflect upon the ideals that make this country great—freedom, opportunity, and equality.

These are the tenets upon which our nation was built. But as the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community knows all too well, these principles do not always translate into reality.

We have much to do. The most important election of our lifetimes is coming in just four months, and there has never been more at stake. Fair-minded candidates across the nation will need our help to gain or retain their offices. We have a shot to break the eight-year anti-equality stranglehold on the White House. We’ll also be working to preserve marriage equality in California and to defeat a discriminatory ban on marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Arizona and Florida.

On this 4th of July, please join me in renewing your commitment to ensuring that all members of the GLBT community are able to fully take advantage of those promises made to us in the Declaration of Independence. I wish you all a happy and safe Independence Day.

Warmly,

Special thanks to former HRC staffer Mark Shields for this powerful piece on the urgent need for expanded federal hate crimes protections.

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When the House and Senate took votes on Hate Crimes legislation last summer, there were questions from some in the community about whether or not the legislation is even still necessary.

Those of you that have been following the story of Sean William Kennedy, a young man in South Carolina who was beaten outside of a gay bar, already know the answer.

Yesterday Kennedy’s killer, Stephen Moller, was sentenced to three years in prison for the murder –  with time off for the seven months that he already served while awaiting sentence.

Moller claims that he didn’t know that Kennedy was gay when he attacked him – though eye witnesses to the beating claim that he shouted anti-gay slurs as he punched Kennedy.

The Matthew Shepard Act, also known as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of federal hate crimes legislation so that crimes like the attack on Kennedy receive federal assistance to make sure that hate crimes are properly investigated and prosecuted. And it would allow the federal government to step in when local authorities fail to adequately prosecute as they failed to do in this case.

After yesterday’s sentencing, Kennedy’s mother, Elke Parker, talked to the media, calling  the sentence a “joke” and “a slap on the wrist.”

Had the Matthew Shepard Act been signed into law, this story may have had a very different ending – and may have served as a warning to the Stephen Mollers of the world.  Instead – the bill seems to have stalled after both the House and Senate passed the legislation in strong bipartisan votes since President Bush, who consistently fails to meet the standards he set for himself eight years ago as a “compassionate conservative” has promised to veto the bill if it comes to his desk..

Meanwhile, Elke Parker has said she will push for hate crime legislation in South Carolina in her son's memory: "It may not help Sean today, but I want it to help future victims that they can be assured that there is justice. If your son or daughter is different, you need to support them for who they really need to be."

Towleroad has posted a poem Parker shared that was written by her son and posted in his room:.

Grin

I stand tall with all of my pride.
You hate.
You discriminate all who are not like you.
Yes, your words do hurt.
But I stand in the end.
I'm a strong person, bigger than you...
I'll be standing there with a grin.

HRC Senior Counsel Cristina Finch has written a powerful piece commemorating the tenth anniversary of the murder of James Byrd of Texas. Byrd was the victim of an unspeakably brutal hate crime in Jasper, Texas.

This Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of James Byrd, Jr., the African-American man who was the victim of a vicious hate crime perpetrated by white supremacists in Jasper, Texas.  Byrd was chained to the back of a truck and dragged three miles to his death in one of the more recent brutal hate crimes this country has ever witnessed.  Yet ten years later, we are still waiting for a federal hate crimes bill.

The anniversary of Byrd’s death reminds us once again of the importance of passing the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.  We all know the time to pass this legislation is long overdue.  It was four months to the day after Byrd’s murder that Matthew Shepard was murdered because of his sexual orientation in an equally horrific hate crime in Laramie, Wyoming.  Their murders illustrated that hate crimes affect not only the victim and their family, but an entire category of people and their families. 

The Matthew Shepard Act would help eliminate bias-motivated violence across America by doing two important things:  updating the federal hate crimes laws to include all Americans, and providing new resources and tools to assist local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of crimes of violence where the perpetrator has selected the victim because of the person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

The latest FBI statistics show that a hate crime is committed roughly every hour – but the federal government is able to help in only a small number of cases.  Because Byrd’s death was based on race, the Texas authorities were assisted by the FBI in bringing Byrd’s killers to justice – and even then, federal authorities had to be creative to ensure they were legally able to help.  The town of Laramie was not so lucky, since Shepard’