HRC Back Story

Chris Edelson, HRC's state legislative director,and Allyson Robinson, our associate director of diversity, joined local leaders at Washington, DC's Equal Rights Center today to determine ways to fight ongoing discrimination against the transgender community in the local area. Here's Chris's quick update on the meeting:

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Today, Allyson Robinson and I attended a strategy meeting at the Equal Rights Center, a few blocks away in Dupont Circle.  The Equal Rights Center works to combat discrimination in the Washington, DC area, especially regarding fair housing, employment, immigrant rights and disability practices. 

The Equal Rights Center gathered various organizations and activists, including Board of Governors member Dr. Dana Beyer, to discuss ideas for work related to preventing discrimination based on gender identity or expression.  It was a great opportunity to brainstorm with people from other groups about the issues transgender people face in the workplace and elsewhere. 

At the moment, on the local level, there is a lot of concern in the District of Columbia over an attempt to change existing D.C. regulations concerning gender identity or expression in a way that would actually undermine D.C. law prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression.  A number of organizations, including HRC, as well as a number of concerned individuals, have submitted comments to the D.C. Office of Human Rights objecting to the proposed changes.  In addition on the local front, we are supporting Basic Rights Montgomery’s vital efforts to uphold protections in nearby Montgomery County against discrimination based on gender identity or expression.  There is an effort to repeal these protections, and voters in Montgomery County are likely to decide the matter at the polls this November.

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.

A few weeks ago, Sen John McCain (R-AZ) made headlines when he told New York Times reporters Adam Nagourney and Michael Cooper that he doesn't believe in gay adoption.  Ellen Kahn, HRC's Family Project director, was swift to condemn his remarks, stating that his misguided "beliefs" were an "insult to the thousands of children being raised by lesbian and gay parents, and who are thriving and contributing positively to their communities."

On July 23, Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of the Family Equality Council in Boston, sent identical letters (.pdf) to both John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) asking them to "explain how their administrations would work to recognize, respect, protect and celebrate all loving families in the US." One week later, Sen. Obama reiterated his support for LGBT families in his response letter to Chrisler:

Dear Jennifer,

While we live in a nation that is enriched by a vast array of diverse traditions, cultures and histories, it is our commonality that most defines us. The desire to build a life with a loved one, to provide for a family and to have children who will grow and thrive — these are desires that all people share, regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. My own experience has taught me this lesson well. I was born to a single mother, my devoted grandparents helped raise me, and then I married the woman of my dreams and had two beautiful daughters. The love that has blessed each of those households has been strong and sure, and I know that millions of families across this nation share the same blessings.

We know that the cost of the American dream must never come at the expense of the American family. For decades we’ve had politicians in Washington who talk about family values, but we haven’t had policies that value families. Instead, it’s harder for working parents to make a living while raising their kids. It’s even harder to get a break.

That’s why I’ll double spending on quality after-school programs - so that you can know your kids are safe and secure. And that’s why I’ll expand the Family Medical Leave Act to include more businesses and millions more workers; to let parents participate in school activities with their kids; and to cover elderly care. And we’ll finally put federal support behind state efforts to provide paid family and medical leave. We’ll require employers to provide seven paid sick days each year. We’ll enforce laws that prohibit caregiver discrimination. And we’ll encourage flexible work schedules to better balance work and parenting for mothers and fathers. That’s the change that working families need.

But we also have to do more to support and strengthen LGBT families. Because equality in relationship, family, and adoption rights is not some abstract principle; it’s about whether millions of LGBT Americans can finally live lives marked by dignity and freedom. That’s why we have to repeal laws like the Defense of Marriage Act. That’s why we have to eliminate discrimination against LGBT families. And that’s why we have to extend equal treatment in our family and adoption laws.

I’ll be a president that stands up for American families – all of them.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Read a copy of Sen. Obama's response letter here (.pdf).

So far, Chrisler has yet to receive a response from McCain.

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.

NOTE FROM CHRIS: I've already posted the videos of Meghan Stabler and Diego Sanchez speaking at the HRC San Francisco Gala Dinner on July 26.  It was a night that was made even more memorable when Bruce Bastian, founder of WordPerfect and a member of HRC's Board of Directors, pledged $1 million to help protect marriage equality in California.  Here's the full text of HRC President Joe Solmonese's remarks at the dinner, as prepared for delivery:

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Since I stood before you one year ago, I believe that our community has made more progress and has done more to move this country in the direction of full equality than at any other time in our movement’s history.

Has it been without pain?  No, but work as complex as social change rarely is.  Has it been without sharp disagreements about how best to move forward?  No, as evidenced by the people protesting outside tonight. 

But here’s what I know.  In any struggle for civil rights in this country, there have been occasions when different groups of people have marched down different roads.  What is important to our ultimate success is that each of those roads ends at the same place.  And while I regret the pain and distance that sometimes comes from taking different paths, I am more assured and more committed than ever that those of us outside this room and those of us inside this room are going to arrive at the same place – one that ensures that every member of our community, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender has the same rights and the same protections as every American.  We may differ in how we get there, but we will get there together.

We are fortunate to live in a country that allows us to speak out passionately and forcefully about our beliefs.  I welcome that passion and I respect it.

But we are also united tonight in celebration of heroic people and heroic actions over the past year.

I want to thank some heroic people who have been doing extraordinary work out here, on the front lines – the board members, board of Governors and steering committee members of HRC -  led by Frank Woo, Linda Scaparotti and, someone who has stood strong and proud of his convictions and been a hero to all of us, Scott Weiner.

I want to celebrate and honor Tom Floyd and Jill Federico and the entire dinner committee here for their heroic work and unwavering commitment to ensuring that this dinner was once again a success.

I want to thank my friend Diego Sanchez for his courageous testimony on issues of deep importance and concern to members of the transgender community before a house subcommittee recently.  And Meghan Stabler of HRC’s Business Council for submitting written testimony and for the love and support she has shown to me over these past months.

And, of course, I want to thank all of you for helping make everything that has happened this year possible.

Not only did we have the first, ever, hearings on gender identity and expression before Congress, but just this week, for the first time since it was enacted in 1993, the House Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a hearing on repealing the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.  You’ll be proud to know that the bill to overturn the ban is being chaired by Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher from right here in the Bay Area.

Because you helped us change the face of Congress two years ago, we had another long overdue victory last week as well.

For over 20 years, US immigration law has barred almost any person with HIV from entering this country for any reason.  Thanks to the leadership of Senators John Kerry, Joe Biden and Gordon Smith – as well as your own Congresswoman Barbara Lee – we were able to secure a full repeal of this policy part of the Global AIDS funding bill that passed the Senate last week.

It was a historic victory, tempered only briefly by the Senate’s very own rocket scientist, Elizabeth Dole, who introduced an amendment that would have named the Global AIDS bill after her predecessor from North Carolina, Jesse Helms.  Fortunately, she was one of the only members of the Senate to think this was a good idea and it was removed – as she will hopefully be this November.

Just uttering the name Jess Helms should remind us all that we continue to have enemies out there working against all of us.  Not losing sight of that and standing united against them are the only ways we will continue to make these historic gains.

But of course, the most inspired victory that we have to celebrate tonight is the decision on May 15th by the California Supreme Court to grant full marriage equality to our community.  Holding onto that victory this November and defeating the discriminatory ban is, without question, HRC’s and our community’s most significant priority.  It is why I am so proud that HRC is one of the largest institutional financial supporters of this fight – and why we will continue to devote staff and resources and the energy of our membership to this challenge every day between now and November.

As hard as I know we’ll all fight in the coming months to beat this ban, there is another fight that is equally important.  The fight to ensure that our next President will be Barak Obama.  He is a man who looks across the diverse patchwork that is America and very clearly sees us.  He has talked with me about his vision for the future of this country and he understands deeply that our fate is inextricably tied to the fate of America.

John McCain has voted against the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, against the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, and while he has certainly served his country with honor, he does not afford that same honor to the thousands of gay and lesbian members of the armed services who continue to serve in silence.

At the Human Rights Campaign we were proud to endorse Senator Obama and we will do whatever it takes to see that he is elected this November.

There is someone else here tonight who is working equally hard to elect Senator Obama and to beat this discriminatory ban in November.  She has been a true hero to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.  Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, whom I am honored to introduce, believes in – and fights tirelessly – for our equality.  In the world that she envisions, “we the people” means All of the people.  She is one of our most passionate allies on Capitol Hill.  She has a lifetime 100% voting record on HRC’s Congressional scorecard.  Because of Congresswoman Woolsey, our voices will always be heard at the highest levels of our government.  It is my honor to introduce Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey.

Today the Human Rights Campaign called on the Department of Health and Human Services to update its regulations following President Bush’s signing of legislation to reauthorize PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.  Included in this measure was a provision to repeal our nation’s discriminatory law barring HIV-positive visitors and immigrants.  The PEPFAR bill passed the Senate on July 16 and the U.S. House passed the bill last week. 

HRC has been a lead organization lobbying on Capitol Hill for the repeal and will continue to work to ensure that Department of Health and Human Services’ regulations are changed.  The Human Rights Campaign has worked closely with the offices of Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR), as well as Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), the sponsor of an effort to repeal the ban in the House of Representatives.  Both Sen. Kerry and Rep. Lee participated in a national media conference call held by HRC in March.  In addition to action alerts urging members to contact their Senators, HRC and Immigration Equality drafted a coalition letter on behalf of more than 165 organizations in support of the Kerry-Smith provision in the PEPFAR bill, and directly lobbied numerous Senate offices on the repeal measure.

Here's Joe Solmonese's statement:

We appreciate the President signing the repeal of this unjust and sweeping policy that deems HIV-positive individuals inadmissible to the United States.  The HIV travel and immigration ban performs no public health service, is unnecessary and ineffective. We thank our allies on the Hill who fought to end this injustice and now call on Secretary of Health and Human Services Leavitt to remove the remaining regulatory barriers to HIV-positive visitors and immigrants.

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

On Wednesday, for the first time since 1993, Congress held an oversight hearing to review the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) law. Its aim was to start an important dialogue on the national security impact of losing qualified, capable service members for no other reason than their sexual orientation. The hearing was held by the U.S. House Subcommittee on Military Personnel of the Armed Services Committee.

Representative Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), sponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246), and Subcommittee Chair Susan Davis (D-CA) were the leading forces working to make this hearing a reality. It was particularly gratifying that Tauscher and lead Republican sponsor Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) both attended the hearing to speak out against DADT even though they do not serve on the subcommittee.  The repeal bill is cosponsored by 142 of Tauscher and Shays’ fellow Members of Congress.

HRC worked in coalition with a number of organizations, including Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Stonewall Democrats, the Log Cabin Republicans, PFLAG, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and others, to call for this hearing. Together with our coalition partners, HRC will continue to take on the tough work required to ensure that any patriot can serve in the military openly, honestly, and with honor.

The three witnesses who testified spoke eloquently in support of ending the discriminatory policy.  Here are excerpts from their remarks:

Staff Sergeant Eric Alva (Ret.), a dear, dear member of the HRC family, spoke of his frustration at being deemed at once a hero and unworthy of service:

I received the Purple Heart, along with visits from the President and First Lady. I was told I was a hero. That landmine may have put an end to my military career that day, but it didn’t put an end to my secret. That would come years later, when I realized that I had fought and nearly died to secure rights for others that I myself was not free to enjoy. I had proudly served a country that was not proud of me.

Major General Vance Coleman (Ret.), who served in the U.S. Army for more than 30 years, told the panel about his own personal experience of being devalued for arbitrary reasons:

I know what it is like to be thought of as second-class, and I know what it is like to have your hard work dismissed because of who you are or what you look like…It is bewildering and counter-intuitive to me that we maintain a federal law that says, no matter how well a person does his or her job, no matter how integral to their unit they are, they must be removed, disrespected and dismissed because of who they happen to be, or who they happen to love.

Captain Joan E. Darrah (Ret.), who served for nearly 30 years in the U.S. Navy, gave dramatic testimony on the immense strain of serving under DADT:

On Tuesday, September 11, I was at the Pentagon attending the weekly 8:30 intelligence briefing…When American Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon, I was at the Pentagon bus stop. As it turned out, the space I had been in seven minutes earlier was completely destroyed. Seven of my co-workers were killed. The reality is that if I had been killed, my partner, then of 11 years, would have been the last to know as I had not dared to list her in my emergency contact information.

HRC staffers live-blogged throughout the hearing. Their accounts are posted here. You can also check out a piece Eric Alva wrote for Huffington Post here.  Additionally, the hearing was covered by several mainstream media sources such as the Associated Press, Newsweek, USA Today. Dana Milbank of the Washington Post also wrote his assessment of the hearing yesterday.

Before I end today, I want to remind all of you who’ll be in Denver for the Democratic National Convention to get your tickets to HRC’s Rock to Win event. Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright and others will be performing at this celebration of GLBT equality—it’s a can’t miss! Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster. I’ll see you there!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

P.S. I’ve got some breaking news for you as well: last night, the U.S. House approved PEPFAR, the global AIDS initiative that includes a repeal of the ban on travel and immigration for HIV-positive individuals, 303-115. The bill now heads to the president, who is expected to sign the bill. This is a huge victory for our community! I’ll keep you all updated as developments occur.

More good news: HRC praised the U.S. House of Representatives for approving late Thursday afternoon the repeal of our nation’s discriminatory law barring HIV-positive visitors and immigrants.  Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) secured a provision to repeal this ban in the Senate’s legislation to reauthorize PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.  The PEPFAR bill passed the Senate last week with the Kerry-Smith provision by a vote of 80 to 16. The House approved that Senate-passed bill by a vote of 303-115 and it now heads to the president’s desk. 

Here's Joe Solmonese's statement:

Congressional backing for the repeal of this unjust and sweeping policy that deems HIV-positive individuals inadmissible to the United States is a huge step forward for equality.  The HIV travel and immigration ban performs no public health service, is unnecessary and ineffective. We thank our allies on the Hill who fought to end this injustice and now call on President George W. Bush to sign the PEPFAR bill into law and ask Secretary of Health and Human Services Leavitt to remove the remaining regulatory barriers to HIV-positive visitors and immigrants.

From California Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D), one of the House sponsors of the legislation to repeal the ban:

I am so pleased that we were able to eliminate the unjust and discriminatory policy banning HIV/AIDS positive people from entering the United States.  It’s far past time we got rid of this shameful policy.  I’m glad we were able to remove the statutory ban and pass this bill less than two weeks before the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

Here's a little bit of background on HRC's involvement in working to repeal the HIV travel ban: HRC has been a lead organization lobbying on Capitol Hill for the repeal and will continue to work to ensure that Department of Health and Human Services’ regulations are changed.  HRC has worked closely with the offices of Sens. John Kerry and Gordon Smith, as well as Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), the sponsor of an effort to repeal the ban in the House of Representatives.  Both Sen. Kerry and Rep. Lee participated in a national media conference call held by HRC in March. 

In addition to action alerts urging members to contact their Senators, HRC and Immigration Equality drafted a coalition letter on behalf of more than 165 organizations in support of the Kerry-Smith provision in the PEPFAR bill, and has directly lobbied numerous Senate offices on the repeal measure.

In December of 2007, Senators Kerry and Smith introduced legislation, the HIV Non-Discrimination in Travel and Immigration Act (S. 2486), to repeal the ban.  In the House, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced similar the legislation, H.R. 3337, in August 2007.  The travel and immigration ban prohibits HIV-positive foreign nationals from entering the U.S. unless they obtain a special waiver, which can only allow for short-term travel.  Current policy also prevents the vast majority of foreign nationals with HIV from obtaining legal permanent residency in the United States. 

The HIV travel ban originated in 1987 (the language was introduced by Sen. Jesse Helms) and was explicitly codified by Congress in 1993, despite efforts in the public health community to remove the ban when Congress reformed U.S. immigration law in the early 1990s.  While immigration law currently excludes foreigners with any “communicable disease of public health significance” from entering the U.S., only HIV is explicitly named in the statute.  For all other illnesses, the Secretary of Health and Human Services retains the ability, with the medical expertise of his department, to determine which illnesses truly pose a risk to public health.

Thanks to Meghan Stabler, member of the HRC Business Council, for sending us this post:

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The HRC Foundation’s Workplace Project has been working to educate employers about discrimination against transgender people in health insurance since we released the first Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace guide in 2004 (the second edition was released in April 2008). Since 2006, we’ve asked employers to start addressing such discrimination through the Corporate Equality Index.

In conversations with employers, it’s clear that we have a lot of education to do to help employers understand (1) what this discrimination means and (2) why they, as the consumers and purchasers of health insurance for their (sometimes thousands of) employees, should advocate for inclusive coverage, just as they did for partner benefits in the 1990’s.

Jamison Green, André Wilson, Mary Ann Horton and others have done tremendous work to move some of the largest employers to expand insurance coverage for medical treatment related to sex-reassignment, including most surgeries and hormone therapy. The mere fact that these businesses have done so has pushed other employers to consider coverage, as well.

In the last year, advocates at the American Medical Association (AMA) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) have added some crucial tools to advocacy efforts:

·         The AMA now opposes the denial of health insurance for transgender people, and as of June 2008 it also supports health insurance coverage for gender identity disorder.

·         Last week, WPATH made a statement to clarify that such treatment is medically necessary and not cosmetic.

There’s important ongoing debate about how people are diagnosed and what proper treatment should look like, but the AMA and WPATH statements will help efforts to remove the exclusions and discrimination that transgender people face in accessing and paying for even the most basic aspects of health care.

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.

Good afternoon,

I am happy to report that this week brought deeply satisfying evidence that our community is making progress.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve the reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, more commonly known as PEPFAR. The legislation included a provision sponsored by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) that would repeal a discriminatory policy barring almost anyone with HIV from short-term travel to the U.S. or obtaining legal permanent residency. The bill passed 80 to 16.

The ban on HIV-positive visitors and immigrants originated in 1987, and was explicitly codified by Congress in 1993, at a time when fear and stigma still trumped public health and medical expertise in driving HIV/AIDS policy. Shamefully, for over 20 years—even as HIV/AIDS awareness increased—the HIV travel and immigration ban remained on the books. With this week’s huge legislative victory, this injustice can finally start to be remedied. The Senate’s change is welcome, and long overdue. We applaud the Senate for rejecting this unfair and sweeping policy that deems HIV-positive individuals inadmissible to the United States.

The HIV ban is ineffective, unnecessary, and has dubious worth as a public health policy. It is especially harmful to GLBT families, who do not benefit from the immigration waiver available to opposite-sex couples. The Senate passage of the bill is a remarkable step forward. With hard work, determination, collaboration, and focus, we have come so far in conquering outdated ideas surrounding HIV/AIDS and replacing them with more enlightened views on the human toll of ignorance codified into law.

For example, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) had introduced an amendment to strike the Kerry-Smith provision from the PEFPAR bill. However, the efforts of Senators Kerry and Smith, in addition to robust advocacy from the Human Rights Campaign and our coalition partners, secured enough opposition to the Sessions amendment that the Senator agreed not to bring it forward for a vote. Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) attempted to have the bill named for the recently-deceased former Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC)—even though Helms was the primary advocate for the useless HIV travel and immigration ban. Thankfully, this effort was also squashed.

The repeal of the HIV travel and immigration ban still has to clear several hurdles before it becomes official. The House is expected to pass the Senate’s PEPFAR bill soon and send it to the President who is expected to sign it.  At that point, though the HIV travel and immigration ban will repealed from our nation’s laws, we will have to work with the Department of Health and Human Services to remove HIV from its regulations barring individuals with certain communicable diseases from entering the U.S.

HRC has been a lead organization lobbying on Capitol Hill for the repeal. Our legislative team has worked closely with the offices of Senators John Kerry and Gordon Smith, as well as Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), the sponsor of an effort to repeal the ban in the House of Representatives. Both Senator Kerry and Rep. Lee participated in an HRC national media conference call aimed at educating them about the issue in March. In addition to action alerts urging members to contact their Senators, HRC drafted a coalition letter on behalf of more than 165 organizations in support of the Kerry-Smith provision in the PEPFAR bill, and have directly lobbied numerous Senate offices on the repeal measure.

Not only is the bill’s success gratifying, it’s an historic denunciation of antiquated, mean-spirited prejudice masquerading as legitimate policy. I am so proud of HRC’s work on behalf of the HIV travel ban’s repeal and pleased that it passed the Senate by such a large margin. This is another great legislative victory—hopefully one in a long line of victories to come.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

P.S. The first Congressional hearings on the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy since 1993 are scheduled to take place next week. It’s another exciting step toward equality! I’ll be sure to keep you all updated as developments occur.

HRC Public Policy Advocate Dena Wigder Feldman and the rest of the HRC legislative team worked tirelessly to assist Senate allies in their quest to pass PEPFAR with the Kerry-Smith HIV travel ban repeal. Last night, their vision became reality as the bill passed 80-16. Dena has written a guest post about what this work entailed. Thanks Dena!

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Shamefully, for over 20 years, the United States has had a policy barring almost anyone with HIV from short-term travel to the U.S. or obtaining legal permanent residency.   Now, we are very close to repealing this unfair law.  Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) secured a provision in legislation reauthorizing U.S. efforts to combat global AIDS (known as PEPFAR) which would remove this discriminatory ban from our nation’s laws.  Unfortunately, anti-gay Senators signaled their opposition to repealing the ban, and Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) filed an amendment to strike the Kerry-Smith provision from the PEPFAR bill and leave the ban in place.

The HRC legislative team has been working for months to educate Senators about the need to repeal the ban and end this draconian policy.   In the run up to a vote on the Sessions amendment, we were in constant contact with key staff from the offices of Senators Kerry and Smith, counting our votes and figuring out which Senators needed more education.  We shared talking points and background materials with staff in dozens of Senate offices.  We took the lead in matching up Senate offices and key coalition partners, helping to ensure that Senators and staff heard from the groups and constituents that have the most sway with them.  The legislative team was not alone in our hard work on this fight.  This was truly an organization-wide effort.  With the great work of our colleagues at HRC we sent out a nationwide action alert urging our members and supporters to contact their Senators in support of the Kerry-Smith provision and against attempts to strike it.  Additionally, we spent numerous hours briefing reporters and answering technical questions from Senate offices.

In the end, all the hard work paid off.  The heroic efforts of Senators Kerry and Smith, in addition to the intense lobbying efforts executed by HRC and our coalition allies, secured more than enough support for repealing the ban. There was simply no appetite, on either side of the aisle, to move forward with a mean-spirited effort to strike the Kerry-Smith language.  Senator Sessions decided not to offer his amendment after all and the PEPFAR bill passed the Senate last night by a vote of 80-16 with the Kerry-Smith provision intact!

Now we move to ensure that the Kerry-Smith provision is included in the final legislation sent to the President’s desk.  We are excited to be so close to removing this policy from our nation’s laws and thank everyone who helped to achieve this historic victory!

Yesterday afternoon, the Senate passed a crucial global HIV/AIDS funding bill that included an amendment to repeal the ban preventing HIV positive individuals from entering and seeking permanent residency in the United States under most circumstances:

PEPFAR passed the Senate with the Kerry-Smith provision by a vote of 80 to 16 and now moves to conference committee before being sent to the President.

The travel and immigration ban prohibits HIV-positive foreign nationals from entering the U.S. unless they obtain a special waiver, which can only allow for short-term travel.  Current policy also prevents the vast majority of foreign nationals with HIV from obtaining legal permanent residency in the United States.[...]

"We call on the leaders of the House and Senate to retain the Kerry-Smith provision in conference and ensure it is included in the final legislation sent to the President’s desk," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. 

This is, obviously, a long overdue development and removes n of the last vestiges of Jesse Helm's legacy of fear and discrimination.

Unbelievable. Sen. Jesse Helms built a long career based on his unrelenting racial and anti-gay bigotry and left a disgusting legacy of opposing federal HIV/AIDS funding as the death toll from the disease skyrocketed. 

And what does Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) propose as a tribute to this man?

Dole wants to add Helm's name to the legislation that will direct $50 billion towards fighting HIV/AIDS in the countries and areas that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. From the Congressional Record:

SA 5074. Mrs. DOLE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 2731, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to provide assistance to foreign countries to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: On page 1, line 5, strike ''and Henry J. Hyde'' and insert '', Henry J. Hyde, and Jesse Helms''.

Now that is BOLD. AS. HELL. Liddy. (Joe.My.God nails it on this topic...)

Our community can offer a more fitting response to Helm's awful legacy by urging Congress to end the discriminatory ban against HIV positive people from entering the United States that Helms help enact. In 1987, Congress adopted Jesse Helm's amendment that directed the Public Health Service (PHS) to amend its regulations to include HIV as a “dangerous contagious disease." Under immigration law at the time, individuals with such infections were banned from entering the United States.  That ban has been in place since 1993 and it's past time for it to be overturned.

You can help.

Congress is preparing to vote on the international HIV/AIDS funding bill (PEPFAR) this week and you can help relegate the HIV travel ban, a relic of the Jesse Helms era, to the history books.

Send a message today urging your Senator to support the Kerry-Smith provision and to ensure that the repeal of the ban on HIV-positive visitors and immigrants remains in PEPFAR.

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/

Special thanks to our state legislative director Christopher Edelson for sending Back Story this guest post:

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In different ways, two stories in Sunday’s paper highlight exactly how much is at stake in this year’s presidential election.

A piece in Sunday's New York Times reminds us what a difference a Supreme Court appointment can make--- as well as how much it matters for GLBT people to live openly and honestly.  First, some background.  Last month marked the fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark Lawrence v. Texas decision, which struck down so-called “sodomy” laws that were used to discriminate against and even criminally prosecute GLB people.  Lawrence made clear that constitutional privacy rights apply to all Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation (the Court’s decision did not address gender identity).  Lawrence overruled the noxious Bowers v. Hardwick decision, which had upheld “sodomy” laws in 1986. Longtime New York Times Supreme Court reporter Linda Greenhouse wrote:

The road from Bowers v. Hardwick, the 1986 decision that dismissed a claim of gay rights as “at best, facetious,” to Lawrence v. Texas, which 17 years later located the privacy rights of gay men and lesbians at the heart of constitutional due process, was paved, I have no doubt, by the justices’ experience of knowing gay men and women in their personal and professional lives. 

The majority opinion in Lawrence was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who joined the Court only after anti-GLBT nominee Robert Bork was rejected by the Senate, illustrating what a difference a Supreme Court appointment can make.  Justice Antonin Scalia wrote a scathing dissent that accused the Court of having “signed on to the homosexual agenda.”  The next president will almost certainly have the opportunity to nominate several new Supreme Court Justices, as several current judges are close to retirement.  Sen. John McCain has pointed to Justice Scalia as a model for the nominee he would select. 

Another story emphasizes the importance of the election in a different context.  In a wide-ranging interview with Adam Nagourney and Michael Cooper of New York Times on July 11, John McCain declared his opposition to adoption by same-sex couples:

Q: President Bush believes that gay couples should not be permitted to adopt children. Do you agree with that?

Mr. McCain: I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no I don’t believe in gay adoption.

Q: Even if the alternative is the kid staying in an orphanage, or not having parents.

Mr. McCain: I encourage adoption and I encourage the opportunities for people to adopt children I encourage the process being less complicated so they can adopt as quickly as possible. And Cindy and I are proud of being adoptive parents.

Q: But your concern would be that the couple should [be] a traditional couple

Mr. McCain: Yes.

Adoption by same-sex couples isn’t something one chooses whether to “believe” in, it is a reality for thousands of same-sex couples who have successfully adopted and raised children. Moreover, with thousands of children in the United States waiting for a permanent family, closing the door to any qualified parent, gay or straight, who has it in their heart to adopt a child is simply unconscionable.  Is it too much to ask for a president who honors and respects all American families?

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UPDATE: HRC Foundation's Family Project Director Ellen Kahn issued a statement this afternoon pointing out that gay and lesbian couples have long cared for children who need homes - and that respected child advocacy associations have found no reason to break up these families:

McCain’s comments on adoption show a disturbing disregard for the reality that thousands of children and youth face -- the possibility of never having a permanent, loving home.  Leading child welfare organizations in the U.S. concur that there is no reason to prevent gay and lesbian people from raising children, and the child welfare professionals who are mandated to find the best possible families for children in need recognize that every potential loving parent, whether single or married, gay or straight, is a valuable resource for children who are in need of a permanent family. 

It is an insult to these professionals and the children whom they represent to suggest that the door should be closed to people other than a “traditional” married couple.  It is also an insult to the thousands of children being raised by lesbian and gay parents, and who are thriving and contributing positively to their communities.

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UPDATE #2: Chris Edelson was included in a Wednesday New York Times article with McCain backpeddling on his anti-gay adoption statement.

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This posting has been paid for by the HRC PAC (www.hrc.org/pac) and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

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.