A couple Amendments to watch out for folks….

In California, they are putting Proposition 8 on the November ballot.  We had talked about this before but let’s bring it up again.  This is a proposed consititutional amendment that would ELIMINATE THE RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY!  The Attorney General, Jerry Brown, just recently changed the wording to say that.   But be on your toes for ANY and ALL types of wording that may come up.  The wording is what usually screws people up when they are going to vote because sometimes it’s hard to decipher.  So be prepared ahead of time and try to find out what the wording is so you know which way to vote.

In Florida, Amendment 2 will appear on the November ballot.  This is a constitutional amendement which would ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples but it would also ban civil unions and domestic partnerships in the state.  Thankfully, U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, has pledged to fight this proposed constitutional amendment but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get out there and vote and let your voices be heard!   Again, be careful with the wordings of these amendments, sometimes they are hard to decipher and you may not know which way you are suppose to vote if you don’t understand how it’s worded.  Try to get the wording to the amendment prior to voting.

Does anyone else know of any amendments folks should be on the look out for?

Gay Marriage Good for America?

I was just reading this post called Gay Marriage Is Good For America by Jonathan Rauch and I have to say I was rather impressed with how he explained certain things.  And how he asked heterosexual folks to go back through their life and to imagine that they never, ever had any hope of marriage.  He makes an awesome, awesome point with that but he and I know that…….

The truth of the matter is it IS hard for someone (i.e. heterosexuals) who have never had to question not being able to marry one day in their lives to now think about not being able to marry.  Right?  I mean how can you possibly be able to understand ones right to want to marry so badly when you’ve never ever had to question your right to marry…..EVER.   I mean you are born, you’re a kid and dream of that wedding day with the white dress and black tux and throwing rice, you become a teenager and adult and date and voila YOU GET MARRIED!  That’s just the way it is for heterosexual folks…you never think “oh my…I met the girl (or boy) of my dreams and I am not allowed to marry them.  What are we gonna do?”  That thought doesn’t run through your mind because it doesn’t have to…you could have met yesterday and you can STILL get married (although that’d be pretty dumb, but hey you are still allowed to lol)

So, when that is your life I can understand sometimes how it’s hard to not think about gay and lesbian Americans and their fight to get married because well quite frankly, it doesn’t affect you, does it?  Nope.  Because you are still allowed to marry whether gays and lesbians are or not, right?  Right.  BUT since you know that you’ve never, ever had to worry one second about your ability to marry in your life, from the time you were a little child and dreaming about your wedding day to the time you were a young adult and realized that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with the person you were dating, well maybe, just maybe you can take THAT feeling and try to understand that we, as Gay and Lesbian Americans, are fighting every single day just for that!  Imagine that gets taken away from you and you can’t rely on the fact that regardless of anything you will marry the person you want to spend the rest of your life with………don’t say you can, imagine you CAN’T as Jonathan Rauch asked you to do!  That is what gay and lesbian Americans struggle with every single day.

The bottom line is that we love and feel and live just like every heterosexual couple does.  We are no different.  The only thing that makes us different is who we love, but that in itself should be irrelevant because we ALL (straight or gay) love different people and it doesn’t matter if the person is irish, asian, brunette, blonde or heck even an alien darn it!  We each love different people.

Since gays and lesbians NOT being able to marry didn’t affect your ability to marry nor your thought process and dreams of marriage….guess what?   Gays and lesbians being ABLE to marry won’t affect your ability to marry nor your thought process and dreams of marriage either.   It will just make the world a place filled with MORE LOVE and that is never a bad thing, is it?<br>

Perhaps soon out of state residents can marry in Massachusetts?

I just read that the Massachusetts state legislature is about to strike up a bill that will repeal a law from 1913 that prevents non-resident same sex couples from marrying in the state.  It most likely will happen before the close of the legislative session at the end of July.

Massachusetts Governor DeVal Patrick said he has long supported repealing this law and looks forward to signing the new legislation should it reach his desk.  Governor Patrick has a daughter who happens to be a lesbian  

GLBT couples in Wisconsin could face CRIMINAL PENALTIES!

Ok soooo I just got back from a fireworks display and prior to the fireworks they had some band singing and spouting all of this religious stuff and talking about how proud we are to be Americans.

Now don’t get me wrong, for the most part, I’m happy about where I live…BUT I find it very hard to be a super, happy American when bullshit like what’s going on WISCONSIN is happening in the United States of America!   Yeah, they tell us to thank the people who fight for our country in the military…..well the truth of the matter is, they are fighting for MOST of America, but they ain’t fighting for US (hell we ain’t even allowed to be in the military if we are gay or lesbian!)  I know, I know you are probably thinking I have a bad attitude….but the truth is that we need to SPEAK UP and quit letting the rest of the world act as if this is the greatest friggin country in the world when our country is so friggin assbackwards it’s not even funny!   I mean seriously…..we have a man running for President (McCain) who doesn’t believe in EQUAL RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.  What kind of bullshit is that when someone running for PRESIDENT doesn’t even believe that everyone in the state should have the same rights??

Ok ok enough of that…back to Wisconsin.  GLBT couples could face criminal charges if they get married out of state.  Apparently, there is a state law that was created to prohibit underage kids from crossing state lines and marrying and it could be interpreted to apply to gay and lesbian folks as well.

And the penalty??   A $10,000 fine, up to 9 months in prison….OR BOTH!   Unfknbelievable.  WAKE UP AMERICA!

Openly Gay Chief Marketing Officer for Kmart Resigns!

Bill Stewart resigned this week to take on the something completely different.  He is now an UNPAID volunteer for the Equality for All campaign in California.  This campaign is to help defeat a state constitutional amendment that would band marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

Big time kudos to Bill Stewart for doing, in my opinion, is such an unselfish thing.  Sure, he’ll be helping himself since he is a gay man, but think of all of the other gay and lesbian folks he is trying to help by giving up his cushy corporate job.   Check out Equality for All.

Initiative to OUTLAW same-sex marriage qualifies for November Ballot in CALIFORNIA!

Remember when I told you that it wasn’t over folks?  Well here ya go.  California’s Secretary of State announced this week that an initiative that would outlaw same-sex marriage in California now qualifies for the November ballot.

In November, if the majority of California voters vote FOR this bill then it could very well threaten the ruling that the Supreme Court made earlier this year which legalized same-sex marriage in California.

Please, please, please make all gay and lesbian folks that you know in California aware that this amendment is going to be on their November ballot!  Inform them about it and get your hands on the wording of the ballot ahead of time.  Sometimes these things are worded sooo awkwardly that folks really don’t know which way to pick when they are voting when they know whole heartedly how they want to vote.  It’s just the wording that screws them up and causes them to panic and perhaps not pick the right one when voting.

Also, pass this info along to all of the straight friends that you know.  They NEED to be made aware that YOUR rights, as their friend, are in jeopardy! Same thing, share with them the wording so they know how to vote too!

If you want to know how you can get more straight folks in your life involved (which they are definitely needed then check out this video that I did with Stacey Sobel about Protecting Your Rights!

Gay Marriage Case Refused to be Heard by NY High Court

The Court of Appeals in NY refused to hear a case that challenged an appeals court decision where it found that same-sex marriages that were made in jurisdictions where they are legal must be recognized in New York.

Check out the rest of the article here.

GLBT activists rally in Albany, New York

Over 2,000 GLBT folks rallied to urge their legislature to legalize same-sex marriage.

A same-sex marriage bill was passed last year by the Assembly but it died out after the Senate did not consider it.

Keep at it everyone……remember, if you want things to change you MUST speak up about it. Contract your senators, have your friends and family contact your Senators………hook up with GLBT organizations in your local area that can help you figure out what is happening in your state Senate and can tell you how you can make a difference. YOUR VOICE COUNTS!

The Human Rights Campaign have a pretty useful system as far as picking your state, seeing what’s going on there and then being able to TAKE ACTION right away.

Also, check out this pamphlet from the hrc that gives you tips on how you can help yourself and the GLBT community and take action in getting things accomplished.

I also have a video and radio interview coming up in the VERY near future about ways you can help yourself and the GLBT community and really make a difference! Keep checking for that…….

Take Action Pennsylvania!

Equality Advocates Pennsylvania had sent me the following email. I’m asking everyone in PA to read it and to try to head out there if they can and to meet with your senators.

Here is the email word for word:

“Dear Carey,

Equality Advocates Pennsylvania is working hard to defeat SB 1250, the “Marriage Protection Amendment” (the Constitutional Amendment that would ban marriage for same-sex couples, civil unions and potentially more). We are coordinating a number of activities in the state and we need as many people as possible to attend and show their opposition to this legislation that could harm so many families.

April 29: Appropriations Committee Hearing, Harrisburg – Capitol Building, Room 8E-A, East Wing, 9:00 AM

It is critical that as many people as possible who oppose Senate Bill 1250 attend the hearing. The hearing is being held to discuss the potential impact of the legislation.

There was a great turnout at the Judiciary Committee Hearing in Pittsburgh last week and we need to do it again. Supporters of the bill packed the first hearing in Harrisburg and bused people in from across the state. We need our people to arrive at the hearing early and bring as many people as they can with them. We really must have a sizable presence at this hearing and demonstrate to these Senators that Pennsylvanians do not support putting discrimination in our state’s Constitution. Testimony is limited to five issue experts on each side.

There will be lapel stickers at the hearing. Please wear one to show you oppose the marriage amendment.

Visit your state Senator and Representative after the hearing and tell them you oppose the legislation. To find out the name of your state legislators, visit our Legislator Locater.

May 5: Rally for All Families, Harrisburg – Capitol Building, Rotunda 1:00

Join Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, the Value All Families Coalition and the Faith Coalition for Pennsylvania Families at a rally against the anti-family constitutional Amendment. Last session, we held the largest LGBT rally at the Capitol with more than 400 people in attendance. Our goal this year is to have more than 500 Pennsylvanians attend. Legislators and organizations opposing SB 1250 will speak against the legislation and the media will be invited to cover the rally.

All attendees are encouraged to visit their legislators that day. There will be a training session at 11:00 AM to discuss the legislation and visiting your elected officials. The training location will be announced soon — please visit our website for an update on the location.

There may be buses or vans from different areas of the state leaving that morning and due to arrive in Harrisburg in time for the training. More information will be on our website as this develops. If you have any questions about transportation, email Equality Advocates at info@equalitypa.org.

If you have any questions about the hearing, Rally for All Families or SB 1250 moving forward, contact me at ssobel@equalitypa.org or at (215) 731-1447 ext 11. Thank you.”

****It’s me again……I’m going to do my best to head out there on the 29th, even though I have a lot going on in my life. Why do you ask will I take time out of my schedule to go there even though I have so much going on? The answer is quite simple people….OUR FUTURES depend on it. We all MUST take action. Sitting back and complaining will NOT get anything accomplished. Let’s all take some action and SPEAK UP.

Iowa attorney’s file response to legal docs that oppose ban on same-sex marriage

The attorney’s office for Polk County was responding to a “friend of the court” brief that was filed by gay and lesbian groups and lawmakers from Massachusetts.

Lamda Legal from New York filed a lawsuit in 2005 that resulted in Polk County ruling that Iowa’s gay marriage ban was unconstitutional. The brief was filed to support Lamda Legal.