Existential Punk

Why Domestic Partnership Does Not Equal Marriage

This piece has really helped to clarify my thinking on why the LGBTQ community seeks marriage over domestic partnerships, even for heterosexuals. The idea of marriage IS universally recognized where domestic partnerships are NOT.

HT Michael Crawford at The Bilerico Project:

A domestic partnership law is the wrong place to start the discussion. Those who object to the state applying family law norms to same-sex relationships see it as a way to sneak gay marriage into the law books.

Those who support same-sex marriage view it as a less-than-equal legal status that does not carry one of the most important benefits of marriage - its universal recognition.

In a school, hospital or courthouse, everyone understands the family relationship of marriage and the rights that go with it. A new institution with an unfamiliar name would not have the same weight.

We support full marriage rights for same-sex couples because we believe they are entitled to equal protection under the law. Marriage is the best building block for stable, supportive families, and families led by same-sex couples should have same legal rights and obligations as those led by heterosexual couples.

Read the rest of the article here.

An Open Letter To Our Oppressors

i am a Christ-follower who has been through Reparative (Conversion) Therapy and ex-gay ministries, survived, AND lived to tell about the lies and atrocities thrown on normal, everyday people who happen to be attracted to the same sex rather than the opposite sex. We have been made out to be sex-crazed child molesters who are headed to hell. What kills me is that heterosexuals live together without being married, perform oral sex on one another, poke the butt, choose not to procreate or in some cases, cannot conceive, sleep around, etc. Yet, us queers are demonized because of who we love. It's crazy BULLSHIT!

We are being accused of things that are not true and being kept from full inclusion as fellow human beings in this, in many ways, great nation, the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. WE ARE BEING OPPRESSED AND WE WON'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! i could relate to the letter i posted below in so many ways. It is a sad day when we live in one of the greatest and most 'free' nations in the entire world and the LGBTQ community does not have full inclusion in our society. i read recently that, "Now Cuba's parliament is studying proposals to legalize same-sex unions and give gay couples the benefits that people in traditional marriages enjoy." So, even COMMUNIST CUBA is considering same-sex marriage for gays thanks to Raul Castro's daughter, Mariela Castro, who is spearheading an anti-homophobia drive inside Cuba! Spain, a HUGE Catholic population, has same-sex marriage. Canada has same-sex marriage. The Netherlands has same-sex marriage. South Africa has same-sex marriage. Belgium has same sex marriage. Norway has same-sex marriage. EVEN Nepal has same-sex marriage. The UK has Civil Partnerships, which gives rights  and responsibilities to same sex couples that are IDENTICAL to civil marriages. The USA DOES NOT HAVE same-sex marriage federally, YET! This is very sad to me.

Peterson Toscano brilliantly and poignantly addresses our Oppressors:

An Open Letter to Our Oppressors

December 24, 2008 by p2son

In light of the passage of Proposition 8 with the denial and removal of rights for gay and lesbian couples, and the other anti-gay ballot measures recently passed, the inclusion of Rick Warren in the upcoming US presidential inauguration festivities, and recent anti-gay comments by the Pope (along with may many other previous anti-gay statements), I wish to write an open letter to my oppressors, many of them fellow Christians.

Dear Oppressors,

Yes, I hear you. I am not deaf to your messages. To the Holy Father in Rome, Reverend Rick Warren in California, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,  the many supporters of Prop 8, Focus on the Family, Exodus International, and so many others who publicly speak out against LGBT people and our rights, I hear you loud and clear. No matter how you sugarcoat it and wrap it up with smiles and scripture and say that you are nothing like the extremist, Fred Phelps, I hear your message loud and clear telling me that I am inferior and unwanted in your world. These are not your words, but all the same this is the message you communicate.

I hear you insist time and time again in multiple ways that heterosexuals are superior to gays and lesbians. Your marriages, your homes, your “lifestyles” are normal, but mine? Not so much. I hear you declare that I am not capable of producing anything good or beneficial other than some window treatments or a decent hair style. In essence I hear you say that I am a worthless piece of shit and the cause of untold woes and problems, the harbinger of even worst things to come.

Some of your best friends may be gay, and you may profess that you really love the homosexual, but all the while your words and aggressively anti-gay activism consistently serve to dehumanize me–to present me and my kind as oversexed, deformed animals.

You remain steadfast in your opposition to the full inclusion of LGBT people in the life of the church. You oppose, limit and even remove rights in order to keep us unequal and legally inferior. You spend exorbitant amounts of money and time telling lies about us while expending so little energy actually getting to know us. You deal with theories, not reality. And  you are wrong, dead wrong.

You treat us as an inconvenient and unwanted Christmas gift that you desperately wish to exchange for something better. You belittle our love, our families, our faith, our morals, our very lives while all the time you claim to speak the truth in love. This is not love. This is fear. It is control and oppression, and it is the rejection of God’s gifts to the church, society and in some cases to your very families.

I know all about rejecting this gift. I did it for years as I repented daily of the same-sex attractions and gender differences I found inside me. I demonized my sexuality and believed no good could come of my gay orientation. I proceeded to return this gift as I bullied God for something else–I coveted my straight neighbor’s life believing the propaganda that his was the idealized norm to follow instead of trusting God for the life I had been given.

Read the rest here.

 

Why Equality Matters

Katryna sent me this interesting and informative link that is full of lots of info and it explains the rights that we are denied as gays when we are denied marriage. Civil Unions do not all provide for these. States vary on which ones provide Civil Unions for same-sex couples. Because of DOMA (DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT), states are not required, by law, to recognize marriages and/or Civil Unions from other states of same-sex couples. Also, we have to pay attorney fees to have legal documents drawn and filed, which heterosexual couples do NOT have to do!

There was a Washington state lesbain couple who, a few years ago, filed all their paperwork. They decided do go on a Rosie O'Donnell family cruise embarking out of Florida. While on the boat, before it departed, one of them had an aneurysm and was rushed to a local Floridian hospital. The partner had all their paperwork faxed to the hospital. TO her SHOCK, the hospital denied her and their children the right to see her. She ended up dying and her family never had any closure. THAT IS SO WRONG!

i really wish people who are against same-sex marriage for religious reasons could see that we are not trying to force any church, faith community, or house of worship to marry same-sex couples. We recognize your right to disagree yet, we ask that you do not deny us our human rights. Those faith communites that do support us should have the freedom to marry us if they so choose. We do not live in a theocracy and there are good reasons as to why there is separation of church and state. i know not all minds will change but i do have hope that some will, as i did and those of others who came to that place before me.

Here are some highlights on why 1138 Reasons Equality Matters:

#0047: Joint Taxes:
LGBT couples cannot file taxes jointly; as a result, taxes for a LGBT couple can be significantly higher.

# 0221: Hospital Visitation:
LGBT couples have no legal right to visit a spouse in the hospital and can be barred from entering the room by medical personnel.

#0497: Estate Taxes:
LGBT couples cannot pass their estate to a spouse tax-free, which creates a huge tax burden that can result in the loss of a spouse's home or business.

#0544: Job Security:
In a majority of states, employees can be fired just for being gay, which can put a huge burden on any family's financial security.

#0608: Immigration:
LGBT are denied special consideration for the immigration of a spouse, often resulting in a painful seperation when a loved one is from a foreign country.

#0812: Property Taxes:
LGBT must pay property tax when transferring property between spouses.

#0904: Social Security:
LGBT are not eligible to receive a spouse's Social Security pension or many other government benefits.

#0945: Medical Decisions:
During a medical crisis, LGBT couples have no legal authority to make critical treatment decisions for their loved one.

#1121: Domestic Violence:
LGBT cannot ask for or receive domestic violence protection orders.

An African American Perspective On Gay Marriage

Fellow blogger, Pam Spaulding, who is African American and lesbian, who blogs at Pam's House Blend, has referenced a GREAT piece from Bet.com on reasons why African Americans should support same-sex marriage. Read the entire piece at her post because she gives some very interesting commentary! Thanks, Pam!

Why Blacks Should Support Gay Marriage
By Herndon Davis

Children

An estimated 14 million children are being raised by same-sex parents who require the legal infrastructure marriage in order to protect their children because there are numerous restrictions placed on the co-parental rights of unmarried same-sex couples.

Elderly

Approximately 10% of all same-sex couples are over the age of 65 but they are treated differently as retirement  plan benefits are heavily taxed, surviving partners must pay estate tax on inherited homes, even if jointly owned and social security payments stops when a partner dies.

Healthcare

Despite thousands of dollars spent creating legal documents, same-sex couples can still be denied hospital visitation and decision making rights for their partners in many areas of the nation, a right that is instantly conferred by marriage.

1,000+ Missing Civil Rights  

When two gay/lesbian adult individuals come together in a long-term loving relationship, despite the existence of "civil unions," they are still missing over 1,000 federal benefits of protections for one another that are only conferred with the word marriage.

Pay it Forward

African Americans were liberated from slavery, separate-but-equal and secured their full civil rights through the assistance of many whites (the majority), so why not assist another minority (gays/lesbians) gain their full civil rights by paying our liberation forward!

The National Conference on LGBT Equality

CREATING CHANGE is the sponsor of this upcoming conference, which i hope to attend next year, that Bil Browning at The Bilerco Project told me about today via Twitter:

The 21st National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change will be held in Denver, Colorado, Jan. 28–Feb. 1, 2009. Check this site often for updates and details about the conference program.

Each year the conference is held in a different region of the United States and attracts 2,500+ participants from within and outside of the LGBT community. It's is well known for providing a unique environment where activists and leaders come together from diverse places and backgrounds to create a community that is both strengthening and inspiring to the participants.

Creating Change is for you if you are: an activist and organizer in your community, campus or workplace; a board member, staff member or leader in a LGBT organization, community center or foundation; an elected or appointed official; a change agent for justice, freedom & equality for all. In other words, Creating Change has something for everyone!

For more information:
e-mail CreatingChange@theTaskForce.org or call 202-639-6333.

Violence Against LGBT People

An article Katryna sent me from Wikipedia on Violence Against LGBT People:

"Violence against LGBT people, queer identifying and the same-sex attracted are actions which may occur either at the hands of individuals or groups, or as part of governmental enforcement of laws targeting people who are perceived to violate heteronormative rules and who contravene protocols of gender roles. People who are mistakenly perceived to be LGBT may also be targeted.

A hate crime is when individuals become victimized because of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation (Conklin,1992)(CSVR). Hate crimes against homosexuals often occur because the perpetrator is homophobic. The attacks can also be blamed on society itself. A variety of religious groups as well as proponents of extremist political ideologies condemn homosexuality and relate it to being weak, ill, feminine, and morally wrong^[1]. Religion plays a significant role in perpetuating these views. Some religious followers believe that the Bible says that homosexuality is wrong, while other religious leaders and people have dismissed the claim as exaggeration and misinterpretation^[2]

Violence targeted at people because of their perceived sexuality may include threats, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, rape, torture, attempted murder and murder. These actions may be caused by cultural, religious, or political mores and biases.

In the United States, the FBI reported that 15.6% of hate crimes reported to police in 2004 were founded on perceived sexual orientation. 61% of these attacks were against gay men, 14% against lesbians, 2% against heterosexuals and 1% against bisexuals, while attacks against GLBT people at large made up 20%.^[3] Violence based on perceived gender identity was not recorded in the report.

In the United States, the FBI reported that for 2006, hate crimes against gays increased to 16%, from 14% in 2005, as percentages of total documented hate crimes across the US.^[4] The 2006 annual report, released on November 19, 2007, also said that hate crimes based on sexual orientation are the third most common type, behind race and religion.^[4]"

^{_________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

^{i certainly hope President Obama will follow through on his campaign promise to pass a federal hate crimes bill, especially in light of the recent hate crime in the SF BAy Area of the gang rape of a lesbian, (The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Legislation) that President Bush promised to veto if put on his desk. Obama has a whole list of things he wants to accomplish to support the LGBTQ community as listed on his Change.gov site under the Civil Rights Agenda. So, Obama does see our plight as a CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE! Obama is the most gay-friendly President ever. Clinton, as much as i respect him in many ways, threw us under the bus with the discriminatory DOMA (Defense Of Marriage Act) and DADT (Don't Ask Don't Tell) which have been very harmful legislations. Let's hope all these become a reality for us.}

Support for the LGBT Community

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."

-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

The Obama-Biden Plan

• Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. Barack Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
• Fight Workplace Discrimination: Barack Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. Obama also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
• Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: Barack Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
• Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: Barack Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
• Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: Barack Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. Obama will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
• Expand Adoption Rights: Barack Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
• Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, Barack Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. Obama will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. Obama also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. He will continue to speak out on this issue as president.
• Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Barack Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

White Knot For Marriage Equality

Join The Impact writes about 'Visibility in the Face of Rick Warren' where they are emphasizing a peaceful way of being in solidarity for the inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th President of the United States of America on January 20, 2009.

"Many have come to us with ideas on what to do for inauguration day in response to Rick Warren. Many want to turn their backs, boo when he speaks, or have a large march. In my opinion, though these are ideas that I would get behind in other situations, I do not think that this is the best way to respond at such an historical inauguration. If we as a community take attention away from such a historical event in a negative way, we risk alienating a great deal of those in the middle of this struggle who are just starting to understand what we are fighting for and why we deserve these rights. We DO need to stand up for our community in the face of Rick Warren, but I believe that there is a very positive way that we can do this that will send a message, spark the conversation of equality, and show Obama just how many people support our rights and DO NOT support this horrible choice. So on January 20th, we encourage all attending the inauguration, all going to inauguration viewing parties, and all who plan on watching in the privacy of their own home, to wear the White Knot for Marriage Equality. We hope to have 35% of the crowd at the inauguration sporting the White Knot OR a rainbow armband/rainbow flag, etc. Show your solidarity and visibility while allowing everyone the chance to take in this amazing event and begin to embrace change. It is this historical event, that we as a nation can share together… a common ground that everyone can find regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or class."

So, let's join in SOLIDARITY!

Serbian Gays Plead For Protection

 Thanks to fellow blogger, Andy, at UK Gay News, for reporting on this horrific story out of Serbia. i met Andy at the LGBTQ Blogger Summit in D.C. earlier this month. When i read this disturbing story it sickened me, especially since i have spent time in Belgrade, Serbia. i was not out then, but i found the people to be lovely, helpful, and extremely friendly. So this news just blew me away. This is why the UN Signatories decriminalizing homosexuality is so very important.Homophobia and bigotry of any kind must NOT be tolerated ANYWHERE!

BELGRADE, December 25, 2008  –  Please protect us.  That is the plea tonight from gays and lesbian in Serbia to their government, the police and the wider world this holiday season.

The staff and contributors of the Serbian gay and lesbian website Querria Centre, are constantly receiving death threats and threats of physical violence, it emerged this evening.

“Every day threats are being sent to the website’s official email address to the effect that the website is going to be hacked, that we are sick people who should be treated, that all of us (LGBT population) should be killed,” said Predrag Azdejković, the editor of Queeria and one of the main targets.

“Such threats are also posted among the comments made on the website.”

Two anti-Queeria groups have been formed on the Facebook website. One is called “Queeria, Pederi Marš iz Srbije” (Queeria, queers get out of Serbia) and has 406 members – it was created a month ago by Darko Ilic. (see screenshot below)

The other group is “СТОП ПЕДЕРИМА - КВИРИЈИ!” (Stop queers – Queeria) with 2,554 members and was created by Ivan Ivanovic.

Both are “open groups”.

Members of both groups are publicly advocating death threats to the activists at Queeria, whose photographs, Queeria say, are circulating among the members of both groups.

Additionally, the groups are advocating breaking and entering the Queeria Centre premises, as well as the homes of gay activists.

The groups suggest violence against all gays and lesbians population.

Read the rest of the story here.

The Religious Right Isn't Going Anywhere

Ok, so the culture war is still prevailing for the Religious Right even though Democrats made significant gains at the national level. They will be taking their strategy to the state level where they feel they have some leverage. The Religious Right is so concerned about the Left imposing their views upon society at large yet they are such hypocrites as well because they want and DO impose their views upon society. No one is innocent and we all have our views. Let's just be honest about it!

"My friends, this election is about much more than who gets what," Pat Buchanan declared in his famously inflammatory speech at the 1992 GOP national convention. "It is about who we are. It is about what we believe. It is about what we stand for as Americans. There is a religious war going on in our country for the soul of America. It is a cultural war, as critical to the kind of nation we will one day be as was the Cold War itself."

According to this article at AlterNet, The Religious Right has their reasons for staying in power:

"For a year or more in the run-up to the elections, we heard claims that the Religious Right is dead, dying or irrelevant and that the so-called Culture Wars are over, or about to be. Such declarations have turned out to be spectacularly wrong.

There are many reasons for the staying power of the Religious Right. Among them is an extraordinary infrastructure developed over decades, especially at the state level. This infrastructure is an important part of the reason the movement will be able to sustain, restore and replenish itself as the founding generation of Religious Right leaders passes from public life and why it will be able to regroup in the wake of national Republican electoral losses in 2008. But this is not the only reason.

The Religious Right is on a mission, or rather a cluster of interrelated missions. They are religious in nature and transcend not only electoral outcomes but the lives of individuals and institutions. This is much of the source of both the movement's resilience and its development of a vast capacity to move people and shape events to raise up leaders, and to field effective organizations able to wage electoral campaigns at all levels and effectively use the process of state ballot initiatives to drive wedge issues and, ultimately, their legislative and constitutional agenda.

That is why the Religious Right will be a major factor in American politics for at least as long as the life of anyone reading these words."

So, be prepared for the sustainability of the Religious Right, but don't get bogged down by it. Rather, be encouraged at our victories thus far, and be motivated to work hard for change. Sometimes when we feel demoralized and pushed down, something deep within us individually and collectively takes hold and shows us the way.

HRC Weekly Update

i just received this weeks update from Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). i think he strikes an appropriate balance in the letter and a great reminder to never give up nor to throw the baby out with the bath water. He, as i do, still sees President-Elect Obama as a great ally to our community despite the Rick Warren Debacle. He reminds us to keep fighting and working to keep people accountable. Our community must remember, in my opinion, to work on loving our enemies and remain tolerant, which is often a fine and delicate balance to achieve. i think in this season we can all be reminded to extend tolerance and strive to be more loving humans.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Adele,

As 2008 draws to a close, America is preparing for the change of our lifetime. Like many LGBT Americans, I have dreamed of and worked for this day to come. In 2009, an ally will occupy the White House. Divisive, anti-gay politics are leaving our executive branch. Our Congress will have more allies than ever. And our next Supreme Court justices will respect our fundamental rights. Through our work, our belief, our unyielding commitment to a better future for ourselves and our families, LGBT people helped to make this happen. All of you who attended Camp Equality training, who volunteered in phone banks, who donated your hard-earned money to a pro-equality candidate, and, most importantly, told your friends and family why our rights matter and how their votes can harm or protect them, to all of you I say thank you. 2008 was OUR year to win.

On the same day that America elected a fair-minded president who is a longstanding ally of civil rights and a professor of constitutional law, voters in California, Arizona, and Florida wrote discrimination into their constitutions. In California, Proposition 8 stripped citizens of the rights that the state's highest court had finally recognized last May. On November 5, as our nation celebrated a historic election, our community's grief turned into anger, and anger turned to action.

LGBT people and allies took to the streets and to the airwaves... we were everywhere. Showing the neighbors who had slighted us who we really are—not just families and friends and coworkers worthy of equal rights, but strong, resilient people who will fight for those rights.

My question to you is, will we?

It's the end of 2008, and the opportunities before us are vast. We can finally pass hate crimes legislation covering our entire community and a fully-inclusive ENDA; we can roll back eight years of bad Bush Administration policy on HIV, workplace protections for federal employees, and benefits for families.

In winning the elections, we did not pass these bills or secure these policies. Rather, we earned a fighting chance to pass them. The election opened a door that had long been locked. But what lies beyond the door is not a room full of treasures; no, what's beyond that door, what we're seeing now, is a steep, spiral staircase. What we won in this election is the chance to climb it. It's more than we've had in my memory, but it's not going to be easy.

And my experience tells me that a "fighting chance" is a good way to describe it, because we're going to have to fight for it.

This is a lesson of Prop 8 and of all of the discriminatory campaigns against us. It's the lesson of eight years of roadblocks to our legislation. The lesson is that when our community is getting ready to win, the other side fights hard. And they fight with lies. When we passed hate crimes in the last Congress, the haters rolled out every lie that they would later use to take away our rights in California. We harm religion. We harm children. We take over the schools. We put preachers in jail. The same lies.

In a way, it's comforting. I mean, if it were palatable to be an out-and-out bigot these days, our opponents could simply take out ads that say "hate the gays? Vote yes on 8!" But we are past that today. Today, people will turn against us if they're given a reason to fear us. And the same few lies serve that purpose every time—whether it's hate crimes or marriage at stake.

Our job is to beat back those same lies. Every time. When hate crimes comes up for a vote in 2009, will those of us who are standing up against the Prop 8 haters come out against those who would kill this bill? We must. We must stand up. We must never forget that even as we focus on the right to marry and the economic and spiritual benefits that it brings, we have a duty to protect our entire community's right to live without fear of being attacked for who we are. And we have a duty to stand up in this fight, and win it, because passing hate crimes legislation ten years after Matthew Shepard's death is a step toward marriage and every other community goal.

And like a spiral staircase, each step upward is a step in full circle: back to facing our enemies, back to the same set of falsehoods that every campaign against us uses, back to the same slanders, the same tired old bigoted players. But I do believe that we are climbing upward, even though we have not yet achieved so many of our goals. More Americans support marriage than ever before, and even in California, Prop 8 succeeded by far less than another anti-marriage initiative just eight years ago. Young people, LGBT or not, overwhelmingly believe in our rights, and are increasingly fighting for them. Employers are treating our families equally; faith communities are embracing us. Although we find ourselves facing the same people again and again, I truly believe that with each year that passes, we do so from higher ground.

But we cannot reach the top if we do not keep the heat on the other side, calling them to task. We cannot reach the top if we do not invest the same energy, time, and even anger into federal laws and policies that we have invested in fighting Proposition 8.

I know that especially after losing California, it is difficult to imagine how working on hate crimes, or an inclusive ENDA, or family benefits, or fair federal workplace policies, is going to move the ball forward for marriage. But it's clear to me that this is our path—upward and around, steadily and surely. It's clear to the right wing, which is why they try to block every measure that would help our community at all.

Martin Luther King once said that faith is taking the first step when you don't see the whole staircase. Many of you took that first step in speaking out against Proposition 8, or volunteering for Barack Obama, or coming out. Our equality—in our families, in our workplaces, and in our communities—is that staircase. It is linked together, and one measure follows from the next.

In this holiday season, we too, the LGBT community, are linked together with one future, one path, and one monumental task: to fight hate with truth. That is the next step that we will take together.

Happy holidays, and a happy new year.

Warmly,

Joe Solmonese
President, Human Rights Campaign