Existential Punk

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.

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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

Letter to Pres-Elect Obama on Choice of Rev. Rick Warren to Deliver Invocation at 56th Presidential Inauguration

   "Today the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, sent the following letter to President-elect Obama on the selection of anti-gay reverend, Rick Warren, to deliver the invocation at the 56th Presidential Inauguration set to take place on the West Front of the United States Capitol on January 20th. "

Read the letter here. 

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Here is an email i sent to Obama's LGBTQ liason:

Dear Parag,

As an Obama supporter who donated time, money and energy to help him get elected, and a queer Christian woman, I am appalled by the choice of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at Obama's inauguration. It is one thing to pick people from the other team to build coalitions and bring reconciliation, but quite another to allow a homophobic man to participate in this historic event. Warren has been quoted saying only Christians should run for public office, marriage historically has been between a man and a woman, and why should we change laws to appease 2 percent of the population.

WTF is Obama thinking. i am so very disturbed and disappointed in this decision.

Best regards,

Adele Sakler

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security."
  - Benjamin Franklin

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YOU CAN EMAIL PARAG at parag.mehta@ptt.gov

HRC Buyers Guide

HRC has published its 2009 Buying For Equality Guide. i think this is a great idea and i appreciate all the hard work that goes into producing this shopping guide annually. i guess the beef i do have is that it is one-dimensional, whereas i try to be a multi-dimensional or holistic shopper. Just as i identify as a queer woman, being queer is only one aspect of my identity and not the totality of who i am. i appreciate and want to support companies that support the LGBTQ community and issues that affect us like partner benefits. Yet, for example, i cannot support a company that may support our community but is bad for the environment. i am not saying that all of the companies HRC gives a high rating to are bad in all areas. i just want to see a more holistic approach. Maybe HRC can be more proactive in this area. Especially if a company contributes to human rights abuse by using a company in China where sweat shops are rampant. Any thoughts or ideas?

LGBTQ Blogger Initiative Friday 5 December 2008

Friday night started off with a meet and greet sponsored by HRC and held at their office. We had cocktails and hordeurves. It was a little daunting for me even though i am normally a very outgoing person. Many people were already familiar with one another and i was not in an overly social mood. Yet, i was able to meet a few interesting folks later in the evening when we attended a screening at the Jewish Community Center in D.C. for the brand new Gus Van Sant film, Milk, starring Sean Penn, James Franco and Emile Hirsch.

"After moving to San Francisco, the middle-aged New Yorker, Harvey Milk, became a Gay Rights activist and city politician. On his third attempt, he was elected to San Francisco's Board of Supervisors in 1977, making him the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the USA. The following year, both he and the city's mayor, George Moscone, were shot to death by former city supervisor, Dan White, who blamed his former colleagues for denying White's attempt to rescind his resignation from the board." (imdb.com)

i REALLY enjoyed the film and learned a lot about that time in our community's history. "Milk" comes at n integral time in LGBTQ history for the fight for equality when ou community needs encouragement. The film is a great conversation piece with those on the other side of the debate who are open to dialogue and learning.

i think the acting and direction were top notch and hope to see Sean Penn and Emile Hirsch nominated for Oscars. The cinematography was incredible and looked like art the way it was filmed. It was shot entirely on location and the filmmakers actually recreated Milk's camera shop in the Castro in the original location!

After the film, there was a panel discussion introduced by Rep. Tammy Baldwin with Harvey Milk’s former intern and founder of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt Cleve Jones, (portrayed brilliantly in the film by Emile Hirsch) (NAMES Project , AIDS Quilt), Dustin Lance Black (Screenwriter), and Bruce Cohen (Screenwriter) where they answered questions about the new film about Harvey Milk. Here's a video clip from the panel. i highly recommend you watch it as it is very interesting!

Post "Milk" Screening Panel Discussion from Nathan Strang on Vimeo.

D.C. LGBTQ Blogger Initiative

Michael Rogers, Editor and publisher of Page One News Media, is leading a new blogger initiative "to help train gay bloggers and promote access to key political players and progressive organizations." HRC and Victory Fund along with philanthropist Jonathan Lewis are supporting the blogger initiative. i applied and was accepted. So, i will be heading to D.C. this Friday for the 3 day blogger initiative. i am VERY excited and honored to be a part of this.

 

"Rogers said the goal of the LGBT Bloggers & Citizen Journalist Initiative is to bring the online world together with traditional organizations that are sometimes lagging in the technology department.

Rogers said the initiative’s driving force is best encapsulated by a quote from Pam Spaulding, a lesbian blogger who writes at Pam’s House Blend: “You can ignore us, but we are journalists, we are activists, it’s all one now.”

The initiative will begin with a December summit of 50 bloggers and representatives of gay rights groups, including the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which are sponsors.

“The Human Rights Campaign understands the importance of online organizing, commentary and activism,” said Joe Solmonese, HRC’s president, in a statement. “This venture will help create a synergy between organizations and new media never before seen in our movement, and we are proud to be a part of it.”

HRC donated $5,000 to the initiative, and the Victory Fund gave $2,500. The two groups will also co-host a networking party for bloggers and staffers the weekend of the summit. Rogers projects that with other individual donations, funding will reach $70,000 by the conference.

HRC and the Victory Fund each maintain their own blogs, HRC Back Story and GayPolitics.com.

Rogers, who writes online at BlogActive.com, said he’s now seeking 35 people to participate in the three-day summit, which begins Dec. 5. Participants receive round-trip flights to D.C., hotel accommodations and free meals. More information is available at bloggerinitiative.com.

Members of progressive organizations, Capitol Hill staff and community leaders will meet with bloggers to help establish personal relationships, Rogers said.

The goal of the meetings, Rogers said, will be to facilitate partnerships for future projects, such as live-blogging events that are coordinated by the organizations."

 

World AIDS Day

HRC reports that today is World AIDS Day and honors those who have suffered and urges support of research and treatment. Please talk to your friends, family and loved ones about AIDS.

12/1/2008

WASHINGTON–On the 20th annual World AIDS Day, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights group, today called for a renewed focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment policy at the federal level. The organization encouraged the new Administration, along with the Senate and House leadership, to bring a more concentrated approach to the epidemic through the development of a National AIDS Strategy.

“Far too many across the world are still suffering from this terrible and preventable disease,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “It is time for a coordinated federal response to preventing and treating HIV/AIDS as well as programs designed to lower HIV incidence, increase access to HIV care, and reduce racial disparities in the epidemic and integrate HIV with STD, viral hepatitis and TB programs at the local level.”

Solmonese urged partnership among advocacy groups, the new presidential administration, and Congress.

“Our allies in Congress understand that a comprehensive effort must, among other things, rely on evidence-based policy and programming, set ambitious and credible targets for improved outcomes, and address social factors that increase vulnerability to infection.  The President-elect and his team know how critical it is to work across communities.  Reaching out to multiple sectors, to those most affected, will be key to the development of a National Aids Strategy,” continued Solmonese.

HRC also urged its members and supporters to participate in a global effort to donate unused computing power to researchers fighting HIV/AIDS around the world by participating in the World Community Grid Challenge. Grid computing joins together many individual computers, creating one of the world’s largest “virtual supercomputers” with massive, fast computational power that far surpasses that of other stand-alone supercomputers.

“World AIDS Day serves to increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education around HIV/AIDS issues,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “So many of us who care about this too-long-unresolved epidemic are looking for ways we can address this crisis. By simply participating in the World Community Grid, you can help those doing critical research access the resources they need to do their work.”

HRC has taken part in the World Community Grid since 2006. During that time, the HRC Team has contributed over 414 years of total run time, at a rank of 35 out of over 20,000 participating organizations.  The HRC Team alone donates 160 days of humanitarian research per calendar day.

HRC is challenging all teams on the World Community Grid to increase their participation and grow the amount of Run Time, which can be translated into years of research time and donated to vital humanitarian research. This is an easy way to volunteer and a way to give back, at no cost, during the Holiday Season and on World AIDS Day.

To participate, please take the following steps.

• If you already participate in the World Community Grid, all you need to do to join the HRC team is to  click on the web address below and then click on the “join now” button on the page that appears.
  http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/team/viewTeamInfo.do?teamId=LDRMH21ZP1 
• If you have not yet joined World Community Grid, just click on the link below. When you register, our team will be automatically selected for you. You will still need to download and install the World Community Grid software. 
  http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/reg/viewRegister.do?teamID=LDRMH21ZP1

The World AIDS Day Challenge starts on December 1 and ends on December 31, 2008.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

"Stop Being A Hater, Big Bro"

HT to HRC and Huffington Post for this  wonderful letter by Candace Gingrich:

"Dear Newt,

I recently had the displeasure of watching you bash the protestors of the Prop 8 marriage ban to Bill O'Reilly on FOX News. I must say, after years of watching you build your career by stirring up the fears and prejudices of the far right, I feel compelled to use the words of your idol, Ronald Reagan, "There you go, again."

However, I realize that you may have been a little preoccupied lately with planning your resurrection as the savior of your party, so I thought I would fill you in on a few important developments you might have overlooked.

The truth is that you're living in a world that no longer exists. I, along with millions of Americans, clearly see the world the way it as -- and we embrace what it can be. You, on the other hand, seem incapable of looking for new ideas or moving beyond what worked in the past.

Welcome to the 21st century, big bro. I can understand why you're so afraid of the energy that has been unleashed after gay and lesbian couples had their rights stripped away from them by a hateful campaign. I can see why you're sounding the alarm against the activists who use all the latest tech tools to build these rallies from the ground up in cities across the country.

This unstoppable progress has at its core a group we at HRC call Generation Equality. They are the most supportive of full LGBT equality than any American generation ever -- and when it comes to the politics of division, well, they don't roll that way. 18-24 year olds voted overwhelmingly against Prop 8 and overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. And the numbers of young progressive voters will only continue to grow. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning, about 23 million 18-29 year olds voted on Nov. 4, 2008 -- the most young voters ever to cast a ballot in a presidential election. That's an increase of 3 million more voters compared to 2004.

These are the same people who helped elect Barack Obama and sent a decisive message to your party. These young people are the future and their energy will continue to drive our country forward. Even older Americans are turning their backs on the politics of fear and demagoguery that you and your cronies have perfected over the years.

This is a movement of the people that you most fear. It's a movement of progress -- and your words on FOX News only show how truly desperate you are to maintain control of a world that is changing before your very eyes.

Then again, we've seen these tactics before. We know how much the right likes to play political and cultural hardball, and then turn around and accuse us of lashing out first. You give a pass to a religious group -- one that looks down upon minorities and women -- when they use their money and membership roles to roll back the rights of others, and then you label us "fascists" when we fight back. You belittle the relationships of gay and lesbian couples, and yet somehow neglect to explain who anointed you the protector of "traditional" marriage. And, of course, you've also mastered taking the foolish actions of a few people and then indicting an entire population based on those mistakes. I fail to see how any of these patterns coincide with the values of "historic Christianity" you claim to champion.

Again, nothing new here. This is just more of the blatant hypocrisy we're used to hearing.

What really worries me is that you are always willing to use LGBT Americans as political weapons to further your ambitions. That's really so '90s, Newt. In this day and age, it's embarrassing to watch you talk like that. You should be more afraid of the new political climate in America, because, there is no place for you in it.

In other words, stop being a hater, big bro."

"FindingThe Silver Lining In Defeat"

The Advocate has a great article by HRC President, Joe Solmonese, on the post-election news on the marriage equality fight. It is an op-ed about moving beyond Prop 8 and looking ahead to the new presidential administration and Congress

What follows is an excerpt and the entire article can be read here.

"Three weeks ago, like many LGBT Americans, I woke up with, to say the least, mixed feelings. The euphoria of Barack Obama’s election and the expansion of the pro-LGBT majority in Congress was tempered by sadness and anger at our devastating losses in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, and, of course, California. The silver lining of these defeats has been a renewed focus nationwide on the issue of marriage equality. . ."

California has made progress. In 2000 the anti-gay ballot initiative passed by 21 points. 8 years later, Prop 8 ONLY passed by LESS THAN 5 points. So, in a short time, we HAVE made progress. This past Tuesday night Newt Gingrich's sister, Candace Gingrich, HRC Youth and Campus Outreach Program director, was on MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann to discuss Prop 8 and the fight for marriage equality. The clip is below:

Dr. Phil and Prop 8

Friday - November 21, 2008

Same-Sex Marriage: Prop 8 Debate

It’s a hot-button topic in California and around the country: The passage of Proposition 8, which reinstated a ban on same-sex marriage. Supporters of this initiative voted to preserve the sanctity of marriage solely between a man and a woman. Opponents of Prop 8 say it violates the constitutional rights of the gay community and that America’s laws should treat everyone equally. Since Election Day, numerous protests and rallies have been organized to overturn the law, and the debates are getting heated regarding this highly personal and controversial topic. Dr. Phil’s guests debate their opposing points of view: Discrimination attorney Gloria Allred, president of the Human Rights Campaign Joe Solmonese, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Pastor Jim Garlow, president of National Organization of Marriage Maggie Gallagher and co-campaign manager for the Yes on 8 Campaign Jeff Flint. Whatever your beliefs, you won’t want to miss this show!

From Dr. Phil.com

"We Won, We Lost. What's Next for 2009?"

The president of HRC was interviewed by MetroWeekly, a Washington-DC gay publication. In this interview, Joe looks ahead to working with the new administration to get key pieces of LGBT legislation passed - and talks about what the passage of Prop 8 in California means for the movement:

METRO WEEKLY: From your -- or your organization's -- perspective, what is the most immediate effect of the presidential election on the LGBT community?

JOE SOLMONESE: We have just witnessed an historic presidential election - for many of us its been life-changing, inspiring, and groundbreaking. The Human Rights Campaign was proud to throw its full support behind Sen. Barack Obama, who has consistently shown that he understands, as we do, that LGBT rights are civil rights, and human rights. The most immediate impact is already apparent: inclusion. For the first time, sexual orientation and gender identity have been listed in the employment opportunity and hiring clause on the incoming administrations website. While it may appear relatively simple, it strengthens a path that is inclusive of our community.

MW: Since the 1990s, a small number of LGBT issues have consistently emerged at federal legislative level: gays in the military, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, partner immigration, hate crimes and marriage equality. With a Democratic congress and president, which of those issues do you believe should be prioritized?

SOLMONESE: As we anticipate this historic administration and increased numbers of fair-minded lawmakers in Congress, we are mindful of the serious crises that immediately face our nation and our new president. We look forward to working with the Obama administration to help roll back eight-years of the wrong-headed Bush policies and put our country back on track. The new Congress and administration represent the best opportunity we've ever had to finally protect all Americans from hate crimes and to ensure workplace protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We strongly believe that it is important to have a plan in place for each piece of legislation we are working to pass. In the months ahead, we'll work to keep transparency with the community and to set appropriate expectations.

MW: Will Congress be able to pass a trans-inclusive ENDA?

SOLMONESE: It has been our goal and will remain our goal to pass a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act. We will continue to do the hard work of educating Members of Congress on the need for crucial workplace protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This work will continue until all members of our community no longer fear being fired for who they are. As we've witnessed many times before, conservative groups and the religious right will be mobilizing against us. But with a stronger Congress and a voice in the White House, we'll fight back to ensure protections for the entire LGBT community.

MW: Protections for and recognition of LGBT federal employees have often been attacked under the Bush administration. How do you believe the landscape will change for LGBT federal workers under the new administration? Will Obama's pledge to extend domestic partner benefits come through?

SOLMONESE: This election represents a paradigm shift. For the past eight years, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was a dead end for our community. Now the LGBT community will have a voice at the highest level of government. We're already witnessing inclusion and protections in the Obama transition team. This past September, we witnessed the first-ever hearing on the need for federal employee partner benefits in the U.S. Senate. HRC will work with our Congressional allies to get this legislation reintroduced in the 111th Congress, which would bring the federal government up to the standards of America's leading employers, who provide these benefits in order to recruit and retain the most talented workforce possible. President-elect Obama believes equal pay for equal work is a value fundamental to American opportunity.

MW: The Bush administration has been lauded for its work in Africa on HIV/AIDS. How do you think an Obama administration will influence HIV/AIDS policy in the U.S.?

SOLMONESE: HIV/AIDS remains a national crisis, particularly among gay and bisexual men and communities of color. President-elect Obama has pledged that, in the first year of his presidency, he 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. It is also important that prevention includes comprehensive sex education in our schools, rather than the discredited, often scientifically inaccurate abstinence-only programs, which ignore LGBT youth and deny all students the tools they need to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases.

MW: What does the loss on same-sex marriage in California -- as well as Arizona and Florida -- plus the barring of adoption rights in Arkansas say about the state of GLBT issues in America?

On election night, our community felt the emotions of electing a pro-equality President and expanding our numbers in Congress and state houses across the country, but the next morning our hearts were broken as the dust settled and it was clear we lost the marriage ballot measures in California, Florida and Arizona as well as adoption in Arkansas. We all know that our marriages and families did not begin with a court decision and they will not end with a vote on a discriminatory amendment. Although we lost our battles in these states, we will not allow the lies and hate-the foundation on which our opponents built their campaign-to break our spirits. We are on the right side of history and the continuing movement in public opinion underscores that it is only a matter of time before we undo this loss and add more states to the march for equality.

MW: A number of rationales have emerged for the California loss -- minority voters supporting both Obama and Prop. 8, low turnout in some areas such as San Francisco, ''No on 8'' messages that avoided being too ''gay,'' etc. -- what do you think needs to be addressed among those in order to move forward in that state?

Anger directed at any group of people is completely misdirected. Have we directed our anger at white men, who voted for Prop. 8 51 percent to 41 percent? At rural people? At voters over age 49? Should we spray paint an assisted living facility? No. We must reject our instinct to lay blame at the feet of any group. There is no denying, as we pick ourselves up after losing this most recent, hard-fought battle, that we've been injured, many of us by neighbors who claim to respect us. But we are moving in the right direction. In 2000, California voters passed Proposition 22 by a margin of 61.4 percent to 38.6 percent. On Election Day, fully 48 percent of Californians rejected Proposition 8. Everything we've learned points to one simple fact: people who know us are more likely to support our equality.