This is a daily call to action for GLBT issues. I wrote a longer explanation of our purpose here, but the goal is to simply keep Congress' minds on GLBT legislation while winning the hearts and minds of the American people one step at a time, through a constant stream of GLBT activism and education about our issues and discussion of why Americans should support us.
First up, a decidedly apolitical action. Yesterday, Kossack JR let us know about this story:
A northern Mississippi school district decided Wednesday not to host a high school prom after a lesbian student demanded she be able to attend with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.
That's right, the school district canceled an entire prom, probably humiliating the shit out of this poor girl as well as leaving her without the chance to experience her prom with her girlfriend.
Today she is returning to school:
"My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I'm still proud of who I am," McMillen told the AP in a telephone interview. "The fact that this will help people later on, that's what's helping me to go on."
JR and other Kossacks have stepped up though, and are in the process of helping fix this:
So here's what I propose: we throw them a prom.
[...]
By my reckoning, what we need is a venue, refreshments, entertainment, and probably insurance. I've done quite a bit of events planning (if you're in DC on 3/23, come to this one, by the way!), including a fair number of fundraisers and political rallies. I think that we can probably pull this one off in moderate-to-grand style for under $5,000. I know that this site can easily raise that much.
Several Kossacks have already offered their help with this, and JR has provided his email address for people who want to do something:
If you think you can help out, with money or planning or fundraising or just writing the school board to get them to reverse their decision (which is obviously the best possible outcome), please drop me an email at gerbilsbite (at) yahoo (dot) com, and I'll try to keep organizing.
I don't think I can write a series of daily action items for GLBT issues without calling attention to this effort. It is not political but it is simply unfair and should be corrected. Please read his posts and updates. I'm not affiliated with his efforts in a big enough way where talking to me about it would help much, I just want to keep this out there.
We could do a lot of good showing how unfair and wrong all of this is and how they're hurting an innocent young girl because they're narrow minded bigots.
There is a Facebook page. Please join!
Also the ACLU is filing suit on her behalf.
See JR's post for more updates.
UPDATE: There is now a site for donations to organize an inclusive prom!
HOW TO GIVE: To support the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition's "Second Chance Prom Fund," and help Constance and the students of IAHS have a prom they can be proud of, click here! Funds are being handled by the Mississippi ACLU.
After you give, either specify that this is for the Prom Fund in the "Address 2" line or email Jennifer Carr directly at jcarr (at) aclu-ms (dot) org, and let her know how to direct your gift.
Employment Non-Discrimination Act
Robyn tells me that March 16th is ENDA Lobbying Day.
What does that mean?
On Tuesday, March 16, there will be a lobby day specifically for ENDA in Washington, D.C.. LGBT people and allies from around the country who support ENDA will be there. I will be there. Will you?
This lobbying effort is happening because we were promised a House vote this month.
Let them know if you live in one of these states:
If you are from one of these eight states, and you are a currently-unemployed LGBT person who is unemployed because of job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the Bilerico Project would like to help you get there.
* Alaska
* Arkansas
* Florida
* Indiana
* North Carolina
* North Dakota>
* Ohio
* West Virginia
As a reminder, here is the current ENDA bill, with 198 cosponsors. Phone numbers will be at the bottom of this post.
More information here!
This weekend the Unite + Fight Conference will be held to rally support for ENDA and other GLBT legislation at the Columbia College campus in Chicago, Illinois. Much, much more at that link.
President-related
If this doesn't make you send at least a few letters, nothing will ever make you active. Karl Rove blames US GAYS for causing the Federal Marriage Amendments and banning marriage in 11 states! He says in his book that we brought this on ourselves:
"Gay marriage was an ugly fight we had not asked for but could win if we handled with care," says Rove in his (probably) intolerable new book Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight. "Done right, our response to gay marriage could show it was possible to bring a courteous and caring tone to a divisive issue. The issue also revealed the nuttiness of the Left, which never saw how persistent America’s traditionalism really was. Instead, the Left seemed convinced that Bush and I engineered the issue’s emergence to drive Bush partisans to the polls. But, of course, it was a liberal supreme court that brought the issue to the fore."
This article mentions an often overlooked area in which we all need to be more active:
Each year, the U.S. government funds thousands of capital projects and programs for communities. We in the LGBT community must begin to make that a priority and take the bureaucratic and political steps to fund our projects. After all, we are tax-paying citizens, no different from other communities already receiving not millions but billions of dollars for brick and mortar for their communities. We are not addressing funding for HIV/AIDS: We are specifically dealing with LGBT community funding. But the government won’t know that unless we take the proper steps to address this ourselves by researching what programs are offered and applying. This is the next frontier of activism and equality.
Imagine the importance this president would put on our issues if we addressed them on his many visits across the country.
All of that is incredibly reasonable and something that would promote our community in a lot of better, more constructive ways.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
We all need to stop what we're doing. Right now. And call our senators and congressmen, tell them we want DADT Repeal in the Defense Authorization bill. We need it in that bill as an amendment. That is its best chance of passage.
Senate Democrats say that if legislation falters, they could include an amendment in the 2011 defense authorization to repeal the law, which would force the GOP to pull together 60 votes to remove it. In the meantime, Levin said he is exploring the possibility of instituting a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" moratorium, to prevent more troops from being expelled under the policy, while the Pentagon conducts its review.
It will pass if it is placed in that bill. Please help me make this happen!
Another person is losing their career and livelihood over this policy:
Lancaster resident Aristides Fokas was notified in February that he was being suspended from his duties with the 28th Infantry Division due to a conversation he had with another chaplain last summer in which he allegedly violated "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell."
He denies the allegation and the ArmyTimes writes an amazing article in his defense:
LANCASTER, Pa. — Surgeons went to work on five Marines mangled by a roadside bomb.
Multiple blasts near Ramadi, west of Baghdad, had torn off the legs of one soldier. Another Marine required amputation of both legs.
Though the time for prayers would come, Army National Guard chaplain Aris Fokas saw the immediate need in the operating room was for an extra set of hands.
He offered his as doctors and nurses labored late into the night in December 2005.
Must read. It's a national security issue. National. Security. Repeat over and over. This ban hurts our security. It makes us more vulnerable to security lapses.
What would've happened if the Arabic translators hadn't gotten fired before 9/11 for being gay? I can't say they would've stopped anything but I can't say they would not have, either.
Marriage Equality and DOMA
DC clergies support and urge marriage equality.
Another argument to use in letters and phone calls: Gay marriage has been good for the Washington DC economy. This will speak to the corporatist conservatives, as it is pro-business and would likely gain them more money in shares or in their own businesses.
Jobs, jobs, jobs.
The first gay marriages in Mexico City are happening.
The Masters have spoken:
The second [and more important] thing that surprised me: Olsen and Boies believe that this case can have no bad outcome.
If the Supreme Court rules against us, they said, the Justices are likely to decide that whether gay marriage is permitted should be left up to the states.
And the third – and most surprising – thing:
Boies and Olsen believe that this case will be decided by the Supreme Court by fall 2011.
They seemed very confident according to this article, in their Q&A session and they were definitely confident during the interview they did for Towleroad.
One of the important points they keep making, though, is that this trial isn't the END of GLBT activism. We need to be out there winning hearts and minds as much as we can. Making calls, persuading people, writing LTEs.
The bill to repeal DOMA is stalled and could use some phone calls and letters. Please direct your attention to these committees:
Referred to the House Judiciary Committee
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. (10/19/2009)
And this op-ed, by Michael freaking Gerson of all people, inadvertently shows us how much personal outreach is working:
A May 2009 Gallup poll found that more Americans, for the first time, describe themselves as "pro-life" than "pro-choice." A February CNN-Time poll found that half of Americans, for the first time, believe that homosexuality is "not a moral issue." This divergence says something about successful social movements in America.
Pro-life activists have made far less legal progress than have advocates for gay rights, in part because the courts have played an active role in discouraging democracy on abortion.
[...]
Advances in the homosexual rights movement have been broader. The movement's progress is perhaps the most pronounced social change of the past few decades. Homosexual marriage remains a two-sided debate, but two-thirds of Americans favor civil unions for homosexual couples, according to an ABC/Washington Post poll. The claim of basic rights for homosexuals -- to be left alone, free from harassment -- is conceded even by most critics of homosexual marriage. While there is serious opposition to gay nuptials, there is no serious movement for the return of sodomy laws and social discrimination.
We all need to be raising GLBT awareness constantly.
That only reaffirms my commitment to this series.
So, write House Reps!
Write Senators!
Be nice but assertive.
The best way to get a message across, though, is to contact the House and the Senate's Judiciary Committees. They're the ones who deal with civil rights legislation. Again, whether or not specific members support or oppose us, contact them. The idea is to promote new arguments and new ways of thinking on these issues to help build consensus. Even sending a message to a vehemently antigay congressperson will help us plant these ideas into their subconscious.
House Judiciary
Senate Judiciary
And here's how to email or write the President:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Please include your e-mail address
Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
The ACLU tells you how to effectively write Letters to the Editor.
Since all politics is local, contact your state legislators and tell them what you think about these policies. They should hear from all of us whether they agree with us or not.
C'mon! Let's take a few minutes out of our day to change things ourselves!