A beginner's guide to Iranian politics

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Thursday June 18, 2009 · 4:09 AM PDT

2009/06/18 · 04:09

This is mainly meant for my friends, coworkers, and anyone else who feels a little confused about what is happening in Iran. I realize that this is an extremely simplified version of history and events, but I only intend this to be a quick primer so people have some context in which to understand what is currently happen in Iran.

Nazakhstan

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Thursday June 04, 2009 · 8:44 AM PDT

2009/06/04 · 08:44

This will probably be a useless diary about me gushing about my husband, but since he won't let me gush at my friends lest I embarrass him, I am going to share with the dKos community. My incredibly supportive and feminist husband changed his last name to mine. Below is the email he sent to his family explaining it. To me this one of the many ways that our participation in the fight for marriage equality has strengthen and grown our relationship.

Poll

287 votes Show Results

When/if you get married would you change your name to your spouses?

287 votes Vote Now!

When/if you get married would you change your name to your spouses?

Yes

59 votes

162 votes

I will hyphenate

18 votes

I will make a new name all together

8 votes

Ocho Cinco baby!

40 votes

This is my America too!

Nazakhstan

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Tuesday May 26, 2009 · 11:54 AM PDT

2009/05/26 · 11:54

When you become a naturalized citizen of the United States you take an oath to defend the Constitution. I believe that the passage of Proposition 8 and CA Supreme Court decision to uphold it today weaken the very things that this country stands for. I am angry and sad but I do not despair, because I believe we already have the means necessary to win the fight for equality.

Nazakhstan

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Friday March 20, 2009 · 5:53 PM PDT

2009/03/20 · 17:53

By now most of you have hopefully seen the wonderful diary by PLU Tim of the President's address to Iranians today, the first day of our new year. Norooz, or Persian New Year, is celebrated each year on the first day of Spring which occurred at 4:44 a.m. PST today. So this morning all around America and the world Persians were gathering to simultaneously ring in the new year. The diary below is my attempt to explain the traditions and rituals that encompass Persian New Year as filtered through my own personal experiences.

Nazakhstan

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Wednesday January 21, 2009 · 11:36 AM PST

2009/01/21 · 11:36

Like many I was very disappointed in the lack of actual gay people in the No on Prop 8 campaign ads. I have attended town hall meetings in the Sacramento area and the Bay Area and this theme keeps coming up over and over again... where were the gay families? I have also heard from the dKos community and others that they wanted to donate money to the fight for marriage equality but felt burned by the No on Prop 8 campaign, which never thanked its donors, and the other more established organizations. So I was very excited to find the "get to know us first" organization.

Nazakhstan

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Tuesday November 25, 2008 · 4:50 PM PST

2008/11/25 · 16:50

I just received a mass email from the executive director of Equality California giving a brief description of the No on 8 campaign structure. The main points are posted below, if you want the full thing, email me and I will forward it to you . I will through the grapevine (hopefully) receive a more detailed analysis that is being generated by another consultant who was hired to do the post-op of the No on 8 campaign.

Nazakhstan

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Saturday November 22, 2008 · 10:26 PM PST

2008/11/22 · 22:26

It all began with the passage of Prop 8 which sent me into a tailspin for most of the next week. I drove 2 hrs down to San Francisco to protest in the streets along with thousands of other people. Marching down the streets defiantly chanting did make me feel better.

But I was ready to fight, really fight, put all my time and energy into fighting. If it seems weird to you that a straight married woman was this affected by the passage of prop 8 then read my other diary. So I signed up for every organization and volunteer opportunity that I could find. Equality Action Now (EAN) was the first to get back to me and invited me to participate in their online organizing chats. And that is how, earlier this week, I ended up in charge of a religious outreach group for EAN. Below is the story of my first week as a community organizer, I thought it might be helpful to other activist newbies who are getting their feet wet.

Nazakhstan

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Wednesday November 19, 2008 · 3:43 PM PST

2008/11/19 · 15:43

Okay folks this is going to be brief and to the point. I was pissed after prop 8 passed. I signed up on every list there is to volunteer and do something, I went to every protest. And now I am in charge of something... religious outreach for Equality Action Now. The idea is to set up a town hall meeting for all the religious organizations that are for marriage equality and then make an outreach plan to the religious communities that are not GBLT friendly.

Who better to talk to religious people than other religious people?

So far my task force is composed of three athiests and shaman. Obviously I need more help. So if you are in the greater Sacramento area and want to participate please email me at buglover AT gmail DOT com. If you are NOT the Sacramento area, you can still participate by helping us establish a directory of GBLT friendly churches in the area.

A lot of people on here, myself included, have been venting about how frustrated we were with the No on 8 campaign and the lack of outreach they did. This is our chance to fix that.

New regulations could redefine contraception as abortion

Nazakhstan

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Tuesday November 18, 2008 · 12:24 PM PST

2008/11/18 · 12:24

The Bush Administration is trying to push through last minute new regulations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that would allow health care providers to refuse to perform abortions or refer women to others who might.

These new "regulations" would prevent family planning clinics from "discriminating" against employees who are opposed to abortion on "religious or moral grounds," even if they're working at an abortion clinic, and even if they believe birth control is abortion. Additionally, they would also allow pharmacists to refuse birth control to Medicaid recipients and literally undo state laws that require hospitals to dispense EC to rape survivors.

The Ohio Health Department said the rule “could force family planning providers to hire employees who may refuse to do their jobs”

Nazakhstan

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Saturday November 15, 2008 · 8:13 PM PST

2008/11/15 · 20:13

The protest and rallies on Nov. 15th were in response to the passage of proposition 8, which "revised" California's constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. The anger over the passage of this proposition has sparked a huge grassroots movement, as evidenced by the protests all around the nation today. But what are we going to do with this amazing amount of energy that has been stirred up? Can we go beyond prop 8 and amend California's constitution to make discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation illegal?

Poll

63 votes Show Results

What should we do next?

63 votes Vote Now!

What should we do next?

Keep protesting

4 votes

"Call out Gay" on Dec 10, 2008

1 vote

Wait for the CA court ruling

16 votes

Pass a CA iintiative overturning prop 8

14 votes

Amend CA constitution to make discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation illegal

28 votes

Why this middle eastern immigrant scientist is fighting prop 8

Nazakhstan

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Wednesday November 12, 2008 · 7:48 PM PST

2008/11/12 · 19:48

I have been trying since November 4th to try to figure out why I desire to be involved in the fight against prop 8 so badly. I have always been politically active and there are a great many issues in this world that upset and anger me. But never have I felt something so deeply, and so fully, as my anger at the loss of marriage rights for same sex couples. I have friends and family members who are gay but that is not the entirety of where my desire to fight comes from. Over the last few days I think I have come to understand myself and my history a little bit better, and this diary is my attempt to explain to people why I am taking this fight so seriously.

Nazakhstan

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Friday November 07, 2008 · 2:35 PM PST

2008/11/07 · 14:35

I am not a diary writer so please forgive the brief into. I thought the dKos community in California might find the information below useful http://www.noonprop8.com/.... If you can't make it some of these events perhaps you can help publicize them.

I plan to attend the protest in San Francisco and Sacramento carrying a sign that will read:

My "traditional" marriage doesn't need your protection.

Feel free to steal the idea if it sounds good to you. I am also open to suggestions for a better sign.

RSS

A beginner's guide to Iranian politics

My husband changed his name today

This is my America too!

Obama wished Iranians a happy new year, wait it's new years?

Get to know someone gay

Synopsis of No on 8 campaign structure

Week 1 of being a community organizer (part I)

Prop 8 religious outreach

New regulations could redefine contraception as abortion

Why can't we amend CA's constitution?

Why this middle eastern immigrant scientist is fighting prop 8

List of protests against prop 8