National Equality March: Oct '09

National Equality March

The GA Supreme Court Made Me Smile

Sometimes it pays off to have the news as background noise. 11 Alive just gave a report that made smile. In fact, the news makes me want to give each of the Justices of the Georgia Supreme Court a high five; however, I don't think it would be well received. But you have to admit, it would be a great photo moment to see a happily flaming me high-fiving the seven Justices in their robes. You know you'd pay to see it.



The following is from Sovo:

Ga. Supreme Court rules against ban against allowing kids around father's gay friends

The Georgia Supreme Court tossed out part of a Fayette County court’s decision that kept a divorced gay father from allowing his children to interact with his gay friends, according to a ruling today from the state Supreme Court.

In the ruling, Justice Robert Benham wrote the high court acknowledges that trial courts have the discretion to "limit a parent’s exposure of the children to certain people, if it can be shown that the children would be adversely affected."

In this case, the Supreme Court justices rejected Fayette County Superior Court Judge Christopher Edwards' ban on having the gay father bring his gay friends around his children. Edwards has been nominated to fill the a seat on the state Supreme Court after Chief Justice Leah Sears steps down at the end of June.

“The blanket prohibition against exposure of the children to members of the gay and lesbian community who are acquainted with husband is another matter,” says today's opinion. “There is no evidence in the record before us that any member of the excluded community has engaged in inappropriate conduct in the presence of the children or that the children would be adversely affected by exposure to any member of that community.”

Hannibal Heredia represented the gay father, Eric Mongerson, in an appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court and said the order created an unreal living situation for his client.

“He literally could go into a mall with his and if he saw one his friends he'd have to go the other way, that's how openly worded the order was,” he said today.

The opinion by Benham further states: “The prohibition against contact with any gay or lesbian person acquainted with husband assumes, without evidentiary support, that the children will suffer harm from any such contact. Such an arbitrary classification based on sexual orientation flies in the face of our public policy that encourages divorced parents to participate in the raising of their children…and constitutes an abuse of discretion.” As a result, “we vacate the blanket prohibition against exposure of the children to husband’s gay and lesbian acquaintances."


Click here for the rest of the article.

Obama and The Gays

Yesterday, President Obama released a press statement proclaiming June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. This is fine and dandy, almost like a hard candy Christmas.

I think it is great that President Obama references Stonewall. I think it is great that he calls on Americans to end discrimination; however, I would rather President Obama his promise of repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Back in January, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs answered questions from the Public on Youtube. "Thadeus of Lansing, Mich., asks, 'Is the new administration going to get rid of the "don't ask, don't tell policy?'" Gibbs answered,"Thadeus, you don't hear a politician give a one-word answer much. But it's, 'Yes.'" We need to call on President Obama and ask him to cash in that "yes."

Back in April of 2008, I interviewed two veterans and asked about Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Check out that interview here.


Below is the President Obama's proclamation as it appears on www.whitehouse.gov:

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

Links: Stimulus $ to Gay Cop Ban to Liberty College & More!

recovery.GOV vs recovery.ORG


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Peru has announced that it will ban homosexuals from the police force for damaging the image of the institution.


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A May 28 press release from Housing Works alerted the media that as many as 60 Canadians had been turned away from the U.S. border in spite of "stated U.S. policy that foreigners living with HIV would no longer be barred from entering the country."


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A survey of dozens of women who fled violence in Darfur found that a third of them reported or showed signs of rape, and revealed a widespread fear of sexual violence in their refugee camp in Chad, a human rights group reported Sunday.


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Taking a semester off to travel and focus on writing isn't that unusual for a student at Brown University. But instead of studying comparative literature in Europe, Kevin Roose decided to go to Lynchburg, Va., and enroll at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.


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General Motors’ bondholders finished voting Saturday on the company’s plan to exchange their debt for an ownership stake as high as 25 percent in G.M., the final obstacle to an orderly bankruptcy for the ailing carmaker.


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Tony Awards: Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre. My Dolly is nominated!

Denver 3rd Grader Supports Marriage Equality

Keith Olbermann-- "Worst Person in The World"

Keith Olbermann, please marry me. You can pick the state. We have a handful to choose from.

Georgia Takes A Stand

I am about to type something that is extremely difficult for me to type. I am proud of Gov. Sonny Perdue. If you live in Georgia (or have lived in Georgia at any point during Perdue's reign) you are probably wanting to know how such a thing is possible. Well, no matter how much I may not like you or agree with you, if you do something that deserves credit, well, I'll give it. Yesterday, Gov. Perdue earned a smiley-face sticker when he signed Senate Bill 170 into law. Sonny, thank you for not screwing up something good!

Senator David Adelman (pictured to the left) deserves a pat on the back for being the main sponsor of SB 170. He represents Senate District 42, which consists of Decatur(County Seat), Avondale Estates, Chamblee, Clarkston, Doraville, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stone Mountain. When you have a moment, send Senator David Adelman an email at david.adelman@senate.ga.gov thanking him for sponsoring SB 170. (I sent mine.)

Gov. Sonny Perdue has signed legislation banning Georgia government agencies from entering into contracts with companies that have business interests in Sudan.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. David Adelman, said the new law is designed to sanction the Sudanese government and stop mass genocide taking place in the nation's southern region of Darfur. Adelman said militias doing the killing in Darfur receive financial backing from foreign companies involved in Sudan's oil, power, mining, and military sectors.

The bill took effect Wednesday as the governor signed it into law at the state Capitol.
(Taken from 11Alive)

If a company decides to hide any business with the Sudanese government, the company could face one of three actions:

(1) The company shall be liable for a civil penalty in an amount that is equal to the greater of $250,000.00 or twice the amount of the contract for which a bid or proposal was submitted;
(2) The state agency or the Department of Administrative Services may terminate the contract with the company; and
(3) The company shall be ineligible to, and shall not, bid on a state contract for a period of not less than three years from the date the state agency determines

ABC: Gay Bashing at a Straight Sports Bar

Elected Officials Too Good to Pay Their Taxes?

A few weeks ago I heard rumblings that there are members of the Georgia Senate and House of Representatives behind on paying their state taxes. Then the AJC ran an article on the issue. Now, 11 Alive has tackled the issue.

There are 16 House Representatives and 3 Senators who are not up to date on their taxes. 11 Alive has placed calls to elected officials giving them a chance to comment on whether or not their taxes are paid. Click here to see who 11 Alive is waiting to hear from and who has cooperated with 11 Alive. The elected officials won't remain nameless forever. Once they have been served papers from the Georgia Department of Revenue and given time to respond, their names will available to the public.

Senator Eric Johnson (pictured above), Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, in some circles, is receiving credit for trying to crack down on his peers who aren't paying their taxes. Before you praise Senator Eric Johnson, please note that a majority of the lawmakers who are not current on their taxes have been delinquent for a couple of years or more. Why did Senator Eric Johnson wait so long to raise the red flag? Oh, I guess his candidacy for Lt. Governor has something to do with it.

A message for Senator Eric Johnson: At first, some of the good citizens of Georgia will probably fall for your "I care routine," but it won't take them to see you treat politics like a game of poker, and sir, you play dirty. Your actions show your interest lies within your desire for power. For the sake of your own dignity, please stop the pathetic pandering for votes, and do what an elected official should do-- genuinely look out for the citizens of Georgia.

Let us turn our attention to Senator Valencia Seay (pictured to the right). When 11 Alive called Senator Valencia Seay to ask about her Georgia tax status, well, she told 11 Alive it is none of their business. Woah---I did not see that answer coming from a Senator who has been serving since 2002. Is it just me or is Senator Seay telling her constituents and the rest of Georgia that she is above public disclosure?

Senator Valencia Seay serves as the Minority Caucus Vice Chair, which makes this matter even more disappointing. She is in a leadership position, and leaders should lead by example. I am happy that most of her peers are not following her example!

Contact Senator Valencia Seay to tell her to disclose whether or not she is current on her taxes. I especially urge the people of Senate District 31 to hold Senator Valencia Seay accountable. Is Senator Valencia Seay who the people of District 31 want respresenting them?

Senator Seay's Contact Information
Email: valencia.seay@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office Phone: 404-656-5095
Capitol Office Fax: 404-657-9728

I sent my email to Senator Valencia Seay asking her to disclose whether or not she is up to date with her Georgia taxes. Of course, I will share what she has to say in I Was Born Doing Reference Work in Sin.


Remember: If we don't hold our elected officials accountable, who will?

UPDATE: Senator Seay speaks!

Senate Bill 16 Update

On Wednesday, February 26, the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities was supposed to meet. This was an important meeting because Senate Bill 16 was supposed to be discussed. If the committee had met, if the members were of fair mind, Senate Bill 16 could have been released from committee to be scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor; however, quorum was not met.

As you might have guessed, the people at the top of this entry are your State Senators who did not show for the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities. From left to right you will find the following State Senators: (First row)Ross Tolleson- District 20, Mitch Seabaugh- District 28, Jack Murphy- District 27, (Second row) Jack Hill- District 4, and Gloria Butler- District 55. I am not sure why these Senators neglected their committee duties. I am sure they have a good reason as to why they failed to represent. Maybe Senator David Shafer, the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Chairman will press them for the reasons of their lack of attendance. I was in the emergency room for eight hours on 2/26/09, and I still made the time to call Senator David Shafer to tell him to use every ounce of his influence to make sure SB 16 is released from committee!

Senators Eric Johnson, Dan Moody, Tommie Williams, and Renee Unterman were also not in attendance for the 2/26/09 Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities committee meeting. A reliable source informed me that Senator Renee Unterman has been absent from her Senatorial obligations due to a family emergency, so I want to wish her all the best. Senators Eric Johnson, Dan Moody, and Tommie Williams were not able to make to the meeting because they were already attending a Senate Education and Youth Committee meeting that started late and before the Regulated Industries and Utilities; therefore, they missed the Regulated Industries and Utilities.

This Wednesday, the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities will meet. I ask that you hold your elected officials accountable. Tell the members of the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities that you want them to uphold their duties as our elected officials and attend this committee meeting. Then, if you are so inclined, ask them be fair-minded. Remind these State Senators that supporting Senate Bill 16 is not showing support for "Sunday Sales." Support for Senate Bill 16 is a State Senator's show of support for citizens to have a voice in their government. Isn't having a voice in our government, in our laws, isn't that what our government is all about?

You might think, Well, none of these Senators represent my district. Doesn't matter! These Senators need to know the opinions of all Georgians to do their job as a committee member. State Senators and House Representatives often go on to seek state wide offices, and this is the case with Senators David Shafer and Eric Johnson; these two Senators are going to battle for the office of Lieutenant Governor. I have more to say on this topic, but Senate Bill 16 is the issue at hand!


Please, contact the members of the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities before Wednesday; since time is of essence, please contact the members via phone or fax. Here is the contact information for the committee members:

David Shafer (Chairman): 404-656-0048 (phone), 404-651-6768 (fax)
Eric Johnson (Vice Chairman): 404-656-5109 (phone), 404-657-9727 (fax)
Ed Harbison (Secretary): 404-656-0074 (phone), 404-463-5547 (fax)
Gloria Butler: 404-656-0075 (phone), 404-657-9728 (fax)
Steve Hensen: 404-656-0085 (phone), 404-651-7078 (fax)
Jack Hill: 404-656-5038 (phone), 404-657-7094 (fax)
Dan Moody: 404-463-8055 (phone), 404-651-6768 (fax)
Jack Murphy: 404-656-7127 (phone), 404-463-1381 (fax)
Mitch Seabaugh: 404-656-6446 (phone), 404-651-6768 (fax)
Doug Stoner: 404-463-2518 (phone), 404-651-6767 (fax)
Ross Tolleson: 404-656-0081 (phone), 404-651-6767 (fax)
Renee Unterman: 404-463-1368 (phone), 404-651-6768 (fax)
Tommie Williams: 404-656-0089 (phone), 404-463-5220 (fax)

If you'd like a short, sweet, and generic message to fax, well, here you go:
I request that you do everything within your power to make sure Senate Bill 16 is released from the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. I believe your support for Senate Bill 16 shows your support for allowing the citizens of Georgia to have a voice in their government.

SHARE THIS INFORMATION!

"Sex experts speak out at Capitol"

Rep Hill to the left. Rep Byrd to the right.

A couple of weeks ago I pointed my finder at State Representative Calvin Hill because he was pointing his finger at some distinguished professors at Georgia State University.

Here is a 2/10/09 update from the AJC

Legislators back off, praise GSU experts on sex issues

Instructors testify that they have done research on HIV, teen sex attitudes
By AARON GOULD SHEININ

An expected showdown over sex experts at Georgia State University failed to materialize Tuesday after the school’s professors wowed the House Higher Education Committee and a leading legislative critic backed off.

The minor controversy had flared last week after Rep. Calvin Hill (R-Canton) e-mailed supporters lambasting the University System of Georgia for offering classes in oral sex, male prostitution and “queer theory,” which is a field of of gender studies. He later learned the document he saw was not a course listing, but rather a copy of GSU’s experts guide, which provides journalists and policy researchers access to faculty with different expertise.

But Hill also learned several other universities in the state offer classes with the word “queer” in the title. He was joined by Rep. Charlice Byrd (R-Woodstock) who took the House floor to criticize universities for paying for experts in oral sex and male prostitution.

Two of those experts spoke to the House committee Tuesday. Kirk Elifson is listed as an expert in male prostitution. He said he became an expert while serving as a captain in the Army in Vietnam and later became a professor. The Centers for Disease Control, he said, sought out his expertise to help with the growing AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.

“We’ve done some cutting-edge research in HIV,” he said. “I’m proud of the work I’ve done.”

....Click here for the rest of the article......



ALSO...

Here is an AJC article from 2/11/09:

Sex experts speak out at Capitol

Legislator blames media for distorting his criticism
By Aaron Gould Sheinin

An expected showdown over sex experts at Georgia State University failed to materialize Tuesday after the school’s professors wowed the House Higher Education Committee and a leading legislative critic backed off.

The minor controversy had flared last week after Rep. Calvin Hill (R-Canton) e-mailed supporters lambasting the University System of Georgia for offering classes in oral sex, male prostitution and “queer theory,” which is a field of gender studies. He later learned the document he saw was not a course listing, but rather a copy of GSU’s experts guide, which provides journalists and policy researchers access to faculty with different expertise.

But Hill also learned several other universities in the state offer classes with the word “queer” in the title. He was joined by Rep. Charlice Byrd (R-Woodstock), who took the House floor to criticize universities for paying for experts in oral sex and male prostitution.

.....Click here for the rest of the article.....

"That's So Gay"~ Sykes & Duff

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

"You’re Likable Enough, Gay People"

"You’re Likable Enough, Gay People" by Frank Rich was published in print today and online yesterday by The New York Times. The article is making its rounds on Facebook, Myspace, and everywhere else; however, I want it in my blog:



You’re Likable Enough, Gay People
by: Frank Rich

IN his first press conference after his re-election in 2004, President Bush memorably declared, “I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it.” We all know how that turned out.

Barack Obama has little in common with George W. Bush, thank God, his obsessive workouts and message control notwithstanding. At a time when very few Americans feel very good about very much, Obama is generating huge hopes even before he takes office. So much so that his name and face, affixed to any product, may be the last commodity left in the marketplace that can still move Americans to shop.

I share these high hopes. But for the first time a faint tinge of Bush crept into my Obama reveries this month.

As we saw during primary season, our president-elect is not free of his own brand of hubris and arrogance, and sometimes it comes before a fall: “You’re likable enough, Hillary” was the prelude to his defeat in New Hampshire. He has hit this same note again by assigning the invocation at his inauguration to the Rev. Rick Warren, the Orange County, Calif., megachurch preacher who has likened committed gay relationships to incest, polygamy and “an older guy marrying a child.” Bestowing this honor on Warren was a conscious — and glib — decision by Obama to spend political capital. It was made with the certitude that a leader with a mandate can do no wrong.

In this case, the capital spent is small change. Most Americans who have an opinion about Warren like him and his best-selling self-help tome, “The Purpose Driven Life.” His good deeds are plentiful on issues like human suffering in Africa, poverty and climate change. He is opposed to same-sex marriage, but so is almost every top-tier national politician, including Obama. Unlike such family-values ayatollahs as James Dobson and Tony Perkins, Warren is not obsessed with homosexuality and abortion. He was vociferously attacked by the Phyllis Schlafly gang when he invited Obama to speak about AIDS at his Saddleback Church two years ago.

There’s no reason why Obama shouldn’t return the favor by inviting him to Washington. But there’s a difference between including Warren among the cacophony of voices weighing in on policy and anointing him as the inaugural’s de facto pope. You can’t blame V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop and an early Obama booster, for feeling as if he’d been slapped in the face. “I’m all for Rick Warren being at the table,” he told The Times, but “we’re talking about putting someone up front and center at what will be the most-watched inauguration in history, and asking his blessing on the nation. And the God that he’s praying to is not the God that I know.”

Warren, whose ego is no less than Obama’s, likes to advertise his “commitment to model civility in America.” But as Rachel Maddow of MSNBC reminded her audience, “comparing gay relationships to child abuse” is a “strange model of civility.” Less strange but equally hard to take is Warren’s defensive insistence that some of his best friends are the gays: His boasts of having “eaten dinner in gay homes” and loving Melissa Etheridge records will not protect any gay families’ civil rights.

Equally lame is the argument mounted by an Obama spokeswoman, Linda Douglass, who talks of how Warren has fought for “people who have H.I.V./AIDS.” Shouldn’t that be the default position of any religious leader? Fighting AIDS is not a get-out-of-homophobia-free card. That Bush finally joined Bono in doing the right thing about AIDS in Africa does not mitigate the gay-baiting of his 2004 campaign, let alone his silence and utter inaction when the epidemic was killing Texans by the thousands, many of them gay men, during his term as governor.

Unlike Bush, Obama has been the vocal advocate of gay civil rights he claims to be. It is over the top to assert, as a gay writer at Time did, that the president-elect is “a very tolerant, very rational-sounding sort of bigot.” Much more to the point is the astute criticism leveled by the gay Democratic congressman Barney Frank, who, in dissenting from the Warren choice, said of Obama, “I think he overestimates his ability to get people to put aside fundamental differences.” That’s a polite way of describing the Obama cockiness. It will take more than the force of the new president’s personality and eloquence to turn our nation into the United States of America he and we all want it to be.

Obama may not only overestimate his ability to bridge some of our fundamental differences but also underestimate how persistent some of those differences are. The exhilaration of his decisive election victory and the deserved applause that has greeted his mostly glitch-free transition can’t entirely mask the tensions underneath. Before there is profound social change, there is always high anxiety.

The success of Proposition 8 in California was a serious shock to gay Americans and to all the rest of us who believe that all marriages should be equal under the law. The roles played by African-Americans (who voted 70 percent in favor of Proposition 8) and by white Mormons (who were accused of bankrolling the anti-same-sex-marriage campaign) only added to the morning-after recriminations. And that was in blue California. In Arkansas, voters went so far as to approve a measure forbidding gay couples to adopt.

There is comparable anger and fear on the right. David Brody, a political correspondent with the Christian Broadcasting Network, was flooded with e-mails from religious conservatives chastising Warren for accepting the invitation to the inaugural. They vilified Obama as “pro-death” and worse because of his support for abortion rights.

Stoking this rage, no doubt, is the dawning realization that the old religious right is crumbling — in part because Warren’s new generation of leaders departs from the Falwell-Robertson brand of zealots who have had a stranglehold on the G.O.P. It’s a sign of the old establishment’s panic that the Rev. Richard Cizik, known for his leadership in addressing global warming, was pushed out of his executive post at the National Association of Evangelicals this month. Cizik’s sin was to tell Terry Gross of NPR that he was starting to shift in favor of civil unions for gay couples.

Cizik’s ouster won’t halt the new wave he represents. As he also told Gross, young evangelicals care less and less about the old wedge issues and aren’t as likely to base their votes on them. On gay rights in particular, polls show that young evangelicals are moving in Cizik’s (and the country’s) direction and away from what John McCain once rightly called “the agents of intolerance.” It’s not a coincidence that Dobson’s Focus on the Family, which spent more than $500,000 promoting Proposition 8, has now had to lay off 20 percent of its work force in Colorado Springs.

But we’re not there yet. Warren’s defamation of gay people illustrates why, as does our president-elect’s rationalization of it. When Obama defends Warren’s words by calling them an example of the “wide range of viewpoints” in a “diverse and noisy and opinionated” America, he is being too cute by half. He knows full well that a “viewpoint” defaming any minority group by linking it to sexual crimes like pedophilia is unacceptable.

It is even more toxic in a year when that group has been marginalized and stripped of its rights by ballot initiatives fomenting precisely such fears. “You’ve got to give them hope” was the refrain of the pioneering 1970s gay politician Harvey Milk, so stunningly brought back to life by Sean Penn on screen this winter. Milk reminds us that hope has to mean action, not just words.

By the historical standards of presidential hubris, Obama’s disingenuous defense of his tone-deaf invitation to Warren is nonetheless a relatively tiny infraction. It’s no Bay of Pigs. But it does add an asterisk to the joyous inaugural of our first black president. It’s bizarre that Obama, of all people, would allow himself to be on the wrong side of this history.

Since he’s not about to rescind the invitation, what happens next? For perspective, I asked Timothy McCarthy, a historian who teaches at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and an unabashed Obama enthusiast who served on his campaign’s National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Leadership Council. He responded via e-mail on Christmas Eve.

After noting that Warren’s role at the inauguration is, in the end, symbolic, McCarthy concluded that “it’s now time to move from symbol to substance.” This means Warren should “recant his previous statements about gays and lesbians, and start acting like a Christian.”

McCarthy added that it’s also time “for President-elect Obama to start acting on the promises he made to the LGBT community during his campaign so that he doesn’t go down in history as another Bill Clinton, a sweet-talking swindler who would throw us under the bus for the sake of political expediency.” And “for LGBT folks to choose their battles wisely, to judge Obama on the content of his policy-making, not on the character of his ministers.”

Amen. Here’s to humility and equanimity everywhere in America, starting at the top, as we negotiate the fierce rapids of change awaiting us in the New Year.

Woman Gang-Raped in East Bay

I was browsing MSNBC for an article on Palin's daughter's soon to be mom-in-law being busted on drug charges when I came across an article on a lesbian who was gang-raped in East Bay. (Click here for the article.)

Whenever I read or hear the word rape I become nauseated. I read the article and cried. My heart and soul go out to this victim.

I want to hold her hand.

I want to hug her and tell she isn't alone.

I want to tell her it will be OK, but I know it will be a long time before it will be OK. And, even when you start to think it is OK, that you dealt with most of the demons, something small will happen that makes you realize you haven't.

I want to tell here there will be times of sadness, anger, and depression. Do not bottle them. Let them out.

I want to tell her there will be nightmares. There will be nights that she won't want to go to sleep because sleep is the one place you think you can escape, so be prepared.

I want to tell her to never think: "What could I have done differently?" Those words formed together to make that sentence have no place in her mind because it implies she had control, and she didn't. She was was robbed of control among other things.

And, when the time comes, and it might be years, I beg her to speak out because she will be able to help others who've been in her shoes.


I want to end with a poem I wrote last week. I'll probably end up taking the poem down in a few days, or maybe I'll leave it. Who cares if an editor doesn't want it because it was in my blog. This issue is bigger than publication.



LAW & ORDER: SVU

I like to see the the rapist slammed
against the interrogation room wall,
to stand before the judge
and receive a hefty sentence.
My thoughts transcend the show:
Will the rapist be raped in prison?
Will he finally know how it hurts?
I watch to see the bad guy persecuted,
not for the episodes with open endings,
that's how it happened with me.

Miami judge rules against Florida gay adoption ban

Exciting news. Thanks to Rep Benfield and Mr. Ford for bringing sharing info on this triumph in Florida.

Miami judge rules against Florida gay adoption ban
By CURT ANDERSON – 17 hours ago

MIAMI (AP) — A judge on Tuesday overturned a strict Florida law that blocks gay people from adopting children, declaring there was no legal or scientific reason for sexual orientation alone to prohibit anyone from adopting.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman said the 31-year-old law violates equal protection rights for the children and their prospective gay parents, rejecting the state's arguments that there is "a supposed dark cloud hovering over homes of homosexuals and their children."

She noted that gay people are allowed to be foster parents in Florida. "There is no rational basis to prohibit gay parents from adopting," she wrote in a 53-page ruling.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Not In My Georgia

To keep from overloading I Was Born Doing Reference Work In Sin with project NOT IN MY GEORGIA, I created a blog to record all the correspondence with elected officials.

Add to NOT IN MY GEORGIA to your link list!

Day Without A Gay

Video from ATL Prop 8 Protest ~Rep Karla Drenner

First: A huge thank you to Justin for recording the speakers at the Prop 8 Protest at the Georgia Capitol.

In case you missed it: Yesterday, I posted pictures snapped with my trusty phone. Also, check out Collin Kelley's blog for more pictures.

The video below is of Representative Karla Drenner. Rep Drenner mentions something I have been fearing during the past couple of General Assembly sessions-- some of our elected officials will try to pull what I will tag Pulling An Arkansas. As Drenner says in the video, we need to wake up now. We need to have our game plan ready in December because we need to hit the ground running in January. You'll see more on this topic in my blog over the next couple of months.

Prop 8 Protest ~ Atlanta

Tomorrow, I will write a post regarding the Prop 8 Protest and the Candlelight Vigil. In the meantime, enjoy these pics:

Revisiting 2004: Calling Out Donors of GA's Amendment One

Later today I am protesting in two events regarding Gay Civil Rights; however, I can't help but think about the link posted by the lovely Kate Evans. The link is to the AntiGay Blacklist, which supplies the information of donors who stand against the LGBT community by supporting Prop 8 in California. While reading the list I couldn't help but think about how I didn't know any information regarding the donors supporting Georgia's Amendment One, which was approved by voters in 2004.

After playing Magnum PI, without the serious 80's stash, I discovered YES! MARRIAGE AMENDMENT ALLIANCE INC raised $75,115 while its cohort FOCUS ON THE FAMILY GEORGIA MARRIAGE AMENDMENT COMMITTEE raised $17,650, and from what I can tell, the $17,650 came from the institution itself.

The $75,115 from YES! MARRIAGE AMENDMENT ALLIANCE INC was collected from:
Capital Research Advisors, LLC--- $25,000 Donated
Kevin M. Stipe--- $12,500 Donated
Robert W. Reagan--- $12,500 Donated
Richard D. Gaby--- $25,000 Donated

In my web research, the only information I can find on Capital Research Advisors, LLC is here. Ken Graves is listed as the contact person, so I will try to reach him next weekend for answers.

Kevin Snipe and Robert Reagan are both CPCUs with Reagan Consulting. Robert Reagan "brings more than three decades of insurance industry experience to the company that bears his name. Bobby's expertise and integrity have ensured his reputation as a true authority within the insurance industry. He has consulted with many of the country's most successful insurance agents and brokers, and worked with many leading financial institutions on their insurance initiatives."

Kevin Snipe "has been with Reagan since 1991, and became a partner in 1995. He offers our clientele expertise in financial consulting in Mergers & Acquisitions (representing both buyers and sellers), agency valuation, value enhancement strategies, ownership perpetuation planning, and strategic planning."

I saved Richard D. Gaby for last because he has recently made the news. I do not want you to forget his $25,000 donation to manipulate the Georgia Constitution against LGBT Georgians. I find it interesting that his individual donations during this past two-year election cycle violate the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, better known as McCain-Feingold. McCain-Feingold places a cap of $108,200 on individual contributions in a two-year cycle, and Gaby has donated $130,200. (Click here to read the article on Mr. Richard D. Gaby in the AJC.) You are probably wondering who employs Richard D. Gaby? The answer to the question is easy; Gaby is the powers that be at Peter Island Resort.

Yes, Georgians,it has been four years since the Georgia Constitution was amended; however, I hope you are just as angry today as you were four years ago. Be angry for us. Be angry for California, Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas.

Protest! Voice your opinion any and every way you know how!

BOYCOTT! ! !

Remember the words of Martin Luther King, Jr---- Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

Now, you know their names. You know where they work. Boycott them. Boycott their places of employment.

If our rights are not important to them, well, neither should our money.