Thank Yoi Obama for Signing the Hate Crimes Bill!

Just feeling a bit campy...

Quote of the Day

Miko on Stuart Gaffney's facebook status:

""If marriage were outlawed, only outlaws would have in-laws.""

and


""Marriage is like pi - natural, irrational, and very important" 3.1415..."

The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bil

Dear Friend:

The Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill will at long last become law. Last week, the Senate agreed to final passage of legislation that included the Matthew Shepard hate crime provision, and President Obama is expected to sign it into law. This law will strengthen the ability of federal, state and local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute hate crimes.

Hate crimes are particularly offensive because they are propelled by bias, ignorance and bigotry. These crimes do not just inflict harm on one victim, but they also instill fear in entire communities. And no person – simply because of who they are – should ever have to live in fear.

Earlier this year, the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill. It adds gender, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity to the list of protected categories under federal hate crimes laws. The measure also provides additional federal support to state and local authorities investigating and prosecuting hate crimes.

It has been more than 10 years since the senseless and brutal death of Matthew Shepard, and I look forward to watching President Obama sign this much-needed legislation into law.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Quote of the Day

"Who would give a law to lovers? Love is unto itself a higher law."

- Boethius

(thanks to Stuart Gaffney)

Tis the Season, or it?

From: purposequest.blogspot.com

How many times have you walked in or out of your local grocery store and felt pressured to give a handful of change to the Salvation Army volunteer, ringing his little bell? I think we've all probably dug into our pockets, at one point or another, and pulled out a crumpled dollar bill, proudly exchanged merry, merries and then dropped the cash into the little red kettle. It is after all Christmas-time, and the Salvation Army is out in full force.

They do good things with the money, right? Well, I hate to be the Grinch, but the answer is yes and no. According to the official website of the Salvation Army, 83 cents of every dollar collected goes directly to client service. Sounds impressive. The Salvation Army delivers aid to 36 million people through a national network of soup kitchens, drug-treatment centers, hospitals, shelters for battered women, nursing care and day-care centers run by low-paid workers or volunteers. The Army even does great work for AIDS care. That's the good.

jump her to read more

Judge To Prop 8 Backers: Turn Over The Paperwork NOW

On Friday a federal judge in San Francisco ruled that the backers of Proposition 8 must immediately turn over their internal documents.

The sponsors had sought to keep the documents while challenging the order to turn them over in an appeals court. But in a ruling late Friday, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker of San Francisco said backers of Proposition 8 had failed to show that disclosing internal memos and e-mails would violate their freedom of speech or subject them to harassment. He said they had refused to identify any documents that needed special protection and noted that he could order their opponents to keep any sensitive material confidential. "It simply does not appear likely that (Prop. 8's) proponents will prevail on the merits of their appeal," Walker said. He said he doubts that a federal appeals court even has jurisdiction to consider the dispute at this early stage of the case.

Those behind the push to overturn Prop 8 say the campaign was based on anti-gay bias, not the need to protect "traditional marriage." Prop 8 proponents say their motives are irrelevant.

Labels: California, feds, marriage equality, Proposition 8

posted by Joe

Gay Family Values: "King & King"

Thanks for the Heads up BoxTurtle!

Starbucks Says Approve Ref. 71

Jim Burroway

October 24th, 2009

This comes to us via SLOG:

In a statement, the company said that approving R-71 “ensures that basic benefits and important protections are not taken away from committed couples, so they are able to take care of each other, especially in times of crisis.” Starbucks wants voters to approve the measure “because it is aligned with our business practices, providing domestic partner benefits, and one of our core values of treating people with respect and dignity.” [emphasis in SLOG's post]

Starbucks hasn’t contributed to the campaign, but they did send this message out to their employees. Starbucks has 3,000 employees in its Seattle headquarters and maintains 667 stores in Washington state, and each of them got this statement. That’s quite a venti.

Starbucks’ endorsement follows similar appeals from Microsoft, Boeing, Nike, and many other companies that employ large numbers of people in the Pacific Northwest.

With all the attention being paid to Maine, Washington’s LGBT citizens are feeling ignored. Karen Ocamb says they’re sweating bullets because they may well lose their hard-won Domestic Partnerships. Please show them your love by donating to Approve Ref. 71 today.

Subject: Weekly Reader: LGBT politics, Rosie, & holding hands

The past week has been huge for forward progress in LGBT political news. Between the administration's clarified definition of "family," HHS's announcement of the creation of an LGBT senior resource center, HUD's new study on LGBT discrimination in housing, and the Senate's passage of hate crimes legislation, the fundies must be going apoplectic. We, however, kept delivering some of the best LGBT content on the web like these gems:

Bilerico Nation
Martinis With Fred Phelps
Filed by: Peter Monn and Alex Paredes (Bilerico-Indiana)
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;indiana.bilerico.com/2009/10/martinis_with_fred_phelps.php

Norfolk Country Club Bars Same-Sex Family Membership in Vote
Filed by: Michael Hamar (Bilerico-DC)
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;dc.bilerico.com/2009/10/norfolk_country_club_bars_same-sex_famil.php

Dan Gelber Garners LGBT Endorsement in hotly contested FL AG race
Filed by: Nadine Smith (Bilerico-Florida)
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;florida.bilerico.com/2009/10/dan_gelber_garners_lgbt_endorsement_in_h.php

Sunday
Equality Across America wants you
Filed by: Diane Silver
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/equality_across_america_wants_you.php

My Cleaning Trolley, just in case real cleaning wasn't fun enough
Filed by: Alex Blaze
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/miriam_at_feministing_highlighted_this.php

Monday
The APLA AIDS Walk, the Age of Aquarius, and people like me
Filed by: Karen Ocamb
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/the_apla_aids_walk_the_age_of_aquarius_and_people.php

Click Here To Email 36 U.S. Representatives Unconfirmed on ENDA
Filed by: Dr. Jillian T. Weiss
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/click_here_to_email_36_us_representatives_unconfir.php

Tuesday
High School Hand Holding as Punishment... with a Dash of Internalized Homophobia
Filed by: Waymon Hudson
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/high_school_hand_holding_as_punishment_and_our_int.php

Sexy and queer religious imagery
Filed by: Alex Blaze
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/sexy_and_queer_religious_imagery.php

Wednesday
Glee star Corey Monteith thinks you're the jazz
Filed by: Bil Browning
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/glee_star_corey_monteith_thinks_youre_the_jazz.php

Growing Calls for Immigration Reform That Leaves No Family Behind
Filed by: Steve Ralls
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/growing_calls_for_immigration_reform_that_leaves_n.php

Thursday
Rosie and Kelli Working on Their Issues; So Is the Media
Filed by: Dana Rudolph
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/rosie_and_kelli_working_on_their_issues_so_is_the.php

Inside baseball: The all-male college "gay problem"
Filed by: Austen Crowder
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/inside_baseball_the_all-male_college_gay_problem.php

Friday
Histórica aprobación de ley federal para prevenir crímenes de odio
Filed by: Pedro Julio Serrano
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/historica_aprobacion_de_ley_federal_para_prevenir.php

Top 10 Out Gay Male Pop Stars
Filed by: Phil Reese
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/top_10_out_gay_male_pop_stars.php

BONUS:
Obama administration moves forward on LGBT rights via HUD & HHS
Filed by: Bil Browning
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/obama_adminstration_moves_forward_on_lgbt_rights.php

Hate crimes passes Senate: Goes to President's desk
Filed by: Bil Browning
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;www.bilerico.com/2009/10/hate_crimes_passes_senate_goes_to_presidents_desk.php

Don't forget:

Subscribe to the Bilerico Project Report to get all of the previous day's posts sent to you every night at midnight.
http://www.facebook.com/l/480c7;feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=BilericoProject&loc=en_US