Via Rights Equal Rights:

Contact: Fred Karger 619-592-2008 We’re Changing Our Name As we take on new challenges, go in new directions and become more national in scope, we are officially changing our name. We are very excited to announce, that from this day forward, Californians Against Hate will be known as Rights Equal Rights. Our new web site is launching today, check it out: www.RightsEqualRights.com Our History It’s been just two years since a small group of friends and I started Californians Against Hate to draw attention to the mega-donors to California’s Proposition 8 campaign. It’s been a busy 24 months. We began on July 18, 2008 by helping to assemble a coalition of LGBT and labor organizations in San Diego to boycott Doug Manchester’s three hotels. Doug Manchester had contributed $125,000 in very early money to qualify and pass Proposition 8, which took away marriage rights from millions of Californians. Why should we support his three hotels, only to have that money used against us? The Manchester Hotels boycott exceeded our wildest expectations. According to their own admission, the boycott is costing the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel alone approximately $1 million per month. This is due to dozens of canceled large meetings and conventions at Manchester’s flagship property, and thousands of individuals and businesses who refuse to cross our picket line. Manchester sold his Idaho hotel in 2009, and now rumors abound that his brand new $400 million Grand del Mar Resort in San Diego is in receivership. It has recently been reported that Global Hyatt Corporation will be buying a majority interest in his Manchester Grand Hyatt. The sale was just approved by the San Diego Port Commission on Tuesday. Other Boycotts We have led three other boycotts against the biggest donors to Proposition 8. We have settled two; one against Bolthouse Farms and another against Garff Automotive Group. Both had family members who contributed $100,000 to pass Prop 8. Now both companies are generous supporters of a variety of LGBT organizations. Our one remaining boycott is against Terry Caster’s A-1 Self Storage Company. Terry Caster and his family gave a whopping $693,000 to Prop 8. Caster was even quoted in the San Diego Union-Tribune saying that gay marriage “would create a sick society.” We will continue to let the world know to boycott all 40 locations of A-1 Self Storage in California. The Mormon Church Was Prosecuted During the summer of 2008, we discovered the active involvement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) in Prop 8. The Mormon Church took over virtually every aspect of the Yes on Prop 8 campaign. Mormon families contributed approximately $30 million of the $40 million raised, the Church produced 27 slick commercials, put up an expensive web site, bussed in thousands of volunteers from Utah, had massive phone banks, yet only reported a mere $2078 in non-monetary contributions just three days before the election. Two weeks later I filed a sworn complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) against the Mormon Church for not reporting its vast financial involvement. The Commission prosecuted the case, and conducted an unprecedented 19 month investigation of the Salt Lake City based Church’s finances. Three weeks ago the FPPC found the Mormon Church guilty of 13 counts of late reporting and they were fined $5539. That was the first time a religious organization was found guilty of election irregularities in the 36 year history of the FPPC. Taking on the National Organization for Marriage I also have done battle with the Mormon Church’s front group, the infamous National Organization for Marriage (NOM). I have challenged all of their false and misleading actions for the last two years. Their arrogant and illegal campaign activities last fall in Maine that was the final straw. NOM contributed over $1.9 million to take away that state’s recently passed right to marry for all, and completely disregarded Maine’s long-standing election law in the process. NOM was required to report all its contributor names of $100 and over to election officials. NOM refused, and continues to refuse to turn over their records, even after being ordered to do so by three federal judges and the State Attorney General of Maine. I filed the original sworn complaint against NOM that led to the investigation, and have attended three separate Ethics Commission meetings in Maine to make sure that NOM complies with the Maine election law. I Was Subpoenaed by NOM As a result of all my actions, I was subpoenaed by the National Organization for Marriage last September as part of their federal law suit, ProtectMarriage.com v. Bowen. That law suit was filed in California by the official Yes on Prop 8 committee and NOM to invalidate all campaign reporting laws in California. They subpoenaed me strictly to harass me and make me spend a lot of money. Thanks to the generous support of so many of you who contributed to my legal defense fund, Five for Fred, most all of the legal costs have been covered. We are Now… We recently passed a Board Resolution officially changing our name. Rest assured, I have never been more determined and motivated to help lead the LGBTQ community in our fight for full equal rights in this country. Younger people who begin to realize that they are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual transgender or queer will be afforded all the same rights as their brothers, sisters, friends and neighbors. That is what our founding fathers had in mind when they wrote in the Declaration of Independence 234 years ago, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” We will settle for nothing less. Best regards, Fred Karger www.RightsEqualRights.com HELP US FIGHT BACK www.FiveforFred.com

Via

Texas GOP Rips Gay People--And What You Can Do About It

Last month, the Texas Republican Party voted on a new party platform that bans “adoption by homosexuals” and vehemently opposes “custody of children by homosexuals, homosexual partner insurance or retirement benefits.” In addition to making it a felony to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the Texas Republican party believes LGBT people “contribute [ ] to the breakdown of the family unit.” What LGBT families in Texas can do: live your lives, show your pride, go out in public and let people see you. The Texas GOP wants us to go away. Don’t. Be more visible. Submit your stories to us or author an op-ed for a Texas newspaper. (We can help you.)

Click on the Pic:

Via LGBT Asylum News

Gay U.S. citizens seek to claim residency for foreign spouses

Source: Miami Herald

By Alfonso Chardy and Steve Rothaus

Juan Carlos Galán and Greg Nardi of Miami Beach live together as a family and would like to get married.

Then Nardi, a U.S. citizen, would claim Galán as a relative and help the Panama-born computer expert get a green card.

For now, though, these are just dreams - unless President Barack Obama can convince Congress to pass immigration reform.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., who last December introduced the first immigration reform bill of the current congressional session, announced in May that he intends to add provisions that would include same-sex couples and their families.

Gutierrez plans to incorporate into his bill language from the Uniting American Families Act, offered by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., a longtime proponent of the measure.

jump here to read the full article

Via JMG: BRITAIN: Court Rules Gay Asylum Seekers Have A Right To Stay In The UK

Britain's Supreme Court has ruled that gay people who fear retribution in their home countries have a right to asylum in the UK. The decision involved two men from Iran and Cameroon who say they face physical harm should they be returned to their home countries. Via Pink News:

Lord Hope, who read out the judgment, said: "To compel a homosexual person to pretend that his sexuality does not exist or suppress the behaviour by which to manifest itself is to deny him the fundamental right to be who he is." An earlier Court of Appeal decision said the government could return the pair to their home countries on the basis that they could be discreet, despite homosexuality being illegal in both countries and HT suffering violence from his neighbours. The case was brought on behalf of the men by the London office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The men's lawyer, Iona Harding, of Baker & McKenzie, said: "This is an excellent result which will ensure that lesbian, gay and bisexual people receive the protection they are entitled to as refugees in the UK and are not expected to hide their identity in order to escape execution, long prison sentences or other forms of persecution."

Britain's new coalition government says it will institute new rules to stop the deportations of anybody who fears "imprisonment, torture or execution" in their home countries based on their sexual orientation. reposted by Joe

Via Belirico: Today in Unfortunate Advertizing

via Belirico: Why Montana Matters

I've been getting some exposure over my post Montana Republicans Are Now Officially Homophobes and Bigots.

Andrew Sullivan linked to my blog. Outrage was expressed on the Montana GOP's Facebook page. Another Facebook page wants to "Tell MT Republicans to Remove Hate from their platform". The Missoulian published my editorial. Several other media outlets picked up the story.

I've been doing my best to keep the legs under this issue. Other people have been great at spreading the news.

It's not enough.

People are asking me if I've lost my mind. "Why does this matter so much to you? Why can't you let go?" Let me explain.

Continue reading "Why Montana Matters" »

July 6th, 2010

Uganda gay rights activist decapitated

Pasikali Kashube’s head was found days after his body was discovered. Read more...

Via JMG: NEW YORK: Finally We Get A Beauty Queen That We Can All Love

The just-crowned Miss New York is a winner in a more ways than one.

Miss New York 2010, Claire Buffie, is an outspoken advocate of human rights, opening the dialogue about equality amongst youth, teens and adults alike with her platform "Straight for Equality: Let's Talk." The issues of gay rights make up the civil rights movement of our generation and reach far beyond marriage equality. As Miss New York 2010, Claire aims to break the stigma of marginalized youth, eliminating discriminatory vocabulary and changing the climate in New York schools. She celebrates diversity and the things that make us all unique and strives to instill pride, dignity and respect in developing minds and compassionate hearts. This will be a year of change in New York State and Claire is ready to support this incredible movement.

All Over Albany adds that Buffie is an executive board member of the NYC chapter of P-FLAG. And she works at the Genius Bar at the Fifth Avenue Apple store, where the stream of gay boys is undoubtedly nonstop. She'll be competing for Miss America 2011 in January in Las Vegas. Go Claire!

(Tipped by JMG reader Matt)reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Louis CK Gets Schooled On "Faggot"

Edgy comedian Louis CK is really breaking new ground with the FX show Louie. In the below clip, a group of poker buddies jokingly question their token gay about sex clubs, but things turn a bit more somber towards the end. Language very super NSFW.


(Via - Dan Savage) reposted by Joe

via JMG: COSTA RICA: High Court Suspends Gay Marriage Referendum

Costa Rica's highest court has orderd that an upcoming vote on same-sex marriage be suspended because it might violate the nation's constitution.

The Sala Constitucional (Constitutional Court) has ordered the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) to suspend the process of the referendum on same sex marriages that was to have been included in the December 2010 municipal elections. The court order was based on an appeal filed against the referendum. The Recurso Amparo (appeal) was presented by an individual identified only by the last names, Quirós Salazar, alleging that the referendum violates the rights and freedoms of individuals. The referendum was to have let the population decide the fate of a proposal for law that would allow same sex marriages in Costa Rica. Opponents to the referendum have argued that leaving the allowing the majority of the population (93%) which is heterosexual would be a constitutional violation of the 7% of the homosexual population.

Hurray for not allowing votes on minority rights!reposted from Joe

I wrote this letter to my LSA to include in a box of things I no longer wanted:

The Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Carmichael

PO Box 60912

Carmichael, CA 95860 0912

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Dear Friends,

Enclosed with this letter you will find a number of books and things. Because I really don’t know what to do with them, nor do I want them anymore, I thought it best to give them to you to decide how to dispose of them in a respectful manner. The rest of my Baha’i library has been donated to the California State University-Sacramento library, much of which I imagine they will sell, as I was told there is little if any interest in the Baha’i collection at California State University, Sacramento.

As you are fully aware, the National Spiritual Assembly recently removed my administrative rights. Though I will always consider myself a Baha’i, this has given me great pause. I harbor serious reservations about being associated with any community that secretively hounds out its gay & lesbian members in such flagrant examples of dishonesty, homophobia and bigotry. My response is posted on my blog found at: http://revoked2.blogspot.com.

I recently attended the Pride Festival on the Capitol Mall, which took place just yards away from where the Master spoke and walked. Anybody walking amongst the many tables and informational booths would have been as impressed as I was by the many religious organizations, ministers and members of numerous congregations walking in the parade and inviting GLBT people to participate in their communities. These very same religions have identical if not similar teachings re: homosexuality, yet despite this are proving to be loving and welcoming to their gay & lesbian brothers and sisters.

So it is that I bid you all a less than fond farewell. Please remove my name from all mailings and notices, despite my core belief in Baha’u’llah, I cannot find it in myself to associate with such hateful people. Despite my deep disappointment in all of you, I assure you, that I carry no malice towards the Faith at large. I do however feel very, very sorry and ashamed of you all, and very sorry indeed for a Faith that once held so much hope and vision, that is now so mired in dysfunction, dishonesty and bigotry. It seems deeply sad that the capitol region of the richest most populous state in one the richest most powerful countries on earth cannot find in itself a way to garner a truly prominent presence here. I am convinced that the intolerance and outmoded practices I experience only continue to keep the Faith from gaining any stature what so ever in Sacramento.

No response to this letter is necessary, as there is little if anything neither you nor I can or will do to ameliorate this disgraceful set of circumstances. I wish you all luck, and hope that at some time in the future this community will live up to the promise the Blessed Beauty promised us all.

Sincerely,

Daniel Clark Orey