Posts for category ‘politics’

DOMA must go!!! The following is copied text from the Lamda Legal email I received this am:
Today, a bill to repeal the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) was introduced into the House of Representatives. I was pleased to stand with Congressman Jerrold Nadler and other co-sponsors and especially proud to introduce Jen and Dawn BarbouRoske who were plaintiffs in our marriage equality victory in Iowa.

Because of that victory in April, Jen and Dawn are now married. Because of DOMA, their marriage is not recognized or respected by our federal government. That’s a disgrace. It’s long past time for DOMA to go.

Iowa plaintiffs Jen (left) and Dawn (right) BarbouRoske with their daughters Breanna and McKinley stand with Congressman Jerrold Nadler outside of the U.S. Capitol Building.

The Respect for Marriage Act introduced today will repeal this shameful law that currently prevents the federal government from recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples. For example, same-sex spouses are not entitled to Social Security benefits in the same way their married neighbors are and are forced by their government to lie when they file their federal tax returns, as they are required to check the “single” box when they are legally married.

The BarbouRoskes have been together for nearly 20 years and when they got married this summer, they got the same license and undertook the same responsibilities as every other married couple in Iowa. The federal government should not discriminate against them. That’s why Lambda Legal’s attorneys have been working closely for months with Congressman Nadler’s staff and colleagues from our sister LGBT organizations to craft this bill and prepare for its launch today.

Please call or email your member of Congress today to ask him or her to co-sponsor and support the Respect for Marriage Act.

Earlier this year, Lambda Legal’s unanimous marriage equality victory in the heartland state of Iowa showed that Americans are ready for change. But there is a lot of hard work ahead to gain passage of this bill. There are already more than 90 co-sponsors—which is inspiring—but we need more.

We have a fact sheet available online to explain more about this bill and what it means to you.

It was great to be in Washington today. After 13 years, it is time to take this insulting and discriminatory law off the books. We are proud of Congressman Nadler, openly gay members of Congress Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Jared Polis (CO) and the many other co-sponsors, and thank them for their leadership.

Lambda Legal will continue to fight to see that the Respect for Marriage Act is passed—and will keep fighting for the rights of same-sex couples across the country. Thank you for supporting our work and being part of history!”

Do your stuff, ppl!
Peace, out!
“

Thanks to Blue Gal for the reminder. 39 years ago today.
I remember.
I was a budding “lil hippy” living in Northern California with my Mom and little brother. I believe the shootings at Kent State were actually my political wake up call. I remember sitting with my Mom and her friends, watching the news and listening to the various reactions. Some of them were crying, there was a beautiful black man with a huge bobbing afro shaking his fist in anger, while “Oso”, a long haired hippy-biker philosophized sadly, looking down through his John Lennon glasses at the mayhem on the TV screen as he passed the blue glass bong. My Mom, wearing a fringed leather poncho and huge bell bottomed hip huggers, seemed to be in shock. She just kept shaking her head in denial. I was blown away. That could be me lying dead on the grass in only a few years. I had just finished reading 1984 and suddenly it seemed all too real.

Let’s not forget, okay?

Ohio
Neil Young

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are gunning us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are gunning us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.

… TOMORROW!

A law protecting all of our citizens against senseless hate violence is long overdue. Two years ago, radical right-wing groups and George W. Bush’s veto threat blocked the Matthew Shepard Act, which would outlaw hate crimes based on both sexual orientation and gender identity. But now the bill is back.

Tell Congress we need the Matthew Shepard Act to help ensure safety and security for ALL people.

Please go to the Human Rights Campaign Action Center and make your voice heard against hate crimes!

The Pagan Sphinx has clear and simple instructions for you to call your congress person. It seems that the hate mongers are up to no good as usual,

flooding Congress with calls, emails and sickening “fact sheets” claiming that sexual orientation means criminal acts like bestiality and necrophilia, and that this bill protects those behaviors.

So please help to combat them by calling your rep!!!

(This makes me crazy. It’s so stupid in the first place to claim that sexual orientation is bestiality and necrophilia, but even if it were, fer chrissakes, would that make it okay to beat a necrophiliac to death? Sheesh!)

Peace, out!