Help BSSD Endorsed Candidate, Tim Schofield, in Special Election
The special primary election for Tim Schofield's campaign for Massachusetts State Senate needs help this weekend and up to primary election day, Tues Dec. 13 2011.
Tuesday 11/13 primary election day: begins 6:30 A at headquarters: visibility, canvassing; door knockers etc all day HELP NEEDED!!
If you are able to participate in any of these activities, please notify Chris Houlihan: 617-230-2999 or houlihanchris@gmail.com
Steve and Claire, co-chairs
BAY SATE STONEWALL DEMOCRATS, November 21, 2011
RE: Massachusetts Passes Transgender Rights Bill
Contact Steve Iannaccone, 781-842-4535 or Claire B. Naughton, 508-954-8472
Bay State Stonewall Democrats joins with those in the Transgender community to celebrate the final passage of the Transgender Rights Bill in Massachusetts. For six years the Transgender community has fought hard for the passage of this bill. Bay State Stonewall Democrats was proud to have been working together with Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition for this bill, which grants equal rights to transgender people throughout the Commonwealth. We want to thank all of our allies in the Massachusetts House and Senate, especially Rep, Carl Scortino and Rep. Byron Rushing co-sponsors of the bill in the House, and Sen. Benjamin Downing and Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz who were the co-sponsors in the Senate. Sen. Cynthia Creem, co-chair of the House-Senate Joint Judiciary Committee helped push the bill through the State Senate.
We also congratulate BSSD’s liaison to the MTPC, and long-time Transgender Rights activist, Holly Ryan for her lifetime of work in the Transgender community.
“This bill makes it safer for me and my family and for all transgender people since we will no longer be afraid of loosing our jobs or apartments, something that happens a lot,” said Ms. Ryan. “The protections in the bill will assure that transgender people need not worry about obtaining a mortgage or line of equity loans on their homes. It assures they will be able to complete their education and not have their applications for employment placed at ‘the bottom of the pile.’”
“I have been so moved by the courage of [transgender] constituents who’ve shared their stories with lawmakers and shown the critical need for these civil rights protections,” said Rep. Carl Sciortino, co sponsor of the legislation in the House and also a member of BSSD. “I am incredibly grateful for the leadership shown by House Speaker Robert DeLeo, an early supporter of the bill, as well as that of House Judiciary Chair Eugene O’Flaherty and my fellow House Sponsor State Representative Byron Rushing. And, of course, I am grateful to all of my colleagues who voted for passage of this important legislation.”
One of the founding members of BSSD, Rep. Liz Malia, states that this is “an incredibly strong victory for the Transgender community. For many of my colleagues politically this was a tough vote given their constituency and possible opposition in the coming elections.” Rep. Malia hopes that we will “close ranks around all the State House [and Senate] members who voted for the passage in a similar way as the LGBT community did for those who voted with us on Marriage Equality. All the legislators who voted for this deserve our help and thanks, particularly House co-sponsor Byron Rushing and Rep. David Linsky.”
Claire Naughton, Co-chair of BSSD, was excited that the bill passed after many long years of effort by BSSD. " The Bay State Stonewall Democrats have worked very hard with other LGBT organizations, since the beginning, to get this Bill passed. It is an important step forward for civil rights in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."
Steve Iannaccone, Co-chair, stated that he was very happy for all the citizens of the state as well as Transgender people. “Hopefully with this passage, people will put aside any fears they have of Transgender people who live and work here like all of the rest of citizens of Massachusetts. The Transgender community has suffered greatly from ignorance and unfounded anxiety, “ said Steve. “I am glad also that Massachusetts joins with 15 other states and the District of Columbia in recognizing the need for this legislation to guarantee Transgender families can live without fear of physical harm or possible loss of income and health care for the families they support.”
We thank all our members for their efforts to assist in the passage of thus important legislation.
Steve Iannaccone and Claire B. Naughton,
Co-chairs Bay State Stonewall Democrats
www.baystatestonewalldems.org
House Democrats File Brief to Challenge DOMA
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Washington -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi led 130 fellow Democrats in filing a friend-of-the-court brief Thursday challenging the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, arguing that Republicans defending the law, which denies all federal benefits to married same-sex couples, do not represent the full House.
The consolidated Massachusetts cases before the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston are the first to reach a the federal appellate level, just one step down from the U.S. Supreme Court, which is widely expected ultimately to resolve the constitutionality of the law, known as DOMA.
Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, called the Democrats' brief "a tremendously powerful statement to the courts and the country" that shows "how much the political center of gravity has shifted on the marriage question. Fifteen years ago, people were falling over themselves to sign on to DOMA."
(Image from the Wiki Commons.)
Mitt tries to defend his refusal to condemn booing of soldier
ABC News:
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said on Monday that it was not his practice to “scold the audience” for their behavior at debates, whether it was booing a gay solider or cheering for executions.
In an interview with the editor and publisher of the New Hampshire Union Leader on Monday, Romney said he did not see it as his role to make a judgment about members of the audience at a recent debate in Florida who booed when an openly gay Army soldier asked a videotaped question.
Americans opposed to marriage equality "dwindle
NYT/Reuters:
Nearly half of Americans support same-sex marriage and the proportion who are accepting of homosexuality is increasing, University of Chicago researchers said on Wednesday.
The results show a clear "trend toward greater tolerance regarding homosexuality," said Tom Smith of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
The Center's General Social Survey showed that support for same-sex marriage rose from 11 percent of Americans in 1988 to 46 percent approving of it in 2010. For the first time supporters outnumbered the 40 percent who were opposed.
Sen. Scott Brown Calls Use of Gay Slur by his PR Staff as “Just Adding Levity” To Campaign.
For the past several weeks, Senator Scott Brown's PR Director, Eric Fehrnstrom, used a fictitious "dirty tricks" tweet account to denigrate Alen Khazei, one of Senator Brown' opponents in the 2012 Senatorial Race.
In one of the “tweets” that that Ferhnsrom sent under the fictitious tweet account “CrazyKhazei” was a slur against gay people. The comment was a statement allegedly coming from Senate Candidate Alan Khazei stating: “I promise to devote all my time in office to making gay videos. Shame on Scott Brown for focusing on jobs!”
When questioned concerning this and the other tweets that Fehrnstorm wrote mimicking Khazei, Scott Brown released a statement saying: “While it’s clear Eric was seeking to inject a little levity into politics on his own time, I wasn’t aware of what he was doing.” Fehrnstrom, who is working simultaneously for the Presidential Republican contender, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, continues to stand by his statement that he was trying to add some levity: “As they say in politics, if you can’t stand the tweet, get out of the kitchen.”
As the member of an organization dedicated to advocating for LGBT rights, Bay State Stonewall Democrats Co-chair Claire Naughton feels such slurs against gay people are not only not funny but in very poor taste. "Statements like that are indicative of a person's value system. I cannot believe that Sen. Brown has not already fired Fehrnstrom from his campaign.”
Fellow co-chair Steve Iannaccone responds: “I am amazed that Sen. Brown would consider such a statement as a joke. We in the LGBT community do not.”
“Brown should condemn what Fehrnstrom did and fire him. His cavalier dismissal of the issue speaks volumes about Brown's lack of personal integrity,” was the reaction of another long-time BSSD Board member, Dennis Naughton.
Unless these "dirty tricks" are part of the beliefs and strategy of the Brown and Romney campaigns, we urge both men to distance themselves from Eric Fehrnstrom by dismissing him from their staff and severing all ties with him.
Bay State Stonewall Democrats contact Steve Iannaccone Co-chair at iannsi2001@aol.com or 781-842-4535 and Claire Naughton,Co-chair, clairenau@verizon.net, or 508-954-8472
Tammy Baldwin an Early Favorite for US Senate bid
Coming on the heels of former Senator Russ Feingold announcing he won't run in the 2012 election, Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, the first out lesbian ever elected to Congress, is an early favorite for winning the Democratic Primary for the upcoming Wisconsin election, with double-digit leads over other prominent contenders.
In a three-way race, she leads with 37% of the vote over Ron Kind (21%) and Steve Kagen (15%). In a two-way race against Kagen, she almost captures a majority, at 48% to 19%, showing she will be very difficult to defeat.
Pentagon to finally certify DADT repeal
From Politico comes word that the Pentagon is ready to certify the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and we could see an end to the policy as early as September. With a court-ordered injunction on DADT investigations within the military in place, hopefully this will mean no more troops will be at risk of losing their careers due to DADT.
Dept. of Justice's mea culpa on LGBT rights
The DoJ released a very positive brief on glbt rights that signals it's continued shift towards supporting equality for the LGBT community.
The Metro Weekly has more.
The brief, filed in the Northern District of California, is the single-most persuasive legal argument ever advanced by the United States government in support of equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Moreover, although the case did not include transgender issues, the government's previously described position that the same legal standard should apply to gender identity classifications could prove helpful for court cases looking at gender identity-based discrimination.
Here's more from the Associated Press on the details of the case the brief was written for.
Mainers Pushing for Marriage Equality
With New York passing marriage equality, eyes are back onto Maine to rejoin the Northeast in marriage equality.
Today, EqualityMaine and GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) have launched a new effort to legalize marriage equality through a 2012 ballot initiative.
As polls have shown, support for marriage equality is moving swiftly across the country, and civil rights groups in Maine think they've learned a lot from the last election, so it looks like we should all be paying a lot of attention to Maine in the coming months.
Big Marriage Victory
The number of people living in states with marriage equality more than doubled, as New York state passed its marriage bill. Here's an excellent article on how it all happened, from the NYT, The Road to Gay Marriage:
The story of how same-sex marriage became legal in New York is about shifting public sentiment and individual lawmakers moved by emotional appeals from gay couples who wish to be wed.
But, behind the scenes, it was really about a Republican Party reckoning with a profoundly changing power dynamic, where Wall Street donors and gay-rights advocates demonstrated more might and muscle than a Roman Catholic hierarchy and an ineffective opposition.
And it was about a Democratic governor, himself a Catholic, who used the force of his personality and relentlessly strategic mind to persuade conflicted lawmakers to take a historic leap.
New York Fights for Marriage Equality
With the efforts to win marriage equality officially only one or two votes away from passing, the NY Times reports on the deal-making going on behind the scenes. If you haven't already, please get in touch with any friends you have in NY and ask them to contact their State Senator in support of marriage equality. Let them know this is exceptionally important; time is running out in the state's legislative session to get this passed.
GOP presidential candidates weigh in on homosexuality
From the Gay Politics Report:
Three Republicans who have announced their candidacies for president answered questions about LGBT issues this week. Herman Cain, a former business executive, said he believes homosexuality is sinful and a choice. Rick Santorum pledged his support for amending the U.S. Constitution to ban legal marriage for same-sex couples. Meanwhile, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney declined to say whether he believed homosexuality is a sin, but reiterated his opposition to marriage equality.
Delaware Approves Civil Unions Bill!
Another step toward equality.
DOVER -- Delaware's House of Representatives voted 26-15 Thursday night to grant legal status to same-sex civil unions, giving those couples the same rights, protections and obligations now granted only to married couples.
The vote followed three hours of debate that covered a wide range of concerns -- some fiscal, some related to family relations, some related to equal access to civil unions for opposite-sex couples.
When the vote was announced, the balcony -- filled with supporters of the bill -- erupted into cheers, applause and cries of "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Governor Patrick Chooses First Openly Gay Supreme Judicial Court Nominee
From the NY Times:
Gov. Deval Patrick on Monday nominated a lesbian who is married to her partner to serve on the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
The nominee, Barbara A. Lenk, is the longest-serving justice on the state’s Court of Appeals. If confirmed, she would be the first openly gay member of the state’s highest court, which was the first in the nation to rule same-sex marriage legal in 2003.
U.S. Catholics Strongly Support Marriage Equality
Important news from the Washington Post:
The Public Religion Research Institute team released today the most comprehensive portrait of Catholic attitudes concerning rights for gay and lesbian Americans to date. This new analysis paints a clear portrait of Catholics that may be surprising to some: across a range of issues regarding rights for gay and lesbian Americans, Catholics are more supportive than the general population and are more supportive than any other Christian group.
Also interesting to note is the fact that the Church's positions on marriage equality, among other social issues, have driven hundreds of thousands of people away from the church.
More than 1-in-10 Americans are former Catholics, and approximately half of all former Catholics remain unaffiliated with any faith. Among this group, majorities said they moved away from their former faith because they... became dissatisfied with Catholic teachings about abortion and homosexuality (56 percent).
Where do U.S. Catholics stand on marriage and other important GLBT civil rights issues?
Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of Catholics favor laws that would protect gay and lesbian people against discrimination in the workplace; 63 percent of Catholics favor allowing gay and lesbian people to serve openly in the military; and 60% favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt children.... A Washington Post/ABC News Poll recently found that fully 63 percent of Catholics supported making it legal for gay and lesbian couples to marry, compared to 53 percent of the general population.
Update: Here's a NY Times article on how gay and lesbian students at conservative Christian colleges and universities across the country have begun to demand equal rights and protections on campus.
US Should Collect Health Data
From the NYT:
WASHINGTON — The federal government should systematically collect demographic data on gay, lesbian and transgender people and should conduct biomedical research to understand why they are more likely to have certain chronic conditions, the National Academy of Sciences said Thursday....
Gay people often face “barriers to equitable health care,” decline to seek care in times of need and receive substandard care when they seek it, the report said. “Fearing discrimination and prejudice,” it said, “many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people refrain from disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity to researchers and health care providers.”
In addition, the report said, many doctors lack the necessary training. “Medical schools teach very little about sexuality in general and little or nothing about the unique aspects of lesbian, gay and bisexual health,” it said.
Transgender NYers Sue over Birth Certificates
From NYC's NBC affiliate:
Two transgender New Yorkers are suing the city for what they say are unfair regulations for obtaining new birth certificates. Sam Berkley, who was born a woman, and Joann Prinzivalli, born a man, say they’ve been able to change their genders for their Social Security benefits, their driver licenses -- everything but their city birth certificates....
To change a birth certificate, the city requires applicants to have had "convective surgery" -- a full sex change -- plus they must meet a list of other requirements, including a psychiatric evaluation.
"When you have to apply for a job, when you have to apply for health insurance, when I have to apply for a passport I need to show that document," said Berkley, who lives in Brooklyn. “What am I supposed to do in that moment when the person on the other end is looking at me and I don't know what's going to happen."
Washington State to Recognize Outside Unions
From the Seattle Times:
Same-sex couples married elsewhere would be granted the same legal rights and protections in Washington state as domestic partners under a bill headed to the governor's desk after clearing its last legislative hurdle Wednesday.
The measure passed the Senate on a 28-19 vote.
It's not a recognition of marriage, but it is a step in the right direction. |
