The Lawyer is IN: Free Legal Information and Advice for the LGBT Community
Wednesday, March 18, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Co-Sponsored by Legal Aid of Marin and Spectrum LGBT Center
Retired attorney Martin Konopken will be providing free legal information on matters that could be more complicated for LGBT people.
Some examples include:
Setting up a power of attorney
Creating a will, trust, or estate plan
The benefits and downsides of registering as domestic partners
How to leave your house or other assets to your domestic partner, children, or someone else
How to keep your assets in safekeeping if you fall ill
How to leave money to your favorite charity
How to avoid paying higher-than-necessary estate and property taxes
Things you can do NOW to protect your assets from being ripped off
Martin Konopken held senior legal positions in the corporate world for over 25 years, most recently at Autodesk in San Rafael. Martin and his husband were married last summer after having lived together as a couple for 33 years.
Call (415) 457-1115 ext. 209 to schedule your 30-minute appointment. First come, first served. Future clinics will be scheduled based on demand.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Riding the Wave...Spectrum and the Economy
It just doesn't stop, does it? All of the bad news about the economy. I was particularly jolted by this headline in the San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area nonprofits brace for 2010 Armageddon. Talk about gloom and doom!
Spectrum has always done a lot with a little, which turns out to be helpful in times like these. We receive no government funding, and only a tiny fraction of our current operating budget of $350,000 comes from the state.
In fact, nearly two-thirds of our funding comes from individuals who rely on Spectrum to be a strong and steady presence for LGBT equality.
Our strength has always been, and will continue to be, the community of individuals who volunteer, participate in our programs, attend our events, make financial contributions, and tell others about our work. We are grateful for each and every one of you.
Over the coming weeks, we will keep you informed about how Spectrum is faring, and the steps we are taking to weather this storm. And, you are always welcome to email or call me with questions, concerns, and comments.
In the meantime, we wish you the best during these historic, yet uncertain, times.
Paula Pilecki, Executive Director
Spectrum LGBT Center
(415) 457-1115 ext. 209
pilecki@spectrumlgbtcenter.org
Spectrum has always done a lot with a little, which turns out to be helpful in times like these. We receive no government funding, and only a tiny fraction of our current operating budget of $350,000 comes from the state.
In fact, nearly two-thirds of our funding comes from individuals who rely on Spectrum to be a strong and steady presence for LGBT equality.
Our strength has always been, and will continue to be, the community of individuals who volunteer, participate in our programs, attend our events, make financial contributions, and tell others about our work. We are grateful for each and every one of you.
Over the coming weeks, we will keep you informed about how Spectrum is faring, and the steps we are taking to weather this storm. And, you are always welcome to email or call me with questions, concerns, and comments.
In the meantime, we wish you the best during these historic, yet uncertain, times.
Paula Pilecki, Executive Director
Spectrum LGBT Center
(415) 457-1115 ext. 209
pilecki@spectrumlgbtcenter.org
Help Us Make History - Eve of Justice
Eve of Justice and Day of Hearing Volunteer Planning
Marriage Equality USA Call for Volunteers
On March 5th, the California Supreme Court will hear arguments on why Prop 8 should be repealed. We have two events we’d like you to participate in on this historic occasion. We need volunteers to help make these events a huge success. If you want to volunteer, see VOLUNTEER DETAILS below.
On Wednesday, March 4th we begin The Eve of Justice rally at Harvey Milk Plaza and hear from speakers including Cleve Jones and Dustin Black (Academy Award Winner for the Milk screenplay). From 5-6pm we will March Forth from the Castro to the California Supreme Court at Civic Center Plaza for an inspirational Candlelight Vigil and Rally for previews from the legal advocates who will be presenting reasons on why the Court must overturn Prop 8, entertainment and inspiring speakers from communities and organizations that are invested in equality for all.
The, join us on Thursday, March 5th at Civic Center Plaza (just outside the steps of the California Supreme Court). We will begin at 7:30am with a Hope and Justice Program led by supportive faith leaders who believe Prop 8 must be overturned and then from 9am to noon we will gather with thousands of others to watch the oral arguments on a jumbtron.
VOLUNTEER DETAILS - sign up and contact information below
We need to volunteers to help distribute post cards at BART stations and other locations beginning with the Wednesday commute.
Wednesday at 3:00 Pre-Rally Preparation
Metropolitan Community Church
150 Eureka Street
San Francisco
We need volunteers to assemble signs and candles, organize for distributing signs, candles, chant sheets, stickers and collecting signatures.
Wednesday after 5:00 at the Rally
Castro and Market
Meet Marriage Equality USA organizers at Harvey Milk Plaza (Corner of Castro and Market)
During the Rally we need volunteers to distribute signs, candles, chant sheets, stickers and collect signatures and donations.
At 5:45 we need volunteers to organize the beginning of the March and to stand along the March route on Market Street.
Wednesday after 7:00 at the Vigil
Meet Marriage Equality USA organizers at the Marriage Equality USA canopy located at Civic Center Plaza
During the Vigil we need we need volunteers to distribute signs, candles, chant sheets, stickers and collect signatures and donations.
At the end of the Vigil we need volunteers to collect signs and bring them to the Marriage Equality USA canopy located at Civic Center Plaza
Thursday from 7:30 until end of Jumbotron viewing of the hearing
We need volunteers to distribute signs and stickers and collect signatures and donations and to collect signs at the end of the hearing.
Meet Marriage Equality USA organizers at the Marriage Equality USA canopy located at Civic Center Plaza
HOW TO SIGN UP
Send an email to pamela@marriageequality.org with your:
• Name
• Arrival time
• Cell phone numbers so we can have a list the day of the rally.
• Twitter ID if you have one
• T-shirt size if you want the new Marriage Equality USA T-shirt for a $5 donation
EVEN IF YOU CAN’T VOLUNTEER
Blast this call for volunteers out to everyone you know. It doesn’t hurt if more than one of us contacts the same individuals or organizations.
Marriage Equality USA Call for Volunteers
On March 5th, the California Supreme Court will hear arguments on why Prop 8 should be repealed. We have two events we’d like you to participate in on this historic occasion. We need volunteers to help make these events a huge success. If you want to volunteer, see VOLUNTEER DETAILS below.
On Wednesday, March 4th we begin The Eve of Justice rally at Harvey Milk Plaza and hear from speakers including Cleve Jones and Dustin Black (Academy Award Winner for the Milk screenplay). From 5-6pm we will March Forth from the Castro to the California Supreme Court at Civic Center Plaza for an inspirational Candlelight Vigil and Rally for previews from the legal advocates who will be presenting reasons on why the Court must overturn Prop 8, entertainment and inspiring speakers from communities and organizations that are invested in equality for all.
The, join us on Thursday, March 5th at Civic Center Plaza (just outside the steps of the California Supreme Court). We will begin at 7:30am with a Hope and Justice Program led by supportive faith leaders who believe Prop 8 must be overturned and then from 9am to noon we will gather with thousands of others to watch the oral arguments on a jumbtron.
VOLUNTEER DETAILS - sign up and contact information below
We need to volunteers to help distribute post cards at BART stations and other locations beginning with the Wednesday commute.
Wednesday at 3:00 Pre-Rally Preparation
Metropolitan Community Church
150 Eureka Street
San Francisco
We need volunteers to assemble signs and candles, organize for distributing signs, candles, chant sheets, stickers and collecting signatures.
Wednesday after 5:00 at the Rally
Castro and Market
Meet Marriage Equality USA organizers at Harvey Milk Plaza (Corner of Castro and Market)
During the Rally we need volunteers to distribute signs, candles, chant sheets, stickers and collect signatures and donations.
At 5:45 we need volunteers to organize the beginning of the March and to stand along the March route on Market Street.
Wednesday after 7:00 at the Vigil
Meet Marriage Equality USA organizers at the Marriage Equality USA canopy located at Civic Center Plaza
During the Vigil we need we need volunteers to distribute signs, candles, chant sheets, stickers and collect signatures and donations.
At the end of the Vigil we need volunteers to collect signs and bring them to the Marriage Equality USA canopy located at Civic Center Plaza
Thursday from 7:30 until end of Jumbotron viewing of the hearing
We need volunteers to distribute signs and stickers and collect signatures and donations and to collect signs at the end of the hearing.
Meet Marriage Equality USA organizers at the Marriage Equality USA canopy located at Civic Center Plaza
HOW TO SIGN UP
Send an email to pamela@marriageequality.org with your:
• Name
• Arrival time
• Cell phone numbers so we can have a list the day of the rally.
• Twitter ID if you have one
• T-shirt size if you want the new Marriage Equality USA T-shirt for a $5 donation
EVEN IF YOU CAN’T VOLUNTEER
Blast this call for volunteers out to everyone you know. It doesn’t hurt if more than one of us contacts the same individuals or organizations.
Eve of Justice - Marin County Carpool - Join Us!
Join us in the Eve of Justice Marin County Carpool to San Francisco. We will leave by 4 to get there and park for the 5:00 rally. A meeting location will be chosen when we know the most convenient place for participants. If you are interested call;
Dolores Caruthers - 415-497-6469
or Karen Smith - 415-847-2098
For more information about the Rally and March go to:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=129673880452
If you are getting there on your own look for the Marin County folks. We will have a sign.
Dolores Caruthers - 415-497-6469
or Karen Smith - 415-847-2098
For more information about the Rally and March go to:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=129673880452
If you are getting there on your own look for the Marin County folks. We will have a sign.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Free Seminar for Same Sex Married Couples & Registered Domestic Partners
The Honorable John Chiang
California State Controller
in cooperation with
Assemblymember Dave Jones
9th Assembly District
and
Councilmember Ray Tretheway
Council District 1
cordially invite you to attend a
Free Seminar for Same Sex Married Couples
& Registered Domestic Partners
California State Controller
in cooperation with
Assemblymember Dave Jones
9th Assembly District
and
Councilmember Ray Tretheway
Council District 1
cordially invite you to attend a
Free Seminar for Same Sex Married Couples
& Registered Domestic Partners
DATE: Wednesday, March 18, 2009
TIME: 5:30 - 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Sacramento City Hall
915 I Street, Council Chambers
Sacramento, CA 95814
Topics Include:
- A discussion of new filing requirements for same sex married couples, new benefits for qualified taxpayers and other practical filing tips and advice to ensure accurate tax returns;
- Learn practical estate planning tips and advice for same sex married couples and registered domestic partners; and,
- An overview of lawsuits surrounding same sex marriage.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Support the NAACP’s Opposition to Prop 8
A letter from Kate Kendell, Esq., Executive Director
National Center for Lesbian Rights
You may have heard the great news recently that the NAACP came out in support of the California legislature’s resolution against Prop 8. NAACP national board chair Julian Bond and President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous urged passage of House Resolution 5 and Senate Resolution 7, resolutions calling for the invalidation of Prop 8.
The NAACP has been a long-time supporter of full equality for all citizens, and their stance on marriage equality is just further evidence of their deep and abiding commitment to equal rights. Their leadership throughout the fight for marriage equality has been invaluable. Having such a visible and powerful ally has transformed the conversation about marriage equality, not just in California, but across the nation. We are deeply indebted to the NAACP for their vocal support, which is why we need you to speak up and show your support ASAP. The resolutions are expected to be voted on by March 2nd.
Here are a few ways you can get involved:
Contact your NAACP State Conference president, local NAACP Branch president, and anyone else within the NAACP:
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore MD 21215
Toll Free: (877) NAACP-98
Local: (410) 580-5777
Post a note on the NAACP page on Facebook
We would not be where we are today without the strength and support of our allies. Please take the time to thank them.
In Solidarity,
Kate Kendell, Esq.
Executive Director
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Lesbian Rights
You may have heard the great news recently that the NAACP came out in support of the California legislature’s resolution against Prop 8. NAACP national board chair Julian Bond and President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous urged passage of House Resolution 5 and Senate Resolution 7, resolutions calling for the invalidation of Prop 8.
The NAACP has been a long-time supporter of full equality for all citizens, and their stance on marriage equality is just further evidence of their deep and abiding commitment to equal rights. Their leadership throughout the fight for marriage equality has been invaluable. Having such a visible and powerful ally has transformed the conversation about marriage equality, not just in California, but across the nation. We are deeply indebted to the NAACP for their vocal support, which is why we need you to speak up and show your support ASAP. The resolutions are expected to be voted on by March 2nd.
Here are a few ways you can get involved:
Contact your NAACP State Conference president, local NAACP Branch president, and anyone else within the NAACP:
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore MD 21215
Toll Free: (877) NAACP-98
Local: (410) 580-5777
Post a note on the NAACP page on Facebook
We would not be where we are today without the strength and support of our allies. Please take the time to thank them.
In Solidarity,
Kate Kendell, Esq.
Executive Director
National Center for Lesbian Rights
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Camp Courage - Fresno, CA
What will it take to repeal Prop 8?
A grassroots army of activists empowered with the tools and skills necessary to effectively organize their own communities -- especially in communities like Fresno.
WHAT: Camp Courage, for activists and organizers working to repeal Prop 8
WHERE: Fresno, venue provided via email after application is confirmed
WHEN: Saturday, March 7 (8:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.) AND Sunday, March 8 (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
NOTE: There will be a reception on Saturday night, location TBA.
Grassroot's activism is what propelled Barack Obama into the White House and that's what it will take to restore marriage equality to California.
"Camp Courage" training program in Fresno on March 7-8. Inspired by "Camp Obama," Camp Courage uses community organizing methods that have developed leaders and nurtured progressive social movements for decades.
The first Camp Courage in Los Angeles received phenomenal reviews from participants, with evaluations averaging 9.36 on a scale of 1 to 10. We chose Fresno as the next Camp Courage location because we believe Central Valley activists are at ground zero in California's marriage equality movement.
Fresno's intensive two-day training will teach participants about community organizing, empowerment, team building, leadership development, voter persuasion and more. With these tools, participants will be primed to organize their own communities, door-to-door, neighbor-to-neighbor across all 58 counties of California.
We want you to be at Camp Courage in Fresno on March 7-8. But first, we need you to fill out a short application. Space is limited, so please apply now before the event is full:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/ApplyCampCourage
Who is planning and organizing Camp Courage in Fresno? Veteran organizers like Torie Osborn, Mike Bonin and Lisa Powell.
Osborn currently advises Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and has previously served as the Executive Director of the Liberty Hill Foundation and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Bonin, a longtime campaign staffer and community activist, was a regional Field Organizer for the Obama campaign. Powell is an attorney, longtime trainer, community leader, and co-founder of United Lesbians of African Heritage.
Together, Torie, Mike and Lisa are recruiting the best trainers and building a training curriculum for Camp Courage Fresno that will help activists create the kind of people-powered movement that helped Barack Obama become president and that will restore marriage equality to California.
Spots are filling up fast for Fresno's Camp Courage on March 7-8. Please fill out the short application below ASAP so you can be there:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/ApplyCampCourage
What will it take to build a people-powered army to repeal Prop 8?
You. And your friends. If you know people who think grassroots community organizing is the key to restoring marriage equality to California, please forward this message to them.
Thank you for helping us serve the people and organizations building the marriage equality movement. - Rick Jacobs, Chair
Monday, February 23, 2009
National Lesbian Health Summit, in San Francisco
You are invited to participate in expanding our movement at the National Lesbian Health Summit, in San Francisco, CA, March 6-8, 2009 – just 2 weeks away!
Join advocates, community members, and healthcare professionals as we learn from each other and discuss how health plays into the lives, loves, and communities of lesbian, bisexual, queer, and transgender people around the country.
The Summit will feature a diverse array of workshops, focusing on clinical care, community initiatives, education and training, leadership development, public health policy, research, and sexuality. For detailed information, please visit our website: http://lesbianhealthinfo.org/NationalLesbianHealthSummit/
Confirmed panelists and workshop presenters include leaders in lesbian and queer women’s health:
Community registration for the National Lesbian Health Summit costs $30. We have a limited number of registration scholarships which we will award based on economic need.
For more information on the 2009 National Lesbian Health Summit – including registration, exciting volunteer opportunities, and Summit highlights – visit our website: http://lesbianhealthinfo.org/NationalLesbianHealthSummit/
Join us in discussing the upcoming Summit and keep up to date with the latest Summit news on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/2009-National-Lesbian-Health-Summit/48985195394
Join advocates, community members, and healthcare professionals as we learn from each other and discuss how health plays into the lives, loves, and communities of lesbian, bisexual, queer, and transgender people around the country.
The Summit will feature a diverse array of workshops, focusing on clinical care, community initiatives, education and training, leadership development, public health policy, research, and sexuality. For detailed information, please visit our website: http://lesbianhealthinfo.org/NationalLesbianHealthSummit/
Confirmed panelists and workshop presenters include leaders in lesbian and queer women’s health:
- Dr. Leslie Calman, Executive Director of the Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization
- Rebecca Fox, Director of the National Coalition for LGBT Health
- Dr. Sandra Hernández, Chief Executive Officer of the San Francisco Foundation
- Dr. Marjorie J. Hill, Chief Executive Officer of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis
- Amber Hollibaugh, Chief Officer for Elder & Women’s Services, Howard Brown Health Center
- Lorri Jean, CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
- JoAnne Keatley, Director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence for Transgender HIV
- Surina Khan, Vice President of Programs at the Women's Foundation of California
- Dr. Caitlin Ryan, Director of Adolescent Health Initiatives, César E. Chavez Institute, San Francisco State University
- Carmen Vazquez, Coordinator, LGBT Health and Human Services, State of New York Department of Health
Community registration for the National Lesbian Health Summit costs $30. We have a limited number of registration scholarships which we will award based on economic need.
For more information on the 2009 National Lesbian Health Summit – including registration, exciting volunteer opportunities, and Summit highlights – visit our website: http://lesbianhealthinfo.org/NationalLesbianHealthSummit/
Join us in discussing the upcoming Summit and keep up to date with the latest Summit news on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/2009-National-Lesbian-Health-Summit/48985195394
Friday, February 20, 2009
4th Annual Queer People of Color Conference
Date: April 3rd and 4th 2009
Location: UC Davis
Theme: "Building Communities through Art, Action, and Resistance."
All are welcome.
"This conference will allow individuals to come together & express a new sense of community. We'll redefine & introduce alternate forms of resisting, noting that our very existence is resistance and qpoc resist in their day-to-day lives via written, oral, thematic, artful & other means. We're aware that not all qpoc participate in "activism," but we insist simply being qpoc is taking a political stance. We'll come together to tackle issues, network in our communities, celebrate our creativity & redefine societal assumptions on what "resistance" is. The 4th Annual Queer People of Color Conference will promote that we are not a generation of apathy, we are a generation of action."
This is also a CALL FOR WORKSHOPS to be held at the conference.
Please submit proposals for your workshop by February 27th to qpocc2009@gmail.com
Your Proposal should include the following:
A 200 word/abstract/summary to appear on the conference program
An outline of the workshop
Names of presenters/organization
For more information about the Conference please visit our website, http://qpocc.webs.com (and scroll down), or email us directly at qpocc2009@gmail.com.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The State of Prop 8: The Case Before the California Supreme Court
On Saturday, February 21, 2009 JFK University is hosting an event that brings together the Bay Area’s LGBT and legal communities to discuss the State of Prop 8 from a legal perspective. Titled “The State of Prop 8: The Case Before the California Supreme Court”, the event will consist of a presentation and Q&A led by veteran LGBT family protection lawyer and advisor at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, JFKU Professor Ora Prochovnick.
As you know, the California Supreme Court will be hearing the legal case on March 5; this event is designed to generate a discussion and an understanding of the legal and civil-rights facts prior to the hearing. Topics will include:
Background on marriage equality
An Overview of Prior Marriage Cases Heard by The California Supreme Court
An Overview of the Proposition 8 Electoral Campaign –Funders, Voting Patterns vs. Media
Claims
A Summary of the Writ of Petition Currently Before the California Supreme Court
The Status of 18,000 couples who married between June and November 2008
The discussion will be followed by an open house for the University’s law school, for anyone interested in learning more about legal careers that advocate for the LGBT community. If you have any additional questions about the event, visit www.jfku.edu/berkeleylaw.
As you know, the California Supreme Court will be hearing the legal case on March 5; this event is designed to generate a discussion and an understanding of the legal and civil-rights facts prior to the hearing. Topics will include:
Background on marriage equality
An Overview of Prior Marriage Cases Heard by The California Supreme Court
An Overview of the Proposition 8 Electoral Campaign –Funders, Voting Patterns vs. Media
Claims
A Summary of the Writ of Petition Currently Before the California Supreme Court
The Status of 18,000 couples who married between June and November 2008
The discussion will be followed by an open house for the University’s law school, for anyone interested in learning more about legal careers that advocate for the LGBT community. If you have any additional questions about the event, visit www.jfku.edu/berkeleylaw.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Stronger Together - Benefit for Richmond Jane Doe
A benefit event featuring kick-ass performing artists in support of Richmond Jane Doe!
Stronger Together - Benefit for Richmond Jane Doe
Friday, February 6th & Saturday, February 7th
6:30 PM - Doors
7:00 PM - Performances
Featuring a Line-Up of Performing Artists (See details below)
Rose Street House of Music
1829 Rose Street
Berkeley, CA
This is a fundraiser to benefit the young lesbian who was gang-raped in a hate crime. Please show her that you are here for her and attend this event, it'll be fun, and it'll make you feel good!
Come together in community to help a sister in need, to help rebuild her life while staying strong for her 8-year-old daughter.
- Link to online information about JD:
http://tatasworld.typepad.com/were_here_for_you
- Link to Related Associated Press News Story by Lisa Leff:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010602788.html?nav=hcmodule
* Reservation Information -
$10 - $99 suggested sliding scale donation.
100% of proceeds will go to JD (Richmond Jane Doe)
Reservations not required, but be sure to come early (especially on Friday).
Requested no fragrances/perfume please
To volunteer, please contact rosestbooking@yahoo.com with "RJD volunteer" in the subject line.
* Featured Performing Artists -
- Irina Rivkin - live-looping OutMusic Awardee www.myspace.com/irinarivkin
- Pam & Jeri of Blame Sally (2/6) www.blamesally.com
- Andrea Prichett and Lisa Zeiler of Rebecca Riots (2/6) fresh radical folk www.myspace.com/rebeccariotsmusic
- StormMiguel Florez (2/6) real tranny folk rock www.stormflorez.com
- Shelley Doty (2/7) - guitar goddess www.shelleydoty.com
- Green and Root (2/7) - authentic songs, sublime harmonies www.greenandroot.com
- Maureen Brownsey MC's (2/6)
- Special guests Rebecca Crump, Sai Mayi Magram and Carrie Gerendasy
* About the Artists -
- Mo Brownsey, author of "Is It a Date or Just Coffee?" a veteran stand-up comic who has headlined internationally, and film/video maker who co-produced a PBS screened documentary on the Religious Right and Anti Gay Legislation of the mid-90s, will MC the 2/6 evening.
- Irina Rivkin (2/6 & 2/7), Outmusic Awardee, layers her poetic lyrics with rich textured harmonies, swirling with vocal percussive beats, all created live on-the-spot using her loop station instrument. "jazzy, and rhythmic . . . hot, harmony-rich vocals...rhythm & sound would pass as a Russian Sweet Honey in the Rock. "Angela Page, Sing Out!" www.sonicbids.com/irinarivkin
- Pam Delgado and Jeri Jones (2/6) consistently bring an audience enthusiastically to their feet with dynamic vocals, rocking percussion and guitar.
- Andrea Prichett & Lisa Zeiler (2/6) of Rebecca Riots - fresh, radical folk with inspiring originals that blend an intense dedication to social justice with an irresistible, welcoming attitude and lots of humor.
- StormMiguel Florez is a Mexican aMaricon singer/songwriter, QueErotic performance artist, and live tranny sex show producer. Sometimes he does these things all at once.
- Shelley Doty (2/7) articulate passionate songwriter, masterful guitarist " . . . the complete performer in her use of cranked up emotions in her singing, edgy rock energy and swinging jazz guitar rhythms." East Bay Express
- Green and Root (2/7) sing deliciously evocative songs with perfectly spiced harmonies. "The self-expression is immense" Robert Laurence, We the People
- Rose Street House of Music is a volunteer-run volunteer-hosted house concert & touring musical community bringing out women's voices through poetic music of substance & depth. All genders are welcome as audience, volunteers, & back-up musicians for the artists featured. http://www.rosestreetmusic.com or (510) 594-4000 ext. 687.
"Stronger Together" is produced by Tallon Nunez & Irina Rivkin / Rose Street House of Music.
Promotional support provided by Betty's List.
Stronger Together - Benefit for Richmond Jane Doe
Friday, February 6th & Saturday, February 7th
6:30 PM - Doors
7:00 PM - Performances
Featuring a Line-Up of Performing Artists (See details below)
Rose Street House of Music
1829 Rose Street
Berkeley, CA
This is a fundraiser to benefit the young lesbian who was gang-raped in a hate crime. Please show her that you are here for her and attend this event, it'll be fun, and it'll make you feel good!
Come together in community to help a sister in need, to help rebuild her life while staying strong for her 8-year-old daughter.
- Link to online information about JD:
http://tatasworld.typepad.com/were_here_for_you
- Link to Related Associated Press News Story by Lisa Leff:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010602788.html?nav=hcmodule
* Reservation Information -
$10 - $99 suggested sliding scale donation.
100% of proceeds will go to JD (Richmond Jane Doe)
Reservations not required, but be sure to come early (especially on Friday).
Requested no fragrances/perfume please
To volunteer, please contact rosestbooking@yahoo.com with "RJD volunteer" in the subject line.
* Featured Performing Artists -
- Irina Rivkin - live-looping OutMusic Awardee www.myspace.com/irinarivkin
- Pam & Jeri of Blame Sally (2/6) www.blamesally.com
- Andrea Prichett and Lisa Zeiler of Rebecca Riots (2/6) fresh radical folk www.myspace.com/rebeccariotsmusic
- StormMiguel Florez (2/6) real tranny folk rock www.stormflorez.com
- Shelley Doty (2/7) - guitar goddess www.shelleydoty.com
- Green and Root (2/7) - authentic songs, sublime harmonies www.greenandroot.com
- Maureen Brownsey MC's (2/6)
- Special guests Rebecca Crump, Sai Mayi Magram and Carrie Gerendasy
* About the Artists -
- Mo Brownsey, author of "Is It a Date or Just Coffee?" a veteran stand-up comic who has headlined internationally, and film/video maker who co-produced a PBS screened documentary on the Religious Right and Anti Gay Legislation of the mid-90s, will MC the 2/6 evening.
- Irina Rivkin (2/6 & 2/7), Outmusic Awardee, layers her poetic lyrics with rich textured harmonies, swirling with vocal percussive beats, all created live on-the-spot using her loop station instrument. "jazzy, and rhythmic . . . hot, harmony-rich vocals...rhythm & sound would pass as a Russian Sweet Honey in the Rock. "Angela Page, Sing Out!" www.sonicbids.com/irinarivkin
- Pam Delgado and Jeri Jones (2/6) consistently bring an audience enthusiastically to their feet with dynamic vocals, rocking percussion and guitar.
- Andrea Prichett & Lisa Zeiler (2/6) of Rebecca Riots - fresh, radical folk with inspiring originals that blend an intense dedication to social justice with an irresistible, welcoming attitude and lots of humor.
- StormMiguel Florez is a Mexican aMaricon singer/songwriter, QueErotic performance artist, and live tranny sex show producer. Sometimes he does these things all at once.
- Shelley Doty (2/7) articulate passionate songwriter, masterful guitarist " . . . the complete performer in her use of cranked up emotions in her singing, edgy rock energy and swinging jazz guitar rhythms." East Bay Express
- Green and Root (2/7) sing deliciously evocative songs with perfectly spiced harmonies. "The self-expression is immense" Robert Laurence, We the People
- Rose Street House of Music is a volunteer-run volunteer-hosted house concert & touring musical community bringing out women's voices through poetic music of substance & depth. All genders are welcome as audience, volunteers, & back-up musicians for the artists featured. http://www.rosestreetmusic.com or (510) 594-4000 ext. 687.
"Stronger Together" is produced by Tallon Nunez & Irina Rivkin / Rose Street House of Music.
Promotional support provided by Betty's List.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Comedy Show (and a little music)
Sunday, Feb 8, 2009 6 pm
Doors open at 5:30 ~ refreshments & snacks available
Tckets $15 adv. $18 at the door or at http://www.brownpapertickets.com (they charge a small fee)
Tickets are now on sale! Seating is limited, but VERY comfortable!!
Go to http://www.marysfutons.com for information on how to buy tickets. You can also see who's performing and see a list of great door prizes.
Enter our Win a Futon Raffle.
Tickets are $2 and all proceeds benefit the Mountain Play Assocication.
A portion of the proceeds from refreshment purchases will benefit Spectrum LGBT Center.
The drawing will be held after intermission (winner need not be present.) All together we will be giving away 12 GREAT prizes.
http://www.marysfutons.com/Comedy_Show.html
Get you tickets soon as this is sure to be a sell-out event. As you may know, this comedy show was mentioned in the New York Times!!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Ronald P. Wilmot Scholarship Fund
The Ronald P. Wilmot Scholarship Fund of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund is specifically for children of gay or lesbian parents. To find out more go to the Bureau of Jewish Education website at http://www.bjesf.org/financial_collegestudy.htm
Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate students at accredited institutions of higher learning and/or the arts, who are children of gay and/or lesbian parent(s).
Qualifications: Academic and/or artistic excellence and financial need.
Residency requirements:
Undergraduate: Student’s parents must be permanent residents of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, the Peninsula (Sunnyvale and north), San Francisco, Solano, and Sonoma Counties.
Graduate: Applicant must be a permanent resident of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, the Peninsula (Sunnyvale and north), San Francisco, Solano, and Sonoma Counties.
Annual Grants: 4 to 6 scholarships: $3,000 – $5,000 each.
The Ronald P. Wilmot Scholarship Fund
Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate students at accredited institutions of higher learning and/or the arts, who are children of gay and/or lesbian parent(s).
Qualifications: Academic and/or artistic excellence and financial need.
Residency requirements:
Undergraduate: Student’s parents must be permanent residents of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, the Peninsula (Sunnyvale and north), San Francisco, Solano, and Sonoma Counties.
Graduate: Applicant must be a permanent resident of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, the Peninsula (Sunnyvale and north), San Francisco, Solano, and Sonoma Counties.
Annual Grants: 4 to 6 scholarships: $3,000 – $5,000 each.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
New Study Analyzes What Drove Vote on Proposition 8 & Debunks Myths
Freedom to Marry, in collaboration with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Let California Ring, and And Marriage for All, just released a new study that discusses what drove the passage of Proposition 8 and debunks the myths about African-American voting on marriage equality. The study also showed support for freedom to marry grew across nearly all demographics in California. To view the press release and access the study, visit www.freedomtomarry.org.
-- The Staff at Freedom to Marry
New study shows party, ideology, frequency of religious service attendance and age drove vote on Proposition 8
Precinct-by-precinct analysis and other data debunk myths about
African-American voting on marriage equality
Support for freedom to marry grows across nearly all demographics
Download the report at:
http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/issues/egan_sherrill_prop8_1_6_09.pdf
For Immediate Release: January 6, 2009
Media Contacts: Roberta Sklar, 917.704.6358, robertasklar@yahoo.com
Inga Sarda-Sorensen, 646.358.1463, isorensen@thetaskforce.org
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 — An in-depth analysis of the Proposition 8 vote released today shows that party affiliation, political ideology, frequency of attending worship services and age were the driving forces behind the measure’s passage on Nov. 4. The study finds that after taking into account the effect of religious service attendance, support for Proposition 8 among African Americans and Latinos was not significantly different than other groups. Through a precinct-by-precinct analysis and review of multiple other sources of data, the study also puts African-American support for Proposition 8 at no more than 59 percent, nowhere close to the 70 percent reported the night of the election. Finally, the study shows how support for marriage equality has grown substantially across almost all California demographic groups — except Republicans.
The study was written by Patrick J. Egan, Ph.D., assistant professor of politics and public policy at New York University, and Kenneth Sherrill, Ph.D., professor of political science at Hunter College, CUNY. Egan and Sherrill reviewed pre- and post-election polls, and precinct-level voting data from five California counties with the highest number of African-American voters. The study was commissioned by the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund in San Francisco.
Party, ideology, religious attendance and age drove “yes” vote
The study found that four factors — party identification, ideology, frequency of religious service attendance and age — drove the “yes” vote for Proposition 8. For example, more than 70 percent of voters who were Republican, identified themselves as conservative, or who attended religious services at least weekly supported Proposition 8. Conversely, 70 percent or more of voters who were Democrat, identified themselves as liberal, or who rarely attended religious services opposed the measure. More than two-thirds (67 percent) of voters 65 or older supported Proposition 8, while majorities under 65 opposed it.
“These figures point the way to winning marriage equality for same-sex couples sooner rather than later,” said Jaime Grant, Ph.D., director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. “Convincing the Republican Party that continued gay bashing will cripple its future is one; another is accelerating the already strong surge in support among young voters.”
African-American and Latino support for Proposition 8 not significantly higher when religious attendance is factored out
Since the passage of Proposition 8, much has been said about the supposed dramatic opposition to marriage equality among African Americans, fueled by National Election Pool (NEP) figures based on sampling in only a few precincts that erroneously indicated 70 percent of California’s African Americans supported Proposition 8. The study found that when religious attendance was factored out, however, there was no significant difference between African Americans and other groups.
In other words, people of all races and ethnicities who worship at least once a week overwhelmingly supported Proposition 8, with support among white, Asian and Latino frequent churchgoers actually being greater than among African Americans.
“We clearly need to redouble our work with people of faith to overcome the notion that civil marriage for same-sex couples somehow threatens religious liberties and to convince them that protecting all families equally is the just and moral thing to do,” said the Rev. Mark Wilson, coordinator of African-American minister outreach for And Marriage for All.
Moreover, the study found that the level of support for Proposition 8 among African Americans was nowhere close to the NEP exit poll 70 percent figure. The study looked at pre- and post-election polls and conducted a sophisticated analysis of precinct-level voting data from five California counties with the highest African-American populations (Alameda (Oakland), Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco).* Based on this, it concludes that the level of African-American support for Proposition 8 was in the range of 57-59 percent. Its precinct-level analysis also found that many precincts with few black voters supported Proposition 8 at levels just as high or higher than those with many black voters.
As discussed earlier, the 57-59 percent figure — while higher than white and Asian-American voters — is largely explained by the higher rates of African-American church attendance: 57 percent of African Americans attend church at least once a week, compared to 42 percent of whites and 40 percent of Asian Americans.
“This study debunks the myth that African Americans overwhelmingly and disproportionately supported Proposition 8. But we clearly have work to do with, within and for African-American communities, particularly the black church,” said Andrea Shorter, director of And Marriage for All.
Scott Davenport, managing director of Freedom to Marry, added, “The way forward is to ratchet up support for courageous pro-equality leaders like Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond and California NAACP State Conference President Alice Huffman, and build up the visibility and voices of LGBT African-American families, leaders and organizations.”
Support for marriage equality grows across all demographics except Republican
The study found that overall support for marriage equality has increased by 9 percent since 2000, with support increasing among every age group under age 65, across all racial and ethnic groups and among Protestants, Catholics and Jews. There are three “holdout” groups where voting patterns have not changed: Republicans, conservatives, and those 65 and older. The largest gain — up 16 percent — was among voters 45-64 years of age, followed by a 13 percent increase among voters 18-29.
“This shift in such a relatively short timeframe is nothing short of astonishing,” said Jim Carroll, managing director of Let California Ring. “Clearly, time is on our side but we’re going to have to fight even harder to reach the finish line.”
Among Republicans, support for the freedom to marry fell slightly (1 percent) compared to 2000. Support for marriage equality among Democrats, on the other hand, increased 13 percent.
_________
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of the LGBT movement. The Task Force Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, the Task Force works to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all.
Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide. Launched in 2003, Freedom to Marry is headed by Evan Wolfson, author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry and one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. Freedom to Marry guides and focuses this social justice movement on a nationwide level, serving as a strategy and support center for national, state and local partners, a catalyst that drives and shapes the national debate on marriage equality, and an alliance-builder fostering support from non-gay allies.
Let California Ring is a public education campaign to open hearts and minds about the freedom to marry and the respect, support, protections and responsibilities that come with marriage. It is a project of Equality California Institute, working in a diverse coalition of over 60 national, state and local organizations.
And Marriage for All is a collaborative partnership of African-American community leaders, families, clergy and faith leaders, elected officials and supporters spearheading a public education campaign in Northern California regarding the freedom to marry.
_______________
* Peter Frase and the Center for Urban Research at The Graduate Center, CUNY, developed and analyzed the precinct-level data.
-- The Staff at Freedom to Marry
New study shows party, ideology, frequency of religious service attendance and age drove vote on Proposition 8
Precinct-by-precinct analysis and other data debunk myths about
African-American voting on marriage equality
Support for freedom to marry grows across nearly all demographics
Download the report at:
http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/issues/egan_sherrill_prop8_1_6_09.pdf
For Immediate Release: January 6, 2009
Media Contacts: Roberta Sklar, 917.704.6358, robertasklar@yahoo.com
Inga Sarda-Sorensen, 646.358.1463, isorensen@thetaskforce.org
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 — An in-depth analysis of the Proposition 8 vote released today shows that party affiliation, political ideology, frequency of attending worship services and age were the driving forces behind the measure’s passage on Nov. 4. The study finds that after taking into account the effect of religious service attendance, support for Proposition 8 among African Americans and Latinos was not significantly different than other groups. Through a precinct-by-precinct analysis and review of multiple other sources of data, the study also puts African-American support for Proposition 8 at no more than 59 percent, nowhere close to the 70 percent reported the night of the election. Finally, the study shows how support for marriage equality has grown substantially across almost all California demographic groups — except Republicans.
The study was written by Patrick J. Egan, Ph.D., assistant professor of politics and public policy at New York University, and Kenneth Sherrill, Ph.D., professor of political science at Hunter College, CUNY. Egan and Sherrill reviewed pre- and post-election polls, and precinct-level voting data from five California counties with the highest number of African-American voters. The study was commissioned by the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund in San Francisco.
Party, ideology, religious attendance and age drove “yes” vote
The study found that four factors — party identification, ideology, frequency of religious service attendance and age — drove the “yes” vote for Proposition 8. For example, more than 70 percent of voters who were Republican, identified themselves as conservative, or who attended religious services at least weekly supported Proposition 8. Conversely, 70 percent or more of voters who were Democrat, identified themselves as liberal, or who rarely attended religious services opposed the measure. More than two-thirds (67 percent) of voters 65 or older supported Proposition 8, while majorities under 65 opposed it.
“These figures point the way to winning marriage equality for same-sex couples sooner rather than later,” said Jaime Grant, Ph.D., director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. “Convincing the Republican Party that continued gay bashing will cripple its future is one; another is accelerating the already strong surge in support among young voters.”
African-American and Latino support for Proposition 8 not significantly higher when religious attendance is factored out
Since the passage of Proposition 8, much has been said about the supposed dramatic opposition to marriage equality among African Americans, fueled by National Election Pool (NEP) figures based on sampling in only a few precincts that erroneously indicated 70 percent of California’s African Americans supported Proposition 8. The study found that when religious attendance was factored out, however, there was no significant difference between African Americans and other groups.
In other words, people of all races and ethnicities who worship at least once a week overwhelmingly supported Proposition 8, with support among white, Asian and Latino frequent churchgoers actually being greater than among African Americans.
“We clearly need to redouble our work with people of faith to overcome the notion that civil marriage for same-sex couples somehow threatens religious liberties and to convince them that protecting all families equally is the just and moral thing to do,” said the Rev. Mark Wilson, coordinator of African-American minister outreach for And Marriage for All.
Moreover, the study found that the level of support for Proposition 8 among African Americans was nowhere close to the NEP exit poll 70 percent figure. The study looked at pre- and post-election polls and conducted a sophisticated analysis of precinct-level voting data from five California counties with the highest African-American populations (Alameda (Oakland), Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco).* Based on this, it concludes that the level of African-American support for Proposition 8 was in the range of 57-59 percent. Its precinct-level analysis also found that many precincts with few black voters supported Proposition 8 at levels just as high or higher than those with many black voters.
As discussed earlier, the 57-59 percent figure — while higher than white and Asian-American voters — is largely explained by the higher rates of African-American church attendance: 57 percent of African Americans attend church at least once a week, compared to 42 percent of whites and 40 percent of Asian Americans.
“This study debunks the myth that African Americans overwhelmingly and disproportionately supported Proposition 8. But we clearly have work to do with, within and for African-American communities, particularly the black church,” said Andrea Shorter, director of And Marriage for All.
Scott Davenport, managing director of Freedom to Marry, added, “The way forward is to ratchet up support for courageous pro-equality leaders like Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond and California NAACP State Conference President Alice Huffman, and build up the visibility and voices of LGBT African-American families, leaders and organizations.”
Support for marriage equality grows across all demographics except Republican
The study found that overall support for marriage equality has increased by 9 percent since 2000, with support increasing among every age group under age 65, across all racial and ethnic groups and among Protestants, Catholics and Jews. There are three “holdout” groups where voting patterns have not changed: Republicans, conservatives, and those 65 and older. The largest gain — up 16 percent — was among voters 45-64 years of age, followed by a 13 percent increase among voters 18-29.
“This shift in such a relatively short timeframe is nothing short of astonishing,” said Jim Carroll, managing director of Let California Ring. “Clearly, time is on our side but we’re going to have to fight even harder to reach the finish line.”
Among Republicans, support for the freedom to marry fell slightly (1 percent) compared to 2000. Support for marriage equality among Democrats, on the other hand, increased 13 percent.
_________
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of the LGBT movement. The Task Force Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, the Task Force works to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all.
Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide. Launched in 2003, Freedom to Marry is headed by Evan Wolfson, author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry and one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. Freedom to Marry guides and focuses this social justice movement on a nationwide level, serving as a strategy and support center for national, state and local partners, a catalyst that drives and shapes the national debate on marriage equality, and an alliance-builder fostering support from non-gay allies.
Let California Ring is a public education campaign to open hearts and minds about the freedom to marry and the respect, support, protections and responsibilities that come with marriage. It is a project of Equality California Institute, working in a diverse coalition of over 60 national, state and local organizations.
And Marriage for All is a collaborative partnership of African-American community leaders, families, clergy and faith leaders, elected officials and supporters spearheading a public education campaign in Northern California regarding the freedom to marry.
_______________
* Peter Frase and the Center for Urban Research at The Graduate Center, CUNY, developed and analyzed the precinct-level data.
Congress swears in today! Let them know you care about ENDA!
Action Alert from NCLR
Today, January 6, members of Congress raise their right hands and swear to uphold the Constitution as they begin the new legislative session.
Let’s make sure the first thing they hear about is the importance of an Employment Non-Discrimination Act that protects all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
In DC, make their phones ring!
Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 and have them connect you to your Representative (find yours based on your zip code). Tell them: “I am a constituent and I would like you to please tell Representative _______ that I strongly support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that would ban discrimination against all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.”
Then, call back and leave messages with your two Senators too!
At home, set up a visit!
Request an in-person meeting for you and other community members with your two Senators and your Representative (or their staffs) in their home district offices. You can call the district offices to request these meetings but they often want you to fax a meeting request. To find contact info for district offices, go to http://www.senate.gov/ and http://www.house.gov/.
Sample meeting request letters, and other talking points and resources for your meetings, are available in the following toolkits:
The Task Force ENDA Grassroots Toolkit (pdf)
National Center for Transgender Equality’s Making Your Voice Heard (pdf)
PFLAG’s Bringing the Message Home
Let Us Know!
Let us know how your meeting went. Go to http://www.unitedenda.org/ and fill out the Lobby Report Form to tell us whether your Representative and Senators expressed support.
Kate Kendell, Esq.
Executive Director
National Center for Lesbian Rights
Useful Links & Downloads
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Rick Warren and the Inauguration
By Sara M. Taylor, Attorney at Law
The key issue in this matter, is that Rick Warren played a primary role in passing this proposition by working with the pro-Prop 8 folks to intentionally mislead the voters into thinking that if they voted against this proposition, religious liberties would be affected. The California Supreme Court has named persons with homosexual orientation as a protected class who deserve equal protection under the Constitution of California. Much like interracial marriages in the 1950’s and 1960’s, this is a civil rights issue. It is not an issue of morality. Churches are allowed to act as they wish with respect to this matter (women are a protected class but no action can be taken against churches who still discriminate against women).
By inviting Rick Warren, Obama has failed to take a stance on the lies propagated by Rick Warren to convince the California electorate. Obama needs to clearly distinguish the constitutional rights of people and the equal protection due them, from the religious and moral rhetoric the conservative churches have used to confuse the issue and scare people into voting to deny rights.
In the 60’s people justified denying equal rights to blacks and whites to marry on outdated scriptural passages that favored slavery. The same is true now. The evangelical Christians are using misleading quotations and tortured interpretations of the Bible to deny people civil rights. That is unjust. As Whoopi says, if you do not agree with gay marriage, don’t marry a gay. It is that simple. We are a protected class who are entitled to full protections of our government, and the full rights and responsibilities of that government. This does not infringe on religious liberties.
No presidential elect should choose a divisive minister to invoke the blessings of God on this nation. Had another minister worked to deny civil rights to people who are disabled, women, persons of color, and/or different races, he or she would not be considered for this sacred trust. The fact that Obama does not equate his selection of Warren with discrimination is indicative of the fact that he does not get it with respect to the LGBT community.
We need to speak out and let Obama know that he does not understand, or that the message he is sending is that he does not understand the full protections that should be afforded the LGBT community. The irony of Mr. Obama standing to take the oath of office to “defend and protect the Constitution of the United States” after an invocation by a minister who has vocally supported the actions of the majority to deny the LGBT minority their full equality in this society is appalling. Obama needs to be told that in no uncertain terms by our community – that this is about civil rights. The symbolism of Mr. Warren irrevocably confuses that issue.
The key issue in this matter, is that Rick Warren played a primary role in passing this proposition by working with the pro-Prop 8 folks to intentionally mislead the voters into thinking that if they voted against this proposition, religious liberties would be affected. The California Supreme Court has named persons with homosexual orientation as a protected class who deserve equal protection under the Constitution of California. Much like interracial marriages in the 1950’s and 1960’s, this is a civil rights issue. It is not an issue of morality. Churches are allowed to act as they wish with respect to this matter (women are a protected class but no action can be taken against churches who still discriminate against women).
By inviting Rick Warren, Obama has failed to take a stance on the lies propagated by Rick Warren to convince the California electorate. Obama needs to clearly distinguish the constitutional rights of people and the equal protection due them, from the religious and moral rhetoric the conservative churches have used to confuse the issue and scare people into voting to deny rights.
In the 60’s people justified denying equal rights to blacks and whites to marry on outdated scriptural passages that favored slavery. The same is true now. The evangelical Christians are using misleading quotations and tortured interpretations of the Bible to deny people civil rights. That is unjust. As Whoopi says, if you do not agree with gay marriage, don’t marry a gay. It is that simple. We are a protected class who are entitled to full protections of our government, and the full rights and responsibilities of that government. This does not infringe on religious liberties.
No presidential elect should choose a divisive minister to invoke the blessings of God on this nation. Had another minister worked to deny civil rights to people who are disabled, women, persons of color, and/or different races, he or she would not be considered for this sacred trust. The fact that Obama does not equate his selection of Warren with discrimination is indicative of the fact that he does not get it with respect to the LGBT community.
We need to speak out and let Obama know that he does not understand, or that the message he is sending is that he does not understand the full protections that should be afforded the LGBT community. The irony of Mr. Obama standing to take the oath of office to “defend and protect the Constitution of the United States” after an invocation by a minister who has vocally supported the actions of the majority to deny the LGBT minority their full equality in this society is appalling. Obama needs to be told that in no uncertain terms by our community – that this is about civil rights. The symbolism of Mr. Warren irrevocably confuses that issue.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Procession and Prayer Service for Emergency Shelter
Marin Organizing Committee:
Procession and Prayer Service for an Emergency Shelter
Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 5:00-6:15PM, there will be a Procession and Prayer Service, from St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room to St. Raphael Catholic Church in downtown San Rafael.
Procession and Prayer Service for an Emergency Shelter
Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 5:00-6:15PM, there will be a Procession and Prayer Service, from St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room to St. Raphael Catholic Church in downtown San Rafael.
The purpose of this action is to join MOC leaders and clergy in fighting for emergency shelter for Marin County's residents.
Meet at 5:00PM at the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room, 820 B. Street, San Rafael.
For more information, call 415-563-0262.
Download copf of the flyer here: http://www.spectrumlgbtcenter.org/PDF/Prayer_Procession_MOC.pdf
Download copf of the flyer here: http://www.spectrumlgbtcenter.org/PDF/Prayer_Procession_MOC.pdf
Friday, December 5, 2008
What my gay wedding revealed
Speech for Prop 8 Protest Rally, November 15, 2008, San Rafael City Hall
by Megan F. Coffey
Hello and Buenos Días Marin County! My name is Megan Coffey, and this hottie beside me is my legally wedded wife, Jen Owen. We got married on October 12th, well before the election, so we’re hoping our marriage will continue to be recognized by California. Before the wedding, we asked our guests to contribute to the No on 8 campaign instead of giving us gifts, and they responded by raising over $3,000 to fight this hateful initiative!
Then came Election Day, November 4th. Jen and I were both hoping that Obama would win and Prop 8 would lose, but Jen was stuck at work until late, and I was too scared to turn on the TV until she got home. So I sat at home biting my nails, and every half hour or so she called me with updates: “Obama won Pennsylvania!” “Obama won Ohio!” “Obama won Florida!” Finally Jen got home and we turned on the TV, just as Obama was being declared the 44th President of the United States. We were thrilled and excited and overjoyed that he had won, and yet it all felt totally impossible and unreal…sort of like the way we felt on our wedding day!
But then we saw that Prop 8 was winning by about six percentage points, and we started to get scared. Eventually that lead shrunk to three or four points, but we still got more and more worried. All the networks said it was “too close to call” when Jen finally went to bed around 2 am, but I stayed up all night watching the results, hoping against hope that maybe all the gay voters and all the young voters had slept in late that day, so their votes had yet to be counted…. At last, at 6 am, with Prop 8 still undecided, I gave up and staggered into bed.
Jen woke me up the next morning with two words: “We lost.” I felt nothing. I was completely numb. I crawled back under the covers and lay there for over ten hours, too depressed to move. When I finally got up at 9 o’clock that night, I cried like I was never going to stop.
But I did stop crying, and when I did, I got ANGRY. Do you know what I was so angry about? Since Prop 8 passed anyway, that means Jen and I missed out on $3,000 worth of wedding presents!!
Seriously, though, what got me angry was thinking about the most recent marriage-related US Supreme Court case. Many of you may know about the 1967 decision in Loving v. Virginia, which overturned the ban on interracial marriage; but you may be less familiar with the 1987 case Turner v. Safley, which involved the civil rights of prisoners. In that decision, the US Supreme Court stated that marriage is a “fundamental human right” that cannot be denied even to serial killers on death row. So apparently, the majority of California voters—and most Americans—consider us law-abiding, hard-working, taxpaying, non-homicidal-maniac gay people to be NOT HUMAN ENOUGH to deserve the “fundamental human right” that the Constitution guarantees to CONVICTED MASS MURDERERS ON DEATH ROW (as long as those mass murderers are straight, of course).
Anyway, then I started looking at the demographic breakdown of who voted Yes on Prop 8, and I got even angrier. I thought, all these married straight people, and old people, and religious people, and people of color, and Republicans, have never even met me; yet they hate me enough to take away my civil rights. Well then, I’m going to hate them too! And for a whole week, my rage and my hatred grew and grew, until I thought I was going to explode.
But then just a couple of days ago, I started thinking about our wedding day, and all of a sudden, my anger went away. In one instant I realized that the people who voted Yes on 8 are not our enemies, and Jen’s and my wedding is the proof.
For starters, married straight people are not our enemies. I have an enormous, mostly straight family, and Jen has an enormous number of mostly straight friends. In fact, almost all of the guests at our wedding were straight married people; or straight people who used to be married; or straight people who were married, divorced, married, divorced, and married again. They came from all over the country to celebrate our wedding, and the only thing they thought was a bit weird was the all-vegan buffet at the reception. (After the reception ended at 6 pm, my whole family took Jen and me out to dinner at an Outback Steakhouse, presumably for revenge.) And my best friend from high school back East, a straight, married man with two children, told me that Jen’s and my wedding day was one of the happiest days of his life. So no, married straight people are not our enemies.
Old people, too, are not our enemies. My ninety-two-year-old father came all the way out here from New Jersey with his pacemaker and his portable wheelchair, just to witness our vows and toast to our happiness. And my dad is the oldest person I know, so clearly, old people are not our enemies.
Similarly, religious people are not our enemies. Our ceremony, for example, was conducted by a heterosexual Lutheran minister with the blessing of his bishop, while Jen’s fundamentalist Christian father and aunt sat in the front row, grinning from ear to ear. My very Catholic sister, who has never missed a Sunday mass, flew all the way from Florida to lend me a beautiful necklace so I would have something “borrowed” to wear. Her son, my Catholic divinity school grad student nephew, came all the way from Boston to goad me into smearing cake on Jen’s face (don’t worry, she got me back worse). Meanwhile, my Jewish cousin from Montreal skipped her own family reunion to tell us “Mazel Tov” in person and then get back on the plane. My mom came out here from Pittsburgh, PA, where she is an active member of her Quaker religious community, which has been conducting same-sex wedding ceremonies for years (as have many other communities of faith). Jen’s little sister from Monterey, who is so Christian she has “I love Jesus” tattooed on her ankle, helped me get ready in the bridal dressing room, then took a million pictures of our cake topper (Rosie the Riveter and Wonder Woman) and posted them online. My Rabbi friend from Florida couldn’t attend the wedding, but he sent his love and blessings. And we even had a Mormon guest at the wedding, who hugged and congratulated Jen while his wife did my hair in the dressing room. So obviously, religious people are not our enemies.
And what about the “enemy” everyone’s been talking about, people of color (especially blacks and Latinos)? Well, for one thing, there are plenty of LGBT people of color, most of whom presumably did not vote to take away their own rights. And let’s see, the guests at our wedding included my African-American stepmother; my two black sisters, both of whom teared up during their toasts; my biracial nephew, who was in on the cake-smearing dare; my youngest sister’s new black boyfriend, who was meeting us for the first time, but bonded with Jen like they were long-lost brothers; my half-Venezuelan, half-Swiss sister-in-law, my Filipina cousin-in-law, and their kids (I told you I had a huge family!); Jen’s Cambodian friend from work; and her half-Mexican, half-American Indian friend, who drove up from San Jose the night before to help with last-minute arrangements. Meanwhile, one woman who couldn’t make the wedding, my mom’s best friend from Pennsylvania, is African-American, over seventy-five years old, in a straight marriage, and extremely religious—the fearsome foursome all rolled into one!—and yet she promised to call everyone she knows in California to tell them to vote No on 8. (Oh and by the way, Martin Luther King’s late widow, Coretta Scott King, fought hard for gay rights, just as the California NAACP, Julian Bond of the National NAACP, and Dolores Huerta of the UFW continue to do.) So it seems that people of color are not our enemies.
As for the group that voted for Prop 8 in the highest percentage—82% of Republicans voted Yes—remember that no matter how weird it seems, there are some Republicans who are gay! And let me just tell you that my one Republican relative (as far as I know), my uncle from the South Bay, not only attended our wedding and toasted to our happiness, but gave us $500 for the No on 8 campaign. Meanwhile, our Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger came out publicly against Prop 8, let himself be featured in a No on 8 commercial, and declared last week that he hoped the initiative would be overturned by the courts. Even Sarah Palin…. Um, well, okay, maybe Sarah Palin is our enemy…. But for the most part at least, Republicans are not our enemies either.
So if married straight people, old people, religious people, people of color, and Republicans are not our enemies, then who is? I will tell you. Our enemies are fear and ignorance, hatred and prejudice, misinformation and lies, insecurity and discrimination…and just plain societal inertia and resistance to change. These enemies are deeply entrenched in our culture, and they won’t be dislodged without a fight. But as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said (only in a much more inspiring voice than mine), “The arc of history bends toward justice.”
And I’d like to leave you with one more quotation, from the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, who once wrote “Мир спасет красота,” meaning “Beauty will save the world.” So let us show our anger, to wake up our true enemies. Let us use our rage to make our enemies pay attention, and perhaps begin to question their own validity. But what will defeat them—and one day, we will defeat them—will be the pure and undeniable beauty of our love.
Thank you so much! ¡Muchas gracias! Love is great, Stop the hate!!
by Megan F. Coffey
Hello and Buenos Días Marin County! My name is Megan Coffey, and this hottie beside me is my legally wedded wife, Jen Owen. We got married on October 12th, well before the election, so we’re hoping our marriage will continue to be recognized by California. Before the wedding, we asked our guests to contribute to the No on 8 campaign instead of giving us gifts, and they responded by raising over $3,000 to fight this hateful initiative!
Then came Election Day, November 4th. Jen and I were both hoping that Obama would win and Prop 8 would lose, but Jen was stuck at work until late, and I was too scared to turn on the TV until she got home. So I sat at home biting my nails, and every half hour or so she called me with updates: “Obama won Pennsylvania!” “Obama won Ohio!” “Obama won Florida!” Finally Jen got home and we turned on the TV, just as Obama was being declared the 44th President of the United States. We were thrilled and excited and overjoyed that he had won, and yet it all felt totally impossible and unreal…sort of like the way we felt on our wedding day!
But then we saw that Prop 8 was winning by about six percentage points, and we started to get scared. Eventually that lead shrunk to three or four points, but we still got more and more worried. All the networks said it was “too close to call” when Jen finally went to bed around 2 am, but I stayed up all night watching the results, hoping against hope that maybe all the gay voters and all the young voters had slept in late that day, so their votes had yet to be counted…. At last, at 6 am, with Prop 8 still undecided, I gave up and staggered into bed.
Jen woke me up the next morning with two words: “We lost.” I felt nothing. I was completely numb. I crawled back under the covers and lay there for over ten hours, too depressed to move. When I finally got up at 9 o’clock that night, I cried like I was never going to stop.
But I did stop crying, and when I did, I got ANGRY. Do you know what I was so angry about? Since Prop 8 passed anyway, that means Jen and I missed out on $3,000 worth of wedding presents!!
Seriously, though, what got me angry was thinking about the most recent marriage-related US Supreme Court case. Many of you may know about the 1967 decision in Loving v. Virginia, which overturned the ban on interracial marriage; but you may be less familiar with the 1987 case Turner v. Safley, which involved the civil rights of prisoners. In that decision, the US Supreme Court stated that marriage is a “fundamental human right” that cannot be denied even to serial killers on death row. So apparently, the majority of California voters—and most Americans—consider us law-abiding, hard-working, taxpaying, non-homicidal-maniac gay people to be NOT HUMAN ENOUGH to deserve the “fundamental human right” that the Constitution guarantees to CONVICTED MASS MURDERERS ON DEATH ROW (as long as those mass murderers are straight, of course).
Anyway, then I started looking at the demographic breakdown of who voted Yes on Prop 8, and I got even angrier. I thought, all these married straight people, and old people, and religious people, and people of color, and Republicans, have never even met me; yet they hate me enough to take away my civil rights. Well then, I’m going to hate them too! And for a whole week, my rage and my hatred grew and grew, until I thought I was going to explode.
But then just a couple of days ago, I started thinking about our wedding day, and all of a sudden, my anger went away. In one instant I realized that the people who voted Yes on 8 are not our enemies, and Jen’s and my wedding is the proof.
For starters, married straight people are not our enemies. I have an enormous, mostly straight family, and Jen has an enormous number of mostly straight friends. In fact, almost all of the guests at our wedding were straight married people; or straight people who used to be married; or straight people who were married, divorced, married, divorced, and married again. They came from all over the country to celebrate our wedding, and the only thing they thought was a bit weird was the all-vegan buffet at the reception. (After the reception ended at 6 pm, my whole family took Jen and me out to dinner at an Outback Steakhouse, presumably for revenge.) And my best friend from high school back East, a straight, married man with two children, told me that Jen’s and my wedding day was one of the happiest days of his life. So no, married straight people are not our enemies.
Old people, too, are not our enemies. My ninety-two-year-old father came all the way out here from New Jersey with his pacemaker and his portable wheelchair, just to witness our vows and toast to our happiness. And my dad is the oldest person I know, so clearly, old people are not our enemies.
Similarly, religious people are not our enemies. Our ceremony, for example, was conducted by a heterosexual Lutheran minister with the blessing of his bishop, while Jen’s fundamentalist Christian father and aunt sat in the front row, grinning from ear to ear. My very Catholic sister, who has never missed a Sunday mass, flew all the way from Florida to lend me a beautiful necklace so I would have something “borrowed” to wear. Her son, my Catholic divinity school grad student nephew, came all the way from Boston to goad me into smearing cake on Jen’s face (don’t worry, she got me back worse). Meanwhile, my Jewish cousin from Montreal skipped her own family reunion to tell us “Mazel Tov” in person and then get back on the plane. My mom came out here from Pittsburgh, PA, where she is an active member of her Quaker religious community, which has been conducting same-sex wedding ceremonies for years (as have many other communities of faith). Jen’s little sister from Monterey, who is so Christian she has “I love Jesus” tattooed on her ankle, helped me get ready in the bridal dressing room, then took a million pictures of our cake topper (Rosie the Riveter and Wonder Woman) and posted them online. My Rabbi friend from Florida couldn’t attend the wedding, but he sent his love and blessings. And we even had a Mormon guest at the wedding, who hugged and congratulated Jen while his wife did my hair in the dressing room. So obviously, religious people are not our enemies.
And what about the “enemy” everyone’s been talking about, people of color (especially blacks and Latinos)? Well, for one thing, there are plenty of LGBT people of color, most of whom presumably did not vote to take away their own rights. And let’s see, the guests at our wedding included my African-American stepmother; my two black sisters, both of whom teared up during their toasts; my biracial nephew, who was in on the cake-smearing dare; my youngest sister’s new black boyfriend, who was meeting us for the first time, but bonded with Jen like they were long-lost brothers; my half-Venezuelan, half-Swiss sister-in-law, my Filipina cousin-in-law, and their kids (I told you I had a huge family!); Jen’s Cambodian friend from work; and her half-Mexican, half-American Indian friend, who drove up from San Jose the night before to help with last-minute arrangements. Meanwhile, one woman who couldn’t make the wedding, my mom’s best friend from Pennsylvania, is African-American, over seventy-five years old, in a straight marriage, and extremely religious—the fearsome foursome all rolled into one!—and yet she promised to call everyone she knows in California to tell them to vote No on 8. (Oh and by the way, Martin Luther King’s late widow, Coretta Scott King, fought hard for gay rights, just as the California NAACP, Julian Bond of the National NAACP, and Dolores Huerta of the UFW continue to do.) So it seems that people of color are not our enemies.
As for the group that voted for Prop 8 in the highest percentage—82% of Republicans voted Yes—remember that no matter how weird it seems, there are some Republicans who are gay! And let me just tell you that my one Republican relative (as far as I know), my uncle from the South Bay, not only attended our wedding and toasted to our happiness, but gave us $500 for the No on 8 campaign. Meanwhile, our Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger came out publicly against Prop 8, let himself be featured in a No on 8 commercial, and declared last week that he hoped the initiative would be overturned by the courts. Even Sarah Palin…. Um, well, okay, maybe Sarah Palin is our enemy…. But for the most part at least, Republicans are not our enemies either.
So if married straight people, old people, religious people, people of color, and Republicans are not our enemies, then who is? I will tell you. Our enemies are fear and ignorance, hatred and prejudice, misinformation and lies, insecurity and discrimination…and just plain societal inertia and resistance to change. These enemies are deeply entrenched in our culture, and they won’t be dislodged without a fight. But as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said (only in a much more inspiring voice than mine), “The arc of history bends toward justice.”
And I’d like to leave you with one more quotation, from the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, who once wrote “Мир спасет красота,” meaning “Beauty will save the world.” So let us show our anger, to wake up our true enemies. Let us use our rage to make our enemies pay attention, and perhaps begin to question their own validity. But what will defeat them—and one day, we will defeat them—will be the pure and undeniable beauty of our love.
Thank you so much! ¡Muchas gracias! Love is great, Stop the hate!!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
California's Prop 8 and Where We Go From Here Survey
As a volunteer-driven national grassroots organizations, Marriage Equality USA (
Your input matters to us and we would like to hear from you.
Please complete our on-line survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=vVtbAaBoxoy_2fYh5doKPB4g_3d_3d
Please share this with others who may be interested.
In Solidarity and With Thanks,
Marriage Equality
Please participate, share and re-post!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
MARIN COUNTY MARRIAGE EQUALITY FORUM ON PROP 8 CAMPAIGN
EVENT ADVISORY FOR DECEMBER 4, 2008
CONTACT: Paula Pilecki, Executive Director, 415-457-1115 ext. 209
MARIN COUNTY MARRIAGE EQUALITY FORUM ON PROP 8 CAMPAIGN
Community meetings statewide focus on how to win back marriage equality
MARIN COUNTY—San Anselmo-based Spectrum LGBT Center is hosting a post-election community briefing focused on the Proposition 8 campaign. The community is invited to attend this interactive session, which is part of a statewide forum series organized by Marriage
Equality USA.
The event will focus on giving community members an opportunity to debrief about the election results, what worked and didn't work about the campaign, and what can be done (and is being done) to win marriage equality back in California.
"The passage of Proposition 8 in California was a wake-up call for many people" said Paula Pilecki, Executive Director of Spectrum, the North Bay community center which promotes acceptance, understanding, and full inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. "This forum provides an opportunity for all of us to re-focus our efforts on winning back a fundamental right that was taken away by a simple majority vote."
Since May 15th, when the California State Supreme Court overturned the same-sex marriage ban in California, nearly fourteen thousand same-sex couples have legally tied the knot. Proposition 8, which passed with only a five-point spread on November 4th, put an immediate halt to the marriages and stunned those who thought it could not succeed.
In the aftermath of Prop 8's passage, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in a wave of grassroots uprising. In Marin County, over 500 people attended a rally against Proposition 8 on November 15th, which was part of a nationwide chain of rallies that drew an estimated 1.5 million people (see www.jointheimpact.com for more information on those rallies).
The California State Supreme Court agreed to decide several issues arising out of the passage of Proposition 8, including whether or not the initiative is invalid because it constitutes a revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California Constitution, and whether or not it should affect the marriages of same-sex couples performed prior to November 4th. These deliberations will take several months.
EVENT DETAILS
WHAT: Marin County Marriage Equality Forum on Proposition 8
WHERE: The Acqua Hotel, 555 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley
WHEN: Thursday, December 4, 6:30 8:30 PM
WHO: Guests include Deb Kinney, Board member of Equality California and Luana Horstkotte, Alameda County poll monitor.
COST: Free; donations welcome at the door
MORE INFO: www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org; 415-457-1115 ext. 209
SPONSORS: ACLU of Northern California, Marin Chapter; Community Church of Mill Valley; Marin AIDS Project; Marin Peace and Justice Coalition; Marriage Equality USA, Marin Chapter; Spectrum LGBT Center.
ABOUT SPECTRUM: Founded in 1982, Spectrum LGBT Center of the North Bay provides community leadership in promoting acceptance, understanding, and full inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. For more information, visit www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org.
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