tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27773921034619200312024-02-20T20:12:55.854-08:00U.T.O.P.I.AUnited Territories Of Polynesian Islander's Allianceutopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-41466951645609351592010-08-27T14:02:00.000-07:002010-08-27T14:07:13.941-07:00Every Penny Counts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RNAr1Sqo_5ux0QGJk6ueQAWc5FNKX-fHYb3GObUOjS_IxAYPvwMfgv9o2DRoNSt9tpn-R8moTf1j2WsjfmRwV-ZNQFgOUmYgb7Cb1NI0u31vFDzIImruDDjaayO24DKMyp5tYD2Hmk4/s1600/pennies.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RNAr1Sqo_5ux0QGJk6ueQAWc5FNKX-fHYb3GObUOjS_IxAYPvwMfgv9o2DRoNSt9tpn-R8moTf1j2WsjfmRwV-ZNQFgOUmYgb7Cb1NI0u31vFDzIImruDDjaayO24DKMyp5tYD2Hmk4/s200/pennies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510199168166112114" border="0" /></a>In November 1987, Fred Skau, a bartender on Polk Street, put an empty glass<br />jar on his bar with a sign asking for donations for people with AIDS. In the<br />following month leading up to Christmas, other bars joined the effort and<br />over $10,000 in coins was collected. The Every Penny Counts project was<br />born. Over the next several years, AIDS Emergency Fund's Every Penny Counts<br />expanded exponentially. Over 500 jars were placed in restaurants, bars,<br />retail stores and small businesses. An army of volunteers canvassed the<br />neighborhoods emptying jars and bringing the coins to AIDS Emergency Fund.<br />Other volunteers sorted, counted and bagged the coins.<br /><br />In 1995, the Every Penny Counts Campaign began teaching Bay Area School<br />children about the importance of giving back by collecting spare change. In<br />addition to helping people who are battling AIDS pay their rent and medical<br />bills, students learn about the financial struggles faced by people fighting<br />AIDS. So each school year, between September and February, Bay Area schools<br />challenge each other to collect the most change in jars in their classrooms.<br />The campaign culminates each year around Valentine's Day, when several<br />schools are hand picked to receive special recognition and cash donations<br />from Wells Fargo.<br /><br /><br /><br />Request Your Own Jar!<br /><br />To request your own jar for your home, office or business, please contact:<br />Kelly Rivera Hart<br />Every Penny Counts Coordinator<br />415-558-6999<br /><a href="mailto:penny.merchants@aef-sf.org">penny.merchants@aef-sf.org</a><br /><br />Volunteer for Every Penny Counts<br /><br />To volunteer as an Every Penny Counts Project volunteer please email:<br /><a href="mailto:volunteer@aef-sf.org">volunteer@aef-sf.org</a>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-55850840546132894382010-02-27T09:59:00.000-08:002010-02-27T10:40:26.646-08:00Re-Organization Retreat Coming Soon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucFMbjf8XvxccT2U_lBBBJqjXkI334tJm5hdOIOnB8r7rKLUAZGwXgK3XrSLMIPjgm0sy-pD7lNUugk4RtnN0IytZPcrhLsw5Es2TxMdP44L853equPUzHbiTIFgljDTBW7dtntLBV0c/s1600-h/samoanflagday.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucFMbjf8XvxccT2U_lBBBJqjXkI334tJm5hdOIOnB8r7rKLUAZGwXgK3XrSLMIPjgm0sy-pD7lNUugk4RtnN0IytZPcrhLsw5Es2TxMdP44L853equPUzHbiTIFgljDTBW7dtntLBV0c/s400/samoanflagday.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442989409398472962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We are currently coordinating a weekend retreat in the SF Bay area for members and supporters to gather and discuss UTOPIASF's future. Please stay tuned for further details. If you are interested in attending, please contact Sedrick at svanisi@gmail.com to include your name on the list of attendees.utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-76072896356290241492010-02-25T16:39:00.000-08:002010-02-25T16:49:16.162-08:00UTOPIA Celebrates 2010 Pride In The Big Apple<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYh2fk1eLfcT6QIpb2jJkRDCaPLpeIpcbjHoNWlXpnWaMbg30tOx6qArV1sdMHrGmEHxhvU5qXQ5_Uavy0ztLTkuqA4fytjWHsMfwx5d-ynsO6R-Qdiw41YunVaiKNm8FR2C_mZLsl-zY/s1600-h/nycpride.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 77px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYh2fk1eLfcT6QIpb2jJkRDCaPLpeIpcbjHoNWlXpnWaMbg30tOx6qArV1sdMHrGmEHxhvU5qXQ5_Uavy0ztLTkuqA4fytjWHsMfwx5d-ynsO6R-Qdiw41YunVaiKNm8FR2C_mZLsl-zY/s400/nycpride.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442346540688813698" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This year, members from UTOPIASF & UTOPIAHawaii will join UTOPIANYC in the NYC Pride Parade Celebration. Please stayed for further details. You can also follow this event via <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=97170793479&ref=search&sid=1333842134.219165797..1#%21/event.php?eid=152307630546&index=1">facebook</a>.utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-38273672089190600982010-02-17T17:48:00.000-08:002010-02-17T18:17:13.794-08:00Gay Asian Pacific Alliance Offering Capacity Building Workshop<a href="http://www.gapa.org/">Gay Asian Pacific Alliance</a> aka GAPA, is a non profit outreach organization based in San Francisco, California. Recently, the organization received a grant from<a href="http://www.horizonsfoundation.org/"> Horizons Foundation</a> this year to create capacity building workshops. As part of that grant, GAPA has offered to put together one or two leadership trainings that are open to the queer API community.<br /><br /> The organization is soliciting feedback from the UTOPIASF and its GLBT Polynesian community at large regarding courses or professional development that may help strengthen UTOPIASF.<br />GAPA has been meeting with CompassPoint about doing the training. The following link is to the course catalog. <a href="https://www.compasspoint.org/onevent/topic.php?tid=6" target="_blank">https://www.compasspoint.org/onevent/topic.php?tid=6</a> <br /><br />Currently, GAPA is considering perhaps a one day or maybe even two one-day courses with a registration fee of $20 for GAPA or UTOPIASF members<span style="font-style: italic;">(consideration to extend invitation to other organizations to participate is pending)</span> and $50.00 for non-members(The courses are typically $155+).<br /><br /> There are two classes GAPA feel maybe most beneficial to the community which is a one-day<br /> combined Board Governance and Fundraising Class. And possibly a Volunteer<br /> management class.<br /><br /> UTOPIASF agrees with GAPA that this is a great opportunity to invest in some leadership development in our community and also build some more bridges between our organizations.<br /><br />For more information, please contact Sedrick Vanisi at svanisi@gmail.com<br /><br />Malama Ponoutopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-35387566244256913222009-10-22T18:42:00.000-07:002009-10-26T20:09:00.750-07:002009 Holiday Season Social<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzZDznReV88vo3nTplrBPKfwhTUp0ytC6ADtZzaK3lhUQNpWvlJRUE6rYnshjxEs4UBfoX43ADqFfuY0rebZhCyj4avs-TDt3f1QgyAbDo-QxleEH9H7uLz4QT7W8WxMY6Tt5rxQMDFY/s1600-h/utopiasfholiday-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzZDznReV88vo3nTplrBPKfwhTUp0ytC6ADtZzaK3lhUQNpWvlJRUE6rYnshjxEs4UBfoX43ADqFfuY0rebZhCyj4avs-TDt3f1QgyAbDo-QxleEH9H7uLz4QT7W8WxMY6Tt5rxQMDFY/s400/utopiasfholiday-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397111372412536114" border="0" /></a><br />This event is to thank the volunteers,friends and families that came out this year in support of the GLBT Polynesian community as advocates for repealing California's proposition 8 denying same sex couples the right to legally. Your support and dedication has been a great inspiration to the community. We hope you will continue to stand beside us as we work together to over turn this discriminating policy. Please join us in celebrating your support and the holiday season with appetizers, desserts,beer, wine with holiday music and cheer at the <a href="http://www.yourmusegallery.com/">a.Muse</a> art gallery in San Francisco.<br /><br />Note: To avoid exceeding the maximum capacity, the event will be invitation only on a first come first serve basis. Please contact Sedrick Vanisi for details on making reservations. (svanisi@gmail.com)utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-41597746721968405882009-03-05T13:05:00.000-08:002009-03-05T13:05:58.401-08:00SAN FRANCISCO LGBT POLYNESIAN PICNIC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPf4xugyR9gI5XCKoAOLDlGgqjy1F6ZeY856VksdIQltDKUGsL2erImN_IWtkK-la_VcBB1VdA6XlRrvfx847b0iTjbod8p89HqOAJ2mBf7ZuDbhyphenhyphenq2pyJZ0okTmp38H25gDLHZG3pDV8/s1600-h/polypridefest-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPf4xugyR9gI5XCKoAOLDlGgqjy1F6ZeY856VksdIQltDKUGsL2erImN_IWtkK-la_VcBB1VdA6XlRrvfx847b0iTjbod8p89HqOAJ2mBf7ZuDbhyphenhyphenq2pyJZ0okTmp38H25gDLHZG3pDV8/s400/polypridefest-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309089237344696274" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldGhHi-F4fgVy72IBBIu6ePmU52QNBISnSLwtOnCSXfs58CRujyx1SZ0jHxRfmWSP-z9x_-1-6-wCPciUOjy1SFLNJAwBoSKSvdJLBpG4EEyPpyTu8ZBdN6yuwtciJT_gZYnrhl4dmr8/s1600-h/music.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldGhHi-F4fgVy72IBBIu6ePmU52QNBISnSLwtOnCSXfs58CRujyx1SZ0jHxRfmWSP-z9x_-1-6-wCPciUOjy1SFLNJAwBoSKSvdJLBpG4EEyPpyTu8ZBdN6yuwtciJT_gZYnrhl4dmr8/s400/music.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308709831745746530" border="0" /></a>Come celebrate Gay Pride with the Polynesian community in San Francisco, California. Enjoy Polynesian food,spirits and entertainment at the beautiful Golden Gate park.<br />Date: June 20,2009<br />Time: 11:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.<br />Location: 1000 John F Kennedy Drive at 30th Ave.,<br />Lindley Meadow (Golden Gate Park), San Francisco, CA, 94121<br /><div class="extra"> <br /></div> <div style="display: none;" id="summary"> <p>Lindley Meadow is located along John F. Kennedy Drive near Spreckels Lake. The meadow is a long stretch of grassy open space perfectly suited for all-day picnics. While weekends will find the meadow crowded with picnickers, mid-week visitors will enjoy wide open spaces. A number of picnic tables and... <a href="http://www.zvents.com/san-francisco-ca/venues/show/355349-golden-gate-park-lindley-meadow#" onclick="detailsClicked(); return false;">more</a></p> </div> <p>Lindley Meadow is located along John F. Kennedy Drive near Spreckels Lake. The meadow is a long stretch of grassy open space with 4 picnic tables (closest restrooms are about a 3 minute walk from area) and barbecue grill. Please stay tuned for further details. You may email us at utopiasf@gmail.com if you have any questions.<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSXa4bOVR-mTG0-4sfGgmHh7e_mxxQd57v0P1279f_BjHrMGNCgFMWHWvXeb3pmwoqyBBlIGj0NzpNE2RcCyN8fA9pqPy6FrBsZdVOdrs1WT9elfLAsIrqngHri2tcFy-0rHHZ_Xv6ER8/s1600-h/lindleymap.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSXa4bOVR-mTG0-4sfGgmHh7e_mxxQd57v0P1279f_BjHrMGNCgFMWHWvXeb3pmwoqyBBlIGj0NzpNE2RcCyN8fA9pqPy6FrBsZdVOdrs1WT9elfLAsIrqngHri2tcFy-0rHHZ_Xv6ER8/s400/lindleymap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308728238869159602" border="0" /></a>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-26900941003923100052009-03-05T13:02:00.000-08:002009-03-05T13:05:01.633-08:00California Supreme Court signals mixed response to Proposition 8<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir65URYL7xhNtkYi7POEKwsShK3TngYexh5WDMDAZR2qsSvQk-yvq-iHgLlH9iisSWxxlInjHSX1eQJTMv60FJtbFEIQnoIjQ5G5wn_1v3vC6ErCLZcE6dnJQdJCXfo9jRGmJPXzWSS_E/s1600-h/45413502.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir65URYL7xhNtkYi7POEKwsShK3TngYexh5WDMDAZR2qsSvQk-yvq-iHgLlH9iisSWxxlInjHSX1eQJTMv60FJtbFEIQnoIjQ5G5wn_1v3vC6ErCLZcE6dnJQdJCXfo9jRGmJPXzWSS_E/s400/45413502.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309812427697484498" /></a><br />(From the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prop8-supreme-court6-2009mar06,0,798075.story">LA Times</a>)<br /><br />Reporting from San Francisco and Los Angeles -- The California Supreme Court appeared ready today to vote to uphold Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that banned gay marriage, but also seemed ready to decide unanimously to recognize existing same-sex marriages.<br /><br />During a three-hour televised hearing in San Francisco, only two of the court's seven justices indicated a possible readiness to overturn the initiative. Chief Justice Ronald M. George noted that the court was following a different Constitution when it approved gay marriage last May.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> * Rallies against Prop. 8 in Los Angeles and San Francisco<br /> Photos: Rallies against Prop. 8...<br /><br /> *<br /> Times coverage of Proposition 8<br /> *<br /> Live blog: Supreme Court hears Prop. 8 arguments<br /><br />"Today we have a different state Constitution," he said.<br /><br />Justice Joyce L. Kennard, who usually votes in favor of gay rights, voted against accepting the revision challenge to Proposition 8 but said she would hear arguments over the validity of existing same-sex marriages.<br /><br />Kennard said during the hearing that "Prop. 8 did not take away the whole bundle of rights that this court articulated in the marriage case."<br /><br />She said that "a very important holding" – giving sexual orientation the same constitutional status as race or gender – was not changed.<br /><br />"Is it still your view that the sky has fallen and gays and lesbians are left with nothing?" she asked gay rights lawyers?<br /><br />Kennard told them they also had the right to return to voters with their own initiative.<br /><br />Even the court's conservatives appeared ready to vote to uphold existing marriages.<br /><br />Justice Carol A. Corrigan, who voted against giving gays marriage rights last May, said couples who wed before the election relied on the law of the state at the time. Aren't those couples "entitled, if nothing else as a matter of equity, to rely on the law as it existed at the time they married?" she said.<br /><br />George is often a swing vote on the court, sometimes siding with the court's conservative wing and other times, particularly in civil cases, voting with the more liberal justices.<br /><br />The court is considering legal challenges to Proposition 8. If the court upholds the measure, it also must decide the fate of an estimated 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place before voters reinstated a marriage ban in November.<br /><br />The state high court ruled 4-3 last May 15 that same-sex couples should be entitled to marry. George wrote the ruling, which was signed by Justices Joyce L. Kennard, Kathryn Mickle Werdegar and Carlos R. Moreno.<br /><br />Justices Marvin R. Baxter, Ming W. Chin and Carol A. Corrigan voted against overturning the state's previous ban, arguing that the matter should be left to voters.<br /><br />Six of the court's justices were appointed by Republican governors. Moreno is the only Democratic appointee.<br /><br />After Proposition 8 was passed by voters in November, gay rights lawyers challenged the measure as an impermissible constitutional revision rather than a more limited amendment. Only Moreno voted to put the measure on hold pending a decision on the challenges.<br /><br />The anti-Proposition 8 lawyers took the floor first.<br /><br />Raymond C. Marshall of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center argued that nothing is more fundamental than the equal protection doctrine as he sought to cast Proposition 8 as an unconstitutional deprivation of the right to marry targeted against gays.<br /><br />"This is the first time a ballot initiative will have been used to take away a fundamental right from a suspect class," he told the justices.<br /><br />Michael Maroko, another anti-Proposition 8 speaker, told the justices that "if the state stuck its finger into the marriage business, it should do it equally. . . . If gay couples don't have the right to marry, straight couples shouldn't either."<br />(<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prop8-supreme-court6-2009mar06,0,798075.story">more</a>)utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-44950235319953287232009-03-03T12:43:00.000-08:002009-03-03T12:49:47.191-08:00Get ready: Prop 8 legal challenge oral arguments<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Uf9UOaBZ2pMZBRQFFo_N9NubRUrsTq3z46PaLx3yAT-Fm1Tz91GdW6-5pswpnBLy4DQUp8zY_P6WT0D9LhiELxUALRMvqVrMT5d1GY3T2Dh8wL5-ATcl1A-HJC3KiOdjc3jLFlTY2qA/s1600-h/28411.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Uf9UOaBZ2pMZBRQFFo_N9NubRUrsTq3z46PaLx3yAT-Fm1Tz91GdW6-5pswpnBLy4DQUp8zY_P6WT0D9LhiELxUALRMvqVrMT5d1GY3T2Dh8wL5-ATcl1A-HJC3KiOdjc3jLFlTY2qA/s400/28411.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309066424909785906" /></a>On Thursday, March 5, the California Supreme Court will hear oral argument in <a href=" http://www.aclunc.org/cases/active_cases/strauss_v._horton.shtml">Strauss v. Horton</a>, our lawsuit challenging Proposition 8. The suit, brought by the ACLU, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Lambda Legal, seeks to overturn Prop 8, arguing that it is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used to undo the constitutional guarantee of equality under the law for one group of people -- lesbian and gay Californians. <br /><br />Proposition 8 defeats the very purpose of a constitution, which is to protect minorities from the majority, and to make sure the law treats everyone equally. Forty-three friend-of-the-court briefs -- an unprecedented number -- were filed urging the Court to invalidate Prop 8. The briefs were signed by hundreds of religious organizations, civil rights and women’s rights groups, labor unions, municipal governments, bar associations, and legal scholars. These briefs supported our lawsuit, because all minority groups are at risk of losing their rights at the ballot box if Prop 8 is allowed to stand.<br /><br />We’re proud of our lawsuit challenging Proposition 8. This is one of the most watched cases of the year, so save the date and tune in. <br /><br />Read more about Strauss v. Horton, our lawsuit challenging Prop 8.<br /><br />Elizabeth Gill<br />ACLU LGBT Project & AIDS Project<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPi45LUbpkF24FXy0_PqCNS0t2mLUKiojPfoDkuH7yatBa51QL98EV7UV0Wz1W9ifTXMUg_fDl5djef3YFGfAapDRdC2X1bL21XY1vNl1zeYCPXmJ_W2zGVWm4f7wYWb_Dxm-WMJNZZo/s1600-h/28410.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 42px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPi45LUbpkF24FXy0_PqCNS0t2mLUKiojPfoDkuH7yatBa51QL98EV7UV0Wz1W9ifTXMUg_fDl5djef3YFGfAapDRdC2X1bL21XY1vNl1zeYCPXmJ_W2zGVWm4f7wYWb_Dxm-WMJNZZo/s400/28410.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309066168759116194" /></a><br /><br />Oral Arguments in Prop 8 Legal Challenge<br />Thursday, March 5<br />9am - Noon (PST)<br /><a href="http://www.calchannel.com/">Watch online »</a><br /><br />San Francisco Public Viewings:<br />- SF LGBT Center, 1800 Market St <br />- Civic Center Plaza<br /><br />March 4: Attend a Candlelight Vigil <br />(Events held around the state.)<br /><a href="http://www.eveofjustice.com/">Learn more »</a>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-72667612903131089902009-03-02T12:59:00.000-08:002009-03-03T13:00:30.750-08:00EQUALITY CALIFORNIA GAY RIGHTS VIDEO<object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nXI2zlhIk3s&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nXI2zlhIk3s&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-50002047997719831752009-03-01T13:15:00.000-08:002009-03-03T13:17:46.445-08:00SAMOA'S THIRD GENDER....THE FA'AFAFINE<object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EronVtKYr0c&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EronVtKYr0c&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-82813212634423263232009-02-27T14:37:00.000-08:002009-02-27T14:41:38.422-08:00Prop 8 Supporters Are Preparing To Counter Anti-8 Marchers<p style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Statement submitted by the <a href="http://www.protectmarriage.com/">Yes on 8</a> Campaign Chairman Ron Prentice:</p><p>Proposition 8 was put before the people of California, and by a wide margin of 600,000 votes became a part of the California Constitution (Article 1, Section 7.5). Next Thursday, March 5, the California Supreme Court will hear oral arguments to determine whether the sovereign will of the people should be upheld, and whether marriage between only a man and a woman will stand.</p> <p>This is the most important legal issue impacting families in a generation. The outcome of this case is “do or die” for traditional marriage. If the California Supreme Court were to overrule the vote of the people (for the second time) it would not be long before homosexual marriage is the law of the land across this country.</p> <p>ProtectMarriage.com, the committee responsible for enacting Prop 8, urges you and all our supporters to take action. We are declaring this Sunday, March 1, to be a <strong>Day of Prayer for Marriage</strong>.</p> <p>Proposition 8 was supported by over 7 million voters, and we call on those who support traditional marriage to pray for it to be upheld. Please ask the Lord for wisdom for the Justices of the California Supreme Court. Pray, also, for those who oppose this amendment to our Constitution, that they would understand our motivation is to affirm traditional marriage, not to offend any person or group.</p> <p>Activists who oppose Prop 8 are organizing a candlelight vigil in several cities for March 4, followed by a rally on the steps of the Supreme Court building in San Francisco on March 5. Organizers against Prop 8 are calling for a march of 100,000 people to the Court building (<a href="http://link.smartcommunicator.net/?135-233-244-54394-1502">click here</a> to view their events list). It has come to our attention that many Prop 8 supporters are also making plans to appear at the steps of the Supreme Court building on the morning of March 5. <strong>We welcome your participation</strong>, but request that all messages on homemade signs affirm traditional marriage, avoiding offensive statements regarding alternative lifestyles. If you are in close proximity to San Francisco, plan to arrive by 8 a.m. at the court, located at 350 McAllister. We do not wish to provoke or permit any kind of confrontation with our opponents. Please avoid any such activity carefully. Our only purpose is to remind the media, Californians and Americans everywhere that support for traditional marriage is the majority position in the state. Twice now voters have supported traditional marriage and rejected gay marriage. We won the Prop 8 election. The constitution has been amended. The will of the people should now prevail.</p> <p>ProtectMarriage.com is the only group that will appear before the Supreme Court to uphold the vote of the people enacting Prop 8 and affirm traditional marriage as the law of the land. The upcoming <strong>Day of Prayer</strong> will provide a vehicle for all our supporters to express their own support for traditional marriage and to call on God, the author of marriage, to bless the arguments our attorneys will present to the Court and to grant the justices wisdom as they consider the arguments.</p> <p>Thank you for your support of Proposition 8. Please participate in the <strong>Day of Prayer </strong>this coming Sunday and, if you are in proximity to San Francisco, come to the steps of the Supreme Court building at 8 a.m. on March 5 to show your support for Prop 8.</p> <p><strong></strong><strong><br /></strong></p> <p>Thank you so much for your attention and support.<br /><br />Very truly yours,<br /><br />Ron Prentice<br /></p>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-21074686603908785652009-02-27T12:18:00.000-08:002009-02-27T12:20:46.217-08:00Prop 8 Hearing Set For March 5, 2009The Supreme Court has announced that an oral argument will be held in the Prop. 8 cases on Thursday, March 5, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The court will issue a written opinion in the cases within 90 days of oral argument. See <a href="http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/presscenter/newsreleases/NR08-09.PDF">news release</a>.utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-10958456473239196802009-02-05T19:46:00.000-08:002009-02-05T19:49:50.433-08:00Regina Spektor & EMI Records Supports The Courage Campaign's Fight To Save 18,000 LGBT Marriages In California<object width="400" height="302"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3089746&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3089746&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="302"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/3089746">"Fidelity": Don't Divorce...</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/couragecampaign">Courage Campaign</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-47369897271986945702009-01-24T22:37:00.000-08:002009-01-24T22:49:27.392-08:00President Obama Already Working On ChangeIt's only been 4 days since newly elected President Obama has taken office yet, he and his administration has already updated the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/">official site</a> of the President to reflect the changeover from President George Bush to President Barack Obama within a few minutes of Obama's inauguration.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Below is directly from the site under civil rights:<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Support for the LGBT Community<br /><br /> "While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."<br /><br /> -- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007<br /><br /> * Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.<br /> * Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.<br /> * Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.<br /> * Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.<br /> * Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.<br /> * Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.<br /> * Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.<br /> * Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/">For more information</a>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-19191837585593264422009-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:002009-01-21T08:25:19.604-08:00Gay Bishop Gene Robinson Left Out Of HBO Concert CoverageJason Linkins <br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/reporting/jason-linkins">Huffington Post</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KT7PLY1M9ixmWmnhMlD14xBbTwDJTQA8kcrL35iGQLPJ6FioC9ifNm9KQfUe36WiLITe2Ug84gp7CHA94GetOe6Ch5ZK0K1PInrU-AQioaxiCQfBGx7Iywq_cabnOTbx5Vu5qOI44Ac/s1600-h/s-GENER-large.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KT7PLY1M9ixmWmnhMlD14xBbTwDJTQA8kcrL35iGQLPJ6FioC9ifNm9KQfUe36WiLITe2Ug84gp7CHA94GetOe6Ch5ZK0K1PInrU-AQioaxiCQfBGx7Iywq_cabnOTbx5Vu5qOI44Ac/s320/s-GENER-large.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293082136107672114" /></a>Sunday's big Lincoln Memorial show was billed as the "We Are One" concert, intended to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama with a spirit of unity. But for those of us watching at home, one participant was excluded -- Gene Robinson, the "first openly gay, non-celibate priest to be ordained a bishop in a major Christian denomination." Robinson was on hand to deliver an opening prayer to the event, but this prayer went unseen by anyone watching on HBO, who provided and sponsored the coverage.<br /><br />Reached for comment, a spokesperson for HBO stated that decisions regarding the timing and presentation of Robinson's remarks were made by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, and that Robinson was "not a part of our show from the start." Indeed, Robinson appeared minutes before the 2:30pm start time of the concert coverage. HBO's response to the matter has been uniform. A spokeperson offered AfterElton.com much the same response: "The producer of the concert has said that the Presidential Inaugural Committee made the decision to keep the invocation as part of the pre-show."<br /><br />HBO comes to this controversy without any sort of significant reputation for being a network or a workplace hostile to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. In fact, the network is responsible for airing the drama Six Feet Under, which depicted gays in complex relationships unflinchingly. The Obama camp, on the other hand, has courted controversy already with the decision to include in the inauguration Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren, a supporter of Proposition 8 in California. The appearance of a snub in the case of Bishop Robinson has successfully raised the temperature among Democratic activists and in the liberal blogosphere, where outrage is being pointed mostly at the incoming administration and the Presidential Inaugural Committee.<br /><br />Calls for comment from the PIC have not been returned. Bishop Robinson is slated to be a guest on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" today at 2pm.<br /><br />Watch the prayer here:<br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kWWAnitUCw4&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kWWAnitUCw4&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-54359089407055119022009-01-05T18:56:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:57:20.580-08:00Prop. 8 Backers Take On AG's Gay Marriage ArgumentThe Associated Press<br />Published: Monday, Jan. 05, 2009<br /><br />SAN FRANCISCO -- The sponsors of California's voter-approved gay marriage ban say Attorney General Jerry Brown is advancing a far-fetched legal theory to justify overturning Proposition 8.<br /><br />Lawyers for the Protect Marriage coalition on Monday answered the about-face Brown took last month in urging the state Supreme Court to strike down the new marriage law. In a filing with the California Supreme Court, they called his claim that voters lacked the authority to deprive a minority group of a basic civil right "a hoary message" that invites "judicial triumphalism."<br /><br />The brief comes as part of a series of legal challenges to Proposition 8 brought by same-sex marriage supporters after the ballot measure passed with 52 percent of the vote. Brown initially said he would defend it in his role as attorney general.utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-9373049146729502502008-12-18T20:06:00.000-08:002008-12-18T20:09:27.047-08:00Hilary Rosen on CNN's Anderson Cooper Discussing Obama's Inaugural Pastor<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cdeub37MGBc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cdeub37MGBc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-535789320496519672008-12-17T19:38:00.000-08:002008-12-17T20:02:58.490-08:00Prop 8 Victory Activates Young Queers Of ColorNews Report, Jazmyne Young<br /><a href="http://www.youthoutlook.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=17cd131375ca9ce0dc7fcd9d0741facd">YO! Youth Outlook Multimedia</a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIfMvOrOFfuaiK7XKj7sXrgKcx6GdJDnwvLcHmnNJ4iq8eQPDwY16hEHbQIhYSc_mZodwimvFqcesODi0S791RgMkqydRkQ3Pr8h3Su5wIG96DbL-B-4UVaUIJLGlpqFG_20qii7sli0/s1600-h/youth-outlook.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 103px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIfMvOrOFfuaiK7XKj7sXrgKcx6GdJDnwvLcHmnNJ4iq8eQPDwY16hEHbQIhYSc_mZodwimvFqcesODi0S791RgMkqydRkQ3Pr8h3Su5wIG96DbL-B-4UVaUIJLGlpqFG_20qii7sli0/s400/youth-outlook.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280975525125359938" /></a><br /><br />SAN FRANCISCO—In an election year that has already seen a big surge in youth involvement around the president-elect Barack Obama's campaign – the victory of California Proposition 8, which defines gay marriage as between a man and a woman, has been a catalyst for a new wave of youth activism in the LGBTQ community and beyond.<br /><br />Since the November decision, LGBTQ community members and their allies haven't wasted time fighting the marriage ban. From street protests to legal actions urging the Supreme Court, which previously ruled in favor of same-sex marriage back in May of 2008, the issue has been kept in motion.<br /><br />Young queers of color have found themselves in a special position after the media instigated tensions by blaming the loss of Prop. 8 on the black vote – with exit polls suggesting that black voters tipped the scales with an alleged 7 out of 10 blacks voting to support the measure. This news led to name-calling and slurs at protests.<br /><br />"As one of many black people who opposed Prop 8, it's kinda scary that there's this group of people who were so willing to turn against black people," says 20-year-old Terry Taplin, an African American poet nationally recognized for his advocacy of LGBTQ causes. "At the same time, there are a lot of homophobic sentiments in the black community that now are hard to deny."<br /><br /><br />But other polls and research show that even combined with Latinos, these two groups -- African-Americans and Latinos -- still represent less than one third of the total electorate, and therefore should not the scapegoat for why Prop 8 passed. Perhaps the real culprit was Republicans and the Religious Right.<br /><br />"I think that in the wake of Prop 8, now more than ever, it's important for the LGBT community to be as visible as possible. The protests and the rallies have to continue. Human rights has never been a matter of diplomacy, it's always been a matter of fighting for it," says Taplin.<br /><br />The excitement surrounding this year's election among young voters, created a perfect platform for young organizers and activists like Allan Acevedo, a 19-year-old San Diego State University student. Acevedo wanted to be involved at a local level this year so he volunteered for State Assembly candidate Marty Block – an educator with a long history of community activism – in order to really learn about political organizing.<br /><br />Acevedo is also a member of the board of directors for San Francisco's Gay Straight Alliance Network, so he had been politically activated around gay rights for some time – but Prop 8 gave him a platform to really organize.<br /><br />"We went to Wal-Mart and Target to counteract paid signature gatherers in support of Prop 8," Avecedo says, "A lot of them lied and got people to sign the petition in support of Prop 8 by telling them that they were signing a measure to oppose it."<br /><br />In his on-campus student efforts, Acevedo noticed that a lot of young people were complacent and unenthusiastic during the campaign believing that Prop 8 would never pass.<br /><br />But it did – with a 53 percent majority in San Diego.<br /><br />One pre-election organizing mistake that Acevedo acknowledges, was about race. "I think the campaign should have done more to outreach to people of color, even though I think people are distorting the statistics," he says.<br /><br />Post-election, Acevedo began volunteering for the People of Color committee, organizing effective ways to outreach for different communities.<br /><br />"We said that when we went to the black community we would not talk about segregation or compare their struggle for civil rights to ours – although there are several correlations – it wasn't about using logic, it was about touching people's hearts."<br /><br />He also thinks that young people didn't quite understand the value of the outreach work they were doing before the election.<br /><br />"Our whole campaign was phone banking," he says. "People weren't inspired until they saw people going out into the community. They began to send Facebook invites and text messages to come to protests and rallies. It suddenly became so much bigger than they thought it would be. We had students in the hallway, on the floor, and outside on benches. It was amazing to see so many young people take action when it mattered."<br /><br />Now, Acevedo is president of the Stonewall Young Democrats, and he spends time passing out fliers for rallies, and recently organized a forum where 50 young people came to discuss further action.<br /><br />He says that even though Prop 8 won, he is proud that so many college students are educating themselves and speaking out in support of gay marriage now.<br /><br />"Young people have turned this from an issue into a movement," Acevedo says.utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-79002395224073896732008-12-16T14:23:00.000-08:002008-12-16T14:28:52.299-08:00Our Mutual Joy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2EQTKn0_tfaSiWTtnsE1taIq7Jgi6nCwnlNpWuEknZNubeK8AyjahxNM6J_-CnrAzKG9RZmeykgnrJePMdASp-XodQgAjYW0ZS2RvbWTSsYc6UYU-jerOsdnMGJOfYjxwUmUyKX00hQ/s1600-h/mug_LisaMiller-thumb7.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2EQTKn0_tfaSiWTtnsE1taIq7Jgi6nCwnlNpWuEknZNubeK8AyjahxNM6J_-CnrAzKG9RZmeykgnrJePMdASp-XodQgAjYW0ZS2RvbWTSsYc6UYU-jerOsdnMGJOfYjxwUmUyKX00hQ/s400/mug_LisaMiller-thumb7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280518423911865922" /></a><br />By: <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/172653/page/1">Lisa Miller-Newsweek</a><br /><br />Let's try for a minute to take the religious conservatives at their word and define marriage as the Bible does. Shall we look to Abraham, the great patriarch, who slept with his servant when he discovered his beloved wife Sarah was infertile? Or to Jacob, who fathered children with four different women (two sisters and their servants)? Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and the kings of Judah and Israel—all these fathers and heroes were polygamists. The New Testament model of marriage is hardly better. Jesus himself was single and preached an indifference to earthly attachments—especially family. The apostle Paul (also single) regarded marriage as an act of last resort for those unable to contain their animal lust. "It is better to marry than to burn with passion," says the apostle, in one of the most lukewarm endorsements of a treasured institution ever uttered. Would any contemporary heterosexual married couple—who likely woke up on their wedding day harboring some optimistic and newfangled ideas about gender equality and romantic love—turn to the Bible as a how-to script?<br /><br />Of course not, yet the religious opponents of gay marriage would have it be so.<br /><br />The battle over gay marriage has been waged for more than a decade, but within the last six months—since California legalized gay marriage and then, with a ballot initiative in November, amended its Constitution to prohibit it—the debate has grown into a full-scale war, with religious-rhetoric slinging to match. Not since 1860, when the country's pulpits were full of preachers pronouncing on slavery, pro and con, has one of our basic social (and economic) institutions been so subject to biblical scrutiny. But whereas in the Civil War the traditionalists had their James Henley Thornwell—and the advocates for change, their Henry Ward Beecher—this time the sides are unevenly matched. All the religious rhetoric, it seems, has been on the side of the gay-marriage opponents, who use Scripture as the foundation for their objections.<br /><br />The argument goes something like this statement, which the Rev. Richard A. Hunter, a United Methodist minister, gave to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in June: "The Bible and Jesus define marriage as between one man and one woman. The church cannot condone or bless same-sex marriages because this stands in opposition to Scripture and our tradition."<br /><br />To which there are two obvious responses: First, while the Bible and Jesus say many important things about love and family, neither explicitly defines marriage as between one man and one woman. And second, as the examples above illustrate, no sensible modern person wants marriage—theirs or anyone else's —to look in its particulars anything like what the Bible describes. "Marriage" in America refers to two separate things, a religious institution and a civil one, though it is most often enacted as a messy conflation of the two. As a civil institution, marriage offers practical benefits to both partners: contractual rights having to do with taxes; insurance; the care and custody of children; visitation rights; and inheritance. As a religious institution, marriage offers something else: a commitment of both partners before God to love, honor and cherish each other—in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer—in accordance with God's will. In a religious marriage, two people promise to take care of each other, profoundly, the way they believe God cares for them. Biblical literalists will disagree, but the Bible is a living document, powerful for more than 2,000 years because its truths speak to us even as we change through history. In that light, Scripture gives us no good reason why gays and lesbians should not be (civilly and religiously) married—and a number of excellent reasons why they should.<br /><br />In the Old Testament, the concept of family is fundamental, but examples of what social conservatives would call "the traditional family" are scarcely to be found. Marriage was critical to the passing along of tradition and history, as well as to maintaining the Jews' precious and fragile monotheism. But as the Barnard University Bible scholar Alan Segal puts it, the arrangement was between "one man and as many women as he could pay for." Social conservatives point to Adam and Eve as evidence for their one man, one woman argument—in particular, this verse from Genesis: "Therefore shall a man leave his mother and father, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." But as Segal says, if you believe that the Bible was written by men and not handed down in its leather bindings by God, then that verse was written by people for whom polygamy was the way of the world. (The fact that homosexual couples cannot procreate has also been raised as a biblical objection, for didn't God say, "Be fruitful and multiply"? But the Bible authors could never have imagined the brave new world of international adoption and assisted reproductive technology—and besides, heterosexuals who are infertile or past the age of reproducing get married all the time.)<br /><br />Ozzie and Harriet are nowhere in the New Testament either. The biblical Jesus was—in spite of recent efforts of novelists to paint him otherwise—emphatically unmarried. He preached a radical kind of family, a caring community of believers, whose bond in God superseded all blood ties. Leave your families and follow me, Jesus says in the gospels. There will be no marriage in heaven, he says in Matthew. Jesus never mentions homosexuality, but he roundly condemns divorce (leaving a loophole in some cases for the husbands of unfaithful women).<br /><br />The apostle Paul echoed the Christian Lord's lack of interest in matters of the flesh. For him, celibacy was the Christian ideal, but family stability was the best alternative. Marry if you must, he told his audiences, but do not get divorced. "To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): a wife must not separate from her husband." It probably goes without saying that the phrase "gay marriage" does not appear in the Bible at all.<br />If the bible doesn't give abundant examples of traditional marriage, then what are the gay-marriage opponents really exercised about? Well, homosexuality, of course—specifically sex between men. Sex between women has never, even in biblical times, raised as much ire. In its entry on "Homosexual Practices," the Anchor Bible Dictionary notes that nowhere in the Bible do its authors refer to sex between women, "possibly because it did not result in true physical 'union' (by male entry)." The Bible does condemn gay male sex in a handful of passages. Twice Leviticus refers to sex between men as "an abomination" (King James version), but these are throwaway lines in a peculiar text given over to codes for living in the ancient Jewish world, a text that devotes verse after verse to treatments for leprosy, cleanliness rituals for menstruating women and the correct way to sacrifice a goat—or a lamb or a turtle dove. Most of us no longer heed Leviticus on haircuts or blood sacrifices; our modern understanding of the world has surpassed its prescriptions. Why would we regard its condemnation of homosexuality with more seriousness than we regard its advice, which is far lengthier, on the best price to pay for a slave?<br /><br />Paul was tough on homosexuality, though recently progressive scholars have argued that his condemnation of men who "were inflamed with lust for one another" (which he calls "a perversion") is really a critique of the worst kind of wickedness: self-delusion, violence, promiscuity and debauchery. In his book "The Arrogance of Nations," the scholar Neil Elliott argues that Paul is referring in this famous passage to the depravity of the Roman emperors, the craven habits of Nero and Caligula, a reference his audience would have grasped instantly. "Paul is not talking about what we call homosexuality at all," Elliott says. "He's talking about a certain group of people who have done everything in this list. We're not dealing with anything like gay love or gay marriage. We're talking about really, really violent people who meet their end and are judged by God." In any case, one might add, Paul argued more strenuously against divorce—and at least half of the Christians in America disregard that teaching.<br /><br />Religious objections to gay marriage are rooted not in the Bible at all, then, but in custom and tradition (and, to talk turkey for a minute, a personal discomfort with gay sex that transcends theological argument). Common prayers and rituals reflect our common practice: the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer describes the participants in a marriage as "the man and the woman." But common practice changes—and for the better, as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice." The Bible endorses slavery, a practice that Americans now universally consider shameful and barbaric. It recommends the death penalty for adulterers (and in Leviticus, for men who have sex with men, for that matter). It provides conceptual shelter for anti-Semites. A mature view of scriptural authority requires us, as we have in the past, to move beyond literalism. The Bible was written for a world so unlike our own, it's impossible to apply its rules, at face value, to ours.<br /><br />Marriage, specifically, has evolved so as to be unrecognizable to the wives of Abraham and Jacob. Monogamy became the norm in the Christian world in the sixth century; husbands' frequent enjoyment of mistresses and prostitutes became taboo by the beginning of the 20th. (In the NEWSWEEK POLL, 55 percent of respondents said that married heterosexuals who have sex with someone other than their spouses are more morally objectionable than a gay couple in a committed sexual relationship.) By the mid-19th century, U.S. courts were siding with wives who were the victims of domestic violence, and by the 1970s most states had gotten rid of their "head and master" laws, which gave husbands the right to decide where a family would live and whether a wife would be able to take a job. Today's vision of marriage as a union of equal partners, joined in a relationship both romantic and pragmatic, is, by very recent standards, radical, says Stephanie Coontz, author of "Marriage, a History."<br /><br />Religious wedding ceremonies have already changed to reflect new conceptions of marriage. Remember when we used to say "man and wife" instead of "husband and wife"? Remember when we stopped using the word "obey"? Even Miss Manners, the voice of tradition and reason, approved in 1997 of that change. "It seems," she wrote, "that dropping 'obey' was a sensible editing of a service that made assumptions about marriage that the society no longer holds."<br /><br />We cannot look to the Bible as a marriage manual, but we can read it for universal truths as we struggle toward a more just future. The Bible offers inspiration and warning on the subjects of love, marriage, family and community. It speaks eloquently of the crucial role of families in a fair society and the risks we incur to ourselves and our children should we cease trying to bind ourselves together in loving pairs. Gay men like to point to the story of passionate King David and his friend Jonathan, with whom he was "one spirit" and whom he "loved as he loved himself." Conservatives say this is a story about a platonic friendship, but it is also a story about two men who stand up for each other in turbulent times, through violent war and the disapproval of a powerful parent. David rends his clothes at Jonathan's death and, in grieving, writes a song:<br /><br />I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;<br />You were very dear to me.<br />Your love for me was wonderful,<br />More wonderful than that of women.<br /><br />Here, the Bible praises enduring love between men. What Jonathan and David did or did not do in privacy is perhaps best left to history and our own imaginations.<br /><br />In addition to its praise of friendship and its condemnation of divorce, the Bible gives many examples of marriages that defy convention yet benefit the greater community. The Torah discouraged the ancient Hebrews from marrying outside the tribe, yet Moses himself is married to a foreigner, Zipporah. Queen Esther is married to a non-Jew and, according to legend, saves the Jewish people. Rabbi Arthur Waskow, of the Shalom Center in Philadelphia, believes that Judaism thrives through diversity and inclusion. "I don't think Judaism should or ought to want to leave any portion of the human population outside the religious process," he says. "We should not want to leave [homosexuals] outside the sacred tent." The marriage of Joseph and Mary is also unorthodox (to say the least), a case of an unconventional arrangement accepted by society for the common good. The boy needed two human parents, after all.<br />In the Christian story, the message of acceptance for all is codified. Jesus reaches out to everyone, especially those on the margins, and brings the whole Christian community into his embrace. The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author, cites the story of Jesus revealing himself to the woman at the well— no matter that she had five former husbands and a current boyfriend—as evidence of Christ's all-encompassing love. The great Bible scholar Walter Brueggemann, emeritus professor at Columbia Theological Seminary, quotes the apostle Paul when he looks for biblical support of gay marriage: "There is neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ." The religious argument for gay marriage, he adds, "is not generally made with reference to particular texts, but with the general conviction that the Bible is bent toward inclusiveness."<br /><br />The practice of inclusion, even in defiance of social convention, the reaching out to outcasts, the emphasis on togetherness and community over and against chaos, depravity, indifference—all these biblical values argue for gay marriage. If one is for racial equality and the common nature of humanity, then the values of stability, monogamy and family necessarily follow. Terry Davis is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hartford, Conn., and has been presiding over "holy unions" since 1992. "I'm against promiscuity—love ought to be expressed in committed relationships, not through casual sex, and I think the church should recognize the validity of committed same-sex relationships," he says.<br /><br />Still, very few Jewish or Christian denominations do officially endorse gay marriage, even in the states where it is legal. The practice varies by region, by church or synagogue, even by cleric. More progressive denominations—the United Church of Christ, for example—have agreed to support gay marriage. Other denominations and dioceses will do "holy union" or "blessing" ceremonies, but shy away from the word "marriage" because it is politically explosive. So the frustrating, semantic question remains: should gay people be married in the same, sacramental sense that straight people are? I would argue that they should. If we are all God's children, made in his likeness and image, then to deny access to any sacrament based on sexuality is exactly the same thing as denying it based on skin color—and no serious (or even semiserious) person would argue that. People get married "for their mutual joy," explains the Rev. Chloe Breyer, executive director of the Interfaith Center in New York, quoting the Episcopal marriage ceremony. That's what religious people do: care for each other in spite of difficulty, she adds. In marriage, couples grow closer to God: "Being with one another in community is how you love God. That's what marriage is about."<br /><br />More basic than theology, though, is human need. We want, as Abraham did, to grow old surrounded by friends and family and to be buried at last peacefully among them. We want, as Jesus taught, to love one another for our own good—and, not to be too grandiose about it, for the good of the world. We want our children to grow up in stable homes. What happens in the bedroom, really, has nothing to do with any of this. My friend the priest James Martin says his favorite Scripture relating to the question of homosexuality is Psalm 139, a song that praises the beauty and imperfection in all of us and that glorifies God's knowledge of our most secret selves: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." And then he adds that in his heart he believes that if Jesus were alive today, he would reach out especially to the gays and lesbians among us, for "Jesus does not want people to be lonely and sad." Let the priest's prayer be our own.utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-62171546079065979542008-12-11T22:37:00.000-08:002008-12-11T22:43:37.242-08:00Jon Stewart, Mike Huckabee Clash Over Gay MarriageFrom Jason Linkins<br />HuffingtonPost<br /><br />Jon Stewart has had Frost/Nixon on his mind a lot lately, so it's not at all surprising to see the Daily Show host channeling those old interviews in his sit-down with Mike Huckabee. The two men devoted an entire segment of a two-part interview to a debate over gay marriage. Commendations all around, to both parties, for having a civil and even-tempered talk about the issue, though I'll personally confess: I have no idea what needs to be done to my brain to make it understand Mike Huckabee's "reasoning" on a structural level. When I hear that gay marriage threatens the sanctity of marriage in general, I have my own marriage as evidence that this is not the case. And anyway, it's a lot like saying that my preference for chocolate ice cream over vanilla threatens the sanctity of dessert. Must we have these conversations over harms that are entirely imaginary?<br /><br />It seems we must. Huckabee's key point is that people should have "the right to live any way they want to" but that marriage is about men and women, basically making babies. "Anatomically, let's face it," Huckabee says, "the only way we can create the next generation is with male-female relationships." I must have missed the news about the steep population decline we're undergoing! Stewart covers the whole history of how marriage has been redefined, including how only recently, interracial marriage (you know...the sort that produced the next POTUS?) was illegal. This doesn't move Huckabee in the least: "There's a key difference between a person being black and a person practicing a lifestyle."<br /><br />Stewart does a good job penetrating that argument, mostly for the audience's benefit. He also seemed to score a hit on Huckabee when he said, "It's a travesty that people have forced someone who is gay to have to make their case, that they deserve the same basic rights." That suddenly sent Huckabee off into a new realm of argument, where he insisted that just because he doesn't "support the idea of changing the definition of marriage doesn't mean I'm a homophobe." Is that where the barricade to denying people this basic right has been built?<br /><style type='text/css'>.cc_box a:hover .cc_home{background:url('http://www.comedycentral.com/comedycentral/video/assets/syndicated-logo-over.png') !important;}.cc_links a{color:#b9b9b9;text-decoration:none;}.cc_show a{color:#707070;text-decoration:none;}.cc_title a{color:#868686;text-decoration:none;}.cc_links a:hover{color:#67bee2;text-decoration:underline;}</style><div class='cc_box' style='position:relative'><a href='http://www.comedycentral.com' target='_blank' style='display:inline; float:left; width:60px; height:31px;'><div class='cc_home' style='float:left; border:solid 1px #cfcfcf; border-width:1px 0px 0px 1px; width:60px; height:31px; background:url("http://www.comedycentral.com/comedycentral/video/assets/syndicated-logo-out.png");'></div></a><div style='font:bold 10px Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif; float:left; width:299px; height:31px; border:solid 1px #cfcfcf; border-width:1px 1px 0px 0px; overflow:hidden; color:#707070;'><div class='cc_show' style='position:relative; background-color:#e5e5e5;padding-left:3px; height:14px; padding-top:2px; overflow:hidden;'><a href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/' target='_blank'>The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a><span style='position:absolute; top:2px; right:3px;'>M - Th 11p / 10c</span></div><div class='cc_title' style='font-size:11px; color:#868686; background-color:#f5f5f5; padding:3px; padding-top:1px; line-height:14px; height:21px; overflow:hidden;'><a href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=213349&title=mike-huckabee-pt.-2' target='_blank'>Mike Huckabee Pt. 2</a></div></div><embed style='float:left; clear:left;' src='http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:213349' width='360' height='301' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='window' allowFullscreen='true' flashvars='autoPlay=false' allowscriptaccess='always' allownetworking='all' bgcolor='#000000'></embed><div class='cc_links' style='float:left; clear:left; width:358px; border:solid 1px #cfcfcf; border-top:0px; font:10px Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif; color:#b9b9b9; background-color:#f5f5f5;'><div style='width:177px; float:left; padding-left:3px;'><a target='_blank' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=166515&title=Barack-Obama-Pt.-1'>Barack Obama Interview</a><br /><a target='_blank' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=167938&title=John-McCain-Pt.-1'>John McCain Interview</a></div><div style='width:177px; float:left;'><a target='_blank' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?searchterm=Sarah+Palin&searchtype=site&x=0&y=0'>Sarah Palin Video</a><br /><a target='_blank' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?searchterm=indecision+2008&searchtype=site&x=0&y=0'>Funny Election Video</a></div><div style='clear:both'></div></div><div style='clear:both'></div></div>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-76883755828775509862008-12-08T16:26:00.000-08:002008-12-08T16:39:06.262-08:00The Meme That Will Not Die: Blacks Enabled Prop 8 To PassBy: Pam Spaulding<br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/">HuffingtonPost</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2Nk9j5fC-eXUfnmku3wmN0_kzFvLkCTXPI12USnOaaz-vR5CHIVzROENgAEnvG1hhRCd_7lNxtp2OAzEAswfvxHHn_vZklcwPEOjXoFxtW1FvAEIzkJXqxU9IsMq-UIwPcHYstydF7M/s1600-h/pam+spaulding.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2Nk9j5fC-eXUfnmku3wmN0_kzFvLkCTXPI12USnOaaz-vR5CHIVzROENgAEnvG1hhRCd_7lNxtp2OAzEAswfvxHHn_vZklcwPEOjXoFxtW1FvAEIzkJXqxU9IsMq-UIwPcHYstydF7M/s400/pam+spaulding.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277580757545805714" /></a><br />It's really time to stop dancing around the fantasy of a post-racial America, particularly with the exposed nerves around Prop 8. Here's another example of jaw-dropping color arousal and unhelpful ruminating, this time in an op-ed by Caitlin Flanagan and Benjamin Schwarz in the New York Times, "Showdown in the Big Tent" -- it asserts most blacks are homophobic, apparently due to race itself.<br /><br /> Christian teaching on marriage is not the only reason so many blacks supported Proposition 8. Although it has come as a shocking realization to many in this community, a host of sociological studies confirm that many blacks feel a significant aversion to homosexuality itself, finding it morally and sexually repugnant.<br /><br />None of these studies are cited by the way, and besides, if we run with that ludicrous statement and take a look at general demographics in this country -- many whites feel a significant aversion to homosexuality as well, or we'd have marriage equality in quite a few more states. Homophobia has nothing to do with race; religious beliefs, levels of education and class are much better predictors -- and that applies across color lines.<br /><br />A blanket statement about blacks and homophobia overlooks black LGBTs, secular blacks, those with high levels of education -- those who did vote against 8. Did these folks turn in their Negro card when they lost their homophobia? It's absurd thinking.<br /><br />But acknowledging this that would render this op-ed's hysteria useless, facts and logic are inconvenient. It's amazing how intelligent people can so easily fall prey to their own biases, and display them so publicly.<br /><br />Again, it's clear there are unique cultural factors that make homophobia in the black community worth exploring and combating, but this op-ed is unbelievable, even suggesting that<br /><br /> Many gay activists have begun quietly to suggest that had Hillary Clinton been the Democratic nominee, Prop 8 would not have passed.<br /><br />Why will this zombie meme -- that the black vote was the cause of the failure to defeat Prop 8 -- simply not die?<br /><br /> Left-leaning California's horror about this newly revealed schism between two of its favorite sons is a situation that cries out for a villain, but the one that liberal white Hollywood has chosen for the role probably won't make it all the way to the third act.<br /><br /> "It's their churches," somebody whispered to one of us not long after the election; "It's their Christianity," someone else hissed, rolling her eyes.<br /><br />Their churches -- those black churches did it. Have they forgotten who bankrolled Yes on 8 and exploited the cultural conservatism of a slice of the religious black community -- white evangelicals and Mormons. Gee, aren't the vast majority of those folks white?<br /><br />More after the jump, including the unsettling news delivered to me on Saturday just before I had to go onstage to moderate a panel about building coalitions.<br /><br />This kind of irresponsible baiting is incredible, yet I have to say that this kind of thinking is still roiling inside the LGBT community. On Saturday, just prior to the one I moderated at the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference, I had more than a few people come up to me to say that this kind of irrational, unproductive blaming was stirring among some of the attendees of a panel about Prop 8 moments ago.<br /><br />Of course I was told this just before I had to go on stage and discuss "Winning Coalitions for the Common Good." Needless to say, it was intimidating to think that a good number of people in the room arrived agitated over Prop 8 and race, and here we were, there to talk about communication, reconciliation and moving forward.<br /><br />As I said in my post about the plenary session, I had prepared opening remarks to lay the foundation for opening honest communication, and in light of what I was told about the rancor just before going on, I had no idea what to expect:<br /><br /> Today I'm here with my colleagues from the National LGBT Blogger and Citizen Journalist Initiative that is being held just a few blocks away. In many ways the issues we are discussing there have much in common with those this panel will address. In our workshops we are dealing with long-simmering communication challenges between blogs, traditional LGBT media, elected officials, community leaders and LGBT advocacy organizations. We're meeting to learn how to build mutually beneficial ties as we advance, report on, and provide commentary about the LGBT rights movement. The bottom line is that we have to add effective communication tools to our toolboxes to make that happen.<br /><br /> And here we, at your conference, to being a discussion about how to achieve similar goals on a different front -- how to build stronger coalitions, in this case between the LGBT community and communities of color, labor, women, the faith community and other potential political allies for the common good. And that involves developing a framework for productive dialogue in the wake Prop 8. In the blogosphere the reactions were raw, long-simmering tensions were unearthed in a very public way.<br /><br /> The fact is, this wasn't surprising to those of us who inhabit both worlds as LGBT people of color. What it laid bare was the long-standing dire need for better communication between the LGBT movement and communities of color, and discussion about LGBT issues within communities of color. So I see this as an amazing opportunity for all of us to add tools to our toolboxes to reach our common goal of equality.<br /><br />The panelists on stage with me, Kathryn Kolbert, President of People for the American Way; Assembly member John Pérez of the California State Assembly; Robert Raben, of the Raben Group; and Dr. Kenneth Samuel, African American Ministers Leadership Council deftly negotiated this difficult territory, and the Q&A with the audience was productive. I left the stage with a sigh of relief; I do hope that there was active listening going on because that's the only way to move forward.<br /><br />I did receive positive feedback about the session, so I left somewhat reassured that what was said gave people food for thought, and that they were perhaps ready to actually take action individually to leave their comfort zones to do the difficult work needed to use those tools in the toolbox and communicate beyond our fears about race, religion and difference. If we don't, the religious right will continue to exploit our inability to come to grips with the solvable schisms in our community.utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-62358338808570301142008-12-08T16:22:00.000-08:002008-12-08T16:24:52.096-08:00Calling In "Gay" Latest Prop 8 ProtestBy: Lisa Leff<br />Associated Press<br /><br />SAN FRANCISCO — Some same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to "call in gay" Wednesday to show how much the country relies on gays and lesbians, but others question whether it's wise to encourage skipping work given the nation's economic distress.<br /><br />Organizers of "Day Without a Gay" _ scheduled to coincide with International Human Rights Day and modeled after similar work stoppages by Latino immigrants _ also are encouraging people to perform volunteer work and refrain from spending money.<br /><br />Sean Hetherington, a West Hollywood comedian and personal trainer, dreamed up the idea with his boyfriend, Aaron Hartzler, after reading online that a few angry gay-rights activists were calling for a daylong strike to protest California voters' passage last month of Proposition 8, which reversed this year's state Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage.<br /><br />The couple thought it would be more effective and less divisive if people were asked to perform community service instead of staying home with their wallets shut. Dozens of nonprofit agencies, from the National Women's Law Center in Washington to a Methodist church in Fresno collecting food for the homeless, have posted opportunities for volunteers on the couple's Web site.<br /><br />"We are all for a boycott if that is what brings about a sense of community for people," said Hetherington, 30, who plans to spend Wednesday volunteering at an inner-city school. "You can take away from the economy and give back in other ways."<br /><br />Hetherington said he's been getting 100 e-mails an hour from people looking for volunteer opportunities, and that his "Day Without a Gay" Web site has gotten 100,000 hits since mid-November.<br /><br />Despite Hartzler and Hetherington's attempt to fashion a positive approach, some organizers of the street demonstrations that drew massive crowds in many cities last month have been reluctant to embrace the concept, saying that it could be at best impractical and at worst counterproductive to "call in gay."<br /><br />"It's extra-challenging for people to think about taking off work as a form of protest, given that we are talking about people who may not be out (as gay) at work, and given the current economic situation and job market," said Jules Graves, 38, coordinator of the Colorado Queer Straight Alliance. "There is really not any assurance employers would appreciate it for what it is."<br />Story continues below<br /><br />Graves' group nonetheless is arranging for interested participants to volunteer at the local African Community Center in Denver. The agency said it could find projects to keep 20 people busy, but so far only 10 have pledged to show up, said Graves.<br /><br />Join The Impact, the online community that launched protests last month over the passage of gay marriage bans in California, Florida and Arizona, has urged people to withdraw $80 from their bank accounts Wednesday to demonstrate gays' spending power, and to devote the time they might otherwise spend watching TV or surfing the Internet to volunteer work.<br /><br />Witeck-Combs Communications, a public relations firm in Washington that specializes in the gay and lesbian market, published a study this year that estimated that gay and lesbian consumers spend $700 billion annually.<br /><br />Bob Witeck, the firm's chief executive officer, said it would be difficult to measure the success of Wednesday's strike since gay employees occupy so many fields. And rather than suspending all consumer spending for the day, gay rights supporters would have a bigger impact if they devoted their dollars to gay-friendly businesses year-round, Witeck said.<br /><br />"Our community leaders who are running book stores, newspapers, flower shops, coffee houses, bars and many, many other things are hurting right now, so paying attention to their needs during this hard time is an effective form of activism," he said.<br /><br />Hetherington said he has been careful to design A Day Without a Gay _ he came up with the name after the film "A Day Without a Mexican" and liked it because it rhymed _ so no one feels excluded or threatened.<br /><br />He has specifically urged high school students not to walk out of their classes and assured college students they won't be disloyal to the cause if they go ahead and take their final exams. He also has listed opportunities _ ranging from writing letters to members of Congress about federal gay rights legislation to spreading the word about Wednesday on social networking sites _ to gay marriage backers who cannot miss work.<br /><br />___<br /><br />On the Net:<br /><br />http://www.daywithoutagay.org/<br /><br />http://jointheimpact.com/utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-82773499729730517172008-12-03T13:51:00.000-08:002008-12-03T13:55:34.617-08:00Proposition 8 Musical Satire<object width="434" height="348" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value="key=c0cf508ff8" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="434" height="348" flashvars="key=c0cf508ff8" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" src="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><div style="text-align:center;width: 434px;">See more <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/jackblack">Jack Black</a> videos at Funny or Die</div>utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-69606620925606769082008-11-26T16:29:00.000-08:002008-11-26T16:56:02.944-08:00Bring A Special Dish To This Year's Thanksgiving Table<a href="http://www.aclu.com "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIcpnONerw5FE1Rmzv93SUHVYGu55A1pQ9ZsDi0GZ3LCzeIl_ldrs8duas20_4jwYfcZaOL4UUjKtw6XhF_8bWoZimGbzI3OsLONphNcBvYYONH7NxvhS-DzFtpau_hkzCpMuJEEMhFE/s1600-h/aclu.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 41px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIcpnONerw5FE1Rmzv93SUHVYGu55A1pQ9ZsDi0GZ3LCzeIl_ldrs8duas20_4jwYfcZaOL4UUjKtw6XhF_8bWoZimGbzI3OsLONphNcBvYYONH7NxvhS-DzFtpau_hkzCpMuJEEMhFE/s400/aclu.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273128568946146354" /></a></a><br />This Thanksgiving we are reflecting on what family means to us. For those of us at the ACLU and many people across the country, that will bring to mind what happened to families in California as a result of Prop 8. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuB3u4zBiJ7fL3nEILsCBV6ix3Gx5RLZD_6GFUsTjX8zWQE8rJPrU1tXquIt8akO0atEBILfv95IwmY7e7R6vos4jbW613zjoBO6HBXTJcui2NHvXqrvDUtw1RFYiqn7HDzQUeWs5WJbg/s1600-h/anthony+romero.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuB3u4zBiJ7fL3nEILsCBV6ix3Gx5RLZD_6GFUsTjX8zWQE8rJPrU1tXquIt8akO0atEBILfv95IwmY7e7R6vos4jbW613zjoBO6HBXTJcui2NHvXqrvDUtw1RFYiqn7HDzQUeWs5WJbg/s400/anthony+romero.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273128716100597138" /></a><br />So -- in what is becoming an ACLU tradition -- I’m writing to share some pointers for talking turkey this Thanksgiving about issues that really matter. <br /><br />Here’s my biggest piece of advice for when Prop 8 and gay marriage come up over the Thanksgiving dinner table: Don’t shy away from the conversation. Do what I’m hoping thousands of ACLU supporters will do over the holidays. Talk to someone you’ve never talked to about same sex marriage and explain that it’s just not right to deny someone their freedom because of who they are or who they love. <br /><br />And you can tell them something else: Tell them the fight to stop Prop 8 from disrupting people’s lives and denying gay couples the full measure of their freedom is far from over. Tell them your ACLU has gone to court to stop Prop 8.<br /><br />On the day after the elections, the ACLU and our partners, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and Equality California filed suit asking the California Supreme Court to strike Proposition 8 down.<br /><br />The case we are making is a powerful one -- and I want you to know its details -- because if we are going to secure equal rights for everyone in our great nation, the argument for equality has to be made not just in a California courtroom, but in countless conversations between families and communities all across America. <br /><br />Here are the specifics on our lawsuit: Under California law, major changes in the Constitution -- called revisions -- have to be first approved by two-thirds of the legislature before going before the voters. <br /><br />The forces of intolerance behind Prop 8 went through a process for less serious constitutional changes called amendments. They didn’t go through the legislature. <br /><br />So, our lawsuit -- and your Prop 8 conversations over the holidays -- will all come down to the same question: Is it a big deal -- a revision, rather than a mere amendment -- to take the right to marry away from an entire group of people? <br /><br />We firmly believe it is. <br /><br />What could be more serious than rejecting the very idea that everyone is equal before the law?<br />And what could be a more drastic change than undermining the essential constitutional principle that we all have rights, which can’t be taken away just because a majority of people might like to do so?<br />These are the questions we’re asking the California Supreme Court to consider at crucial hearings coming up in December. And, they are the questions I hope you won’t avoid addressing in holiday conversation with friends and family.<br /><br />The passage of Prop 8 has hit a powerful nerve all across America. People are seeing for themselves the unimaginable pain and anguish it has caused. And the sense of outrage is growing stronger every day.<br /><br />With holiday gatherings of family and friends right around the corner -- I’m urging you to make the case against intolerance in a very personal way.<br /><br />Prop 8 has made clear that we all have a lot of work to do challenging discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. And we can’t do it without you. <br /><br />So, be a little bolder this Thanksgiving. <br /><br />When someone makes an uninformed remark about gay marriage, don’t let it slide. If they say they’re glad Prop 8 passed, tell them you love them. Then remind them that no one should ever lose their rights or face bigotry because of who they are and who they love. <br /><br />Make it clear that, no matter how someone feels about same-sex marriage, gay people are a part of our community entitled to the same rights, the same dignity, as everyone else.<br /><br />Today, it is clearer than ever that the struggle for LGBT equality is one of the defining civil liberties challenges of our time. You can count on the ACLU to defend LGBT rights in courtrooms, classrooms, and legislative hearings all across the nation. <br /><br />We’re counting on you to do the same around the water cooler at work and over Thanksgiving dinner. <br />Be brave and outspoken. It’s the only way to move freedom forward.<br /><br />Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving,<br /><br />Anthony D. Romero<br />Executive Director<br />ACLU <br /><br />P.S. – Heads up! You're invited to the ACLU’s <a href="http://www.aclunc.org/action/events/bill_of_rights_day_celebration_2008.shtml">Bill of Rights Day</a> Celebration in San Francisco on Sunday, December 7. The event is a rare and spirited mix of reflection, ambition, pride and humor – we take stock of what it means to protect freedom nationally, locally and vocally. The talk of the town this year is on how we will move marriage equality forward. Treat yourself to an <a href="http://www.aclunc.org/action/events/bill_of_rights_day_celebration_2008.shtml">advance look at our program </a>and watch your Inbox for more details later this week.utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777392103461920031.post-64265660505474951142008-11-26T10:57:00.000-08:002008-11-26T11:02:50.136-08:00Proposition 8 Broke My Heart and My Trust in My People<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEdD75bgTgPfSXDLaYnW6Bsq9oTMM9hLho3IEMjKIO_orIPv5wSp5obW9JaktUbDaDgwzaPKnUgIenN9JNaR9tr2vpomnNPJs8GVVT9q2WKv3pjPhiT3tLgGV_cfGiJPRCsF_foG9xHE/s1600-h/gean8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEdD75bgTgPfSXDLaYnW6Bsq9oTMM9hLho3IEMjKIO_orIPv5wSp5obW9JaktUbDaDgwzaPKnUgIenN9JNaR9tr2vpomnNPJs8GVVT9q2WKv3pjPhiT3tLgGV_cfGiJPRCsF_foG9xHE/s400/gean8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273042581352657778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">From: <a href="http://www.siliconvalleydebug.com/">Silicon Valley DeBug</a><br />Story and Photo By G. Melesaine</span><br /><br />The day before the elections, my heart became heavy with anger and sadness. Proposition 8, which banned same sex marriage on this years ballot is probably, (to me) the most intense initiative that was on the ballot.<br />I had become deeply emotional after seeing that the majority of the people I saw rallying for Proposition 8 were Polynesians, and not surprisingly they were Mormon. I am Polynesian, my father is Mormon and he tried to raise my sisters and brothers Mormon as well. I disassociated myself from the religion at a young age and could not believe in a religion that taught homophobia. I had my words with the Yes On 8 protesters at De Anza College, which became a war zone between yes and no on propositoin 8 groups. One of the yes on 8 protesteers, probably not even a student, responded by saying, "I don't know about this, I just came for the fuck of it." I was the only Polynesian on the opposing side. When I arrived it seemed as if they thought I was going to join their side and moods change when it became apparent who I was fighting for. I asked them if they knew who made their signs that they held. The Mormon church whom consists of some of the richest white people were donating so much money all the way from Utah towards the Yes On 8 campaign. I had become emotionally overwhelmed to see that none of those rich white people were out here doing the dirty work, but rather were having my people do their work.<br /><br />It's like seeing your family on crack, brainwashed by that white stuff only to answer with "God is on my side." Murmuring the word "faggot" in between laughs and throwing flyers in our crowd, I felt like I was wasting my breath on people who didn't care. People who didn't understand to care. My Mormon cousin whom I've been staying with for the last two weeks had been part of the yes on 8 campaign. She had made homophobic derogatory remarks and I had bit my tongue to make my 2 week stay a little lighter. It made me sad that my beautiful people had used words that were so ugly to me and I figured it stemmed from this religion.<br /><br />I am deeply saddened seeing images on the news of Polynesians becoming the majority of the Yes On 8 protestors. This had been pretty much the first time I've seen so many Polynesians organize protests. With all the detrimental things -- drugs, violence, gangs, domestic violence, incarceration, lack of education -- that keeps our community from upward mobility, the issue that brings Polynesians out to protest is a proposition to keep two people of the same-sex who love each other from marrying. At the action, my friend and I tried to interview one of the Samoan elders, he asked me if I was Samoan and after I said yes he stopped talking to us. In the corner of my eye there was a child they had brought along, playing with a Yes On 8 sign. That killed me. This was a child who had no idea what was going on but to hold a sign that they told him to hold. I thought about when I was young in that church, and how as an adult everything I was taught was no longer truth to me. I don't even consider the religion a religion but more of a corporation now. Just because my father has been working for them ever since I was in elementary, and for them to have that much money to back this and never give him a raise to a salary that can actually be worth surviving on, made me realized that they have other things to keep in check.<br /><br />On the evening of the election, news that Obama had won gave me an intense feeling of joy, but it was a bittersweet moment. I, probably the only one in the room representing the queer community among a diverse group mainly young people who color, knew how it felt at that moment to be considered less than a citizen. Prop 8 had passed.<br /><br />Personally I don't want to get married, it just seems like undocumented bullshit to me, but on the contrary there should be options for those who want the option to get married. At a time when someone like Britney Spears gets married under intoxication (probably) and get divorced the next day, where's the equality in that?<br /><br />I don't know what I should do now. Even those close to me have their innermost fears about homosexuality which to me, seems at odds with actual liberation. Maybe I haven't done enough for my community, maybe I've been trying to help people who didn't care about me in the end and wearing a button really didn't mean shit. I remember reading a homophobic comment from a black nationalist who was yes on 8. To me, those who seek liberation and then practices the same oppression means that we are really far from actual revolution or change. I went to sleep reading a chapter from Howard Zinn's "A People's History of The United States" in which he talked about the double oppression that women slaves faced. I wondered how many times my oppression was multiplied for just being who I am.utopiasfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16493309764081650128noreply@blogger.com0