Roots of Equality

I assume at this point that you are well aware that we are all meeting in Fresno the Saturday after the CA Supreme Court decision riiight?

So how are you getting there? Well turns out all the major metropolitan areas in the state are getting buses together to head up. Don’t have a place to stay? They can help you out. Make sure you’re RSVPing on the Meet in the Middle site. They’ll collect your information, find out what you need, and disseminate information. So RSVP already!

While Vermont’s Gay Marriage Bill travels through its legislature, New Hampshire’s making progress in their legislature with a gay marriage bill of their own.

The New Hampshire State house of reps narrowly passed a bill to legalize gay marriage 186-179 and will now send it to the state senate. The prospects for the bill in Senate are unknown. If it makes it past senate, the democratic governor John Lynch would have to sign on. He has expressed his opposition to gay marriage but has not yet said whether or not he would veto the bill.

Governor John Lynch

New Hampshire legalized Civil Unions last year.

p.s. Vermont’s governor Jim Douglas has announced he will veto Vermont’s gay marriage bill when and if it reaches his desk. The bill is currently in the house judiciary committee before being presented to the House for a vote.

This Saturday is packed with LGBT Labor and Political activist action, so get up early and get plenty of sleep!

At 10:00 am, head to Judy Chu’s campaign office in Baldwin Park to help canvass in a crucial district and get out the vote for a long time supporter of LGBT rights.

At noon, head west to the Vermont Hand Wash and join Pride at Work and other groups in picketing this car was and their unfair labor practices.

At 4:00 pm, stay West and stay labor minded and go to the LGBT Labor Forum with Cleve Jones.

At 8:30 pm, unwind and head East. Roots of Equality, Stonewall Young Dems, and LGBTQI POC La is hosting a social event, “Get to Know your Gaybor” at the historical Red’s Bar. Partake in ice breakers, cheap beer, and carne asada.

These kids are alright…

Sunday afternoon, youth from around the area gathered under the Chinatown Metro stop to rally against homophobia and homophobia’s offspring including prop 8.

Youth activists, facilitated by Equal Action, put together this amazing feat. Speakers under the Metro Stop included Robin McGehee of Meet in the Middle 4 Equality, and Morgan Early of Colage.

Though the march was planned to be on the sidewalks, the crowd took over the streets. The route was incredible as we drummed and chanted our way through Chinatown and Olvera street waiving to tourists and locals alike.

The March commenced at the steps of City Hall where we heard from the experienced voices of Robin Tyler, Torie Osborn, and Cleve Jones alongside the voices of the young leaders like Richard Aviles, Rene Franco, and Niko Salas.

The day was a colorful display of the future of our movement and the power of the voices coming up.

I watched the Vermont State Senate discuss and then vote on bill S. 115 to grant same-sex civil marriage. The bill passed 26-4 and will now be sent to the house where it should pass. The bill will then move on to republican governor Jim Douglas who may very well veto it. If it is vetoed by the governor, it’s back to the legislature where they’ll fight it out for enough votes for a veto override.

Below is the play-by-play if you so desire.

1:10 pm - Five minute recess… waiting..

1:11 pm - Here we go!

1:18 pm - John Campbell, the straight Catholic Senator that introduced the bill is testifying on his support of the bill. He is bringing up former anti-mixed race marriages and answering the ridiculous chargers of the opponents who have compared it to marriages between species, polygamous marriages, or incest.

1:23 pm - Campbell expresses his definition of marriage as a institution to bring about stability in families and how they should be available to everyone. Also discussing how often times, straight marriages suck.

1:25 pm - Discussing children and their use in campaigns against same-sex-marriage. Arguing that same-sex parents can and are usually good parents and how he has seen countless numbers of children and families who have been fucked up by their straight parents.

1:29 pm - Campbell is getting passionate and speaking about people’s “ick” factor about gay people and gay sex and how it has nothing to do with what the state should be concerned with.

1:31 pm - Emphasizing the section of the bill which states that this does not take away the rights of religious organizations to express themselves including denying religious marriages to whomever they want.

1:35 pm - Making his final point. He is expressing is disgust at the tone of the opponents in labeling gay people as “they” or “those people”.

1:36 pm - Amendment being offered by another supportive senator fella.

1:38 pm - Oh… maybe not so supportive. The amendment presented is to bring the issue to the voters in Vermont. Chicken shit amendment.

1:41 pm - Chicken shit amendment sponsor is Kevin J. Mullin (R), and states that he thinks people feel like this is being shoved down their throat. But I still get the feeling that he is in general supportive of marriage equality. (He later voted yes for the bill. He has a gay son)

1:43 pm - Senator Dick Sears recapping why the referendum amendment was voted down 4-1.

1:49 pm - Another senator arguing her opposition to the referendum amendment saying it would take too much time and money.

1:51 pm - Another senator concerned that the bill is being moved along too quickly in support of the referendum amendment.

1:54 pm - Another senator against the referendum amendment and how divisive it would be and how out of state influences would pour into the state for the election.

1:55 pm - Roll call on the referendum amendment!

1:57 pm - 11 yes, 19 no. The bill will not be sent to a referendum popular vote by the people.

2:02 pm - Senator Jane Kitchel wants it to be especially clarified that this is a Civil Marriage, not religious. I think they just voted for an amendment that clarified that…. I think.

2:10 pm - D-Bag Senator Randy Brock arguing against the bill. Arguing the usual “marriage has always been a union between a man and a woman” and the dumb shit argument that they are formed to procreate.

2:13 pm - Senator Dick McCormack rebuts Brock’s stupid arguments.

2:17 pm - McCormack is making some very eloquent historical and religious arguments about the evolution of the definition of marriage.

2:20 pm - McCormack was amazing.

2:23 pm - Old fella arguing that “the world is made of three groups of people: people who made things happen, people who watch things happen, and people who wondered ‘what happened?’” Basically he’s arguing that this is happening too fast but he’s arguing in a rambling old guy way.

2:30 pm - Co-sponsor of the bill Peter Shumlin speaking.

2:33 pm - Roll Call! The real one!

2:35 pm - 26 yes, 4 no! YAAAAAY!

The usually quiet Portia De Rossi did a hilarious and telling PSA on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Enjoy:

Instead of sitting down with my wife and filling out one joint tax statement for 2008 we have to:
1. Individually fill out each of our tax statements on our own. File those.
2. Sit down and fill out a joint tax statement, that we can’t file.
3. Use the joint un-filed tax statement to then fill out a joint California return and file that.

This is way down on the list of “Ways the U.S. Makes it Hard on the Gays.” But it’s still pretty fucking annoying.

Guess what, it’s still illegal to be gay or do gay things in some countries… kind of like Texas before 2003. In fact, it’s illegal in 70 U.N. member nations… 70! And in several countries you can be executed for being a gay.

France sponsored the declaration and all the European Union countries and almost 40 other countries signed on to support the declaration. Meanwhile, George Bush refused joined the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Vatican in refusing to sign it, because George W. Bush is a dick. We became the only Western country not to sign on. SHAME! But, now that the dunce is out, it looks like Obama and his administration will be supporting the declaration, because Obama is not a dick.

Bush claimed that his reasoning was that he did not want to trample state rights. Like the rights of some states to discriminate based on sexuality for housing or employment or… marriage let’s say. So thank you Bush, for protecting our states’ rights to discriminate based on sexuality, you ass.

A dynamic group of young people got together and organized what should be an amazing protest March downtown Sunday. “Youth Today, Walking for Equality” will happen Saturday at noon starting at Spring and College (Chinatown) and will end on the steps of City Hall.

Roots of Equality attended two of their planning meetings and were extremely impressed by the young organizers’ energy, creativity, and passion for this event and this cause. They have organized a roster of speakers that includes Cleve Jones, Robin Tyler, and Torie Osborne and will also include several strong youth speakers. This is a march “For the Youth and by the Youth” but that doesn’t mean us adults are not welcome. They are still looking for adult volunteers and support in general to march alongside the youth. For more information see their website and of course join their facebook event.

Ali Shams and Kaelan Housewright, two straight students from Southern California, have introduced a ballot initiative for 2010 which is in fact what many of us have talked about, but never had the balls to actually introduce. The “Domestic Partnership Initiative” effectively takes the state out of the marriage business. Since the other side insists that marriage is a religious institutions, then by all means, the state should stay out of it and instead dole out binding legal contracts between two parties that form family units.

The initiative states:

The proposed measure calls for the term “marriage” to be removed from government legislation. The State of California’s Law code would have “marriage” replaced with “domestic partnership,” while the definition and the rights provided would remain the same. The purpose of which is to provide equality amongst all couples, regardless of sexual orientation, without offending the religious sect. Legally speaking, “Marriage” itself would become a social ceremony, recognized by only non-governmental institutions. Furthermore, the initiative would void Proposition 8.

It essentially calls the other side’s bluff saying: “Well if it’s just a nomenclature issue, then I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if the State domestic partnered you instead of married you. You can get “married” by your religious institution.”

Of course I seriously doubt this will get the traction to fly. Even looking past the federal non-compatibility issues, garnering enough signatures for this much less getting people to vote on it is virtually impossible. But… I love what it says.

Who wants to introduce a ballot initiative that amends the Constitution to say marriages that include Kenneth Starr or Ron Prentice are void and not recognized in the state of California?