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It was a lovely evening indeed at the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner on Saturday at the Washington Convention Center. Over 3,000 guests from around the country gathered to enjoy a night of encouraging speeches and videos highlighting the contributions of leading LGBT activists and the challenges ahead in this important election year. Sen. Hillary Clinton graciously stepped in to give a video address from California at the beginning of the dinner program after Sen. Joe Biden had to cancel his appearance due to a family emergency.

Personal finance expert Suze Orman looked amazing and gave a fired-up (and ready to go!) speech on her behind-the-scenes dealing with financial power players on behalf of LGBT fairness.  She spoke from the heart when she charged the audience to save and use their money to directly influence the political and social decisions that affect their lives. As an added bonus, Suze brought her life partner, Kathy "K.T." Travis, on stage to introduce her to the LGBT community and share her honor in receiving the National Equality Award.  This was the first time that Suze has spoken so publicly about being a lesbian and her relationship with K.T., who the crowd enthusiastically welcomed with a standing ovation. And let's not forget: the legendary Crystal Waters closed the evening with a couple of her high-energy dance songs that had guests dancing and waving as they exited the dinner and headed to the adjacent after party.

Here are some photos from the event:

Left: Sen. Hillary Clinton addressed the dinner in the absence of Sen. Joe Biden. Right: Suze Orman with her partner, K.T.

Left: HRC Business Council member Meghan Stabler. Right: Lesbian comedienne Suzanne Westenhoefer moderated the live auction.

Left: HRC President Joe Solmonese. Right: HRC Foundation board member Edie Cofrin and Elizabeth Birch, former HRC president, introduced National Legacy Award recipient Terry Bean.

Left: Singer Jennifer Holliday sings "And I Am Telling You" in honor of Bruce Bastian. Bruce Bastian, recipient of the HRC National Leadership Award.

Left: Terry Bean, one of the foundera of the Human Rights Campaign, receives the National Legacy Award.  Right: Rocky Anderson, former mayor of Salt Lake City, gave a tribute to Utah's Bruce Bastian.

Personal finance expert Suze Orman gave an impassioned speech on the importance of LGBT financial empowerment.

Left: Suze Orman brings her partner, K.T., on stage to introduce her to the community. Right: Crystal Waters and her dancers turn up the energy at the end of the dinner.

Good afternoon,

October is here, and it’s shaping up to be quite an exciting month. One of the Human Rights Campaign’s biggest nights is tomorrow, when we’ll hold our twelfth annual National Dinner here in Washington, DC.  We’re so pleased that Senator Joe Biden, personal finance expert Suze Orman and Tony award-winning singer Jennifer Holliday will be gracing our stage this year.

Only two days after the Vice Presidential debate, Senator Biden will speak to our members about what’s at stake in this critical election year. Senator Biden’s record in the United States Senate is one of support and understanding, and his outspoken advocacy for the LGBT community is invaluable. If his career in the Senate is any indication of the type of Vice President he will be, then our community can be assured that Senator Barack Obama has chosen a thoughtful and staunch advocate for equality as his closest adviser.

This advocacy stands in contrast to his opponent, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Governor Palin’s record on issues of equality stands in stark contrast to Biden’s, and, as evidenced by her comments this week regarding her belief that homosexuality is a choice, so does her general attitude toward this community.

But don’t take my word for it. Senior Media Center Manager—and producer of my XM Radio show, The Agenda with Joe Solmonese—Michael Cole recently traveled to Palin’s hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, to ask LGBT residents about their experiences with Palin as mayor and governor. Michael has created a powerful video about what he discovered while talking to these ordinary people with extraordinary insight. I urge you to watch the video on the HRC website, www.hrc.org.

We are also honored to have Suze Orman at our dinner this year.  Suze is someone whose commonsense financial advice has been heard by people across the nation and the globe. That so many Americans, both LGBT and straight, look to an open lesbian for this important advice shows that we all share the same concerns about paying our bills, feeding and clothing our children, and buying homes.

The night of the dinner, October 4th, is exactly one month from Election Day, and HRC is working overtime to guarantee that the first Tuesday in November brings the change that our community has worked so hard to achieve.

We’ve got to work together to ensure fair-minded leaders are elected this year. We simply can’t afford four more years of an anti-LGBT stranglehold on the White House. But regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, you must guarantee that your voice is heard.

Voter registration deadlines are fast approaching in states across the country—some are as soon tomorrow and Monday. Please register to vote and do it now. You can register on the HRC website here (http://www.hrc.org/laws_and_elections/register_to_vote.asp). This is our Year to Win, but we can’t do it without you!

Have a great weekend!

Warmly,



P.S. I want to congratulate Diane Schroer and the ACLU on the successful outcome of their lawsuit against the Library of Congress, which rescinded a job offer to Ms. Schroer upon discovering that she would transition from male to female. She testified about her experience at this summer’s first-ever Congressional hearing on transgender workplace issues and delivered poignant remarks on the exceptional unfairness of refusing to hire a uniquely qualified candidate just because of who she is. Her victory is one that inspires all of us to keep fighting for full LGBT equality in the workplace.

The latest issue of the Washington Blade (out today) announces a new initiative lead by blogger Mike Rogers and supported by philanthropist Jonathan Lewis, HRC and the Victory Fund to help train gay bloggers and promote access to key political players and progressive organizations. The 3-day program will kick off in December:

Rogers said the goal of the LGBT Bloggers & Citizen Journalist Initiative is to bring the online world together with traditional organizations that are sometimes lagging in the technology department.

Rogers said the initiative’s driving force is best encapsulated by a quote from Pam Spaulding, a lesbian blogger who writes at Pam’s House Blend: “You can ignore us, but we are journalists, we are activists, it’s all one now.”

....

The initiative will begin with a December summit of 50 bloggers and representatives of gay rights groups, including the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which are sponsors.

“The Human Rights Campaign understands the importance of online organizing, commentary and activism,” said Joe Solmonese, HRC’s president, in a statement. “This venture will help create a synergy between organizations and new media never before seen in our movement, and we are proud to be a part of it.”

HRC donated $5,000 to the initiative, and the Victory Fund gave $2,500. The two groups will also co-host a networking party for bloggers and staffers the weekend of the summit. Rogers projects that with other individual donations, funding will reach $70,000 by the conference.

HRC and the Victory Fund each maintain their own blogs, HRC Back Story and GayPolitics.com.

Rogers, who writes online at BlogActive.com, said he’s now seeking 35 people to participate in the three-day summit, which begins Dec. 5. Participants receive round-trip flights to D.C., hotel accommodations and free meals. More information is available at bloggerinitiative.com.

Members of progressive organizations, Capitol Hill staff and community leaders will meet with bloggers to help establish personal relationships, Rogers said.

The goal of the meetings, Rogers said, will be to facilitate partnerships for future projects, such as live-blogging events that are coordinated by the organizations.

The website for the LGBT Bloggers & Citizen Journalist Initiative information is www.bloggerinitiative.com.

[Photo (l to r): HRC's Chris Johnson and Brad Luna with MiKe Rogers and Jeff Prior of PageOneQ.com]

From Aaron Teskey, HRC's youth & campus outreach coordinator:

To celebrate National Coming Out Day 2008, HRC has released a video about the importance of coming out personally and politically and also created an interactive map of celebratory events that are taking place across the country in high schools, colleges, and communities. If you are hosting an event to celebrate this fabulous day, tell us about it here!

Now, we want to hear from you!  Our very own Ben Shallenberger, Media Center Intern, writes this guest post about our “Come Out and Vote” video contest and the incredible power of this medium to make a difference.

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When my parents and their middle-aged friends told me I was a part of the MTV generation, I never understood what they meant. We didn’t get MTV in my house until I was at least 13 or 14. I only recently realized how much of an impact TV and the Internet have on young people.

Videos not only entertain and inform us, but they can also shape how we view the world, and the actions that we take. Because of videos we’ve seen we dress a certain way, dance a certain way, talk a certain way, and even buy certain things. We turn on the TV and see negative after negative commercial telling us how unhappy we’ll be if we don’t buy a certain product or vote for the wrong candidate. But how often do we see something positive, telling us to take a stand, believe in something, or make a difference?

I’ve always hated the claim that you learn the “homosexual lifestyle” in the home and from the experiences you’ve had in your formative years. Growing up, I lived in a conservative middle class neighborhood. I can’t remember any of my neighbors or family members being openly gay. I can’t remember seeing gay characters on TV or reading about them in books. In fact, I don’t even remember knowing what a homosexual was until halfway through middle school. Looking back, I wish I had seen more LGBT people in the media throughout my life.

A few months ago, I participate in a contest on MySpace called “Film your Issue” that encouraged young people to speak up about certain issues that are important to the global community. I made a video about the constant struggle in my life between being myself in my sexuality and being myself in my spirituality. I wanted to share the intense depression, loneliness and pain that I had felt coming out and being told I was not accepted for who I was, and how I finally had to rearrange my own thinking in order to be happy with myself.

Watch it here:

The video not only won the Human Rights Campaign award for the contest, but it also opened up a dialogue with my family and friends about what I have been through emotionally. My relationships with the people I care about have grown tremendously because this video opened the doors of communication. 

I continually hear that this election season is an opportunity for LGBT people to make their voices heard by electing fair-minded officials into office. The theme of this year’s National Coming Out Day is “Come Out and Vote.” The Human Rights Campaign wants to hear how you plan to come out this year, not only as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, or a Straight Ally, but also about how important voting is to elect people who have our biggest issues in the forefront of their minds. For more information about the contest, visit www.hrc.org/ComingOutContest.

Whether it’s a multi-million dollar film with George Lucas special effects, or simply you sitting at your webcam telling your family and friends how you feel and who you are, we want to hear your voice. We want to see your vision. We want you to be yourself and let the world know! And who knows? You might not only create a video that will help someone to live their life openly and honestly, but also help motivate someone to cast a vote this election year for a candidate who supports equality for all Americans.

On Monday, HRC Foundation will kick off “Hype ’08,” a nationwide program in partnership with more than 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.  The first forum, a first of its kind on an HBCU campus, is in partnership with the Bisexual Lesbian and Gay Organization of Students at Howard (BLAGOSAH), aims to engage students, faculty, staff, and community members on issues facing LGBT Americans. “Hype ‘08”  will also link national issues such as hate crimes, anti-LGBT discrimination, and HIV/AIDS to problems students face on HBCU campuses.

HRC Foundation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program educates students, faculty and administrators at HBCU campuses on LGBT issues specific to each institution’s needs. It often opens campus-wide debate on LGBT issues for the first time and trains students to build and lead LGBT-friendly organizations on campus.

For more information, visit: www.hrc.org/hype08

WHAT:  Hype ’08: A Bipartisan Forum on the Issues Facing GLBT Americans

WHO: Courtney Snowden, Raben Group director and former president of DC Black Pride;
Chris Scalise, president of the Log Cabin Republicans DC Chapter;
Jeff Marootian, vice president for political affairs for the National Stonewall Democrats;
Jasper Hendricks, director of field operations and political programs for the National Black Justice Coalition

WHEN:  Monday, Oct. 6, 2008, at 7:00 pm EDT 

WHERE: Blackburn Digital Forum, Blackburn Building, Howard University, 2400 Sixth St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20059

Please RSVP to christopher.johnson@hrc.org 

On Tuesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation that would have officially designated May 22 as Harvey Milk Day in the state of California, honoring the first openly gay man to be elected to office in a major city in the United States. 

Harvey Milk (pictured) was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, where he sponsored and worked to successfully pass an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. He also worked to defeat the statewide Briggs Initiative, which would have banned gay men and lesbians from teaching in California schools.

Milk was assassinated on November 27, 1978 by Dan White, who also assassinated Mayor George Moscone.  Thousands attended a spontaneous vigil held the night of Milk’s funeral and heard a taped recording of Milk’s famous statement that “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.”

Joe Solmonese issued this statement in response to Schwarzenegger yesterday:

The Human Rights Campaign shares the disappointment of Equality California, as well as thousands of HRC members in California and other Californians.  Harvey Milk is a hero who stood for simple equality and justice, and ultimately gave his life for these principles.  It would have been fitting to officially recognize his birthday as a day of special significance in California.  However, as everyone who admires Harvey Milk fully understands, we can pay this great man lasting tribute by working to make equality a reality for all Californians.

A film celebrating Milk’s life and starring Sean Penn will be released this fall.

Today the Human Rights Campaign PAC released a new online video based on interviews with members of Wasilla, Alaska's LGBT community - Sarah Palin's hometown. The video is narrated by Michael Cole, senior manager of HRC’s media center, who flew to Alaska with a video production crew to talk with Wasilla’s LGBT community. (And yes, there is one...)

Watch the video here:

“Sarah Palin used the oldest trick in the book, citing her gay friend as a show of support for our community, ” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.  “I wonder how her friend feels about Palin being against hate crimes legislation, relationship recognition for same-sex couples, or Palin’s belief that her sexuality is a choice.”

Joe was flying solo last night on The Agenda with Joe Solmonese with regular co-host Mary Breslauer out in California.  Here are audio segments from the show:

Chuck Wolfe:
The president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership institute discusses their endorsed candidates.  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080929/wolfe.mp3

Sheriff Lupe Valdez:
The Dallas County sheriff joins Joe and Chuck to discuss her reelection campaign.  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080929/valdez.mp3

Peterson Toscano:
The theatrical performance activist discusses his work with producer Michael Cole.  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080929/toscano.mp3

Angela Brightfeather:
The vice president of the Transgender American Veterans Association discusses discrimination against trans vets.  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080929/brightfeather.mp3

Alan Schroeder:
The Northeastern University journalism professor discusses the debates.  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080929/schroeder.mp3

Beth Frerking:
The Politico senior editor gives a political roundup.  Listen:
• http://www.theagendaonxm.org/audio/20080929/frerking.mp3

Full blog post about the episode available at: http://www.theagendaonxm.org/2008/09/30/144/

Today, the Washington Blade released a story featuring a written interview with Republican Presidential nominee Senator John McCain.  We hear that the interview, posted on the Washington Blade’s website, took place earlier this week.  In his answers, McCain thanks the Log Cabin Republicans for their endorsement and says he hopes LGBT Americans don't count him out:

I hope gay and lesbian Americans will give full consideration to supporting me. The stakes are high in this election. I will have an inclusive administration and I will be a president for all Americans.

On the other hand, McCain reiterates his support for the anti-gay California and Arizona marriage amendments and doesn't deviate from his previous positions of opposing hate crimes legislation and gay adoption. He also claims that he would would review Don't Ask Don't Tell and would "rely on the commanders who will be impacted by a change in the law." 

Joe Solmonese didn't mince words in his response:

We congratulate the Washington Blade on securing a written response from Senator McCain.  Unfortunately, John McCain’s answers to those well written questions do nothing but insult the intelligence of the LGBT community. Senator McCain’s double speak fools no one.  At the end of the day, his policies haven’t changed at all. 

It’s interesting that John McCain thinks that being civil is going to win us over, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that he is against every single policy that would protect and promote equality for the LGBT community.

It’s 2008, ‘some of my best friends are gay’ doesn’t work anymore.  Sorry, we’ve already had one ‘compassionate conservative’ in the White House for eight years, we aren’t interested in another.

To read a full report on Senator McCain’s stances on issues of importance to the LGBT community, please visit:  www.hrc.org/mccain

Today kicks off the first day of GLBT History Month, a commemoration to highlight the achievements of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender icons.

According to Equality Forum, GLBT History Month was conceived in the mid-1990's by educators and subsequently embraced by major GLBT organizations.  In 2006, Equality Forum took responsibility for overseeing the project.

Each day this month, the GLBT History Month website will prominentyl feature an LGBT icon through video, biography, bibliography and other educational  resources.  GLBT History Month Icon videos will also be broadcast on Logo and here! and streamed on major gay Web portals. 

Watch the GLBT History Month overview video here.

GLBT History Month begins today with Phyllis Lyon and the late Del Martin, co-founders of the Daughters of Bilitis and the first same-sex couple to marry in June under California's new marriage law.  Watch today's video on Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon:

Other icons that will recognized include: Andy Warhol, author Alice Walker, Margaret Mead, Bishop Gene Robinson, Gianni Versace, architect Philip Johnson, John Waters and Melissa Etheridge.

For more information, visit: www.glbthistorymonth.com

Special thanks to Samir Luther, manager of HRC's Workplace Project, for sending us this post on three big companies that have recently come out in support of California marriage equality: Levi Strauss, Google and PG&E.

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Last week, two more businesses came out in opposition to Proposition 8 that would eliminate the rights of same-sex couples to marry in California. It’s a clear sign that companies see the business case for engaging on issues that affect their employees, particularly marriage.

Levi Strauss & Co has not only been at the forefront of LGBT equality in the workplace -- in 1992, it became the first Fortune 500 company to provide partner benefits and in 2003 it became one of the first businesses to rate 100% on the HRC Corporate Equality Index -- but in 2007, it turned its attention to the right of its employees with same-sex partners to marry and filed amicus curiae (pdf) in the court case that brought marriage equality to Californians this year.

Last Thursday, Levi Strauss & Co joined PG&E (another long-time 100% company on the CEI) as co-chair of the No on Prop 8 Equality Business Council:

"As a company with a long history of standing up for equality, civil rights and social justice on behalf of our employees and other stakeholders, we are proud to co-chair the business council with our friends at PG&E,” said John Anderson, President and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co.

On Friday,Google Inc. also came out in opposition to Proposition 8 when Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder and technology president, wrote:

While there are many objections to this proposition -- further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text -- it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love.

Levi Strauss and PG&E have both pledged financial support to the coalition leading the No on 8 campaign. 

See what other businesses have done to support same-sex relationships.

In other news, we're very pleased that American Airlines became the latest member of the Business Coalition for Workplace Fairness, a group of dozens of major U.S. corporations that support an inclusive ENDA.

New stories out from the Washington Blade today report that there have been a few significant developments in two local stories that we've been following. First, DC police announced last night that they have made an arrest in the brutal July attack of a gay man in the Adams Morgan nightclub district: 

D.C. police announced Monday that they arrested a teenage male suspect in connection with a July 13 incident in Adams Morgan in which five male attackers assaulted three gay men while shouting anti-gay names. Police listed the incident as a hate crime.

In a statement released 8:30 p.m. Monday, police said the identity of the suspect and information related to his prosecution was being withheld because he is a juvenile. The statement says police arrested the suspect on Sept. 25 and charged him with aggravated assault.

...

In Monday’s statement, police said they have no further information about the case, including whether investigators expect to make additional arrests of the others who participated in the attack.

Also, about 200 members of the local community held a march and candlelight vigil in honor of Tony Randolph Hunter, a 37-year-old Maryland gay man who was killed en route to BeBar, a popular gay bar/lounge in DC's Shaw neighborhood. 

About 200 people participated in a candlelight march and vigil Sunday night in honor of gay murder victim Tony Randolph Hunter, calling on the city’s politicians and citizens to join them in a renewed effort to stop violence against gays and all city residents.

Hunter, 37, a resident of Clinton, Md., died Sept. 17, 10 days after he was attacked and beaten by four unidentified males at 8th and N Streets, N.W., while he and a friend were headed to a gay bar less than two blocks away.

“The police tell us they don’t have evidence that this was a hate crime and that it was a robbery,” said Dana Fonville, a friend of Hunter’s and the lead organizer of the march and vigil. “But the person or persons who did this committed a senseless and hateful act, and now we have to do all we can to fight back against this violence in our community,” he said.

Here's an update on the HIV travel ban from Brian Moulton, our associate counsel:

****************************************************************

On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule designed to “streamline” the process for HIV-positive visitors to get waivers to enter the U.S. for short-term travel.  Under federal regulations, and until recently federal statute as well, almost any HIV-positive foreign national is barred from entering the country for any purpose.  However, the government has allowed some HIV-positive people to enter temporarily if they receive a visa waiver, either for individual travel or a specific event, such as the Gay Games.  Obtaining these waivers has been difficult, and the rule issued today by DHS is designed, in the agency’s estimation, to simplify that process.  In December 2007, HRC submitted comments to DHS about the draft version of this rule; you can read them here (PDF). 

The final rule is an improvement over the draft circulated last year, and, as then, we applaud the effort to lower discriminatory barriers for HIV-positive people.  However, it is puzzling and frustrating that the Administration chose to issue this regulation now.  As you’ll recall, in July, President Bush signed legislation which removed the federal law barring HIV-positive visitors and immigrants and gave authority back to the public health experts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine whether HIV should remain a basis for excluding people from the country.  Just last week, an HHS spokesperson told the Associated Press that they were moving forward with a rulemaking that would remove HIV from that list of excludable conditions.  Even DHS acknowledges in issuing today’s rule that HHS “is beginning the process of removing HIV from the list” and that its rule is merely “an immediate interim option”.  Once HHS acts, today’s rule will be irrelevant because HIV-positive people will no longer need special waivers to enter the country.   

HIV-positive visitors and immigrants have suffered under our nation’s discriminatory ban for over two decades.  They don’t need an “immediate interim option.”  They need an end to a policy that has separated families, denied American companies access to skilled workers, and turned away students and tourists – all without any medical or public health rationale.  Our nation’s position has kept us in the company of notorious human rights abusers like Russia, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, and has tarnished the United States’ image as a leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS.      

Instead of touting a temporary fix, the Administration should pressure HHS to expedite its efforts to remove HIV as an excludable condition and end this discriminatory policy once and for all.          

Special thanks to Karl Bach, one of HRC's regional field organizers, for this guest post:

I just spent an incredible weekend in Austin with eight Camp Equality alumni.  To be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure where San Angelo was when Camp Equality alumnus Manny Campos agreed to help canvass for Diana Maldonado, a fair-minded State House candidate outside of Austin. 

After a quick Google search, I learned that Manny and his fellow students from San Angelo had agreed to travel more than four hours to volunteer this strategic race!

Manny sent me a quick note to recap:

After a full week of exam preparation, lectures, and lack of sleep, going to Austin was not looking like a great idea.  We had to leave at 6 am to be at the Maldonado Campaign Headquarters for the Saturday morning canvass.  Tired but excited, we ate breakfast tacos, given a brief orientation and then we hit the streets!

In just a few hours, we managed to hit a knock on a lot of doors and visit with many voters.  Judging by the feedback received from the other canvassing teams, our efforts were a success.  Afterwards we inhaled a quick lunch and made the voyage back to our home – San Angelo.

We all agreed that the trip had been well worth it.  We know the need to have candidates in office who believe in equal opportunity for ALL Americans including those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.  In the end, we were able to spread the message of equality one door at a time.  The journey will continue on…”

[Photo: Camp Equality alumni prepare to go door-to-door for Diana Maldonado]

That same evening the HRC Austin Steering Committee held its Dinah Lakeshore Weekend.  Saturday evening featured a moonlit cruise across Lake Austin to the Midsummer’s Night Dream party.

Seeing a great opportunity (and a captive audience), HRC volunteers registered voters gathered dockside and on the boats.  Special thanks to deputy voter registrar Robert Garcia!

[Paid Political Advertisement by Human Rights Campaign Texas Families PAC.]

On Sunday, the New York Times published an editorial entitled "Preserving California's Constitution" that comes out against the marriage bans in California, Arizona and Florida:

California voters will have a chance in November to protect the rights of gay men and women, and to preserve the state’s Constitution. They should vote against Proposition 8, which seeks to amend that Constitution to prevent people of the same sex from marrying.

The measure would overturn a firmly grounded State Supreme Court decision that said everyone has a basic right “to establish a legally recognized family with the person of one’s choice.” It said the state’s strong domestic partnership statute was inadequate, making California the second state to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage. Massachusetts did so in 2004.

Whether this important civil rights victory endures is now up to California voters. Opponents of giving gay couples the protections, dignity and respect that come with marriage are working furiously to try to overturn the court ruling through Proposition 8. It is our fervent hope that Californians will reject this mean-spirited attempt to embed second-class treatment of one group of citizens in the State Constitution.

...Similar discriminatory measures are on the ballot in Arizona and Florida. They also should be rejected.

This is great:

The Washington State Bar Association is now on record in favor of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples as a matter of practicality for lawyers and of fairness in society.

The resolution was adopted unanimously by the group's 14-member Board of Governors despite considerable opposition from association members, board president Mark Johnson of Seattle said.

"We felt it was appropriate to take a position," Johnson told the Tri-City Herald. "There certainly will be people who will be distressed."

As part of the state's judicial branch, the bar association is authorized by the state Supreme Court to license and discipline lawyers, and membership is required for lawyers to maintain their licenses.

...The bar association has no plans to introduce legislation granting civil marriage rights to same-sex couples but will support such measures that are introduced by others, Johnson said.

Association members who oppose the resolution can choose to direct that money from their annual license fees from not be spent on lobbying that would support equal marriage rights, he said.

Special thanks to Brian Moulton, our associate counsel, for this guest post on his recent trip with Candace Gingrich to an LGBT town hall at Ole Miss:

Wednesday evening, I had the pleasure of being part of a town hall meeting on LGBT issues held at the University of Mississippi in conjunction with tonight’s presidential debate on the campus.  The town hall, entitled “Our Rights as Citizens and Humans,” focused on the range of issues facing LGBT Americans and how they impact our community’s choices in the upcoming election.  Also part of the panel were representatives from Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and National Black Justice Coalition.  My fellow panelists did a great job of not only educating the audience on their organizations’ priorities, but encouraging all the attendees, and especially the college students, to speak out on LGBT issues in this critical election year and, of course, to vote!

I was also joined by our own Candace Gingrich, Senior Youth Outreach Manager, who somehow also managed to squeeze running a student workshop, participation in an organization fair, and presenting to two college classes into the trip!

On a personal note, having grown up nearby in Collierville, Tennessee, the event was a powerful reminder of one of the biggest reasons I do this work – for all those scared kids in the South who lack the support network of large LGBT communities in progressive cities, and yet have the courage to be who they are without apologies.  I want to thank the Gay Straight Alliance at Ole Miss for organizing a great event, and for all the tough work they are doing every day to make the environment better for LGBT students.             

HRC has endorsed the first National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD) on tomorrow, September 27, an annual event being launched by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA).  The awareness campaign seeks to bridge community and resources in an effort to bring urgent attention to the lives of many that have long been affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic here in the United States and abroad.  It is a call to action that comes at a time of heightened complacency – leading to a resurgence of new HIV infections among gay men. 

Data from 2006 collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that HIV affects gay men more than any other population in the United States. Gay men of all racial and ethnic groups and across all ages continue to be impacted by HIV.  Despite these numbers, gay men are only tangentially represented in national AIDS Awareness Days.  An awareness day devoted solely to this community fills a glaring gap in national HIV/AIDS consciousness raising efforts.

To learn more about NAPWA and National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, visit www.napwa.org.

One wonders if desperate times calls for desperate measures when a group of conservative religious leaders in California calls upon their members to pray and fast away the right of gay and lesbian couples to get married. Of course, some of our favorite anti-gay fundamentalist organizations are helping to lead the chorus against the gays on this one (AP):

Hundreds of pastors have called on their congregations to fast and pray for passage of a ballot measure in November that would put an end to gay marriage in California.

The collective act of piety, starting Wednesday and culminating three days before the election in a revival for as many as 100,000 people at the San Diego Chargers' stadium, comes as church leaders across California put people, money and powerful words behind Proposition 8.

Some pastors around the state and nation are encouraging their flocks to forgo solid food for up to 40 days in the biblical tradition.

...Alarmed by a California Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, churches of many faiths have banded together in support of a measure that would amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. They have become the single largest force behind the measure, recruiting volunteers, raising money, registering voters, manning phone banks and distributing campaign literature.

Under federal law, religious organizations cannot endorse political candidates but are free to campaign on social issues without endangering their tax-exempt status.

Along with evangelical Christian groups such as Focus on the Family and Family Research Council, the leaders of Roman Catholic, Mormon, Southern Baptist, Orthodox Jewish and Seventh-Day Adventist congregations have endorsed the measure and urged the faithful to give.

These groups have good reason to be nervous considering that polling (here and here) shows California voters increasing supportive of rejecting their efforts to discriminate against gays and lesbians:

Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, is in dire straits, with 55 percent of likely voters opposed and 41 percent in favor of the ban. Making it even tougher for the measure's supporters, only 4 percent of those surveyed were undecided.

"That 55 percent looks pretty strong," Baldassare said. "Now the supporters not only have to convince the undecided voters, but they also have to convince people who already have decided to vote no."

The good news is that there are some religious leaders that are on the right side of this issue:

A coalition of religious leaders called California Faith for Equality has been working to persuade people of faith to oppose the ballot measure on spiritual and social justice grounds. California's Episcopal bishops also have come out against the measure, which a Field Poll reported last week was opposed by 55 percent of likely voters.

"Everybody understands that Jesus, in his own culture, was notorious and persecuted for consorting with outcasts," said the Rev. Peter Laarman, a United Church of Christ minister who opposes the gay marriage ban. "When Jesus said all are welcome at the table, I think he really meant all."

For these far-right religious conservatives who always claim to be on their knees looking towards heaven when they fight against our rights, you would think they would have noticed that the sky didn't fall when Massachasetts opened the door for marriage equality in 2004.  Then again, there's a lot that this group misses when it comes to understanding the truly important issues of our day...

[Photo: Rev. Susan Russell brings a message of God's love towards all people at the 2007 Clergy Call for Justice and Equality, sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign.]

From Anthony Hayes, HRC's senior Camp Equality field director:

My friends Matt Trust and Mathias Maisonnier attended Camp Equality in Long Island, NY last weekend. A few weeks ago, Mathias, who is from France, told me he felt like his "American Dream was slipping away". He told me why he moved here from France and asked me what he could do to get involved to help fight for what he believes. Matt and Mathias are planning their wedding next year in Boston and Mathias feels so strongly about the importance of this election cycle. He has been more involved as a non-citizen than many others I know.

I asked Matt to write on why he was getting engaged in Camp Equality and the elections in New York state. I think he submitted a great story. Here's what he wrote:

Where are you, Dear America of my dreams?

I moved to New York City a few weeks after September 11, 2001.  Though I was supposed to be here before, delays to get my visa forced me to stay abroad a little longer. Some would call it chance, but in the end, it did not really matter. Like the rest of the world, I was American, we were all Americans. Some canceled their move to New York City. "Too dangerous, too polluted, don't go there" I could hear over and over. But dreams are usually stronger than fears. And one of those fresh but sunny fall mornings, I finally landed at JFK Airport. JFK, John Fitzgerald Kennedy..is there any better way to start an American Dream? And indeed, I did not regret it. Seven years may look like an eternity when you are only 23. But years go fast here in New York City, the city that never sleeps.

Today I'm worried. Really. Little by little, insidiously, I see my dream, my American Dream, slipping away.

One would agree with Jimmy Carter. America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, it is the other way around: "Human Rights invented America". Pilgrims came here to find freedom and prosperity. They crossed oceans to be able to chose how to live their lives, far from European autocratic monarchies. And they found it. For more than two hundred years, America has been a light to the world, a model that was envied by the rest of humanity. But America, what have you done to those rights lately? Patriot Act, preemptive wars, diplomatic lies, tortures in Guantanamo, religious involvement in government. The list is long. Too long.

I saw the 2008 Presidential Election as the end of a long dark night. Eight long years of lies, corruptions and tragedies. Eight long years of partisan politics to favor a few and burden a majority. Eight long years of divisive policies trying to blame a certain group for problems America refuse to face: gays, immigrants, Muslims,... America was not always like that. What happened to Ellis Island and Stonewall? What happened to Dr King and Harriett Tubman? What happened to Jefferson and Washington? Did we all forget what America is all about?

President Woodrow Wilson once said (and he was right) that "America lives in the heart of every man everywhere who wishes to find a region where he will be free to work out his destiny as he chooses". That is precisely the American dream. A dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability, talent or achievement. Are we still free to work out our destiny here? Special Interests at every level of government are insidiously favoring a few privileged well born. Lobbies are trying to deny the right for two people in love to get married. Extremists will deny the right for women to chose or deserve pay equality. Elected officials are proudly censoring books and science in public libraries and would love to impose creationism as a valid scientific theory in our class rooms.

On November 4th, you have a chance to make the right choice and look forward for a better future. Please don't let the world down. Keep in mind what Alexis de Tocqueville, a dear friend of America, said in 1835. "America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

[Photo: Mathias Maisonnier with Cicely Wootan (left) at Camp Equality Long Island.]