FIGHT THE HATE
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Friday, June 29, 2007
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What a difference a year makes!
The Democratic Party has been working hard to end hate crimes, eliminate discrimination in the workplace, and promote equality for all of our families.
Here's what Rick Stafford, chair of the Democratic National Committees LGBT Caucus, had to say about the strong leadership of Democrats across America:
All across our country--from Alabama to Arkansas, Iowa to Oregon, Massachusetts to Colorado, etc.--we see how the debate and legislative agenda has been positively changed for LGBT Americans. Democrats in state houses, governors mansions and in Congress are working to ensure a nation based on fairness and equality for all Americans. Together, their record shows that the best way to stand up for the LGBT community is to elect Democrats.
You can read the rest of the fact sheet, and be sure to tell your friends and family about it
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Poll: Majority No Longer Believe Professional Homophobes Key Antigay Argument
Homophobes such as the American Family Association, Concerned Women for American, the televangelist Pat Robertson and others raise millions of dollars every year based on the precepts that being gay is a "lifestyle choice" and therefore gay people are willful sinners who are not worthy of equal treatment under the law and that the gay rights movement is a powerful threat that requires millions of dollars to fight.
Unfortunately, this shift in attitudes will not affect the professional antigay groups from raising millions from their Christian extremist base.
However, if the findings in a new poll are accurate, these professional hatemongers have apparently lost credibility on the issue of "lifestyle choice" among a majority of Americans. Via RainbowZine, a new poll from CNN shows for the first time that a majority believes that gay people cannot change their sexuality:
Fifty-six percent of about 515 poll respondents said they do not believe sexual orientation can be changed. In 2001, 45 percent of those responding to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll held that belief. In 1998, according to a CNN/Time poll, the number was 36 percent.In addition, 42 percent of respondents to the current poll said they believe homosexuality results from upbringing and environment, while 39 percent said they believe it is something a person is born with a close division that reflects the national debate over the issue.However, those numbers are greatly changed from the 1970s and '80s, in which fewer than 20 percent of Americans said a person is born homosexual. In a 1977 poll, the number was 13 percent.
This shift in attitude is limited to within the vast majority of Americans who are not evangelical Christians, and it will unfortunately have no effect on the short-term ability of professional antigay activists to raise millions from their Christian extremist base.
Monday, June 25, 2007
The Progressive Majority: Why a Conservative America Is a Myth
For anyone interested in where the American public really stands on the big issues that distinguish progressives from conservatives -- including the issues at the forefront of today's political debates -- "The Progressive Majority: Why a Conservative America Is a Myth" offers hard facts and analysis based on decades of data from some of the nation's most respected and nonpartisan public opinion researchers. This is the evidence that political leaders have a mandate to pursue bold, progressive policies.
This report by the Campaign for America's Future and Media Matters for America shows that in study after study, solid majorities of Americans take progressive stands on a full spectrum of issues, from bread-and-butter economics to the so-called "values" issues where conservatives claim preeminence.
- Read the Full Report in * pdf
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Need Bloggers Help: Fairness for All Families
Hi Everyone,
I'm Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida.
We are part of the Fairness for All Families the statewide coalition formed to beat the so-called Marriage amendment in Nov 2008.
We are looking for bloggers to join the fight. If you are interested, please send me an email or give me a call at 813-817-6093.
Some Background
As you know, this traditional right-wing wedge issue is used to defeat progressives by driving conservatives to the polls.
The good news is their efforts are begin to fail. AZ became the first state to defeat a similar amendment that bans marriage equality, civil unions and would eliminate existing domestic partnership protections that seniors, police officers, firefighters, universities and thousands of other unmarried Floridians.
Polling shows the majority of Floridians believe the government SHOULD NOT make it harder to protect the people you love. This amendment takes away needed family protections and employee benefits.
We Can Win
More good news:, We Can Win in Florida. Not only is the country trending our way, the 2006 election cycle delivered the first defeat in AZ. Just as significantly, 5 other states including ultra conservative Virginia saw more than 40% of it voters reject the amendment. In South Dakota, 48% rejected the measure.
In Florida we only need 40% plus one to defeat this. More than 50% and we'd drive a stake through the heart of this as an anti-progressive wedge issue that uses gay people as bait.
What We Need:
Web-savvy advisors, blogtastic innovators, passionate progressives willing to shape our online outreach. Seniors are a fast growing online presence and young people own the web. These are key groups we need to reach, persuade and get to the polls in Nov 2008 and you can help.
Join the Fairness for All Families Team
If you are interested in being part of the team send me a quick email. You'll be in excellent company.
More than 110 coalition members and an impressive group of statewide leaders from are at the helm of the Fairness for All Families Campaign including:
Visit the website www.fairnessforallfamilies.org for a complete list.
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Fl NAACP President Adora obi Nweze
Fl ACLU Executive Director Howard Simon
Former AARP Leader, Bentley Lipscomb
Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, Barbara Devane
Florida Consumer Action Network, Bill Newton
Equality Florida Nadine Smith
The Commerce Group, Pamela Birch Forte
SEIU, Hirma Ruiz
Thanks for the work you do and I look forward to working with you.
Nadine
or call at 813-817-6093.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Tell Your Representative: Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Can gay Americans serve in the military and protect our nation's security just as well as straight Americans? Of course they can. So it makes zero sense that our government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to purge the military of gay servicemembers -- including many with valuable skills desperately needed in today's armed forces, such as Arabic language specialists. Gay soldiers have served in every war our nation has fought, and currently serve openly in the military of almost every modern industrialized nation on the planet (including 20 out of 25 NATO countries). There's just no reason that people with the courage and skills the military needs should be prevented from serving in our armed forces simply based on their sexual orientation. |
Monday, June 18, 2007
Ft Lauderdale Couple Forms Non-Profit in Response to Anti-gay Airport Incident
Anthony Niedwicki and Waymon Hudson, the couple at the center of the incident at Fort Lauderdale airport in early May in which a skycap read an anti-gay passage from the Bible over the airport's PA system, have formed a non-profit to counter hate and discrimination.
Niedwicki told Towleroad that a few things have happened since the incident and the intense media attention that it generated. The couple has received hate mail and Hudson "has been spit on and called fag when he has been out in public." On the flipside, they have "received lots of support and thanks from around the country for pushing the issue and taking a stand."Niedwicki says that they wanted to pass along some of the lessons they learned from the experience and have started a website and non-profit organization called Fight OUT Loud to assist others when they encounter anti-gay hate and discrimination. Niedwicki notes that at the time of the Fort Lauderdale incident they really found there was nowhere to turn with their complaint, so they hope to fill that void.
They have also set up a MySpace page to help publicize their efforts.
Niedwicki told us, "The web site has three basic functions: to use our experience as a guide for individuals who find themselves in similar situations, to provide advice and support on how to confront incidents and roadblocks that they may encounter, and to set up an action email alert system to mobilize our community and its supporters when immediate action is required. We found no real organization that was available to help people who face individual incidents of discrimination or hate. Most organizations tend to work toward legislative or legal goals, with no real support for the everyday discrimination that individuals confront."
They are in the process of applying for 501c(3) charitable status, which would make all sponsorship and donations tax-deductible.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Exhibit puts history of gay veterans on view
SAN FRANCISCO --The airman's dress blues are faded, the footlocker he carried through three tours in Vietnam has gone to rust. Yet the epitaph he chose to mark his grave is as fresh as the morning headlines:"When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."
Preserved under acrylic glass, Leonard Matlovich's medals, uniform and other personal effects make up the centerpiece of "Out Ranks," a new exhibit that documents the tortured relationship between gay troops and the U.S. military from World War II to the present.
Matlovich, who died in 1988, was a decorated Air Force sergeant who came out to his commanding officer a month before the fall of Saigon, hoping to challenge the government's ban on gay service members. In 1975, the idea of an openly gay combat veteran was incongruous enough to land him on the cover of Time magazine.
The goal of the show, though, is to illustrate that gays are and always have served their country, often with honor and always under the threat of dishonorable discharge. It opened on Flag Day as momentum builds in Congress for repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy adopted under President Bill Clinton.
"People are afraid of change. This is not a change," said Steve Clark Hall, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and retired nuclear submarine captain whose story also is told in the exhibit.
Through memorabilia, government documents and oral histories, the exhibit traces the evolution of public policies on gays in the military. A panel on World War II, for instance, features an article on the psychiatric evaluations used to screen out suspected homosexuals, along with the blue dishonorable discharge papers given to an effete-looking soldier who spent his last days in the Army in a hospital psych ward.
More contemporary examples include a section from the current Uniform Code of Military Justice explaining that oral and anal sex, even among consenting adults of opposite genders, can be considered grounds for a court martial.
The show also reflects the lives of individual soldiers and sailors who, even more than most, had to give up their personal identities when they put on uniforms _ from a brigadier general who did not come out until after his retirement to lesbians who found a sense of belonging in the Women's Army Corps during World War II.
Michael Job, 62, a Vietnam veteran who later founded a peace group for gay veterans, donated a bulletproof Bible, hats and other items for the exhibit. Job said he enlisted in the Army in 1970 because he feared he might be gay.
"If I go into the military, it means I'm not gay because they don't take gays in the military and if I make it, it definitely means I'm not gay," Job recalled of his reasoning.
Escaping questions about his sexuality was not so simple, though. Job said when local women were brought into camp to have sex with the soldiers, he had to make up excuses for why he would not get in line. Even now, Job said he feels uncomfortable attending support groups with other veterans being treated for post-traumatic stress.
During a successful, 20-year career as a Naval officer, Hall said he saw sailors above and below him in rank lose their jobs because of their sexual orientations. For most of that time, he was extra careful not to do the same; when he was stationed in San Diego, he drove to gay bars in Los Angeles.
"I left no tracks," said Hall, 53. "I had two names, two phone numbers, two addresses so I was basically two different people and I made sure they never met."
As he rose through the chain of command, Hall said he stopped trying so hard to hide who he was. While working at a Naval Station near San Francisco, he invited co-workers to parties at his house in the city's heavily gay Castro District. He assumes no one ever tried to "out" him because he was good at his job.
"A lot of them knew I was gay, but it was like, 'We really don't want to know about that.' They don't want to ask the question," he said.
After Clinton was inaugurated and announced he would work to lift the ban on gay service members, Hall said he became more open with his crews, encouraging them to loosen up and have fun and preaching the importance of respecting people's differences. They got the message about their captain, and from what Hall could tell they didn't care.
"The thing that really hurts morale and discipline on a ship like a submarine is losing someone because they are gay," Hall said. "It takes months to recover from something like that, to recruit and train someone while two other guys are having to do the work of three people."
The exhibit was based on interviews with more than 50 gay veterans conducted by Steve Estes, an associate history professor at Sonoma State University, for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. He tracked down most of his subjects through the gay rights group American Veterans for Equal Rights and the Naval Academy's gay alumni association.
Estes, who published the interviews in a book called "Ask and Tell," said he noticed a big difference in the attitudes of older gay veterans and younger ones who "had gone into the military knowing they were gay" and were much less fearful about getting found out.
"It wasn't an issue for them just the military," he said.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
AIDS, gay groups want Rep. Hays out
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As health-care advocates Friday called for a range of sanctions against state Rep. D. Alan Hays, the Umatilla Republican again refuted accusations that he said his gay cousin deserved to die after contracting the virus that causes AIDS.
Unbelieving AIDS health-care and gay-rights supporters argued for everything from a formal censure to Hay's ouster from the state House of Representatives and its law-making committees.
Unbelieving AIDS health-care and gay-rights supporters argued for everything from a formal censure to Hay's ouster from the state House of Representatives and its law-making committees.
"Not only should this individual be censured, but I think this person should be removed from office," Michael Rajner, national secretary for The Campaign to End AIDS, told reporters, activists and nurses during a news conference in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. "He also should not be allowed to serve on any committee with appropriations. "
Minutes after the conference, Hays released a statement denying that he told two nurses and a regional manager for a nonprofit AIDS health-care program Wednesday that his cousin was "queer as a three-dollar bill" and "had that homosexual lifestyle and deserved what he got."
"I am known for being plain-spoken and for speaking my mind, but I am outraged that this group is making these claims against me," Hays, a retired dentist, wrote in the e-mailed release. "I have spent a lifetime as a health-care professional and have compassionately cared for several patients afflicted with AIDS . . . "
But Wednesday's accusation is the second time this year Hays has come under fire in public for anti-gay slurs. During debate over an anti-bullying bill in March, several students said Hays told them they needed psychological treatment because they're gay.
At the time, The Fort Myers News-Press reported that Hays confirmed his meeting with the students and commenting about them needing psychological treatment. But it also reported that Hays couldn't recall saying he was "repulsed" by homosexuals, which the students claimed at the time.
"The best way that I can explain that [is] I asked them if they wanted to know what I thought and they said 'yes, they did,' and I told them what I thought," Hays said Friday. "They too made false accusations about me."
Hays said Friday he couldn't remember precisely what he told the students.
Michael Weinstein, president of the international nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said neither he nor a group from Positive Healthcare, his organization' s Florida affiliate, knew about the students' accusations before publicizing Wednesday's alleged comments. Three Positive Healthcare officials who met with Hays said he made the incendiary comments about his cousin this week.
"What can you say that's worse than saying that somebody deserves to die because of who they are?" Weinstein said.
Weinstein said those visiting Hays were among 120 patients and nurses in Tallahassee meeting with legislators Wednesday to protest Florida Medicaid cuts.
On Friday, Weinstein said his organization wants Hays removed from the health-related committees on which he serves, including the Committee on Health Quality and Healthcare Counsel. His group also called on Gov. Charlie Crist and state lawmakers to repudiate Hays' "hateful remarks."
Jill Chamberlin, spokeswoman for House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, said she didn't know of any inquiries or disciplinary actions that would be taken against Hays.
"We are aware that Rep. Hays has said that he did not make the statements that this group has attributed to him," she said. "And the speaker knows Rep. Hays to be an honest and honorable man, and the Speaker is confident that if Rep. Hays says he did not say these things then he did not say those things."
Crist's office did not return requests for comment Friday.
In another incident, Hays apologized to lawmakers in April for suggesting that no one at a Panama City boot camp last year knew that Martin Lee Anderson had sickle-cell anemia. His comments particularly upset legislators in the Black Caucus who were insulted that Hays would use Anderson -- who was beaten to death by guards -- as an example during a legislative debate.
Hays was elected to the House in 2004. He is a member of the Florida Medical Association Council on Legislation and was a founding board member of Hospice of Lake & Sumter. His district covers a large swath of central Lake County and smaller sections of Volusia and Seminole.
Karen Woodall, a longtime Tallahassee advocate for social services, said Friday that she hadn't heard about this week's allegations. "It doesn't surprise me, sadly," she said. "Members often make comments to folks who come up. . . . They just don't even stop and think about the impact of what they're saying."
Woodall said she hasn't worked closely with Hays in Tallahassee but "can't say that he stands out as somebody that is anti-Medicaid. "
She said, "On a number of occasions he made some decent comments, that he was concerned about things that were going on."
Minutes after the conference, Hays released a statement denying that he told two nurses and a regional manager for a nonprofit AIDS health-care program Wednesday that his cousin was "queer as a three-dollar bill" and "had that homosexual lifestyle and deserved what he got."
"I am known for being plain-spoken and for speaking my mind, but I am outraged that this group is making these claims against me," Hays, a retired dentist, wrote in the e-mailed release. "I have spent a lifetime as a health-care professional and have compassionately cared for several patients afflicted with AIDS . . . "
But Wednesday's accusation is the second time this year Hays has come under fire in public for anti-gay slurs. During debate over an anti-bullying bill in March, several students said Hays told them they needed psychological treatment because they're gay.
At the time, The Fort Myers News-Press reported that Hays confirmed his meeting with the students and commenting about them needing psychological treatment. But it also reported that Hays couldn't recall saying he was "repulsed" by homosexuals, which the students claimed at the time.
"The best way that I can explain that [is] I asked them if they wanted to know what I thought and they said 'yes, they did,' and I told them what I thought," Hays said Friday. "They too made false accusations about me."
Hays said Friday he couldn't remember precisely what he told the students.
Michael Weinstein, president of the international nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said neither he nor a group from Positive Healthcare, his organization' s Florida affiliate, knew about the students' accusations before publicizing Wednesday's alleged comments. Three Positive Healthcare officials who met with Hays said he made the incendiary comments about his cousin this week.
"What can you say that's worse than saying that somebody deserves to die because of who they are?" Weinstein said.
Weinstein said those visiting Hays were among 120 patients and nurses in Tallahassee meeting with legislators Wednesday to protest Florida Medicaid cuts.
On Friday, Weinstein said his organization wants Hays removed from the health-related committees on which he serves, including the Committee on Health Quality and Healthcare Counsel. His group also called on Gov. Charlie Crist and state lawmakers to repudiate Hays' "hateful remarks."
Jill Chamberlin, spokeswoman for House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, said she didn't know of any inquiries or disciplinary actions that would be taken against Hays.
"We are aware that Rep. Hays has said that he did not make the statements that this group has attributed to him," she said. "And the speaker knows Rep. Hays to be an honest and honorable man, and the Speaker is confident that if Rep. Hays says he did not say these things then he did not say those things."
Crist's office did not return requests for comment Friday.
In another incident, Hays apologized to lawmakers in April for suggesting that no one at a Panama City boot camp last year knew that Martin Lee Anderson had sickle-cell anemia. His comments particularly upset legislators in the Black Caucus who were insulted that Hays would use Anderson -- who was beaten to death by guards -- as an example during a legislative debate.
Hays was elected to the House in 2004. He is a member of the Florida Medical Association Council on Legislation and was a founding board member of Hospice of Lake & Sumter. His district covers a large swath of central Lake County and smaller sections of Volusia and Seminole.
Karen Woodall, a longtime Tallahassee advocate for social services, said Friday that she hadn't heard about this week's allegations. "It doesn't surprise me, sadly," she said. "Members often make comments to folks who come up. . . . They just don't even stop and think about the impact of what they're saying."
Woodall said she hasn't worked closely with Hays in Tallahassee but "can't say that he stands out as somebody that is anti-Medicaid. "
She said, "On a number of occasions he made some decent comments, that he was concerned about things that were going on."
Thursday, June 14, 2007
SAVE Announces Campaign
Date: May 31, 2007
Contact: Kirk Arthur, Field Director SAVE, INC.
Phone: 305-751-7283
E-mail: kirk@savedade.org
SAVE Announces Campaign Update on so-called "Marriage Amendment", invites people to attend
Miami, May 31, 2007 In response to Florida4Marriage's attempt to pass the so-called "Marriage Amendment, an anti-gay ballot initiative, SAVE is sending out a call to interested individuals to attend a Campaign Update in Broward on Saturday, June 16th. The update is a working meeting for everyone interested in taking a role in the campaign. Working with Pride South Florida and other organizations SAVE is using its experience in grass-roots and political organizing to mobilize all fair-minded people to defeat this ballot initiative. "We need to turn out 400,000 voters in 2008's presidential election to ensure we get the 40% of the vote we need to win" says Kirk Arthur, SAVE's Field Director.
"It's a math game, we only need 40% to win, but until we get some new polling data, who knows if we would win today" says Arthur. These initiatives have passed in 22 other states and only been defeated in 1. What is the newest twist in this battle for marriage equality? The LGBT community is aware, and organizing a year and a half ahead of time. Attendance is limited.
RSVP is required
What: Campaign Update on so-called "Marriage Amendment"
Date: Saturday June 16th 2007
Time: 10:00AM to 4:00PM
Location: Please Contact Kirk Arthur at 305-751-7283 or kirk@savedade.org
Lunch will be served
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Support The Party That Supports You
Your leaders in Washington need your help to pass the hate crimes bill.
It's going to take a lasting commitment by a group of dedicated individuals across the country to revise the current hate crimes legislation for crimes of sexual orientation and identity.
So far, you've done a terrific job. Across the country, Democrats are leading the effort to make sure these horrific crimes don't go unnoticed. To make sure your work has a lasting impact, there's a place for you and other activists to discuss and act on issues important to the LGBT community.
Join the LGBT issues PartyBuilder group:
If you're not already a member of PartyBuilder, you're missing out an a variety of tools to help this campaign. You can sign petitions, create your own events, write letters to your local newspapers, start your own blog, or create your own fundraising page for the Democratic Party.
Our hate crimes campaign lies in the hands of members all over the country. Get started now by joining our LGBT issues group:
We've come a long way in the movement to fight hate crimes, and the Democratic Party has been leading the charge -- but we still have long way to go.
It won't be easy. Despite the bipartisan support for a revised hate crimes bill, President Bush and his cronies in Congress continue to pander to right-wing special interest groups who deny that hate crimes against the LGBT community are a problem.
We need to keep moving the hate crimes bill up the national agenda until it is a top priority. Just last week, the Presidential candidate debates showed the country what's truly at stake. Asked whether they would end the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, every single Democrat said yes. Every single Republican said no.
Last year, PartyBuilder groups were an essential part of the 50-state strategy. They empowered people to organize early, spread the Democratic message and build campaigns from the ground up.
The same can be true for our efforts to stop hate crimes and ensure equal rights and protections for all of our citizens.
Join the LGBT interests group, and together we can ensure safer lives for millions of Americans.
Sincerely,
--Josh, Stephanie, Michael, and Adam
The DNC's Internet Team
The DNC's Internet Team
* Please got to the front page
and add your personal story on Hate Crimes
by scrolling down the page and clicking on the red and black button on the right hand side
Friday, June 08, 2007
Why We need To Organize NOW
Who will finally sign the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act?
By all reports, it's not going to be President Bush. Even though 60 percent of Republicans support expanding current hate crimes legislation to include crimes of sexual orientation or identity, the White House vowed last month to veto the legislation.
It's not going to be any of the 2008 Republican presidential candidates either. Not one of the dozen or so GOP hopefuls has promised to sign the bill, and many have already voted against this or similar legislation in the House or Senate.
If we're going to protect the safety of the LGBT community -- and the safety of all Americans from crimes of hate -- we must elect a Democratic president in 2008.
Please go back to the Front page, and click on the tell your story button, on the right hand side, we need to show the world this is PERSONAL
Ron Mills
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Exhibit marks 30th anniversary
How Anita Bryant fought - and helped - gay rights
Exhibit marks 30th anniversary of S. Florida showdown
By John Tanasychuk
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
| When the Rev. Jerry Falwell died last month, he was remembered for transforming religious conservatives into a powerful political force. But organizers of an exhibit opening Wednesday in South Florida say Falwell got his first lesson in politics 30 years ago in South Florida. In 1977, singer Anita Bryant successfully campaigned to repeal a Dade County ordinance banning discrimination against gay men and lesbians. Falwell came to South Florida in support and two years later created the Moral Majority. Jim Bakker, Pat Robertson and Phyllis Schlafly quickly joined Falwell in becoming outspoken opponents of gay rights. "This is where they all had their stage debut," said Jack Rutland, executive director of the Stonewall Library & Archives and organizer of the exhibit "Days Without Sunshine: Anita Bryant's Anti-Gay Crusade," at the Broward County Main Library in Fort Lauderdale. Likewise, Bryant's message emboldened gays. "In a completely unintended way, Anita Bryant was about the best thing to happen to the gay rights movement," said John Coppola, exhibit curator and former head of exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. "She and her cohorts were so over the top that it just completely galvanized the gay rights movement." Rutland goes so far as to call Bryant the mother of the gay rights movement. "Pretty much everything we know about the movement, from what happened during the AIDS crisis to our current political organizations, really have their birth in 1977," he said. Bryant, now 67, declined to comment when contacted at her Anita Bryant Ministries International Inc. in Oklahoma City. Although her name may not resonate today, she was second runner-up to Miss America in 1959. She went on to record several gold records and sang at Lyndon Johnson's 1973 funeral. Readers of Good Housekeeping magazine voted Bryant the most admired woman in America in the 1970s, when she lived in Miami Beach and worked as spokeswoman for the Florida citrus industry. In January 1977, Dade commissioners amended an anti-discrimination ordinance to include gays. Within four weeks, Bryant, along with supporters from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami and the Florida Conservative Union, had collected 64,000 signatures, many more than the 10,000 needed to put the issue on the ballot. With Miami's Northwest Baptist Church as Bryant's base, she argued that gays prey on children to convert them to homosexuality. "Homosexuals cannot reproduce, so they must recruit," she said. Bryant succeeded. Thirty years ago Thursday, Dade voters rejected the ordinance by a vote of 69 percent to 31 percent. "We're still living with the gay adoption ban that her campaign created," said Nadine Smith, executive director of the gay rights group Equality Florida. "What she did was frame the conversation about gay people as a conversation about our existence being a threat to children. How do you treat people you believe to be a threat to children? You dehumanize them." In 1998, Miami-Dade gays regained protection from discrimination. Broward and Palm Beach counties amended their anti-discrimination ordinances in 1995. Nathaniel Wilcox, co-chairman of a 2002 campaign that unsuccessfully sought to repeal the ordinance in Miami-Dade, calls Bryant a saint. "She's a saint because of her stand for the word of God," said Wilcox, executive director of Miami's People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality. "The campaign that she started 30 years ago needs to be continued today." Before 1977, gays were feeling quietly hopeful about their place in society, said Fred Fejes, a communications professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Fejes is working on a book about the consequences of Bryant's campaign. A less closeted gay community was emerging. Jimmy Carter, the first presidential candidate to advertise in national gay magazines, was elected in 1976 on a platform of human rights. And by the time Dade passed its ordinance, more than 37 U.S. cities, counties and states had similar laws. After the Miami controversy, momentum slowed. "This, in conjunction with the movement against the Equal Rights Amendment, was the beginning of the backlash of the cultural and social changes of the 1960s," Fejes said. "This was the beginning of the culture wars." Although many historians say the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City mark the beginning of the gay rights movement, Fejes thinks South Florida is its true birthplace. Newsweek and Time magazines devoted their covers to the issue. Walter Cronkite talked about gays on the evening news. "This was the first time people in America were confronted with the whole issue of gay rights," Fejes said. Fred Phillips, of Hollywood, attended Bryant's Miami church and private school. Now on the board of the Stonewall Library, he remembers her singing Amazing Grace in church. "She was a beautiful woman and had a voice like an angel," Phillips said. "I thought for the most part that she was sincere. But you can be sincere and be sincerely wrong." John Tanasychuk can be reached at jtanasychuk@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4632. |
Monday, June 04, 2007
Defete Holsinger
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2007Brad Luna Phone: 202/216.1514 Cell: 202/812.8140Christopher Johnson Phone: 202/216.1580 Cell: 202/716.1628 Holsinger's Anti-Gay Views Make Him "Unworthy" of Surgeon General Post"It is essential that America's top doctor value sound science over anti-gay ideology," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. WASHINGTON The Human Rights Campaign spoke out today in opposition to President Bush's nomination of Dr. James Holsinger to the position of Surgeon General. Among other things, the U.S. Surgeon General is charged with educating Americans about public health. "Dr. Holsinger has a record that is unworthy of America's doctor," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "His writings suggest a scientific view rooted in anti-gay beliefs that are incompatible with the job of serving the medical health of all Americans. It is essential that America's top doctor value sound science over anti-gay ideology." In a document titled "Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality," Dr. Holsinger opined, in his capacity as a physician, that biology and anatomy precluded considering GLBT equality in his denomination. The opinion very clearly states that this is his scientific view, stating that theological views are separate. Additionally, Dr. Holsinger and his wife were founders of Hope Springs Community Church which, according to the church's pastor, ministers to people who no longer wish to be gay or lesbian. The pastor, Rev. David Calhoun, said that the church has an "ex-gay" ministry. "We see that as an issue not of orientation but a lifestyle," Calhoun said. "We have people who seek to walk out of that lifestyle." This type of "ex gay" conversion therapy has been condemned by almost every major, reputable medical organization including the American Psychological Association which issued a condemnation over ten years ago. "Although the church's theology isn't being nominated, this discredited practice purports to be a psychological and medical service, and if Dr. Holsinger is involved in any way, it conflicts with his duty to accept and promote sound science in the interest of public health," continued Solmonese. "We are hopeful that during the hearing process Congress will fully examine Dr. Holsinger's background and part of that examination will include issues affecting our community, including his stance on conversation therapy. Too often, we have seen President Bush send nominees to Congress that have proven their inability to separate their personal beliefs from their professional duties. As the nation's chief medical doctor, the office of Surgeon General is an extremely important position that has an impact on the lives of gay and lesbian Americans and the hearing process should involve a discussion about where Dr. Holsinger stands on medical issues relating to our community," Solmonese concluded. The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.-30-
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2007
Brad Luna Phone: 202/216.1514 Cell: 202/812.8140
Christopher Johnson Phone: 202/216.1580 Cell: 202/716.1628
Holsinger's Anti-Gay Views Make Him "Unworthy" of Surgeon General Post
"It is essential that America's top doctor value sound science over anti-gay ideology," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
WASHINGTON The Human Rights Campaign spoke out today in opposition to President Bush's nomination of Dr. James Holsinger to the position of Surgeon General. Among other things, the U.S. Surgeon General is charged with educating Americans about public health.
"Dr. Holsinger has a record that is unworthy of America's doctor," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "His writings suggest a scientific view rooted in anti-gay beliefs that are incompatible with the job of serving the medical health of all Americans. It is essential that America's top doctor value sound science over anti-gay ideology."
In a document titled "Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality," Dr. Holsinger opined, in his capacity as a physician, that biology and anatomy precluded considering GLBT equality in his denomination. The opinion very clearly states that this is his scientific view, stating that theological views are separate.
Additionally, Dr. Holsinger and his wife were founders of Hope Springs Community Church which, according to the church's pastor, ministers to people who no longer wish to be gay or lesbian. The pastor, Rev. David Calhoun, said that the church has an "ex-gay" ministry. "We see that as an issue not of orientation but a lifestyle," Calhoun said. "We have people who seek to walk out of that lifestyle." This type of "ex gay" conversion therapy has been condemned by almost every major, reputable medical organization including the American Psychological Association which issued a condemnation over ten years ago.
"Although the church's theology isn't being nominated, this discredited practice purports to be a psychological and medical service, and if Dr. Holsinger is involved in any way, it conflicts with his duty to accept and promote sound science in the interest of public health," continued Solmonese.
"We are hopeful that during the hearing process Congress will fully examine Dr. Holsinger's background and part of that examination will include issues affecting our community, including his stance on conversation therapy. Too often, we have seen President Bush send nominees to Congress that have proven their inability to separate their personal beliefs from their professional duties. As the nation's chief medical doctor, the office of Surgeon General is an extremely important position that has an impact on the lives of gay and lesbian Americans and the hearing process should involve a discussion about where Dr. Holsinger stands on medical issues relating to our community," Solmonese concluded.
The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
-30-
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Proclamation on PRIDE
Proclamation on PRIDE Month by DNC Chairman Howard Dean, Rep. Barney Frank, and Rep. Tammy Baldwin
June 1, 2007Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today joined Massachusetts Democratic Representative Barney Frank and Wisconsin Democratic Representative Tammy Baldwin in issuing the following Proclamation marking the start of PRIDE Month:
"Today, we join Democrats across America in celebrating PRIDE month and honoring the contributions that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans have made to our society.
"Our Party's commitment to protecting the fundamental right of every American to live in dignity with equal rights and protections under the law has never been stronger. Since the American people entrusted Democrats to lead our nation last November, we have stood up and shown that ours is the Party that truly values all families. This year, instead of fighting back divisive, discriminatory and politically-motivated attacks in the Republican Congress and Republican state houses across the country, together we are making tremendous progress toward building a more fair and just America. Our new Democratic majority in Congress is leading the way toward enacting important hate crimes protections and passing ENDA, while new Democratic state legislatures are passing important family protections.
"But our work has barely begun. We must work together to protect and expand our Democratic majorities in Congress, elect more Democratic governors and state houses, and put a Democrat in the White House in 2008. If the accomplishments of the last six months show us anything, they show that our country and our communities are stronger under Democratic leadership. As leaders of the Democratic Party, we stand proudly with the LGBT community and commit ourselves to working together to build an America that is inclusive of all Americans, rejects the politics of fear and division, and renews our commitment to ending discrimination in all its forms."
