Interns Spotlight

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

The interns and I have been super busy these past few weeks working on various projects. We've all been spending our days inputting data and working on our own assigned tasks. Greg, specifically, has been working on packets for SNAP (Student Network Across Pennsylvania). These present information to colleges to help them be more LGBT friendly and active in state and national politics regarding LGBT issues. This week he is also beginning to work with things related to the Value All Families Coalition.

For the past few days I've been working on Excel spreadsheets and have been keeping up with LGBT news to relay it to all of you! (Check out the previous blog posts and the Facebook/Twitter!)

Cheers!
-Rebecca

Illinois Passes Anti-Bullying Bill

On Sunday Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed an anti-bullying bill that included protection for LGBT students. The bill specifically mentions a list of attributes that are protected that includes gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. The bill passed both the Illinois House and the Illinois Senate overwhelmingly. In addition to Illinois, New York also passed a similar bill last week and will become the tenth state to enact this kind of law when Governor David Paterson signs the bill. These bills are similar to the bill currently in the Pennsylvania House, HB 2569. In this bill's definition of harassment, bullying, cyber bullying, and intimidation, students will be protected from "any written, verbal, or physical act, or any electronic communication including, but not limited to, one shown to be motivated by a student's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry or ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical, mental, emotional or learning disability, gender, gender identity and expression or other distinguishing personal characteristic or based on association with any such characteristic."

Source:
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=27081

2 Representatives and 2 Senators

Happy Monday, everyone!

Today we profiled four more of your state legislators: Representative Bryan Barbin, Representative Stephen Barrar, Senator Lisa Baker, and Senator Lisa Boscola.

Representative Bryan Barbin

Bryan Barbin is a Democrat who currently represents who currently represents Pennsylvania's 71st District. The 71st District includes Brownstown, Conemaugh, Daisytown, Dale, East Conemaugh, Ferndale, Franklin, Geistown, Johnstown, Lorain, Richland, Southmont, Stonycreek, and Westmont. He is a Member of the Consumer Affairs Committee, Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, Gaming Oversight Committee, and the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. His voting record can be found HERE.

Representative Stephen Barrar

Representative Barrar is a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 160th District, which is comprised of parts of Chester and Delaware counties. He is a Member of the Liquor Control Committee and is Chair of the Tourism and Recreational Development Committee. According to his website, "...Barrar has worked to make significant reforms to our election system, including the passage of legislation to guarantee that overseas military personnel are given the opportunity to have their absentee votes counted while they are actively defending the democratic system of government synonymous with America." His voting record can be found HERE.

Senator Lisa Baker

Senator Lisa Baker is a Republican who currently represents the 20th Senatorial District in Pennsylvania, which includes parts of Luzerne, Monroe, and Susquehanna counties and all of Pike, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. She is a Member of the Aging and Youth Committee, Appropriations Committee, and the Public Health & Welfare Committee. She is also Vice Chair of the Communications and Technology Committee and Chair of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. According to her website she is dedicated to both Pennsylvania's veterans and is "leading the push for changes to the laws and procedures governing the juvenile justice system..." Senator Baker's voting record can be found HERE.

Senator Lisa Boscola

Senator Boscola is a Democrat who is currently representing Pennsylvania's 18th Senatorial District. This district is comprised of Lehigh, Northampton, and Monroe counties. she is a Member of the Appropriations Committee, Banding and Insurance Committee, Game and Fisheries Committee, Judiciary Committee, and Transportation Committee. She is also the Ranking Minority Member of the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. According to her we4bsite, she is a life-long resident of the Lehigh Valley and "is intimately familiar with the issues that face her district and the people which she represents." Her voting record can be found HERE.

SOURCES
http://www.bryanbarbin.com/index.html
http://www.stevebarrar.com/bio.aspx
http://www.senatorbaker.com/profile.htm
http://www.senatorboscola.com/about_Lisa.htm
http://www.votesmart.org/official_five_categories.php?dist=bio.php
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=57107
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=10165
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=102543

Week in Review

Happy Friday, everyone! This week we outlined four state legislators: Representative William Adolph, Representative Matthew Baker, Senator Richard Alloway, II, and Senator David G. Argall. We also wrote briefly about the LGBT event President Obama held on Tuesday, as well as the closing arguments for the Scouts trial in Philadelphia.

As reported in the Philadelphia Gay News and as posted on our Twitter yesterday, the verdict for the trail was delivered Wednesday. After the jury deliberated for seven hours they stated that when the city evicted the scouts from the city-owned building they did not discriminate against the Scouts. The jury also stated that the city did not violate its 14th Amendment right of equal protection. However, the jury was split on the council's declaration that its First Amendment right to free speech was infringed upon. According to the Philadelphia Gay News (Vol. 34 No. 26), “...the jury found that the city did not engage in viewpoint discrimination in seeking the eviction of the BSA council, but it placed an unconstitutional condition on the council’s free-speech rights by requesting fair-market rent or disavowal of the national policy banning gays.”

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Philadelphia Boy Scout Eviction Case

The final arguments were made Tuesday in the Philadelphia Boy Scout eviction case. The US District Court began deliberations on Wednesday to decide if the city of Philadelphia can force the scouts out of their city-owned offices because they will not reject the organization’s prohibition on homosexuals. In 2007 the city said that due to an anti-discrimination ordinance, the scouts would have to pay $200,000 a year to stay on the property. The scouts claim that this violated their right to due process and free speech. A comprehensive article on this can be found here.

Obama to Host LGBT Event Today

Today, Tuesday, June 21, 2010, President Obama will be hosting a LGBT event where he will speak to grass-roots gay activists at the White House. Vice-President Biden will also be in attendance along with Constance McMillen, a student from Mississippi who sued her high school after they canceled their prom rather than allowing McMillen to attend with her girlfriend. At this event there will be a ceremony honoring the contributions of LGBT Americans. Further reading about this event and Obama's response to the gay agenda can be found here.

First Spotlight on PA Legislators

Hey everyone! Today is officially the first day we're spotlighting both representatives and senators from Pennsylvania. Hopefully we'll be able to give your profiles on all of the senators and representatives by the end of the summer!

Representative William F. Adolph, Jr.

Representative Adolph is a Republican who represents the 165^th Legislative District in Delaware County. This district encompasses parts of the townships of Marple, Radnor, and Springfield and all of the Borough of Morton. He was first elected in 1988 and is now serving his 11^th term. Representative Adolph is a member of the Consumer Affairs and Rules Committees and is also Chair of the Professional Licensure. This year he was elected to serve as Republican Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. According to his website, “His legislative agenda has focused on the environment, economic development and job creation issues.” His voting record can be found HERE.

Representative Matthew Baker

Representative Matthew Baker is a Republican who is currently representing the 68^th Legislative District, which includes all of Tioga County and western Bradford County. He was first elected to the PA House in 1993 and is currently serving his ninth term. He is currently the Chair of the Heath and Human Services Committee. According to his website Baker “is a proud member of the communities he represents and is very active in local civic affairs. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Wellsboro, the Wellsboro Rotary Club, the Tioga County Development Corp., Charleson Valley Grange No. 54, and the Tioga County Tourist Promotion Agency. Baker is chairman of the Laurel Health Development Council and a member of the Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group.” His voting record can be found HERE.

Senator Richard Alloway, II

Senator Alloway is a Republican representing the 33^rd Senatorial District, which is composed of all Franklin and Adams Counties and portions of York County. He was first elected as state senator in 2008 and is currently serving his first term. He is a Member of the Aging and Youth Committee, Local Government Committee, and Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. He is also the Vice Chair of the Law and Justice Committee and the Chair of the Game and Fisheries Committee. His voting record can be found HERE.

Senator David G Argall

Senator Argall, a Republican, is currently representing the 29^th Senatorial District. This District includes all of Schuylkill County, and parts of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, and Northampton Counties. He was elected in March 2009 and is serving his first term in office. He is a member of the Appropriations Committee, Communications and Technology Committee, Education Committee, and Labor & Industry Committee. He is also the Vice Chair of the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee. According to his website, “Senator Argall’s top legislative priorities are promoting economic growth, reducing the property tax burden on homeowners and revitalizing our downtowns and industrial areas.” His voting record can be found HERE.

Sources:

http://www.williamadolph.com/bio.aspx

http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=BS028152

http://www.repbaker.com/bio.aspx

http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=BS028156

http://senatoralloway.com/profile.htm

http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=102466

http://www.senatorargall.com/profile.htm

http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=9078

Week In Review

Happy Friday everyone! This week at EqualityPA we interns were very busy with post-Philly and post-Pittsburgh Pride related tasks. We've had our hands full with the hundreds of form letters that we got signed in support of House Bill 300 and House Bill 745. Thanks again to everyone who signed a letter! Now we are busy researching for the new anti-bullying bill, HB 2569, and are getting prepared for Lancaster Pride this weekend.

Next week we will be posting about more PA Reps, about the Pride events going on in PA, about current events, and more!

Finally, you can be the first to hear Judge Walker's decision on the Prop 8 case by texting EQUAL to 69866 or by going to equalrightsfoundation.org!

Have a great weekend!

Prop 8 Trial Closing Arguements

Yesterday closing arguments were delivered in the Prop 8 trial going on in a federal courtroom in San Francisco. Charles Cooper delivered the closing for the defense, arguing that the fundamental purpose of marriage is to "channel" heterosexual couples into unions in which they raise their own biological children. While Ted Olson, the attorney for the prosecution, rejected the concept that same-sex marriage was an extreme departure from existing law.

When I found out that the closing arguments were yesterday, I immediately sent the American Federation for Equal Rights' tweets to my phone to keep as up to date as possible. In order to receive the latest news on the case, I would suggest following them on Twitter, as well! )@AmerEqualRights)

Also, to receive a comprehensive report of what happened in the courtroom yesterday, check out THIS article!

Meet the Interns!

As posted on our Facebook fan page, we, the summer interns, are going to be contributing a great deal to EqualityPA’s various social media sites. Below are the bios we wrote in order to introduce ourselves!

Justin Dunn

Hello to all the readers of the EqualityPA blog. My name is Justin Dunn. I am a 24 year old college student. I live in northeast Philadelphia. I am a proud newlywed and father. Currently, I am studying law and psychology at the community college of Philadelphia. In my spare time I try to do as much activism as I can. My main areas of interest and concern are the minority, glbt, and disabled communities. My goals with my activism are different with each area of it. As an African American, my goal on the minority side is to show that minorities can and should hold all types of positions in fields of study that typically dominated by non-minorities and in doing such we deserve the same pay respect and accolades that may come with such fields or jobs. My goal with my glbt activism is to fight for every single right that I can for the community until everyone has full equal rights. When I receive my paralegal certification and law degree, I hope to work as a paralegal/lawyer with a concentration in Glbt rights. As a disabled individual my goal with that side of my activism is to help the disabled in any way that I can, from fighting to get them jobs and to get them housing so that they can live independently. Currently I am working with equalitypa to advance the rights of the glbt community. I would love to work my way up through the organization and one day work for their legal department. If I don't end up working for their legal department, then I hope to work in the legal department for lambda, glaad or one of the many other glbt rights organizations.

Rebecca Feuerhammer

Hey! I already wrote a mini-bio at the beginning of the PA Prides post below, but I thought I should do a formal intro, as well! My name is Rebecca Feuerhammer and I am currently a rising junior at Bryn Mawr College. I’m a political science major, sociology minor with concentrations in US politics and legal studies. I am also a proud member of the Bryn Mawr Crew Team and next semester I will be studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. I love hanging out at Borders, going to the theatre, sour patch kids, and updating my twitter!

Liz Ford

Hi My name is Elizabeth Ford and I am a rising senior at the University of Virginia. At schoolI have a weekly opinion column in the school newspaper and my favorite subject to write about is social issues. I came to work at Equality PA after being inspired my my role model Julian Bond's speach at the March for Equality in DC this past fall along with having him as a Professor in college that advocated why it was important for supporters of the Civil Rights movement to support the gay rights movement. I hope to use what I learn at EQPA to enhance my future in law, where I hope to offer my services to fight for civil rights issues.

Greg Storella

Hello! My name is Gregory Storella and I am a rising senior at Brandeis University, anticipating a BA in International Global Studies and French and Francophone Studies, as well as hopefully minors in Theater Arts and Gender Studies. I’m a native Pennsylvanian, born and raised in Media, PA. I began work with Equality Pennsylvania in May of this year, and expect to stay on until the end of summer when I return to school. In addition to my interest in LGBTQ activism, advocacy, and policy work, I really enjoy all types of performance art, especially dance. At school I choreograph and dance with many different dance groups, including Adagio and within the undergraduate theater community. Other random fun facts – I’m a Cancer, a red-head, and a twin!

I am excited to work with Equality Pennsylvania this summer with Rebecca, Justin, and Liz (my fellow interns), and Jason, Mason, and Joe!

Spotlight on Representative Briggs and Representative Taylor

This summer EqualityPA will be blogging about legislators (from both the Pennsylvania House and Senate) in order to give readers the opportunity to get to know their representatives!

Last week we blogged about House Bill 2569, the new anti-bullying bill that was introduced in the PA House of Representatives only last week. Therefore, this blog spotlights the two representatives that introduced the bill- Representative Tim Briggs and Representative Rick Taylor. Both are from Montgomery County and both are Democrats.

Representative Briggs represents the 149^th Legislative District in Montgomery County. This district includes part of Lower Merion Township, Upper Merion Township, and the Boroughs of West Conshohocken and Bridgeport. He currently is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Children and Youth Committee, Finance Committee, and the Secretary of the Local Government Committee. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Representative Briggs came into office in 2009 and since was a sponsor of one bill, HB 1, entitled Expanding Health Insurance, which was introduced May 21, 2009. He was also a co-sponsor of two bills, HB 1502, entitled Verification of Employee Eligibility in Relation to Public Works’ Contracts which was introduced June 2, 2009, and HB 1531, entitled The Taxing of Tobacco & Gambling for Other Public Goods, introduced May 26, 2009. According to his website, Representative Briggs “feels passionately that educating our children is the best investment in the future of the community and the economy. He also is dedicated to ensuring that high quality health care is affordable and accessible for every Pennsylvanian, and is especially concerned about improving women's health care. Tim considers himself an advocate for families and plans to focus on issues that affect Montgomery County families.” His voting record can be found HERE.

Representative Taylor represents the 151^st Legislative District in Montgomery County. His district consists of parts of Abington, Horsham, Lower Gwynedd, and Upper Dublin Townships as well as the Borough of Ambler. He is a member of the Finance Committee, Insurance Committee, and State Government Committee and is also Secretary of the Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee. After being elected into office in 2006, Representative Taylor was a sponsor of HB 1 entitled Expanding Health Insurance, which was introduced May 21, 2009. He also was a co-sponsor of HB 1202, entitled the Clean Fuels and Energy Independence Act, which was introduced June 20, 2007. According to his website, Taylor’s legislative goals “include strengthening campaign finance laws, making college more affordable and accessible for students and protecting children and families by strengthening Megan’s Law in Pennsylvania.” His voting record can be found HERE.

SOURCES:

http://www.pahouse.com/briggs/bio.asp

http://www.pahouse.com/taylor/bio.asp

http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=102595

http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=60288

EqualityPA at Pennsylvania Prides 2010

Hey everyone! I'm Rebecca, a current intern at Equality PA, and am taking the reins of this blog for the summer! I am currently a rising junior at Bryn Mawr College and am majoring in Political Science. My hobbies include: following Philadelphia sports, being obsessed with everything theatre, eating, and going on adventures! I'm really excited to be blogging for EqualityPA and if there is anything in particular you want me to write about let me know by leaving a comment here, leaving a comment on our Facebook fan page, or by @ replying us on Twitter (@equalitypa)!

Now, as people reading this blog probably already know, this past weekend was both Philly and Pittsburgh Pride! Mason traveled to Pittsburgh to table in the Steel City while we, the lovely interns and Philly volunteers, manned the table in Philadelphia. What was our task of the day? Get form letters signed in support of House Bill 300 and House Bill 745, two extremely important pieces of legislation going through the PA House right now. And, thanks to all of the amazing people who signed them, we collected HUNDREDS of letters to send to PA State Reps. Thank you to everyone who filled them out!

Now, yesterday was my first time ever at Pride. From what others had told me I had a general idea of the awesomeness that is Philly Pride, but until yesterday I hadn't experienced it for myself. Therefore, I had very high expectations going into it- and they were definitely met (and then some)! I wasn't able to see the parade due to the fact that we were busy with the table, but the festival was fantastic! There were so many great people, lots of fabulous groups, and plenty of free stuff! I had an absolutely amazing time talking to everyone and walking around. My only complaint, really, is directed at Mother Nature. I did not approve of the excessive humidity or the rain, and my straightened hair was also not very pleased with the weather situation. However, even the damp day couldn't spoil my first, wonderful Philly Pride experience! I hope everyone else had as terrific a day as I did!

Anti-Bullying Bill Introduced!

Yesterday, June 8, 2010, House Bill 2569 was introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to fortify the state's current anti-bullying policies. The bill was introduced by Representatives Rick Taylor and Tim Briggs, both Democrats from Montgomery County, with 22 co-sponsors. This legislation amends the states current code regarding bullying which was enacted in March 1949. Changes enacted by this bill will entail:

• expanding existing language on bullying
• outlining to school officials what actions to take in order to give students opportunities to report occurrences of bullying, solutions for victims, and harassment and bullying prevention training
• requiring the Department of Education to regularly evaluate bullying policies and to report its findings to the General Assembly
• making schools' right to use state grants through the safe schools program dependent upon approval of their bullying policies and compliance with reporting procedures.

In this bill's definition of harassment, bullying, cyber bullying, and intimidation, students will be protected from "any written, verbal, or physical act, or any electronic communication including, but not limited to, one shown to be motivated by a student's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry or ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical, mental, emotional or learning disability, gender, gender identity and expression or other distinguishing personal characteristic or based on association with any such characteristic."

The fact that this bill includes protection for students being bullied due to their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression is extremely important. 88% of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered students report to being victims of verbal abuse and 19% of all students report harassment due to perceived sexual orientation.

By strengthening the current anti-bullying policies, Pennsylvania's schools policies will be more clearly defined and will create a safer and better learning environment for all students!