Happy Friday!

Happy almost weekend everyone! This week our posts were about Latino Catholics views on same-sex marriage, Senator Kerry's call to repeal the ban on gay men donating blood, the 6 gay couples filing a lawsuit in Hawaii for equal rights, and why Equality PA is not supporting counter protests against NOM. More stories and posts can be found on our Facebook and our Twitter pages (Just follow the links!)! Have great weekends, everyone!

6 Gay Couples File Lawsuit in Hawaii

Three weeks ago Hawaii's Governor, Linda Lingle, vetoed the civil unions bill that made its way to her desk after stating it was the voters right to decide whether marriage should be between a man and a woman. As a result, 6 gay couples have filed a lawsuit asking for the same rights as married couples. They are not asking for the label "civil union" or "marriage", but are rather for the state to extend the benefits and responsibilities of marriage based on Hawaii's Constitution ban against sex discrimination. Jennifer Pizer, senior counsel for Lambda Legal, stated "This case is not about marriage. It's about the right of same-sex couples to at least have a system that is understandable and complete...The state's equality guarantee at least has to mean same-sex couples should have the same rights and responsibilities, even if it's segmented off into a system that isn't as respected, understood and revered as marriage."

Source- The Associated Press: Hawaii lawsuit seeks equal rights for gay couples by Mark Niesse

Senator John Kerry Calls for Repeal on Gay Blood Ban

Senator Kerry reiterated his stance on the FDA's policy that bans gay men from donating blood Monday at the Blood Products Advisory Committee hearing. The current policy bans any man who has had sexual relations with another man since 1977. This same policy allows heterosexual men and women who have had sexual relations with a HIV-positive partner to donate blood after a one year waiting period. Kerry stated, "The science regarding HIV/AIDS contraction has advanced dramatically in the last three decades, and our understanding of what constitutes high risk behavior has grown far beyond the ignorant idea that sexual orientation is an indicator in itself. I trust that, as we move forward in this process, we will be guided by science rather than the past in determining the best screening policies to help make our blood supply even safer for all who depend on it.”

The Advocate article Kerry Calls for Gay Blood Ban Repeal by Michelle Garcia can be found by following the link!

Why EqualityPA is NOT supporting counter protests against NOM

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) kicked off their "One Man, One Woman" tour on July 14th. At each stop where there have been counter protests or attendance by pro-equality supporters, they have disrespected or mocked them and attempted to provoke them into screaming or yelling. Their goal in doing this is to make our side look foolish and hostile. We have also seen that they like to play a numbers game where if we have even a few less attendees than at their event, they will claim that the momentum is moving in their direction. We know from the recent polling numbers and the pathetic turnout their rallies have been recording, that this simply isn't the case.

We are working hard to advance equality and will continue to do so long after they leave town. While we may be upset by their rhetoric, we can't get caught up in retaliation when we need to remain focused on what needs to get done to win! Putting our energy into showing up at their event does not help to move us forward. What will help to advance equality in Pennsylvania is if we use them coming to town as an excuse to mobilize local activists and build our network.

So after NOM finishes their ranting and heads to the next town, we will be out there getting it done! We are holding a terrific event in Harrisburg on August 12, the night before they arrive, around a special showing of the movie "Stonewall Uprising" with a panel on youth activism afterward. We encourage everyone who can, to attend.

STONEWALL UPRISING

Thursday, August 12  7pm  $7 at the door
The Midtown Cinema
250 Reily Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102

Click here to view the Facebook event!

Not only is this a great movie, but this public conversation will increase our network and identify new volunteers and supporters. Please do what you can...attend, make a donation or just plain follow our activities. But please, ignore NOM when they come to town and don't interact. Attention is exactly what they want, and why should honest people who hold equality close to their hearts be tricked into supporting their sad little charade.

Majority of Catholic Latinos Support Same-Sex Marriage

According to a recent piece by Joseph M. Palacios for the Washington Post, Catholic Latinos in the United States may not be as conservative as they are generally perceived to be. This work states that 57% of Latino Catholics would vote for the legalization of gay marriage, as opposed to 23% of Latino Protestants. It also mentions how Latino Catholics "say they trust the parents of gay and lesbian children more than their own clergy as a source of information about homosexuality." This may be because Catholics are neither fundamentalists nor literalists when it comes to the Bible and use the complex and ambiguous mix of the Bible, church teachings, and social reality to base their moral decisions. The article also goes on to state, "Recently same-sex marriage and adoption rights were legally approved in the Catholic countries of Argentina, Spain, and Portugal, as well as Mexico City. It is important to note that modern Latin Catholicism has a dual nature: it is "conservative" in the sense of family communalism and tradition that the church offers, yet it is classically "liberal" in the sense of not wanting the Catholic Church to have power in political life-- particularly after the long historical experience of the Latin American Church "meddling in politics.""

The full article can be found here!

DADT, GLAAD, TV, and Brian Sims

Friday!

Just a few things today – it seems to be a slow Friday, but news is reactionary, so nothing to do about that.

Lt. Dan Choi has officially been issued an honorable discharge from the US military. His discharge actually has been effective since June 29. Choi says he will continue to be a voice for those who cannot speak up.

CNN link here:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/07/22/choi.discharged.army/?hpt=T2

In TV news, GLAAD has issued its Network Responsibility Index (NRI) to mark positive steps in LGBT recognition and inclusion on the small screen. The results are somewhat surprising. In a historic first, MTV received GLAAD’s first ever “excellent” rating, with shows like “The Real World” and “America’s Best Dance Crew” cited as shows that “…offered richly diverse portrayals of gay and transgender people that help Americans better understand and accept our community” (Jarret Barrios, president of GLAAD). Evidently 42% of MTV’s primetime schedule is LGBT inclusive.

Also up there in ratings were the CW and FOX, due primarily to “90210” and “Glee”, respectively. And falling behind were ABC, who had been in previous years at the top of the list, and CBS and NBC.

I’d like to put the question out there to our readers – how do you feel these networks fared? Does MTV really deserve an “excellent”?

A few links to chew over:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=11232760
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-glaad-20100723,0,2885944.story
http://ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=6091&MediaType=1&Category=16

And finally, a shout-out to Equality PA Board President Brian Sims, who received recognition from the National LGBT Bar Association as one of the best LGBT lawyers under 40! Congrats Brian!

A few things to keep an eye on...

A few stories today – some positive, some saddening, and all uplifting.

Yesterday, the judge who wrote the law allowing Massachusetts same-sex couples to marry announced her retirement. Chief Justice Margret Marshall, the first ever woman to hold that position in the MA court, will retire at the age of 70 to spend more time with her husband. Her remarkable tenure as Chief Justice will be remembered.

Link here:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iBJ16yGsP6s2tHjJ8nEqDda20tqAD9H3NN5G0

Next, according to the Los Angeles Times, 1 in 4 Californians have become more supportive of gay rights over the last five years. The statistic is taken from a poll conducted by the DC based non-profit Public Religion Research Institute. Over 3,300 Californians were surveyed, and the results were overwhelmingly positive towards gay rights.

Link here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0722-samesex-poll-20100722,0,1066909.story

And finally, for the first time in Oklahoma, a transgender candidate, Brittany Novotny, is running for a seat in the state house. Novotny is running for the same seat currently held by Sally Kern, the Republican who stated that homosexuality is a bigger threat than terrorism. While Kern says she will not make Novotny’s gender identity part of her campaign, Novotny expects that Kern’s supporters will.

Link here:
http://www.365gay.com/news/transgender-candidate-in-oklahoma-faces-socially-conservative-opponent/

Prom, Protest, and Gaga

Hello Readers,
Another day, another blog update!

Constance McMillen was awarded $35,000 in the lawsuit by the ACLU against the Mississippi school district. The judge ruled that the high school’s refusal to let McMillen enter the prom in a tuxedo with a girl violated her First Amendment rights. The decision set an important precedent, claims Christine Sun, senior counsel with the ACLU. The agreement should put an end to the case, which sparked national press.

Link here:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/20/mississippi.lesbian.settlement/?hpt=T2

Garden State Equality (one of Equality PA’s Equality Federation fellow organizations) held a protest yesterday outside New Jersey’s statehouse. The protest countered a demonstration by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), originally there to organize against the appeal to grant same sex couple marriage rights. Currently New Jersey allows same sex civil unions, but in March six couples appealed to the Supreme Court for full marriage rights. The NOM protesters were greatly outnumbered by the Garden State Equality congregation.

Link here:
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/07/21/protests-in-new-jersey-over-gay-marriage/

And finally, twitter is now a tool against hatred! Or at least, that is how Lady Gaga used it last Saturday at her St. Louis Monster Ball concert. In response to the Westboro Baptist Church protest, Lady Gaga implored her fans to ignore the protesters, to somewhat success. After the concert, Gaga tweeted ““Tonight love and hate met in St. Louis…And love outnumbered the hate, in poetic thousands. Hate left. But love stayed. + Together, we sang.”

Link here (plus a few other updates from 365gay.com)
http://www.365gay.com/news/tues-watercooler-gaga-fans-clash-with-anti-gay-protestors/

Greg S.

UN Accredits Commission for Lesbian and Gay Rights

Yesterday, the ESOCO (UN Economic and Social Council) voted in a 23-13 favor of the accreditation of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, based in the United States. The organization has been working since 2007 to attain this position, and the success is credited to the strong lobbying of the Obama administration for the organization.

Two links:
365gay.com here
http://www.365gay.com/news/us-gay-rights-group-gets-un-accreditation/

The Associated Press here
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJYNH2s-C9t79VHX2SYvl7VNQkzQD9H2FJBO0

VAFC update

Equality Pennsylvania welcomes the All Souls Ecumenical Church into our Value all Families Coalition (VAFC). All Souls, located in Reading, PA, is a diverse, accepting, and open church, specifically towards LGBT people of faith. Equality PA is proud to have All Souls as part of our state wide coalition, VAFC, joining other organizations of all types dedicated towards greater equality for the LGBT community in Pennsylvania. For more information about the VAFC please contact Stephen Murtaugh at (215) 731-1447 x17, or equalitypaintern@gmail.com.

Euro Pride and a Somewhat Disappointing Apology

Hello Readers!
What a weekend! To those of you readers who stopped by our table at Reading Pride, thank you for your support! Unfortunately, the weekend is over, and the work week begins again. Two news stories today – one positive and the other somewhat less – for this temperamental Monday.

First, one of the less known Pride events, especially stateside, is EuroPride, which took place this past weekend in Warsaw, Poland. Over 8,000 participants marched and celebrated at this historical event, made even more special due to Poland’s relatively rocky history in terms of equality towards its LGBT community. The former communist bloc country, still socially conservative and with a large conservative Catholic community, had banned the parade five years earlier. The ban was lifted after an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. While the event still sparked controversy and counter protests, and even though the event drew less marchers than Pride events in other European countries, the success of EuroPride 2010 hints towards a slow but steady progression of LGBT rights in Poland, and a continuing push for LGBT rights in Europe, both East and West.

For the full article on EuroPride 2010, thanks to VOAnews.com, click here:
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Poland-Hosts-Post-Communist-Europes-First-Gay-EuroPride-Parade-98706174.html

For more information on EuroPride, here is the EuroPride Webpage, as well as a wiki link:
http://www.europride.info/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europride

Next, here’s an update on the controversy of the comments made on The View recently about HIV/AIDS in the black gay community. On June 22, hosts on The View made several comments concerning this topic that angered some in the LGBT community. Guest host D.L. Hawkins statement;

“When you look at the prevalence of HIV in the African-American community, it’s primarily young women who are getting it from men who are on the down-low.”

Drew a full page ad response from GLAAD in Variety Magazine, calling for ABC to publicly apologize for the comments and give the true information on the subject. ABC’s response, which came recently, claimed that “…The topic of HIV/AIDS has been raised many times over the show’s 13 years, with many voices and opinions contributing to a conversation that we expect to continue as long as The View is on the air.” GLAAD then issued a statement calling the response “evasive”, and asking that The View “Talk about the tough issues with a commitment to honesty, accuracy and fairness.”

For the full article, from 365gay.com, click here:
http://www.365gay.com/news/glaad-disappointed-with-abc%E2%80%99s-statement-on-down-low-comment/

Greg S.

Two Steps Toward Equality

Hello!
Our usual blogger, Rebecca, is taking what sounds like a wonderful vacation to the Poconos for a week, so in her absence I will be trying my best to follow her blog-steps as best as possible. With that in mind, I’ve chosen two uplifting stories to highlight today.

First, as blogged yesterday, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize same sex marriage. Now, some are estimating that about a quarter of a billion people in total have that right! What an incredible step towards equality world-wide! Check out the nifty chart, courtesy of the Maddow blog here.


Second, all charges have been dropped against Lt. Dan Choi, Capt Jim Pietrangelo, and four others who all chained themselves to the White House fence in protest of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – the law that forces gay and lesbian soldiers in the military to hide their sexuality. The charges were dropped because, apparently, the protesters were standing on a ledge when they attached themselves to the fence, and thus not blocking pedestrians. The full article, via PinkNews, here.

Greg S.

Argenitina Becomes First Latin American Country to Legalize Gay Marriage

Today Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize gay marriage with 33 votes for, 22 votes against, and 3 abstentions. The bill passed despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church and other religious groups that marched on Congress earlier this week. The CBS article that has also been linked on our twitter can also be found here!

Argentina Set to Vote on Gay Marriage

Hey readers! As posted on our twitter this morning, Argentina's Senate is posed to vote on gay marriage today, Wednesday July 14. Argentina's Chamber of Deputies has already approved same-sex marriage, and now it is being sent to the Senate. There has been much debate over this, with most of the opposition coming from the Catholic Church and various other religious groups. Civil unions are already legal in the capital, Buenos Aires, which is considered to be one of the most gay-friendly cities in Latin America. The BBC News article about this vote can be found here!

EU Adopts Plan to Fight for LGBT Rights Worldwide

Yesterday Bay Windows published an article relating to the Council of the European Union's decision to implement a "toolkit" that would both encourage and defend all human rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people. This "kit" goes on to feature what the EU should be doing to help defend LGBT rights in other nations. The full article can be found here!

Federal Judge in MA Rules Part of DOMA is Unconstitutional

Yesterday, July 8, 2010, US Federal Judge Joseph Tauro in Boston ruled in two separate cases that a significant part of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. He ruled in one challenge that Congress violated the 10th Amendment when it passed the Defense of Marriage Act and removed the states ability to determine which couples are considered married. In the other ruling, Gill v. Office of Personal Management he ruled that DOMA infringed upon the equal protection principles as laid out in the Due Process Claus in the 5th Amendment.

Below are several detailed articles about these momentous rulings:

Bay Windows- DOMA decisions released
Prop 8 Trial Tracker- US Federal Judge In Massachusetts Rules Part of DOMA Is Unconstitutional
NY Times- Judge Topples US Rejection of Gay Unions

Equality PA Board President Brian Sims' I'm From Driftwood Video

Equality PA Board President Brian Sims is well-known as an outspoken advocate for addressing diversity issues in the world of athletics. In this ImFromDriftwood.com video, Brian shares his own remarkable story of coming out to his college teammates. I'm From Driftwood collects both written and video stories from LGBT people and their allies, providing a friendly, non-political outlet that helps us realize we aren't so different after all.



Later this year, the site's creator, Nathan Manske, and Philadelphia-based filmmaker Marquise Lee will embark on the IFD 50-State Story Tour. Along the way, they'll collect and share stories in the biggest cities and smallest towns across the country, and prove that gay people are everywhere.

They're currently raising the funds necessary to make the Story Tour possible. To support their trip-- and receive a postcard from the road!-- click HERE.

PA State Representatives Spotlight

Below are four brief profiles spotlighting four Pennsylvania state representatives.

Representative John C. Bear

Representative Bear is a Republican who is currently representing Pennsylvania's 97th Legislative District. This district is in Lancaster county, right in the middle of Pennsylvania Dutch country. He is a member of the Aging and Older Adult Services Committee, Finance Committee, Labor Relations Committee. His voting record can be found here.

Representative Robert E. Belfanti, Jr.

Representative Belfanti is a Democrat who represents Pennsylvania's 127th Legislative District. This includes part of Columbia, all of Montour, and part of Northumberland counties. He is the Chair of the Labor Relations Committee and is a Member of the Rules Committee. Representative Belfanti voted for the Hate Crimes Bill is 2002. His full voting record can be found here.

Representative Kerry A. Benninghoff

Representative Benninghoff is a Republican who was first elected to represent Pennsylvania's 171st Legislative District in 1996. According to his website he "is a leading advocate for government reform, spending controls, lower taxes and expanded access to high quality health care services." He is the Chair of the State Government Committee and is a Member of the Health and Human Services Committee. He voted against the Hate Crime bill from 2002 and his full voting record can be found here.

Representative Karen D. Beyer

Representative Beyer is a Republican who has been representing Pennsylvania's 131st Legislative District since 2006. This district is composed of part of Lehigh county, including the city of Allentown as well as Lower Milford, Salisbury, Upper Milford, and Upper Saucon townships. She is a Member of the Health and Human Services Committee, Liquor Control Committee, and Urban Affairs Committee. According to her website, "Beyer has been at the forefront of making cyberschools accountable for their use of public funds. She also has led the charge on the issue of eminent domain, getting legislation passed and signed into law, further protecting the property rights of owners." Representative Beyer is a co-sponsor of House Bill 300 and her full voting record can be found here.


Sources:
http://www.repbear.com/bio.aspx
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=60154
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=9086
http://www.pahouse.com/belfanti/bio.asp
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=10176
http://kerrybenninghoff.com/bio.aspx
http://www.repbeyer.com/bio.aspx
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=58782

Kagan Opening/Hearing

The New York Times published an opinion piece on July 2nd entitled "A 'Kagan Doctrine' on Gay Marriage." This article stated that while Kagan did not address the issue of gay marriage directly, she did mention the issue indirectly. She stated, "The Supreme Court, of course, has the responsibility of ensuring that our government never oversteps its proper bounds or violates the rights of individuals. But the court must also recognize the limits on itself and respect the choices made by the American people." The piece goes on to explain how Kagan seems to imply that both civil rights are important, but so is judicial modesty. "A 'Kagan Doctrine' on Gay Marriage" can be found by following the link!

Later, during her hearing, Kagan restated her disagreement with the ban of gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. The National Law Journal article on her confirmation hearing can be found here.

Week In Review 6/28-7/2

Hey readers! It's Friday yet again, which means today's blog brushes upon what was blogged about this week! On Monday we gave you information about two PA representatives (Representative Barbin and Representative Baker) and two PA senators ( Senator Baker and Senator Boscola). This week we also checked in with the lovely bunch of interns (myself, included) and looked at the anti-bullying bill that was passed in Illinois. We also posted how Wisconsin's Supreme Court upheld the ban on gay marriage in their state.

In addition, according to the New York Times Google, beginning yesterday, is adding pay to their gay and lesbian workers in order to cover a tax that same-sex couples have to pay when their partners receive domestic partner health benefits. The New York Times article can be found here!

Have a great 4th of July weekend, everyone!

Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Gay Marriage

The 2006 state constitutional amendment was upheld yesterday by a 7-0 ruling that put a ban on gay marriage in Wisconsin. According to the Associated Press, the Supreme Court "rejected the lawsuit that claimed the amendment violated a rule that limits referendum questions to a single subject. The lawsuit, filed by a voter opposed to the amendment, argued that gay marriage and civil unions were two different subjects." According to State Justice Michael Gableman both rulings generally preserve the legal status of marriage in the state as that between one man and one woman.

The Associated Press article can be found HERE.