Equality Pennsylvania

NY Celebrates First Marriage Ceremonies!

2011-07-26T12:14:00.000-04:00

Equality Pennsylvania wants to, once again, congratulate our colleagues in New York State for their legislative victory in favor of same-sex marriage last month. After a 30 day waiting period, marriage licenses were first issued Sunday. In New York City alone, 1,143 couples got their licenses or were wed at marriage bureaus. Across the state, municipalities welcomed this turning point in the LGBT rights movement with mayors, city council leaders, and judges helping officiate or attending ceremonies.

While certainly a political victory, the ceremonies which took place yesterday also lent a human face to the struggle for LGBT rights, justice, and equality. Children finally saw their parents’ love and their families’ strength legitimatized by their government; parents were able to see their children marry the partners to whom they had remained loyal for decades, and LGBT youth were offered a vision of the future filled with hope and recognition.

Perhaps most heart-warming were the ceremonies recognizing the love and commitment of elderly couples who vowed to cherish each other so long ago. The New York Times highlighted two particular instances of this pure, human joy: “We feel a little more human today, “ [said] Ray Durand … after marrying his partner, Dale Shields, 79, whom he met 42 years ago by a jukebox in a West Village bar.” In fact, the first couple wed by the Manhattan clerk consisted of seventy-six year old Phyllis Sigel and eighty-four year old Connie Kopelov, partners for 23 years. “As Mr. McSweeney declared to the couple, “I now pronounce you married,” Ms. Siegel held Ms. Kopelov's head and kissed her on the left cheek.”

As we continue to work diligently against Representative Metcalfe’s proposed marriage amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution which would not only ban same-sex marriage indefinitely but also nullify existing partnerships, we are rejuvenated by the bliss emanating from New York. We thank our supporters for helping carry us this far and urge all Pennsylvanians to stand up for the right of all human beings to love freely and be recognized in the eyes of the law.

The NYTimes referenced in this post
A slideshow of NY Marriage Ceremonies and recently married couples

D-Town Unity Concert

2011-07-11T11:36:00.002-04:00

On July 24th, come out to Siren Records in Doylestown for a night of great music for a great cause! The D-Town Unity Concert will bring a variety of talented area musicians together to raise money for the Rainbow Room, Bucks County's only center for LGBT youth and allies. Admission is $10, and will help support the Rainbow Room's activities. You'll also be supporting Marlene Pray, the founder of the Rainbow Room, in her campaign for Doylestown Borough Council. Marlene is a committed advocate for social justice, and will make sure that the rights of all of Doylestown's citizens are protected. Come say hello to Marlene, meet her campaign team, and enjoy some local bands! The event will run from 5 to 9 PM. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116128841813260.

Shopping for Equality

2011-07-06T13:48:00.002-04:00

The team at Equality PA has been working hard this summer to secure equal rights for Pennsylvania's LGBT citizens. Now it's possible for you to contribute to our efforts simply by doing a little online shopping! Paul Nardone, one of our board members, has partnered with the Places & Pages Book Festival in Scranton to create an exciting new way to support Equality PA. Simply go to www.scranthology.com and use the site to buy anything that you'd normally buy from Amazon.com, be it shoes, gardening supplies, or books. A percentage of every purchase you make will then be donated to Equality PA. We established a fundraising goal of $100,000 to help cover travel and operating costs. Every purchase you make helps bring us a little closer to reaching that goal, and it's so easy to do! Be sure to tell your friends and family about this exciting opportunity to support a great organization while you shop.

Q Fest to Kick Off in Philly Tomorrow

2011-07-06T11:28:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow, July 7th, marks the start of the 17th annual Philadelphia Q Fest, a film festival that brings the best new LGBTQ films to the City of Brotherly Love. Q Fest will run through Monday, July 18th, and will feature over 100 feature-length and short films at the Ritz East and Ritz at the Bourse theaters in Center City. Every type of film will be represented at Q Fest, from science fiction ("Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same") to dark comedy ("Mangus!") to romance ("eCupid," "Jamie and Jessie Are Not Together," etc.). Q Fest is distinctively international; the films come from places as diverse as Argentina, Lebanon, and Iceland, in addition to a wide variety of domestic releases. More information about the festival can be found here: http://www.qfest.com/index.cfm Come discover your new favorite movie!

Tell the Steelers to Make an "It Gets Better" video!

2011-06-29T13:13:00.002-04:00

We've already asked you to help us persuade our state's baseball teams to jump on the "It Gets Better" bandwagon. Now, we're asking the Pittsburgh Steelers to do the same. The world of sports isn't always so friendly to LGBT youth, so it's important to see athletes taking a stand for equality and respect. The Pittsburgh Steelers can reach a huge audience, and have thousands of fans who could be reached by an "It Gets Better" video. You can ask them to join the campaign by signing the petition at http://www.change.org/petitions/pittsburgh-steelers-create-an-it-gets-better-video-and-stand-up-to-homophobia-in-sports.

Same-Sex Couples Under Threat in PA

2011-06-29T12:50:00.000-04:00

This week we celebrated an historic moment for marriage rights, as New York became the most recent and largest state to legalize gay marriage. Congratulations to the New York state legislature, for recognizing that everyone deserves the right to marry the person they love. Unfortunately, here in Pennsylvania, a group of state legislators are attempting to keep same-sex couples from obtaining this basic civil right. House Bill 1434, created by Republican Representative Darryl Metcalfe, states that “Marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.” The bill, which currently has 37 sponsors, would not only prevent same-sex couples from obtaining civil unions in Pennsylvania, but would also invalidate any preexisting civil unions in the state, even if they are recognized by other states. The passage of this bill would represent a devastating setback to Pennsylvania’s LGBT community. Make sure you speak up against this discriminatory and unjust bill by signing our petition at www.equalitypa.org.

Help Spread the Word About Equality PA!

2011-06-28T13:28:00.000-04:00

The team at Equality PA has been working hard to make Pennsylvania a better place for its LGBT residents. But we can’t do it without you! Yesterday marked the launch of our “Ask 10” campaign, which we hope will help us spread our message throughout the state. The success of the “Ask 10” campaign depends on you! So, what can you do to help? Simply “like” our Facebook page, and then invite at least 10 of your Facebook friends to do the same. “Liking” our page will give you access to breaking news, hundreds of photos, and an online community of like-minded LGBTQ folks and allies. It’s a great way to stay updated on the fight for LGBTQ rights. Join us at www.facebook.com/equalitypa.

Attic Youth Center Launches City-Wide Campaign

2011-06-27T11:04:00.001-04:00

We here at Equality PA are proud to congratulate the Attic Youth Center on its recent ad campaign targeting anti-gay bullying in the City of Philadelphia. The campaign’s posters can be found on buses and in the subway, advocating “It’s OK to Be You.” Long praised for its afterschool work with LGBT youth, the center aims to provide these young adults with a message of acceptance in the face of societal pressures to sequester one’s sexuality and/or gender identity.
Attic Youth Center Director Carrie Jacobs initiated the program in the face of Seattle-based activist Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better Project.” A collection of YouTube videos filmed by LGBT adults and allies of the movement, the project’s theme of an ideal future is taken by some to mean that the present must be tolerated rather than celebrated. Jacobs and others at the Attic Youth Center amended the project’s goals – choosing to focus on specific elements of the LGBT rights movement’s struggle and framing their posts as “It Gets Better When...” or “It Gets Better If…”. Through this program, the center was able to expand its already developed adult-youth LGBT mentorship program, helping young adults to thrive in the present and envision a more open future simultaneously.
After a horrible string of nationally-publicized LGBT suicides this past fall as well as research which demonstrates a clear relationship between teenage homophobic bullying and later mental and health-related concerns for LGBT individuals, this ad campaign is truly necessary and welcomed. The team at Equality PA looks forward to seeing these posters across Philadelphia and hopes they will provide LGBT youth an added example of the community which supports and advocates for them every day.

More information can be found by Gregory Thomas’s article on the topic.

Bethlehem Takes a Stand Against Discrimination

2011-06-22T15:53:00.000-04:00

The City of Bethlehem celebrated a huge victory for civil rights last night. After a hearing that had over 100 speakers, the City became the 21st municipality in Pennsylvania to pass an LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance. The vote by the City Council was unanimous and this ordinance will make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT people in employment, housing and public accommodations in Bethlehem.
We thank the City Council and the Mayor for their courage and perseverance to pass a strong ordinance that says discrimination is NOT welcome. We are also deeply grateful to the many volunteers and members of the public who attended countless meetings and spoke eloquently about the importance of passing this ordinance. Their words and presence made such a difference. The PA Diversity Network also deserves not only our thanks, but everyone’s, for their tireless leadership in The Lehigh Valley on equality for LGBT folks. We always try to partner with local and regional groups, and we respect and value all that they have done. The ACLU, NAACP, and AARP also played a crucial part in getting this legislation passed.
EQPA was there in all aspects of the process, from helping to build public support to refining language to speaking at meetings. We intend to continue working hard for the passage of local ordinances all over Pennsylvania for as long as it takes to ensure that LGBT citizens are treated equally and fairly EVERYWHERE. More importantly, we will fight for local ordinances because the clear message their passage sends to the Legislature in Harrisburg is that NOW is the time to finally vote on a statewide, LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination law in Pennsylvania. This is a historic time in the fight for LGBT rights in the state, and you can be a part of it! Want to pass a non-discrimination ordinance in your area? E-mail themartin@equalitypa.org
Want to support our valuable work? PLEASE donate today at www.equalitypa.org/donate.html.

Pride Weekend Wrap-Up

2011-06-16T15:48:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, three cities in Pennsylvania celebrated Pride in a big way! Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Erie pulled out all the stops for a seriously memorable weekend. In Philadelphia, PrideFest went off without a hitch. Everyone we spoke to was having a great time, and we were very excited to see such a wide range of people attending. The entertainment was amazing, and the rain held off until just before we left. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table to sign a petition or take a photo! In Pittsburgh, revelers enjoyed the soulful sounds of the inimitable Patti LaBelle during Pride in the Streets on Saturday, followed by Pridefest on Sunday. Thousands of people showed up for a day of dancing, eating, face painting, and fun. We also got to spend some time with the Student Network Across Pennsylvania, Equality Pennsylvania’s youth advocacy branch, which connects student youth LGBT activists from across the state.You can learn more about them at equalitypa.org/snap.html. The new Greensburg branch of PFLAG was also present for the festival. A little bit of rain didn’t stop us from having a blast at the Erie Pride Family Picnic. We all enjoyed the delicious food, much of it brought by community members, and had fun talking to all the families and friends who showed up for the festivities! Of course, Equality PA couldn’t have participated in all the Pride Weekend events without a dedicated team of volunteers and interns. We offer a heartfelt thanks to all of you for all of your help,as well as to SNAP and Greensburg PFLAG. Keep up the amazing work! And don't forget, Pennsylvania has lots more Pride to go around! The next festival is Lancaster Pride, which runs from 12-6PM this Saturday, June 18th.

Tell Our Sports Teams to Make an "It Gets Better" Video!

2011-06-15T16:06:00.003-04:00

Last week, we at Equality PA challenged two of our state's biggest sports teams to stand up for LGBT youth by making an "It Gets Better" video. They would be joining the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago Cubs, and the Boston Red Sox who have already stepped up to the plate and agreed to make videos. When you have two such great teams in one state, why shouldn’t we make the pitch?
You can help make this happen! Take a minute today to encourage the Boys of Summer to make a video. Tell them this is important and that strong public support like this is crucial to letting LGBT teens know that it gets better.
Since the beginning of this project, tens of thousands of personal videos have been recorded offering hope to vulnerable teens and over 350,000 people have pledged their support to end hate and intolerance. We think it’s time for our baseball heroes to join this effort.
Call the Philadelphia Phillies (215-463-6000) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (412-323-5000 – CHOOSE EXT. 8) and ask them to speak up for LGBT teens and make an “It Gets Better” video!And while you’re at it, write them a message on Facebook or on Twitter, and make a request there too!
The Facebook and Twitter accounts for the Phillies are Facebook.com/phillies and twitter.com/phillies. For the Pirates, use facebook.com/pirates and twitter.com/pirates.

Bethlehem's New Anti-Discrimination Bill Under Attack

2011-06-15T16:00:00.002-04:00

On June 7, the city of Bethlehem had a chance to finally pass a bill that would protect the LGBT community from discrimination. But because of vague wording within the bill’s text, the vote to ratify it has been postponed until June 21st. The bill would create a Human Relations Commission in Bethlehem, which would prevent discrimination in housing, public facilities and the workspace. Bethlehem is the largest city in Pennsylvania without an antidiscrimination ordinance; clearly, this legislation is long overdue. The mayor, John Callahan, supports the bill, saying "I think it sends a very clear message to people about Bethlehem that we're inclusive and we put a high value on human rights,” in an interview with WFMZ News. However, although the legislation has strong community support, it is still threatened by two anti-gay groups. The American Family Association and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Allentown have been spreading homophobic propaganda to try and kill the bill, warning of an impending takeover of the city by those favoring the “gay lifestyle.” They are also responsible for the inclusion of an extremely vague “religious exemption,” which would exempt about 50% of the city from following this ordinance. We can’t allow bigotry and misinformation to carry the day in Bethlehem. Please sign the petition at http://www.change.org/petitions/urge-bethlehem-pa-to-adopt-a-strong-lgbt-inclusive-non-discrimination-law?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition, urging Bethlehem’s City Council to pass the ordinance after making the “religious exemption” clause more specific. We also need as many people as possible to pack City Hall on June 21st, the next time the bill will be voted on.Hopefully, the city of Bethlehem will take a stand for civil rights for everyone.

William Way LGBT Community Center to Hold Homecoming

2011-06-09T13:04:00.001-04:00

On June 11th, the William Way LGBT Community Center is holding its first ever Homecoming extravaganza! If the thought of Homecoming conjures up nightmares of unflattering dresses and awkward dance-floor encounters, never fear. The Way Center’s version promises to be nothing like your high school’s dance, unless you went to the coolest high school ever. Things get rolling at 8 PM in the Center’s 1315 Spruce Street location, with a performance from the radically inclusive gospel choir A Voice for All People. They’ll be followed by the Liberty City Kings, Philadelphia’s renowned queer drag burlesque troupe. Last but certainly not least will be the divine Ladies of Sinful Sundays. The Notorious OMG will be running the show as the Mxtress of Ceremonies. Feel free to wander from room to room, enjoying the delicious summertime food and drinks. And of course, it wouldn’t be Homecoming without a King and Queen! The Center will be crowning two community leaders in a ceremony that is not to be missed. In fact, Equality PA's own Brian Sims has been nominated as part of the evening's Homecoming Court! If this sounds like fun to you (of course it does), you can purchase tickets online at http://www.waygay.org/events/homecoming2011.asp. Tickets run from $75 for VIP, to $35 for general admission, to $20 for “sobers, seniors, students, and starving artists.” It’s the perfect way to celebrate before Philly’s PrideFest the next day, or to cut loose after Saturday’s Dyke March! Bring your friends, or maybe ask that special someone you’ve been crushing on (it is Homecoming, after all).

Pennsylvania Pride

2011-06-08T13:06:00.002-04:00

Break out your rainbow flags! The season of Pride is finally upon us. This weekend Pennsylvania will celebrate Pride in not one, not two, but three cities across the state. In Philadelphia, be sure to check out the Philly Dyke March, which starts at 3 pm on Saturday, June 11th at 11th & Pine streets. Attendees will enjoy performances from musicians like singer-songwriter Ami Verrill, LYFE dance, and appearances from the Liberty City Kings and the Radical Faeries, who will be providing water ice to tired marchers. But the fun doesn’t stop there! Philadelphia’s infamous Pride Day parade and festival is this Sunday, June 12th. The party starts at noon, with a parade beginning at 13th and Locust, in the heart of Philly’s gayborhood. The parade will finish at Penn’s Landing, the location of the Pride Festival. This year’s keynote speaker is the actress Aisha Tyler, of “Talk Soup” and “Nip/Tuck”. Admission to the festival is $10, which gets you access to six hours of fabulous entertainment and over 120 vendors.
Pittsburgh will be throwing its own Pridefest bash this week. Pride events started on June 3rd in the Steel City, with a Pride Advocacy Rally on the steps of the City-County building. If you’re in the area on Saturday, make sure not to miss Pride in the Street, Pittsburgh’s largest outdoor street party. This year, the one and only Patti LaBelle will be gracing the festival with her presence. The party continues on Sunday, with the Pride Awareness March, which will start at 10 AM on Boulevard of the Allies, and finish at Liberty Ave and 6th Street, at the entrance to Pridefest. Pittsburgh’s Pridefest promises to once again draw a crowd of thousands; come join the party!
Those of you living in Erie have your own Pride party to look forward to! The Erie Gay New Family Pride Picnic will be held this Saturday, June 11th, from 1 to 6 PM at Presque Isle State Park. You can register before the event online at http://www.eriegaynews.com/pride/register.php, or in person at the picnic. The beautiful setting, near the Waterworks beach, is perfect for playing volleyball (always a popular activity) or any of the other games planned for the day. Got kids? There’s a playground nearby, as well as a variety of children’s activities to take part in. Food will be served from 2 to 4, and you are encouraged to bring a dish to share. You also have the chance to win a fabulous door prize!
Whichever Pride event you attend this weekend, make sure you come say hello to the Equality PA crew! We’ll be hanging out in each city, registering voters and helping you take action for LGBT rights in your community. We’ll have letters to your legislators that you can sign to make sure they hear your voice! We also would love some volunteers to help us staff the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh events. If you’d like to help, please email Allyson Hamm at allyson@equalitypa.org.

Philadelphia Trans Health Conference to be Held This Weekend

2011-06-01T12:48:00.000-04:00

The Philadelphia Trans Health Conference is celebrating its 10th year this weekend. This event will bring trans-identified people and allies from all over the country to the Pennsylvania Convention Center for three days of educational workshops, socializing, and support. Workshops will cover everything from hormone therapy to creating a trans-friendly environment in the workspace. The conference is family-friendly; there will be separate workshops for trans youth, as well as a pool party for families with children. All are welcome at this event; there is no registration fee.
The Trans Health Conference has been run by the Mazzoni Center since 2006. The Mazzoni Center provides health care to the Philadelphia LGBTQ community. The Equality Pennsylvania team is proud to support the conference & plan to participate everyday as a vendor. We’ll also be registering people to vote, providing consignment-quality clothes for donations, and doing some political organizing! Come talk to us about opposing an amendment to define marriage as solely between a man and a woman, the recent change to PennDOT’s gender marker policy, and several other ways that you can support the LGBTQ community. Also, one of our former interns will be hosting an all-day legal clinic.
With so many different activities planned, the 10th annual Trans Health Conference truly has something for everyone. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you still have time to register online at www.trans-health.org. We hope to see you there!

Victory in Easton!

2011-05-31T09:51:00.002-04:00

The town of Easton, PA celebrated a major gain for same-sex couples on Wednesday night. Now, partners of city employees can enjoy the same benefits awarded to heterosexual couples. The legislation was passed unanimously, with support from both Republican and Democratic City Council members, who greeted the outcome with applause. Equality Pennsylvania's statewide organizer, Allyson Hamm, was also present. This ruling makes Easton one of only five Pennsylvania cities to have such a policy; the others are Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Allentown, and Pittsburgh.

Under this new law, same-sex partners of city employees are granted health and pension benefits, as well as family medical leave and bereavement leave. This provision makes it possible for city employees and their partners to take time off to care for sick loved ones, said Pennsylvania Diversity Network Vice President Adrian Shanker in an interview with The Morning Call.

We at Equality Pennsylvania would like to congratulate the people of Easton for taking this much-needed step in the fight for the rights of same-sex couples. We would also like to commend the Pennsylvania Diversity Network for their work in getting this legislation passed. The bill will be signed into law publicly on June 6th.

Bucks County GLBT Meeting & Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil

2010-11-04T22:37:00.002-04:00

On Nov. 4, 2010, people of all ages gathered in Doylestown, PA for an important meeting to discuss GLBTA issues. The main gathering focus was to discuss the introduction & passage of local ordinances that would provide anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation & gender identity & expression.

There were middle schoolers as well as students from high school & college present. There were police officers, nurses, educators, ministers, activists, parents & more represented. Planned Parenthood's Rainbow Room was well represented. GLSEN & PFLAG people were there. Students from Delaware Valley College were also there in significant numbers. Several representatives from different faith organizations were there. There were council members from Hatboro & Doylestown. & of course, Equality PA & HRC were there.

It was a packed house. We barely had time to get through introductions before we headed out for the vigil.

The energy in the room was great. As people talked, it became evident that other glbt interests should be served besides the ordinances.

There will be follow-up meetings of this coalition. Expect many good things to come from this group.

After the meeting, candles & signs were handed out. We walked down the street to a public square & where we read the names of transgender people who had died as a result of violence. Some passers by stopped & read our signs. Some drivers honked & shouted their support. There were no visible negative reactions from the onlookers. Trans- awareness was raised & these trans people will not be forgotten.

California Judge to Decide if Weddings Can Resume Today

2010-08-12T14:31:00.002-04:00

Judge Walker, the Chief Justice who ruled the ban on gay marriage be lifted in California last week, is deciding today whether or not gay marriages can resume today. If he does decide they may resume counties, such as Los Angeles, will perform weddings today on a first-come, first-serve basis. The lines as of right now are already forming! The BBC News article about this can be found here!

Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for up to date information about Judge Walker's decision!

Mexican Supreme Court Rules That States Must Honor Gay Marriages

2010-08-11T14:45:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday the Mexican Supreme Court ruled that gay marriages performed in the country's capital, Mexico City, have to be honored by all Mexican states. The court made it clear that other states did not have to enact or perform gay marriages themselves, but had to honor those that were performed else-ware in the country. Justice Arturo Zaldivar stated, "“What’s going to happen to a same-sex couple” who marry in Mexico City “when they cross the border” to another state? Does this marriage disappear? They go on vacation and they’re no longer married?"

However, the court, in their ruling, left uncertain as to which marital rights would transfer.

The New York Times article on this subject can be found here!

Happy Tuesday!

2010-08-10T13:16:00.002-04:00

While perusing the internet today I came across an article on FoxNews.com (Yes, that Fox News. Bear with me...) titled "My Fellow Conservatives, Think Carefully About Your Opposition to Gay Marriage" by Margaret Hoover. It first goes on to summarize the Prop 8 trial, noting that, "Surprisingly, the defense’s two lone witnesses also offered compelling reasons to favor of marriage equality."

Hoover goes on to address the article by a Notre Dame law professor which was posted on FoxNews.com which implied through speculation that Judge Walker's rumored homosexuality caused him to decide the case before even hearing it. She wrote, "We conservatives have a well-founded narrative about judges and the courts. It is true that the federal bench is populated with liberals who view their role not as interpreting the law as it is written, but as policy makers empowered to sculpt social outcomes with which they agree. The irony of this case is that Judge Walker is not a liberal activist judge but one whose career has proven him to be a tempered judge, true to the Reagan-Bush conservative jurisprudence that he was nominated to represent on the bench." She also writes,"Conservatives cannot deny that our Founders intended the judiciary as an equal and independent branch of government purposed to ensure the protection of every citizen’s rights."

Further, Hoover writes that opposing gay marriage could land conservatives on the wrong side of civil rights history yet again, with the consequence of alienating a whole generation of voters (the majority of Americans under 30 support gay marriage). The full article can be found here!

Friday!

2010-08-06T15:03:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! This week has surely been an exciting one, with Prop 8 being declared unconstitutional by a federal judge, Kagan being confirmed by the Senate for the Supreme Court, and the Mexican Supreme Court deeming that gay marriage in their capital is constitutional! It's been a great week and as Lt. Dan Choi tweeted, "If this is a movement, it must keep moving. Let's keep pushing for what we know is justice, for what we know is love."

Have a great weekend!

Judge Walker's Prop 8 Verdict!!

2010-08-05T12:31:00.003-04:00

By now everyone most-likley knows the outcome of the Proposition 8 case that was announced yesterday! Judge Walker ruled that Prop 8 was unconstitutional in his 136 page opinion which is a first step in what will probably be a lengthy fight. In this opinion he stated, "Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples." He gave both sides until tomorrow (Friday) to respond to the order.

Articles relating to the Prop 8 outcome can be found by clicking the links below!

CNN- Judge overturns California's ban on same-sex marriage
LA Times- Republican mayor of San Diego "thrilled" by Prop 8 ruling
TODAY- Celebrities react to overturning of California's Prop 8

Prop 8 Ruling TODAY!

2010-08-04T11:46:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! I know that this was posted on our Twitter and Facebook this morning, but it's pretty much all I have been thinking about today (hence this blog post...)! U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco is going to electronically release the ruling of the Prop 8 case on the district's website today between 1pm and 3pm Pacific time. Proposition 8 banned gay marriage in the state of California only 5 months after it was legalized. This ruling will be the first federal trial decision on the legality of a gay marriage ban.

To find out the decision as soon as it happens text EQUAL to 69866!

Campus Climate Index

2010-08-03T14:05:00.002-04:00

While perusing the internet I recently (and by recently I mean this morning) found the Campus Pride's LGBT Friendly Campus Climate Index. I found it to be pretty interesting and worth taking a look at. They use a ranking system of a five star continuum for LGBT friendly practices, policies, and programs. There is a score for both sexual orientation and gender expression, and they break down their ratings by LGBT policy inclusion, LGBT support and institutional commitment, LGBT student and academic life, LGBT housing and residential life, LGBT campus safety, LGBT counseling and health, and finally LGBT recruitment and retention efforts. My school, Bryn Mawr College, has a score of 4.5 out of 5 stars. How does your school rate? Do you agree with their score?

LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index

Breaking Glass Ceilings

2010-08-02T10:17:00.000-04:00

Hello Readers!
Just a few news stories to present today on this Monday of Mondays.

First, July 31 was the kick-off of the Cologne Gay Games 2010. For those less familiar with this event, the Gay Games are an Olympics of sorts created especially for out athletes and allies. Professional sports are notorious for discrimination and homophobia, and the Gay Games offer an event where all athletes are welcome, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, nationality, etc. Attending the Cologne Gay Games VIII is out athlete and Olympic gold medalist Matthew Mitcham, who represents the competition as an Ambassador.

Links:
http://www.games-cologne.de/en
http://www.gaygames.com/index.php?id=en

In other news, the House of Givenchy has recently featured a transgender model in an Haute Couture fashion show and photo campaign. The model, Lea T, was the former muse of Riccardo Tisci, the Givenchy creative director. Lea T. has also appeared in Italian Vogue, nude.

Link here (with a couple other stories):
http://www.365gay.com/topics/news_politics/weekend-watercooler-transgender-supermodels-and-catholic-disconnect/

Happy Friday!

2010-07-30T14:35:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-29T10:34:00.003-04:00

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

2010-07-27T12:31:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-26T17:26:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-26T12:12:00.003-04:00

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

2010-07-23T10:57:00.001-04:00

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...

2010-07-22T11:09:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-21T12:01:00.001-04:00

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

2010-07-20T11:01:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-19T14:59:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-19T11:11:00.001-04:00

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

2010-07-16T13:10:00.005-04:00

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

2010-07-15T11:11:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-14T12:16:00.003-04:00

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

2010-07-13T14:48:00.003-04:00

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

2010-07-09T13:30:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-08T11:19:00.005-04:00

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

2010-07-07T10:36:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-06T14:25:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-02T14:42:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-01T14:47:00.002-04:00

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.

Interns Spotlight

2010-06-30T15:11:00.004-04:00

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

2010-06-29T11:30:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-28T15:24:00.002-04:00

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

2010-06-25T13:50:00.002-04:00

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

2010-06-23T12:24:00.001-04:00

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

2010-06-22T10:55:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-21T17:00:00.004-04:00

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

2010-06-18T11:32:00.002-04:00

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

2010-06-17T13:52:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-06-16T17:39:00.002-04:00

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

2010-06-15T14:33:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-14T14:20:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-06-09T15:28:00.003-04:00

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!

April-May 2010 E-Newsletter

2010-05-26T12:35:00.001-04:00

This is a copy of our April-May 2010 E-Newsletter. In addition to updates on events, functions, and action alerts, our monthly e-newsletter is delivered via e-mail to more than 20,000 supporters, friends, and activists. To sign up to receive e-updates from Equality Pennsylvania click HERE (or copy and paste the following link into your web browser: http://eqfed.org/center4civilrights/join.html?r=U7se5ndaQEB3E).

In this Issue:

1. Welcome, Ted! Our new Executive Director, Ted Martin set to begin June 1

2. Anti-bullying bill to be introduced shortly! How can you get involved?

3. TAKE ACTION: Support comprehensive sexual-education reform in Pennsylvania!

4. We're looking for law students and lawyers who'd like to help promote equality and conduct legal research

5. CALENDAR: Upcoming events, conferences, and opportunities to get involved!

May 21: Mazzoni Center's 30th Anniversary Gala in Atlantic City with Diana Ross

May 22: Harrisburg and Central PA friendraiser to support EqualityPA

June 3-5: Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference

June 5: Philadelphia Latino Pride (volunteer with us!)

June 6-13: Pittsburgh Pride (volunteer with us!)

June 12: 2010 Philadelphia Dyke March

June 13: Philadelphia Pride Day (volunteer with us!)

June 19: Lancaster Pride (volunteer with us!)

Ted Martin set to begin work as Executive Director on June 1: Please join us in welcoming our new Executive Director, Ted Martin to the EqualityPA family! Ted hails from Camp Hill, just outside of Harrisburg where he lives with his husband.

Ted comes to EqualityPA after an extensive career in politics and non-profit management, working for nearly a decade in the US House of Representatives, to a stint as an executive director running Harrisubrg's architectural preservation organization, to his current role as Executive Director of Economic Development Marketing with the Department of Community and Economic Development. He also serves as president of the board of The LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA and has been deeply involved in the central Pennsylvania LGBT community throughout his career.

Ted will work primarily out of our Harrisburg office, though will work office hours in our Philadelphia office, as well. We look forward to continuing to work toward full equality for all Pennsylvanians under his leadership. Welcome, Ted!

To view the press release about Ted's arrival, click HERE.

Three Democratic PA State Representatives unveil comprehensive anti-bullying legislation: In Harrisburg on May 10, State Reps. Rick Taylor and Tim Briggs, both Democrats of Montgomery County, joined by Rep. Bryan Lentz, Democrat of Delaware County, unveiled legislation they will introduce in coming weeks to strengthen bullying policies in Pennsylvania's public schools.

Taylor and Briggs’ legislation would amend Pennsylvania's school code by expanding the language on bullying policy to apply it to incidences of harassment, intimidation and cyberbullying. In addition, the legislation would delineate to school administrators what actions they must take to provide notice and opportunities to report incidents, remedies for victims and harassment and bullying prevention training.

EqualityPA along with more than 40 other members of the Value All Families Coalition (VAFC) have voiced support for this bill and will actively work to pass it through the PA House of Representatives. Contact Mason at mlane@equalitypa.org to find out how you can get involved.

To view the full story about the bill, as reported on the EqualityPA Blog, click HERE.

TAKE ACTION: Support comprehensive sexual-education reform in Pennsylvania: For too long, Pennsylvania’s LGBT youth have been shut out of sex education courses in many of the commonwealth’s public schools.

Equality Pennsylvania is proud to be a member of a coalition that’s working to change that. Pennsylvanians for Responsible Sex Education, or PARSE, has been working for more than a year to get House Bill 1163, the Healthy Youth Act, passed through the state legislature.

Now is the time to take action on this essential legislation. Contact your State Representative now and tell him or her that you support the Healthy Youth Act!

Click HERE to access the Action Alert and send a letter to your State Representative.

Attention law students and attorneys: We're looking for law students and attorneys to donate a few hours to conduct legal research for a project we're working on this Summer. If you think you may be interested, please contact Mason by e-mail at mlane@equalitypa.org or by phone (215) 731-1447 x18.

We can offer pro bono hours for law students seeking to fulfill pro bono requirements.

EqualityPA CALENDAR (items in red are coming up THIS WEEKEND!):

May 21: Mazzoni Center's 30th Anniversary Gala in AC with Diana Ross!

WHEN: Friday May 21

                  WHERE: Caesars Atlantic City
                                2100 Pacific Avenue
                                Atlantic City NJ, 08401

WHAT: Our firends at the Mazzoni Center invite you to spend the night with Diana Ross at the Shore! Celebrate three decades of outstanding service to the LGBT Community at Mazzoni's 30th anniversary gala in Atlantic City, on Friday, May 21, 2010.

See the one and only Diana Ross live in concert at Caesars Atlantic City - and enjoy an exclusive champagne toast with Diana after the show! The concert starts at 9 p.m. Friday, followed by the champagne toast with Diana. The after party kicks off at 10 p.m. in the oceanfront Diamond Lounge, with open bar and hors d’oeuvres. Stay over and enjoy a festive Saturday brunch with live entertainment at 10 a.m. in the Diamond Lounge.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets! Or call 215.563.0652, ext. 222 or 275.

May 22: Harrisburg and Central PA friendraiser to support EqualityPA

WHEN: Saturday May 22, 7:00-9:00pm

WHERE: The Mantis Collective Gallery

1306 N. 3^rd Street

Harrisburg, PA 17102

WHAT: Fundraiser/Friendraiser to support EqualityPA hosted by board members Synged Briddell, Chris Gatesman, Lauren Barr, and our new Executive Director, Ted Martin. Light refreshments and wine will be served. Hosts are asked to donate $100 and attendees are asked to donate $30. Other suggested contribution levels are $50, $100, $250, and $500. To RSVP, e-mail Ted at theo65@aol.com.

Click here to view the flyer!

Click here to view the event and RSVP on Facebook!

June 3-5: Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference

WHEN: Thursday June 3 to Saturday June 5

WHERE: Pennsylvania Convention Center

WHAT: The Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference (PTHC) was founded in 2002 by a group of transgender activists, allies, and service providers. Now in its ninth year, PTHC proudly offers a space for transgender people and our allies, families, and providers to come together to re-envision what health means for transgender people.

Click here for more information and a complete schedule of events.

June 5: Philadelphia Latino Pride

WHEN: Saturday June 5, 2:00pm

WHERE: Between 5th and Jefferson Streets

WHAT: Live performances, music, giveaways and much more abound between 5th and Jefferson Streets in North Philadelphia at the 3rd Annual Latino Pride Festival. The festival is dedicated to the memory of Latino community leader Sr. Joaquin Rivera.

**EqualityPA is looking for volunteers in the Philadelphia area to help us table at the Latino Pride Festival on Saturday, June 5. If interested, contact Mason at mlane@equalitypa.org or call (215) 731-1447 x18.**

June 4-13: Pittsburgh Pride Week

WHEN: Friday June 4 to Sunday June 13

WHERE: Variable, click here for schedule of events.

WHAT: Pride is a celebration of diversity in the Pittsburgh region, a celebration of who we are, where we have been and, most importantly, where we are going. This year you’ll find many fantastic events starting with the kick-off rally featuring activist Cleve Jones, to the Pub Crawl, to Pride in the Street featuring R&B superstar Deborah Cox, and culminating with the Pride March and day-long family friendly PrideFest.

**EqualityPA is looking for volunteers in the Pittsburgh area to help us table at PrideFest on Sunday, June 13. If interested, contact Mason at mlane@equalitypa.org or call (215) 731-1447 x18.**

Click here for more information!

June 12: 2010 Philly Dyke March

WHEN: Saturday June 12, 3:00pm

WHERE: Kahn Park (11th and Pine Streets)

WHAT: From the PDM facebook event site: "The Philly Dyke March is not a parade. It's a march, a protest, a movement. It’s a statement that as ‘dykes’ we must organize ourselves to fight for our visibility, our rights, and against the injustices we face in our society. The Dyke March is also a celebration of who we are, who we love, and the diversity amongst our community. We welcome Dykes of all races, sizes, ages, abilities, socio-economic statuses, gender presentations, and sexualities. And if you love women but aren’t too comfortable with the term ‘Dyke’, we welcome you too! We also welcome our allies to join us in the park or cheer for us along the parade route!"

Click here for more information!

June 13: Philadelphia Pride Day

WHEN: Sunday June 13

WHERE: Click here for the parade route and more information

WHAT: From PhillyPride.org: "The first official Pride Parade was organized in an impromptu fashion at the end of the 1980s and was intended to coincide with rally planned by the Lesbian and Gay Task Force at Love Park. It was so successful that community members met and started an organization (Lesbian & Gay Pride of the Delaware Valley, Inc.) whose goal was to produce a parade and festival at Penn's Landing each year to continue the community outreach and visibility that was achieved with that one rally. That organization evolved into what we know today as Philly Pride Presents. And that first rally grew into the largest celebration of LGBT pride in the region, now attracting over 25,000 people each year."

**EqualityPA is looking for volunteers in the Philadelphia area to help us table at PrideDay on Sunday, June 13. If interested, contact Mason at mlane@equalitypa.org or call (215) 731-1447 x18.**

Click here for more information!

June 19: Lancaster Pride Festival

WHEN: Saturday June 19

WHERE: Buchanan Park (Behind F&M College)

WHAT: This outdoor festival features an array of local talented entertainment, varied vendor offerings from arts and crafts to pride regalia, and a full menu of food offerings. The Lancaster Pride Festival celebrates the lives of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans-gendered, Inter-sexed and Questioning folks as well as their Allies.

**EqualityPA is looking for volunteers in the Lancaster area to help us table at the Lancaster Pride Festival on Saturday, June 19. If interested, contact Mason at mlane@equalitypa.org or call (215) 731-1447 x18.**

Click here for more information!

Equality Pennsylvania's mission is to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Pennsylvania through coalition-building, advocacy, education and policy reform.

Harrisburg and Central PA friendraiser for EqualityPA

2010-05-19T13:53:00.002-04:00

Honesty is the best policy, right?

So is it right to fire someone for living their lives honestly and openly

as a member of the LGBT Community?

Of course it isn’t, but in Pennsylvania it is perfectly legal to do just that.

If this fact astonishes and offends you like it does us, then

join us in supporting the only statewide organization fighting

to change that injustice.

Syngred Briddell, Chris Gatesman,

Ted Martin and Lauren Barr

Cordially invite you to support

Founded in 1996 as the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, Equality Pennsylvania (Equality PA) has a long and rich history as the only organization in the Commonwealth advocating exclusively for the rights of LGBT Pennsylvanians!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

7:00 pm-9:00 pm

Light Refreshment and Wine

The Mantis Collective Gallery

1306 N. 3rd Street

Harrisburg, PA 17102

Hosts $100

Attendees $30

Suggested contributions: $50 $100 $250 $500

RSVP to Ted Martin at Theo65@aol.com

Contributions are payable to: EqualityAdvocatesPennsylvania

If you cannot attend but would like to make a contribution to support EqualityPA, you may mail a check payable to: “EqualityAdvocatesPennsylvania” to:

221 N. Front St., 3rd Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101

1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 605 Philadelphia, PA 19107

Taylor, Briggs seek to strengthen bullying prevention policies in Pa. schools

2010-05-19T13:32:00.001-04:00

State Reps. Rick Taylor and Tim Briggs, both D-Montgomery, joined by Bryan Lentz, D-Delaware, unveiled legislation they are introducing to strengthen bullying policies in Pennsylvania's public schools during a news conference at Radnor Middle School.

"No child should feel so hopeless that they would take their own life as a result of bullying, especially on a school's watch, Taylor said."This trend is becoming too predominant in Pennsylvania schools. The racially-motivated attacks on Asian-American students at South Philadelphia High School received national attention," Taylor said. "It is the intent of this legislation to empower students and teachers by providing them with the appropriate tools to address and control bullying and its dangerous ramifications."

Taylor and Briggs’ legislation would amend Pennsylvania's school code by expanding the language on bullying policy to apply it to incidences of harassment, intimidation and cyberbullying. In addition, the legislation would delineate to school administrators what actions they must take to provide notice and opportunities to report incidents, remedies for victims and harassment and bullying prevention training.

John Halligan, whose son Ryan committed suicide as a result of being bullied, was at the school giving a presentation to students about the dangers of bullying. Halligan has made it his life's mission to educate students, parents, and teachers throughout the nation about bullying, and is visiting several schools in Pennsylvania.

"I am very impressed with this effort to improve the bullying prevention law in Pennsylvania," said Halligan. "State laws are a necessary component of combating the issue, but unless schools follow through to see them carried out, then the words of those laws are only worth the paper they are printed on."

"Every child in Pennsylvania has the right to learn in an environment free from bullying and harassment and where they feel safe," Briggs said. "Bullying causes major stress for its victims and can have far-reaching effects on their emotional health, well-being and educational success. We need to proactively address this issue in Pennsylvania schools before we hear stories like those in the news more frequently."

The legislation also would require the Department of Education to routinely review bullying policies and report its findings to the General Assembly. It also would make schools' access to state grants through the Safe Schools program contingent upon approval of their bullying policies and compliance with reporting procedures.

"It’s often said that kids can say the meanest things, and because of public outrage about victims like Ryan Halligan, we are hoping to receive strong support and quick movement on this legislation," Lentz said. "Sadly, bullies do not realize the long-term ramifications their actions have on their victims, and they often are also suffering from emotional problems themselves. Children on the receiving end of that abuse are usually too embarrassed, scared or lack the self-esteem to stand up for themselves and tell an adult. We cannot let children turn into a silent punching bag."

Taylor and Briggs are seeking co-sponsors on the legislation, which they plan to formally introduce in coming weeks.

Join us in Scranton, PA!

2010-05-13T12:59:00.001-04:00

Please join us for an OUTRAGEOUS night of friendraising!

Tomorrow Evening!

Friday, May 14th

5-9 pm

Wine/Beer, Cheese, Music, and Fun!

(Monetary donations will be welcomed!)

Outrageous & Anthology Books

515 Center Street

Scranton, PA

18503

(570)341-1443

outrageousonline@gmail.com

Equality Pennsylvania remains the preeminent LGBT advocacy organization for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and works collaboratively to establish a comprehensive network of individuals and organizations united in securing equal civil rights for the LGBT community.

Founded 15 years ago as the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights and later growing into Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, Equality Pennsylvania is the only organization in the Commonwealth advocating in Harrisburg and across the state exclusively for the rights of LGBT Pennsylvanians.

Hosted by Board Members: Joyce Avila, Jeff Brauer, and Paul Nardone

We've just named TED MARTIN our new Executive Director

2010-05-12T17:02:00.001-04:00

Harrisburg – Equality Pennsylvania (EqualityPA), the only organization advocating exclusively for the rights of the Commonwealth’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens, today announced the appointment of Ted Martin as its new Executive Director. Martin, who lives with his husband in Camp Hill outside of Harrisburg, will begin the position on June 1, 2010.

“After an extensive national search that lasted several months, the Search Committee and Board of Directors chose Ted because his talents were exceptional and uncommon, his commitment to equality profound and his passion for the work infectious,” explained Board president, Brian Sims of Philadelphia. “And while we know that as an organization we have much to do to ensure that EqualityPA more fully becomes a representative of our entire statewide constituency, the Board has full confidence that Ted is the perfect person to help us meet that challenge.”

Martin comes to the position after an extensive career in politics and non-profit management. From nearly ten years with the US House of Representatives, to a stint as an executive director running Harrisburg’s architectural preservation organization, Historic Harrisburg Association, to his current role with the Department of Community and Economic Development as the Executive Director of Economic Development Marketing, his career has been marked by building successful organizations from the ground up.

He has also been deeply involved with the Central Pa LGBT community where he has led the LGBT business association and the board of the LGBT youth group, Common Roads. He currently serves as president of the board of The LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA. In early 2009, Martin successfully presided over the merger of Common Roads and the Community Center Coalition.

“I can’t think of a more incredible opportunity for me to serve than this,” Martin said. “It really is an honor. I have a great Board of Directors full of committed and smart people, terrific staff and wonderful volunteers and I feel very lucky that the skills needed to make this a success have been sharpened by what I have done in the past.” In fact, Sims pointed to this very fact as one major reason why Martin’s candidacy was successful. “It really wasn’t lost on us that in his working life, Ted has been a successful communicator, administrator, advocate and coalition-builder. These are all going to be vitally necessary strengths Ted is going to have to call on as we move the organization forward,” Sims remarked.

Martin also recognizes the unique challenges he and the organization face. “I know that in the coming months this job is going to involve equal amounts of listening and talking. I intend to get out into the state to hear what the members of the LGBT Community want and expect of EqualityPA, and I am hopeful that this will only be the beginning of an ongoing conversation. That, in and of itself, is a huge task,” he explained, “but this conversation will be central to our long term goal of making the Commonwealth’s LGBT community a real force in politics and policymaking.”

Martin will be based in EqualityPA’s Harrisburg Office, with office hours in their Philadelphia location. The organization is currently in discussions to open an additional office in the Commonwealth.

Founded in 1996 as the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, the mission of EqualityPA is to achieve equality for LGBT Pennsylvanians through legislative and policy changes, education and outreach. It is estimated that EqualityPA’s various activities have reached over 25,000 people throughout the Commonwealth.

VICTORY! Discriminatory Marriage Bill Tabled in Senate Committee!

2010-03-19T14:57:00.007-04:00

This Tuesday the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee cast an historic vote to keep discrimination out of the State Constitution. In a bipartisan 8-6 vote, the committee voted to "table" the bill. Though through procedure the bill may be brought up again this session, the discriminatory and divisive bill is effectively dead.

The bill, sponsored by Senator John Eichelberger Jr. (R-30), would have amended the constitution to read, “Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid and recognized as a marriage in this commonwealth.”

The vote before a “packed hearing room” crossed political and regional boundaries as three Republicans joined five Democrats in a vote to table the bill. According to the Judiciary Committee Chairman Stewart Greenleaf--who voted against the motion to table--the bill was a “referendum on gay marriage” and “the measure would not be brought up again this session.”

While this marks the third time in four years that the issue of same-sex marriage has been taken up in the legislature it is the first time that proponents of equality won on a straight up-down vote. This also marks the first time that Sens. Mary Jo White (R-21) and Lisa Boscola (D-18) voted against a bill that would have led to a Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

Though a state law passed in 1996 currently prevents same-sex marriages, those in favor of the resolution had expressed concern that a lawsuit might be able to overturn the law unless a ban was written into the constitution. Equality Pennsylvania’s Mason Lane said that there was “no legal case waiting to challenge the state law.”

The only current avenue of achieving marriage equality in Pennsylvania would be Senator Daylin Leach’s SB 935, which currently has only a single co-sponsor.

We’ll continue to keep you posted on news of marriage equality in Pennsylvania.

March 2010 E-Newsletter

2010-03-08T15:05:00.002-05:00

This is a copy of our March 2010 E-Newsletter. In addition to updates on events, functions, and action alerts, our monthly e-newsletter is delivered via e-mail to more than 20,000 supporters, friends, and activists. To sign up to receive e-updates from Equality Pennsylvania click HERE (or copy and paste the following link into your web browser: http://eqfed.org/center4civilrights/join.html?r=U7se5ndaQEB3E).

In this Issue:

1. PA Superior Court delivers WIN to LGBT Pennsylvanians!

2. Update on Managing Director Jake Kaskey

3. We're opening a Harrisburg office next month! Support our partner organization who made this possible!

4. We'll be in Harrisburg this weekend for the TransCentralPA Second Annual Keystone Conference, will YOU be there?

5. TAKE ACTION - Help pass LGBT-inclusive Hate Crimes legislation

6. Dialing for Equality: March phone-banks

7. Attend our workshop at Drexel University on March 30!

PA Superior Court grants custody rights to LGBT parents in Pennsylvania: On February 25, in a 7-1 decision, the PA Superior Court issued an opinion that overturned 25 years of precedent in which homsexual relationships were deemed to have an "adverse effect on [a] child" in custody cases. The decision by the state Superior Court reflects the progression of child custody laws in Pennsylvania, as attitudes and sentiments toward LGBT issues begins to become more favorable.

For a link to an article about the decision in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette click HERE.

Jake Kaskey on medical leave, nationwide search for permanent Executive Director well underway: As many of you are already aware, Managing Director Jake Kaskey was hospitalized for several weeks in late January and early February. Thankfully, he is now at home with friends and family recovering, but the process will take some time. We wish him a full and speedy recovery and cannot wait to see him back to working the halls of the State Capitol for full equality!

A nation-wide search for a full-time, permanent Executive Director is underway and a state-wide search committee has already begun reviewing applications. We hope to have the position filled soon.

Click HERE to view the job posting and position description.

We're opening a Harrisburg office thanks to The LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA: Please consider supporting our friends at our partner organization, The LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA. With their help and support, we will be opening a Harrisburg office next month.

Are you looking to do some good? If so, then here’s your chance.

Equality PA is committed to helping all of Pennsylvania's LGBT organizations thrive and grow, so we are proud to showcase our partner organization in Central PA, The LGBT Community Center Coalition. Dedicated to finding common ground for ALL the LGBT Citizens who live and work throughout the eight midstate counties the Center represents, their mission is grass-roots driven and equality-powered and it relies heavily on the generosity of the public. They are producing terrific programming for adults and youth on a shoestring budget and have become a leading advocate for LGBT rights and visibility in an area that doesn’t always welcome dialogue on gay issues. Their dedication to our cause makes it easy for Equality PA to encourage you to make a donation, and they can be sent to:

The LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA
221 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101

OR visit www.centralpalgbtcenter.org to make an online donation

For more information: (717) 920-9534

We'll be attending the Second Annual Keystone Conference, "A Celebration of Gender Diversity" hosted by TransCentralPA the weekend of March 12: We will be participating in a workshop at the Keystone Conference on legal advocacy relating to name change and other identity documentation issues facing Pennsylvania's transgender community. Attendees of the conference will find three full days of varied and meaningful workshops and seminars and three nights of social functions, the finale being Saturday night’s gala dinner and dance in the Sheraton’s resplendent ballroom.

For more information about the conference click HERE.

TAKE ACTION - Help Pass LGBT-Inclusive Hate Crimes Legislation: Thanks to you, late last year, House Bill 745, an LGBT-inclusive Hate Crimes bill passed the PA House Judiciary Committee with massive bipartisan support in an 18-8 vote. We expect the entire Pennsylvania House of Representatives to vote on this legislation in the near future, so now is the time to ask your representatives to vote for this important bill. HB 745 would amend the Title 18 Ethnic Intimidations Act to define crimes against individuals based on “actual or perceived ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity” as ethnic intimidation, or hate crimes.

To access the Action Alert and send a letter to your representative, click HERE.

Dialing for Equality: come to our March phone-banks on Tuesday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 24: Already sent a letter to your Representative? Want to further advocate for equality?

Then join us on Tuesday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 24 in calling our supporters across the Commonwealth and asking them to contact their legislators. Phone-Banking is very fun, very easy, and is a great way to get involved in the fight for full equality for LGBT Pennsylvanians. We'll be meeting from 6:00-8:00pm in our Philadelphia office at 1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 605. For more information, or to RSVP e-mail Mason (mlane@equalitypa.org) or click HERE.

Learn about the current state of LGBT rights in the U.S. and Pennsylvania at Drexel University on March 30: Representatives from EqualityPA will be conducting a workshop at Drexel University with members of the Foundation of Undergraduates for Sexual Equality (FUSE), Drexel's undergraduate LGBT organization. The workshop will focus on the current state of LGBT rights both at the federal and state levels. In addition to an overview of the current political landscape, participants will also discuss and explore different ways to catalyze change both on a national scale and back home in their communities. Keep an eye out for further updates as the time and location are still TBA.

Equality Pennsylvania's mission is to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Pennsylvania through coalition-building, advocacy, education and policy reform.

2010 - Much to do!

2010-01-21T12:42:00.001-05:00

With 2010 already in full swing here at EQPA, we have much to do. In just a few weeks a full House floor vote is expected on HB745, an LGBT-inclusive Hate Crimes bill introduced by PA Rep. Josh Shapiro (D - 153). The bill passed out of the House Judiciary Committee in November of '09 with massive bipartisan support by an 18-8 vote. If this bill is to pass the full House, however, legislators need to hear from YOU! Click HERE to go to EQPA's Take Action page and send an email to your legislator asking him or her to SUPPORT HB745.

Even though President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act at the federal level, a state-level bill is now needed to FULLY protect LGBT Pennsylvanians. With your continued activism and support we can allay the fears of many LGBT Pennsylvanians, a group that is disproportionately represented among hate crimes' victims.

We've been calling through legislators whipping votes and making sure we have the support to pass the bill. This is a battle we can and will win with YOUR support! Click HERE to contact your State Representative and ask them to VOTE FOR HB745.

The Week in Review

2009-12-10T15:07:00.000-05:00

New Jersey Gay Marriage Bill
Last night the New Jersey state Sentate Judiciary Committee voted 7 to 6 to hand down a bill to the full Senate that would legalize gay marriage in NJ. The legislation was scheduled to head to the full Senate today, Thursday, December 10th, but has been delayed due to fear that the bill does not have enough votes. According to gay365.com, "Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts has not committed to posting the bill." Let's just hope that we can get enough Senate votes to pass it before time runs out in January.

Annise Parker the first Openly Gay Mayor of Houston, TX?
Annise Parker has been facing a lot of opposition from anti-LGBT forces in her race to become Mayor of Houston. Yet polls show she has a slight lead over her opponent and this weekend could become Houston, TX's first openly gay mayor. Parker and her life partner, Kathy Hubbard, have been together for almost 20 years and have two children. (Click here for more information about the opposition she's been facing.)

Comprehensive Sex Education in Pennsylvania?
A new bill in the Pennsylvania legislature would flip the 'opt-out' for sex education. The current policy "allows parents an opt-out if, for religious or other reasons, they'd prefer their kids don't get comprehensive education" (examiner.com). This comprehensive education includes information on birth control and pregnancy prevention as well as how to prevent sexually transmitted infections. "The new bill, sponsored by Represenatative Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Luzerne, would require public schools to notify parents if the sex-ed curriculum teaches only abstinence when it comes to preventing pregnancy and the spread of disease" (examiner.com).

This bill is something we should all push for. Current abstinence-only education overlooks and ignores those in the LGBT community and puts all young persons at a disadvantage. According to examiner.com, "abstinence-only education programs have been proven to have no effect at all on the sexual activity of teenagers who participate in them." This means that while teenagers are still having sex, they are uninformed on how to protect themselves from disease and pregnancy.

Another Loss for Marriage Equality

2009-12-03T16:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, quite unfortunately, the New York State Senate voted down a bill that would have ended marriage discrimination in their state. Both the ACLU and the HRC expressed their disappointment in the state senate's failure to legalize same-sex marriages, the vote being 38 to 24 against.

This is a disappointment not only for New Yorkers and for the equal marriage rights movement in general, but also specifically for those in New Jersey who had been hoping that similar legislation would come up in the state congress. According to 365gay.com, "It’s going to help cement defeat for gay marriage in New Jersey, and [could] get a whole bunch of politicians in New Hampshire who voted for gay marriage this year pretty nervous when they come up for election.”

The fact is that as all these equal marriage movements are defeated, it gets harder and harder for others states to have success. The passing of issue 1 in Maine and now the defeat of equal marriage in New York are creating painful disappointment in the LGBT community.

But there is hope. According to NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman, "this is only a temporary setback in our campaign to protect all New York families. The majority of New Yorkers support fair marriage laws that protect lesbian and gay families, and the day will come when we achieve that goal."

If there is hope in New York, than there is hope in New Jersey, and there is hope across the country. There will come a day when the goal of equality for the LGBT community is achieved. But we must hold on and keep strong until that day comes.

Sources:
ACLU Website: "NYCLU: Senate's Failure to Pass Marriage is Disappointing..."
365gay.com: Gay-marriage opponents welcome NY bill’s defeat

HRC Website: New York Senate Rejects Marriage Bill for Same-Sex Couples

Washington D.C. Council Votes to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage!

2009-12-01T15:46:00.001-05:00

Good news out of the District of Columbia today as the D.C. Council voted 11-2 to pass a bill legalizing marriage for same-sex couples within the District!

The bill must still be voted on once more by the D.C. Council--which is schedule to take place in two weeks, December 15--before it can be sent to Mayor Adrian Fenty, who has pledged to sign it into law. According to the District's legislative protocols, the U.S. Congress has a thirty day window to review the bill, but both chambers (House and Senate) and the President's signature are required to repeal any bill passed by the Council.

If the bill passes as expected, it should go into effect as early as February or March, and Washington D.C. will join Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Iowa, and Massachusetts in allowing same-sex marriage.

5 Elections to Watch

2009-11-30T13:26:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Now it's time to get back to work.

Even though the majority of elections were decided on November 3, there are still five races important to the LGBT community headed to run-off elections. The Victory Fund has endorsed five openly LGBT candidates still running for public office in Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia:

Annise Parker: Houston will become the largest U.S. city ever to elect an openly LGBT mayor if she wins this incredibly close runoff election.

Alex Wan: Alex is well-positioned to become the first openly gay man and first Asian-American ever elected to office in Atlanta.

Simone Bell: Simone will become the first openly lesbian Africa-American elected to a state legislature in the U.S. if she wins this race for the Georgia State House.

Sue Lovell: Sue is an at-large member of the Houston City Council who's been open and honest about her sexual orientation for years, and because of that she's been a strong voice for equality in Houston city government. She's running for her third and final two-year term.

Lane Lewis: Lane hopes to join Sue on the Houston City Council and add his expertise as former teacher, appointed official and civic activist.

One Year Out: 2010 PA Governor's Race

2009-11-19T13:41:00.009-05:00

With less than 348 days until Pennsylvania voters go to the polls on Tuesday, November 2 to elect the next Governor, and just under 6 months before the Primary in May, EQPA has a brief update on the players in the 2010 PA Governor's race. (click each candidates' name to be directed to their campaign website. Incumbent party is listed first. Details courtesy of Politics1.com)

Democrats:

Chris Doherty - Mayor of Scranton
Joe Hoeffel - Montgomery County Commissioner, Former U.S. Congressman and '04 U.S. Senate Candidate
Tom Knox - Businessman and '07 Philadelphia Mayoral Candidate
Dan Onorato - Allegheny County Executive, former Pittsburgh City Councilman
Jack Wagner - State Auditor General, Former State Senator, Former Pittsburgh Council President

Republicans:

Tom Corbett - Attorney General, Former U.S. Attorney
Jim Gerlach - Congressman, Former State Senator and Representative
Robert Allen Mansfield - Businessman
Sam Rohrer - State Representative, Businessman

Independents:

Rich Gordon - Truck Driver, Former Businessman, and Retired Port Authority Worker

Early polling data can be found here and here.

Needless to say, the race is pretty crowded as of now. As Primary season heats up early next year, however, expect several weaker players to drop out. EQPA will try and give more in-depth analysis as the candidates' positions and views on issues important to the LGBT community become clearer.

A Vote on the Hate Crimes Bill!

2009-11-17T11:07:00.003-05:00

Just this morning the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee voted to PASS HB745, to amend the Title 18 Ethnic Intimidations Act to define crimes against "actual or perceived ... sexual orientation, or gender identity" as ethnic intimidation, a.k.a. hate crimes!

The bill was passed with 18 yea votes, which is more than we had anticipated! (Compared to only 8 no votes.) The form letters that you folks signed surely helped the vote! Thanks to all those who signed letters and to all those volunteers that helped us get them addressed and sent out.

We are one step closer to having a Hate Crimes bill that protects victims of violence on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The next step is for the bill to be put before the whole House for a vote.

We'll continue to send out the form letters we have to encourage representatives to bring it to a vote and vote YES. If you would like to contact your house representative to encourage them to do so yourself, you can find your representative HERE by entering your address into the "look up your legislator" link on our website.

Poll Results Look Promising

2009-11-11T15:28:00.004-05:00

Good news in nearby Massachusetts, polls are showing support for passing legislation to protect transgender people. According to the GLAD website: "A new poll shows that 76% of Massachusetts voters, including 81% of women, support passing a law prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in employment, housing, and public accommodations." This number was higher than anticipated and it's an important factor in getting a non-discrimination bill passed.

This is good news for Pennsylvanians too. Generally, the more states that pass non-discrimination bills the easier it will be to pass one in our own congress. Plus, the more studies that show people are for protecting the LGBT community from discrimination the more evidence we have on our side to help create policies that protect us all!

What the House Health Care Bill Means for LGBT Americans

2009-11-09T16:07:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives completed the first step to passing health care reform with the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act by a vote of 220 to 215.

While the bill is controversial on a number of fronts, it does contain key provisions protecting LGBT citizens and families:

- Health Disparities
- Unequal Taxation of Domestic Partner Benefits
- Early Treatment for HIV under Medicaid
- Comprehensive Sex Education
- Non-discrimination

Click HERE for the Human Rights Campaign's breakdown of these provisions.

The bill now moves to the Senate for debate and possibly a vote. Check back with EQPA for further updates and news as health care reform moves forward.

The Week in LGBT News

2009-11-06T12:00:00.010-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone! This week brought much success to the LGBT trenches with over 50 LGBT candidates elected to public office across the country. Here in Pennsylvania, all six LGBT candidates up for election were elected to office.

Philadelphia's Common Pleas Court candidate Dan Anders, the first openly gay judge appointed by Governor Ed Rendell in 2007, was elected to the court for the first time last night. Also in Philadelphia, Municipal Court Judge candidate Dawn Segal won. And finally, Harrisburg City Councilman Dan Miller was elected Harrisburg City Controller, Sharyn Keiser was elected New Hope Councilmember, Karl Marking was elected to the Coatesville City Council, and Lori Schreiber was elected to the Abington Township Commission last night.

Click here for a complete listing of LGBT candidates and their election results across the country.

In national news, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held hearings this week on the Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. The committee posted the full text of their hearings.

Find your local Senator here, and tell them to SUPPORT the federal ENDA.

Also, Governor Patterson of New York has put gay marriage on the agenda for the Empire State's special legislative session.

While most commentators and pundits will be talking about the gay marriage setback in Maine in the days and weeks to come, we must never forget that marriage equality is not the ONLY problem facing LGBT Americans and Pennsylvanians. Employment discrimination, health care, schoolyard bullying, hate crimes, and equal protection in public accomodations are all areas in which LGBT Pennsylvanians have a vested interest.

Remember: the Maine legislature passed LGBT non-discrimination FOUR times before the voters let it stand. We'll be back in Maine, and we will win.

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once wrote, "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it curves toward justice."

We need to continue our efforts to make sure that it does.

Voters Uphold Equality for LGBT Citizens As Openly-Gay Candidates Win Across the Country, Six Openly-Gay Candidates Win across Pennsylvania

2009-11-04T13:05:00.004-05:00

*This is a Press Release. Further in-depth analysis including coverage of election contests of note across the country will be posted shortly*

Voters in Kalamazoo, Michigan and Washington State yesterday upheld legislation that provides equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as dozens of openly-gay candidates were voted into elected office across the country. With voters, at times overwhelming, supporting pro-equality issues and candidates, local municipalities and states across the country continue their movement toward providing full equality for LGBT people.

“With last night's overwhelming victory in the heartland of America, and openly-gay candidates running and winning races from all parts of the country, it is undeniable that Americans every day grow more accepting and welcoming of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people no matter which part of the country you live in,” said Jake Kaskey, Policy and Programs Director for Equality Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania's leading LGBT advocacy organization. “Thousands of people voted for equality and fairness yesterday, and together continued to create stronger and more welcoming cities and states across America.”

Sixty-five percent of Kalamazoo voters approved Ordinance 1856 which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The ordinance originally passed the city commission in late 2008 but was challenged by opponents with a petition drive.

Openly-gay candidates also found success at the polls, as 50 openly-gay candidates won their election last night, including six in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia's Common Pleas Court candidate Dan Anders, the first openly gay judge appointed by Governor Ed Rendell in 2007, was elected to the court for the first time last night. Also in Philadelphia, Municipal Court Judge candidate Dawn Segal won. Finally, Harrisburg City Councilman Dan Miller was elected Harrisburg City Controller, Sharyn Keiser was elected New Hope Councilmember, Karl Marking was elected to the Coatesville City Council, and Lori Schreiber was elected to the Abington Township Commission last night. Other historic elections for openly-gay candidates occurred in: Houston, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; St. Petersburg, Florida; Akron, Ohio; and Maplewood, Minnesota, among other places.

“Those who care about equality saw self-identified LGBT candidates and voters reaffirm their commitment to equal rights across the country and throughout Pennsylvania” Kaskey said. “It’s time the Pennsylvania legislature recognizes that basic protections for everyone, and equality for all people, is something our citizens demand from its government.”

Although ballots are still being counted, voters in Washington State will likely pass Referendum 71 which reaffirms the state's domestic partnership law passed earlier this year that expands the rights, responsibilities, and obligations of same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses. Voters are currently approving Referendum 71 by a 51.13 to 48.87% margin. Voters in Maine, however, reversed a law that provided marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples last night by a three-point margin.

As openly gay candidates found success with voters, the one Reading city councilmen who voted against prohibiting discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identity or expression earlier this year in Reading. Stephen Fuhs, the lone dissenting vote against expanding discrimination protections to LGBT people, lost his reelection campaign yesterday. Reading became the 16th municipality in Pennsylvania to protect LGBT citizens from discrimination with a 6-1 vote in September.

"Love Conquers Hate!"

2009-10-29T13:54:00.012-04:00

Hey everyone!

Yesterday history was made when President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law!

Finally, after more than ten years since Matthew Shepard, a Wyoming college student who was brutally murdered in an act of hate violence in 1998, and James Byrd, an African-American man who was dragged to death in Jasper, Texas an inclusive hate crimes bill has been passed. According to the HRC website, "the new law gives the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence where the perpetrator has selected the victim because of the person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability."

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese commented, “Today’s signing of the first major piece of civil rights legislation to protect LGBT Americans represents a historic milestone in the inevitable march towards equality. Although this is a major step in fighting the scourge of hate violence, it is not the end of the road. As a community, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to changing not only laws but also hearts and minds."

Let's remember folks, our work is not yet done, so let's keep on making history!

Hello Bloggers

2009-10-28T14:03:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to post a short introduction of myself.

I'm Mer Holman, an intern here at Equality Advocates. I work in the policy department on things like outreach, research, policy, volunteer organizing and coalition work.

I am usually very busy here at Equality Advocates working on projects like developing and expanding the Value All Families Coalition and organizing form letters to be sent out to your state representatives and senators on issues like Hate Crimes legislation, House Bill 300 and opposing the Marriage Protection Amendment.

I am looking forward to getting involved with volunteers and working towards progressive and inclusive legislation!

Real Good Week!

2009-10-23T12:34:00.009-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! This has been a pretty good week for LGBTers across America.

First, HUD announced widespread policy changes to include LGBT Americans and end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in HUD programs.

Then, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to establish a national resource center to assist communities in providing much-needed resources to older LGBT Americans.

And now, the Senate has voted 68-29 to pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act! All the bill needs is President Obama's signature and IT IS LAW!

HOO to the RAY! Progress is marching on! One of our over 1,400 fans on our facebook fan page said it best: "the baby steps are getting a little bigger."

Let's keep this momentum going, we've got more work to do!

Letter from the Executive Director

2009-10-21T15:14:00.002-04:00

Friends,

I want to let all of you know about an exciting new development at Equality Advocates Pennsylvania (“EAP”). In the course of restructuring EAP, about which Board President Brian Sims has written to you before, EAP’s Board determined it was necessary to make some fundamental decisions and changes.

The first decision was to expand the Board into a truly state-wide and diversified Board, an ongoing process that has so far added members from Pittsburgh, Lackawanna County and Bloomsburg and anticipates doubling in size over the next three months. The second decision was to bring this organization into alignment with other states’ equality organizations that have as their missions education, advocacy, and policy reform to achieve state equality goals. That means focusing EAP on education and creating Equality Pennsylvania as the advocacy and legislative lobbying entity in Pennsylvania. That also means establishing offices in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg to do the state-wide work with field officers and lobbying efforts. Equality Pennsylvania has been formed and an announcement about new offices will be made shortly.

The third decision and the reason for this letter is that EAP’s Board decided it is time for the direct legal services that EAP has delivered to the LGBT population to be housed at and delivered by a another organization. After much exploration, it became clear that Mazzoni Center, which serves the health needs of the LGBT population, is the logical place to offer legal services to the population it already serves. Mazzoni Center has agreed to expand its services and mission to include a Legal Services Department, utilizing the same personnel as now utilized by EAP, thereby ensuring the continuous availability to the LGBT community of the highest quality legal services that has always characterized EAP’s Legal Services Department. Legal service needs outside of the greater Philadelphia area will be handled by the Mazzoni Center in the same manner as EAP did, mostly by utilizing its referral base of cooperating attorneys.

Both organizations will work toward a smooth transition over the next several months.

In speaking with local foundations and funders and national funding sources, I have been heartened by their favorable reception of the decision to relocate legal services delivery as well as the other organizational changes being made here.

Naturally, expansion and contraction of organizations present both challenges and opportunities. It is an exciting time to be immersed in equality work in Pennsylvania and I am honored to be entrusted with operating the preeminent Pennsylvania equality organization as we move into its next phase. We need your moral, financial and volunteer support as never before and be assured that we will be contacting you for all three in the near future.

Sincerely yours,

Lynn G. Zeitlin, Esq.

Executive Director
Equality Advocates Pennsylvania

Dead Heat in Maine!

2009-10-20T15:04:00.004-04:00

There appears to be some good news about the Maine Peoples' Veto--a ballot initiative attempting to overturn the marriage equality law that passed earlier this year. According to a poll reported in Bay Windows, New Englands' largest LGBT newspaper, 51.8% of "likely" voters say they will vote "No" on measure 1, with just under 43% saying they will vote "Yes." Great news for those of us following the "No on 1" campaign to protect marriage equality in Maine!

With general polls in Maine opening on November 3 (early voting begins October 26), however, blogger "Joe. My. God." cites a poll conducted by Public Policy Polling that shows a 48-48% tie with 4% undecided.

Regardless of which poll is accurate, the only poll that matters is the one taken on Nov. 3. So if you live in Maine and aren't already, get involved, get out the vote, and help support marriage equality!

In more local news, if you live or will be in Philly tomorrow night at 6:00pm, don't forget to come by EQPA's October Philadelphia Volunteer Night, Part 2! at our offices in Center City at 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605. As usual, FREE food, great company, and bumpin' music will be provided! Hope to see you there!

"Out in the Silence" to be screened at PLGFF!

2009-10-16T16:24:00.009-04:00

Last month, EQPA partnered with filmmaker Joe Wilson to help stage screenings of his ground-breaking documentary "Out in the Silence", which tells the story of a Pennsylvania teen's struggle to come out and fight bigotry and prejudice in his small, rural PA town.

The film was screened at the first-ever Pennsylvania Equality Summit in State College, PA on September 26. And with the opening of the 24th Annual Pittsburgh International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival today, "Out in the Silence" will have another opportunity to share this poignant and emotional story of strength and courage.

"Out in the Silence" will be shown this Tuesday, October 20th at CMU in the McConomy Auditorium. Admission is FREE!

Hello!

2009-10-16T16:08:00.006-04:00

Hey, I'm Mason, the Eastern PA Field Organizer for Equality PA and I, along with some of the other staff members in the EQPA office will be regularly blogging about the goings-on in the LGBT-rights scene in PA.

With state legislators finally passing a budget and returning to work, EQPA will be working tirelessly to bring full equality to LGBT Pennsylvanians. In Pennsylvania it is STILL LEGAL to be fired from one's job simply because of one's sexual orientation or gender identity! That's why we are still fighting to pass HB300, which would end discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations, among others.

Check back for regular updates as the legislative session progresses.

Support Equality at Our October Philadelphia Volunteer Night!

2009-10-14T14:22:00.007-04:00

Did you know that in Pennsylvania it is STILL LEGAL to be fired from your job simply because of your sexual orientation or gender identity?

Join us tomorrow on Thursday night from 6:00-8:00pm at our Philadelphia offices (1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605) for our October Philadelphia Volunteer Night!

OUTfest was a huge success this past Sunday! We collected over 1,000 form letters urging our PA legislators to deliver full equality to LGBT Pennsylvanians. Join fellow activists and community members for a night of FREE food, great company, and tireless ADVOCACY!

Click HERE to RSVP. Or send an e-mail to Mason at mlane@equalitypa.org

If you've already RSVP'd, we'll see you then, and if you're on the fence, we need your support more than ever as we are still fighting to pass House Bill 300, which would finally expand non-discrimination coverage to Pennsylvanians on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and we are working to make sure that our legislators don't write discrimination into our state constitution with an amendment banning same-sex marriage.

So join us tomorrow night, 6:00pm at the Equality Pennsylvania offices at 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605 in Center City, Philadelphia!

Get INVOLVED! Get ENGAGED! ADVOCATE for EQUALITY!

Volunteer for Equality PA at Philly OUTfest!

2009-10-09T13:34:00.005-04:00

For those not attending the National Equality March, come join us at OutFest, this Sunday, October 11, as we work toward equality for the LGBT community! We need volunteers to staff our table throughout the day to collect petition letters in support of LGBT-friendly legislation.

We need volunteers for four 2-hour shifts throughout the day: 10:00am-12:00pm, 12:00-2:00pm, 2:00-4:00pm and 4:00-6:00pm.

If you can volunteer at our table, please contact Mason at PolicyEA@gmail.com or at (215) 731-1447 ext. 18 to sign up for a shift. Please be sure to include your full name, phone number, and the shift that you are interested in working.

For more information, click HERE.

Welcome to the Equality Pennsylvania Blog!

2009-10-09T13:15:00.004-04:00

Welcome to the Equality PA Blog! Check back here for regular updates about what's going on at Equality Pennsylvania and how YOU can get involved and support LGBT rights across the Commonwealth!

In the meantime, check out our Facebook Fan Page and become a fan to support LGBT equality!

And for more information about Equality Pennsylvania, visit: http://www.equalitypa.org