Obama to OK benefits for same-sex partners of federal workers

It's a start...

From CNN.com:

President Obama will sign a memorandum Wednesday granting health care and other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees, two senior administration officials said.

The signing will take place in the Oval Office and follows sharp criticism of the president over a Justice Department motion filed last week in support of the Defense of Marriage Act -- which opposes same-sex marriage -- that used the government's interest in opposing incestuous marriages to support its position against same-sex marriage.

Gay and lesbian advocates have also faulted the Obama administration for not moving to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bars officials from asking about a service member's sexual orientation but also bars the service member from revealing it.

The president rankled gay advocates before his inauguration when he named megachurch pastor the Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his swearing-in. Warren, in an interview with Belief.net, likened homosexuality to bestiality and incest. He also supported California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in that state.

During the Warren controversy, Obama -- who frequently spoke in favor of gay and lesbian rights during the campaign but has said he opposes same-sex marriage -- declared himself "a fierce advocate for gay and lesbian Americans."

Pride Month

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                     June 1, 2009

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

Legislature Evolution

From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Senate rejects domestic partnership veto

CARSON CITY -- After an emotional debate that brought tears to the eyes of some lawmakers, state senators voted 14-7 Saturday evening to override Gov. Jim Gibbons' veto of the domestic partnership bill.

The bill, which goes to the Assembly for a final vote today, would allow same- and opposite sex couples to secure domestic partner contracts that essentially give them the same rights and responsibilities as heterosexual married couples.

The vote on Senate Bill 283 came following a dramatic speech by state Sen. Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas, who said he had received many vulgar and even threatening calls from people who demanded that he vote against the bill.

Those kinds of calls do not mesh with "the Christian beliefs I was brought up with," Nolan said.

He added that the bill does not at all undermine the 2002 voter-approved constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

"We have an obligation to ensure equal rights to all our citizens," Nolan said. "I believe in my heart that I am doing the right thing,"

Nolan and state Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, who both voted against the bill when it was passed April 21 on a 12-9 Senate vote, then joined the 12 original supporters to override Gibbons' veto by the required two-thirds margin.

Rhoads said he got many e-mails from straight couples who would be helped by the bill and also was influenced by resort industry support of the measure.

"I think they made a good point," Rhoads said. "It isn't marriage; it's a domestic relationship. That's what swung my vote that way."

Harrah's Entertainment lobbied for the bill, contending that Las Vegas could lose the business of gays and lesbians if Gibbons' veto was not rejected.

The bill today goes back to the Assembly, which originally approved the bill 26-14. Two members were absent when the first vote was taken.

Two-thirds of the Assembly, 28 members, must vote to override Gibbons' veto or the bill dies.

Activists hope Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, and one other lawmaker who initially voted against the bill will vote to override the veto, giving the bill the votes needed to become law.

During the first tally in the Assembly, Kirkpatrick voted against the bill.

Some supporters had hoped for a Saturday night vote in the Assembly. But Assemblyman James Ohrenschall became ill earlier in the day and was briefly hospitalized.

Ohrenschall, D-Las Vegas, supported SB283 in the first Assembly vote. He is expected to return to the Legislature today.

In asking senators to override the veto, state Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, noted that legislative lawyers, the attorney general's office and numerous legal scholars opined that his bill does not conflict with the constitutional amendment making a marriage between a man and a woman.

Parks, the only openly gay member of the Legislature, said domestic partnerships are civil contracts that ensure couples can make important financial and medical decisions for each other.

Securing private contracts to take care of these matters can be expensive and "there is no guarantee the contracts will stand up," Parks said.

He said the bill would be of particular help to senior citizens.

"Our state is a haven for opposite-gender senior citizens who have retired here," Parks said. "Many of these folks have lost their previous spouses and often meet a second individual with whom to spend the balance of their lives but who do not wish to remarry."

Gibbons had vetoed the bill on the grounds that it was unconstitutional because it infringed on the 2002 voter-approved constitutional amendment.

State Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, a minister, blasted the bill, saying it thwarts the wishes of voters and is "against my character."

"We are saying to our citizens their votes do not matter," Washington said. "The bill is a slap in the face against the people of this great state."

Gary Peck, executive state director of the American Civil Liberties Union, hailed the vote.

"We are thrilled that the Senate had the vision to do the right thing to help ensure that every Nevadan has a better chance to live their lives responsibly and with the dignity we all deserve," Peck said. "We are optimistic that the Assembly will follow suit, and will thereby give everyone who cares about fairness and equality a chance to celebrate a great day in our state's history."

The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada also praised the vote.

"This was a resounding rejection of the governor's intolerance and it is wonderful to finally have something to celebrate," said Jan Gilbert, a PLAN lobbyist.

Gay and lesbian organizations also saluted the state Senate override.

"Today, we are one step closer to legally recognizing committed couples in Nevada who currently cannot get married or choose not to get married, but want the opportunity to recognize their relationships under state Law and the protections that will provide them," said Tod Story, a Gay and Lesbian Community Center board member in Las Vegas.

Rob's Big Gay Chip

Rob Thomas article in Huffington Post:

The Big Gay Chip on My Shoulder

I am a straight man, with a big gay chip on my shoulder.

A while back on my Twitter page (yes, I know how ridiculous it sounds), I mentioned that, if I believed in the devil, Pat Robertson might be him.

Being a fairly liberal-leaning guy with either liberal friends or Republican and Christian friends who don't believe that being one has anything to do with the other, I was surprised at how many people took offense to what I had to say.

These people weren't friends of Mr. Robertson but friends, apparently, of God. They had "spoken" with him and he had assured them that he was no friend of the gays. He also told them that he loved America more than any other country and was a huge fan of Dancing With the Stars.

The small controversy or "Twitter-versy" (patent on phrase pending) all started when I had made the mistake of asking why two people of the same sex shouldn't be able to make the same life-long commitment and (more importantly) under the same god, as straight people. Why can't my gay friends be as happily married as my wife and I? It seemed simple to me, but let me start off by telling you a series of things that I believe to be true:

I am a person who believes that people are born gay. I don't think you have any control over what moves you or to whom you're attracted. That's why it's called an attraction and not a choice.

I believe that America is a great nation of even greater people. I also believe that anyone who says that this is a "Christian nation" has RHS, or revisionist history syndrome, and doesn't realize that most of our founding fathers were either atheist or at least could see, even in the 1700s, that all through Europe at the time, religion was the cause of so much persecution that they needed to put into their brand new constitution a SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE so that the ideals of a group of people could never be forced onto the whole. (I also find it funny when people point out to me that it says "one nation under god" in our pledge of allegiance, not realizing that this was an addition made in 1954 during the communism scare of the McCarthy era. It's not surprising, however, knowing that these same people would punch me in the mouth if I called Jesus a Jew.)

I believe the fact that an atheist, who doesn't believe in God at all, is allowed to enter into the holy land of marriage while a gay Christian is not, shows that this law is arbitrary. Are we to believe that anyone who doesn't live their life according to the King James Bible isn't protected by the same laws that protect those who do? Using the same argument that I've seen on the 700 Club, that would mean that Jewish, Hindu, or Muslim weddings are also null and void.

I believe that to deny this right to the gay population is to say to them, "this god is not your god and he doesn't love you." There isn't one person who is against gay marriage that can give me a reason why it shouldn't be legal without bringing God or their religion into it. Still, I'm amazed at the audacity of a small, misdirected group of the ultra-conservative Christian right wing, to spend millions of dollars, in a recession, on advertisements to stop two men or women who love each other from being able to be married, but when you present any opposition to them, they accuse you of attacking their religion. Isn't it funny that the people who are the quickest to take someone's basic rights to happiness are always the loudest to scream when someone attacks their right to do so?

But this isn't a paper about religion. How could it be? Since we clearly have a separation of church and state, how could a conversation about laws have anything to do with religion at all? I'm writing about basic civil rights. We've been here before, fighting for the rights of African Americans or women to vote, or the rights of Jewish Americans to worship as they see fit. And, just as whites fought for African Americans or Christians for Jewish Americans, straight people must stand up and be a voice for gay people.

I've heard it said before, many times, that if two men or two women are allowed to join into a civil union together, why can't they be happy with that and why is it so important that they call it marriage? In essence, what's in a name?

A civil union has to do with death. It's essentially a document that gives you lower taxes and the right to let your faux spouse collect your insurance when you pass away. A marriage is about life. It's about a commitment. And this argument is about allowing people to have the right to make that commitment, even if it doesn't make sense to you. Anything else falls under the category of "separate but equal" and we know how that works out.

The support of legalizing gay marriage is in no way meant to change the ideals of the section of Christians who believe that homosexuality is a sin. But we should refuse to let other people's ideals shape the way we live our lives. Each of us has a short ride on this earth and as long as we stay in our lane, and don't affect someone else's ride, we should be allowed to drive as we see fit.

Day of Decision - Tuesday, May 26

On Tuesday, May 26, the California Supreme Court will announce its decision in the case to overturn Proposition 8. 

Day of Decision Events

Marriage Equality

Legislative Emancipation

From CNN.com:

Lawmakers voted in favor of same-sex marriage in New Hampshire and Maine on Wednesday, leaving Rhode Island as the only other New England state without legislation in favor of the issue.

Maine Gov. John Baldacci signed his state's same-sex marriage bill less than an hour after the legislature approved it.

"I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage," Baldacci, a Democrat, said in a statement released as he signed the bill.

But he raised the possibility that the citizens of the state would overturn the law, saying: "Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the state belongs to the people."

It was not immediately clear whether New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat who has questioned the need for such legislation, would sign the bill passed Wednesday by the legislature in his state. Lynch said last week he did not think the law is necessary because the state already recognizes civil unions.

If he does sign, his state will join New England neighbors Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts, which all have laws approving same-sex marriages. That would leave Rhode Island, which has same-sex marriage bills pending in its general assembly.

100 Days and Confused

From the LA Times Op Ed
By Bill Maher

If conservatives don't want to be seen as bitter people who cling to their guns and religion and anti-immigrant sentiments, they should stop being bitter and clinging to their guns, religion and anti-immigrant sentiments.

It's been a week now, and I still don't know what those "tea bag" protests were about. I saw signs protesting abortion, illegal immigrants, the bank bailout and that gay guy who's going to win "American Idol." But it wasn't tax day that made them crazy; it was election day. Because that's when Republicans became what they fear most: a minority.

The conservative base is absolutely apoplectic because, because ... well, nobody knows. They're mad as hell, and they're not going to take it anymore. Even though they're not quite sure what "it" is. But they know they're fed up with "it," and that "it" has got to stop.

Here are the big issues for normal people: the war, the economy, the environment, mending fences with our enemies and allies, and the rule of law.

And here's the list of Republican obsessions since President Obama took office: that his birth certificate is supposedly fake, he uses a teleprompter too much, he bowed to a Saudi guy, Europeans like him, he gives inappropriate gifts, his wife shamelessly flaunts her upper arms, and he shook hands with Hugo Chavez and slipped him the nuclear launch codes.

Do these sound like the concerns of a healthy, vibrant political party?

It's sad what's happened to the Republicans. They used to be the party of the big tent; now they're the party of the sideshow attraction, a socially awkward group of mostly white people who speak a language only they understand. Like Trekkies, but paranoid.

The GOP base is convinced that Obama is going to raise their taxes, which he just lowered. But, you say, "Bill, that's just the fringe of the Republican Party." No, it's not. The governor of Texas, Rick Perry, is not afraid to say publicly that thinking out loud about Texas seceding from the Union is appropriate considering that ... Obama wants to raise taxes 3% on 5% of the people? I'm not sure exactly what Perry's independent nation would look like, but I'm pretty sure it would be free of taxes and Planned Parenthood. And I would have to totally rethink my position on a border fence.

I know. It's not about what Obama's done. It's what he's planning. But you can't be sick and tired of something someone might do.

Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota recently said she fears that Obama will build "reeducation" camps to indoctrinate young people. But Obama hasn't made any moves toward taking anyone's guns, and with money as tight as it is, the last thing the president wants to do is run a camp where he has to shelter and feed a bunch of fat, angry white people.

Look, I get it, "real America." After an eight-year run of controlling the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court, this latest election has you feeling like a rejected husband. You've come home to find your things out on the front lawn -- or at least more things than you usually keep out on the front lawn. You're not ready to let go, but the country you love is moving on. And now you want to call it a whore and key its car.

That's what you are, the bitter divorced guy whose country has left him -- obsessing over it, haranguing it, blubbering one minute about how much you love it and vowing the next that if you cannot have it, nobody will.

But it's been almost 100 days, and your country is not coming back to you. She's found somebody new. And it's a black guy.

The healthy thing to do is to just get past it and learn to cherish the memories. You'll always have New Orleans and Abu Ghraib.

And if today's conservatives are insulted by this, because they feel they're better than the people who have the microphone in their party, then I say to them what I would say to moderate Muslims: Denounce your radicals. To paraphrase George W. Bush, either you're with them or you're embarrassed by them.

The thing that you people out of power have to remember is that the people in power are not secretly plotting against you. They don't need to. They already beat you in public.

Swine Stimulus

The much ballyhooed Swine Flu outbreak has got people wondering what kind of intervention plans do we have in place? Well, apparently not what we should have due to Republican opposition.

From Huffington Post:

GOP Stripped Flu Pandemic Preparedness From Stimulus

Remember way back in the day, President Obama delivered his Not Really The State Of The Union address, and the GOP trotted out Future Of The Republican Party Supra-Genius Bobbly Jindal to provide a rebuttal? Well, we all had some laughs, didn't we? Mainly because Jindal was all: "They want to spend stimulus money on volcano monitoring? Why everyone knows that the Hill Witch keeps tabs on our volcanoes by floating chicken bones in her own intestinal ichor!" And then Alaska's Mount Redoubt erupted, suggesting there might be something to this "let's monitor volcanoes with government-funded science" idea.

Well, as it turns out, volcano monitoring wasn't the only worthwhile public safety program that was deemed extravagant in the stimulus package, funding for pandemic preparation was axed as well. And playing a critical role was Susan Collins -- for whom the necessity of obtaining her vote is in inverse proportion to the intelligence she shows in policy making:

Famously, Maine Senator Collins, the supposedly moderate Republican who demanded cuts in health care spending in exchange for her support of a watered-down version of the stimulus, fumed about the pandemic funding: "Does it belong in this bill? Should we have $870 million in this bill No, we should not."

Even now, Collins continues to use her official website to highlight the fact that she led the fight to strip the pandemic preparedness money out of the Senate's version of the stimulus measure.

Naturally, it's tough to keep an economy stimulated if productivity gets diminished by a pandemic. And, hey, it turns out that the lack of a stable and well-funded public health infrastructure may not be so good for economic recovery as a whole:

On Monday, the question began to be answered, as Associated Press reported -- under the headline: "World Markets Struck By Swine Flu Fears" -- that: "World stock markets fell Monday as investors worried that a deadly outbreak of swine flu in Mexico could go global and derail any global economic recovery."

Before U.S. markets opened, the Wall Street Journal reported: "U.S. stock futures fell sharply Monday as the outbreak of deadly swine flu stoked fears that a possible recovery in the global economy could be derailed."

All of this is playing out at a time when HHS nominee sits on the sidelines, her nomination held up at the behest of pro-life organizations who want to paint her as the "Abortion Queen." The hold up is pointless - merely delaying the inevitable for "another week." Maybe the swine flu would be good enough to wait!

Tortuous Memos

Dick Cheney continues on his quixotic campaign: "Why is the administration hiding things? We need full disclosure of those torture memos."

Come again? The man who lived at a an undisclosed location for the past 8 years? The man who was the most secretive vice-president in history?

Click here to help send him back home to Wyoming.

Miss California's Dreaming

So what's the fuss over Miss California's answer in the Miss USA Pageant? It was a bad answer. Not just a bad point of view (which is is), but a bad answer. She says in her country, people can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. What exactly does that mean? What country is she from?

Perez Hilton certainly has his own personal agenda, and his foaming at the mouth is rarely articulate either. But the question was no more politically-charged than those asked by Keenan Thompson (Do you think that the US should have universal health care as a right of citizenship?), Kelly Monaco (Do you believe that taxpayers' money should be used to bailout struggling US companies?), and Claudia Jordan (Should we be pledging $40 million to Afghanistan for their elections?)

Those finalists didn't have a problem coming up with articulate, if nuanced, answers to the questions they were asked. She needs to pack up her make up kit and her big girl panties and head back to San Diego. She blew the answer. She lost. That's life in the big leagues.

Cheney Go Home

Has someone forgotten to tell Dick Cheney that he's no longer Vice-President? He's no longer a part of the government? He's no longer relevant? Apparently, he still thinks he's calling the shots:

Former Vice President Dick Cheney slammed President Obama again on Monday night during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity at Cheney's home in McLean, Virginia.

Cheney pointedly questioned the president's leadership, criticized Obama's overseas trips as "disturbing," said his handshake with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez was "not helpful," and strongly disagreed with the release of the torture memos.

"I've been concerned at the way we've been presented overseas... What I find disturbing is the extent to which he's gone to Europe and seemed to apologize profusely, been to Mexico and seemed to apologize there," said Cheney. "The world out there, both our friends and foes, will be quick to take advantage of that... I don't think we have much to apologize for.

Describing the Bush administration's policy as to "ignore" Chavez, Cheney said that Obama's handshake was "not helpful... You have people all across South America who are watching how we respond." He added, "The president needs to provide leadership... needs to distinguish between good [guys] and bad guys."

Finally, Cheney defended the use of waterboarding and other interrogation techniques, saying, "It worked. It's been enormously valuable in terms of saving lives and preventing another mass casualty attack on the US."

Cheney formally asked that the Obama administration to release what he claimed are memos that demonstrated the success of those techniques.

"One of the things that I find a little bit disturbing about this recent disclosure is they put out the legal memos, the memos that the CIA got from the Office of Legal Counsel, but they didn't put out the memos that showed the success of the effort," Cheney said.

Vermont is First to Allow Same-Sex Marriage by Vote

The Vermont Legislature just overrode the governor's veto of a bill allowing same-sex marriage in the state. Vermont's legislature is the first to successfully pass a same-sex marriage law. Way to go, Vermont!

From the Burlington Free Press:

MONTPELIER — The Vermont House has voted, 100-49 to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto of a bill that would allow same-sex marriage.

Vermont will become the fourth state to legalize marriages of gay and lesbian couples.

The others are Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa.

The Vermont Senate voted earlier this morning to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto of the same-sex marriage legislation.

The vote passed, 23-5.

Same-sex Marriage Legal in Iowa

From MSNBC:

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Supreme Court says the state's same-sex marriage ban violates the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples, making it the third state where gay marriage is legal.

In a unanimous ruling issued Friday, the court upheld a 2007 Polk County District Court judge's ruling that the law was unconstitutional.

In 2005, Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay rights organization, sued on behalf of six gay and lesbian Iowa couples in Polk County who were denied marriage licenses. Some of their children are also listed as plaintiffs.

The case was appealed to the state Supreme Court in 2007, after Polk County District Court Judge Robert Hanson agreed with the plaintiffs and ruled that the ban was unconstitutional.

Hanson's ruling prompted nearly two dozen people to apply for marriage licenses in the county, Iowa's most populous and home to Des Moines. Only one couple, Sean and Tim McQuillan of Ames, managed to get married before Hanson stayed his decision the next day. Their marriage stands, but its validity could depend on whether the state's high court sides with the Polk County judge.

During oral arguments before the Supreme Court in December, Des Moines lawyer Dennis Johnson argued the ban violated his clients' due process and equal protection rights.

"We are suggesting that everybody be able to participate equally in an institution that has existed since the beginning of this state," Johnson said during arguments.

Roger J. Kuhle, an assistant Polk County attorney, argued that the lower court's ruling for the plaintiffs violates the separation of powers and that the issue should be left to the Legislature.

"We are not here opposing the individual plaintiffs' sincerity. We are here because, in our view, the issue is one for the Legislature to decide as a matter of social policy," he told the seven-member Supreme Court.

During oral arguments, Chief Justice Marsha Ternus explained that the high court would determine whether the district court erred by finding that the same-sex marriage ban violated the state constitution, and whether it erred by not allowing the county's expert witness testimony.

The timing could be awkward for state lawmakers who are on track to end the legislative session in coming weeks.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, told reporters that it's "exceedingly unlikely" the Legislature would deal with the gay marriage issue this year, regardless of the court's ruling.

"This is the final step in a lengthy legal proceedings," said Gronstal. "We're going to wait and see that decision and review it before we take any action."

Around the nation, only Massachusetts and Connecticut permit same-sex marriage. California, which briefly allowed gay marriage before a voter initiative in November repealed it, allows domestic partnerships.

New Jersey and New Hampshire also offer civil unions, which provide many of the same rights that come with marriage. New York recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, and legislators there and in New Jersey are weighing whether to offer marriage. A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Vermont is before the state House.

Be Kind Belize

From Ambergris (Belize) Today newspaper. We met Colette when we were in San Pedro last year. Congrats, Colette!

Humane education is based on the concept that all life is precious and is practiced by teaching young people the value and importance of treating other living creatures with kindness. In Belize, probably more than most places in the world, the cycle of life is all around us. Belize is a country that treasures and values its natural resources and many Belizeans have worked hard to ensure that much of this beautiful country is kept as natural reserves. This means that some animals are now well protected and respected, but not all. Children in Belize may encounter many animals as they grow up, both domestic and wild, and it is important they learn about them.

It has been well established that children that learn to be kind to animals are also kinder to people, are better at communicating and are more likely to become helpful and caring members of the community as adults. Humane education also helps children develop better interpersonal skills such as speaking and listening while improving their attitudes towards caring for others. Humane Education promotes empathy and respect for all life.

Be Kind Belize has been developed by Colette Kase, a resident of San Pedro, who worked in the field of animal welfare and education for most of her career in the UK. She designed the program to compliment the Belize National Curriculum, enabling schools to take part while fulfilling their educational obligations.

As well as providing a full humane education program for free to any school in San Pedro, Be Kind Belize also organizes educational talks for children, such as the recent tour of schools undertaken by Marisa Tellez from the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES), who gave an exciting presentation to children about crocodiles in San Pedro. Be Kind Belize is also creating an Educator’s Pack and will provide free training to any teacher or educator, who wishes to introduce the program to their school and run it ‘in house’.

Colette is currently teaching the program at Island Academy and will be working with Holy Cross School at the end of the month, where Be Kind Belize has already done a number of educational talks for the children.

Colette Kase says, “The children of San Pedro are so bright and enthusiastic and they just seem to be so excited about learning how to protect the environment and save it for generations to come. But we don’t just teach about the environment - Be Kind Belize teaches children to be kind to themselves, kind to others and kind to animals. The workshops are fun and interactive and the kids have a great time participating, making teaching and learning a wonderful experience.”

The children in the Be Kind Belize class at Island Academy were given a homework assignment to create a presentation about an endangered native species in Belize. They worked in teams and produced fantastic posters, while also giving a talk to their classmates about the animal they had researched. Everyone was delighted and stunned at how much work the children put into their projects and how excited they were about presenting them. It seems clear that kids love the Be Kind Belize program.

Be Kind Belize is available to all schools in San Pedro for free. It is an eight-part program, which can be adapted to any school schedule.

Gay Marriage Coming to Vermont?

From CNN.com:

The Vermont Senate voted overwhelmingly Monday to legalize same-sex marriage, potentially setting the stage for a high-profile legislative showdown and breaking a new political barrier in the state that made history in 2000 by becoming the first to approve civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.

If the bill becomes law, Vermont will become the first state to legalize same-sex marriage without being forced to do so by the courts.

The bill, which passed the 30-member chamber by a 26-4 margin, moves to the Vermont House, where it is also expected to be approved. Republican Gov. Jim Douglas, however, has said he doesn't support the bill.

"Gov. Douglas agrees with President Obama that marriage is between a man and a woman. He supports Vermont's current civil union law, which provides equal rights, benefits and responsibilities to Vermonters in civil unions," Douglas spokeswoman Dennise Casey said.

He also "believes this bill is a distraction from the important work the Legislature needs to do to pass a responsible budget and get our economy going again," Casey added.

It is unclear whether both chambers of the Vermont Legislature would vote to override a potential gubernatorial veto.

Eve of Justice Candlelight Vigil

On Wednesday, March 4, candlelight vigils will be held across California in support of marriage equality. The California Supreme Court will hear arguments on the validity of Proposition 8 on Thursday, March 5. Send a unified message to our fellow Californians, including the Supreme Court Justices, that individual liberties like the right to marry are guaranteed by the Constitution to everyone and cannot be stripped away at the ballot box by a simple majority. Constitutional rights cannot be voted away. To read the parties' filings and the dozens of amicus 'friend of the court' briefs filed on behalf of Civil Rights Organizations, Bar Associations, Academics, Women's Groups, Faith and Religious Groups, and many others go to: 

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/highprofile/prop8.htm

Equality should not be put up for a popular vote.
    • Prop 8 is a radical and unprecedented change to the California Constitution that puts all Californians at risk. 
    • Prop 8 defeats the very purpose of our constitution, which is to protect minorities and to make sure the law treats everyone equally. 
    • This is the first time the initiative process has successfully been used to change the California Constitution to take away a fundamental freedom from a particular group and to mandate government discrimination against a minority. 
    • If prop 8 is upheld, the courts will no longer have a meaningful role in protecting minority groups or women, since any decision prohibiting discrimination could be reversed by a simple majority.

For more information on the San Diego vigil: http://www.eveofjustice.com/sd/Default.aspx

Please Don't Divorce 18,000 Married Couples

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Please watch the video and go to Courage Campaign to sign the petition. Thanks!

From the Courage Campaign:

We, the undersigned, share President Barack Obama's view that "for too long, issues of LGBT rights have been exploited by those seeking to divide us. It's time to move beyond polarization and live up to our founding promise of equality by treating all our citizens with dignity and respect."

Yet, on December 19, 2008, Ken Starr and the Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund filed legal briefs defending the constitutionality of Prop 8 and seeking to nullify the 18,000 same-sex marriages conducted between May and November of 2008.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in this case on March 5, 2009, with a decision expected within the next 90 days. We, the undersigned, ask that the Court invalidate Prop 8 and recognize the marriage rights of these 18,000 couples -- and all loving, committed couples in California -- under our state's constitution.

As Americans who believe in the rule of law and fundamental civil rights, we know that Ken Starr and the Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund's shameful attempt to nullify these unions will not be vindicated in the eyes of history. We know that, ultimately, love will prevail, no matter how hard they try to fight it.

California Supreme Court to Listen to Prop 8 Arguments March 5

From the San Jose Mercury News:

"In a statement released Tuesday, the high court set three hours of arguments for its calendar in San Francisco, setting the stage for the justices to consider a series of legal challenges to voter-approved Proposition 8. Civil rights groups and a number of cities and counties, led by San Francisco and Santa Clara County, sued after the November election, arguing that the ballot initiative is invalid and should be struck down...Attorney General Jerry Brown, in an unusual move, is not defending the law, arguing that Proposition 8 should be struck down because it erased an existing constitutional right. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case last year, and will decide not only the legality of Proposition 8, but also the fate of thousands of same-sex couples who married before voters approved the measure. The justices have 90 days from the March 5 hearing to decide the case."

World's First Gay Prime Minister?

On the heels of the USA's first black president, Iceland may soon have the world's first gay Prime Minister. Icelandic Social Affairs Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir would be the world's first openly gay leader if she becomes Prime Minister of Iceland, as is widely expected. Although Per-Kristian Foss served as acting Prime Minister in Norway very briefly in 2002, this represents the first time that a gay leader would assume the reins of a modern state. Sigurdardottir would also become the first female Prime Minister in Iceland's history.

As has been extensively reported, Iceland is in the midst of an economic and political crisis that has brought down the ruling coalition of Geir Haarde. Although elections have been called for in May, Mr. Haarde has announced that he will step down because of the discovery of a malignant tumor on his esophagus earlier this week.

A Team of Expatriates

Newsweek reports that several of President Obama's top advisers have, like him, lived overseas for a part of their lives. The former expats include retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones, the incoming national-security adviser, who lived in France for most of his childhood; Timothy Geithner, the nominee for Treasury secretary, who grew up in Zimbabwe, India and Thailand; retired Maj. Gen. J. Scott Gration, a child of missionaries in Africa who is a leading contender to become the new NASA administrator; and Valerie Jarrett, a close personal friend of the Obamas' who will serve as a top domestic-policy adviser.

Obama has credited his foreign-living experience for helping to form his foreign-policy decisions. "If you don't understand these cultures, then it's very hard for you to make good foreign-policy decisions. The benefit of having both lived overseas and traveled overseas … is I have a better sense of how they're thinking and what their society is really like."

Gration explains that he was attracted by Obama's interest in issues that are "borderless" - the environment, trade, energy, human rights. "When you grow up as I did, surrounded by Africans, you see them as individuals—the kids I grew up with, the kids I played soccer with, [the people with whom] I went and ate around the fires," says Gration. "These were my African buddies, and so for me, when I see the strife in Darfur and when I see what's happening in eastern Congo, it's not just a problem. It's people."

Click below for the full article:

A Team of Expatriates

Change Has Come

Change has come to the official website of the President of the United States - WhiteHouse.gov. It includes extensive information on the Obama administration's support for the GLBT community. Topics covered:

• Expand Hate Crimes Statutes
• Fight Workplace Discrimiation
• Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples
• Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
• Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell
• Expand Adoption Rights
• Promote AIDS Prevention
• Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS

Our Long National Nightmare is Over

Yes, I realize these words are taken from Gerald Ford's Inauguration Address, but I think the line works for today. It's hard to be anything but optimistic as Barack Obama assumes the presidency. I know we're in tough economic times, and we're still fighting two wars, but we need to put our hope in the future.

From President Barack Obama's Inauguration Address:

"We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

The Fierce Urgency of Now

I love Martin Luther King's phrase, "the fierce urgency of now." We all know change takes time. But there is definitely an urgency in creating change NOW.

From the "I Have a Dream" speech:

"It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children."

Googling Prop 8 Supporters

There's a Google Map that locates donors to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign. I was pleased to see that none of the neighbors on my street contributed, despite the Yes on 8 signs in some yards. A useful tool to keep people honest or an invasion of privacy?

From Marriage Equality Now:

Find out which neighbor isn't getting a wedding invitation! This mash-up of Google Maps and Prop 8 donors (http://tinyurl.com/9qd85b) is causing huge controversy online (http://tinyurl.com/88y23z), but political donations are public record - that's the law. When bigots are outed and compelled to defend their ignorance, bigotry dies and society is strengthened.

Other voices:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/01/information-w-1.html

Wear a White Knot for Marriage Equality

Here's a simple and elegant way to express support for marriage equality during the Presidential Inauguration. Wear a white knot to show your support!

From the WhiteKnot.org website:

The White Knot is the symbol for marriage equality.

It takes two traditional symbols of marriage—white and tying the knot—and combines them in a simple way to show support for the right of gays and lesbians to marry. All loving couples deserve the same legal rights, benefits, and respect that civil marriage bestows.

Whether you are gay or straight, please show your support by wearing the Knot and telling people why you are wearing it. It may seem like a small thing, but imagine the White Knot gaining the pervasiveness and instant recognition of the AIDS Ribbon.

Wear your White Knot to work, to school, to your place of worship. Celebrities will be wearing White Knots down red carpets this awards season. Together, we will keep the topic at the top of people's minds and keep the conversation going.