2/3/13

Video: Obama On Super Bowl Sunday "Gays and Lesbians Should Be Allowed In The Boy Scouts"

Obama on women in combat, gay Boy Scouts

In an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, President Obama discussed the recent decision to allow women to fill combat roles in the military and the Boy Scouts' mulling ending the organization's ban on openly gay members, voicing support for both changes.

Michigan Dept. Of Civil Rights Report: LGBT Discrimination Is Hurting our States Economy

Some highlights of the executive summary:

Over the course of 2012, the MDCR conducted public forums, surveys, and archival research to examine whether the state’s current laws and policies have an economic impact on individuals, businesses, or communities and whether changes would brighten or dim our economic outlook.

While ELCRA prohibits employment, public accommodations, public services, education, and housing discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, marital status, height, weight, and arrest record, it does not currently prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. This means that employers can fire or refuse to hire people, landlords can deny housing, and business owners can refuse restaurant service based on an individual’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity/expression and those individuals would have no means of legal redress.

The first section also examines the non-discrimination policies of Michigan’s largest employers, in both the private and public sector. It is particularly significant to note that institutions have adopted these inclusive internal policies because they saw doing so as ‘good for business,’ and did not experience any anti-business burden.

Section two provides an overview of the current state of LGBT discrimination. This section shows that there is convergent evidence of significant discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression across a variety of sources and collection methodologies.

The third section outlines the effects that not prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression is having on Michigan citizens, families, communities, and the economy. Many people who identified as heterosexual delivered testimony on behalf of their LGBT children, parents, siblings, and friends.

The Department’s research showed that out-migration is perhaps the most substantial effect of the state’s lack of LGBT inclusive policies. Approximately one-fifth of the testimony the Department heard alluded to people leaving the state for reasons related to discrimination. Professionals and college students, including students who identified as heterosexual, said that they planned to leave the state because they do not feel that Michigan values all of its citizens. Several people used the phrase “compelled to leave” and stated that they would not stay unless the state became a “community for all people.”

The fourth section is a response to some of what was offered in testimonials provided at the public forums. This section is not a comprehensive response to those who oppose LGBT inclusive laws. Neither is this report intended to support or refute anyone’s views about homosexuality. The purpose of this project, this report is to add analytical and anecdotal evidence to the public policy debate about whether Michigan should adopt more inclusive legislation by asking whether the decision has economic implications.

All available evidence shows that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, (1) exists and is significant, (2) is protected in other states, but not in Michigan, which (3) has direct negative economic effects on Michigan.

Lastly, at the conclusion of this report, the reader will find recommendations for the future. Although much of what can be done necessarily falls to the legislature, there are a few steps that can be taken by the Commission and the Department that would improve the situation for LGBT persons in Michigan.

1. The Commission should publicly support the expansion of federal, state, and local laws that protect people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in employment, housing and other real estate, and the full and equal utilization of public accommodations, public service, and educational facilities.

2. In addition to promoting expanded civil rights laws and policies, the Commission should oppose laws and policies that restrict LGBT civil rights.

3. The Commission should direct the MDCR to amend intake forms to reflect an individual’s sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.

4. The Department should continue to do outreach and partner with organizations that are already fielding complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.

5. Commissioners and Department staff should continue to further their internal understanding of LGBT issues and concerns.

6. The Department and Commission should continue to support and pursue policy changes in the area of non-discrimination.

7. The Department should seek to rectify the discrepancy between voter perception of nondiscrimination protections for LGBT persons and the reality of current local and state nondiscrimination laws.

8. The Commission should advocate that the legislature strike from state policy discriminatory state laws that are superseded by federal laws or have been ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court, such as the law against sodomy and cohabitation.

9. The Department should share with the governor’s policy staff the results of the survey that shows out-migration of professional students due to a lack of statewide LGBT inclusive policies.

10. The Department should make itself available to consult with communities with local non-discrimination ordinances or that are considering local non-discrimination ordinances.

11. The Department should make this report readily available to business owners so that they can better understand and make the business case for anti-discrimination employment protections.

Read in full the MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL RIGHTS REPORT ON LGBT INCLUSION UNDER MICHIGAN LAW



Video: Saturday Vigil For Deoni Jones Highlights The Need For Hate Crime Prosecution

Her family is upset hate crime enhancements have not been filled and are asking that the federal goverment steps in to prosecute the case. "In an interview, Bethea said the family believes that Jones’s transgender identity led to the stabbing. The family plans to call on federal officials to take over the prosecution, he said.

“We do believe the elements of a hate crime are present,” Bethea said.


It's clear her murder wasn't a random bizarre act of violence since Gary Niles Montgomery has been declared mentally competent to stand trial.

An initiative soliciting statements from the LGBT community leading to charges of hate crimes was announced Saturday by Mayor Vincent Gray at vigil.



"As part of the arrangement, the mayor's office of GLBT Affairs will solicit so-called impact statements from community members in criminal cases that were motivated by the victim's sexual orientation or gender identity. The statements are intended to factor into a judge's sentencing decision."



2/2/13

In one year, I got pregnant with my boyfriend and I gave birth with my trans girlfriend.

A receipt for what? Disaster? An amazing story? So what happened? Did Evan's partner freak? Did they stay together? Really? I won't spoil that for you. Read Erin Ryan Fitzgerald's article on XOJane and find out.

But what about Evan and her transition? Who is this person? Dig. Evan Greer is a radical genderqueer singer/songwriter, parent, and community organizer based in Boston. (S)he writes and performs high-energy acoustic songs that inspire hope, build community, and incite resistance! At 27 years old, Evan tours internationally as a musician and facilitates interactive workshops to support movements for justice and liberation.



"Wielding an arsenal of fiercely radical songs that vary in style from pop-punk poetry to foot-stompin’ bluegrass singalongs, Evan has been honored to collaborate, tour, and share stages with artists as musically diverse as Pete Seeger, Immortal Technique, Billy Bragg, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Pamela Means, The Coup, Anne Feeney, Oi Polloi, State Radio, Leftover Crack, People Under the Stairs, Emma's Revolution, The Mammals, Gil Scott Heron's Midnight Band, Gaslight Anthem, Holly Near, Chumbawamba, and Vicci Martinez (featured on NBC's "The Voice".)"





Beck: Pentagon's Woman In Combat puts female, Hispanic, Eskimo, dwarf cross dresser and some handicapable, transgendered breast cancer survivor as a soldier on the front line.”

Conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Thursday blasted the Pentagon’s decision to lift the ban on women serving in combat roles by warning that the enemies of the United States would not “cower in defeat because we have a female, Hispanic, Eskimo, dwarf cross dresser and some handicapable, transgendered breast cancer survivor as a soldier on the front line.”

“Nobody wants to be a pig, nobody wants to say the unpopular things, we just want to talk about the truth tonight,” Beck explained at the top of his Thursday broadcast. “If a few feathers are ruffled, oh well.”

“This is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard,” he continued. “The military is not designed to be beacon of equality, it’s designed to defend the country in times of danger. And quite honestly, war is the act of killing each other. And to win, you have to kill people faster than the other team. That’s what war is all about.”

“The enemy is not going to cower in defeat because we have a female, Hispanic, Eskimo, dwarf cross dresser and some handicapable, transgendered breast cancer survivor as a soldier on the front line ready to unleash an attack of unparalleled diversity. Nope, that’s not going to do it. You gotta kill them. That’s how you make people cower in defeat.



This man is such a asshat. When my MOS was reclassified from combat to administrative it allowed woman into my job much to my horror. Quickly I found out that size does not determine determination and guts. I am extremely proud of the woman in my section who showed me exactly what they are made of. I would proudly go, as a transgender woman with any of those cisgender woman into combat.

Raw Story



2/1/13

Omaha Liberty Project Petition Fails To Gather Enough Signatures For A Referendum

A WIN For LGBT people and Omaha Churches!

A few months ago I busted Patrick Bonnett of the Omaha Liberty Project for trying to frighten the cities faith community by saying there freedom of religion was under attack.

 The people listened to us, read the bible for guidance and refused to sign Liberty project's petition to force a referendum in the spring.

Bonnett blames this groups failure on lack of time, professional signature gatherers and other factors despite having had hundreds of similarly hate motivated signature gatherers on the ground.

Omaha's faith community understood you were lying hoping to ferment hate. That's why you failed Bonnett.

The people of Omaha understood it wasn't religion Bonnett was worried about. He was and still is troubled LGBT people and especially trans people like myself could have equal opportunities in Omaha. Bonnett promises to keep  hating and will continue the fight against me.

Bring it on Bonnett.