The chairman of the Republican Party, Michael Steele, yesterday made clear the Republican Party is going to go on the attack against the Gay community (B,L,G,T). Steele said that a winning talking point for conservatives is to claim that gay marriage costs straights money and jobs. Steele said that the proper response to any gay couple that gets married from a straight person should be, "Hey! You're costing me money!"
Healthcare and other benefits provided to gay spouses will come out of the pockets of straights. This is the hateful, and stupid, "Master strategy" to lead Republicans out of the wilderness. Incite hatred against gays, with the customary violence and murders which always accompany "gay bashing", and ride on a wave of intolerance and bloodshed all the way to victory at the polls.
It does not matter that Steele's "policy statement" is a complete lie. Anyone who works for a company deserves benefits for themselves and their spouse, regardless of their sexual orientation. The work done by gays is just as valuable as work done by straights. You should not be discriminated against, or receive lesser benefits, just because you are gay.
Steele is engaging in the same kind of despicable hate mongering we have witnessed before in history. Jews caused the Depression and must be exterminated. Blacks will take jobs away from whites if we dismantle Jim Crow. Now the Republicans are saying "the gays" will cost us money and take away our jobs. We have heard this filth before.
Even going beyond the obvious racism and greed of Rush and Hannity, this new emphasis on a pogrom against gays is so disgusting and cowardly that it merits prosecution. Hate speech is deadly, and if anyone gets hurt as a result of this sewage spewing out of Michael Steele's mouth he should be put in prison.
Steele said that was just an example of how the party can retool its message to appeal to young voters and minorities without sacrificing core conservative principles. Steele said he used the argument weeks ago while chatting on a flight with a college student who described herself as fiscally conservative but socially liberal on issues like gay marriage.
"Now all of a sudden I've got someone who wasn't a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for," Steele told Republicans at the state convention in traditionally conservative Georgia. "So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money."
As Steele talked about ways the party could position itself, he also poked fun at his previous pledge to give the GOP a "hip-hop makeover."
"You don't have to wear your pants cut down here or the big bling," he said.
Vermont and Iowa have legalized gay marriage in recent weeks, and a Quinnipiac University poll released in April found that 57 percent of people questioned support civil unions that provide marriage-like rights. Although 55 percent said they opposed gay marriage, the poll indicated a shift toward more acceptance.
The chief of the Republican National Committee has been criticized by some social conservatives in recent weeks after GQ magazine quoted him as saying he opposed gay marriage but wasn't going to "beat people upside the head about it."
Steele, a Catholic and former Maryland lieutenant governor, was elected chairman of the committee earlier this year.
The Democratic Party and President Obamahas been silent on the Gay Marriage issue. The silence is worse than Steele's public statement.
http://www.gender.org/remember/day/
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved.
Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgendered — that is, as a transsexual, crossdresser, or otherwise gender-variant — each was a victim of violence based on bias against transgendered people.
We live in times more sensitive than ever to hatred based violence, especially since the events of September 11th. Yet even now, the deaths of those based on anti-transgender hatred or prejudice are largely ignored. Over the last decade, more than one person per month has died due to transgender-based hate or prejudice, regardless of any other factors in their lives. This trend shows no sign of abating.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgendered people, an action that current media doesn’t perform. Day of Remembrance publicly mourns and honors the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect for our people in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance reminds non-transgendered people that we are their sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers. Day of Remembrance gives our allies a chance to step forward with us and stand in vigil, memorializing those of us who’ve died by anti-transgender violence.
If you are coordinating a TDOR and you do not see your event listed here, please contact Ethan St.Pierre, Radicalguy@gmail.com
BELOW FROM ETHAN A FTM
I am still gathering more information on the other 2 Iraqi women who are listed at the bottom of the page.
Including those 2 women, there are now 29 people on this list.
I am updating the statistics and events locations while I wait for more information.
Kellie TelesfordLocation: Thornton Heath, UKCause of Death: StrangledDate of Death: November 21, 2007Kellie was strangled to death with a scarf, by 18 year old Shanniel Hyatt, who then covered the body of 39-year-old Kellie Telesford with a white blanket - with the brown furry scarf used to choke her still bound tightly round her neck. Hyatt said he killer her after discovering she had a penis.
Adolphus SimmonsLocation: Charleston, SCCause of Death: Shot to Death (Aldophus was 18 yrs. old)Date of Death: January 21, 2008
Fedra (a known transvestite)Location: Kota Kinabalu, MalaysiaCause of Death: Was found lying face up in a pool of blood,cause of death was not reported.Date of Death: January 22, 2008
Ashley SweeneyLocation: Detroit, MichiganCause of Death: Shot in the headDate of Death: February 4, 2008The age of Ashley Sweeney is unknown, she was only described as a young transgender woman in a press release.
Sanesha (Talib) StewartLocation: Bronx, NYCause of Death: Stabbed to DeathDate of Death: February 10, 2008Sanesha was 25 years old.
Lawrence KingLocation: Oxnard, CaliforniaCause of Death: Shot to death by a classmate because he liked to wearwomen's clothes. (Lawrence King was 15 years old).Date of Death: February 12, 2008
Simmie Williams Jr.Location: Fort Lauderdale, FloridaCause of Death: Shot to death, Simmie was found wearing women's clothing. (Simmie was 17 years old)Date of Death: February 22, 2008
Luna (no last name reported)Location: Lisbon, PortugalCause of Death: Brutally beaten to death and tossed into a dumpster.Date of Death: March 15, 2008
Lloyd NixonLocation: West Palm Beach, Florida Cause of Death:Repeatedly beat in the head with a brick.Date of Death: April 16, 2008Lloyd was 45 years old.Felicia Melton-SmythLocation: Puerto Vallarta, MexicoCause of Death: brutally stabbed to death by Francisco Javier Hollos, who said he killed her because she would not pay for sex. Felicia was an HIV activist on vacation from Wisconsin.Date of Death: May 26, 2008
Silvana BerishaLocation: Hamburg, GermanyCause of Death: Stabbed to DeathDate of Death: June 24, 2008
Ebony (Rodney) WhitakerLocation: Memphis, TennesseeCause of Death:Shot (Ebony was 20 yrs. old)Date of Death:July 1, 2008
Rosa PazosLocation: Sevilla, SpainCause of Death: Was found in her apartment, she had been stabbed in the throat.Date of Death: July 11, 2008
Juan Carlos Aucalle CoronelLocation: Lombardi, ItalyCause of Death severely beaten causing fractures to the head and face before being run over by a car.Date of Death July 14, 2008Juan Carlos was 35 years old.
Angie ZapataLocation: Greeley, ColoradoCause of Death: She was found in her home with two severe fractures in her skull.Angie was murdered by 31 year old, Alan Ray Andrade. Angie was 18 years old.Date of Death: July 17, 2008
Jaylynn L. NamauuLocation: Makiki Honolulu, HawaiiCause of Death: Stabbed to DeathDate of Death: July 17, 2008Jaylynn was 35 years old.
Samantha Rangel BrandauLocation: Milan, ItalyCause of Death: beaten, gang raped and stabbed numerous times before being left for dead.Date of Death: July 29, 2008Samantha was 30 years old.Ruby MolinaLocation: Sacramento, CaliforniaCause of Death: DrownedDate of Death: September 21, 2008Ruby's naked body was found floating in the American river.She was 22 years old.Aimee WilcoxsonLocation: Aurora, ColoradoCause of Death: undetermined (Police have yet to reveal cause)Date of Death: November 3, 2008Aimee was found dead in her bed. She was 34 years old.
Duanna JohnsonLocation: Memphis, TennesseeCause of Death: ShotDate of Death: November 9, 2008Duanna was found dead in the middle of the street. She was 42 years old.Dilek InceLocation: Ankara, TurkeyCause of Death:Shot in the back of the headDate of Death: November 11, 2008Teish (Moses) CannonLocation: Syracuse, New YorkCause of Death: ShotDate of Death: November 14, 2008Teish was 22 years old.
AliLocation:IraqCause of Death:executed for being transgenderDate of Death:2008, Month is UnknownVideo of Ali before she was executed: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2tDVtjQNfQ*IMPORTANT NOTE - (In case I don't get the details posted in time) There were 2 other Iraqi, transgender women who were executed at the same time as Ali. Please remember them at your TDoR event.Contact Ethan at Radicalguy@...
The Nov. 4th 2008 Election Results was a catch 22 for me, as a black men I was proud of the fact that after all we as American has been through where able to elected the fist black President of America, but as a Gay men I was so disappointed that we as a whole nation took a step backward by banning gay marriage and banning the RIGHTS for not only GAY men and women to adopt but Single, educated, straight men and women to adopt. The FCAC lists three primary reasons for the law: For the safety of children, to increase the number of prospective homes, and to “blunt a homosexual agenda, now I don't know where the FCAC as been for the last hundred years but they should know that you can’t get "it" from standing in the room with a gay person, or talking, living, or befriending a gay person but I can't fault the FCAC they were doing their Job and now it's time for us to do our as a Arkansan I’m not shocked that this law passed but amazed at the double standard while so called Christian Arkansans turn their noses at the gay lifestyle they bathe in hate, incest, and bad fashion. So let this be a warning to all Arkansans who think their better, or more so entitled to rights then others we will not stand for this, we will not go quietly back into the closet, will fight, we will march, we will knock on doors our voices will be heard we will have equal rights for all Americans in a changing America
Terrance-Darnell blog
Powerful Network Coverage from the Moment We Made History ...
WOW! THERE IS NO WORDS FOR HOW I'M FEELING THIS MORNING ON A 24 HOUR NATURAUAL HIGH THAT I JUST DON'T WANT TO COME DOWN FROM...... MY LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. IT WAS 21 MONTHS AGO MY WORLD WAS TAKING OVER WITH BARACK OBAMA, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT'S OVER, I KNEW THIS DAY WAS GOING TO COME, I BELIEVE THIS DAY WAS GOING TO COME, NOW THAT IT'S OVER WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? LAST NIGHT WAS THE DEFINING MOMENT IN MY GENARATIONS LIFETIME, AND AFTER IT WAS ALL OVER I COULDN'T OR WOULDN'T GO TO SLEEP I THOUGHT "MAYBE THIS IS JUST A BAD JOKE" AND IF I GO TO SLEEP IT WOULD ALL BE OVER SO AS I WRITE THIS I BELIEVE TODAY, THAT IT IS A NEW DAY TODAY "WE HOLD OUR FUTURE IN OUR HANDS" AND WE MUST DO BETTER, BE BETTER, THINK BETTER, AND LIVE BETTER TODAY IS THE TODAY AMERICA OUR FUTURE AWAITS US LETS GO GET IT.
TERRANCE-DARNELL,
Yes, government must lead the way on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and our businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But all of us must do our part as parents to turn off the television and read to our children and take responsibility for providing the love and guidance they need. Yes, we can argue and debate our positions passionately, but at this defining moment, all of us must summon the strength and grace to bridge our differences and unite in common effort – black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; Democrat and Republican, young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight, disabled or not. - Senator Barack Obama
Yes, government must lead the way on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and our businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But all of us must do our part as parents to turn off the television and read to our children and take responsibility for providing the love and guidance they need. Yes, we can argue and debate our positions passionately, but at this defining moment, all of us must summon the strength and grace to bridge our differences and unite in common effort – black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; Democrat and Republican, young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight, disabled or not.
- Senator Barack Obama
Believe it or not, Election Day is just two weeks away. We need all hands on deck as we work to turn the page on the last eight years of failed policies and divisive politics promoted by George Bush, usually with the backing of John McCain, that have been so hurtful to the LGBT community. And we can, in fact, bring the change our community desperately needs. We’re close. But we all need to work as hard as we ever have over the next 14 days to make sure we cross the finish line. I’m asking you to not just spend some time over these last 14 days helping us get out the vote. I’m also asking you to mobilize your network of supporters, contacts, and friends – and ask them to do the same. PLEASE, IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, TAKE GOTV WEEKEND OFF AND HELP US TURN OUT VOTERSThis campaign has built an unprecedented field program that has successfully contacted millions of voters. But we can’t let up in the final days. Help us meet our ambitious goals over the final days. There are so many states in play this year, which means there’s most likely a battleground state within driving distance of wherever you may be right now. To find out where we need YOUR help the most, and to sign up to help out in that state, please check out our Drive for Change program here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/driveforchangeCALL EVERYONE YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AND ASK THEM TO VOTE OBAMA-BIDENWhether or not you can take GOTV weekend off and travel to a battleground state, you can still help out from your home. We’ve got two tools that can help you reach out to people you have relationships with and talk to them about the importance of voting for Barack and Joe. The first, Hometown Pride, helps you brainstorm all the people you know “back home.” Check it out here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/hometownprideThe second, for those of you with iPhones, is a handy application that prioritizes your contacts by key battleground states, and keeps track of your results in one place. Find it here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/iphoneWRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OR AN OP-ED ABOUT WHY YOU SUPPORT THE TICKETYou are a leader in the LGBT community, and people care about what you have to say. In these last weeks, it’s important that LGBT people hear from you about why you support the Obama-Biden ticket. Help us spread the word about Barack’s record on issues important to our community. We’ve created a Letter to the Editor tool that makes it easy to submit a letter to the editor of your local LGBT paper. It’s at http://my.barackobama.com/page/speakout/prideletter?js=true. Of course, you should also consider submitting an Op-Ed. If, while you’re writing, you’ve got a question about where Barack stands on an issue, you can find all the information you should need under the Resources section at http://pride.barackobama.com. CALL VOTERS FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOMEFinally, you can also phone bank callers in key states right from the comfort of your couch. We’ve got a tool that will link you with voters we need to contact in battleground states, that you can access online. You can also get a group of friends or supporters together to participate in this easy way. Check it out at http://my.barackobama.com/modules/votercontact/login_signup.php.I also want to extend a personal thank you for everything you have been doing to make sure we win in November. The LGBT community has come together and worked hard to make sure LGBT voters understand the vast contrasts between Barack and John McCain on the issues we care about. I know a lot of that hard work has come from you, and from the work you’ve done to inspire the people around you to step up and make a difference. Thank you for that, and thank you for what I know you will do over these last few weeks to help us win on November 4th.And please forward these tools to everyone you think will find them helpful!Thanks,Dave NobleNational LGBT Vote DirectorObama for America
Believe it or not, Election Day is just two weeks away. We need all hands on deck as we work to turn the page on the last eight years of failed policies and divisive politics promoted by George Bush, usually with the backing of John McCain, that have been so hurtful to the LGBT community. And we can, in fact, bring the change our community desperately needs. We’re close. But we all need to work as hard as we ever have over the next 14 days to make sure we cross the finish line.
I’m asking you to not just spend some time over these last 14 days helping us get out the vote. I’m also asking you to mobilize your network of supporters, contacts, and friends – and ask them to do the same.
PLEASE, IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, TAKE GOTV WEEKEND OFF AND HELP US TURN OUT VOTERS
This campaign has built an unprecedented field program that has successfully contacted millions of voters. But we can’t let up in the final days. Help us meet our ambitious goals over the final days. There are so many states in play this year, which means there’s most likely a battleground state within driving distance of wherever you may be right now. To find out where we need YOUR help the most, and to sign up to help out in that state, please check out our Drive for Change program here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/driveforchange
CALL EVERYONE YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AND ASK THEM TO VOTE OBAMA-BIDEN
Whether or not you can take GOTV weekend off and travel to a battleground state, you can still help out from your home. We’ve got two tools that can help you reach out to people you have relationships with and talk to them about the importance of voting for Barack and Joe. The first, Hometown Pride, helps you brainstorm all the people you know “back home.” Check it out here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/hometownpride
The second, for those of you with iPhones, is a handy application that prioritizes your contacts by key battleground states, and keeps track of your results in one place. Find it here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/iphone
WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OR AN OP-ED ABOUT WHY YOU SUPPORT THE TICKET
You are a leader in the LGBT community, and people care about what you have to say. In these last weeks, it’s important that LGBT people hear from you about why you support the Obama-Biden ticket. Help us spread the word about Barack’s record on issues important to our community. We’ve created a Letter to the Editor tool that makes it easy to submit a letter to the editor of your local LGBT paper. It’s at http://my.barackobama.com/page/speakout/prideletter?js=true. Of course, you should also consider submitting an Op-Ed. If, while you’re writing, you’ve got a question about where Barack stands on an issue, you can find all the information you should need under the Resources section at http://pride.barackobama.com.
CALL VOTERS FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME
Finally, you can also phone bank callers in key states right from the comfort of your couch. We’ve got a tool that will link you with voters we need to contact in battleground states, that you can access online. You can also get a group of friends or supporters together to participate in this easy way. Check it out at http://my.barackobama.com/modules/votercontact/login_signup.php.
I also want to extend a personal thank you for everything you have been doing to make sure we win in November. The LGBT community has come together and worked hard to make sure LGBT voters understand the vast contrasts between Barack and John McCain on the issues we care about. I know a lot of that hard work has come from you, and from the work you’ve done to inspire the people around you to step up and make a difference. Thank you for that, and thank you for what I know you will do over these last few weeks to help us win on November 4th.
And please forward these tools to everyone you think will find them helpful!
Thanks,
Dave Noble
National LGBT Vote Director
Obama for America
Powell notes that Obama will bring transformational change and provide steady leadership ...
Paul Smith, the lawyer who successfully argued Lawrence v. Texas in front of the Supreme Court, had the following to say about what hangs in the balance on November 4th when it comes to judges:
IF YOU CARE about the rights of LGBT citizens, the two most important things you can do in the next few weeks are to vote for Barack Obama and to persuade friends and family to join you. Without for a moment diminishing the importance of the ongoing California initiative fight (which is itself huge), the ground zero for the movement pursuing LGBT equality right now is the presidential election. Either we will go backward, losing key rights we now have and leaving the country in the hands of those who offer at best their grudging “tolerance” (the term Sarah Palin used in the debate), or we go forward with real equality within our grasp. One reason, of course, is that John McCain opposes every single legislative proposal for greater LGBT rights, whether it is the hate crimes bill, or protection from employment discrimination, or repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” This is a guy who says we shouldn’t even be able to adopt children! Barack Obama, by contrast, is supportive every time. But another, even more important reason for electing Barack Obama is the Supreme Court, which now hangs in the balance. And that is particularly true with regard to LGBT issues. In 2003, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to argue Lawrence v. Texas, the path-breaking Supreme Court case holding all sodomy laws unconstitutional. Lawrence not only eliminated the odious laws that had been used for many years to keep LGBT persons in a second-class status, it also laid the foundation for future progress in LGBT rights. Without it, our community’s future would look much different. BUT WHERE ARE we now? We won Lawrence 6-3, but one of those who supported us, Justice O’Connor, has been replaced by the strictly conservative Samuel Alito. So the Lawrence majority is very likely reduced to 5-4 already. And one or more of those in the majority are likely to leave the court in the next four years. If those departing justices are replaced by John McCain appointees, he has made it perfectly clear where they will stand. When asked in August at pastor Rick Warren’s Saddleback Forum which of the current justices he would not have appointed, McCain named four of the five remaining members of the Lawrence majority — Justices Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg and Breyer. He favors instead justices like the court’s current very conservative bloc — Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito. President Obama, by contrast, would be likely to appoint justices like the four whom McCain rejected. When asked at Saddleback which justices he would not have appointed, he mentioned Justices Thomas and Scalia. It is not just progressives who see this election as the turning point for the Supreme Court for the rest of our lives. Last February, noted conservative legal scholars Stephen Calabresi and John McGinnis endorsed John McCain for president, writing in the Wall Street Journal that his nomination was the “best option” to preserve what they called the “ongoing restoration of constitutional government.” Translation: If John McCain wins, we can expect new justices who will work with the current conservative bloc to turn back the clock on a whole series of important constitutional precedents protecting individual rights. Would a McCain court really overrule Lawrence? It’s hardly a long shot. The case as written by Justice Kennedy is closely tied analytically to the constitutional right to choose to have an abortion. If the latter goes (as it almost surely would if McCain wins) the Lawrence case would be left hanging by a thread. BUT THE RELEVANCE of the Supreme Court in this election goes far beyond Lawrence. The court could very well be faced in the next few years with constitutional challenges to state decisions not to recognize other states’ marriages or the military ban or state laws that prohibit employers and landlords from discriminating based on sexual orientation. How those questions are answered will have a profound impact on the lives of LGBT Americans. And even outside the context of LGBT issues, future court terms will address a whole variety of other critical issues, ranging from the power of the president to engage in detention and surveillance, to the First Amendment, affirmative action and who knows what else. The court plays a unique role in our society. And its appointees have life tenure. Many of you have probably heard arguments about the Supreme Court in prior presidential election years, only to see things not change too much. But I’m here to tell you this election matters exponentially. People may have seemed to cry wolf in the past. But the days when Republican presidents appointed surprise moderates or progressives are now past. So as a community, we have every reason in the world to support Sen. Obama this year. We have a chance to see a president who has championed our rights his entire career. It’s not a chance we should pass up.
Gay and Lesbian friends of Michelle and Sen. Barack Obama from Chicago and LGBT activists from coast-to-coast are converging on Columbus for a Weekend of Action to Win Ohio, October 18th and 19th, sponsored by Obama Pride.
The event kicks off at 9 a.m. at UFCW Union Hall, 4510 East Main St., Columbus, with a short rally. Participants will then fan out to canvass neighborhoods in Central Ohio critical to all Democratic candidates in the coming election.
Personal friends of the Obamas who will be firing up Columbus’ LGBT volunteers include:
Mary Morten, interim executive director for the Chicago Foundation for Women, which is one of the world’s largest women’s funds.
Dan Sprehe, a Chicago LGBT activist who worked on Obama’s 2004 Senate Campaign.
Kevin Thompson, Sen. Obama’s 2004 “Bodyman.” In the world of politics, that’s a personal assistant who travels with a candidate and takes care of everything from transportation and lodging to keeping the candidate’s favorite snacks and pens on hand.
Marsha Botzer, a National Co-Chair of Obama Pride America. She has served as co-chair of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Board of Directors. Botzer is also a founding member of Equal Rights Washington and founded Seattle’s Ingersoll Gender Center, an organization that serves the transgender community.
Jane M. Saks, founding executive director of the Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media at Columbia College Chicago.
Additionally, a bus of 50-plus LGBT activists from Massachusetts will make the trip to join the effort.
The canvass will run for two days, with four-hour shifts being assigned at the rally. Those who can’t attend the rally, but still want to participate in the canvass in the should contact Sean Pflendler at spfendler@ohiodems.org. And those without cars will be partnered with drivers.
Obama Pride Chicago joined nearly 100 other local Obama supporters on Saturday on a three hour bus ride to the Obama field office just outside of Davenport, Iowa. As it happened, John McCain was holding a rally downtown at the same time we were set to knock on doors in the city's precincts. His presence in the Quad Cities made us even more fired up to get out into the neighborhoods and get out the vote for Obama…
Read the rest of Ben Z.'s post HERE.
Or, plan your own target state trip by emailing us at pride@barackobama.com
Obama supporters have reason to hope but can't afford to rest on our laurels ...
A message from LGBT Vote Director, Dave Noble:
Today is National Coming Out Day, an occasion in the LGBT community when we all take special pride in living our lives openly, no matter our sexual orientation or gender identity. I’m encouraged today, as every day on this campaign, by the huge numbers of out activists playing an important role in our campaign. We have organized Obama Pride networks in almost every state, and every day we are talking to fellow members of our communities about the importance of this election for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.We’ve got just 23 days left to make sure we elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and finally turn the page on the policies and politics of the current Administration. While we come out today to family and friends, don’t forget to also “come out” to a battleground state and knock on doors over a weekend before Election Day! Our Chicago LGBT team is out in the field and we want you to join us. Email us at pride@barackobama.com and let us know where and when you can come out – for change!
Today is National Coming Out Day, an occasion in the LGBT community when we all take special pride in living our lives openly, no matter our sexual orientation or gender identity. I’m encouraged today, as every day on this campaign, by the huge numbers of out activists playing an important role in our campaign. We have organized Obama Pride networks in almost every state, and every day we are talking to fellow members of our communities about the importance of this election for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
We’ve got just 23 days left to make sure we elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and finally turn the page on the policies and politics of the current Administration. While we come out today to family and friends, don’t forget to also “come out” to a battleground state and knock on doors over a weekend before Election Day! Our Chicago LGBT team is out in the field and we want you to join us. Email us at pride@barackobama.com and let us know where and when you can come out – for change!
Members of Obama Pride Nashville woke early in the morning to attend a pre-debate rally on the Belmont campus today!
Don't forget to join Obama Pride Nashville and watch the debate tonight.
SECOND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATETIME-DATE: 9 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Oct. 7.PLACE: Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn.SUBJECT: Issues raised by audience members and submitted by Internet participants, in town-hall format.MODERATOR: NBC's Tom Brokaw.
SECOND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
TIME-DATE: 9 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Oct. 7.
PLACE: Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn.
SUBJECT: Issues raised by audience members and submitted by Internet participants, in town-hall format.
MODERATOR: NBC's Tom Brokaw.
Mary Morten and Dan Sprehe are LGBT Chicagoans who have known the Obamas for a long time. This weekend they joined Obama Pride in Cleveland and Columbus to talk with LGBT voters about the Barack and Michelle they know. Mary, as the interim director and past president of the Chicago Foundation for Women has worked closely with Michelle and has done great work for the LGBT community in her home city, having been inducted into the LGBT hall of fame in 1996.
Mary & Dan spent Saturday morning pumping up volunteers and talking with undecided voters at the Cleveland AIDS Walk then headed down to Columbus for an afternoon Vote Rally where they shared the stage with Congressman Conyers, Congressman Abercrombie and local band Saving Jane!
Mary had this to say about her visit:
The LGBT volunteers on the ground in Cleveland and Columbus were unbelievable! There was so much excitement and enthusiasm along with a strong commitment to reaching out to their communities. It was contagious! I was thrilled to be part of this work!
The differences were clear in the VP debate, as it relates to civil rights for GLBT people and their families.
![[Photo from San Francisco DOR 2000]](http://www.gender.org/remember/day/images/vigil_shot.jpg)
![[Photo from San Francisco DOR 2001]](http://www.gender.org/remember/day/images/vigil_gwen.jpg)
