Anti-gay forces want Supreme Court to stop DC marriage law

The U.S. Supreme Court. That's the latest -- and last -- stop for the homophobes trying to prevent equality in DC:

Opponents of gay marriage are asking the Supreme Court to put a hold on the District of Columbia's new law allowing same-sex couples to wed.

The new law, passed in December, is supposed to take effect Wednesday. Court papers filed Monday with Chief Justice John Roberts argue that Washington residents should be able to vote on the matter. Local courts have rejected the opponents' arguments.

The Supreme Court should reject the arguments, too.

NOTE FROM JOHN: I guess they're only "activist judges" when they rule in favor of civil rights. Read the rest of this post...

HRC just hit me up for money. I canceled my membership.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) just called and asked me to renew my membership. Sadly, I had to tell the nice lady I could not bring myself to renew this year.

She had a script about the importance of the mid-term congressional elections coming up in November, yadda-yadda-yadda. But when she got to Colin Powell supporting the repeal of DADT, I had to stop her. I let her know I didn't appreciate all the cover HRC had been giving the Obama Administration over LGBT issues, and was tired of the glad handing. I told her because I lived in the trenches in Oklahoma fighting for gay rights, I expected our gay leaders in Washington, DC not to participate in any more White House sponsored cocktail parties until we actually saw results on their promises, including DADT, DOMA and ENDA.

She was very nice, agreed with me and thanked me for all the work I was doing after I told her how I was a LGBT community activist and very active in progressive politics in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, she said someone told her she had to "wrap up the call" and it was over. Before she hung up, I told her I looked forward to the day I could again be a member of HRC, and when I saw the changes I expected from the leaders of our organizations, which was to play political hardball and stop simply working for access and celebrity status, then I would gladly give again.

I expect organizations like HRC to push for change instead of just waiting for society to finally make it happen. I'm exhausted from being treated like a second class citizen in my own country, and I won't support anyone, or any group, who enables that status simply because they are afraid that if they speak up, if they fight back, if they hold Democrats to their promises THIS YEAR, then they may lose their precious access.

Lose the cocktail parties, get tough and fight, HRC, and I might consider supporting you again. I can't overstate how disappointed I am with HRC because, in the past, they seemed to be a little more hard nosed in the fight for our rights. Someone needs to wake up in that group and realize that this isn't an inside the beltway social game, and the fight they should be engaged in affects real LGBT people in the most conservative areas of our country, like Oklahoma, where I live. Hob-knobbing at White House social events, while not pushing the White House to repeal DADT this year, does nothing for that sailor or Army soldier who has to hide his or her gay family for fear of being discharged under "Don't Ask Don't Tell." Read the rest of this post...

'Rosa Parks did not move to the front of the bus to support sodomy'

Guess who? A Republican. Read the rest of this post...

'The White House let us know last week where they stand on pushing to pass a full repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” this year—which is nowhere.'

From Kerry Eleveld at the Advocate:

The White House let us know last week where they stand on pushing to pass a full repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” this year—which is nowhere.

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs reiterated that “the president is strongly in support” of repeal, and added that there’s “a process that’s underway,” but dutifully avoided saying whether President Obama had any sense of urgency about passing repeal this year.

Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan has been actively promoting the idea of passing legislation that would impose a moratorium on discharges under the policy—a concept that doesn't interest LGBT advocacy groups. The thinking goes that if full repeal isn’t locked in this year, the policy will be kept in place for the foreseeable future since Democrats may well lose control of one or both chambers in the 2010.

Whether Levin’s calculus on this changes any time soon remains to be seen. Based on his comments to reporters this week, he seems to be weighing a suspension of discharges against passing some version of the House bill, which would bring about full and immediate repeal, leaving just 90 days for the Pentagon to issue new guidelines on the policy. Lieberman’s legislation, however, might allot more time than the House bill for the Pentagon to complete its review and implementation process.

However, he also holds enormous power as chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and if he concludes that a moratorium is the most he can get through his committee, then that’s likely what he’ll include the Defense authorization bill he presents to his committee. And whatever passes through committee—be it a moratorium or full repeal—stands the best chance of being signed into law.

Read the rest of this post...

Heroes of the Month: The DC City Council and Mayor Fenty

What a marvelous lift DC has given us after all of the angst and anxiety that we have seen in LGBT land lately. We have seen wavering and indecision over ENDA and DADT, lost a crushing referendum in Maine, struggled to protect gains in Iowa and New Hampshire, and witnessed a colossal loss of political nerve in New York and New Jersey. Yet DC has been a rock amidst the maelstrom.

To this outside observer, the story of DC is the story of promises kept. Progress there has seemed steady and unwavering, and it has calmed the nerves of activists throughout the country (although it may not have been so calming for John and Joe). DC’s plan was methodical, politically astute and focused on the long term. Watch Mayor Fenty discuss it.

The City Council smartly waited to make its move until after Barack Obama was elected and the chances that Congress would shoot down a marriage equality bill were greatly reduced. First came recognition of out-of-district marriages on May 5, 2009. Eleanor Holmes Norton assured us Congress would not rebuff the City Council’s efforts. They weren’t. David Catania promised that a full marriage equality bill would follow. Sure enough, it did. The specter of a ballot initiative loomed, but our legal case was solid. The Catholic Church threatened to pull social services from the city. Still, the Council held firm. Unlike in New York and New Jersey, the rantings of the likes of Bishop Harry Jackson didn’t affect anyone on the DC City Council other than Marion Barry and Yvette Alexander, and now we have marriage equality in our nation’s capital. In a couple days, we'll have marriages.

From my vantage point in California, the victory in DC gives us a particularly big lift because so many of the people who brought it to us are African American. Why do I mention California here? Because in the wake of Prop 8, a single exit poll by CNN provoked widespread scapegoating of black voters for the Prop 8 debacle both inside and outside the LGBT community here. Even though the poll was thoroughly debunked, the myth persists that black voters were primarily responsible for the passage of Prop 8.

That myth has divided and done lasting damage to the LGBT activist community in California, and nationally, I fear. I have witnessed the damage at post-Prop 8 rallies, at strategy meetings, on list-serves, in facebook comments, in blog posts and in all too many personal conversations. Recriminations continue to fly and passions continue to flare about racism in the LGBT community and homophobia in the African-American community as if those communities did not intersect. Black LGBTs and allies have been subjected to withering crossfire. If only that energy were directed in support of those friends and allies. The Tony Perkinses and Maggie Gallaghers of the world are delighted by this development, of course, and they will exploit this racial angle at every opportunity.

So let’s focus our efforts on supporting our friends and fighting our enemies. Thank you, DC, for pointing the way. It will be an exciting week as couples can start applying for licenses this week. Read the rest of this post...

Hypocrite McCain still fighting repeal of DADT

As John reported yesterday, in a speech on Saturday night, even HRC President Joe Solmonese noted the dangers of not passing the repeal of DADT this year. Not that we needed to be reminded of our enemies, but Senator John McCain was on "Meet the Press" reiterating his opposition to the repeal of DADT -- even after David Gregory pointed out McCain's hypocrisy on the issue:

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Fewer Democratic Senators next year means more power for McCain, who is the highest ranking Republican on the all-important Senate Armed Services Committee. Read the rest of this post...

Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe, Films Gay Teen Suicide Prevention PSA

"Harry Potter" star, Daniel Radcliffe, has just filmed a gay teen suicide prevention public service announcement for The Trevor Project.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe filmed a public service announcement on Friday for The Trevor Project, an organization focused on preventing suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered adolescents through a 24-hour helpline service.

Radcliffe explained that because his parents were both actors, he was raised around many gay people and felt that he was in a unique position to speak out. “Straight people are incredibly interested and care a lot about [gay suicide prevention] as well,” Radcliffe said. The PSA is set to air this spring.

The Trevor Project was founded in the late '90s by three filmmakers responsible for the 1994 Academy Award winning Trevor, a tragicomic short film about a gay 13-year-old boy that attempts suicide. It is currently the only American organization that offers a round-the-clock helpline for troubled LGBTQ youth.

I've become a recent adult volunteer for the Open Arms Youth Project here in Tulsa, Oklahoma featured in the NY Times. I salute Daniel Radcliffe, and one of the biggest reasons I decided to volunteer with LGBT teens is I wanted to make a positive impact, and to help promote a more tolerant environment for them. They are our future, and we need to continuously engage in the struggle for a bright future for our LGBT youth. Read the rest of this post...