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LGBT Families Face MEGA Issues

I am on the mailing list for the MEGA Family Project, not because I currently have a partner and family in my life (I do not), but because I so admire the efforts of this important organization and want to keep up with their work. Born four years ago during the fight against the anti-gay marriage amendment in Georgia (the genesis of the name was “Marriage Equality Georgia”), MEGA has transformed itself post-amendment into an important voice and resource for LGBT families, in particular those with children. An e-mail to the MEGA list, penned by Executive Director Kathy Kelly, got my attention when it hit my inbox late last night. I was struck by the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of her words on the work yet left undone for LGBT families in Georgia (and in fact the nation, if not the world).

I wanted to post here some of Kelly’s thoughts, because I believe successfully meeting these needs is critical to advancing gay rights overall. Whether we currently find ourselves partnered with kids or not, issues affecting queer families affect all of us by association. Gay and lesbian family issues are, in a sense, examples of the discrimination and homophobia that impact the entire queer community. Ultimately, we all benefit from the work of MEGA, even if their focus on families with children doesn’t seem to apply to any one of use personally.

A rising tide lifts all boats. MEGA lifts us all through their work for acceptance, for equal rights and responsibilities under our laws, and for an end to hatred and fear. Here, then, are Kathy Kelly’s thoughts (very slightly edited by me for editorial consistency) on the state of her organization’s advocacy efforts, and her list of the 6 areas that she she sees as important for LGBT families:

“Some days, I am completely overwhelmed by the unmet needs we (in the LGBT community) are experiencing. There is so much that needs to be done for us to have strong families, healthy children, and to keep Georgia a place where LGBT families are treated well and continue to thrive.

I just came back from a national conference where many people are struggling with doing the very important work needed in the LGBT community, but I am in a very different place. I feel hopeful, optimistic, and downright joyful about the potential future for our families. We are on our way, we just need to continue doing the work to get our families to a strong, healthy place in history.

Below are some critical areas that currently receive only minimal attention from MEGA due to our limited financial resources:

1. Our kids need support through ongoing programs to help them face the certain discrimination and possible bullying they may face.
2. Parents need to be better armed to face a world designed for heterosexual families (from churches, to schools, to the playground).
3. Parents need to be educated about the best legal means available to protect their families given the current political landscape in Georgia.
4. LGBT adults coming out of heterosexual marriages with children need our support from what is often a difficult transition for both kids and adults.
5. Our children need us to be advocates at every school around the state that is not providing a positive, affirming environment for LGBT families.
6. Parents who haven’t been able to complete second parent adoptions are losing custody of their children as a result of relationship break-ups. This isn’t healthy for our kids and is extremely painful for the parents.

These issues are what keep me working every day to champion the cause of LGBT families.”

-Kathy Kelly, Executive Director

MEGA Family Project

Kelly and the MEGA Family Project sent the e-mail to appeal for support for the organization. In particular, MEGA offers an option for donating called the “MEGA Family Champion.” By becoming a Family Champion, supporters choose to make automatic monthly contributions to this non-profit organization. In addition to the tax-deductibility of your donation, becoming a MEGA Family champion also brings you special discounts and other benefits throughout the year. (The MEGA Family Project is a 501(c)3 organization with the Internal Revenue Service, so your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.) If you want to support MEGA but don’t feel comfortable with a monthly donation, you can make a one-time contribution here.

In addition to its advocacy efforts, MEGA holds monthly educational and social activities to strengthen the LGBT community of families. The organization is based in the Atlanta Metro, but works on advocacy issues and hosts social events throughout the state of Georgia. MEGA also maintains several different mailing lists where you can opt in to receive news and information on specific issues–including adoption, artificial insemination, and parenting, to name a few. And there are regional lists for communication among LGBT families in specific communities, including, for example a list for the Savannah area, Cobb County and North Fulton County. Thanks to Kathy Kelly, the MEGA Family Project staff and to Georgia’s LGBT families for their visibility and for the positive example they are. Because hate really is not a family value.

Indigo Girls Spread Love of Earth

Amy and Emily, known and loved as the Indigo Girls, have announced a special fund raising effort to benefit Honor the Earth. For the rest of February, 10 percent of all sales at the Indigo Girls’ official online store will go the non-profit organization, whose mission is to create awareness and support for Native environmental issues and to develop needed financial and political resources for the survival of sustainable Native communities.

Amy Ray is quoted on the Honor the Earth Website. describing the organization as “not just another environmental cause. The basic issues of human rights, justice and our own survival are at stake.”

Among the items for sale at the store are the Girls’ two latest CDs, an I.G. cap, and several t-shirts and sweatshirts. It’s a great time to add to your Amy and Emily attire, supporting a great cause at the same time. If your closet is already overflowing with t-shirts, you can always just donate directly to Honor the Earth.

The Indigo Girls have a long history of support for numerous causes important to the queer community and to humanity in general. Their 10 percent promotion is just another of their many contributions, which have the effect of not only generating interest and revenue for worthy causes, but also of improving perceptions of our community through their generosity and charity of spirit. Go buy something.

Julian Bond to Speak at LGBT Conference

Between the Lines News, a Michigan LGBT publication, reports that the chairman of the NAACP will give the opening address tonight at the Creating Change Conference, a high-profile gathering hosted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. NAACP Chairman and former Georgian Julian Bond’s appearance at the event is just another example of his high-profile support of LGBT rights. Bond, who served in both the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate for two decades, has repeatedly stood up for LGBT rights, often over the objections of some African-American community leaders.

Even though the NAACP has no official position on gay rights, Bond and some others within the organization’s leadership have spoken openly about LGBT issues. Bond in particular has been a vocal supporter of gay marriage rights and was instrumental in getting the NAACP’s support for the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA). He is currently an honorary board member for the campaign to defeat Florida’s anti-gay marriage amendment, which will be on the ballot this November. Bond has been quoted connecting gay rights with African-Americans’ civil rights movement, saying:

“We know there was a time, not so long ago, when black people in this country couldn’t marry the person of their choice either. That’s why when I am asked, ‘Are gay rights civil rights?’ my answer is always, ‘Of course they are.’”

Bond’s commitment to equality for everyone, including the LGBT community, is a powerful asset to human rights in this country. His courage in standing up for gay rights, even in the face of objections from some in his own community, is leadership we can admire and should value. There are, of course, differences between the gay rights cause and the historic civil rights movement of which Bond was and is a part. But there are also many similarities. Discriminatory hiring and workplace inequities. Hate and physical violence based on who you are, rather than what you do or how you think.

Supersized-Tuesday Primary Reaction

7:05 p.m. ABC News just called Georgia for Barack Obama. It’s amazing how winners can be assumed when the polls have been closed less than five minutes and no votes have yet been counted. But assuming projections are correct (and oddly, they typically are), I am proud to be a Georgian tonight. I’m proud that a Southern state could choose an African-American candidate. And I’m encouraged to see the first few votes to show that there are more Democratic voters than Republicans. This bodes well for the general election. Voter turnout is the issue at hand. If LGBT voters, anti-war voters and rational Americans who are unable to reconcile the morality espoused by Republicans with the hate, mismanagement and miscalculation of the Republican party with their values. Maybe there is hope for America. Hope that a change is possible. And there’s no better news for the queer community. It will be interesting to see if this immediate projections and very early returns hold up over the course of the evening.

8:15 p.m. Results are mixed across the country. It is so refreshing to have a real race where every vote truly makes a difference. Gone are the days where party leaders decide who is next in line for the presidential nomination. The mass of states voting today is an important opportunity to move beyond the presumptive politics of the past, to a day when voters truly decide who will lead our country, not pundits or party insiders.

10:05 p.m. CNN is projecting Senator Clinton as the winner of Massachusetts. While the delegates at stake are not as numerous as in some others, it is symbolically significant. Sen. Ted Kennedy’s endorsement was not enough to secure his state for Barack Obama. And in a state with a significant LGBT population, Clinton proved a more compelling candidate than Obama. Analysis of Massachusetts voters over the next few days will be interesting. Clinton is believed to have a generally stronger political machine, while Obama has the power of the grassroots. It will be telling to discover if it was the process of politics, the message or personality that brought the state to Clinton.

11:10 p.m. Will someone please tell Wolf Blitzer to stop saying “uh” between every word? He’s driving me nuts. I’m not going to be able to stay on CNN much longer if he doesn’t cut it out.

11:59 p.m. In ballots counted so far, there are only about 100,000 votes between Senators Clinton and Obama. In today’s races, Obama garnered the most delegates, but Clinton is still leading in the delegate count overall. For Democrats, this is a profound election cycle. There are two very strong, refreshingly different, historic candidates. Either candidate promises to be is such light years more progressive and queer-inclusive than any we have seen in our lifetime. Yet “evangelical” turnout has proven strong on the Republican side. Will anti-gay social conservative Republicans be motivated to vote in the general election? Will the strong turnout in Democratic primaries be maintained or grow in the general election. All remains to be seen. But for LGBT voters, it is encouraging that two candidates who are generally pro-gay are leading the party’s race for the presidential nomination. Although neither candidate has an “ideal” position on LGBT issues, the success of both suggest that America may at last be willing to abandon homophobia in favor for the greater good of our country.

Be the Decider. Vote!

The excitement surrounding the presidential primaries hits Georgia today. Early media reports are showing strong turnout and long lines. But don’t be discouraged by wait times. Your rights, and the future of tolerance, equality, reason and responsibility are in your hands. It’s our chance to get our country back. That’s worth some of your time in queue today. Democrats have a real chance to retake the White House, telling the gay-hate-baiters that democracy is for everyone, and everyone gets a chance to decide the direction of our country. Our votes matter, perhaps more than in any election in the last two decades. So please, exercise your right to vote. Or prepare to have your rights as a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender American to remain under assault into the next decade.

Here are links to resources for today’s primaries:

• Find your polling place here. Or you can call the Georgia Secretary of State’s office for voting information at 404-656-2881.
• See a list of acceptable voter IDs for Georgia here.
• Report voting problems. If you encounter problems voting and feel your voting rights may have been violated, report it! Call the Election Protection Legal Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
• Find out what else will be on your ballot here.

Queue up, queers!