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There is a Santa Clause and Christmas Comes Early for Democrats

With the exception of Proposition 8 and other anti-gay amendments passed earlier this month, you have to believe there is a God and a Santa Claus, and that Christmas has come early this year. Several media outlets are reporting that Ann Coulter’s jaw has been wired shut. If only they would leave it that way permananently. Apparently, Coulter fell down some stairs and broke her jaw. Or maybe she was pushed by Karma? Check any of these reports for more details:

The Dish Rag Blog at the LA Times

The Huffington Post

The Political Machine at AOL

The Seattle Times

Florida Judge Rules Gay Adoption Ban in Unconstitutional

In the right-wing war on LGBT America, we continue to win a few and lose a few.  Today, we won one.  The Miami Herald reports that Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman has ruled that Florida’s 30-year ban on adoption by gays and lesbians is unconstitutional.  Another court came to a similar conclusion back in August, when Monroe Circuit Judge David John Audlin Jr. wrote that Florida’s 1977 gay adoption ban arose out of ”unveiled expressions of bigotry,” according to the Herald.

The Miami-Dade case was brought by North Miami gay foster father Frank Gill, who wants to adopt the two foster children he and his partner have raised since 2004, when the boys were removed from an abusive home.  The heterosexual parents of the two half-brothers had their parental rights terminated in 2006.  It would seem hard to justify denying children a safe, loving home for the singular purpose of continuing a political strategy to deny LGBT rights.  To face the details of neglect and abuse in many straight family households and still claim that any heterosexual parent is a better parent is one giant leap of logic.  Consider the details in the case of the two children (referred to as John and James Doe to protect their identities) who arrived as foster kids at the home of Frank Gill and his partner Tom Roe, Sr. on December 11, 2004, as documented in the court’s ruling:

John, the elder sibling, arrived with his four-month old brother wearing a dirty adult sized t-shirt and sneakers four sizes too small that seemed more like flip-flops than shoes. Both children were suffering from scalp ringworm. Although John was clearly suffering from a severe case of ringworm, the medication brought from John’s home to treat his scalp was unopened and expired. James, too, suffered from an untreated ear infection, as evidenced by the one-month old, nearly unused, medication. John did not speak and had no affect. He had one concern: changing, feeding, and caring for his baby brother. It was clear from the children’s first evening at the Petitioner-Roe home that the baby’s main caretaker was John, his four year old brother.

On that December evening, John and James left a world of chronic neglect, emotional impoverishment and deprivation to enter a new world, foreign to them, that was nurturing, safe, structured and stimulating. Although Petitioner and Roe had fostered other children, caring for John was the most challenging of their foster care experiences. For the first few months, John seemed depressed and presented a void, unresponsive demeanor and appearance. Upon arriving at the (Gill/Roe) home, John did not speak a word for about one week.  After two weeks, he began to mumble imperceptible utterances. After about one month, John finally began speaking. (Gill) quickly learned that John had never seen a book, could not distinguish letters from numbers, could not identify colors and could not count. He could not hold a pencil.

You can read the court’s complete ruling, which includes expert testimony on the effect of gay parenting on children (none), on The Miami Herald’s Website here.

Valerie Martin, the attorney who argued against gay adoption for a week during the early October trial, has already filed a notice of appeal.  Martin represents the Florida Department of Children and Families on behalf of Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.

Burundi Moves to Criminalize Homosexuality

File this under:  “as bad as things are for the LGBT community in America, it could be worse.”  This just in from the InternationalGay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC):

In an unexpected move, the National Assembly of Burundi passed a law on Friday November 21, 2008, making same-sex acts punishable by between 3 months and two years in prison, along with a substantial fine. The following day, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and the Association pour le Respect et les Droits des Homosexuels (ARDO) issued strongly worded letters to the entire membership of Burundi’s Senate, asking them to vote against the legislation, which would criminalize homosexuality for the first time in the history of the country. The Senate may vote on the bill as early as tomorrow and if it passes Burundian President Nkurunziza will likely sign it into law.

IGLHRC and ARDO also wrote to President Nkurunziza, asking him to veto the legislation should it be presented to him for his signature. Both groups encourage others to contact Burundian authorities to protest the measure.

“Imprisoning people simply because of who they love offends every principle of human rights practice, which is to ensure dignity and respect for all people,” said Paula Ettelbrick, IGLHRC’s executive director. “This is less about sexuality and more about the visibility of a growing community of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Africa refusing to be treated as dirt. These laws are meant to silence and terrorize our community and must be stopped.”

Burundi—a small country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the south and east, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west—has been locked in an ethnically-based conflict for much of its post-independence history. A negotiated peace settlement, brokered with the assistance of a number of African states, has led to the installation of a multi-party government. The last few years have seen a certain level of reconstruction in the country, increased stability and the emergence of a nascent civil society.

The government of Burundi’s latest move comes in the context of considerable hostility to homosexuality in the region; two-thirds of African nations maintain criminal penalties for consensual same-sex behavior. In recent years several countries, including Nigeria and Uganda, have threatened to strengthen laws against homosexuality. New criminal codes in Zimbabwe broaden the definition of sodomy to include “any act that involves physical contact… that would be regarded by a reasonable person to be an indecent act.” Several nations, including Burundi, have enacted legislation criminalizing same-sex marriage, though little or no advocacy to promote such marriages has taken place. These laws appear to be emerging in response to an increasingly visible, outspoken, and organized sexual rights movement.

International and local human rights defenders have expressed grave concern not only about the nature of the current legislation in Burundi, but also about the way in which it has been promulgated. “The government has moved this bill quickly and unjustly through the legislative process,” said a representative of ARDO. “The whole process has happened over the course of a weekend, with no input from civil society or general discussion about the issue of homosexuality and freedom of expression within Burundi.”

If the current legislation passes, it is likely that the country’s HIV prevention efforts will suffer. Burundi has made commendable efforts to fight HIV and AIDS during the last decade. But IGLHRC’s 2007 report on HIV and AIDS in Africa, Off the Map, demonstrates how laws that criminalize homosexuality drive communities underground, making men who have sex with men less able to access HIV-related prevention information. UNAIDS, The Global Fund and other key international institutions concur.

An action alert related to this issue will be posted on IGLHRC’s website on November 25, 2008. For an update on the status of the legislation in Burundi, or to take action, visit: www.iglhrc.org.

104 Military Officers Agree: Gay Ban Must Go

Last Monday, admirals and generals representing every branch of the military released a statement calling for the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.  The officers were led by retired Admiral Charles Larson, who had originally supported the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy when it was first proposed in 1993, in the wake of the backlash over then President Clinton’s effort to overturn the ban on gays in the military early in his presidency.  Admiral Larson reportedly changed his mind after he learned that “there were a lot of witch hunts and a lot of people were turned out on that basis.”  He realized that the military was losing valuable talent.  I know this to be true first hand from my friend Brian Muller, who was discharged from the Army under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”  Brian had been deployed in one of our two current wars, working as a bomb technician in Afghanistan.  I cannot fathom why homophobia could possibly be more important than protecting our troops (and Afghani civilians) from IEDs and other explosive dangers.  Nor can I understand why someone who literally put his life on the line in service to our country is in any way unworthy to serve.  (You can read the details in my post about Brian’s experiences here.)

Many have said that Clinton’s move was too early.  It’s hard to imagine that it would have been received any more positively at any time during his presidency or during the reign of President George Bush, especially considering the right-wing propaganda campaign to demonize the LGBT community as a Republican base-energizing political ploy.  Now we’re on the eve of the inauguration of Barack Obama, and it will be interesting to see if the spirit of change and hope also brings hope to the LGBT community.  Obama is certainly the most gay-friendly of presidents we will have seen in history.  During the election, Obama told the Philadelphia Gay News that he would repeal the policy, but carefully.

After the release of the letter from the admirals and generals this week, Obama Transition Team Spokesman Tommy Vietor declined to comment to the Associated Press.  And today, Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, told the Washington Times that he has held “informal discussions” with the Obama transition team on how the new president should proceed, and he didn’t expect any action on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell until 2010.  “I think 2009 is about foundation building and reaching consensus,” Sarvis said.

The letter calling for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, signed by Admiral Larson, said in part:

“Scholarly data shows there are approximately one million gay and lesbian veterans in the United States today as well as 65,000 gays and lesbians currently serving in our armed forces. They have served our nation honorably. We support the recent comments of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General John Shalikashvili, who has concluded that repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy would not harm and would indeed help our armed forces. As is the case with Great Britain, Israel, and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion, and sexuality. Such collaboration reflects the strength and the best traditions of our democracy.”

Brian has often told me that the whole idea of LGBT soldiers in some way harming our military’s ability to function effectively is completely absurd.  Most military action our country now undertakes is in concert with our allies–many of whom allow gays to serve openly.  Our troops are already serving with openly gay and lesbian soldiers in the field.   Right now.

You can see the complete list of officers who signed the statement calling for the end to the ban on gays in the military on the Palm Center’s Website.

Ministers Preach to Gays and Straights at Atlanta’s Join the Impact Protest Against Prop 8

Several ministers spoke in both religious and secular terms about the issues of gay rights and gay marriage at the Join the Impact! protest in Atlanta last Saturday.

Take a look at Life on Q’s video of the speech by Dr. Margaret Aymer at Atlanta’s Join the Impact protest for gay marriage on Nov. 15, 2008.  Dr. Aymer talks about her mixed race marriage, the commonalities between the civil rights movement and the gay rights movement, and her point of view as a Presbyterian minister and professor of theology.

Dr. Aymer is an assistant professor at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.  She holds a degree in U.S. History from Harvard University, Masters Degrees in divinity and philosophy from the Union Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in the New Testament and Early Christianity, also from Union.

The Rev. Paul Turner of Atlanta’s Gentle Spirit Christian Church acknowledged the pain and disappointment of discrimination in his speech.  He offered words of encouragement to the LGBT community and also sent a message to those who oppose us.  Rev. Turner majored in Theology and minored in Psychology at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. He left prior to graduation when the nature of his sexual orientation became clear to him and church officials informed him that he would never be ordained within the United Methodist Church.  He then discovered the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Church in 1982. He received a certificate in “Crisis Intervention” from the Council of Christian Communions of Cincinnati in 1983; served on the Crisis Intervention Team and as a Chaplain for the city jail, was licensed as a clergyperson in the UFMCC in 1986, and ordained in 1989.  After leading churches in Ohio and Atlanta, Rev. Turner founded Gentle Spirit Christian Church in 1998.

Gay Marriage? White Knot?

Groups are springing up everywhere to add to the momentum of community activism in the aftermath of the passage of Proposition 8 in California.  One interesting one is called White Knot.  The idea is to create a new symbol for marriage equality.  In the spirit of red AIDS ribbons and pink breast cancer ribbons, the white knot combines two traditional symbols of marriage—white and tying the knot—to show support for the right of gays and lesbians to marry.

The goal is simply visibility, and the plan is that wearing the knot, whether you are gay or straight, will become a symbol of equality and an opportunity to reach out to others to discuss the issue. The group asks you to wear your white knot to work, to school, to your place of worship–wherever. They indicate on their Website that celebrities will be wearing white knots down red carpets this awards season. Together, we can keep the keep the conversation going.  A White Knot is a simple thing to make, even for the craft-challenged.  Whiteknot.org offers instructions for making your own on their Website here.  They also plan to manufacture white knots that can be given out at events, rallies or wherever.

I think this is a really creative and interesting idea.  I like it a lot. Visibility really is very important, and so are the conversations that will be had when people ask, “What’s with the white ribbon?.”  I just hope we don’t get too carried away in the rush of community activism to think that LGBT rights are all about marriage.  There are many, many more obstacles along the road to full equality and equal rights.  Let us not forget issues like hate crime, employment discrimination, Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell, and adoption and foster parenting rights, to name a few.

Georgia Equality’s Jeff Graham Speaks at the Join the Impact Protest in Atlanta

Take a look at Jeff Graham’s speech at the Join the Impact protest on Saturday, November 15. Jeff is executive director of Georgia Equality, a statewide political advocacy group for Georgia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. In his remarks, Jeff talks about the many challenges, and a few victories, in the fight for LGBT rights in Georgia. He also stresses the importance of the upcoming December 2 Senate runoff in Georgia between incumbent Saxby Chambliss and Democratic challenger Jim Martin, as well as a critical runoff race for the Georgia Court of Appeals.

Bill Clinton’s Rally for Jim Martin Moves to a Larger Venue

This just in from the Democratic Party of Georgia: Due to overwhelming demand for tickets, the location for today’s “America is Back” rally with Jim Martin and President Bill Clinton has been changed to the Quad at Clark Atlanta University, located at James P. Brawley Drive and Fair Street.  [map]

Because they’ve moved to a larger location, you won’t need tickets.

MEGA Family Project Founder Speaks at Atlanta’s Join the Impact Protest

Here’s a look at Kathy Kelly’s speech at the Join the Impact! protest in Atlanta on Saturday, November 15. Kathy is founder and executive director of the MEGA Family Project. The non-profit organization began as Marriage Equality Georgia, a group organized to fight Georgia’s anti-gay marriage amendment in 2004. The organization evolved into MEGA Family Project, providing support, education and advocacy on behalf of LGBT families throughout the state of Georgia.

This video includes Kathy’s entire speech, lightly edited (about four minutes long).

The New York Times Buries Gay Prop 8 Protest Story

I am getting more than a little irritated by the mainstream media’s coverage of the anti-gay marriage amendments in California and elsewhere. Leafing through my Sunday New York Times this morning, I got hotter than my coffee to search for an article on the protests, only to find it buried on page 25. I wrote a Letter to the Editor to let them know that LGBT Americans are paying attention to their lack of coverage and interest in the issues that affect our lives. Here’s the content of my letter:

“To the Editors:

As a New York Times subscriber, blogger and lesbian, I am writing to express my disappointment in your coverage of the National Day of Protest Over Proposition 8 (“Across U.S., Big Rallies For Same-Sex Marriage,” page 25, Sunday, November 16, 2008). I had scoured the paper last Sunday looking for coverage of the passage of Proposition 8 in California (and the other anti-gay measures on ballots in Arkansas, Arizona and Florida) only to find an AP article printed deep into the paper. The editors apparently didn’t even see fit to assign a Times reporter to the story. I was very frustrated and disappointed. Then I heard about Saturday’s protests, and decided to attend the protest here in Atlanta as an outlet for my outrage (attended by an estimated 1,500 people, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

Again this Sunday, I checked The New York Times for articles on the protest. After well more than 100,000 LGBT Americans and fair-minded, freedom-loving heterosexual Americans braved wind, cold, rain and fire to protest the passage of Proposition 8, I would have expected more prominent coverage. Checking the front page, I finally spot a teaser for an article on the Rally for Gay Rights in the lower left-hand corner—the location of lowest-priority in newspapers. The teaser referred to page A25. Leafing past Sports, Arts & Leisure, Travel et. al., I finally located the article on page 25-which turns out to be page three of the National section.

Over one million people signed on to the Join the Impact social network in one week, according to the (ad hoc, volunteer, average citizen) social network organizers. Protests were planned in more than 30 American cities and in 10 foreign countries. How does such a large, national movement get relegated to page 25, behind a story on beer-drinking and whether or not President-elect Obama will have to give up his Blackberry?

Regarding the article itself, I found it to be generally fair yet somewhat downplayed in at least one regard: Estimates of protest participants on the Join the Impact website are (as of this writing) between 119,757 and 132,952. (See: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/Attendance+Totals+(How+Many+Attended+in+Your+City).

Estimates are still coming in from around the country. It is, in my opinion, a more accurate characterization that protesters numbered well over 100,000, rather than the “tens of thousands,” as you reported.

Ironically, I subscribed to your paper at Atlanta’s Gay Pride Festival this summer. I have been a reader of the print and online additions off and on for years. If your coverage of the groundswell of protest over anti-gay marriage bigotry continues to be buried, what does it say about your editorial judgment in general? Do nationwide protests by hundreds of thousands of Americans not meet your criteria for news? Or is there some other, more political reason for your disinterest in and disrespect for LGBT Americans?”

You can read the Times article on the protests for yourself here. If you feel any media coverage of Prop 8, Join the Impact or other LGBT issues is biased or buried, I strongly urge you to consider writing a letter to the editor.  It really does make a difference.