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Ga. for Obama Kicks Off Canvassing 100 Days Before Election

The Georgia office of Obama for America is appealing to Georgians to participate in a canvassing event designed to register voters. In an e-mail to supporters, State Director Antwaun Griffin noted that we are now only 100 days away from the November 4 election. Sunday, July 27 will begin the 100-day countdown.

Georgia for Obama will kick off 100-Days Canvass events in every one of Georgia’s 159 counties. You can find a 100-Days Canvass event in your area at ga.barackobama.com/ga100days. Georgia for Obama says no political experience is required. The Campaign for Change staff will provide volunteers with everything needed to participate.

In his call for volunteers, Griffin said, “We can turn this state blue for Barack and other Democrats across the state, but it’s going to take a massive effort to increase registration and voter turnout. Face-to-face contact with friends, neighbors and undecided voters is the most effective way to grow our movement.”

If you would like to get involved but are already booked for this weekend, you’ll have other opportunities to participate. Check out the Georgia for Obama Website, which is regularly updated with new ways to get involved, including a calendar of events across Georgia.

Pay Attention and Be Outraged

I knew better than to pay attention to the Georgia primary this week.  The clear lack of interest in Georgia perplexes and frustrates me.  After putting my heart and soul into the elections of 2004 as a staffer for then U.S. Senate candidate Mary Squires, serving as an active member of Georgia for Dean and a participant in the fight against the gay marriage amendment in Georgia, I was 0 for 3 and out of energy.  I devoted huge chunks of my time to politics that year, thinking people would be motivated to participate by the mismanagement, hatefulness and destructiveness of a Republican-dominated government.

I really thought that the people of Georgia could be convinced that discrimination against anyone, even people whose orientation they did not understand, was not the right thing to do.  But my fellow Georgians voted their bias anyway.  Our state constitution has an amendment discriminating against LGBT Georgians to prove it.  Georgia helped return Bush to the White House.  And the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate didn’t have a chance.  In the face of massive Republican campaign war chests, the Georgia Democratic Party and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee threw in the towel before they even worked up a sweat.

In 2006, I voted, of course.  But I stepped away from any participation in the elections beyond that.  I just didn’t have the heart to be disappointed again.  This election cycle, I’ve taken an interest in the Presidential race, but have not been an active participant in any campaign.  So here we are again with a U.S. Senate seat on the ballot.  I purposely avoided the U.S. Senate race, hoping to avoid a repeat of my 2004 frustration.  But I felt it was important to vote, so I began looking at the Democratic candidates only a week ago.  As I feared, the frustration returned.   Again, the DSCC seems to be doing little to nothing to help field a candidate.  Now we have controversial DeKalb County politician Vernon Jones and former State Rep. Jim Martin, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2006, in a runoff after yesterday’s votes were counted.

In my view, Jim Martin is a viable candidate who is on the side of the kind of change we need for our state and in Washington.  But enough of us have to turn out to vote in the runoff on August 5 to give him the chance.   And once one of the candidates earns the chance, we have to support them with time and money.  Saxby Chambliss has $4 million in the bank to buy his seat for another 6 years.  Unless, of course, he has that deposited at Indy Mac.

It must have been an easy night for the Secretary of State’s office.  Only about 15 percent of Georgia voters bothered to go to the  polls.  That’s only half of the 30 percent the Secretary of State had predicted.  That is really pathetic.  We are in two wars.  Gas is $4.00+ per gallon.  The Bush answer is to give oil companies tax breaks and permission to drill off our coasts. (Both measures that are supported by our Senator Saxby Chambliss, who’s up for reelection this fall). Utility prices are skyrocketing, and your gas and electric bills will soon help you feel the pain. There’s a mortgage crisis, and the Bush administration is doing nothing except bail out their buddies at Bear Sterns. Banks are failing.  Airlines are going bankrupt.  Healthcare insurance is impossible to afford, and even if you are lucky enough to have it, you have to fight to get care. Tainted products from China.  Tainted food here, a mystery which the government can’t solve.  Here in Georgia, we have no hate crimes law, despite several hate crimes against the LGBT community.  We have a water crisis.  Budget problems in the city of Atlanta, with fire stations closing and other services being cut.  We have a Fulton County sheriff who was on the job when Brian Nichols escaped, killed people in a courthouse, and terrorized the city.  He was on the ballot yesterday too.

Where is the outrage?  Where is the momentum for change?  Where is basic participation in the process?  If you don’t vote, nothing changes.  The 15 percent of us who do, and the even smaller percentage who try to work for change on various campaigns, are paying attention.  The way I see it, you can either get engaged in the process, or get ready to pay for it in higher energy prices, a planet in peril, inaccessible healthcare and ongoing financial worries.  Your vote does matter, more than ever.  This election cycle really matters, for all of us.  If the LGBT community in particular would get engaged, could unify as a voting block, things could change.  It’s too late to keep hate out of the Georgia State Constitution, but it’s not too late to fight hate in Washington, or to fight for the common issues that face us all, gay or straight.  When queers vote en masse, consistently, equality and fairness will win out.

Googling for Georgia Voters

Today is the day. Vote, Georgia, vote! I’ve continued my research on races that affect us, and thought I’d share some links to articles, voter guides and other resources I’ve found. Just think of me as your own personal election Googler. Check out these links and be an informed voter.

A great resource for General Voting info covering multiple races:

• The AJC and League of Women Voter’s 2008 Voting Guide
• Project Vote Smart’s Guide to Congressional races across Georgia
• A look at Congressional races across the state from Southern Voice
• Candidates for State Senate from Project Vote Smart
• Candidates for State House from Project Vote Smart

On the race for Fulton County Sheriff:

• Creative Loafing’s Voter Guide for the Fulton County Sheriff race
• The AJC Editorial Board’s assessment of candidates for Fulton County Sheriff
• 11Alive News’ story on the Fulton County Sheriff candidate debate

On the Democratic race to challenge U.S. Senater Saxby Chambliss:

• Creative Loafing’s Voter Guide for the Senate race
• Southern Voice on the Five Democratic Candidates for U.S. Senate
• My look at the Democratic Candidates’ stand on GLBT issues
• My blog post on the Senate candidate’s positions on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

On the races for seats on the Public Service Commission:

This is an important race, people. Wake up–your utilities bills are skyrocketing. The winners in these races will be your advocate with the utility companies and will help drive policy on alternative energy in Georgia. Will this state focus on nuclear power or clean alternatives like wind and solar? The Public Service Commission will impact the energy options you will have for the future. Check out:

• Creative Loafing’s guide to the Public Service Commission candidates
• An AJC article on the PSC candidates

On the race for DeKalb County CEO:

• Creative Loafing’s Guide to the race for DeKalb County CEO
• The AJC’s endorsement of Burrell Ellis for DeKalb CEO
• GoDeKalb.com’s overview of the CEO candidates

So there you have it, dear voters. Incomplete to be sure, but I hope it is of some help to you. If you didn’t find what you needed, hey, do your own Googling!

Georgia Democratic Candidates for U.S. Senate Are Gay-Friendly in Varying Degrees

Over the last few days, I’ve attempted to research the five Democratic candidates seeking the party’s nomination for the right to challenge Sen. Saxby Chambliss in the fall. It has been a frustrating exercise, with limited media attention on their campaigns. Georgia Equality, Stonewall Democrats, Southern Voice–no one in the gay community Powers That Be are making any endorsements. While I would not characterize myself as a single-issue voter, I would say that I always check a candidate’s positions on LGBT issues before I cast a vote. I may not choose a candidate solely on their gay-friendliness, but I will certainly rule one out who isn’t. Facing radio silence from LGBT organizations and limited press coverage of the candidates (not to mention the meager coverage of their stand on LGBT issues), I decided to research it myself. Something we should all do for outselves anyway, granted, but the organizations that watch-dog such things for us are usually a good place to start. Apparently, as I mentioned in a previous post, no one is much interested in a challenge to Saxby Chambliss. But I won’t rant on about that again. I’ll move on to what I learned in my research. I hope it will be of some help or at least mild interest to you. And I hope you will vote tomorrow.

None of the Democratic candidates offer detailed positions on gay issues on their Websites, with the exception of a brief mention of protecting constitutional rights on Dale Cardwell’s issues page and an equal rights page on Rand Knight’s site that was so buried I didn’t find it until his staff sent me a link to the page. So, I sent an e-mail to each of the five candidates campaigns asking for more detail on their positions on issues of importance to the LGBT community. I received responses from Cole Haymond with Rand Knight’s campaign and from Morgan Martin Walters for Jim Martin. Dale Cardwell directed me to a Southern Voice article detailing candidate positions. The response, which appeared to come directly from Mr. Cardwell, was courteous. I cannot fault a campaign for not answering one e-mail within days of the primary, I suppose. On the other hand, neither Josh Lanier nor Vernon Jones responded. I’m just another blogger, not high on anyone’s media relations radar, I’m sure. But I’m also an active voter. There’s two off my list already. Here are the campaigns’ responses to my query.

From Rand Knight’s campaign:

“You will find under Rand’s issues, his stance on Equal Rights. He was the only U.S. Senate Candidate to march in the Pride Parade and he stood up for equal rights in a debate on Fox 5 Atlanta. He has been interviewed by the Southern Voice and stood up for Gay Marriage when Jim Martin did not.”

From Jim Martin’s campaign, I received the following detailed response:

Same Sex Marriage/Civil Unions
Jim believes we must protect all Georgians from discrimination and must treat all Georgians with respect and dignity. He does not support discrimination in any form and believes it is unjust to deny rights to individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation. For that reason, he supports civil unions.

Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell
Jim is a Vietnam veteran and believes that we should encourage citizens to serve in the military and support them when they’re there. He does not support the Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell policy.

ENDA
Jim is in favor of ENDA because he does not support discrimination in any form.

Gay Adoption
Jim believes the first and only concern should be what is in the best interest of the child. As Commissioner of Human Resources, he was responsible for all public adoptions in the state, so he knows firsthand that adding any other factor would take the focus off of the best interest of the child. He also believes we need more adoptive parents, not fewer. Many of our most troubled, sick, and at risk children would never be adopted if we took the focus off of the best interest of the child.

Hate Crimes
As a legislator, Jim was a leader on this issue at the State Capitol. Jim built consensus on and passed out of committee hate crimes legislation before it was amended on the floor of the House in a manner that caused the law to be struck down later.

Jim is one of the most fair-minded leaders in the state. He has a 35-year record of accomplishment to prove it. In the 1980’s, when few politicians would address the HIV/AIDS crisis, Jim was a leader in the state’s response to HIV and AIDS and in getting state and federal funds for the Ryan White program and other initiatives. When HIV/AIDS-related deaths were at their peak and same sex partners were facing obstacles as their loved ones were dying, Jim wrote the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Act, which created the right for people to make end of life decisions and burial arrangements for each other. Previously, only biological family members and spouses had that right. The fact of the matter is that no candidate for U.S. Senate has a record like Jim’s on issues important to the LGBT community.

This exercise settled it for me. While disappointed by the Democratic Party’s approach to this Senate race, I will vote for a Democratic candidate regardless. And I will vote for Jim Martin. While no gay organizations have made endorsements (much to my dismay), Jim Martin was endorsed by Georgia Equality in 2006 when he ran for lieutenant governor. He lost that race, but did manage a respectable 40 percent of the vote, making him the one candidate with proven ability to wage a statewide campaign and hopefully some name recognition from his failed bid for leutenant governor upon which to build. And his record of support for the GLBT community in Georgia is strong. Few candidates are perfect on gay and lesbian issues, but Jim is clearly the most thoughtful on GLBT voter concerns. And he has the record to back it up. Jim, for what it’s worth, you have my vote.

Georgia U.S. Senate Candidates Tell Positions on Gays in the Military

There are five Democratic candidates vying to challenge Sen. Saxby Chambliss in the general election this fall. In a debate aired earlier today on WSB-TV, LGBT issues came up only in a reference to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. In a year that saw Senate debate on Hate Crimes legislation and the Employment Nondescrimination Act (ENDA), not to mention gay marriage in California, I would have expected gay and lesbian issues to be a more prominent topic for debate. But what with two wars, a tanking economy, the mortgage mess, and the expense of tanking up with $4.00-plus gasoline, there was plenty else to discuss.

In the debate, three of the five candidates took a strong stand against the ban on gays serving openly in the military. Former State Rep. Jim Martin, a Vietnam veteran, made one of the most direct statements on the ban, saying that the policy was misguided to begin with. Candidate Rand Knight Ph.D., an Atlanta businessman, also said the ban should be lifted. Also in agreement: Josh Lanier, who pointed out that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has hurt our national security. He used the discharge of several gay Arabic linguists during wars in Arabic nations as a prime example. Mr. Lanier, a retired businessman from Statesboro, is a Vietnam veteran.

Less supportive were former investigative TV reporter Dale Cardwell, who gave a confusing answer that being gay in the military was not the issue, but rather sexual impropriety. He could be given the benefit of the doubt that he meant sexual impropriety by soldiers whether gay or straight. Or he could have been implying that gays are sexually promiscuous. Either way, his answer made me a little uncomfortable, especially when he added that the impact of GLBT servicemen and women on the other soldiers in the field needed to be studied. Mr. Cardwell, it already has.

Least supportive of all was controversial DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones. After a generic statement on non-descrimination, he ended his answer by saying he supports Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Mr. Jones also indicated that he voted for George W. Bush twice, which for me calls into question his candidacy as a Democrat as well as his overall judgement.

Feeling less than informed about the candidates’ positions on GLBT issues, I researched for any endorsements by GLBT political groups and coverage of the campaigns by the media. There has been virtual radio silence on this Democratic primary, leaving me feeling frustrated and uninformed. I then took a look at each candidate’s Website and contacted each campaign to get more clarification on their stands. More on what I learned will be blogged in my next post.

And America’s Next Top Candidate Is…

After several hours of CNN, I’m left with the feeling that American Idol, America’s Next Top Model and their clones have given some politicians and pundits an overly healthy appetite for the dramatic pause. And the winner of the Democratic nomination is…the person who will face John McCain is…going to be revealed right after this ad for Lipitor. What I need is a dose of Xanax.

Hillary Clinton gave a defiant speech tonight, in front of an emotional crowd of supporters, and ultimately refused to concede the nomination, even though Barack Obama earned enough elected delegates to secure the nomination, then topped it off with more super delegate endorsements. The talk about “what will Hillary do” appears that it will continue ad nauseum — or at least a couple more days. Either way, it’s adding to my nausea.

I have been a Clinton supporter and contributor since Bill’s first run for president. In fact, this Georgian sent a campaign contribution to the senator when she first ran for the Senate in New York. I spent quite a lot of time agonizing over whether to vote for Sen. Clinton or Sen. Obama. I ultimately decided to support Obama, because he is an energizing leader who started where Howard Dean, my 2004 choice, left off. He was vocally opposed to the war in Iraq. He understood the power of using the Internet as a tool for mobilizing supporters and fundraising. And Obama does not embody evil encarnate from a Republican’s point of view. When a good friend of mine, who is a friend despite being a Republican, wanted to send me a link to some conspiracy video online detailing the numerous people whom the Clinton’s secretly killed, a la Swift Boat Veterans, my decision was easy. That moment last fall gave me a glimpse of an election season of more Republican vitriol, venom, distortions and outright lies. I knew I just couldn’t take it. Obama it is.

Meanwhile, the recent behavior of the Clintons has caused a reaction in me that I didn’t think possible. I actually don’t like them very much right now. Like fish or relatives that don’t know when to leave, my nose knows it’s time for them to step away.

Barack Obama made history tonight as this country’s first African-American candidate for a major political party. For LGBT Americans, this is perhaps a moment of great significance for us as well. Obama has been a reliable, public supporter of gay and lesbian rights in general. He did not touch the gay marriage tar baby. But he did speak publicly and often, even in front of less-than-gay-friendly groups, against homophobia and for a more tolerant and accepting society. For the leading, mainstream candidate, Obama did a better job than most of walking the wedge issue. Perhaps this fact signals that this country may truly be ready to change. Thanks to Barack Obama, I may actually have a little hope welling up past my general state of political dejection.

As for Senator Clinton’s “no decisions” speech tonight: this was a moment to truly think of the country and the Democratic Party. I actually feel a little betrayed that she didn’t seize it. And the whole situation almost makes me believe that the Clintons are ultimately more concerned with political power than with working for the ideas and policies that led me to support them for more than a decade.

So enough already. We know who the new American Idol is, and we know who will lead the Democratic charge to take back this country. With all due respect to the Clintons, and to all their supporters, many of whom are among my best friends, this is not about you. this is about all of us. Pick your high crime or misdemeanor of choice, from the Iraq war to Halliburton to climate change to your mortgage. We have to get this country back on track. IMHO, there’s never been a more important election in my lifetime. This train is leaving the station. Get on board, or get out of the way.

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.