To all who’ve promised to never forget…it’s starting again.

We are on a historically dangerous path. Tell your legislators to reintroduce the Equality Act now and to publicly disavow all anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and state legislation!

Sunday, March 5th, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, signing his odious book, and dog-whistling that he would “never surrender to the “woke” mob, or, as defined by Merriam- Webster – those aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice.)

In exchange for democracy, he promised the crowd of +1000 regressives a bright and shiny new deal. He would suppress and silence the lesser-valued claimants of “We, the People” in exchange for his cynical Christian Nationalist version of the”core foundational principles that made this country great.” It’s ironic that his book’s title, “Courage to Be Free,” far better describd the LGBTQ+ protesters at the front entrance, a demographic traditionally targeted by fascist leaders, than it did himself.

Despite our blithe assumption that we Americans are exceptional – above the political trauma that’s happened elsewhere and beyond our own genocidal early history, scholars are now actively studying if the growth of White Nationalism under Trump could devolve into violent oppression of minority groups and dissenters if a fascist leader like Ron became president.

Continue reading “To all who’ve promised to never forget…it’s starting again.”

UPDATE! Pride Weekend actions! Add your voice!

In case you missed the handout at Ventura’s own Pride Festival – you can catch up here!

UPDATE! STATE ACTION #1: THIS PASSED! Tell your assemblymembers to pass SB-107 – Gender-Affirming Health Care to provide refuge for trans kids & their families from states that are criminalizing them & threatening to remove transgender children from their homes.

Minimal script to your assemblymember: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want to[Assemblymember [___] to support and pass SB-107 – Gender-Affirming Health Care.

MORE INFORMATION!: This bill is heading to the Assembly floor! Amongst its provisions:

Continue reading “UPDATE! Pride Weekend actions! Add your voice!”

Using our influence for good – supporting LGBTQI+ people at home and abroad.

(Image by Tom Morris as part of the LGBT Free Media Collective coordinated by Wikimedia LGBT and WikiQueer)
  • Action #1: Yes” on S.393 – The Equality Act.
  • Action #2: Tell your legislators to support H.R. 1201/S.424 – International Human Rights Defense Act
  • Action #3: Call the chairs of the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committees directly.

Action #1: Call your senators, and make sure your friends and family members call theirs. 75% of Americans say ‘Yes” to S.393 – The Equality Act.

As we near the end of another great Pride month, it’s easy to forget how very recent some of our LBGTQ+ rights are – the U.S. Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states in Obergefell v. Hodges just six years ago, on June 26, 2015, making us one of 29 countries with marriage equality. Then the Trump administration showed us how fragile some of our progress was, banning transgender personnel from serving in the military and excusing those claiming religious beliefs from treating fellow Americans with dignity and fairness. (List here.) Even with Trump removed, our LBGTQI+ community still faces harrassment and discrimination that effect their mental, physical and economic wellbeing. Just this year, GOP-controlled legislatures, ignoring the will of 75% of Americans, passed the largest number of repressive anti-LGBTQ+ bills since 2015. As a result, CA’s attorney general just added five more states to the state-funded travel ban list.

But what about that recent Supreme Court decision that employers can’t discriminate against workers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity? It doesn’t apply to small businesses that employ as many as one in six Americans. Plus, it doesn’t protect access to housing, prevent denial of services or settle the question of who can use which restroom. (link to tweet here)

The H.R.5/S.393 – the Equality Act would amend existing federal civil rights laws – including the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 – to extend protections for LGBTQ Americans, extending protections on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity. It would also protect those with special needs. 48 out of 50 Democratic senators are already on board. If you have one, thank them. For those with friends and family in red states, you need to get your friends and family on the phone, every day, giving a piece of their mind to their GOP senators. Every day.

Minimal script for cosponsoring senators: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want to thank Sen. [___] for supporting S.393 – the Equality Act. It’s past time to recognize the essential humanity of all our citizens and remove this last bar to equal treatment of our LGBTQI+ community.

Continue reading “Using our influence for good – supporting LGBTQI+ people at home and abroad.”