glbt

War Is a Hate Crime

Violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is wrong. So is violence against people in Afghanistan and Iraq. But in the bizarre culture of identity politics, there are no alliances among the oppressed. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr.

Posted in glbt, Militarism, violence, War/Empire

Lt. Choi Won’t Lie for His Country

Lt. Dan Choi doesn’t want to lie. Choi, an Iraq war veteran and a graduate of West Point, declared last March 19 on “The Rachel Maddow Show,” “I am gay.” Under the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” regulations, those three words are enough to get Choi kicked out of the military. Choi has become a vocal advocate for repealing the policy, having spoken before tens of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies at last Sunday’s National Equality March in Washington, D.C.

Posted in Equality/Justice, glbt, Militarism

The March to End a Century of Persecution

This weekend, thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans will march in the nation's capital. They won't be marching for marriage rights alone. They'll be marching for complete federal equality - an end to second-class citizenship.

Posted in Activism, Equality/Justice, glbt

A Decade Later, Matthew Shepard Act Still Needed

On a cold night 11 years ago, a 21-year-old University of Wyoming student was lured into a pickup truck and driven to the outskirts of Laramie, where, as he begged for mercy, he was tied to a fence, kicked and pistol-whipped so brutally that he lapsed into a coma. He later died.

He was a victim of hatred. He was also his mother's treasure.

And Matthew Shepard's horrible death forced much of our nation to look at how anti-gay prejudice can explode into violence.

The meaning of Matthew Shepard's life and death is the subject of a moving book by his mother, Judy Shepard.

Posted in Equality/Justice, glbt, hate crime

Tel Aviv Murder Reflects Israeli Fears

Why is the murder of gays in Israel different from all other anti-gay violence? That's the question I asked myself after a gunman killed two and injured fifteen at a gay youth center in Tel Aviv. As the father of a young gay man, I was horrified. As a Jew, I was appalled.

Posted in glbt, Human Rights, inequality, Israel/Palestine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2009
1:16 PM

CONTACT: Human Rights Campaign
Brad Luna 202/216.1514 Cell: 202/812.8140
Trevor Thomas 202/216.1547 Cell: 202/250.9758

Human Rights Campaign Calls on the LGBT Community and Allies to Participate in National, Grassroots Push to Lobby Congress Face-to-Face

“No Excuses” campaign demands equality through in-district visits

WASHINGTON - July 30 - The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, today launched a national, grassroots campaign called "No Excuses" to demand action from Congress on key issues of equality. Designed to take advantage of the congressional summer recess, when members are in their local offices and meeting with constituents, "No Excuses" will mobilize HRC's 750,000 members and their allies to meet directly with lawmakers and push for federal legislative change. Members and supporters can get involved by vi

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The Human Rights Campaign represents a grassroots force of over 750,000 members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where LGBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

Human Rights Campaign Links:

Posted in Equality/Justice, glbt

California Upholds Gay Marriage Ban

The California Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 8 -- the controversial ballot question that banned same-sex marriage.

At the same time, the ruling will allow about 18,000 same-sex couples already married, to retain the rights they attained during the brief six-month period that gay marriage was legal in the state.

"There it goes," said Jim Schnobrich, who married his partner of 27 years in Pasadena, Calif., last September. "We have to keep going."

Posted in Equality/Justice, gay marriage, glbt, prop8

La Cage aux Democrats

THE most potent word in our new president’s lexicon — change — has been heard much less since his inspiring campaign gave way to the hard realities of governing.

Posted in civil rights, Equality/Justice, glbt

Exporting Homophobia

Despite the global recession, the U.S. is promoting and aggressively selling a costly product overseas: homophobia. Uganda, one of America's closest partners in Africa, is currently home to vicious and violent attacks on its citizens based solely on their sexual orientation and gender identity. The high cost in terms of individual privacy and freedom of expression is mounting daily. Regrettably, much of the inspiration and call for these attacks is coming directly from these shores.

Posted in Equality/Justice, glbt, Human Rights, Uganda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2009
1:43 PM

CONTACT: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Pedro Julio Serrano, Communications Coordinator
(Office) 646.358.1479 (Cell) 787.602.5954
pserrano@theTaskForce.org

Task Force Action Fund Hails Introduction of Federal Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act

WASHINGTON - May 21 - The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund hails the introduction of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act in the U.S. Congress. This legislation would provide domestic partner benefits for federal employees and their partners. The bill was introduced by U.S. Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

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The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, building the organizational capacity of our movement and generating groundbreaking research through our Policy Institute.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Links:

Posted in Equality/Justice, glbt