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New Directions with

A Statement from the President and Founder of Equality Iowa...

Back in the spring of 2002 as I started calling Iowa legislators, I had a dream there would come a day when the Iowa Civil Rights Code would include Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity as protected classes. That day has come. As of July 1, 2007, Iowa will join the growing number of states where the law protects GLBT citizens. Iowa is the nineteenth state to add Sexual Orientation and the twelve to add Gender Identity, accounting the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

This law was not passed overnight. Many organizational changes have come over the past five years in the movement to change Iowa’s Civil Rights Code. The first group to emerge was called FAIR and stood for For All Iowan’s = Rights. This name and group was never filed with the state or IRS. During the 2002 election, a national Right Wing group used the name FAIR and targeted the immigrant community with newspaper and television ads. It was very clear that FAIR was not going to be a good name for the statewide LGBT group.

After the election, I had the chance to talk with people who were working for equality on a national level. It was through these talks that the idea to start an Iowa based group with a name similar to others across the country arose; thus, Equality Iowa (EQIA) was born. I resolved that this time, things were going to be done the right way and EQIA was going become a 501c3, non-profit organization.

Over the years, as EQIA worked across Iowa, we have had the opportunity to meet and educate some of Iowa’s finest. Equality Iowa has built networks comprised of hundreds of groups and thousands of people. Today EQIA’s database has over 5,000 names with at least one person in ALL of Iowa’s 99 counties. We have built a strong grass-roots base.

With the passage of the Civil Rights Bill earlier this year, it is time for the GLBT movement in Iowa to move to the next level, and I, as the founder and Board President of EQIA am not the person to do that. So it is with great excitement that I am announcing that EQIA has decided to join forces with One Iowa to share resources, and strengthen the grass-roots based statewide LGBT organization with strong leadership skills.

One Iowa was started in November of 2006; its main focus was on Marriage Equality. Since that time, One Iowa has gotten a new Executive Director, established a board of directors, and is ready to truly become Iowa’s leading LGBT political statewide organization. Its focus is on Civil Rights, Civil Marriage, LGBT Families and LGBT Aging.

I am proud to announce that not only are EQIA and One Iowa joining forces to become one strong statewide organization, but also that I have also joined One Iowa’s staff as become their newest Director. I am the LGBT Aging Network Director. One Iowa is the first LGBT organization in the country to hire an Aging director.

For more information about One Iowa and all of the programs and ways for you to be involved go to our web site: www.one-iowa.org.

And remember: we are not the first to pick up this fight. Others have come before us, and many of them are not with us today. There are other legislative issues to be dealt with and still so much education to be done.

Written by: Sandy Vopalka

Our Friend, Barbara Gittings, Gay Pioneer, Dies at 75

Mother of the GLBT Civil Rights Movement

PHILADELPHIA: Barbara Gittings, a seminal gay activist, died on Sunday,
February 18. She was 75 and resided in Wilmington, Delaware. Her death was
announced by her partner of 46 years, Kay Tobin Lahusen.

Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director of Equality Forum, noted, "Barbara Gittings
is the mother of the GLBT civil rights movement. She is our Rosa Parks.
Barbara helped organize the first gay and lesbian civil rights demonstrations in
the face of a tsunami of homophobia. Her courage helped launch the GLBT civil
rights movement."

Barbara Gittings began her career in activism in 1958 when she founded the
New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), the first lesbian
organization. She edited DOB's national magazine The Ladder from 1963 to 1966.
Describing those years, Gittings said, "There were scarcely 200 of us in the whole
United States. It was like a club; we all knew each other."

In 1965, Gittings marched in the first gay picket lines at the White House
and other federal sites in Washington, DC to protest discrimination by the
federal government. She joined other activists in the pioneering annual
demonstrations for gay and lesbian civil rights held each July 4 from 1965 to 1969 at
Independence Hall in Philadelphia. These seminal yearly protests laid the
groundwork for the Stonewall rebellion in 1969 and the first New York gay pride
parade in 1970. Gittings' role in these early protests is featured
prominently in Equality Forum's documentary, Gay Pioneers.

In the 1970s, Gittings campaigned with other activists to remove
homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association's list of mental disorders. She
recruited "Dr. H. Anonymous," a gay psychiatrist who appeared, masked, on a
panel at the 1972 APA conference to tell his colleagues why he couldn't be
open in his own profession.

Gittings also crusaded to make gay literature available in libraries. Though
not a librarian, Gittings found a home in the Gay Task Force of the American
Library Association, the first gay caucus in a professional organization.
She edited its Gay Bibliography and wrote a history of the group, Gays in
Library Land. Her campaign to promote gay materials and eliminate discrimination in
libraries was recognized in 2003 by an honorary lifetime membership
conferred by the American Library Association.

For her lifetime of activist work, Gittings was selected as one of 31 leaders
for GLBT History Month in October 2006.

-----------------------------------

Some of us were blessed to meet Barbara, a few of the pictures from her
visit to Des Moines, can be seen below. These are pics mostly
taken, by me when she was here. I have the one's of a few womyn and Barbara,
please let me know if I took one of you and her and I will email it to you.

I am feeling a great lose today.

Sandy V

Below: Sandy, Barbara and Terri;
Barbara Gittings at Ritual Cafe in Des Moines;
Barbara appears as the keynote speaker for an Equality Iowa Fundraiser

 

 

We have been very busy in Iowa this session.

We have Safe School legislation SF61, which has passed on the Senate floor with debate on January 30th, 2007. The vote was 36 to 14, six Republicans crossed over and voted with the Democrats. (Details below).

A history making debate, not since 1992 had a bill containing "Sex Orientation" come to the Senate floor and never had the words “Gender Identity,� been debated. The House will debate SF61 early next week. That debate too will make history.

We have a change in our State Civil Rights Code, adding “actual or perceived Sexual Orientation� and “Gender Identity.� Work is being done on the definitions, SSB1046, SSB1088, HF92.

In addition, we plan to add "actual or perceived" to sexual orientation and "gender identity" to the Hate Crimes bill, SSB1040.

 

Friends,

We are happy to announce that the Safe Schools Bill passed the Iowa Senate with bi-partisan support (36 - 14).
Thank you to everyone for your contact with legislators to help push this through the Iowa Senate!

This bill is specifically designed to insure that all children are protected from bullying and harassment. 
Senator Mike Connolly (D- Dubuque) was the floor manager of the bill and has led the charge for the bill over the past several years.
The following Senators voted in favor of the bill:

Democrats (30)- Staci Appel, Daryl Beall, Dennis Black, Joe Bolkcom, Thomas Courtney, Jeff Danielson, Dick Dearden, Bill Dotzler,
Robert Dvorsky, Eugene Fraise, Mike Gronstal, Tom Hancock, Jack Hatch, Bill Heckroth, Rob Hogg, Wally Horn, John Kibbie,
Keith Kreiman, Matt McCoy, Rich Olive, Herman Quirmach, Amanda Ragan, Tom Rielly, Becky Schmitz, Brian Schoenjahn,
Joe Seng, Roger Stewart, Steven Warnstadt, and Frank Wood.

Republicans (6)- Jeff Angelo, Mary Lundby, Larry McKibben, John Putney, Pat Ward, and Brad Zaun.

Please call and email these Senators and thank them for helping to protect ALL students in Iowa schools. 

Senate Switchboard: 515-281-3371

Email: FIRST.LAST@legis.state.ia.us 

YOUR HELP IS STILL NEEDED!  Please call and email your legislators in the Iowa House and ask them to support the
Safe Schools bill.  This bill has passed the House Education Committee and is expected to be debated soon. 
Your immediate help is critical!  To find your Representative, go to http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/

Brad Clark
Executive Director,
GLBT Youth in Iowa Schools Task Force
 
P.O. Box 1797
Des Moines, IA 50305-1797
(515) 243-1221

brad.clark@iowasafeschools.org
www.iowasafeschools.org

 

150 Years of GLBT History from http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/history.cfm

1855

Walt Whitman publishes the first edition of Leaves of Grass

1869

The term "homosexuality" appears in print for the first time in a German pamphlet

1870

Bayard Taylor publishes Joseph and His Friend, the first gay novel

1895

Oscar Wilde is convicted on charges of "gross indecency" and sentenced to two years hard labor

1897

In Germany, Scientific Humanitarian Committee is founded, the world's first organization dedicated to ending legal and social oppression of gays

1920's

"Gay" comes into use in reference to homosexuals

1928

Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness, the first lesbian novel, is published in the U.S. 

1933

Nazis disband the Scientific Humanitarian Committee

1937-38

Nazis send homosexuals to concentration camps, forcing them to wear an identifying pink triangle badge

1940's

Alan Turing engages in WWII code-breaking work at Bletchley Park, England

1950

The Mattachine Society, the first American homophile group, is founded in NY

1954

Alan Turing dies by suicide months after being given libido-reducing hormone treatment as a punishment for homosexuality

1956

James Baldwin publishes Giovanni's Room, a gay-themed novel

1957

In the UK, the Wolfenden Report's recommendation of decriminalization of homosexual acts for consenting adults causes public controversy

1958

Barbara Gittings founds the NY chapter of the lesbian organization Daughters of Bilitis

1961

Illinois is the first U.S. state to decriminalize homosexuality

1963

Bayard Rustin coordinates African-American civil rights March on Washington

 

First gay rights demonstration takes place in New York, protesting discrimination in the military

1965-69

Annual gay civil rights demonstrations at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, by Barbara Gittings and others

1968

The Metropolitan Community Church founded in Los Angeles

1969

Sylvia Rivera and others participate in the Stonewall Uprising in NYC

1970

First gay pride marches in the U.S. commemorate Stonewall

1971

Frank Kameny becomes the first openly gay candidate for U.S. Congress

1973

American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its list of mental disorders

1974

Barbara Jordan testifies in President Nixon's impeachment hearing

1975

Sgt. Leonard Matlovich sues the Air Force for discharging him. First national gay rights legislation bill introduced in U.S. Congress

1977

Harvey Milk elected to San Francisco Board of Supervisors

1978

Harvey Milk assassinated in San Francisco City Hall

1979

First national gay rights March on Washington attracts more than 100,000

1980

Publication of John Boswell's book Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality

1981

Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) founded by Larry Kramer and others

 

Martina Navratilova comes out

1985

Fr. Mychal Judge founds St. Francis AIDS Ministry

1987

Representative Barney Frank comes out

 

Larry Kramer founds ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power)

1988

Section 28 is passed in the UK

1989

Ian McKellen and others form Stonewall to campaign for the repeal of Section 28

 

Denmark becomes the first country to legally recognize same-sex partnerships

1992

Tim Gill and Martina Navratilova oppose Colorado Amendment 2

 

Elton John AIDS Foundation started

1994

Tim Gill founds the Gill Foundation

1995

Andrew Sullivan publishes Virtually Normal

1996

Representative Jim Kolbe comes out

1997

Ellen DeGeneres outs herself and her sitcom character on primetime tv

 

Adrienne Rich declines the National Medal of Arts

1998

Gay student Matthew Shepard is killed in Wyoming

1999

Jim Hormel is appointed the first openly gay U.S. ambassador

 

Phill Wilson founds the Black AIDS Institute

2001

Father Mychal Judge dies at the World Trade Center

 

Lowell Selvin leads formation of PlanetOut Inc.

 

Germany enacts domestic partnership legislation, with leadership from Volker Beck

2004

Lupe Valdez elected Sheriff of Dallas County, Texas

2005

Sheryl Swoopes comes out

2006

First gay pride march in Moscow ends in violence, including injury and arrest of Volker Beck

 

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http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/IowaVotes/VoterBillofRights.pdf

As an Iowa citizen, you have the right to
1. Ask questions.
2. Request a ballot and vote if you are:
        Registered to vote;
        18 years of age or older;
        A resident of Iowa;
        A United States citizen.
3. Review a sample ballot before voting.
4. Vote in an accessible voting place.
        Virtually all Iowa precincts are accessible. However, if you cannot get inside
the polling place because it is not accessible, two precinct workers will bring a ballot to your vehicle. They may also help you mark the ballot, but only if you ask them. You may want to call ahead or bring someone with you to tell the precinct workers that you need to vote in your car.
5. Mark your ballot privately and free from coercion or intimidation.
6. Receive assistance with voting in a polling place, if needed.
        If you need help marking your ballot because of a disability, literacy or language barrier, any person you choose may help you except your employer or your employer's agent or an officer or agent of your union.  If you want help from the precinct workers, one person from each political party will help you. If precinct workers assist you, you will need to sign a form showing that you requested help.
7. Vote a provisional or special ballot if your name is not on the voter registration list or if
there is another question about your qualifications to vote.
8. Receive a ballot if you are in line at the time the polls close. Polls close at 9:00 p.m. in most elections.
9. Request a new ballot if you made a mistake and have not already cast your ballot. You may receive up to three ballots before casting your ballot.
10. Have your ballot count if you cast it legally and in a timely manner.

As an Iowa citizen, you have the responsibility to
1. Register to vote at least 10 days before the election.
2. Vote in the polling place for the precinct where you live.
3. Respect the privacy and voting rights of others.
4. Treat election workers and other voters with courtesy and respect.
5. Have a form of identification with you when you go to the polls.
6. Read and follow instructions.
7. Ask for assistance if you need it.
8. Be informed about the candidates and issues on the ballot.
9. Follow all federal and state voting laws.
10. Review your ballot before casting it to ensure it is complete and correct.
 
     State Capitol, Room 105 | Des Moines, IA 50319    1-888-SOS-VOTE | 515-281-8993
                                                                                        

 

Register to Vote

http://www.sos.state.ia.us/elections/voterreg/reg_to_vote.html

 

Task Force announces open registration for the 2006 Creating Change(tm) Conference, the nation's premier lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement-building conference

All interested activists are encouraged to register now for the leading LGBT movement-building conference and take advantage of the early registration rate, available until September 7.

WASHINGTON, July 25 - Registration is now open for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's 19th Annual Creating Change(tm) Conference, which will be held in Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 8-12, 2006. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists and allies are urged to attend. The early registration rate is available until Sept. 7. Reduced prices are available to those with limited income. The registration form is available at www.creatingchange.org <http://www.creatingchange.org/> .

The Creating Change(tm) Conference is the LGBT movement's annual conference, attracting thousands of activist leaders from across the nation. The program educates, challenges and supports LGBT activists to build grassroots LGBT political power. Creating Change(tm) heads to the heartland this year to help build a movement in an increasingly LGBT-unfriendly area.

The conference will take place just after the November elections, giving the LGBT community a chance to reflect, plan and strategize for the coming year. No one should miss this opportunity!

The primary goal of the Creating Change(tm) Conference is to build LGBT political power. The schedule reflects this agenda, with scheduled plenary speakers and a program full of challenging and rigorous sessions, panel discussions, roundtables, film screenings, caucuses and networking sessions to deliver the skills needed for activist leaders to create change in their communities. For details, visit www.creatingchange.org <http://www.creatingchange.org/> .

PROMINENT GAY AND LESBIAN AND ALLIED GROUPS STATE SUPPORT FOR FAIR AND HUMANE IMMIGRATION POLICY

The following statement was adopted by the undersigned LGBT and allied organizations, businesses and individuals:

Like most American communities, the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is a diverse community, made richer and stronger by the admixture of genders, races, nationalities, gender expressions, faiths, ages, and political ideologies. We are Latinos, Asian Americans and Pacific-Islanders, African-Americans, Native Americans, and Anglos; youth, middle-aged, and seniors; parents, couples and singles; Christians, Jews, Muslims and agnostics; liberals, moderates and conservatives; men, women, transgendered, and are richer, smarter and stronger because of the contribution of each. And, like all communities we struggle within that complex tapestry to continue to acknowledge and respect each other in our larger struggle toward dignity and equality for all.

Sadly, we have recently witnessed yet another disheartening, divisive battle in our seemingly endless “culture wars”. Once again some of our countries’ most vulnerable have become a convenient political scapegoat and target for those seeking favor among the ultra-conservative right.

In the US, as many prepared to celebrate the life, vision and leadership of Cesar Chavez, we were astonished to see some in the US House of Representatives endorse the most draconian political measures targeting the immigrant community in 80 years. Measures whose motives are not reform, safety or fairness, but instead proposals to make felons of hard-working immigrants who staff our factories and fields, who cook for us and care for our children, who seek enough resources to care for their parents and families. Proposals that seek to criminalize the churches and charities that reach out to help immigrants who are cold, hungry or suffering. Proposals that encourage racism, isolationism and the abandonment of our most fundamental American values: hope, fairness, humanity, equal treatment and mercy.

We all agree that our current immigration system needs reform and share the concerns about safety and security, but we believe reform can be accomplished best through the vision articulated by Cesar Chavez; a vision of a nation and a world where the values of liberty, dignity, fairness and justice occupy center stage. Where persecution, oppression and discrimination are not political tools that are proudly claimed, but instead, are moral wrongs to be made right.

We share that vision. And we will continue to struggle toward that time when the 12 million undocumented workers who contribute, who give their energy, their time, their faith and their resources to the rest of us, can be provided with a rational and humane immigration policy. We stand with our immigrant community in insisting that a policy that can provide all of us with safety and that can offer a fair, realistic opportunity for citizenship is possible.  We also hope that any immigration reform that is achieved protects the civil rights and civil liberties of all immigrants and offers due process protections, so that all Americans benefit from our core democratic principles of fairness and equality.

We continue to believe in the vision of Chavez, in the hope offered by Martin Luther King, and in the dream that is American democracy: a nation in which all people and all immigrants— regardless of national origin, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or immigration status—can live with safety, dignity, and fairness.


Equality Iowa  
Judy Stafford 
Mary Lou and Linda McGrew  
Warren J. Blumenfeld 
Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa 
Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa 
Iowa Council for International Understanding  
The Gay and Lesbian Resource Center of Cedar Rapids 
United for the Dignity and Safety of Immigrants 
The Network Against Human Trafficking 
Ritual Café 
Mike and Becky Buckman 
Vern Naffier 
Crossroads UCC Church  
Iowa Civil Rights Commission 
Des Moines Human Rights Commission 
Penny J. Rice, Margaret Sloss Women's Center, Iowa State University  

AFSC Immigrants Voice Project

 

If you or your group want to be added to this list of supporters, email us at info@equalityiowa.org

 

Pride 2006

Des Moines Pride is Sunday, June 11th. Please visit the official Pride site, visit http://www.capitolcitypride.com.

Fields of Pride Growing Iowa Diversity 

 

June 17

Iowa City Pride Festival

Saturday June 17, 2006
12:00 Noon - 5:00 PM
College Green Park
info at http://www.gayiowacity.com/

 

 

Lobby Day 2006

Are you tired of politicians distorting who you are as an LGBT person, and making decisions at the Statehouse that affect your life, but don’t know anything about you and your reality? Are you willing to take a few hours to stand up for yourself and other LGBT people in Iowa? Are you thinking that, “Why bother; my legislator is reliable on LGBT issues?” 

So come to Lobby Day, sponsored by Equality Iowa!

 

Lobby Day for the 2006 legislative session will be February 1 at the Statehouse. 

We will meet at the Wallace Building, across the street from the Capitol, at 8:30am, for training on how to lobby. Then over to the Capitol at 11am, to talk to legislators. Equality Iowa is establishing itself as the organization in Iowa to educate all Iowans about LGBT issues, identify LGBT-supportive groups in Iowa, and build a more supportive environment in this state on LGBT civil rights, marriage equality, and lesbian and gay families. Equality Iowa is a statewide grassroots non-partisan organization, favoring no political party, but which spends part of its time and resources.  And we need your help! So plan on coming to speak to your legislator! We will train you on how to do this (and it’s really not that hard, you know your own situation!). Even if you think your legislator is reliable on our issues, we still need you there on Lobby Day. Please consider talking to the legislator from your hometown, if you now live in a more LGBT-positive area of our state. When we finally pass legislation in the state of Iowa that:

 Don’t you want to know the satisfaction of having helped bring that about? 

Resolution Supporting Civil Rights

WHEREAS, every person should have the right to marry the person of her or his choice; and
WHEREAS, every person should have the right to be a parent; and
WHEREAS, fair access to housing and employment are fundamental to the civil rights of citizens;
THEREFORE, we support equal rights to adoption, custody, employment, housing, and marriage for all, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered citizens.  
 
Resolution Supporting Marriage Equality Whereas, Marriage should be about the love of two people. Whereas, Civil Marriage is a legal contract between two people granting them over 500 rights and responsibilities in the State of Iowa, and over 1,100 in the United States. Whereas, Civil Marriage is how government provides protection, support, and respect for families. Whereas, all Iowans deserve fairness, equality, and the right to pursue happiness. Be it resolved, that we support civil marriage for same-sex couples in the State of Iowa. 
Be it further resolved, that we support legal recognition of civil marriage for same-sex couples at all levels of our government.


Pre-registration at www.equalityiowa.org.

Starting Tuesday, December 13th join Equality Iowa, for its first “EqIA’s Happy Hours” at Ritual Café from 5:30 to 7.  This will be a monthly event, the second Tuesday of every month.  Come get to know what EqIA has to offer you and how you can get involved with changing the lives of the LGBT community in Iowa.

 

Please pass this on to others.  Check out www.equalityiowa.org, for details on EqIA's Lobby Day on  Wednesday, Feb 1st, 2006.

 Thank you,

Sandy Vopalka

 

ATTENTION GAY BOWLERS!!!

The Winter Season of the Des Moines Rainbow League will be hosted again at
Merle Hay Lanes located at 505 Merle Hay Mall - Des Moines, IA  50310.  The
phone number is 515-253-3901.

The league is composed of 3 member teams (any combo) bowling on wednesday
nights at 8pm.  The cost of the league is $8.50 per bowler per week during a
13 week season.  This fee pays for 3 games of bowling, shoe rental, end of
season prize money, free championship plaques, free league record service
and an open bowl discount card.

The Winter Season will have their informational meeting and open bowling
night on Wednesday, January 18th in 2006 (just under a month away) with the
actual league play beginning the following Wednesday, January 25th.  This
past season we had 7 teams which was an increase of 3 from the previous
winter league with the great hopes of more teams joining us.

The league is open to ALL bowlers regardless of gender or sexual
orientation.  So ask your co-workers, church or other civic friends in order
to form a team.  If you can not form your own team please join us on the
18th of January and we will help find you a team so that you can come and
enjoy the fun that is the Des Moines Rainbow League.

You can find team forms at the the LGBT Community Center located at 3839
Merle Hay Rd, Ste. 227 (phone 515-277-7884) which is right across the street
from the bowling alley or on the Merle Hay Lanes website
www.merlehaylanes.com under the league play - speciality league.

Any questions please contact the LGBT or Merle Hay Lanes.  Hope to see you
in January.

 

FRAN DUNAWAY NAMED

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF

EQUAL RIGHTS WASHINGTON

 Seattle, WA (July 11, 2005) – Equal Rights Washington announced that Fran Dunaway has been named the organization's new Executive Director, effective today. The culmination of a nationwide search, Dunaway's appointment has the full support of the board of directors.

 Equal Rights Washington is a statewide political advocacy organization for the LGBT community of Washington State with the primary mission of ending discrimination of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons in every corner of the state.

“Fran Dunaway is the kind of leader Equal Rights Washington needs to lead the effort to ensure equality for all Washingtonians,” said Roberta Domos, Board Chair of Equal Rights Washington.  “Dunaway’s unique set of skills is exactly what is needed to pass the Civil Rights Bill in the next legislative session and to ensure equal rights in Washington State’s marriage laws as well.”

Dunaway brings a diverse set of skills to Equal Rights Washington.  Dunaway recently served as the Co-Chair of the Seattle Steering Committee of the Human Rights Campaign, and as chairperson of their annual dinner held in Seattle, Dunaway helped HRC raise nearly $500,000 over the last five years.

Dunaway also has a significant communications background as an accomplished film producer.  Amongst her many projects in this area, she notably produced television ads for the successful 2004 campaign in Cincinnati to repeal that city’s anti-gay ordinance.

“Fran Dunaway brings the kind of passion and experience that is needed to lead this historic fight for equal rights,” said Tina Podlodowski, Executive Director of Lifelong Aids Alliance.  “Equal Rights Washington is fortunate to have Fran Dunaway serve as its first permanent Executive Director.”  

Over the last three months, Equal Rights Washington has been guided by Interim Executive Director George Cheung.  Cheung played a critical role in securing significant grants to Equal Rights Washington by national foundations including the Gill Foundation and the Civil Marriage Collaborative.

“George Cheung provided the critical leadership to move Equal Rights Washington from a fledgling organization to one ready to take the important step of hiring a permanent Executive Director,” said Brie Gyncild, Co-Chair of the Equal Rights Washington Education Fund.  “Cheung deserves a big heartfelt thanks from the entire community for his tireless efforts for equal rights.”  

 Equal Rights Washington is the largest political LGBT organization in Washington State.   For more information about Equal Rights Washington, please visit http://www.equalrightswashington.org.

 

# # #

 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Roberta Sklar
office 646.358.1465
cell 917.704.6358
rsklar@thetaskforce.org

July 8, 2005

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds Oregon Senate's passage of civil union and non-discrimination bill

Calls the efforts of Basic Rights Oregon a 'model of perseverance and commitment to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality'

WASHINGTON, July 8 — The Oregon Senate passed a bill today that would provide sex-sex couples "substantially equivalent" rights under state law as married couples by creating civil unions and also would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Senate Bill 1000, which was approved by a 19 to 10 vote, now awaits action in the House. Basic Rights Oregon (BRO) has been the lead advocate for the bill, whose passage carries special significance in light of last year's approval of Measure 36, a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman.

Statement by Matt Foreman, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

"Today's historic vote in the Oregon Senate is the result of the committed, passionate and aggressive leadership of Basic Rights Oregon and its executive director, Roey Thorpe. They are a model of perseverance and commitment to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.

"Last year, Basic Rights Oregon and others committed to equality waged an extraordinary and exhausting campaign to defeat Measure 36, which sought to amend the state constitution to deny marriage equality to gay people. While that ugly initiative passed, it did so by the smallest margin of similar measures being considered by voters in 10 states because of the campaign mounted against it.

"Instead of giving up or being discouraged, as some might have done, BRO immediately resumed working to secure rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Oregonians. BRO refused to back down or tread lightly. Today's vote is the result and shows BRO's unwavering understanding that equality is not something that happens in a flash, but is a long journey with steps both forward and back.

"We salute Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski for his strong support of this measure and the bipartisan group of senators from across the state who fought for it, including Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown (D-Portland) and Sens. Frank Morse (R-Albany) Ben Westlund (R-Tumalo) and Alan Bates (D-Ashland).

"We now join with our allies in Oregon in calling upon House Speaker Karen Minnis to drop her usual tactic of avoiding public debate and relying on parliamentary procedures to kill bills and bring this essential measure to the floor for an up or down vote right now."

 
                                                                    ############
There is currently an initiative to encourage the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to adopt a county-wide human rights policy and ordinance.  This ordinance would include sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected against discrimination.

The proposed language of the ordinance would be:

"It shall be unlawful to discriminate in employment, housing, public accommodation and credit to discriminate against anyone because of age, color, creed, disability, gender identity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity."

We know that the Supervisors might have concerns about how to educate and enforce around such a new ordinance.  One way to approach this would be to collaborate with the
City of Iowa City's Human Rights Division and work as one.  The state is looking for ways for governmental entities to work together and this would be a great opportunity.

Please contact the Johnson County Supervisors and encourage them to put this item on an agenda and discuss developing such an ordinance for Johnson County. 

Sally Stutsman: sstutsma@co.johnson.ia.us
Terrence Neuzil: tneuzil@co.johnson.ia.us
Rod Sullivan: rsullivan@co.johnson.ia.us
Pat Harney: pharney@co.johnson.ia.us
Mike Lehman: mlehman@co.johnson.ia.us
 Contact Mona Shaw or Regenia Bailey with any questions about this.  Please forward this to others throughout the County.

Regenia D. Bailey

430 Church Street
Iowa City, IA  52245
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HRC sent out an action alert regarding two new bills being considered by
Congress. One is to tell Scott Bloch do do his job as Scott Bloch at the
Office of Special Counsel has refused to enforce long-standing protections
from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation for the federal
workforce.

The other is to stop the unfair taxation on domestic partner benefits. To
take action, visit the HRC website:
http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/actioncenter/home.html

 

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force calls U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's pending retirement from high court a 'sad day' for America

Task Force urges President Bush to 'not capitulate' to the demands of extremists

WASHINGTON, July 1 — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the nation's high court and a crucial swing vote on issues such as abortion and the death penalty, announced today that she is retiring. O'Connor said she will leave the court before the start of its next term in October, or when the U.S. Senate confirms her successor.

Statement by Matt Foreman, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

"This is a sad day for the Supreme Court and for America. Justice O'Connor has frequently been an essential vote and voice of reason in crucial decisions involving basic constitutional rights. We call upon President Bush not to capitulate to the demands of extremists, and nominate a successor who will — like Justice O'Connor — be driven by the law, not reactionary ideology.

"We also call upon the president to honor the advice and consent role the Constitution gives the Senate in the nomination and confirmation of Supreme Court nominees, including meaningful consultation with both parties and supporting a thoughtful, deliberate and thorough review of the nominee's record."                                   

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