Queer Activists Commence SOS: NYC Congressional Vigil For Equality Bill

RELEASE:
For immediate release (9/27/10).
Media Contact: Iana DiBorna, 718-309-8598,
queersos@gmail.com

Today, Monday, Sept. 27, 2010, NYC activists will commence a daily vigil Standing OutSide of Senator Gillibrand’s campaign office at 15 W. 26th Street, from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. to urge the Senator to take action for LGBTQ inclusion in the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The demand is that Gillibrand file a bill to start this process called The American Equality Bill (AEB) which would add “sexual orientation & gender identity” (SO+GI) to all U.S. nondiscrimination laws, consistent with her campaign platform announced last October, 2009 (http://bit.ly/GillibrandCRAoct09).

The AEB was created by veteran activists Karen Doering, Esq. and Juan Ahonen-Jover, Ph.D., and is supported by www.equalitygiving.org and www.actonprinciples.org, as well as grassroots activists around the country.

“We need a bill worthy of our dignity to organize around and we will wait no longer,” said Iana DiBona a lead SOS! organizer. “It’s been 46 years since the ’64 CRA passed, how long must we wait to start the process?”

Activists maintain that it is long-past time that our community demand equal inclusion in the 1964 laws that protect everyone else in American from discrimination.

It was after all, Bayard Rustin, a black gay hero who helped lead the black civil rights movement and created the March on Washington where MLK gave his Dream Speech, almost 50 years ago.

“In ’64, we were shoved aside and Mr. Rustin’s civil rights and ‘sexual orientation’ were excluded from America’s non-discrimination laws,” said Todd (Tif) Fernandez, the Campaign Facilitator for The AEB Project (on FB at http://bit.ly/AEBnow). “Our time has come, our dignity demands it.”

The action – called THE QUEER SOS! – will involve sentries Standing OutSide Gillibrand’s office every day, all day (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) until the bill is filed. If no action is taken, on October 11th – National Coming Out Day – the vigil will go around the clock (24/7), and, as of Nov. 2nd, some members will begin a water-only fast to demonstrate the urgency.

Each day at noon there will be a “Homophobia Kills Die-In” to bring attention to the fact that LGBTQ people commit suicide or are killed regularly due to this country’s on-going sanction of homophobia.

“Homophobia kills,” said Alan Bounville, a founding member of Queer Rising NYC, “and each day that Congress fails to include us in the Civil Rights Act they are complicit with more of these deaths.”

The Queer SOS! daily vigil and community commune will feature art, music performances and friendship, amidst steady activism. See the schedule at www.queersos.com, or just come by.

PERFOMERS and ACTIVISTS can sign up for sentry duty, or to perform by emailing queersos@gmail.com, or at www.queersos.com – or just show up – 15 W. 26th Street/Broadway.

Follow The QUEER SOS! – on FB & Twitter.

NOTE: The AEB Project is all grassroots, all volunteer. The AEB adds SO+GI (sexual orientation and gender identity) to the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, giving full and equal federal non-discrimination/civil rights protections to over 30 million LGBTQ Americans in every state with one bill – covering housing, employment, credit, public places, gov’t buildings (including schools), and all federally funded programs (like HIV and health programs, homeless youth, adoption, etc.) (see bill and FAQ at: www.queersos.com).

Soulforce Sunday of Solidarity June 28 Stonewall to Cornerstone!

SUNDAYS of SOLIDARITY - From Stonewall to Cornerstone -
Sunday, June 28, 2009 (40th Anniversary of Stonewall)John Hagee and Cornerstone Church18755 Stone Oak Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78258
Register to Join Us!

Sundays of Solidarity encourages groups of LGBT and allied people around the country to train themselves in nonviolent direct action and communication, and then attend worship services at a church of their choice - a church that is not welcoming and affirming of openly LGBT members and guests(later actions may also include visits to individuals and institutions other than churches). Participants have the option of wearing a lapel button that reads "gay? fine by me." The lapel button serves as a conversation starter - opening dialogue with people in the church about faith, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Project Launch:
Sundays of Solidarity will launch on June 28, 2009 - the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall -with a visit to John Hagee and his congregation at Cornerstone Church. An open letter has been mailed to Hagee announcing our visit on that date and expressing our desire to meet with him after the services to discuss how we can help him end his religious campaign against the civil rights and well-being of same- gender families, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
Mandatory Training:
9:00 am, Beacon Hill Presbyterian Church1101 West Woodlawn, San Antonio, Texas 787201A mandatory training in nonviolence for all participants will be held at 9:00 am at Beacon Hill Presbyterian Church, 1101 West Woodlawn. All participants in this Sundays of Solidarity event are required to attend this one-hour training. Name tags, lapel buttons ($2.00), and a nonviolence pledge card will be distributed at this training. At the conclusion of the training, we will go directly to Cornerstone Church where we will worship peacefully at the 11:00 am service and afterwards either meet with Hagee (if he accepts our invitation) or engage congregants in conversations about faith, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Why John Hagee and Cornerstone Church?
Since Stonewall 40 years ago, many people around the nation have changed and come out in support of LGBT equality. But, many religious leaders continue to use their substantial power and wealth to fight against equality. The Mormon and Catholic churches spent millions to support Proposition 8 in California. Mega-church pastors use their pulpits to influence the hearts and minds of their congregants, and their television and radio listeners to turn out the vote on issues such as same-sex marriage, hate crimes legislation, employment nondiscrimination, adoption, and foster-parenting. With powerful political connections, they form partnerships with state and federal legislators that oppose equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.John Hagee is the founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas; a non-denominational charismatic church with more than 19,000 active members. He is the chief executive officer of Global Evangelism Television (GETV), and “John Hagee Ministries,” which telecasts his national radio and television ministry carried in the United States on 160 TV stations, 50 radio stations, and eight networks, including The Inspiration Network (INSP) and Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). He is seen and heard weekly in 99 million homes and is seen in Canada, Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and in most Third World nations.Hagee is founder and National Chairman of the Christian-Zionist organization Christians United for Israel, incorporated in 2006. He has incurred controversy for his comments on Nazism, Catholicism, Islam, Jews, homosexuality, and Hurricane Katrina - which he blamed on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
To see Hagee’s views on marriage equality, go tohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y43CkCzyPq0and watch how is followers applaud at the 1:50 mark.
To see Hagee’s views on inclusivity, go tohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVGceWARCXM&feature=related
and to hear him blame gays for Hurricane Katrina go tohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDI7pt9KGs4&feature=related
There are now 926 known hate groups in this country – a staggering new record - and the teachings of fundamentalist leaders like John Hagee lead directly to the suffering of LGBT people, who are misunderstood, discriminated against, and subjected to ridicule and acts of violence.We must build solidarity with those who support equality for all people. Yet nonviolence also calls us to bring the truth to those who oppose, defile, and even hate us. Hagee is a victim of misinformation, as so many others have been, and we must take our message of hope and love directly to him and his congregation.On Sunday, June 28, 2009, we must peacefully demand that he recognize the separation of church and state, and end his campaign against the rights and well-being of LGBT people and same-gender couples who simply want to marry, raise their children, and live in their communities without fear.Join us 9:00 am on June 28, 2009, at Beacon Hill Presbyterian Church1101 West Woodlawn, San Antonio Texas 787201for the required training in nonviolence before our visit to Cornerstone Church at 11:00 am.