Sentencing Tomorrow in Lateisha Green Trial

Source: Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund

On July 17, Dwight R. DeLee was convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of 22-year-old Lateisha Green in Syracuse, New York. Tomorrow, DeLee will be sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison for his role in the killing. TLDEF staff members are currently en route to Syracuse. We'll once again be blogging and posting Twitter and Facebook updates about developments on the ground at the sentencing.

The image you see in this message is from Essence magazine's recent coverage of Lateisha's story. When we first began working with Lateisha's family after her death last year, they asked us to help ensure that her death would not be in vain, and that people would learn something from their tragic loss. We're very proud - and Lateisha's family is very proud - that Essence has chosen to feature Lateisha's story. Essence occupies a special place in the hearts of millions of Black women. Since it was launched in 1970, Essence has become a cultural institution in the African-American community. By speaking out about Lateisha's story, Lateisha's family is connecting with audiences that might otherwise never have heard about her life or death as a transgender woman. From the Associated Press to the Los Angeles Times, and now to Essence, Lateisha's story is touching the hearts and minds of millions of people who probably knew very little about the continuing violence that affects the daily lives of transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual people. We're grateful to Lateisha's family for speaking out, and we're grateful to our friends at GLAAD, whose expertise helped to keep this story alive for millions of people.

If you're not familiar with Lateisha's story, you can learn about it by reading the following articles and blog postings on our web site. They're chock full of information, photos and videos, and we think they're well worth your time:

The Lateisha Green Murder: Violence Against Transgender People Resource Kit (4 pages);
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Sunday Blog Post;
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Monday Blog Post;
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Tuesday Blog Post;
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Wednesday Blog Post;
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Thursday Blog Post;
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Final Trial Blog Post;
and
TLDEF Statement On Verdict In Lateisha Green Trial.

Show Your SupportPlease continue to send personal notes of encouragement to Lateisha’s family during this difficult time. You can email correspondence by clicking here. We can't guarantee the family will be able to reply to your emails, but we know that they'll read them and that they appreciate everyone's support. Please write!

Stay InformedFor final updates from the sentencing, stay tuned to all of the following sources:our website;TLDEF on Twitter;the “Justice for Teish” Facebook page; andGLAAD on Twitter.

As a final note, thank you for your support of the work we've been doing on this case. Your notes of encouragement motivate us to pursue our work for equal rights. We always welcome your input, and encourage you to continue to contact us. Thank you.

Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression, and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing and public policy efforts.

Slaughter of IRAQ Gay and Transgender Unchallenged Human Rights Watch

August 17, 2009 the Human Rights Watch (HRW) published "They Want Us Exterminated" Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq

AP Press Human Rights Watch: Iraqi gays tortured and killed

"BAGHDAD (AP) -- Militiamen are torturing and killing gay Iraqi men with impunity in a systematic campaign that has spread from Baghdad to several other cities, a prominent human rights group said in a report."

"Murders are committed with impunity, admonitory in intent, with corpses dumped in garbage or hung as warnings on the street," the 67-page report said.

"Reliable numbers weren't available, Human Rights Watch said, blaming a combination of the failure of authorities to investigate such crimes and the stigma preventing families from reporting the deaths. But it cited a well-informed U.N. official as saying in April that the death toll was probably "in the hundreds."

Russian Punk Rock Band PTVP Rage's Alone Against The Machine

In modern day Russia all dissent has been quashed. Human Rights activists shot dead with a single small caliber round quietly dropping them within a mile of Red Square.



All except PTVP (the Last Tanks in Paris) of Saint Petersburg who's lyrics shout for the freedoms once tasted and so cruelly stolen by Putin.

On the web

Russian punk rockers rage against the Putin machine

Twitter RT @queah1 "Let the human mind loose. It must be loose. It will be loose. Superstition and dogmatism cannot confine it." ~John Adams

Rev. Manish Mishra speaks about the Gender Inclusive Enda at the HRC Clergy Call 2009

Rev. Manish Mishra has traveled extensively throughout the world, living in India, Oman, Finland, and for brief periods in Switzerland. This international exposure gave him the opportunity to live in countries where Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity have helped define the cultures. He brings this multi-religious appreciation to his ministry, and draws on a variety of faith traditions and narratives in his preaching and worship.

I stand before you as a Unitarian Universalist minister in the Tampa Bay region of Florida who has witnessed firsthand, and been deeply troubled by, a question that cuts to the very core of who we are as Americans, and that question is this: do we have the right to fire people from the workplace for factors other than merit? Can we fire people just because we feel like it?

The answer should seem obvious — we are a country that values hard work, and believes in rewarding hard work. People who are doing a good job should be able to keep their job. And, yet, this commonly held understanding is not our reality. We need look no further than to former Largo, Florida City Manager Susan Stanton for proof of this fact.

In February of 2007, Stanton was identified by The Saint Petersburg Times as being in the midst of a gender reassignment process. Stanton had served Largo faithfully and well for over 14 years, with strong job evaluations, and in fact earning a pay increase in the preceding year. Upon this story breaking, Largo City Commissioners called for an emergency hearing, and subsequently voted to fire Stanton, explaining that ‘the public had lost confidence’ in her.

What had we, the public, lost confidence in…? Was it Stanton…? Or was it our own ability to work side-by-side with individuals who are vastly different from us? Was it our commitment to judge people on the merit and quality of their work, and not the basis of identity? Yes, Largo faced a crisis of confidence, not in Stanton, but in the American dream.

I am not transgender, and I don’t consider myself to be an activist on transgender issues: I am an activist when it comes to human dignity. We are all activists when it comes to human dignity because we all know how we would want to be treated ourselves — with compassion and respect, with openness and understanding, with the ability to work hard and be rewarded for it.

Employment discrimination is alive and well, but we mustn’t tolerate it, we musn’t be complicit with it. Rather, we must live boldly, giving witness to our most deeply held values. Now is such a time. I call on our Congress to take action in supporting the dignity of every working American.

HRC Clergy Call 2009

Mormon's victims from supporting Prop 8 ?

By Kelli Busey
Is the Latter Day Saints (LDS) or (Mormons) experiencing a backlash from its misogynistic hypocritical support of Prop 8 or are they the victims of the times?

>snip<

Source AP Gay marriage fight, `kiss-ins' smack Mormon image

"Church representatives don't discuss public relations strategies or challenges publicly, but at a semiannual conference in April, church President Thomas S. Monson seemed to be clearly feeling a post-Prop. 8 sting."

"In an era of "shifting moral footings," Monson said, "those who attempt to safeguard those footings are often ridiculed, picketed and persecuted."

>snip<

Like many religions the LDS claim to love the sinner and hate the sin. This is more than don't ask don't tell from a church will allow us membership as long as we do not engage in any same sex relationship. The LDS has proven it believes 'the end justifies the means". The LDS will then misinform, misdirect and attempt to obscure the truths about its participtation in efforts that are clearly in violation of the obtruse laws that so poorly define the church and state.

But unlike many other religions the LDS does not have a clean cut mainstream image that is supported by a worldwide following. The LDS has a history of supporting of child farm camps, tax evasion, polygamy and marriages between fully grown men and minor females.

So now the LDS is feeling the lash-back from pouring millions of dollars into a law that strips the most basic of human dignities, civil marriage from LGBT people. The LDS is experencing the results of a religion that forced it's religious views on the general public. The LDS is feeling the anger not just LGBT people but former members who once would have defended the LDS with unquestioned loyality.

This should be a learning experience for all religions that cross the line of civil rights to impose their religious beliefs. People universally will rebel against oppression. People will leave diocese's en mass. No religion is impervious to this truth.

After all, we are all just human.

Transgender Woman Raped and Beaten In Trinidad Colorado

By Kelli Busey
planetransgender

Long regarded as a haven for people consulting and recovering from sexual reassignment survey (SRS) the Trinidad Motor INN was the scene of a brutal rape and attempted homicide according to the Pueblo Chieftain.

According to the victim a man who's advances were turned down in the hotel lobby forced his way into the victims motel room later that evening. The perpetrator allegedly then forced the victim to perform sexual acts all the while yelling hate slurs at her. Afterwards the perpetrator used a wooden coat hanger to sodomize the victim and attempted to murder her first by drowning and failing that, electrocution.

The police have been questioning a person of interest who matched the victims description and are waiting on the crime lab to return the results.

Marci Bowers a surgeon who performs Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS) in Trinidad Colorado web site had this posted. "Tuesday, August 04, 2009 - A Note from Dr. Bowers Office and Staff
Some of you may have heard about the alleged rape and assault of a transgender individual in Trinidad in July."

"It's all pretty horrific no matter which way it reads, but it's a complicated situation. This woman was not in town for surgery or to accompany someone else - she came to town with no money, no plan, fairly desperate for surgery - the local homeless services put her up in a hotel and Dr. Bowers scheduled a consult because she came all that way. The fact that the alleged perpetrator has not been arrested at this point indicates that the police are not exactly sure what happened."

"Robin just wants to pass along that, even though she and Janet at the office are pretty upset and shook up about this, that it's not a simple "random act of violence" - that there may have been some history here (the alleged perpetrator may have connected with the victim in Denver). Bottom line - it's been pretty difficult to sort out what actually happened."

"So if you are headed out to Trinidad - please do take standard safety and travel precautions. But do know that this is not something that has happened in town in recent memory, nor is it something likely to recur."

Also on the web

examiner.com Transexual Woman Brutally Attacked In Colorado

Anyone who has experienced hate violence can report it to the Colorado Anti-Violence Program at 888-557-4441.

Texas Driver License Gender Marker Change

Transitioning visibly in Texas.

Going 'full time' and competing a year long 'real life experience' as required by some surgeons before surgically correcting your genitalia to properly reflect your gender (SRS) is nearly impossible without your driver licence first being corrected to indicate your proper gender.

The proper gender marker allowed me the peace of mind to use the correct restroom which despite my anxiety and preconceptions turned out to be a true blessing.

I changed my name and gender marker in 2007. I did this in Fort Worth which is in Tarrant County. I needed to be a resident of Tarrant county and have a letter from my therapist and a supporting letter from my endocrinologist stating I was on HRT.

I retained a lawyer for my change. I have since successfully walked another MTF threw this painless process.

I have friends in Austin and Houston who have had similar experiences. I have friends who reside outside those counties who have been allowed the name change but denied the gender marker change.

It is imperative to do it right the first time. I have heard people say that second attempts to change there gender marker after a name change meant meeting additional requirements.

What a person was born with between their legs is a sexual organ. You were born with a gender identity that can not be surgically operated on and needs to be the focus during your driver license gender marker change.

If you would like help or if you have questions please feel free to email me and I will try to give you helpful advice and contact names.

Good luck,
Kelli Anne Busey
Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies (DTAA)
kelli@yahoo.com

LGBT LiberAction's QUEER LOVE FEST 2009

DALLAS KISS IN!

ON SATURDAY AUGUST 15th AT I PM THE DALLAS LGBT COMMUNITY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL KISS IN. THE KISS IN WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE WEST END AT LAMAR AND ELM IN THE ROSA PARKS PLAZA.

Set for 1:00 PM on Saturday, August 15 our Queer love fest is to include women kissing women, men kissing men, free queer hugs, signs, placards and even a Queer kissing booth!

If you haven’t met that special someone yet, maybe lady luck will smile upon you when you win one of our fabulous prizes while playing our Queer kiss-in games, and of course meeting the love of your life too! There will be something for everyone whether it’s sporting the wonderful Queer kissing booth, smoochin’ yo honey or handing out flyers and Queer chocolate kisses to passers by.

So often our voices are silenced because of our sexuality. We are bullied and beaten into the closet. By holding a queer kiss-in we are asserting our right in a very celebratory and fun way to unabashedly love someone of the same gender.

So come OUT, and Share some LOVE!

For more info please visit: www.queerliberaction.org
Queer LiberAction lgbtliberaction@gmail.com

Boss Demanded Pictures of Genitalia Employee Refused and Fired!

This almost to bizarre to be true.

Unfortunately for transgender people this is the profanity of reality.

A transgender woman was fired after refusing to show pictures to prove she had sexual reassignment surgery {SRS) to her employer.

Lets brake this down to digestible bites.

You go to work a Xtra Mart Monday morning and John the station owner tells you to give him pictures of your Virgina or Penis or whatever is between your legs.

"OK" you respond "No problem" and go into the bathroom and snap some pictures on your Cell phone.

I Don't think so. Not just hell no but Huck No.

Full story at the PGN-The Philadelphia Gay News. Phila gay news.http://bit.ly/rYDkA

Center For Artistic Revolution~Arkansas Contact Our Legislators

A message from the Center for Artistic Revolution.

Arkansas is a key state in the fight for ENDA!

There are three votes in play here. Please call them today to ask for their support.

Senator Mark Pryor, a Democrat, though fairly conservative on many issues, voted for the hate crimes bill. Please call him at 501-324-6336 to support S 1584.

Senator Blanche Lincoln, also a Democrat, has cosponsored a previous bill with sexual orientation and gender identity, and voted for the hate crimes bill. Please call her at 501-375-2993 to support S 1584.

Representative Vic Snyder, also a Democrat, voted yes on the hate crimes bill and on ENDA in 2007. According to Wikipedia, while in the Arkansas legislature, Snyder stepped into one of his earliest legislative controversies when he attempted to repeal the state's aged "Sodomy Laws". Ultimately, however, his efforts failed, and the sodomy laws stayed in effect until the state Supreme Court struck it down in Jegley v. Picado in March 2001. Please call him at 501-324-5941 to support HR 3017.The other three Arkansas Representatives, Marion Berry, John Boozman, and Mike Ross, all voted against ENDA in 2007.

Representative Marion Berry (D - 01) 202-225-4076 Representative John Boozman (R - 03) 202-225-4301 Representative Mike Ross (D - 04) 202-225-3772

Thanks to The Bilericio Project

ENDA For The Record : Key Senate Supporters and LGBT Statements

Kelli Anne Busey
August 13, 2009

Transgender people have come to dread/rejoice the nearly annual introduction of gender inclusive ENDA bills.

Like Charlie Brown we have ENDA'ed up on our backs the past decade after Lucy steals the Football. Immobile we were then compelled to endure the attempted revisionism and assimilation efforts by the same organizations and politicians who had made grandiose statements of support only to stand by and quietly as we lay bleeding on the sidewalk of life.

Graphic but true. So here are some statements of the key people involved in introducing and supporting S. 1584 in 2009.

Just for the record.

Senator Kennedy;

"The promise of America will never be fulfilled as long as justice is denied to even one among us. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act brings us closer to fulfilling that promise for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender citizens. I'm proud to join Senators Merkley, Collins and Snowe in introducing this important legislation," said Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

HRC;
"We are thrilled the Senate has introduced, for the first time, an Employment Non-Discrimination Act that will protect the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We applaud the leadership of Senators Merkley, Collins, Kennedy and Snowe and look forward to working with them to pass these critical protections," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

LCCR;
"The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights strongly supports ENDA. We believe that civil rights should be measured by a single yardstick, which means that workers should be hired or fired based on performance and qualifications, not on immutable characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. For too many Americans, this principle has little meaning, and this long overdue legislation will finally close a major gap in our nation's civil rights laws," said Wade Henderson, President of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR).

NCTE;
"We are so pleased that Senators Merkley, Collins, Kennedy and Snowe continue to take a lead role in advancing the rights of LGBT people. This bill will ensure that protections against workplace discrimination are extended to all Americans including the transgender community. There is no reason why people should lose their livelihood because of who they are. This bill is a major step toward fairness," said Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

NGLTF;
"ENDA reflects the core US values of fairness and ensuring everyone is allowed to participate on a level playing field in the workplace. People recognize that our nation as a whole benefits when everyone is allowed to contribute their talents and skills, free from discrimination, which is all ENDA seeks to do," said Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund.

Task Force ~ We never backed down from our Transgender Inclusive ENDA commitments [unlike some others who have]

The ENDA heat has been turned up!

The Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund's latest fund raising effort is being led by 'L' Word's Daniela Sea who played Moira Sweeney a woman who transitioned into Max Sweeney, a transgender man, who had this to say.......

>Snip<

..."And the Task Force is one of the few organizations that will always fight for the “T” in LGBT. They won’t back down. They won’t compromise to get a bill passed that doesn’t include protections for trans folks."

>Snip<

You won't get a argument from me on that count.

Please support the Task Force as they do the indispensable grass roots ground up hard work that will get ENDA passed!

The Task Force Action Fund

Text of S. 1584: Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009

This version: Introduced in Senate. This is the original text of the bill as it was written by its sponsor and submitted to the Senate for consideration. This is the latest version of the bill available as of Aug 13, 2009 on the GovTrack.US website.

S 1584 IS

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1584

To prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

August 5, 2009

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BURRIS, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. CASEY, Mr. DODD, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. FRANKEN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. KERRY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. KOHL, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. REED, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SCHUMER, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. SPECTER, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, and Mr. WYDEN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A BILL

To prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009’.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

The purposes of this Act are--

(1) to address the history and widespread pattern of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by private sector employers and local, State, and Federal government employers;

(2) to provide a comprehensive Federal prohibition of employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, including meaningful and effective remedies for any such discrimination; and

(3) to invoke congressional powers, including the powers to enforce the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, and to regulate interstate commerce and provide for the general welfare pursuant to section 8 of article I of the Constitution, in order to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

We love Lucie: The Life of a transgender woman in Arkansas

A huge transgender hug go's out to the Arkansas Times of Little Rock for it's heartfelt and sensitive story about being transgender in the bible belt."They loved Lucie"

Pictured right Lucille Marie Hamilton
September 30, 1988 - July 12, 2009

Also hugged is the organization CAR Center for Artistic Revolution. CAR is a 501(c)(3)-sponsored statewide organization that strives for Fairness and Equality for ALL Arkansans. CAR works from the analysis that all oppression is interconnected and seeks to dismantle oppression and build community through education, organizing, advocacy, and cultural work.

Today Facebook's Inclusive ENDA sent me its daily Legislator of the day and it was Arkansas!

These three legislators have a history of voting yes on LGBT affirmative issues. Please call them and express your support of ENDA.

Senator Mark Pryor, a Democrat, though fairly conservative on many issues, voted for the hate crimes bill. Please call him at 501-324-6336 to support S 1584.

Senator Blanche Lincoln, also a Democrat, has cosponsored a previous bill with sexual orientation and gender identity, and voted for the hate crimes bill. Please call her at 501-375-2993 to support S 1584.

Representative Vic Snyder, also a Democrat, voted yes on the hate crimes bill and on ENDA in 2007. According to Wikipedia, while in the Arkansas legislature, Snyder stepped into one of his earliest legislative controversies when he attempted to repeal the state's aged "Sodomy Laws". Ultimately, however, his efforts failed, and the sodomy laws stayed in effect until the state Supreme Court struck it down in Jegley v. Picado in March 2001. Please call him at 501-324-5941 to support HR 3017.

The other three Arkansas Representatives, Marion Berry, John Boozman, and Mike Ross, all voted against ENDA in 2007.

Representative Marion Berry (D - 01) 202-225-4076 Representative John Boozman (R - 03) 202-225-4301 Representative Mike Ross (D - 04) 202-225-3772


Facebook Legislator of the day

Source The Bilerico Project

Women in Congo - Weapons of War

"As seen on 60 Minutes: Women for Women International reports from DR Congo in concert with Anderson Cooper's piece for 60 Minutes, "War Against Women" featuring Women for Women International's program in the DR Congo. Also, please watch "The Greatest Silence" trailer and the film which features our Congo program as well. www.womenforwomen.org"

Gender Advocacy in its purest form. Woman helping Woman to raise themselves above the hell of war. To empower woman. To build lives that make there children proud and strong.

Jimmy Lee Deans Attacker, Bobby Singleton's trial starts August 24

Stand in Solidaidy with our brothers and sisters.

Monday, August 24, 2009
Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm
Location: Frank Crowley Courts Building
Street: 133 N. Industrial Blvd
City/Town: Dallas, TX
Facebook "Justice For Jimmy

The trial for Bobby Singleton, one of two men who brutally beat and robbed Jimmy Dean in the early morning hours of July 17th, 2008 is set to begin Monday, August 24th, 2009 at 10am.
Jimmy was attacked by two men near his home on Throckmorton Street in Dallas' "Gayborhood." He was beaten in the head with the butt of a gun and repeatedly punched and kicked in the head and face, crushing his jaw and cheekbone. According to witnesses, the two assailants, Jonathan Gunter and Bobby Singleton yelled homophobic and anti gay slurs as they carried out the attack. The suspects told police that they specifically targeted a gay man, because they "believed he would be easier to rob."
Equality March Texas is asking the LGBTQA Community of Dallas to stand with Jimmy by attending the proceedings against Bobby Singleton. We must show Texas that we stand united against hate crimes, but more importantly we must show Jimmy that his community stands united behind him!

UPDATE!
HEY GUYS! This will probably be a 3-4 day trial and we really want people there for Jimmy's testimony, the closing remarks, verdict, and sentencing portions of the trial. Once we get a tentative schedule, we will pass the information on to you guys! Just keep some time cleared on your calendar for the week of the 24th! Any time you can spare, to show support, would be greatly appreciated by Jimmy. I'm sure he's pretty scared to face the man who crushed his face, so seeing supportive peeps from the LGBTQA community will be helpful. GRACIAS!

Illinois Family Institute: all Christians are morally obligated to "fight homosexuals"

By Kelli Anne Busey
August 11, 2009

The 'Illinois Family Institute' is engaging in a revisionist campaign to shame all Christians into opposing GLBT people for Christians past failures and specifically the Church's purported silence and complicity with Nazi's during the holocaust.

Source: 'Opposing Views' By Laurie Higgins, IFI DSA | Illinois Family Institute"Church Should Fight Homosexuality Like It Did Nazism"

**********

The Illinois Family Institute is erroneously equating the past failure of all Christians to vigorously support women's and people of color's civil rights and for turning a blind eye to the holocaust to the Churches favorable response to the present day progress of the Christian GLBT equality movement.

You can make a difference!

Source: Change.org

"The Crowne Plaza O'Hare is scheduled to host a Fall 2009 conference by the Illinois Family Institute, a radical conservative group that has compared homosexuality to nazism and slavery, and urges Christian Churches to combat LGBT people as if they were nazis. Urge the Crowne Plaza O'Hare to refuse to host this conference. Part of the Crowne Plaza's anti-discrimination policy includes a pledge not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Letting a group hold a conference in your facilities that actively compares homosexuality to nazism is completely contrary to that pledge."

Source: InterContinetal Hotels Group

Corporate responsibility / Our people / Our responsibilities "We recruit and promote individuals based solely on their suitability for the job without discriminating on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital status or disability unrelated to the role. In some countries these principles may be modified by national legal requirements on affirmative action."

There is a petition available for you to ask that InterContinental Groups Franchisee Crowne Hotel social impact reflects it's corporate responsibility.

Voice your opposition to the Illinois Family Institutes's conference at the Crowne Plaza O'Hara fall 2009.

Petition Text;

>snip<

"On October 6, the Crowne Plaza O'Hare is scheduled to host a conference by the Illinois Family Institute, a conservative, anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) organization that has recently compared homosexuality to nazism, and has urged people to fight against LGBT people as if they were nazis or slaveholders themselves. This type of politics is not something that should be supported by the Crowne Plaza O'Hare."

"While I respect the right of political organizations to stake out positions on certain social issues, I feel that the Illinois Family Institute has gone too far by comparing homosexuality to nazism, and threatens to damage the reputation of the Crowne Plaza O'Hare. In past instances, the Illinois Family Institute has also attacked LGBT parents, LGBT churchgoers, and has supported efforts to "convert" LGBT people using tactics that have been roundly denounced by mainstream psychological and public health organizations."

"Please reconsider your decision to allow the Illinois Family Institute to host its October conference at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare. Hosting conferences from organizations that stake out political positions on issues is one thing; but hosting conferences from organizations that compare homosexuality to nazism and urges people to fight back against LGBT people is dangerous, and in the worst interests of your LGBT staff and your LGBT customers."

End of text

>snip<

Click here to for the petition site

Faith leaders applaud APA resolution

MEDIA CONTACT:


Pedro Julio Serrano
Communications Coordinator
(Office) 646.358.1479
(Cell) 787.602.5954
pserrano@theTaskForce.org


Faith leaders applaud APA resolution


WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 — The National Religious Leadership Roundtable, convened by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, responded to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) resolution, adopted at the organization’s annual convention, that states that mental health professionals should avoid telling clients that they can change sexual orientation through therapy or other treatments.


Statement by the Rev. Rebecca Voelkel
National Religious Leadership Roundtable


“The American Psychological Association has clearly articulated that ‘reparative therapies’ don’t work, in fact they can be very harmful. This resolution is welcomed news for all who support the full humanity, morality and worth of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, especially those of us who do so because of our religious understandings.

“At the Task Force, we have worked with more than 3,400 congregations to create environments that are supportive and affirming of LGBT people. In addition to these, there are many, many supporters of LGBT people within many religious traditions, even those whose official policy is anti-LGBT. This is important because, while it may be the most psychologically healthy move for some to leave their religious denomination of birth, for others, faith, family, ethnicity, race and culture are inextricably linked and leaving is not an option. For these folks, finding those allies and supporters within their tradition is critical to spiritual and mental health.

“Additionally, the report makes some important statements about the relationship between science and religion. Being deeply religious does not necessarily mean being anti-LGBT. In fact, this report shows that religious practice and belief can and does translate into support for LGBT people. The truth is that religion and science do not have to be opposed to one another. In fact, science can be an enormously important tool for understanding the grandeur and wonder of God’s creation. In this case, science helps us understand more fully the gift of sexuality — one of God’s greatest gifts.”

Read the release from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

ENDA: Close, but more work needed August 10, 2009

ENDA: Close, but more work needed

We are coming into the second week of August, and support for ENDA among legislators is slowly inching up. Here's the status

.**HOUSE**In the House, where we need 218 yes votes, there are 171 confirmed yes, and another 36 who will probably vote yes, though they have not yet confirmed this, making a total of 207 likely yes votes. Not enough. 76 Representatives are unconfirmed either way, and these need to be persuaded by you. Yolu can see the spreadsheet with this info at http://www.facebook.com/l/;bit.ly/Q5YMJ

**SENATEIn the Senate, where we need 60 yes votes because of the likely Republic filibuster that requires 60 votes to stop, there are 46 confirmed yes votes, and another 11 likely yes votes, making a total of 57 likely yes votes. Not enough. 53 Senators are unconfirmed either way, and these need to be persuaded by you.

You can see the spreadsheet with this info at http://www.facebook.com/l/;bit.ly/14TDll

**WHAT YOU CAN DO**The key fight is going to be in the Senate. Please take whatever time you can to call the Senate swing votes, which you can find here: Senate - http://www.facebook.com/l/;bit.ly/45WGMc

Please post any information you have on our Wall so I can update the spreadsheet.

Thank you for your support of an inclusive ENDA.

Jillian

Co-Chair, Inclusive ENDA--------------------