5/25/11

Equality Maryland its NOT all about MONEY! Its about the people YOU FORSAKE for it!

It is understandable that this organizations present primary fear is shutting down because of a lack of money.

It is unforgivable the circumstances that lead to this condition and its resulting alienation from the people of Maryland. The people who trusted you explicitly.

Equality Maryland can only blame it self. Equality Maryland sold a pie in the sky agenda to the Gill Foundation and HRC for a promise of marriage equality and a version of a transgender equality bill they thought they could sneak past the transgender community and would be a easy sell to the right extremists and religious 'moderate' democrats.

Equality Maryland got what they wanted, huge cash grants from these entities.

Now Equality Maryland is in a screaming crash dive pieces and parts flying off as it heads towards a inevitable end.

Equality Maryland's writer on the Metro Weekly, spinmeister Yusef Najafin last two articles, Maryland Money Woes and "Equality Maryland Board Explains Vote to "Remove" Executive Director"
has taken Equality Maryland's dirty laundry and hung it out.

But true to Equality Maryland's history of deception and obfuscation the articles make no mention of the core reasons Equality Maryland finds itself without a membership.

ITS ABOUT!

Its not just about money. Its about trust. Stop censoring your facebook page. Its about communication. Newspaper articles need to fairly present the issues from ALL peoples perspectives, the poor transgender peoples as well. I'm not talking about the rich board members and gender queers that populate your faux "transgender" group. Its about designing legislation with the input of all your constituents. Its about pursuing the agreed on agenda with full transparency. Its about not placing your wish for fame above the health and welfare of transgender and gay people.

Equality Maryland has fatally failed the LGBT people of Maryland on all those counts and more.

You have lost all credibility. We have zero faith in you.

In the best interest of the LGBT people of Maryland Equality Maryland needs shut its doors.

5/23/11

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam Signs Bill Destroying Trans/Gay Civil Rights Progress


Despite the best effort of grass roots activists like
John Aravosis Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has just signed into law a bill that will roll back and prohibit any additional local protections to transgender and gay people.

One one the main forces behind this effort was the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce. UNBELEIVABLY the Chamber issued this statement AFTER the bill had been signed!
“The Tennessee Chamber supports a standard regulatory environment at the state level as opposed to potentially conflicting local regulations covering employment practices. That principle was the only interest the Chamber had in this bill. Because HB600/SB632 has turned into a debate on diversity and inclusiveness—principles which we support—we are now officially opposing this legislation in its present form.”

Adopted unanimously May 23, 2011

DEB WOOLLEY, PRESIDENT
TENNESSEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
AFTER the bill is signed these cowardly corporations issue this statement condemning this travesty of justice, That's like hanging a man with a soft rope because you are compassionate. We have been hung regardless.

ComCast Tweeted this intending to defend its support of HB 600. But this says much more than intended. Indeed their money did buy the silence and inaction of major gay organizations.

Garden State Equality also a dollar short and a day late sent this email to its members at 3:00pm on the 23rd after the bill had been signed.
Garden State Equality withdraws honors for AT&T, KPMG and Pfizer for anti-LGBT lobbying by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce,,,Cont.."
EQNJ's last miniute grandstanding self promotional removal of 'legend' honorees did send a challenge to other federation members to do the same but the bill has already passed so....now a long drawn out expensive court challenge. We must win this one.