KnowThyNeighbor.org

A Shout Out to Mitt

Not sure how to introduce this... so here it is:

Paul, here are the lyrics so you can sing along!

GAY WEDDING BELL BLUES  - To Governor Romney
Mitt, I've heard your rants, I wish you'd quit
Just listen to you and hear your passion against gays
(Oh, but you're never gonna take my wedding day)
I was on your side Mitt when you were cruisin'
To win your seat, but since then, there's been some foolin'
Your lies and deceit won't carry me till you marry me Mitt
Your scare tactics, they're quite a hit
From 'activist judges' to 'social decay' that you foretell
(Oh, but you're never gonna take my wedding bells)
I won't support White House running, but I'll be lonely
You're too rich, white, straight, and cunning, they're loving you only
Your lies and deceit won't carry me, come on marry me Mitt
I loathe you so, you pious twit
Your righteous religion rules the law- that's not allowed!
(Oh, but you're never gonna steal my wedding vows)
Oh, come on Mitt
Oh, come on Mitt
Come on and marry me Mitt
I got the wedding bell blues
Please marry me Mitt
I got the wedding bell blues
Marry me Mitt

_____________________

Aaron Toleos, Director
KnowThyNeighbor.org
... (more)

Disturbing The Peace

Paul Asher-Best, the selectman from Truro who had the guts to call into question the chief of rescue operations Leo Childs’s ability to provide equal care to gay and lesbian members of the community, when he discovered Childs had signed the anti-gay marriage petition is back in the news.  For a full story look to the Cape Codder, Friday, May 26th reported by Matthew Belson.

It seems that there was a review of Child's alleged bias by local fire chiefs and none was found.  Evidently, these local chiefs do not consider signing a petition to change our state constitution to make it legal to discriminate against a group law abiding, tax-paying citizens of the Commonwealth a "bias."   But then again, if the Truro/Provincetown Representative, Shirley Gomes, does not understand the meaning of equality, then why should we expect lay people to?

Rep. Gomes voted for last year's amendment to the Constitution which would have dis-allowed same-sex marriage but given gays and lesbians civil unions.  In her quote to the Cape Codder, when asked how she intends to vote on the July 12th amendment, Gomes says,   "I am waiting for input from the Judicial Supreme Court."  "One of the reasons I favored the vote before [for the first amendment] was that it granted equal rights under the law to every individual." 

Oh does it now???  Since the Honorable Representative listens to the SJC on matters of a Constitutional nature, I am sure she remembers what these Justices said about the granting of civil unions to same-sex couples when asked for an advisory opinion by Ms. Gomes' very own legislature.  The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court said:

"The history of our nation has demonstrated that separate is seldom, if ever, equal," The bill that would allow for civil unions, but falls short of marriage, makes for "unconstitutional, inferior, and discriminatory status for same-sex couples." see story

Now getting back to Selectman Paul Asher-Best...   As I said before, Mr. Asher-Best did not "fire Paul Childs."  Mr. Childs was unanimously voted down for re-appointment to the Board of Firemen for a variety of reasons.  Anyone who pays attention to local town boards knows that often these votes are arbitrary as was the case in Truro.  However, the reason why this story has gotten so much press is for the simple reason that Selectman Asher-Best was willing to stand up for a group of residents of the town of Truro that are every bit as much worthy of representation as any other group--but this time this group happened to be gay.

Tom Lang, Co-Director

Dinner At 8 With Article 8

Actually it was 7 P.M.

Last week I received an interesting telephone call from John Russo, a representative of the Article 8 Alliance and an associate of the infamous Brian Camenker, asking me to dinner.  I had debated Mr. Russo at Emerson College and I know him to be a nice guy, however, the first thoughts that went through my head consisted of illegal tape recordings via hidden wires ala "Fistgate" or some sort of ambush or even being shanghaied for "conversion therapy" at some Exodus camp hidden deep in the woods of Reading.  So as soon as the fear subsided, I did what I always do, I brought a little humor to the situation and inquired of Mr. Russo if he was asking me out on a date.  John laughed and said that in all his years he never had had "the inclination."  Well, I am glad that we had cleared that up so early in our relationship...

Could the Director of KnowThyNeighbor.org, the organization which promotes dialogue on the topic of equal rights for the GLBT community, respectfully decline an invitation to open a dialogue?  Funny how we get what we wish for...Of course I accepted the invitation.  I was treated to a wonderful fare of salmon at Salem's Strega Restaurant.  And this two and a half hour conversation ran the gamut from the first topic, three-some marriages in the Netherlands to that last very brief yet seemingly obsessive topic among Article 8 devotees, " fisting."    Both of these could only be met with typical Tom Lang humor as I quickly ascribed them to heterosexual fantasy and fetish which made John laugh, but we did also discuss more serious topics such as the importance of positive influences on children, the need to understand and correct abusive behaviors and on the topic of marriage, that its impact on the GLBT community would be evolutionary as it was in the heterosexual community.

Did we come to any agreements?  Yes.  Did I agree that the gay community has its share of problems?  Yes.  Did Mr. Russo agree that the straight world has a huge amount of issues and problems too.  Yes.  Did either of us think that we would change the other?  No.  You see, John Russo, like so many others at Article 8 believe that being gay is a choice.  And with that there is no debate or real discussion, only a wall that I was not able to tear down.  But the importance of this dinner WAS the dialogue itself, not so much the topics.  Mr. Russo told me that I was only one of three gay people that he had ever spoken to in deep meaningful conversation.  Brian Camenker said a similar thing today in when I called him to tell him that I would be doing this post--and that says alot, don't you think?

Again I was hit with a humorous thought, though maybe it is more ironic than funny...  When we sit with our opponents face-to-face and really, really talk...  it is very hard for them even with their fears and prejudices to tell us that we are "going to Hell," or that we are evil, or that we are trying to destroy society as we often read in blogs and on websites.  But this is where the irony kicks in...likewise it is very hard for us to look them straight in the eyes and to call them "bigots."  So get out there and have those meaningful conversations ladies and gentlemen, face-to-face, and remember, this isn't about our opponents, this is about you. I leave you with that...

Tom Lang, Co-Director

ConCon End Run in the Works

Developing story....

From Bay Windows:

Isaacson: advocates can kill amendment procedurally

Arline Isaacson, lead lobbyist for the MassEquality coalition, confirmed to Bay Windows that the lobby team has a plan in place to defeat the VoteOnMarriage.org constitutional amendment through a procedural maneuver.

Isaacson said that by forcing a vote on a marriage amendment filed last year by state Reps. Emile Goguen (D-Fitchburg) and Phil Travis (D-Rehoboth), she is confident they can defeat Vote On Marriage’s amendment. Goguen and Travis’s amendment was originally filed at the request of the anti-gay group Article 8 Alliance. Because it was filed by lawmakers, rather than through an initiative petition like the VoteOnMarriage.org amendment, it requires a full majority of the legislature to pass; by contrast, the VoteOnMarriage.org amendment only needs 50 votes. Isaacson said she asked state Sen. Jarrett Barrios (D-Cambridge) to add Goguen’s amendment to the calendar of the constitutional convention (ConCon) in May 2005 to make sure it would come up for a vote before the VoteOnMarriage amendment because she is certain there are enough votes to defeat it.

“We are confident that we have enough votes to defeat the Goguen amendment, absolutely, but not the initiative petition,” said Isaacson, who is co-chair of the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Political Caucus (MGLPC). The Goguen and VoteOnMarriage.org amendments are agenda items 19 and 20 respectively on the calendar for the ConCon scheduled for July 12. Isaacson said the only way for VoteOnMarriage.org to bump their amendment up on the agenda is with the unanimous consent of the legislature.

“In order for our opponents to move the initiative petition higher on the agenda [it] requires unanimous consent, and of course we have lined up legislators to immediately object if they try that. So we’re confident we can block moving this up on the calendar,” Isaacson explained.

Isaacson said once lawmakers vote down the Goguen amendment she believes they will not take up VoteOnMarriage.org’s amendment.

“It was possible that there could be a vote first on the Goguen piece, and even if we won it was possible to move afterward to the initiative petition,” Isaacson explained. “But we realized that was not likely to happen because legislators would be furious at having to vote twice on the same issue within one session, and they’d be right.”

Bay Windows contacted the office of Senate President Robert Travaglini, who presides over the ConCon, to ask if he would be willing to allow a vote on both marriage amendments. His spokesperson Ann Dufresne did not return a call before deadline.

Isaacson’s comments came in response to a blog posting on the MassResistance blog (massresistance.blogspot.com) written by Article 8 member Amy Contrada. She accused Barrios of hijacking her group’s amendment and wrote, “So how about this scenario: The ConCon goes right down the list, gets to #19, votes it down, then adjourns. Then no one can say they didn’t take up a marriage amendment. And no voters can say they weren’t allowed a voice (through their reps and senators).”

Although Contrada criticized the lobby team for its strategy she reiterated that both she and Article 8 oppose the VoteOnMarriage.org amendment, which they feel does not go far enough to ban same-sex marriage. The VoteOnMarriage.org amendment only outlaws future same-sex marriages but keeps existing marriages intact. By contrast the Goguen amendment bans any state recognition of same-sex marriage.

Isaacson said Contrada’s speculation about their strategy was on the mark.

“My reaction is Amy is absolutely right. MGLPC one year ago came up with this idea because we knew it would be impossible or close to impossible to garner 151 votes against the initiative petition, but we knew we could get a majority of the legislature to vote down an anti-gay marriage amendment,” she said.

Barrios, reached for comment before Isaacson confirmed the lobby team’s strategy, denied that he had placed the Goguen amendment on the calendar for strategic purposes but showed no hesitation in using the amendment to defeat the VoteOnMarriage.org amendment procedurally.

“Miss Contrada has very generously provided proponents of fairness with a wonderful strategy which, while the first time I have heard of it, I would consider entertaining if it means keeping that discriminatory amendment off the ballot,” said Barrios. “Thank you for being so Christian in helping me keep discrimination out of our state.”

Lisa Barstow, a spokesperson for VoteOnMarriage.org, declined to comment on the substance of the lobby team’s strategy.

“We’re hoping and we’re asking for the legislators to do the right thing, recognize the intent of the voters and take their desire to vote on marriage seriously. As far as predictions about what’s going to happen on the floor, we wouldn’t even try,” said Barstow.

Isaacson said the lobby team was confident that they could block any efforts by opponents to bring their own amendment up for a vote before the Goguen amendment.

“MGLPC has checked into all the rules, and if our opponents try and change the order of the calendar MGLPC is fully prepared to stop it, and we will easily thwart that. So they’re stuck,” said Isaacson.

Isaacson’s comments are the second major public discussion of a parliamentary strategy to defeat the VoteOnMarriage.org amendment. House Majority Leader John Rogers (D-Norwood) told Bay Windows he expected lawmakers to defeat the amendment by making sure that there was not a quorum of lawmakers present in the chamber during the ConCon, which would prevent it from voting on the amendment (see “John Rogers now opposes marriage ban amendment,” May 11, 2006). While Rogers himself opposes the VoteOnMarriage.org amendment he declined to say whether he himself would take part in that strategy if lawmakers chose to pursue it.

Two Years of Equality

Two Years of Equality    May 17th, 2006

Wednesday May 17th marks the Two Year Anniversary of Equal Rights for the Massachusetts GLBT Community.   It was on this day two years ago that same-gendered couples were allowed to marry in our great Commonwealth as they were fully recognized under our existing Constitution.  To commemorate this important day, I and my husband, Alex, as we did last year and have pledged to do for every year hence, will be holding a sign on the State House steps, thanking those who played a role and whose who continue to understand the importance of Equal Rights for ALL Americans.

We invite you all to come by on Wednesday, between the hours of 8 A.M. and 5 P.M. in front of the State House to join us.  This invitation is not only to married couples or those who intend to marry, but it extends to the single members of the GLBT Community, their friends and families.  KnowThyNeighbor especially wants you to know that we recognize that this fight is NOT about marriage, it never has been.  It is about Equal Rights, yours and mine and those who would attempt to place us in a status as lesser Americans and thus lesser Human Beings.

We welcome you all to join us to say, "THANK YOU Massachusetts for 2 Years of Equality." 

Tom Lang, Co-Director

ConCon Today – Wednesday, May 10

No vote will be taken, it will rain, and the place will be crawling with people who want to discriminate against gay couples and their families. And we at KnowThyNeighbor.org can’t think of a better time to go to the State House to stand in support of Equality!

So join us if you can as we express our opposition to the Anti-Family, Anti-Equality, and Anti-Constitutional Amendment. 

KnowThyNeighbor.org will be there early in the morning but the actual gaveling in of the Constitutional Convention will not take place until 1pm and if gaveled out immediately, may only take a few minutes. Show up anytime and make sure to find one of us so we can meet you in person.

This is a valuable opportunity to be part of the political process and to visit with your legislators and their aides so you can tell them what Equal Rights means to you and your family. 

Now is not the time to sit back and watch. Get up and participate! Every time you stand up for your rights you become stronger and better prepared to advocate in the future.

Aaron Toleos, Director
KnowThyNeighbor.org
Contact: (978) 821-4620 or info@knowthyneighbor.org

Phelps: 0, Equality: 150

Congratulations to Rev. Craig A. Collemer and Gary LaParl who are now officially bonded through civil marriage after fifteen years as a couple.

Craig and Gary had an extra 150 guests at their wedding as equal marriage supporters of all kinds gathered nearby at the Unitarian Universalist Church where a vigil had been organized to counter the planned protest by Fred Phelps of the Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church.

But Phelps was a no-show so what was expected to be an evening filled with hatred and bigotry was instead a night of celebration and communion among those supporting equal rights and acceptance.

So what happened to Phelps?  Well, with the anti-gay amendment currently before both the SJC and the State Legislature and with the protest taking place in the hometown of gubernatorial candidate Kerry Healey, MassGOP chair Darrel Crate, and Mass Family Institute director Tom Shields, there must have been immense pressure by these amendment sponsors to avoid the negative publicity that the protest would have generated.

We know that the petition sponsors were scared because they issued this as an attempt at damage control:

VoteOnMarriage.org Abhors Anti-Homosexual Group's Tactics; Says they Don't Speak for Us

Newton Upper Falls - VoteOnMarriage.org - the campaign to allow the voters to decide on the definition of marriage in Massachusetts - has learned that representatives of the so called Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas will be in Massachusetts over the coming days carrying out protests against same sex marriage.

VoteOnMarriage.org and its coalition of supporting organizations abhor the tactics of this group and underscore with emphasis that they do not speak for us or the good people of Massachusetts who, in a spirit of tolerance and respect for all people, simply wish for the citizens to have a vote on the matter of marriage.

Of course they abhor Phelp's tactics.  Phelps provides an honest, unedited look into what lies at the heart of the anti-gay movement: hatred, fear, and ignorance.  And the petition sponsors don't want people to see in the light of day that which they have been working so diligently to disguise as a respectful act of democracy.

The truth is that Phelps and Mineau are really one in the same.  They just have different PR strategies.

Read the Beverly Citizen article

Aaron Toleos, Director
KnowThyNeighbor.org
Contact: (978) 821-4620 or info@knowthyneighbor.org

Phelps pickets gay wedding in Healey's hometown

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Lang
Cell: 978-335-0477

Phelps Family to Picket Gay Wedding in Hometown of Lt. Governor Kerry Healey

Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, May 6, 2006 --The Topeka, Kansas-based extremist group, The Phelps Family of the Westboro Baptist Church, has announced that they intend to picket the wedding of Rev. Craig Collemer and Gary LaParl which is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 6th at the First Baptist Church, 221 Cabot Street in Beverly.

Phelps is a well known disruptive force who uses his First Amendment right of protest to voice hatred of gays and lesbians and is infamous for using inflammatory slogans like, "God Hates Fags." Various local groups plan to voice opposition to Phelps' presence.

KnowThyNeighbor.org, the Manchester-by-the-Sea-based citizen watchdog group which posted on their website the names and addresses of 143,000 people who signed a petition to end same-sex marriage rights, will have representatives present at the protest. Tom Lang, Director of KnowThyNeighbor.org, stated, "First and foremost this is an important day for the couple who will be marrying and it is extremely disrespectful that the Phelps group is here. However, Phelps and his actions are only the flowering of the tree that is growing regarding anti-gay, anti-family and anti-equality sentiment. Efforts like the currently proposed anti-gay marriage amendment which would clearly segregate and discriminate against couples like Reverend Collemer and Gary LaParl undeniably give nutrients to this tree."

Beverly is the hometown of: Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, who supports civil unions but opposes marriage equality for gays and lesbians; Darrell Crate, the Chairman of the GOP State Committee whose poltical director, Rob Willington, has called gays and lesbians, "the forces of evil,"; and, Tom Shields, the Director of The Massachusetts Family Institute, the organization spearheading the present campaign against marriage rights for gays and lesbians.

KnowThyNeighbor.org wants to know how these people feel about Phelps being in their hometown. Lang says, "At least Phelps is honest about his hatred, these others hide behind the hypocrisy of rhetoric and political maneuvers to express theirs."

Contact: Tom Lang, Director of KnowThyNeighbor.org 978-335-0477

#####

Read the Phelps press release here

NOTE: The Unitarian Church in Ellis Square (about a block away) will be holding a candle light service outside of their church in support of the wedding.

Tom Lang & Aaron Toleos
Directors, KnowThyNeighbor.org
Contact us at (978) 335-0477 or info@knowthyneighbor.org

GLAD lawsuit puts ConCon on hold

Although originally scheduled for later this month, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) began hearing arguments on Thursday, May 4, from GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) for their lawsuit regarding the constitutionality of the current anti-gay marriage amendment.  A legislative vote at the May 10 Constitutional Convention will now likely be delayed.

KnowThyNeighbor contacted GLAD's Carisa Cunningham to help paint a better picture for you about what is actually taking place. It seems that our Legislature is expected to "gavel in and gavel out" at the May 10th Constitutional Convention.  Depending on the outcome of the lawsuit, the Convention would most likely re-convene in late July 2006 to vote on the amendment.

GLAD, the organization responsible for the Goodridge Decision, is arguing that the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and should be thrown out.  KnowThyNeighbor.org agrees wholeheartedly with GLAD that the majority should not be allowed to vote on the equal rights of a minority and we hope to see this threat to our Constitution derailed.

What should you do? We need you at the State House in support of the defeat of this anti-family, anti-equality amendment in whatever form it may take.  VoteOnMarriage and the rest of the opposition to equality will be there on Wednesday, May 10 starting as early as 7am to show their support for the amendment.  Come and show the people of Massachusetts and our legislature that being an American means being equal and no one should have the right to take that from you.

Also, and most importantly, continue to contact you legislators and tell them why this amendment will hurt you and your families and the generations to follow.  True Leadership is needed now in the State House and also with you. KnowThyNeighbor also wishes to thank The Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders for all of their tireless work. No matter what the outcome of this lawsuit, you are true heroes in the fight for equality, fair treatment, and dignity.

Read the Bay Windows article on this topic...

Tom Lang & Aaron Toleos
Directors, KnowThyNeighbor.org
Contact us at (978) 335-0477 or info@knowthyneighbor.org

Are you always Asher-Best?

Profile in Courage (number 2 of 3)

Paul Asher-Best is the Truro selectman who expressed his concern that a board of fire engineers candidate was unfit to serve in a public safety role as a signer of the anti-gay marriage petition.  Asher-Best explained that, "There are a lot of households in Truro headed by gay and lesbian people, and I just need to make sure that they're going to have equal protection and not have people who are biased against them in charge of public safety situations."

Though it was a unanimous decision not to appoint the candidate, Asher-Best was singled out in the press and by other selectmen for overstepping his bounds.

Asher-Best, who recently married his longtime partner, defended his vote by stating, "If you think I'm not entitled to civil marriage, then the only conclusion I can draw is that you don't think I'm fully human, or that my humanity is not on par with yours."

Thank you, Paul, for being a responsible selectman by ensuring that your constituents have equal access to emergency services.  Many of us remember that during the AIDS crisis gays risked being denied life-saving procedures by first responders so the legitimacy of your concern is unmistakably clear. Your courage to speak out despite the pressures to keep quiet should be a lesson for us all.

In honor of Paul Asher-Best, KnowThyNeighbor.org asks that you contact your state senator and representative today. Urge them to support equality and the rights of all families by voting against the bigotry, hatred, and fear that lies at the core of this amendment.

Read more about Paul's story...

Tom Lang & Aaron Toleos
Directors, KnowThyNeighbor.org
Contact us at (978) 335-0477 or info@knowthyneighbor.org