KnowThyNeighbor.org

All Eyes on Maine This Nov. 3

"The Road Less Traveled" is that of the volunteers who care enough to go door to door like Rachel.

Whether this fight is our turning point, or the next, or even one years from now we need to keep focused on the fact that all people should be equal in the eyes of our government. That means that all of us deserve to be judged by our actions and intent, not by who we love. There are many untruths spread against minorities like the GLBT community in an attempt to keep those minorities down, but I find hope that at least in Maine there are people who are above allowing these lies to be sold as the truth. When David Parker went in person to testify in front of the Maine legislative committee hearings this May on same sex marriage he brought with him his version of the events that led to his stand. "Mainers", as they call themselves, brought the book he referred to and read from it the harmlessness of it's message and disarmed his hate with their laughter. I learned that Mainers are far more savvy than I had given them credit for after canvassing with Protect Maine Equality in conjunction with MassEquality and Join the Impact MA last Saturday.

If we are going to win this fight we have to have every voice that cares speaking to everyone they know and visiting all the places where they an reach others. We all need to work together on this and put aside any differences we may have had in the past for the greater good of equality for all. If we can win in Maine it serves as a significant turning point in the struggle for GLBT rights not only in Maine but across the country and around the world. It shows we are able to take our fight first to the courts and win on the basis of what's just according to the letter of the law. It shows that we can influence legislators to stand up for what's right without fear of compromising their office or electability. If we win this vote in Maine it shows we have taken our message directly to the people and that people are starting to listen to what's said and check the facts for themselves, making up their own minds. It shows that fear is no longer enough of a motivator to deny what's fair and right, and it shows that people are no longer afraid to stand up for their neighbors. Courage made America great, and that courage seems in the air again.

If you live anywhere in New England please consider putting your money back in your pocket and donate something infinitely more valuable, your time. If you can't get there in person call Protect Maine Equality and ask them what you can do to help, there is work for everyone no matter what your ability. Every second between now and November 3 when the polls close matters. Your help will make difference whether we win or not because you'll know you can be proud that you at least tried. The value of that experience is difficult to put in words but it has changed my life radically for the better, and everyone I know who volunteered has said the same in different ways. 

By John Hosty-Grinnell

National Equality March a Huge Success

Originally I was going to be live blogging from the National Equality March but there were several factors that kept that from happening, so let me now share with you how things went. Join the Impact MA brought over 250 people to Washington DC by bus, which traveled overnight each way, arriving at our destinations in the wee hours of the morning. On the way there we watched movies and talked about everything under the sun, and some were even able to catch a few winks of sleep although the comfort level on a bus leaves much to be desired. 

Saturday morning we spent in part waiting for our rooms to be readied and the middle part of the day either consisted of attending various workshops geared to bring people more ability as activists, or as we did, some people broke away in order to enjoy the sites. I had promised Ray my spouse that we would go to the National Art Gallery so he could do research for a class project he has, so I can't tell you much more about the planned events that day. When we got back to out hotel room it was our intention on meeting up with the rest of our group and attending the night time events, but our lack of sleep caught up with us and we ended up staying in. The day of the march is an entirely different story. Early in the morning we received word that the planners of the rally were concerned because they had provided for 100,000 people showing up, but instead there were an estimated 250,000 that joined the march.

I was going to spend my time getting the close ups from the press box near the stage but at last minute chose to stay in the streets in order to get a multitude of personal mini-interviews and pictures of the participants. The amount of information we received will take some time to go through and properly put into cohesive stories, but allow me to share a taste of what's to come:
 

I'll put some of the videos up in the next few days once I've been able to catch up on my work and sleep! Thank you for all the kind words and well wishes that people have shared with me, and thank you to all the people who participated in our effort to capture this momentum on film. I can tell you all I want how uplifting this experience was, but these pictures and the videos to come will do that much more effectively than I ever could. Stay tuned... ;)

reported by John Hosty-Grinnell

Unified Blogging From DC via IQreport

Many LGBT activists are currently in Washington DC attending events all over the city that are geared to teach people how to become better at fighting for their rights. The call was put out in May by Cleve Jones who organized a March through DC that coincides with the 30th anniversary of the first GLBT March back in 1979. Taken from the National Equality March website:

Our One Single Demand:

Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. We will accept no less and will work until it is achieved. Equality Across America exists to support grassroots organizing in all 435 Congressional Districts to achieve full equality.

We are guaranteed equal protection under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. Free and equal people do not bargain for or prioritize our rights. Full equality necessarily includes all members of the LGBT community and encompasses, but is not limited to:

• The right to work our jobs and go to school free of harassment and discrimination.
• The right to safety in our daily lives, and protection from hate crimes.
• The right to equitable healthcare, and the right to donate blood.
• The right to equitable immigration policies.
• The right to marry.
• The right to serve in the military openly.

Many bills currently exist to address some of these issues, but we do not support a piecemeal strategy. We seek one federal solution to full equality.

Our strategy:

Equality Across America is a network of decentralized organizers in every one of the 435 Congressional districts. These organizers form Congressional District Action Teams (CDATs) that will do the work on the ground in their own communities to achieve full equality.

Each CDAT works not only toward national equality, but participates in their local and state struggles for equality in areas like marriage, adoption, and work-place discrimination. Equality Across America connects organizers from around the country so we can support one another in all of our work, focusing energy and resources in battlegrounds when needed.

Our philosophy:

As members of every race, class, faith, and community, we see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice.

There is a group of bloggers that are working together to help bring readers live coverage of the events. Some of those blogs include Jaysays.com, and if you "tweet" you can follow a flurry of posts by searching for #NEM, and those real time comments are coming in literally every second. Here is a psuedo-complete list of the blog sites from Jay, chairman of the effort:

http://avalonfarmblog.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/nem-iqreport-6-more-from-dadt-protest-memorial/

http://mohodichotomy.blogspot.com/2009/10/iqreport-heads-up.html

http://ameriqueer.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-night-now-down-to-business.html

http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThePeopleOfTheNationalEqualityMarch

http://blog.mattalgren.com/2009/10/a-few-thoughts-before-the-national-equality-march/

http://lilbehr.blogspot.com/2009/10/national-equality-march.html

http://twitter.com/Homopolitico

http://jaysays.com/2009/10/breaking-senate-majority-leader-endorses-national-equality-march-repeal-of-doma-and-dadt-and-passage-of-enda/

http://arewemarried.com/2009/10/10/district-of-gay-or-why-barney-frank-can-kiss-my-ass-for-saying-we-shouldnt-have-come/

http://utgayscene.blogspot.com/2009/10/obama-makes-his-promises-to-gays.html

http://blog.nyacyouth.org/2009/10/hate-crimes-legislation-passes-house.html

http://firecatclub.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/todays-adventure-a-little-more-heteronormative-than-i-expected/

Gay Community and Baby Elephant Syndrome

This story was something a guru once told me and I was happy to find it on the internet in a blog writing below...

 
  
An adult elephant can easily uproot huge trees with its trunk; it can knock down a house without much trouble. When an elephant living in captivity is still a baby, it is tied to a tree with a strong rope or a chain every night. Because it is the nature of elephants to roam free, the baby elephant instinctively tries with all its might to break the rope. But it isn’t yet strong enough to do so.

Realizing its efforts are of no use, it finally gives up and stops struggling. After the baby elephant tries and fails many times, it will never try again for the rest of its life.

Later, when the elephant is fully grown, it can be tied to a small tree with a thin rope. It could then easily free itself by uprooting the tree or breaking the rope. But because its mind has been conditioned by its prior experiences, it doesn’t make the slightest attempt to break free. The powerfully gigantic elephant has limited its present abilities based on the limitations of the past- Baby Elephant Syndrome.

Human beings are exactly like the elephant except for one thing-we can choose not to accept the false boundaries and limitations of our past.

Think about this LGBT...

Tom Lang, Director

with thanks to Sam Abate

KnowThyNeighbor.org Will Be Blogging From National Equality March in DC

We're going on a road trip folks! No, not the extensive one Chris Mason made in his travels over the summer with his latest venture, drivingequality.com, but rather to the National Equality March in Washington DC this weekend. John Hosty-Grinnell will be accompanying Join the Impact MA along with the hundreds of people they've gathered who are leaving tonight by bus and arriving first thing in the morning. There will be a slew of reporters all attempting to live blog the events, so look for "IQreport" as a means of discerning who is working in this organized effort.

John will be reporting directly to this blog as well as on Twitter under the screen name "salemmaman" if you'd like to subscribe to the live blurbs as they come. The two big things that we will be covering is the main event (the march itself) as well as giving impromptu interviews that ask the question "Why have you come to the march?" For details on the march and activities planned refer to the website http://equalityacrossamerica.org/

Has driving public oversight and integrity for Referendum 71 in WA become a horserace?

As of today there have been nine requests from six different individuals or organizations for Referendum 71 petition records.  Looking at public disclosure requests going back to 2003, it's fair to say that Ref. 71 records are probably the most requested petition signature information on record.  

Apart from the request from WhoSigned.org/KTN.org there are also requests from Toby Nixon on behalf of WACOG, Arthur West, Brian Spencer from The Betty Pages, Anne Levinson from WAFST, and Rache Le Corte a correspondent with the Associated Press in Olympia.

We've been transparent about our intended use but requesters aren't required to disclose their reasons for requesting public records. I've tried to contact the people requesting the records to understand their reasons for requesting them.  Some requesters were seeking legal standing to help defend the Public Records Act in the Federal challenge, some were looking to understand who they needed to do outreach to in their local ballot campaign, while others couldn't be contacted at all or chose to keep their own counsel.

One of the requesters was a bit startled when I called them and wanted to know why I was calling on that number.  What surprised me was that someone making a public records request didn't seem to know that their request becomes part of the public record.

With so many interested parties, I wonder how many of them will be focused on uncovering fraud and signature irregularities, and just who will make their work available for the public's scrutiny first.

Big Week Ahead for Washington's Referendum 71 by: Lurleen Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 12:44:11 PM EDT

Referendum 71 faces two major milestones this week: The Washington Secretary of State (SOS) anticipates that the signature checking process will wrap up on Monday or Tuesday, and the Washington Families Standing Together (WAFST) lawsuit challenging some of the SOS's signature checking practices will be heard on Monday. In the most recent signature checking tally, provided Friday night by the SOS, almost 130,000 from a total of 137,689 signatures had been checked.  Of those, 114,583 had been accepted and 15,413 had been rejected.  The results were still too close to call, but the cumulative rejection rate was 11.86%, well below the 12.4% needed for the referendum to fail to qualify. The lawsuit filed by Washington Families Standing Together alleges that the SOS accepted in error over 2,600 petition sheets because the declaration on the sheets had been "signed" with a stamp bearing Larry Stickney's name, or left blank.  WAFST also finds fault with the SOS's practice of accepting as valid signatures from signers who weren't registered to vote at the time of signing or on the petition deadline of July 25th.  By law, only registered voters may sign a referendum petition. Washington Families Standing Together is leaving nothing to chance, and continues to prepare for the November ballot.  They need you to help!  Please make a donation.  Other ways you can take action are listed below.

The time is now.  Take Action! VOTE APPROVED on Ref. 71 to preserve our Domestic Partnership Law in Washington State. DONATE to Washington Families Standing Together online or mail a contribution with this form. VOLUNTEER on a phone bank or in the office. Circulate PLEDGE FORMS at your church or synagogue social hour, farmers markets, and other events.  Return forms to Washington Families Standing Together, PO Box 12216, Seattle, WA 98102. PRINT A PLACARD for your window.  B&W ink-saver version here. PRINT FLIERS and hand them out wherever you go. E-MAIL your friends and family telling why they should take the Pledge to Approve Ref 71.  Forward form here. JOIN the Faith Coalition. WRITE a letter to the editor using this nifty letter-writing tool. ADD A REMINDER to approve Referendum 71 in your email signature. Here is a sample message: Protect all Washington State Families - Approve Referendum 71! WAFST.org ASK ORGANIZATIONS you belong to to endorse our campaign or become coalition partners. REGISTER TO VOTE! FRIEND the Approve Ref. 17 Facebook group. FOLLOW WAFST on Twitter. What is at stake The Domestic Partnership Law (SB 5688) was passed by the Legislature in 2009 to ensure that all Washington families are treated the same, with the same protections, the same rights and the same obligations as their neighbors.  Under this law, registered domestic partners (same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples where at least one partner is over age 62), and married couples, are treated equally under state law throughout Washington. Key rights and obligations in the law include: Death benefits for the partners of police and firefighters killed in the line of duty. Pension benefits for the partners of teachers and other public employees. Victims' rights, including the right to receive notifications and benefits allowances. The right to use sick leave to care for a seriously ill partner. The right to workers' compensation benefits if a partner is killed in the course of employment. The right to receive unemployment benefits if an employee must leave a job to care for a seriously ill partner. The right to adopt a partner's child without paying for a home study. The areas covered by the law include labor and employment law; pensions, survivor and other public employee benefits; family law; insurance rights; higher education; banks, financial institutions and loan agencies; creditors' rights and business licenses. Opponents of the domestic partnership law are seeking to repeal it.  Referendum 71 would ask voters whether the law should be approved or rejected.  A vote to "APPROVE" keeps the law so that all families will have these protections in all parts of the state. Go to Washington Families Standing Together to learn more about the referendum, and what you can do to preserve the domestic partnership law. Washington Families Standing Together * 206-324-2570 * WAFST.org * PO Box 12216, Seattle, WA 98102

WA Public Disclosure Commission denies Ref. 71 petitioners bid to hide donors

In their regularly scheduled meeting today, the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission heard a request for a "reporting variance" that would allow Protect Marriage Washington to hide their donors from public disclosure.

After hearing testimony and a 14 minute adjournment the commission returned and a motion was made and seconded to deny the reporting variance request and then there was some brief discussion.

Commissioner Nolan pointed out "We have to find a manifestly unreasonable hardship and that it will not frustrate the provisions of the statute...  I deeply regret that you have suffered insults, but the kinds of actions you are describing do not begin to meet the unreasonable hardship test."

Another commissioner observed that "If we granted this, there would be no public disclosure" but also underlined the importance of maintaining a civil dialog.

Finally, the commission chairman expressed his sympathy for the experiences of the petitioners and called for the final vote.  The commissioners present voted unanimously to deny Protect Marriage Washington a reporting variance for it's donor information and reaffirmed the crucial importance of public disclosure in Washington State government.  

Focus on the Family Getting Out of "Ex-Gay" Business

Pulbished in OnTopMag.com:

 

Amid declining revenues, Focus on the Family is getting out of the “ex-gay” business.

The AP reported the socially conservative group was facing a “serious budget shortfall.”

In a letter to donors, Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus, explained that the group is about $6 million in the red for the year.

Focus' Love Won Out conferences will be acquired by Exodus International, whose motto is “freedom from homosexuality though the power Jesus Christ.” Focus said it will continue to support the workshop financially.

“There is no one better equipped to take over the operation of Love Won Out than Alan [Chambers] and his team,” Melissa Fryrear, gender and sexuality department director for Focus, said in a statement. “They have been with us since the beginning. They have stood alongside us in sharing the hope that, with Christ, transformation is possible for those unhappy with same-sex attractions. And we will stand alongside them as they continue to share that message as the organizer of Love Won Out.”

The group announced last February that its founder, James Dobson, and his wife, Shirley Dobson, were relinquishing control of the Colorado-based ministry. Dobson, known for his fiery anti-gay rhetoric, continues to host the group's radio broadcast and speak on behalf of the organization.

“Everyone knows these are challenging times for organizations and individuals all across the globe,” Focus Vice President Gary Schneeberger said in a statement. “It is not an inexpensive undertaking to put on a Love Won Out event; and contrary to what our detractors say, the conferences rarely have recouped the financial investment made in them. That is a cost we have always paid because of the positive impact the events have had.”

The announcement comes on the heels of a new American Psychological Association (APA) report that says reparative therapy – the controversial gay-to-straight treatment promoted by Love Won Out and Exodus International – does not work and may be psychologically harmful.

At the heart of the therapy is the notion that being gay is a choice, and sexuality can be returned to its “normal” state, mostly through religious means.

The APA also overwhelmingly (97%) approved a resolution that repudiates the therapy.

Wayne Besen, who founded Truth Wins Out to fight the “ex-gay” movement, called the news a “positive development.”

“There is a shrinking market for their product,” Besen told The Denver Post. “This is a very positive development, because it shows Focus on the Family wants to get out of the ex-gay business – though not completely. But if this were something they were really vested in, they would have kept it in-house.”

“Exodus is thrilled with this opportunity as the Love Won Out conference is a natural fit in our ongoing efforts to share the hope we've found,” said Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, in a statement.

Focus on the Family said a November 7 conference in Birmingham, Alabama would be its last.

 

This news comes only days after the American Psychiatric Association declared homosexuality a normal variation of sexuality:

 

Associated Press- The American Psychological Association declared Wednesday that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments.

In a resolution adopted by the APA's governing council, and in an accompanying report, the association issued its most comprehensive repudiation of "reparative therapy" — a concept espoused by a small but persistent group of therapists, often allied with religious conservatives, who maintain gays can change.

No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the resolution, adopted by a 125-4 vote. The APA said some research suggests that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies.

Instead of seeking such change, the APA urged therapists to consider multiple options — that could range from celibacy to switching churches — for helping clients live spiritually rewarding lives in instances where their sexual orientation and religious faith conflict.

The APA had criticized reparative therapy in the past, but a six-member task force added weight to this position by examining 83 studies on sexual orientation change conducted since 1960. Its report was endorsed by the APA's governing council in Toronto, where the 150,000-member association's annual meeting is being held this weekend.

The report breaks new ground in its detailed and nuanced assessment of how therapists should deal with gay clients struggling to remain loyal to a religious faith that disapproves of homosexuality.

The article goes even further adding:

The APA task force took as a starting point the belief that homosexuality is a normal variant of human sexuality, not a disorder, and that it nonetheless remains stigmatized in ways that can have negative consequences.

Seattle Times Gives Thumbs Up To WhoSigned.org and KnowThyNeighbor

Referendum and initiative petitions must remain open records in Washington state

The sponsors of Referendum 71, who seek to put Washington's expanded domestic-partnership regulations on the November ballot, must not be allowed to make their citizen lawmaking an anonymous act.

Referendum and initiative petitions are public records and must remain so. People who sign such petitions are engaging in the legislative process.

Attempting to make, amend or stop a law is the most public of civic business.

The government cannot block the names of people who sign petitions out of a vague, undefined fear of what might happen. The subtle slander of the opposition's presumed unstable nature and lawless behavior is clear.

Just as clearly, harassment of those who sign petitions is unlawful, and will be punished.

Sponsors of Referendum 71, which seeks to refer Washington's expansion of domestic-partnership regulations to voters, have sued the state Elections Division in federal court, to prevent the release of signatures. A Sept. 3 hearing is scheduled. The state Attorney General's office pledged to vigorously defend the Public Disclosure Act.

Petition details are available to those who file a public-information request. The information cannot be used for commercial purposes, but political parties or organizations can parse the records to find kindred spirits or the names of those who supported another point of view.

Intimidation fears were stirred by an organization that sponsors a Web site, knowthyneighbor.org, which said it would publish a database with names and addresses of people who sign the R-71 petitions.

Under current state law, none of the petition information may be withheld. The Legislature could create exemptions, for say signatures or e-mail addresses. The idea of making these citizen lawmakers completely anonymous serves no constructive purpose.

This is all about expansion of the state's domestic-partnership law. The Legislature strongly approved giving same-sex couples, and heterosexual couples with a partner age 62 or older, all the state benefits and obligations of married couples. They put all families on the same legal footing for sharing a life together and raising children. People who oppose the law have every right to try and block its implementation. They cannot do it secretly and anonymously.

Copyright © The Seattle Times Company  (as found at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2009620248_edit09sign.html)

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Tom Lang, Director