Just in the last six months, Connecticut, Iowa, and Vermont have moved to enact marriage equality. Just today, The District of Columbia moved one step closer to full marriage equality with the city council passing 12-1 an ordinance to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages. And just today, Maine is on the verge of making history as the second state to legalize marriage equality by way of legislation as the House just passed the marriage bill that recently passed the Senate. Meanwhile, Kate Kendell has changed her mind and now feels hopeful about the California Supreme Court's upcoming Prop H8 verdict as New Hampshire inches even closer to becoming the second/third state (depending on what happens in Maine) to enact marriage equality by legislation.
And wait, there's more! Marriage equality may actually come to New York some day soon. Washington state and Nevada are moving closer to establishing "everything but 'the m word'" domestic partnerships (DPs). Colorado is finally taking baby steps toward equality by allowing for domestic partner rights and benefits. And now, we're even starting to see progress on the federal level.
Wait, progress? You mean we're seeing progress on LGBT civil rights? Yes, now may finally be our time for progress.
Yesterday, Team Courage OC did another neighborhood canvass. This time, we went south to Dana Point and Laguna Beach to walk. And while many other folks were simply going to the beach to cool off on a warm day, we were there to heat up the movement for LGBT civil rights in California.
Something amazing happened yesterday. Maybe it isn't revolutionary, but hopefully it will be evolutionary. The Commerce & Labor Committee of the Nevada Senate agreed to domestic partnerships (or "DP's"). Unfortunately it's not marriage, but let me explain to you why this is a major step forward for equality in the Mountain West.
Last Saturday, I had the privilege to do Orange County's first Courage Campaign Equality Team canvass. We met. We prepared. And then, we went out and talked with voters. Yes, we really did go door to door to talk with voters in our area.
Right after the last election, I was devastated. I thought we had won, but instead I lost my fundamental rights and felt like garbage. I didn't know what do to next.
Today is the day I've been waiting for quite some time. The California Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the lawsuits that will force the judges to decide whether it's OK to treat millions of people, people like me, as "second-class citizens" simply because of who we love. Can this possibly be allowed? I hope not, and I renew my vow today to work my hardest to ensure it's not allowed.
In case you didn't know, my birthday is tomorrow. Yay. When I was little, I'd always be excited about a day full of celebration, gifts, and sheer bliss. Now, I just notice myself getting older... And hopefully a little wiser with each passing year.
I guess one reason why I haven't been excited about my upcoming birthday is that I have far too much on my mind to be caught up in any self-celebration. I have personal and family issues to deal with. I have to think about how President Obama's economic recovery package will affect my family and how to take advantage of that. Oh yes, and there's that other issue... The issue of my own civil rights.
(Proudly cross-posted at C4O Democrats, and many thanks to Chris Bowers and Jane Hamsher at FDL for confirming that I'm not crazy) ;-)
For everyone who thought I was some insane "boy crying wolf" yesterday, this should prove them wrong. Just as I warned and many folks "in the know" had previously reported, President Obama may be open to supporting the creation of an commission that could force some undemocratic, unfair, and unstimulative proposals including cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
However, President Obama still says on the White House web site that he opposes the very measures that supporters of this "fiscal responsibility commission" support, like raising the retirement age and any type of privatization effort. So what are we to believe? We need for the White House to clarify to us and to the entire nation what they intend to do on "entitlement reform".
Please email the White House here or call them at 202-456-1111! And if you need any ideas on what to say, please let my comments inspire you.
This frightens me. I'm sorry, but I just can't ignore it any longer. I need to ask this question. Is President Obama considering privatizing Social Security and/or Medicare?
In a typically rare occasion, I had to cross "The Orange Curtain" last weekend to attend two major LGBT civil rights events in Los Angeles, Equality Summit and Camp Courage. And even though I hardly got any sleep Saturday night, I'm glad I did both. One helped me understand what went wrong with the No on H8 campaign in California last year, while the other helped me realize what needs to be done to make it right in 2009 and 2010.
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