WATCH: Openly Gay Contingent in Los Angeles MLK Day Parade

Greater Than AIDS Campaign Featured on CNN's AC360 1/14/11

The above well-produced PSA in the "We > AIDS" campaign by the Black AIDS Institute has been popping up on television in the last few weeks.

BAI's Founder and Executive Director Phill Wilson will be on a special 1-hour segment of Anderson Cooper's AC360 on CNN Friday January14th at 9pm EST/PST called "Hope Survives: 30 Years of AIDS."

International LGBT Radio Program In Dire Financial Need

This Way Out is an international LGBT radio newsmagazine which has been in continuous production since 1988(!). In fact, while in college yours truly co-founded an LGBT radio show called "Homo Radio" on WRPI 91.5FM in 1992 which used the weekly 30-minute This Way Out program as the core around which an entire community-based radio program was based.

I also serve on the Overnight Productions board of directors, the 501(c)(3) entity which produces This Way Out.

Recently, This Way Out producer (and founder) Greg Gordon put out this dire fundraising appeal:

We're often asked, "How many listeners do you have?" For several reasons, typical radio ratings services just don’t help us answer that question. 

We do know that at least 200 local broadcast outlets across the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe and New Zealand now air our program every week, in addition to global short wave station RFPI. We’re also heard through satellite distribution to cable outlets and homes across the Asia-Pacific and Africa-Middle East regions, and hundreds download our podcasts each week.

•     “Just wanted to pass on my deepest thanks and gratitude for your show. I love the international coverage, the humor, the music -- I love it all!”
-H.C.
New York City

•    "Thank God I found you! Thanks very much for your wonderful programmes."
-Sampson
Owerri, Nigeria

Messages like these tell us something about the depth of our impact. One of the ways we can measure the breadth of our reach is by the support we receive during our holiday season/year-end fund-raising campaign. It's the generosity of our listener-sponsors at this time of year in particular that has literally meant the difference between life and death several times during our more than 22 years on the air. We need your help now to keep this one-of-kind internationally distributed nonprofit weekly public/community radio show going.

•     “I'm not gay, but have gay friends; I'll tell them about this program. Keep up the good work.”
-K.L.
State College, Pennsylvania

•    “I was amazed to listen today to This Way Out and liked it very much."
-E.A.
Holguin, Cuba

"This Way Out" doesn't operate out of a state-of-the-art studio. We don’t have an office or a large paid staff. Our overhead is low, but we still need to raise $5,000 for our production and distribution costs through April 2011, when we hope to receive an annual grant from a longtime supportive foundation.

Each and every contribution, no matter how large or small, will make a difference! One of the easiest ways you can support "This Way Out" is to sign up for automatic monthly donations, at whatever level you can afford, from $10 to $100.

We could stay healthy until that grant arrives with:

  > 34 "Angels" donating $25 per month for the next six months.
  > 17 "Major Angels" donating $50 per month for the next six months, or ...
  > 9 "Supreme Angels" donating $100 per month for the next six months, or ...

You can easily choose your preferred DONOR LEVEL in the "Is Anybody Out There?" text at:

http://www.thiswayout.org

Of course your automatic contributions at any level or your one-time donation before year's end will certainly make you a special kind of Holiday Angel in our eyes as well!  Find the one-time "DONATE" button in the text at:

http://www.thiswayout.org

You can also postal-mail a check to us at P.O. Box 38327, Los Angeles, CA 90038. And if you’re in the U.S., your contribution (online or postal-mailed) is tax-deductible as a charitable donation to the extent allowed by law. We acknowledge every donation with a "thank you" email or letter.

(In case you're wondering why we don't ask for listener donations to our program during the program, it's because U.S. federal regulations governing public/community radio forbid it.)

•    "I hear your program on headphones behind my closed bedroom door so that no one will know I'm listening."
- Email from an anonymous teen

Several heart-breaking suicides of teens who were gay, or who were perceived to be gay, have been in the headlines lately. Much of our programming reminds LGBTQ young people that life really does get better! (By the way, the links to several youth support groups are posted on our website.)

We know from the mail we get that we do what can sometimes be genuinely life-saving work. "This Way Out" is often the only supportive voice LGBTQ young people hear. Please help us continue to share that voice with those teens, and with others around the world struggling to break out of their closets in a safe and supported way.

•     “I'm a 44 y.o. married male just confronting my homosexuality. I can't tell you what a morale boost your program is for me. I look forward to it every week. It's better than church.”
-Neal
Los Angeles, California

A core group of volunteer journalists and feature producers make our informative, entertaining and educational weekly programs possible. Will you volunteer now to help bring "This Way Out" to all the listeners who need us? Please don’t assume that enough other people will support our efforts -- we can’t go on without you, too!

Thank you! We wish you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons, and a healthy, productive, and pleasure-filled New Year.

P.S. - Read our informative blog at http://www.twopodcast.blogspot.com/

Become our Facebook fan at http://www.facebook.com/ThisWayOutRadio 

And follow Associate Producer Lucia Chappelle's
timely tweets at http://twitter.com/TWOradio

Please give generously to support this worthy LGBT program.

Executive Director of EQCA Announces 3/31/2011 Departure

Geoff Kors, Equality California's

 Executive Director from 2002-2011

Geoff Kors, the longtime head of the nation's largest state's largest LGBT political advocacy organization, Equality California, has announced that he will leave EQCA on March 31, 2011.

Here's the message that went out to EQCA supporters:

It is with a very real sense of gratitude for all you are doing to advance equality that I am writing to you this morning. Today I informed our Board of Directors that I will be stepping down from my position as Executive Director of Equality California at the end of my ninth year. I will formally step aside on March 31, 2011. However, I will never forget our milestones together nor put aside our unfinished mission.

It has been a true honor and a privilege to lead Equality California and serve the state’s LGBT community. When you think back to how far we have come in less than a decade, it is breathtaking.

Nine years ago, California's same-sex couples had access to fewer than 15 of the more than 400 state rights and benefits we now enjoy. Transgender individuals could legally be fired from their jobs, discriminated against in housing, refused public accommodation and denied the most routine health care. Domestic partners were charged thousands of dollars more than married couples for the same insurance. LGBT youth were not allowed to see a therapist without their parents’ consent. State contractors could deny equal benefits to their employees in same-sex relationships. And more than 60 percent of Californians opposed marriage equality. Today, all that has changed, and I want to thank each and every one of you for your support and dedication. You truly made all of this possible.

What we have accomplished together has been phenomenal.

::Legislative Record
Working in partnership with the LGBT Legislative Caucus, allied legislators and our coalition partners, a national record of 71 pieces of Equality California-sponsored legislation have been passed by the State Legislature, including bills providing same-sex couples with all the rights heterosexual married couples receive under state law, protecting LGBT youth and seniors, requiring equality in insurance and ensuring the strongest protections for transgender individuals in the nation. We also helped make history in 2005 and 2007 when the state legislature twice passed bills that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry. This is a stunning achievement, resulting in groundbreaking rights for LGBT Californians, including many sweeping protections that don’t exist anywhere else in the nation. This success would not have been possible without your support. Your phone calls, emails and lobbying visits have a profound impact on delivering equal rights under law.

::Electoral Record
We could never have achieved our legislative and policy successes without steady partners and heroic leaders in elective offices. Nine years ago, it was nearly impossible for our community to hold elected officials accountable and to demand that they support LGBT equality. But thanks to your vital support, and our policy of only supporting candidates who are 100 percent in support of equality for 100 percent of the LGBT community, we’ve demonstrated that when politicians who support true equality stand up, they are rewarded at the ballot box. Together, we played a critical role in helping make history by electing a governor, attorney general and other statewide officials who support full equality for every LGBT Californian -- this means supporting marriage equality, equal access to health care for transgender individuals and protections for LGBT youth and seniors. For the first time in our history, every statewide elected official will be on record as supporting true equality for LGBT Californians.

California will also now have the most pro-LGBT legislature in history. And a record of seven openly LGBT individuals will be sworn into the Legislature on Monday, making California the first state with more than 5 percent of its legislature being openly LGBT. This year Equality California also worked hard to help elect the nation’s first transgender judge.

::Marriage Equality
I am particularly proud of the role that Equality California played as the organizational plaintiff in the California Supreme Court’s decision to end the state's discriminatory ban on marriage for same-sex couples, and I'm proud of the Court's crucial finding that LGBT people are a “suspect class” for discrimination. And I am particularly saddened by the slim majority that has temporarily banned marriage for all. Although California came closer than any state to defeating a ban on marriage equality -- closing the gap from 23 percent in 2000 when Prop 22 was passed to 4 percent in 2008 with the passage of Prop 8 -- we still fell short. However, your generosity resulted in Equality California serving as the leading donor to the No on 8 campaign. Since November 2008 we have added more than 350,000 supporters of marriage equality to our membership, and together we are moving public opinion. This year, for the first time in history, more than 50 percent of California voters now support marriage equality.

::Health and Human Services
I am proud of our efforts to create and lead the California LGBT Health and Human Services Network, a coalition of more than 50 organizations working to improve the wellbeing of LGBT Californians. This year the Network successfully obtained state funding to assess the mental health needs of the community, and I’m confident that this collaboration will result in improved services for all LGBT Californians.

::Our Future
While we have achieved historic results many of us thought impossible during our lifetimes, we still remain unequal under the law. But thanks to your support and the results of the November election, we have not only made incredible progress, but we have unprecedented opportunities to achieve true equality, to grow greater acceptance and to improve the lives of LGBT Californians.

And with your continued support in the years ahead, Equality California and all of us will do just that.

This weekend, I will be working with the Board of Directors at our annual end-of-year meeting on our 2011 goals, including an aggressive package of legislative and administrative reforms designed to make schools safer, ensure transgender individuals have access and coverage for all needed health care, and obtain funding for LGBT health and human services. We also will work to prepare for special elections in 2011 and for our statewide redistricting process, which could dramatically change the make-up of the legislature after the 2012 elections. We are also working on plans to make sure more LGBT individuals are appointed and elected to the judicial bench.

Within our organization, we now will discuss the process to ensure a smooth transition to our next Executive Director. I am committed to working closely with the board, staff, key stakeholders and the community to help make this transition as seamless as possible.

Equality California today is an unmatched team of people -- a dedicated and hardworking board of directors, the most talented staff an Executive Director could ever hope to work with, and donors, members and volunteers who have made achieving equality a priority and who have done so much to bring us this far. I have been truly fortunate to work with so many wonderful people.

As Executive Director I know firsthand the impact our members have had on advancing equality and improving the lives of LGBT people. Your generous financial support has allowed Equality California to continue its critical work and to enjoy unprecedented success. Your activism has helped move legislators, the governor and the public to be more supportive of our rights.

While I will miss coming to work at Equality California each day, I look forward to joining you as a dedicated supporter, knowing that it is Equality California’s members who truly fuel our work and make the difference.

Together we will create a world where equality and justice prevail.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Geoff KorsExecutive Director
Equality California

:: :: ::

"I want to personally extend my gratitude to Equality California and to Geoff Kors who has done so much to advance equality and justice in our state and who was instrumental in mobilizing LGBT Californians to support my candidacy for governor. When I take office, I look forward to continuing my partnership with Equality California as I work to meet the many challenges our state faces."

-Governor-Elect
Jerry Brown

:: :: ::

"I thank Equality California for its ardent support and Geoff Kors, who is an outstanding leader and will be greatly missed. As our state’s next attorney general, I am looking forward to working with Equality California to ensure that every Californian is treated with dignity and equality under the law."

-Attorney
General-Elect
Kamala Harris

:: :: ::

“I have truly enjoyed working with Geoff both in San Francisco and in Sacramento to advance LGBT equality. His razor-sharp strategy skills and sheer commitment to civil rights have often helped propel legislation forward in some of the toughest debates and battles we have waged together. He will be missed.”

-Senator Mark Leno
(D-San Francisco)

Celebrity Friday: Hillary Clinton Records "It Gets Better" Video

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has recorded a video to fight anti-gay bullying as part of Dan Savage's It Gets Better project.

Errybody Wearing Purple Today For #SpiritDay

Today is Spirit Day, wear people are supposed to wear purple to show their support for LGBT students who are facing bullying in school. Note Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was wearing purple today in the Situation Room of the White House.

MadProfessah also wore purple today.

State of the LGBT Movement's Advocacy Organizations

Chris Geidner at Metro Weekly has done the LGBT community a great service by writing the article "State of Play," continuing the great tradition of the Washington Blade in listing and summarizing the staff sizes and annual budgets of the largest or most visible LGBT organizations in the country.

Unfortunately, he only focused only on the organizations which are involved in the fight over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," not every LGBT organization of national significance like the Washington Blade used to.

The main things to note are the relative sizes of Human Rights Campaign ($37 million, 142 employees), Lambda Legal ($15.6 million, 85 employees) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force ($8.6 million, 47 employees) which are probably the three largest LGBT advocacy organizations in the country, with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation either in 3rd or 4th place.

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

LGBT DREAM Act Event at LA Gay & Lesbian Center This Sun

This Sunday I will be attending an event called Standing with the Students: Out, Proud and Undocumented at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center. It is a fundraiser to support LGBT students who would be impacted by the DREAM Act, which is scheduled for a vote in the United States Senate next week, as an attachment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010, the same legislation that will include DADT repeal language.

I'm on the Host Committee (and member of the board of directors of Immigration Equality Action Fund). The event's goal is to raise at least $5,000 for scholarships for LGBT undocumented students attending UCLA. U.S. Representative Judy Chu is the featured guest.

NBJC's Out on the Hill Conference

Next week the National Black Justice Coalition will be holding it's Out on the Hill conference to be held simultaneously with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual legislative Conference September 15-18 in Washington, D.C.

The event will bring thought leaders, faith leaders, legislative officials, philanthropists and activists from the Black LGBT community from around the country to DC for a number of seminars, trainings, receptions and workshops, including two which will be occurring at The White House itself. Sadly, since I have a day job teaching Math and Cultural Studies at Occidental College, I can not attend but here are some people who will be there:

Confirmed elected officials include Georgia State Representative Simone Bell and Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh. Both are outstanding examples of Black LGBT leadership and activism. Also in attendance will be veteran activists like Mandy Carter, founder of NBJC and Southerners on New Ground (SONG); Donna Payne, Diversity Program Associate Director for HRC; Courtney Snowden, Senior Associate for the Raben Group; and Aisha Moodie-Mills, President of Campaign for All DC Families.

Early registration for the conference ends tomorrow, and if you want to attend the events at the White House they need specific information from you at the NBJC office by 5pm EDT Friday. For more information, call 202-319-155.

MadProfessah.com will try to have coverage of what happens at the conference next week.

EQCA Has 7 LGBT-related Bills On Governor's Desk

Equality California has sponsored several bills which have made it through both houses of the California legislature this year and will be on Governor Schwarzenegger's desk, which he has to sign or veto by September 30th.

They are:

• The Mental Health Services for At-Risk Youth bill (Leno) will increase LGBT youths’ access to counseling.
• The Repeal of Discriminatory Code bill (Lowenthal) will end California’s search for a “gay cure.”
• The Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act (Leno) will codify freedom of religion in relation to civil marriage.
• The LGBT Prisoner Safety Act (Ammiano) will reduce violence against LGBT people in the state prison system.
• The Separation Equity Act (Ma) will allow same-sex couples to dissolve their domestic partnerships and civil marriages at the same time.
• The Hate Crimes Protection Act (Saldaña) will prohibit contracts from requiring a person to waive their right to sue if they are the victim of a hate crime.
• The Unemployment Benefits Equality bill (De La Torre) will give individuals entering domestic partnerships the same rights as those getting married to obtain unemployment benefits

You can click on each bill name to take action to write the Governor and let him know what you think his position on each bill should be.

Prop 8 Decision Day Rally in Downtown LA

Interview With Dave Fleischer: Prop 8 Report Author

Dave Fleischer is the author of the 509-page Prop 8 Report which was released publicly on Tuesday. I have known Dave for years and he agreed to this on the record interview with MadProfessah.com.

MadProfessah: What are the main results or ideas you want people to gain from this report?

Dave Fleischer:
* The No on 8 campaign made a smart decision to invest in research. As a result, for the first time ever, in any campaign, the LGBT community has daily tracking polling that measures increases and decreases in our support as voters were being exposed to the anti-gay opposition campaign. This is far superior to episodic polls taken when voters are considering the question out of context and have not recently been exposed to the vile but effective opposition campaign. The No on 8 tracking polling by Lake allows us to correlate voter movement to significant changes in the political environment including but not limited to strategic decisions made by the competing campaigns. That's why this report is the first report ever to seriously evaluate why we struggle to compete in these campaigns. It provides evidence that allows us to consider and evaluate the wide range of competing hypotheses offered by a wide variety of observers. Up until now, we just had the hypotheses, not the data. Now, we have significant data. With the data, we are able to reject some hypotheses, confirm others, and notice areas where we need more information. We are on our way to learning more about the electoral reality in which we are operating.

* Based on the data, we know why we lost. We lost because in the final six weeks, when TV ads from both campaigns saturated the airwaves, almost 700,000 votes switched sides and decided to oppose same-sex marriage. It seems fair to me to conclude that Yes on 8 outcampaigned us in the final six weeks. We went from even to losing in the final six weeks. And it's fair to give Yes on 8 credit for what they accomplished, because we lost the most ground by far among the exact group of voters they targeted: parents.

* No on 8 regained some of the ground we lost, but only when we directly rebutted the opposition fear-mongering. "O'Connell" was No on 8's belated rebuttal of the pernicious Yes on 8 ads that exploited and stimulated anti-gay prejudice by making people fear that kids were in danger. The effectiveness of the "O'Connell" ad, while limited, suggests that we can successfully rebut the longstanding lies, at least among some voters. And the fact that it improved the situation compared to how we were doing when we were avoiding the issue makes it clear that avoidance serves us poorly. When the opposition attacks the character of LGBT people, we have to rebut immediately, directly, and clearly.

* As we prepare to go back to the ballot, we have to commit ourselves to gaining insight into how to rebut those attacks effectively. We still have so much to learn; after all, does "O'Connell" represent the best we can do? We simply don't yet know. We need to try out, in real world circumstances that simulate the campaign, what rebuttals help us most with most of the voters who are susceptible to the opposition fear-mongering. Luckily, we have a great immediate opportunity to enlarge our learning, when we canvass. From my point of view, when we are canvassing, this leads to a practical imperative: we should talk about kids to as many voters as we can; test different messages to see what works; and consider the canvass an investment in qualitative research, the largest, longest focus group in social science history. My concern is that if we don't do this -- if we don't talk about kids now, when the stakes are low -- we will be tempted once again to avoid the issue in an campaign, when the stakes are so high. Then history will repeat itself, to our detriment.

MP: How long did the report take to research and write and who paid for it?

DF: 18 months. Paid for by the LGBT Mentoring Project. No money solicited from nor did any come from CA individuals or organizations or the No on 8 campaign on anyone evaluated in the report.

MP: When do you think we should return to the ballot to overturn Proposition 8?

DF: We should return to the ballot when we have a decent chance to win. So we have homework to do. Should only choose the year when we have finished the homework. That could be 2012, or a different year. To me, what's relevant is: have we done our homework?

MP: One of the key findings is in wrong-way voting. Apparently there were 6% of voters who voted No who opposed marriage equality as opposed to 4% of Yes voters who supported marriage equality. Thus there's a net gain of 2 percentage points for the No side. Can you explain how confident you are of this result?

DF: Very confident. The Lake polling data and our methodology to interpret it are all laid in out detail in the report in a special appendix. [Appendix K]

We acknowledge all of the limitations of the data. But here's what we calculate:

* approx 1.525 million people were wrong-way voters

* of those, 875,000 voted No and opposed same-sex marriage

* and 650,000 voted Yes though they favored same-sex marriage

* the difference, 225,000 voters, made the margin closer by approx. 450,000 votes

FYI, David Binder's polling during the No on 8 campaign, commissioned by the No on 8 campaign, corroborated Lake. In the one poll where he asked questions you could use to gauge wrong-way voting, conducted Sept. 2-4, he found that

* 13% of the voters who found same-sex marriage acceptable said they'd vote Yes, and

* 19% of the voters who found same-sex marriage unacceptable said they'd vote No.

This is a less reliable measure of wrong-way voting than because a) it was further in advance of election day, and some voters self-correct; and b) Binder's question gave three options to respondents, so the middle group is sizeable and there's no way to tell if any of them were likely to wrong-way vote. But Binder's finding here is consistent with the idea that our side was the likely net beneficiary of wrong-way voting.

And of course Binder's May 2009 attempt to gauge wrong-way voting is very unlikely to be of any value. Polls are best at detecting wrong-way voting as or before people vote, not afterwards, especially not six months afterwards, when accurate recollection of their confusion is unlikely.

You will also enjoy looking at Lewis & Gossett, cited in the Prop 8 Report. Their excellent paper analyzing the Field and PPIC data uses regression analysis to compare the plausibility of four competing hypotheses to explain the failure of the two polls to gauge what was happening. They make a compelling case for wrong-way voting as the most probable explanation.

MP: What do you say to people that your source of daily tracking poll data by Celinda Lake ends 5 days before the election and the election could have been decided in that time frame?

DF: The Lake data is the best data we have on Prop 8, and the best data set our community has ever had on any of these ballot measures. That said, it is imperfect in a variety of ways, including the one you mention. There could have been significant changes in voter opinion in those final days. The Lake data would of necessity not reveal that. However, to the extent that the Binder tracking polling data in the final days tell us anything, they do not suggest massive voter movement or anything other than trivial voter movement. See the charts in the report with Binder data and Lake data side by side and you'll see what I mean. Binder tracked until election day (but he didn't start until much much later than Lake, when most of the big movement had long occurred).

Thanks, Dave!

Iranian Gay Immigration Activist Risks Deportation And Execution

Meet Mohammed Abdollahi, a 24-year-old gay man of Iranian descent who is also an undocumented immigrant who has been advocating for quick passage of the DREAM act (which would legalize the status of undocumented young people who either enlist in the military or attend college), and now faces deportation to Iran, where openly gay men are often executed.

Now, that is what I call putting your life on the line for a cause.

Q*POC LA Meeting Wed 7/28

Celebrity Friday (Extra): Pamela Karlan

MadProfessah and Law Professah Pam Karlan

Today after the excellent panel at Netroots Nation 2010 in Las Vegas entitled "Liberal Perspectives on the Kagan Supreme Court Nomination" which featured Dahlia Lithwick, Nan Aron, Keith Kamisugi, Joan McCarter and Pamela Karlan. MadProfessah took a picture with one of my idols, Stanford Law Professor (and former Dean) Pamela Karlan, who has been on progressives' wet dream short list for the United States Supreme Court.

Karlan explicitly mentioned the Goodwin Liu nomination to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (which we have been following here at this blog), and said that progressives should pay careful attention as to whether the UC Berkeley Law Professor gets approved by the Senate. Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that he is putting a hold on all appellate-level federal judicial nominees before the mid-term election, so things do not look good. To support the nomination of a principled progressive to the 9th circuit, click here and here.

Take a look at the picture. Notice anything? Yes, we co-ordinated our colors. It's not pink, it's fuchsia! I think she wears the pearls better than I do, yes?

IGLHRC Gets UN Consultative Status!

After a long fight, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, a US-based non-profit organization on which I served two terms as a board member from 1996-2002, has been granted official status at the United Nations.

From the press release:

Today's decision is an affirmation that the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have a place at the United Nations as part of a vital civil society community," said Cary Alan Johnson, IGLHRC Executive Director. "The clear message here is that these voices should not be silenced and that human rights cannot be denied on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity."

The resolution passed with 23 in favor, 13 against, and 13 abstentions and 5 absences.

This victory is particularly significant, coming as it does after a prolonged 3-year application process in the sub-committee that makes initial recommendations on status. Despite full compliance with all procedures IGLHRC faced deferrals, homophobic questioning, and procedural roadblocks in the ECOSOC NGO Committee.

Today's decision overturned a "no-action" vote in the NGO-committee that threatened to establish a dangerous precedent and the possibility of organizations deemed controversial being continuously denied the opportunity to have their application put to a vote even after undergoing the required review.

The vote also signals a recognition of the important role of a diverse and active civil society at the UN. In support of progress on IGLHRC's application, a group of over 200 NGOs from 59 countries endorsed a letter to all UN Member States, demanding fair and non-discriminatory treatment and supporting IGLHRC's goal of amplifying LGBT voices in the international arena.

UPDATE MONDAY 07/19/2010 16:38

The President of the United States has issued a statement in response to the historic step of a United States LGBT organization being recognized by the United Nations:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release July 19, 2010

Statement by the President on UN Accreditation of the ILGHRC

I welcome this important step forward for human rights, as the International Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Commission (ILGHRC) will take its rightful seat at the table of the United Nations. The UN was founded on the premise that only through mutual respect, diversity, and dialogue can the international community effectively pursue justice and equality. Today, with the more full inclusion of the International Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Commission, the United Nations is closer to the ideals on which it was founded, and to values of inclusion and equality to which the United States is deeply committed.

###

Pass ENDA Now!

The following statement was released today by over 236 LGBT and allied organizations:

“Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act NOW.”

Here's the list of organizations:

Equality Federation, Toni Broaddus, Executive Director
Family Equality Council, Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director
Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), Lee Swislow, Executive Director
Human Rights Campaign, Joe Solmonese, President
National Black Justice Coalition, Sharon J. Lettman, Executive Director/CEO
National Center for Lesbian Rights, Kate Kendell, Esq., Executive Director
National Center for Transgender Equality, Mara Keisling, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund, Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Stonewall Democrats, Michael Mitchell, Executive Director
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays National, Jody M. Huckaby, Executive Director
Pride at Work, AFL-CIO, Peggy Shorey, Executive Director
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, Selisse Berry, Founding Executive Director
Transgender Law Center, Masen Davis, Executive Director
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Terry Stone, Executive Director
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, Shawn Gaylord, Director of Public Policy
A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI), Clayola Brown, President
Advocates for Youth, James Wagoner, President
African American Ministers in Action, Rev. Timothy McDonald, Chairman
AID Gwinnett, Larry M. Lehman, Executive Director
AIDS Action Council, William D. McColl, Political Director
Alabama Gender Alliance, J. D. Freeman, President
Alaska Together for Equality, Inc., Elias Rojas, Board President
Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Debra Kolodny, Executive Director
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Gerald W. McEntee, President
American Federation Of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, President
American Humanist Association, Karen Frantz, Communication and Policy Director
Arizona Stonewall Democrats, Erica Keppler, Chair
Arizona Trans Alliance, Erica Keppler, Co-Chair
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), Amado Uno, Executive Director
Association of Flight Attendants - CWA, Patricia Friend, President
Atlanta Stonewall Democrats, Tim Cairl, President
Basic Rights Oregon, Jeana Frazzini, Executive Director
Baystate Stonewall Democrats, Claire Naughton, President
Bi Writers Association, Sheela Lambert, Founder
Bisexual Resource Center, Ellyn Ruthstrom, President
Black Pride Los Angeles, Milton Smith, Board President
California Council Of Churches/IMPACT, The Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director
California Faith for Equality, Kerry Chaplin, Interfaith Organizing Director
Celtic Circle Church of US and Scotland, Rev. Lord Arteo MacAiken Sneath, Founding Elder Clergy/CEO
Central City AIDS Network, Inc, The Rainbow Center, Johnny Fambo, Executive Director
Cleveland Stonewall Democrats, Robert F. Rivera, President
Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), Karen J. See, President
COLAGE, Beth Teper, Executive Director
Colorado Stonewall Democrats, Karen Bachman, Vice-Chair
Communications Workers of America, Annie Hill, Executive Vice President
Community Alliance and Action Network, Tim Pierce, President
Community Health Awareness Council, Monique Kane, Executive Director
Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Rabbi
Consortium for Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals, Debbie Bazarsky, Co-Chair
Coqsure, Cris Land, Founder and Administrator
DC Trans Coalition, Sadie-Ryanne Baker, Leadership Committee Co-Chair
Democratic Party of Oregon, Meredith Wood-Smith, Chair
Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), Paul Almeida, President
DignityUSA, Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director
Empire State Pride Agenda, Joe Tarver, Interim Executive Director
Equal Rights Washington, Joshua Friedes, Executive Director
Equality Alabama, Lori Stabler, Board Co-Chair
Equality Arizona, Mike Remedi, Co-Chair Board of Directors
Equality California, Geoff Kors, Executive Director
Equality Florida, Nadine Smith, Executive Director
Equality Hawaii, Paul Gracie, Co-Chair
Equality Illinois, Bernard Cherkasov, Esq., CEO
Equality Iowa, Sandy Vopalka, Founder
Equality Maine, Betsy Smith, Executive Director
Equality Maryland, Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Executive Director
Equality North Carolina, Ian Palmquist, Executive Director
Equality Ohio, Sue Doerfer, Executive Director
Equality South Dakota, Robert Doody, Chair
Equality Texas, Chuck Smith, Interim Executive Director
Equality Toledo Community Action, David Mann, President
Fair Housing of Marin, Nancy Kenyon, Executive Director
Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh, Peter Harvey, Executive Director
Fair Wisconsin, Katie Belanger, Executive Director
Fairness West Virginia, Stephen Skinner, President
Families United Against Hate (FUAH), Gabi Clayton, Board President
Female-To-Male International, Rabbi Levi Alter, President
Fight OUT Loud, Waymon Hudson, President
Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, Michael Albetta, Caucus President
Florida Together, Ted Howard, Executive Director
FORGE, Michael Munson, Executive Director
Forum For Equality, SarahJane Brady, Managing Director
Forward Montana, Matt Singer, CEO
Freedom to Marry, Evan Wolfson, Executive Director
FTM International Albuquerque, NM Chapter, Adrien Lawyer, Leader
FTM International Atlanta, GA Chapter, BT, Leader
FTM International Bay Area, CA AFLOAT-SOFFA Chapter, Genie Moore, Leader
FTM International North Texas Chapter, Clay Rieber, Leader
FTM International Ohio Chapter, Jake Nash, Leader
FTM International Sacramento, CA Chapter, Marty Diaz, Leader
FTM International San Buenaventura, CA Chapter, Seth Mwansa, Leader
FTMI International San Diego, CA Chapter, Connor Maddocks, Leader
Garden State Equality, Steven Goldstein, Chair and CEO
Gay And Lesbian Labor Activist Network
Gay & Lesbian Medical Association, Rebecca Allison, MD, President
Gay City Health Project, Fred Swanson, Executive Director
Gay Grassroots of Northwest Florida, Doug Landreth, Founder
Gay Liberation Network, Andy Thayer, Co-Founder
Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools, Cindy Crane, Executive Director
Gays and Lesbians United Against Discrimination, Caleb Laieski, Executive Director
Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Carolyn Laub, Executive Director
Greater Seattle Business Association GSBA, Louise Chernin, Executive Director
Gender Justice LA, Latrice Johnson, Executive Director
Gender Rights Advocacy Association of NJ, Barbra Casbar Siperstein, Director
Gentle Spirit Christian Church, Rev. Paul M. Turner, Senior Pastor
Georgia Equality, Jeff Graham, Executive Director
Georgia Rural Urban Summit, Larry Pellegrini, Executive Director
Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, Jeffrey D. Richardson, President
GetEQUAL, Kip Williams, Co-Founder
GLBT Bar Association of Washington, Cynthia Buhr, President
Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, San Francisco, David Waggoner, Co-President
H.E.R.O., Meg Sneed, Co-founder
Holy Sprit Ecumenical Church - Largo, FL, Rev Steven M. Rosczewski, Pastor
Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Inc, Scott W. Gehl, Executive Director
Human Rights Campaign of Vanderbilt University, Luis Munoz, President
Immigration Equality, Julie Kruse, Policy Director
Ingersoll Gender Center, Marsha Botzer, Co-President
Integrity USA, John Clinton Bradley, Acting Executive Director
Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality, The Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge, Co-Chair
International Court Council, Coco LaChine, President
International Federation of Black Prides, Inc, Earl Fowlkes, President/CEO
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, AFL-CIO, James A. Williams, General President
Jacksonville Now, Jeremy Gould, CEO
Jefferson County, Colorado, Democratic Party, GLBT Caucus, David Reaser, Chair
Jewish Family & Career Services - The Rainbow Center in Atlanta, Gary Miller, CEO
Juxtaposed Center for Transformation, Inc, Tracee McDaniel, Executive Director
Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center, Antonio David Garcia, Executive Director
Kentucky Fairness Alliance, Travis Myles, Chairperson
Keshet, Idit Klein, Executive Director
KnoxBoyz of East Tennessee, BEAR A-M Rodgers, Founding Executive Director
KnoxGirlz of East Tennessee, Deirdre Radcliffe, Executive Director
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Hector E. Sanchez, Executive Director
LaGender Inc, Dee Dee Chamblee, Executive Director
Lambda Legal, Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director
Lavender Caucus SEIU, Eastern Region, Tony Fernandes, President
Legal Aid Services of Broward County, Anthony J. Karrat, Esq., Executive Director
Legal Aid Society - Employment Law Center, Joan M. Graff, President
Legal Voice, Lisa Stone, Executive Director
Lepoco Peace Center, Nancy Tate, Executive Director
Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens (LGBDQ), Bruce Friedman, President
Lesbian and Gay Family Building Project, Claudia E. Stallman, Project Director
LGBT Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Virginia, Roland Winston, Chairman
Long Island Housing Services, Michelle Santantonio, Executive Director
Love Makes a Family PAC, Martin L. Heft, Chairman
Lutherans Concerned/North America, Ross Murray, Interim Executive Director
Maine Transgender Network, Inc, Alex Roan, Executive Director
Massachusetts Lesbian & Gay Bar Association, David Eppley, Co-Chair
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, Gunner Scott, Executive Director
Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization, Leslie J. Calman, Ph.D., Executive Director
MEGA Family Project, Kathy Kelly, Executive Director
Metropolitan Community Churches, The Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, Moderator
Miami Valley Fair Housing Center, Inc., Jim McCarthy, President/CEO
Michigan AIDS Coalition, Detroit, Michigan, Craig Covey, Operating Officer
More Light Presbyterians, Michael J. Adee, Executive Director
NAACP, Hilary O. Shelton, Director NAACP Washington Bureau & Senior VP for Advocacy and Policy
National Caucus SEIU, Tom Barbera, President
National Coalition for LGBT Health, Rebecca Fox, Executive Director
National Council of Jewish Women, Nancy Ratzan, President
National Fair Housing Alliance, Shanna L. Smith, President and CEO
National Marriage Boycott, Laura Wadden, Executive Director
National Organization for Women - Alabama, Shirley Ann Rawls, President
National Student Genderblind Campaign, David Norton, Executive Director
National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC), Gregory Varnum, Executive Director
New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition, Mo Baxley, Executive Director
New Mexico GLBTQ Centers, David Stocum, Executive Director
New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy (NYAGRA), Pauline Park, Chair
New York Transgender Rights Organization (NYTRO), Joann Prinzivalli, Executive Director
Northwest PA Trans Group, Joanne Lynn Benjamin, Founder
Office & Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), Nancy Wohlforth, Secretary-Treasurer Emerita
One Colorado, Lea Ann Purvis, Interim Executive Director
Our Family Coalition, Judy Appel, Executive Director
Out4Immigration, Amos Lim, Founding Board Member
OutFront Minnesota, Amy Johnson, Executive Director
Outlet Program, Eileen Ross, Director
Outright Vermont, Melissa Murray, Executive Director
PA Diversity Network, Liz Bradbury, Executive Director
Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Rand Hoch, President and Founder
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual and Transgender Individuals of Jacksonville, FL, Frieda Saraga, President
People For the American Way, Michael B. Keegan, President
Perpetual Transition, Casey Lanham, Co-Founder
PFLAG-Vero Beach, Carl Burns, Treasurer
Pikes Peak Gay & Lesbian Community Center, Ryan Acker, Executive Director
Pride At Work, Martin Luther King County WA Chapter, Mike Andrews, Secretary-Treasurer, Chapter Lead
Pride Tampa Bay, R. Zeke Fread, Executive Director
PROMO (Missouri), A. J. Bockelman, Executive Director
Religious Institute, The Reverend Debra W. Haffner, Executive Director
Respect Resource Group, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Randy Kammer, Executive Sponsor
Rockway Institute, a unit of the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, San Francisco campus, Robert-Jay Green, Executive Director
Room for All (Reformed Church in America), Rev. Robert D. Williams, Founding Co-President
RU12? Community Center and Vermont TransAction, Kara DeLeonardis, MSW, LICSW, Executive Director
S. U. R. E. Foundation, Dr. Mekah Gordon Ph.D., Founder/CEO
Safe Schools Coalition, Kyle Rapinan, Co-chair
San Francisco LGBT Community Center, Rebecca Rolfe, Executive Director
Santa Cruz County Task Force for LGBTIQ Youth, Stuart Rosenstein, Chair
SEIU 509 Lavender Caucus, Tom Barbera, President
Service Employees International Union, Anna Burger, International Secretary Treasurer
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS), Joseph DiNorcia Jr., President and CEO
SOFFAs of East Tennessee Transgenders, Valerie Knight, Executive Director
South Bay Transmen, Lance Moore, Organizer
South Carolina Equality, B. Dean Pierce, Chair, Board of Directors
Stonewall Democratic Club of New York, Joseph G. Hagelmann, III, President
Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada, Derek Washington, Chair
Stonewall Democrats of Volusia & Flagler, Larry Glinzman, President
Stonewall Democrats of Pasco County, Jocelyn A. Dickman, President
Sunshine Social Services, Inc/SunServe, Mark Adler, MPH, Executive Director
Tennessee Equality Project, H.G. Stovall, Board President
Tennessee Equality Project Foundation, Randy Cox, President/Chair
Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, Marisa Richmond, Ph.D., President
Tennessee Vals, Vickie Davis, Chair Woman
The American Institute of Bisexuality, Denise Penn MSW, Director
The Center (Des Moines, Iowa), Sandy Vopalka, Administrator
The Center for HIV Law and Policy, Catherine Hanssens, Executive Director
The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry (CLGS), Bernard Schlager, Ph.D., Executive Director
The Crystal Club, Barbie Rogers, President
The Family Tree LGBT Community Center, Jim Van Riper, Co-Chair
The Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation, Hebrew Union Collage-Jewish Institute of Religion, Dr. Joel Kushner, Director
The Pride Center at Equality Park, Paul Hyman, Executive Director
Trans/Giving Arts Showcase, Kalil Cohen, Lead Organizer
Trans-Action Initiative of Bard College, Kira Gilman, Club Head
TransActive Education & Advocacy, Jenn Burleton, Executive Director
Transgender at Work, Mary Ann Horton, Chair
Transgender Education Network of Texas, Lisa Scheps, Executive Director
Transgender Equality Rights Initiative (TERI), Jacqui Charvet, Co-Administrator
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, Michael Silverman, Executive Director
TransOhio, Shane Morgan, Founder & Chair
Triangle Community Center, Norwalk, CT, Christopher J. Spiegelman, Board President
Triangle Foundation/Michigan Equality, Alicia Skillman, Executive Director
Tucson GLBT Chamber of Commerce, Sheldon Fishman, President
UNITE HERE International Union, John Wilhelm, President
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries, Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister
Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, CA, Rev. Lindi Ramsden, Executive Director
Vermont Freedom to Marry Action Committee, Beth Robinson, Chair
Washington Gender Alliance, Rory Gould, President
Western Mass Pride at Work, David James, President
WKJCE TLGB Radio, Alanna Maneer, Co Founder
Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER), Mary E. Hunt, Executive Director
YouthPride, Inc, Terence McPhaul, Executive Director

(236 Organizations)