First Openly Gay Senator

Democratic representative Tammy Baldwin gave us another reason to celebrate on November 6, 2012 by making history in becoming the first elected openly gay senator.  Congrats Wisconsin and Senator Baldwin!

4 in 4 States Vote To Legalize Same Sex Marriage

Tonight is an historic night and yet another step toward equality for all.  It looks likely that it will be 4 of 4 states that have voted to legalize same-sex marriage.  It’s the first time after some 30 losses across the country that by popular vote same-sex marriage is supported.

Equality California Names John O’Connor Executive Director

By The Seattle Lesbian

 

 

Equality California and its Board of Directors announced today that John O’Connor, a seasoned nonprofit executive with deep ties in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, will serve as the new executive director of Equality California and Equality California Institute. O’Connor will begin his tenure on December 3.

“I am honored to lead Equality California forward as the statewide voice on LGBT equality.  The message will be that we are for full equality and nothing less,” said O’Connor, who currently serves as the executive director of the LGBT Community Center of the Desert. “That means enacting, implementing and enforcing legislation that expands the protections and freedoms afforded to LGBT Californians, supporting and electing pro-LGBT legislators, and winning the hearts and minds of Californians through effective education. I won’t just be speaking – I’ll be listening too, to our coalition partners, to the needs of LGBT Californians, and to everyone involved in building a state of equality.”

O’Connor has extensive experience leading non-profits through transition and into solvency and stability. Most recently, through his work at the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, he brought in new staff, established a new counseling center – which was fully staffed and operational within a year – and forged important partnerships with area schools in order to bring anti-bullying and suicide prevention workshops into every 9th grade and first year continuation class. From 2006 through 2010, O’Connor worked directly under former California First Lady Maria Shriver to establish the California Hall of Fame at the California Museum, and he played a key role in stabilizing the museum and leading fundraising and program development that brought the organization statewide visibility and acclaim.

O’Connor brings important national and foundation experience to his new role. From 2002 to 2004, O’Connor was national director of the Gill Foundation, a $220 million foundation dedicated to advancing LGBT equality. He also served as program director of The David Geffen Foundation, where he worked closely with charities and issues of importance to the LGBT community.

“On behalf of the boards of directors, we are very pleased to welcome John aboard, knowing that his background and experience will be valuable as we chart our future,” said Clarissa Filgioun and Cary Davidson, board presidents of EQCA and EQCA Institute respectively. “John is a bold leader with a history of leading nonprofits into the next phase of their journeys. He will enable EQCA and EQCA Institute to broaden our work and move forward on our path to achieve LGBT equality in California.”

O’Connor was selected by the Boards of Directors of Equality California and Equality California Institute after an extensive, national search conducted by executive search firm Morris & Berger.

Leaders both inside and outside of the LGBT movement have reacted enthusiastically to O’Connor’s appointment:

“John’s dedication to The California Museum, which represents all of the breadth and diversity of California, was key to the turnaround it experienced and the success it achieved during the years I was California’s First Lady. I know that he will bring that same passion, commitment and skill to making sure that the voices of all LGBT Californians are heard. Congratulations, John, and congratulations Equality California.”

- Maria Shriver, award-winning journalist, best-selling author and former First Lady of California

“Equality California made a terrific choice in John O’Connor.  I am confident John will provide strong leadership and look forward to the opportunity for EQCA to be a powerful advocate for LGBT health as part of the organization’s overarching efforts to advance the well being of LGBT people throughout California.”

- Daniel Zingale, Senior Vice President, Healthy California, California Endowment

“We congratulate John on being selected as the Executive Director of Equality California.  His accomplishments at The LGBT Community Center of the Desert have been tremendous and we are certain he will remain fully committed to the success of our organization as he moves into a larger role. While we will miss John at The Center, he will be carrying on the mission of enriching the lives of the LGBT community on a state-wide basis affecting a much larger community with national implications.  We support John in his new role and wish him the very best.”

- Randy Lowe, Chairman, LGBT Community Center of the Desert

“I’ve known John for more than a dozen years and couldn’t be happier with EQCA’s selection of him as their next Executive Director.  Whether in his role as a foundation manager or non-profit director, John has always been a passionate advocate for, and a great partner in, so many of the causes and concerns that we all share.  I look forward to working with John as he takes on this great challenge.”

- Michael Fleming, Executive Director, David Bohnett Foundation

“Equality California has thoughtfully selected an executive director who has a solid track record of growing LGBT organizations. I look forward to collaborating with John and EQCA as we build a stronger movement for LGBT equality in California.”

- Masen Davis, Executive Director, Transgender Law Center

“John O’Connor is a great choice to lead EQCA.  He has grassroots, organizing and fundraising experience and he understands the importance of strategic vision and partnerships. NCLR and EQCA have been critical partners for years.  We have often joined forces to make significant gains for LGBT residents in California.  We fully expect that partnership will deepen under John’s leadership.  We stand ready to help John and EQCA in any way that helps LGBT Californians and their families.”

- Kate Kendell, Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights

Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights advocacy organization in California. Over the past decade, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation. Equality California has passed more than 90 pieces of legislation and continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, electoral work, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org.

Two Women Kiss To Stop Protesters

By: Brandy Black

Does kissing defuse anger?  These two women kissed in front of demonstrators who gathered to oppose the bill which would allow gay marriage and adoption in France.  The women of Marseille, France explained later that they were straight but simply wanted to draw attention to the issue with a gesture of solidarity.

Election 2012: Equality is Not Created in a Vacuum

 

 

 

Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington State will have marriage on the mind this November when voters in support of equality are being instructed to “Vote Yes on 1” in Maine; “Vote for Question 6” in Maryland; “Vote No” in Minnesota; and “Vote to Approve R74” in Washington State.

Here in Washington State, a few dozen politicians didn’t pass marriage equality. We the People passed marriage equality in Washington State. The law was signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire on February 13, 2012. Surprisingly, no straight people were harmed with the passage of marriage equality on this day — or the many that followed.

Allowing same-sex couples the freedom to marry their partners does not threaten heterosexual marriages or cause children to be born with three ears and five eyes on the tops of their heads.

I believe that fear is the root of so many anti-gay movements in this nation. Our counterparts are so concerned with their livelihoods being threatened that they don’t even notice that their daughter’s best friend in elementary school has two moms; that the firefighter that died saving their husbands’ lives left behind a partner with no means to financially survive; that their son or daughter was killed in the line of duty without ever being able to share with them their true identities; and that one teenaged kid was beaten down to shreds emotionally because he “just never fit in” …

At the end of the day, we will not remember the acronyms to the organizations that have shunned our lives and loves for generations. No, we will remember those who have stood beside us and have fought for our denied freedoms as if they were their very own. We will remember the effort, stamina, chutzpah, and resiliency it took to effectively win equality in all four states. And then, when December rolls around, we will start all over again. In the United States of America, no one is equal until all of us are equal.

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is betting on the probability that voters will be confused this November… and that assumption might be an accurate one to anyone not paying extremely close attention to the wording on their state’s ballot.

NOM President Brian Brown said he thought anti-gay marriage opponents would prevail across the country this election. In fact, he told SiriusXM OutQ, “I think we’re going to win all four. But say we were to lose one — but still, we lost [just] one. Will there be a huge amount of media saying the country now supports same-sex marriage? Of course there will. The mainstream media is in the pocket of the same-sex marriage advocates. Anyone who looks as an objective observer will still be able to say, if we lose one state, the record still shows that [we’ve] won, whatever, 35 out of 36.”

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), “NOM sometimes displays a sense of aggrieved victimhood, picturing itself and other religious opponents of same-sex marriage as under assault by powerful and devious forces. In an August update, NOM President Brown described a ‘jihad’ by ‘those who wield scorn and hatred as a weapon to suppress the truth and those who speak it.’ He said that gay marriage advocates want ‘second class status’ for their opponents, adding, ‘we are looking into the face of a movement which wants … to take away your rights.’”

Essentially, NOM is a bully.

We in this country have stood up against bullying — promoting Dan Savage’s It Gets Better Project and other pro-health/anti-discrimination initiatives in the past several years. So do we have anything to be concerned about, truly?

“Vote Yes on 1” in Maine; “Vote for Question 6” in Maryland; “Vote No” in Minnesota; and “Vote to Approve R74” in Washington State. Tell your friends and family members to do the same. Equality is not created in a vacuum.

Originally published by ParentMap magazine.

Mayor Bloomberg and Bill Gates Each Donate $500k to Marriage Equality

By Zach Ford / Think Progress

Michael Bloomberg And Bill Gates Donate $500K To Marriage Equality | Both New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) as well as Bill and Melinda Gates have donated $500,000 to marriage equality campaigns. Bloomberg’s funding will be divided among the campaigns in Maine, Minnesota, and Washington, complementing the $250,000 donation he already made to the Maryland campaign. The Gates’ have given their half-million directly to the Washington campaign, adding to the $100,000 Bill gave earlier this year.

Safe Chemicals Headed To The Hill- 36 Years Late

By: Rachel Sarnoff

Senator Lautenberg celebrates on Capitol Hill. Photo: Chicago Tribune

Ready for some big news? The Senate voted to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This may sound like just more political posturing to some, but for those of us involved in children’s environmental health, it’s a ridiculously big deal.

What’s the big deal about TSCA? It was passed in 1976 and hasn’t been touched since. It’s the reason we have flame retardants in our kids’ mattresses andBPA in their baby bottles (until recently).

Senator Frank Lautenberg has sponsored the Safe Chemicals Act each year since 2005. If the bill becomes law, it will be the first time that manufacturers would have to submit health and safety data for the chemicals that they produce.

And the EPA would have the power to restrict chemicals that cannot be proven safe — under TSCA, the EPA can only require safety testing after a chemical has demonstrated hazardous toxicity. According to the Chicago Tribune, “the EPA acknowledges that it knows little, if anything, about the safety of most of the 84,000 industrial compounds in commercial use in the U.S.”

The Senate, which voted on party lines — all Democrats in favor of reform; all Republicans opposed — is still under pressure from lobbying groups like the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates and will need bipartisan support to proceed.

I think those that voted for reform should be supported and those who are against it should know better, don’t you? That’s why I spent yesterday tweeting their names. Care to join me?

 

Senator Lautenberg celebrates on Capitol Hill. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)

@FrankLautenberg, @EPWChairBoxer, @MaxBaucus, @SenatorCarper, @SenatorCardin, @SenSanders, @SenJeffMerkley, @SenGilligrand, @SenWhitehouse & @SenatorTomUdall all voted 4 the #SafeChemicalsAct.

Shame on @jiminhofe, @DavidVitter, @SenJohnBarrasso, @SenatorSessions, @MikeCrapo,  @SenAlexander, @Mike_Johanns & @JohnBoozman, who all voted against. (Twitter handles courtesy of @SaferChemicals.)

Feel like getting involved? Tweet this!

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You can find more on Rachel at Mommygreenest.  She also founded EcoStiletto.com, and appeared on Today and CNN to talk about a judgment-free, eco-conscious lifestyle. She is the former Executive Director of Healthy Child Healthy World and was editor-in-chief of Children magazine before she had kids. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children, who range in age from preschooler to teen. You can follow her on twitter @rachellsarnoff

FDA Bans BPA, But Alternatives May Be Worse

By: Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff

 

Could this be the source of serious hormone-disruptors?

Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, has been a rallying point for parents everywhere. Once we found out about problems associated with the industrial chemical, which is used to harden plastics used in food storage containers, water bottles, toys, and other consumer goods, we raised such a ruckus that the substance was banned for use in bottles and sippy cups in 11 states.

On Tuesday, the FDA announced a nation-wide ban on the substance in bottles and sippy cups. Huzzah!

But BPA is still a bad word for many parents who “vote with their dollars” by refusing to buy these products, so the chemical industry is looking for options.

A study published this week found bisphenol S, a BPA alternative, on all cash register paper in the United States, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, as well as on 87% of paper currency and 52% of recycled paper in these countries.

The study’s authors reported that BPS has some of the same estrogen-mimicking effects of BPA, and that people may now be absorbing 19 times more BPS through their skin than when BPA was used to coat paper.

As parents, why should we be worried about these chemicals? Well, first off, as this new study proves, they’re everywhere —even on receipts and money, ubiquitous to daily life. Our kids are exposed to them through multiple sources practically 24/7.

But more specifically, they mimic estrogen in the body, thus tricking it into starting the process of puberty earlier than necessary.

As I wrote in a post about my moody pre-pubescent daughter last year, a study published in Pediatrics found that one in 10 girls has already begun developing breasts—the first sign of puberty—by the age of eight and that the cause might be exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals like BPA.

And recent studies have shown even more serious problems, like one recently published in the International Journal of Clinical Oncology, which showed a link between a common brain tumor called meningloma and BPA.

What can you do? In addition to limiting your use of plastic, which I shared some tips on last week, and washing your hands, which can not only limit BPA/BPS exposure but protect your family from flame retardants too, consider employing the “no, thanks” method of protection.

Try to use credit cards instead of cash, and in the same way you might politely decline a plastic bag, just ask the cashier to throw away your register receipt. You already have the transaction recorded online and on your statement —should you require a paper trail— do you really need it in your wallet, too?

You can find more on Rachel at Mommygreenest.  She also founded EcoStiletto.com, and appeared on Today and CNN to talk about a judgment-free, eco-conscious lifestyle. She is the former Executive Director of Healthy Child Healthy World and was editor-in-chief of Children magazine before she had kids. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children, who range in age from preschooler to teen. You can follow her on twitter @rachellsarnoff

 

Pentagon Will Allow Uniformed Service Members to March in San Diego Gay Pride Parade

 

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – The Defense Department announced -for the first time in U.S. history -that it is allowing service members to march in uniform in a gay pride parade.  Even though their policy is to not allow troops to march in uniform in parades they will be making an exception for the San Diego gay pride parade.  Defense Secretary Leon Panetta vowed to remove as many barriers as possible so that gays and lesbians can be proud to be out in uniform with the recent repeal last year of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”.

Progress is good.

Slowly But Surely the Walls of Prejudice Are Beginning to Crumble

By: Tom Butts

A key part of the law banning federal recognition of same-sex marriage (DOMA) was struck down as unconstitutional by a U.S. appeals court Thursday.

We’ve heard a few decisions regarding this matter; the reason this one stands out to me is that it’s the second court to make the same decision but what raises my eyebrow of hope is that this court is not a “liberal” West Coast court but an Eastern one.  The other twist: both judges who claim that DOMA is not constitutional are (ready for this?)…REPUBLICAN.

What?!

Yes, ‘tis true, Republican.

Looking at the Constitution, they have decided that DOMA truly doesn’t provide citizens in this segment of population equal rights.

Remember this little ditty from School House Rock days:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Well, it was my way of memorizing and learning about a very important part of “Americana” – our preamble to the Constitution.

I think as we move forward and people open their minds to what’s fair, not necessarily what’s their opinion, we will look back and see that people were on the right side of history.

In Washington State (a favorite of mine), people are overwhelmingly in support of gay marriage 55% to 33%.  More and more of my conservative friends are continuing to hold strong to their beliefs but realize that two separate sets of rules for humans are not the way our country works.

Just the words, mixed race marriage, women’s vote…they’re archaic at best.  In a few years, I’m hoping that “gay marriage” will perhaps mean what it did in the 1930’s – “happy marriage”.

Tom Butts out…

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