Rally for LGBT Equality with President Obama Tonight in Beverly Hills

President Barack Obama, the most LGBT-friendly president in history, will be at the Beverly Hilton the evening of Wednesday, May 27th, for a DNC fundraiser. Let's take this opportunity, just one day after the CA Supreme Court makes its decision on Proposition 8, to show our President our support for his daring promise to our community and to highlight the growing movement towards FULL FEDERAL EQUALITY.

At 7PM we will be joined by Lt. Dan Choi and other LGBT servicemen & women in opposition to Don't Ask Don't Tell. They will ask for response from President Obama to the letter signed by 136,000 people asking the president not to fire Lt. Choi by ending DADT.

Wednesday, May 27 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
9876 WILSHIRE BLVD
(CORNER OF SANTA MONICA & WILSHIRE BLVDS)
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

U.S. to Sign U.N. Gay Rights Declaration!

Back in December of 2008 the first ever declaration at the United Nations called for an immediate end to imprisonment and execution for people based on sexual orientation. The resolution passed without approval by the United States.

"The Obama administration will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign, The Associated Press has learned". (MSNBC)

Keep Your Promise, President Obama

A new petition by the Courage Campaign is calling upon Obama to allow the federal government to provide the same health benefits to same-sex spouses and partners of federal employees that other federal employee spouses receive.

Join them in urging Obama to keep his promise for LGBT equality, sign the petition.

(Secretary of GLBT Affairs) Urged by National Grassroots Group

Equal Rep is now putting on a follow-up national campaign to strongly urge President-elect Obama to create a new Cabinet position, Secretary of GLBT Affairs.

"We are the only minority group to have outright discriminatory laws against us. We can't marry in 48 states, if we join the military we are required to lie or hide our sexual orientation lest we be discharged, and we are denied all federal recognition that we even exist just to name a few laws. If ever there was a critical need for a new Cabinet position, this is it." said Equal Rep founder, Paul Sousa. "And on top of that, GLBT Americans are the only minority group to have never been appointed to the Presidential Cabinet in the history of the United States. We're asking President Obama to give this community the legal and political attention it requires and the representation it deserves."

There are other Cabinet positions that represent minority groups such as the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs and Equal Rep is asking President Obama to create another position similarly for the GLBT community. It is commonplace for Presidents to create Cabinet positions due to community needs such as the creation of the Secretary of Homeland Security position in 2001.

ACTION FOR JAN 26 - JAN 30: CALL & EMAIL DAILY:
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STEP 1. Call Obama: 202-456-1111
STEP 2. Email Obama: comments@whitehouse.gov
STEP 3. Repeat daily till Friday.

'Refresh Everything' - Dear Mr. President...

PepsiCo (an LGBT affirming company) started a new site called 'Refresh Everything' where you can make your own video starting with Dear Mr. President and send any message you choose to be broadcast to the nation. You can choose to present singing, standing upside down, acting, tell a joke or express your message in whatever fashion you so choose. The best videos will get placed on the front page. Who knows, maybe someone important will get to see it, Obama has internet access too!

Here is a video of two guys for same-sex marriage...

Got something to say or want to check it out? Goto Refresh Everything.

Ask your Senators to Support Eric Holder, President-Elect Obama's Choice for Attorney General

Senate Republicans are threatening the confirmation of President-elect Obama's choice for Attorney General, Eric Holder. Take action today to ensure that Eric Holder is swiftly confirmed as our nation's next Attorney General. As a community that is particularly vulnerable to bias-motivated violence, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community needs an Attorney General who is committed to combating this national problem. Eric Holder will be that Attorney General.

Holder knows that access to justice is a civil right and has demonstrated his commitment to protecting communities from hate violence and ensuring the fair and equal application of our laws. He supports rigorous enforcement of existing laws, data collection and research about hate violence, and legislation that would give the federal government both the authority to prosecute these heinous crimes and the power to assist local governments that are pursuing justice.

Don't let this nomination be derailed. Send a message to your Senators today asking them to support the nomination of Eric Holder as the next Attorney General.

Use HRC's E-Action Contact Form to Connect with Your Senators

Inside The Transition: LGBT Advocates

The Obama administration has released video of a new high level meeting it has had with LGBT leaders. This is the first ever of such meetings held with any presidents transition team in history.

Appoint Openly Gay Fred Hochberg Commerce Secretary

Want to help shatter a glass ceiling? Give just 2 minutes a day to call and email the Obama transition and you can do just that. Equal Rep is putting on its third campaign to urge President-elect Obama to appoint Fred Hochberg the next Secretary of Commerce.

In more than 200 years, the United States Cabinet has never included an openly gay member. Growing national focus on GLBT civil rights has therefore made the Secretary of Commerce appointment a national issue in the struggle for equal representation.

Fred Hochberg is the most qualified candidate for the job. Hochberg has more than 25 years of experience in business, government, civil rights activities, and philanthropy. From 1998 through 2000, he served as deputy then acting administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), an agency elevated to cabinet rank by President Bill Clinton, with more than 4,000 employees and 100 offices across the country. At the SBA, he directed the delivery of a comprehensive set of financial and business development programs for entrepreneurs, with particular outreach to women and minorities. He also served on President Clinton's Management Council.

From 1994 to 1998, Fred Hochberg worked as founder and president of Heyday Company, a private investment firm managing real estate, stock market investments, and venture capital projects. Prior to that, he was president and chief operating officer of the Lillian Vernon Corporation, where he led the transformation of a small family mail order company into a publicly traded direct marketing corporation, one of the great success stories of American entrepreneurship.

"It was devastating to learn that gay Americans wouldn't have a seat at the table within Barack Obama's Cabinet administration. They are the only minority group to have never been appointed in the history of the United States." said Paul Sousa, Equal Rep founder. "Hochberg is supremely qualified and this opening is the perfect opportunity for our President-elect to show gay Americans they have not been forgotten and he is truly committed to equal representation."

Phone Obama: 202-540-3000, press "2"
Email Obama

Join the facebook event, invite your friends, and plan on giving the Obama administration a friendly daily nudge to put his call of change into action. Here's to hoping that Fred Hochberg is the next Secretary of Commerce!

Ideas For Change In America!

Change.org has invited us to submit an idea for a policy or program, discuss with others, and vote on the best ideas from around the country. Just before Inauguration Day they will host a major event with more than a dozen leading organizations in Washington, DC and deliver the top 10 rated ideas to a representative of the Obama Administration. They will also then announce the launch of a national lobbying campaign in collaboration with leading advocacy groups to mobilize the millions of people on Change.org and partner sites like MySpace to ensure that each winning idea gets the full consideration of the administration and the 111th Congress.

So here is where we come in, first I would ask you all to help in voting for LGBTQ issues, second what do YOU think is the most important issue that you want the Obama admin to consider, 'Queers United' will post our collective idea that generates the most interest and we can all vote to advance our idea of change, if the idea is already on the list, we will just promote that idea and ask for our readers to vote that up.

CHANGE is here with Obama/Biden '08

The transition team for Barack Obama's presidency is seeking applicants and going beyond the law of the land to truly embrace inclusive employment non-discrimination.

"The Obama-Biden Transition Project does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other basis of discrimination prohibited by law."

If you want to check out the site or apply to be a part of change check out...
http://www.change.gov/page/s/application

Obama Speaks to MTV News on Gay Marriage

Obama says he does not support gay marriage but is against amending state constitutions and therefore against proposition 8.

MTV Shows

Obama PRIDE - Video of Hope!

Web Spotlight: Obama PRIDE

Today's web spotlight and shout goes to Obama PRIDE. The sub-section of Barack Obama's website which details his commitment to LGBT Americans. Click the graphic to access this site.