Take Action: DADT Repeal Bill to be Voted on Today!

The President has signed onto a deal to move full steam ahead with a repeal of the military's 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' policy. The deal likely will allow for the bill to be voted on today in the House & Senate Armed Services Committee. The majority of the American populace supports repeal and insiders say they have the necessary votes. While there are ups and downs to the proposed bill it is nonetheless a historic piece of legislation that must be approved.

Take action with HRC to demand your representatives vote in favor of repealing this anti-gay policy.

Email congress and tweet your lawmakers.

Also be sure to call congress at (202) 224-3121.

Self Described "Proud Homophobe" Kicked Off of Elite Panel on Oil Spill

Thanks to activist outcry the Department of Energy has dropped Mr. Jonathan Katz from the oil spill elite team. His controversial writings were deemed a distraction to the groups efforts.

---

President Barack Obama has appointed self described "proud homophobe" Jonathan I. Katz a professor of Physics at Washington University to the elite panel designed to help British Petroleum find solutions to the oil spill in the Gulf. When reffering to the AIDS epidemic Mr. Katz says: "These people died so the sodomites could feel good about themselves." He has even written an article called 'In Defense of Homophobia' which can be found on his website.

Please sign on to the public letter demanding Obama fire this homophobe.

Tell Obama to Dump DOMA Now!

DOMA stands for the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex unions. President-elect Barack Obama has vowed to overturn DOMA.

In light of the increasing pressure the administration has felt over the recent Department of Justices defense of this antiquated legislation, the time is now to let Obama know we demand he keep his campaign promises to the LGBT community to repeal DOMA.

The Dump Doma campaign is urging us to pressure the house speaker Nancy Pelosi, majority leader Harry Reid and the rest of congress to act quickly to send the bill to the president for him to sign.

Please fill out the action alert at dumpdoma.org and tell your friends!

Thank Grand Valley State University for Hosting Panel discussion on "Ex-gay" Industry.

Focus on the Family is bringing their notorious "ex-gay" road show, Love Won Out, to Grand Rapids, Michigan this week. In response, Grand Valley State University is hosting Wayne Bessen of Truth Wins Out's presentation, followed by a panel discussion on the danger of "ex-gay" programs.

If you are encouraged that Grand Valley is offering this program -- "Religion and Homophobia: Spiritual Violence in our Community" -- then let the university know: 616-331-2221.

Crossposted via Truth Wins Out.

'Focus on the Family' Going Back on Dr. Phil Show!

Dr. Phil must really love discussing anti LGBT sentiment and playing into the notion that our identities are nothing more than a mental illness. As evidenced by his previous show on "Gender Confused Kids" where "expert" Glenn Stanton from the notoriously anti-gay and transphobic Focus on The Family expressed his unscientific point.

Dr. Phil continued his crusade against LGBT Americans by playing into transphobia more by scheduling more offensive shows.

Now, as reported by Good As You, he is bringing Glenn Stanton back, as well as "ex-gay" proponent Joseph Nicolosi as a guest.

The show is scheduled to air Tuesday. It is time that Dr. Phil stop putting unscientific, anti-psychology "experts" on his show. People look to him for advice, and it is wrong to feature these voices on his show. This is not a debate on gay/trans rights, this is a discussion about how to deal with these identities, and the debate is over on that matter.

As always, we encourage you to call and email the show.

E-Contact Form to leave feedback for the show.

Phone: 1-323-9563393

NYC Restores Funds to Ali Forney Center

UPDATE: "Officials have restored funding for a drop-in center for homeless gay youth, a high-risk group for contracting HIV" (LGBT Youth News).

---

11/5/08 - The Ali Forney Center is an LGBT homeless youth shelter that operates in New York City. Due to the current financial crisis in the economy, the local government has cut funding which is now threatening the existence of the project. The $600,000 the center receives annually in assistance is their only source of income.

Please call on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to restore funding to the Ali Forney Center by clicking here and copying and pasting the following text into the contact box provided on the form.

Dear Mayor Bloomberg:

I am writing this to request your assistance in preventing the defunding of the Ali Forney Center's drop-in services to homeless LGBT youth. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has announced that in 2009 it will cease allocating HOPWA funds to the drop-in services of the Ali Forney Center, resulting in the defunding of New York City's only full time drop-in center for homeless LGBT youth. The closure of this program would create a terrible service gap for homeless LGBT youths and would put their lives at risk.

Of particular concern is the loss of HIV prevention, testing and treatment that would result from the center's closure. As recent studies have indicated that HIV is spreading most rapidly in Black and Latino men who have sex with men under the age of 30, the loss of the comprehensive and innovative HIV services at AFC's drop-in center would be catastrophic.

Please see to it that the HOPWA funds are restored, or that new funding is put in place to ensure the continuation of these invaluable services to the homeless LGBT youth of our City.

Please visit the Ali Forney Center website to donate any money, or to donate items such as food, clothing, and other items which may be useful to the center.

Contact Your Representatives to Support Invalidating Prop 8!

The proponents of Prop 8 usurped the role of the Legislature by putting the right for same-sex couples to marry directly on the ballot. Two Equality California-sponsored resolutions will make it official state policy, when they are approved by the Legislature, that Prop 8 should be overturned. Write your legislators now to urge them to support the invalidation of Prop 8 and vote for SR 7 (Leno) and AR 5 (Ammiano). Prop 8 eliminates the fundamental right to marry and allows a slim majority to take away the equal protections of a minority, which violates one of the founding principles of our Constitution. The resolutions state the measure should have been approved by a two-thirds vote in the Legislature before going to voters. Urge your representative to support these resolutions.

Please fill out the form to contact your representatives.

Prospects for Marriage Equality in New York on Thin Ice

CALL TO ACTION: Dec 1st, please take action on this issue!

In New York it boils down to marriage equality or a continuation of denying equal rights. Democrats now have a very slim majority in the senate which paves way for the opportunity to introduce a marriage bill which already passed the legislature, and which the governor is eager to sign into law.

The current obstacle is three socially conservative democrats who refuse to support a democratic majority leader who will put forth a same-sex marriage bill for a vote. These three senators will possibly even cross party lines and caucus with the republicans in order to ensure it doesn't happen.

It is uncertain how a vote on same-sex marriage would turn out, not all democrats support it, and not all republicans oppose it. 5-6 republican senators are likely to vote in favor of marriage equality.

Below are the three socially conservative democrats opposing same-sex marriage and a majority leader who will allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote:

Senator Carl Kruger
kruger@senate.state.ny.us

Office of State Senator Carl Kruger
2201 Avenue U
Brooklyn, NY 11229
Tel: (718) 743-8610

Senator Ruben Diaz
diaz@senate.state.ny.us

1733 East 172nd Street
Bronx, NY 10472
Tel: (718) 991-3161

-Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. - No contact info found

It is imperative that we contact these senators and urge them to vote along the New York Democratic Party platform which supports same-sex marriage. When calling please be sure to let them know as democrats it is their obligation to support Malcolm Smith for majority leader. The fate of marriage equality very well may lie in the hands of a few socially conservative democrats trying to impose their will on the majority.

We Have Your Back BCBS-Florida!

"Since publicly announcing their opposition to this discriminatory amendment, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida has been targeted the far right. They stood up for all Floridians and now we need to stand up for them.

Send a Thank You message to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and let them know that we will stand with them every time they support fairness and equality."

Join SayNo2 campaign in thanking BCBS.