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Take Action: Postcards to the President

The mission of 'Postcards to the President' is to create an effect: thousands upon thousands of personalized American voices speaking directly to our newly appointed and inspirational leader, demanding equality.

Nearly 15,000 postcards have already been sent demanding the president take action to repeal the so called Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits federal recognition of married same-sex couples. The groups goal is to have 20,000 sent by the end of this year!



Get involved as an individual, school/class, church and/or community organization.

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, DC 20500

Buy, make your own, or print out a postcard.

Email Steve to let him know you are participating seerbeck@gmail.com.

http://www.postcardstothepresident.com

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network to Protest at White House

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) is organizing 265 veterans, allies and supporters to march on the White House 2 p.m. Saturday, June 27, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and urge President Obama to break his silence on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" repeal.

The 265 marchers represent the number of service members discharged since the President and the new Congress were sworn in. The marchers will be led by five of the plaintiffs in Cook v. Gates, a Supreme Court case that was filed by the plaintiffs and SLDN in December 2004 on behalf of 12 lesbian and gay veterans discharged under DADT.

Demand the Democrats Treat LGBT Americans Equally!

The Democrats and President Obama have campaigned on change including civil rights for the LGBT community. Very little has changed, the administration continues to kick qualified service members out of the military based on sexual orientation, the Department of Justice defends the Defense of Marriage Act. Websites like Obama's Plan for Gay Right's have popped up to criticize the lack of action. The congress has not pushed any gay rights legislation and we are left with no hate crimes protections, no employment protections, no anti-bullying measures, no federal recognition, a continued ban on HIV + travelers, and no action to end Don't Ask Don't Tell.

The Democrats, the Administration, and politicians in general care about one thing; MONEY. Now that the community is pulling out on donations to the DNC they are concerned and trying to throw a few bones our way.

The administration is granting federal employees in domestic partnerships some limited rights and now also seeks to include gay marriages and civil unions in the 2010 census.

While these actions are certainly applauded, they are too little too late and do little to nothing to implement the rights and benefits millions of LGBT people rightfully deserve.

Take action by contacting the White House and the DNC. Let them know that donations will be withheld until the promises to the LGBT community are implemented.

http://www.democrats.org/contact.html

http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/

Knights Out Calling for Day of Action to White House Over DADT

Lieutenant Dan Choi is being fired because of his orientation. Lt. Choi acknowledges that he is one of tens of thousands, but we recognize him as a symbol of everything that’s wrong with this policy. A West Point grad, infantry officer, Arabic linguist, and Iraq vet – whose soldiers know he is gay, and support him – is being dismissed.

Knights Out is calling for a day of action on behalf of Lt. Choi and all those who are affected by the anti-gay Don't Ask Don't Tell policy.

On Tuesday, May 12, call the White House at 202-456-1111.

Urge The White House to Stand Firm on LGBT Equality

The airways and the Internet are saturated, literally dripping with analyses and discussions of President Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office. When Obama was sworn in, the White House announced an eight-point civil rights agenda for LGBT Americans.

In assessing Obama’s progress in fulfilling this agenda, it bears remembering that each of the goals listed require action from Congress. None of these can be addressed by a presidential order. But we’ve already been disappointed to see foot-dragging on the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” not just in Congress but at the White House as well.

Please urge the White House and President Obama to stand firm in his support for LGBT rights and in passing them as soon as possible.

White House Switchboard: 202-456-1414

E-Contact Form

Crossposted via Box Turtle Bulletin.

LGBT Families Readying for White House Easter Egg Roll Tickets!

In the past few years hundreds of LGBT families have tried to get tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll as part of an outing by the Family Equality Council. The campaign event is an opportunity for America to come face to face with loving and committed gay and lesbian couples raising children.

This year there are two big differences to note. For starters, Obama has reached out to the Family Equality Council inviting LGBT families to sign up (what a change from the former administration), and 2nd the sign-up for tickets will be done online as opposed to waiting in line.

March 2006 video coverage of LGBT families going to egg roll.


Tickets will be available on March 26th, nobody knows the time, so from midnight tonight start checking, they will run out fast!

White House Easter Egg-roll

If you are chosen for tickets, let the FEC know! Send an email to info@familyequality.org with the subject heading “Egg Roll Tickets” and your family’s contact information.

Brief the White House on Issues of Equality!

Stonewall Democrats is working with the Obama Administration to address a wide-range of pro-equality issues such as employment protections, hate crimes enforcement, military readiness and family policy. What are your priorities for the White House? Click Here and share them now.

9th Circuit Court says Defense of Marriage Act is Unconstitutional!

A ruling by Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says the Defense of Marriage Act is discriminatory and unconstitutional because it denies partner benefits to spouses of gay federal employees.

"The denial of federal benefits to same-sex spouses cannot be justified simply by a distaste for or disapproval of same-sex marriage or a desire to deprive same-sex spouses benefits available to other spouses in order to discourage exercising a legal right afforded them by the state," Reinhardt wrote in his Feb. 2 order....

Both orders are internal employee grievance decisions. Both found in favor of the gay employees, directing court administrators to give health insurance benefits to their spouses. The orders also represent direct challenges to DOMA, the 1996 act that forbids the federal government from treating same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose.

A lawyer for the staff attorney said this is believed to be the first time federal employees will get benefits covering a same-sex spouse (Pam's House Blend).

Tell Obama to follow the lead of the 9th circuit court and to act on his promise to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

White House E-Contact Form.

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414

Congratulate Obama and Remind Him to Act for LGBT Equality!

Barack Obama is now officially the president of the United States of America. The celebrations continue, and the excitement can still be felt throughout the nation. That being said, the president faces tough challenges ahead.

Please call and email to congratulate him on this historic election and to remind him that the LGBT community is counting on him to act quickly to advance our civil rights.

White House E-Contact Form

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Did Obama Team Play Us Over Bishop Robinson?

During the inauguration kick off party at the Lincoln Memorial, openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson of the Diocese of NH gave the opening prayer. This was seen by many as an olive branch given to the gay community in light of the anti-gay preacher Rick Warren invitation.

While, the appearance of Bishop Robinson is historic in nature, it was not carried by HBO or NPR the only two companies with filming rights.

After receiving hundreds of comaplints, they then promised to carry it on the later broadcast, yet it was not seen on the 7pm transmission.

After Elton has contacted HBO to find out why the Bishop was not televised.

"The producer of the concert has said that the Presidential Inaugural Committee made the decision to keep the invocation as part of the pre-show."

There are also reports from people who were there live that there were 'sound difficulties' and most people in the crowd of 500,000 did not even hear Bishop Gene Robinson speak.

Is the Obama team trying to play it both ways? Trying to shut us up, over the Rick Warren fiasco, while also silencing the voices of the LGBT community?

We are not pointing fingers, or accusing anyone of any wrongdoing, but we have a right to know why the well planned event did not go according to plan, or did it?

Contact the Presidential Inauguration Committee at 202-651-2009.

Starting Tuesday, Jan 20th all mail can be directed to:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

E-mail President Barack Obama.

Obama on Supreme Court Appointments & Marriage

Obama on the Supreme Court:

"And so my criteria, for example, would be-- if a Justice tells me that they only believe the strict letter of the Constitution-- that means that they possibly don't mean-- believe in-- a right to privacy that may not be perfectly enumerated in the Constitution but, you know, that I think is there. I mean, the-- the right to marry who you please isn't in the Constitution. But I think all of us assume that if a state-- decided to pass a law saying, "Brian, you can't marry the woman you love," that you'd think that was unconstitutional. Well, where does that come from? I think it comes from a right to privacy-- that may not be listed in the Constitution but is implied by the structure of the Constitution."

Crossposted via Good As You.