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Honoring Those We’ve Lost, Fighting for Those Still HereToday marks the 11th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to honor those among us whose deaths were a result of prejudice against transgender people. The day serves as a sad reminder that, as much as we are moving towards tolerance and societal acceptance of transgender people, physical violence continues to be a threat in our communities. But with last month’s passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act, perhaps we have reason to hope that next year we’ll have fewer victims to mourn. This new law, which expands the definition of violent federal hate crimes to those committed because of a victim’s sexual orientation, gender, disability or gender identity, will not only protect LGBT people in the United States, but also serves as an example for other countries hoping to deter anti-gay and anti-trans violence. As part of the ACLU LGBT Project’s transgender advocacy efforts, we recently released an updated version of our Know Your Rights: Transgender People and the Law resource. We are also in the process of creating a new Know Your Rights resource for transgender youth that will provide guidance about how to deal with discrimination in school. This resource will address questions such as, “Do I have a right to be out as transgender at school? If I’m out, can my school tell my parents?” and “Can my school force me to wear clothing that’s traditionally masculine/feminine?” We’re looking for trans youth who have experienced discrimination in school and who would be interested in being interviewed for an online video that will be used to help us get the word out about this new student-focused resource. If you’re interested in working with us, please contact us here, or by calling 212.519.7835.
Victory in Washington: Domestic Partnerships Win the Popular VoteAlthough the ballots are still being counted, last night news outlets called Washington State’s domestic partnership referendum in our favor! As of late Thursday, we were wining by 52 to 48 percent, a deficit the Seattle Times called “insurmountable” for the opponents of gay rights. Our success is exciting on a number of levels. First, because it means the benefits offered to domestic partners in Washington will be expanded to include all the same protections offered to married couples. It’s also a larger symbolic win — Washington is now the first state in the nation where same-sex relationship protections have been affirmatively approved by voters. And it’s a victory for organizing. Between the date the referendum was put on the ballot and Election Day, the Approve Referendum 71 campaign had only two months to educate and mobilize voters. Even with this condensed timeline, the campaign was successful in building a broad coalition of community faith, labor and business groups, and winning endorsements from newspapers across the region and from leading Northwest businesses including Google, Microsoft and Starbucks. It’s also exciting to look at this victory in terms of how far we’ve come in winning popular support for LGBT rights in Washington State. As Lurleen on Pam’s House Blend points out, the last time Washington voted on LGBT rights in 1997, on an initiative that would have created an employment non-discrimination law, garnered only 40 percent of the vote. Since then, Lurleen notes, nearly every Washington county has shown an increase in pro-equality voting. That’s terrific news — but we still have a long ways to go. As demonstrated by the county-by-county results for Ref. 71, support for domestic partnerships, while strong in the urban, coastal areas of the state, fell off significantly on the east side of the Cascades.
I had the opportunity last month to film a series of videos for the Ref. 71 Campaign that featured the personal testimonials from Washington domestic partners, and in shooting the ads, I intentionally searched for testimonials from less urban parts of the state. If we’re going to move forward in the fight for equality, we can’t just rely on King County. We need to start winning hearts and minds in the rest of the state. Voters in Eastern Washington need to understand that gay and lesbian families live and take part in these communities as well. Like Cindy and Janet from Richland, their kids go to the local public schools. Like Diane and Marge from Spokane, they work at your city paper and enjoy gardening. They are your small-town family doctor and school nutritionist, like Julia and Kari from Yakima. And like Clarkston residents Cathlin and Avril, they find consolation in their faith to cope with health problems. Our victory on Referendum 71 ensures protections for these couples, and the thousands of other domestic partners in Washington State. On a personal note, I’m really proud of my home state for voting to expand LGBT rights and I hope we can harness this momentum to keep organizing for full equality.
Seven Reasons to Vote Approve on R-71: Reason #7On November 3, Washington voters will have the chance to approve or reject R-71, a measure that will allow same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex seniors to access many of the rights and protections granted to married couples. We're counting down to Election Day with a series of seven videos, each a powerful illustration of why it's so important to approve R-71. Reason #7: Spokane domestic partners Marge and Diane Diane and Marge live in Spokane, Washington in a home with two dogs and a lovely garden. They have been together for thirty years and raised two children together. When their son was five, he fell off his bike and injured his hand. Marge rushed him to the hospital, but because he was Diane’s biological son and they lacked legal recognition of their partnership, the doctors refused to treat him until Diane could get off work.
Vote APPROVE on 71 to ensure that Marge and Diane can both be parents to their kids. You can watch all seven videos and support the campaign here.
Seven Reasons to Vote Approve on R-71: Reason #6On November 3, Washington voters will have the chance to approve or reject R-71, a measure that will allow same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex seniors to access many of the rights and protections granted to married couples. We’re counting down to Election Day with a series of seven videos, each a powerful illustration of why it’s so important to approve R-71. Reason #6: Senior domestic partners Rose and Joe Rose and Joe live in Evans, Washington, a tiny community on the edge of the Lake Roosevelt in the farthest northeast corner of the state. Rose has a rare autoimmune disease and relies on Medicaid to help pay for the medications she needs. If she and Joe were to marry, she would lose this health care coverage. Their domestic partnership allows Joe to be with Rose during her frequent hospitalizations, and also gives him the ability to help make medical decisions if she is unconscious.
Vote APPROVE on 71 to ensure that Rose and Joe will continue to able to care for each other. You can watch all seven videos and support the campaign here.
Seven Reasons to Vote Approve on R-71: Reason #5On November 3, Washington voters will have the chance to approve or reject R-71, a measure that will allow same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex seniors to access many of the rights and protections granted to married couples. We’re counting down to Election Day with a series of seven videos, each a powerful illustration of why it’s so important to approve R-71. Reason #5: Firefighters Penny and Karen and their son Calder Penny and Karen live in West Seattle with their son Calder. Both Penny and Karen are firefighters and, having seen colleagues seriously injured on the job, they know how dangerous their work can sometimes be. Knowing they have domestic partnership protections helps ease the fear, guaranteeing that if one of them were to be injured on the job, the other partner would have hospital visitation rights and would receive support from the fire department.
Vote APPROVE on 71 so Penny and Karen will know they are protected while they’re protecting their community. You can watch all seven videos and support the campaign here.
Seven Reasons to Vote Approve on R-71: Reason #4On November 3, Washington voters will have the chance to approve or reject R-71, a measure that will allow same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex seniors to access many of the rights and protections granted to married couples. We’re counting down to Election Day with a series of seven videos, each a powerful illustration of why it’s so important to approve R-71. Reason #4: Kari and Julia from Washington’s apple country Kari and Julia live in a suburb of Yakima in the center of Washington’s apple country. Kari is a school nutritionist and Julia is a family physician and they love living in a community where they know half the people they see at Safeway. As a physician, Julia has seen patients who have been unable to be with their loved ones in times of crisis, and so she is grateful that their domestic partnership will ensure that Kari can be with her in the case of a medical emergency.
Vote APPROVE on 71 to protect the relationships of couples like Kari and Julia all across Washington state. You can watch all seven videos and support the campaign here.
Seven Reasons to Vote Approve on R-71: Reason #3On November 3, Washington voters will have the chance to approve or reject R-71, a measure that will allow same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex seniors to access many of the rights and protections granted to married couples. We’re counting down to Election Day with a series of seven videos, each a powerful illustration of why it’s so important to approve R-71. Reason #3: Janet, Cindy and their seven kids Janet and Cindy live in Richland in the Tri Cities area of Washington where Cindy works for the Hanford Site and Janet is a minister at River of Life MCC. They have seven kids, six of whom they adopted from foster care. Janet and Cindy love raising a large family, and when they need an extra pair of hands, Cindy’s mother, who lives next door, comes over to help out.
Vote APPROVE on 71 to give Janet, Cindy and their kids the security and protections their family need. You can watch all seven videos and support the campaign here.
Seven Reasons to Vote Approve on R-71: Reason #1On November 3, Washington voters will have the chance to approve or reject R-71, a measure that will allow same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex seniors to access many of the rights and protections granted to married couples. We’ll be counting down to Election Day with a series of seven videos, each a powerful illustration of why it’s so important to approve R-71. Reason #1: Cathlin and her battle with cancer Cathlin and Avril live in Clarkston, Washington, a small community across the Snake River from Lewiston, Idaho. Cathlin was recently diagnosed with cancer, and so now between their kids’ dance lessons and soccer games they squeeze in weekly trips to Spokane for chemo treatments. Cathlin’s family does not support her relationship with Avril and the couple are relying on their domestic partnership to ensure that their relationship is respected.
Approve R-71 so that Cathlin can be sure that Avril will be there for her when she most needs her. You can watch all seven videos and support the campaign here.
From Seattle to Clarkston: Why Voters Should Approve Ref. 71Like a lot of Washingtonians, I was holding my breath hoping that Protect Marriage Washington wouldn’t gather enough signatures to put the new domestic partnership law up to a popular vote. But then on September 2nd, the signature count was certified and so in November, those voters committed enough go to the polls on an off-year election will be asked to vote on whether to approve the domestic partnership law passed earlier this year by Washington’s legislature. As someone who was born and raised in Washington (Olympia, to be specific, the state capital and home of some pretty amazing riot grrrl rock bands), I wanted to help out my home state on efforts to pass the referendum and keep domestic partnerships. Coordinating with the Approve Referendum 71 Campaign, I began a state-wide search for the domestic partners with the most compelling stories – stories that could educate voters about the important benefits and protections provided by domestic partnerships. It’s hard not to be moved to support domestic partnerships when you hear Rose and Joe, a straight senior couple who live in the far northeast part of the state, talk about how their domestic partnership helps them cope with Rose’s medical issues. It’s hard to question the service gay and lesbian couples provide to our communities when you listen to Cindy and Janet talk about the six kids they adopted from foster care. And I challenge you not to cry when you hear Cathlin and her partner Avril speak about the uncertainties they face with Cathlin’s cancer treatments. You can watch videos of more Washington couples here: http://approvereferendum71.org/r71-personal-stories/
If you have friends in Washington, please remind them to vote to Approve Referendum 71 on November 3rd. And if you have a few bucks to spare, please take the opportunity to support the Approve Ref. 71 Campaign. To learn more, visit Get Busy Get Equal. Tags: marriage
ACLU Advocates for HIV+ Air Force Vet Denied Baggage Screening JobToday the ACLU filed an appeal to the decision by the Transportation Security Administration’s to disqualify Air Force Veteran Michael Lamarre from qualifying for a baggage screening job because he has HIV. Click on the video below to listen to Michael talk about living with HIV, his military service and his reasons for applying to work for the TSA.
In the spring of 2008, Michael applied online for a baggage screening position at the Fort Lauderdale airport with the TSA. He passed an aptitude test in November 2008, underwent a comprehensive security clearance and was invited for an interview and further testing in March 2009. After the interview, Michael was scheduled for a physical with the TSA’s medical contractor, at which point he disclosed he has HIV. In response, the TSA asked Michael to have his physician submit additional information, including his most recent lab results and a questionnaire that asked whether Michael’s HIV could prevent him from performing the duties of a baggage screener. Michael’s physician completed the request, responding unequivocally that Michael’s HIV would not interfere with his job performance. After living with HIV for 19 years, Michael’s viral load is nearly undetectable and he has never had any of the medical conditions associated with AIDS. To stay in shape, Michael bikes 30–70 miles every weekend, and last November he completed a 165-mile bike ride for charity. Despite this response from his physician, a few days later Michael received a letter saying that he was disqualified for the job because of his HIV status. On June 11, the ACLU filed an initial complaint on Michael’s behalf charging that the TSA was violating its own policy barring discrimination against people with disabilities. The TSA responded July 29th, claiming it was justified in refusing Michael a job as a baggage handler in order to protect his health because his lowered immune system made him vulnerable to infectious diseases at the airport. After TSA denied Michael’s initial complaint, the ACLU filed a formal complaint with the TSA today explaining to the agency that its reasons for refusing to hire Michael are based on incorrect assumptions about the health risks of people with HIV. Click here for information on this case and the ACLU’s HIV/AIDS advocacy work.
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