Blog of Rights

Sam
Ritchie

All Eyes on Arkansas' Ban on Adoption by Unmarried Couples

By Sam Ritchie, ACLU at 2:17pm

With last week's decision by the attorney general of Florida not to appeal a ruling overturning that state's 33-year-old ban on adoptions by gay people, our attention has turned to Arkansas, where the state is appealing a ruling overturning a ban on adoptions by unmarried couples. Passed by voters in 2008, the law is clearly aimed at same-sex couples, whose marriages are not recognized by the state. The Arkansas Supreme Court has previously struck down a ban on adoptions by gay people and we're hopeful that they'll do the same here.

This Ally Week, You (Yes, YOU!) Can Make A Difference For LGBT Students

By Sam Ritchie, ACLU at 10:59am

This week is Ally Week, an annual event encouraging allies of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students to stand up against anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. A project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Ally Week is a time when students nationwide organize events that serve to identify, support and celebrate allies to LGBT students. Most students ask their peers, teachers and school staff to sign this pledge:

ICE Deports Non-Spanish Speaking American Citizen to Mexico

By Sam Ritchie, ACLU at 6:04pm

How does a U.S. citizen who has never been to Mexico, speaks no Spanish and shares no Mexican heritage end up being deported there, spending the next four months living on the streets and in the shelters and prisons of Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala? It's just the latest instance of blatant disregard for the rights and well being of people with mental disabilities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

We <3 Lauren and Ellie!

By Sam Ritchie, ACLU at 2:34pm

Lauren Zulkoski and Ellie DePue, two University of Colorado students, heard about Lady Gaga's call for Congress to repeal the discriminatory and counterproductive policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) and decided they wanted to do something about it. So they filmed themselves calling their senator to show people how easy it is to take action. Then, for good measure, they went and asked their neighbors to call too.

Is the FBI Engaging in Race-Based Snooping?

By Sam Ritchie, ACLU at 12:00am
What is the FBI up to in your neighborhood? That’s the question being asked by ACLU affiliates in 29 states and Washington, D.C. The answer could be extremely disturbing.
 
According to internal FBI guidelines in effect since 2008, but made public only a few months ago, the Bureau claims authority for FBI field offices to conduct “domain assessment” investigations in which FBI agents can collect, analyze and map racial and ethnic demographic information in local communities. This includes the location of “ethnically-oriented businesses”, particular racial and ethnic “behaviors,” “cultural traditions,” and “lifestyle characteristics.”

Would You Ask This Man For His Papers?

By Sam Ritchie, ACLU at 12:45pm

Would you ask this man for his papers in this new ACLU video?

Please note that by playing this clip You Tube and Google will place a long-term cookie on your computer. Please see You Tube's privacy statement on their website and Google's privacy statement on theirs to learn more. To view the ACLU's privacy statement, click here.

Limiting Voters' Choices in South Carolina

By Sam Ritchie, ACLU at 3:26pm

Imagine that you're looking for someone to hire at the company where you work. You go through resumes, research their references, and have them to the office for interviews. At the end of the process, you are confident that you've identified the perfect candidate: Sally Ann. She has just the right skills and experience, shares your company's priorities and values and would represent your organization perfectly. You offer Sally Ann the job, but are then told you can't hire her, because she was turned down for a job she applied for with one of your competitors. Because they decided not to hire her, you can't either.

On the Day of Silence, Let's Make Sure Schools Educate, Not Discriminate

By Sam Ritchie, ACLU at 12:45pm

Today is the Day of Silence, an annual, student-led day of action involving hundreds of thousands of students around the country. The students who participate take a day-long vow of silence to reflect the bullying, harassment and discrimination — in effect, the silencing — of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students in America's schools. (If you're a student participating in the Day of Silence and are getting flack from your school, find out about your rights and how you can get help here.)

Make School Safe for Everyone!

By Sam Ritchie, ACLU at 1:59pm

Constance McMillen, whose school canceled her prom rather than let her take her girlfriend, will be in Washington, D.C., this weekend with student leaders from all over the country for GLSEN's Safe Schools Advocacy Summit. They're there to advocate for legislation that will make schools safer and more accepting for all students and prohibit the kind of discrimination that Constance has experienced.

We Have a Winner in our Prom Action Logo Contest!

By Sam Ritchie, ACLU at 1:56pm

The response to our call for logo designs was amazing!  We were floored by the number of really amazing designs we received.  But, in the end, we had to choose a winner...  And we have!

From over 300 designs, we narrowed it down to five finalists that we presented to Constance, and she chose her favorite.  Her favorite was this design by James C. Jackson of Orlando, Florida.

Winning Logo by James C. Jackson

Congratulations James! He'll be getting a box of ACLU swag and we'll be using his logo for our weekend of action in support of Constance and students across the country. Get the official version here.

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