PETITION FOR TEXAS

THE FOLLOWING IS THE PETITION THAT I PROPOSE FOR ALL TEXANS WHO WISH TO IMPROVE THEIR STATE (IT WILL ALSO WORK FOR OTHER STATES):


DEAR SENATOR/REPRESENTATIVE____________________,

I, (NAME)__________________________________,
RESIDING AT THE ADDRESS OF , (ADDRESS)__________________________________,
ATTEST THAT I AM YOUR CONSTITUENT.

I AM SIGNING THIS PETITION TO IMPRESS UPON YOU MY CONVICTION THAT PERSONS BELONGING TO THE GAY, LESBIAN, BI-SEXUAL, AND TRANS-GENDER COMMUNITY, HENCEFORTH REFERRED TO AS THE GLBT COMMUNITY, ARE DESERVING OF ALL THE RIGHTS THAT SHOULD BE RESPECTED UNIVERSALLY.

I SUPPORT, GENERALLY, LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ENSURE GLBT INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN SUCH THINGS AS EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, HEALTH CARE, VISITATION, MARRIAGE AND ADOPTION RIGHTS.

MORE BROADLY, I AM OF THE CONVICTION THAT RIGHTS THAT ARE ENJOYED BY SOME, SHOULD BE ENSURED FOR ALL. AND THAT NO GROUP SHOULD BE UNDULY EXCLUDED FROM THE RIGHTS NECESSARY TO ALLOW FOR THE PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETY, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, AND THE BETTERMENT OF ONE'S FAMILY (USING THE BROADER DEFINITION OF THE WORD).

MY SIGNATURE AFFIXED HERE:________________________
DATE:_______________


THE GLBT PETITION FACE BOOK PAGE.

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Texas

P.O. Box 12905, Austin, TX 78711-2905, T 512.478.7300 F 512.478.7303 www.aclutx.org

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Greater Heights Democratic Club

GREATER HEIGHTS DEMOCRATIC CLUB

District H Candidate Forum Moves Location

The District H Candidate Forum scheduled for March 19
at 6:30pm at Reagan Sr. High School
has been moved to the
Harris County Democratic Party Office
1445 North Loop West, Suite 110 (just East of Ella).

Please make a note of the change. We apologize for any inconvenience.


Sorry. HISD did not let me know that Spring Break was this week. At no time over these many weeks did any one at HISD let me know that this was a issue. I found out today at lunch that they are closed until Mon and that there is no one able to let us in at the school.

Kevin J. Hoffman
President
Greater Heights Democratic Club
713-305-5468


Please join the Greater Heights Democratic Club for a Candidate Forum for the upcoming City of Houston District H Special Election.

Place: Harris County Democratic Party Headquarters
1445 North Loop West, Suite 110
Houston, Texas 77008
713-802-0085
Date: March 19
Doors open: 6:30pm
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Mr. Jerry W. Simoneaux, Jr – Moderator

Special election is Saturday, May 9
Early Voting begins April 27

• All City of Houston election are non – partisan.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

HB 2215

HB 2215
would ban " -certain discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression."

Go to the Equality Texas Web Site.

The bill would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression in housing, public accommodations, or real estate transactions.

Click on this link for State Surge (A web site for tracking bills).

This Texas bill's chief sponsor is Garnet Colman. This bill is authored by Rep. Jessica Farrar. (81st Legislature Regular Session)

Why should members of the GLBT community not enjoy the same rights enjoyed by others? If you are invisible you are powerless. This was one of the points in Milk. Of course, the movie also had wonderful, dramatic operatic scenes.

Midtown Bar Refuses Gay People

The following message was e-mailed to me. I think it shows why the GLBT community cannot take its rights for granted. We all have an inalienable right to be who we are.

Contacts: Kris Banks, President of Houston GLBT Political Caucus, 281-797-1507; Jerry Simoneaux, GLBT civil rights attorney, 713-577-9587

MIDTOWN BAR REFUSES GAY PEOPLE

Gays made to wait in rain as others admitted



Nearly 100 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people were refused entry to Union Bar and Lounge in Midtown Friday while others were welcomed.

Patrons started lining up at about 9:40 p.m. and were told to wait in line and not allowed inside, even as straight-appearing people were waved through. As the line grew and patrons waited in the rain, employees at the door told those who were that they were maintaining a “ratio.” Later, the bar employees simply indicated they had the right to refuse anyone.

“I was shocked to be a victim of that kind of discrimination in a city like Houston in 2009,” said Neal Falgoust, a Houston law student. “I have never experienced anything like that before in my life.”

A patron who arrived at the bar early reported that the bar was nearly empty at about 9:40 p.m., when gay people started arriving and were stopped at the door.

Gay people continued to line up to the street and around the corner as people who appeared to be straight went to the front and were ushered in. Kris Banks, who stood at the front of the line, said the bar employees were asking the women who were entering with men if the men were accompanying them. If the men were with the women, they were allowed in.

“I arrived and heard that they were not allowing gay men in, so when I got to the door with three women I asked if we would be allowed in, and the door employee said ‘I was told to keep you out,’ ” said Lindsey Dionne. “This was supposed to be a social event, but now it’s political.”

That this kind of discrimination is still legal in Houston makes it more outrageous. A coalition of GLBT rights groups, including the Houston GLBT Political Caucus, the Houston Stonewall Young Democrats, the Harris County Impact Houston and Amicus at South Texas College of Law said Saturday that the incident is proof of the necessity of legal protections for sexual orientation and gender identity for public accommodations.

“Houston is the only major city in Texas without a law that prevents this kind of discrimination,” said Jerry Simoneaux, GLBT civil rights lawyer. “This incident is exactly the reason Houston should implement such an ordinance.”

The event was organized as Houston’s first “Guerilla Gay Bar,” a tongue-in-cheek event that has been popular in other cities in which GLBT individuals come to traditionally straight bars to interact with other communities. Though Guerilla Gay Bars are usually a surprise event in other cities, Houston organizers informed the bar owner in advance out of courtesy and were told they would be welcomed.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Sign the Petition for Equal Rights

Please click on this link to take action!

Mike Villarreal is helping the GLBT Community gain back their rights!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

From E.B. Allen

Today we have the ability to defend democracy and deter voter disenfranchisement. Texas Republican Senators are attempting to pass Senate Bill 362, which will require voters to present two forms of identification at the polls. Although the Republicans are touting the Bill as an effective way to combat voter fraud, it does little to address what fraud does exist and instead ensures voting difficulties for millions of Texans.

In essence, this bill will effectively pose a barrier to underprivileged constituents and young voters (that means you and me).

As many as 2 million Texans could be disenfranchised:
Women, students, seniors that don't have a driver's license, recently married or divorced women, anyone with a name on the ID that does not match the voter registration exactly, and many others.

Please, take a few minutes out of your day to shoot an email to the Republican Senators listed below and let your voice be heard in opposition to Senate bill 362. Also, please forward this email to everyone you know!!!

We are the future leaders of Texas. Together we can guarantee our voices will continue to be heard and our votes will continue to count.


Regards,

E.B. Allen
Houston Stonewall Young Democrats - Treasurer

(cut and paste)

Dear Senator:

I am writing today to express my strong opposition to Senate Bill 362 for the following reasons:

Voter Impersonation Fraud Doesn't Exist - despite spending millions of dollars to investigate and stop voter fraud, the Attorney General of Texas has never prosecuted a single case of a voter impersonating another voter at the polls.

Voter ID measures propose an extra hurdle for many Texans that is reminiscent of the poll tax. The working poor and senior citizens are less likely to have a photo ID - or the time or ability to get one. In 2006, a study by the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice found that 18% of citizens 65 and over, 25% of African American citizens, and 15% of voters earning under $35,000/year don't have government-issued photo identification.

Voter ID does not address most common election fraud or other more common election related problems. Thousands of eligible Texans are denied the right to register to vote and many eligible voters are turned away from the polls every election. We need to spend time ensuring that every eligible Texan has the right to vote, not wasting time and resources on addressing something that does not exist.

We have much bigger priorities in the State- healthcare, tuition deregulation, and economy. All of these issues deserve time and resources of the Senate. These issues impact every Texan every day.

This legislation will cost the State and Counties to implement. Loss of revenue from issuing free DL (no ID is free, the State has to pay for it and the potential voter will have to spend time and money obtaining the documents needed to obtain a Drivers License)
others.

As many as 2 million Texans could be disenfranchised:
Women, students, seniors that don't have a driver's license, recently married or divorced women, anyone with a name on the ID that does not match the voter registration exactly, and many others.

Thank You for ensuring that my voice will continue to be heard and my vote will continue to count.

Sincerely,

(Your Name Here)
(Your Address Here)

---------------------
List of Senators:

Kevin Eltife, Bob Deuell, Robert Nichols, Tommy Williams,Steve Ogden, Dan Patrick, Florence Shapiro, Chris Harris, Mike Jackson, Jane Nelson, John Carona, Joan Huffman, Glenn Hegar, Kip Averitt, Troy Fraser, Jeff Wentworth, Robert Duncan, Craig Estes, Kel Seliger

(cut and paste)
kevin.eltife@senate.state.tx.us; bob.deuell@senate.state.tx.us; steve.ogden@senate.state.tx.us; tommy.williams@senate.state.tx.us; robert.nichols@senate.state.tx.us; dan.patrick@senate.state.tx.us; florence.shapiro@senate.state.tx.us; Chris.Harris@senate.state.tx.us; mike.jackson@senate.state.tx.us; jane.nelson@senate.state.tx.us; john.carona@senate.state.tx.us; joan.huffman@senate.state.tx.us; glenn.hegar@senate.state.tx.us; kip.averitt@senate.state.tx.us; Troy.Fraser@senate.state.tx.us; jeff.wentworth@senate.state.tx.us; robert.duncan@senate.state.tx.us; craig.estes@senate.state.tx.us; kel.seliger@senate.state.tx.us

Monday, March 9, 2009

From Boyd Richie

Dear fellow Democrat,

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 the Senate "Committee of the Whole" will conduct a hearing in Austin on proposed photo Voter ID legislation. We need you to be there to help defend our fundamental right to vote by testifying and registering your opposition against this bill. This legislation places bureaucratic hurdles between you and the ballot box and is part of a national Republican campaign to suppress the vote and keep failed leaders in office.

Here's what we're hearing regarding the specific schedule that day, which the Senate Republicans have imposed:

9 a.m. - Hearing will begin with invited testimony

Midday - Hearing resumes with public testimony after the daily Senate session

If you are able to join us in this fight, please use this link to provide us with some information. We will equip you with the information you need to fight back against Republican efforts to suppress the vote.

Those of you who plan on testifying will need to proceed to the Second floor, East Wing and sign in at the Witness Registration Desk in front of the Senate chamber. If you cannot attend the hearing you can still join the fight.

Click here to take action today.

Thank you and we look forward to a big turn-out tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Boyd Richie

Boyd Richie

Chairman

Texas Democratic Party

Friday, March 6, 2009

SB 188 Texas

SB 188 Texas State Surge Link for following bill.

ACLU of Texas Action Alert

ACLU of Texas Action Alter on SB188, HB142 and HB272

Support members of the Texas Legislature who support the passage of these bills (house and senate). Petition them to support these House bills and the Senate bill.

Act now to convince your legislator (Senator or Representative who represents your district) to Co-Author or sign on to support the legislation.

Click on the above link to get involved: Contact your legislator. You are their constituent. You can influence them!

According to the ACLU of Texas:

SB188 was filed by Sens. Deuell of Rockwall and Van de Putte of San Antonio.
HB142 was filed by Rep. McClendon of San Antonio and/or
HB272 by Reps. Ortiz of Corpus Christi and Crabb of Kingwood.

The above information is on the ACLU of Texas Website. Click on the above link.

The public health is endangered by legal encumbrances.

SB 188 Texas:Relating to disease control programs to reduce the risk of certain communicable diseases.

This legislative success would allow for more effective efforts at combating the spread of HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Austin Politcal Rally

I went to Austin for the political rally with Equality Texas. I got a chance to speak with my Representative, Ellen Cohen Monday. I am her constituent. Also, she spoke at the Double Tree Hotel where we had a social gathering for the Equality lobbyists. I attended, somehow managing to look refreshed after my long drive from Houston.

I tried to speak with Senator Rodney Ellis. I am his constituent as well. Unfortunately, he was busy. We presented the Equality materials to an aid. And explained the pros of supporting the bills that we endorsed.

I am in House District 134.

The Capital Extension is like a maze, in my opinion. But, Equality provided maps.

Also, I got a chance on this trip to photograph the dome and the beautiful Red Buds which were in bloom.

House Bill 353:
This is the Hospital Visitation and Medical Decision Making Bill. Equality Texas supports this bill. Representative Ellen Cohen is the Joint Author on this Bill. Domestic Partners will have the right to stay with their loved ones in the hospital.

House Bill 538:
This is the Freedom from Workplace Discrimination Act. Equality Texas supports this Bill. The Joint Author is Ellen Cohen. It would prohibit discriminatory practices in employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

House Bill 616:
This is the Hate Crimes Study Bill. Equality supports this Bill. I think this is in committee; Criminal Jurisprudence. This is in reference to the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act. The prosecutions have not been happening and the study is designed to find out how the James byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act can be more effectively implemented.

House Bill 861:
This is the Competitive Insurance Benefits (CIB) Bill. Equality supports this Bill. This is in committee, Insurance.

House Bill 1323:
This is the Anti-Bullying/Harassment Bill. Equality supports this Bill. This is in committee, Public Education. It is a Bill written to provide a safe learning environment that is free from bullying/harassment. It doesn't matter why the harassment is taking place. This provides a way for the State of Texas to add reporting standards for incidents.

House Bill 1455:
This is the Right to Decide Act. Equality supports this Bill. This relates to a designated medical power of attorney. It would make it potentially costly to challenge a power of attorney and discourage frivolous challenges.

I am happy that I got a chance to thank Representative Ellen Cohen for supporting Equality Texas. Obviously, if no one in the State Capital supports the bills we are trying to get through, no progress will be made.

It is refreshing to have someone in your corner.

In addition to attempting to lobby; I got to schmooze with fine people, visit an exciting and vibrant city, and see a magnificent pink dome.

Maverick Welsh Receives Houston GLBT Political Caucus Endorsement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact John Gorczynski: (281) 851-1868
Maverick Welsh Receives Houston GLBT Political Caucus Endorsement
(HOUSTON) — The Houston GLBT Political Caucus has endorsed Maverick Welsh for Houston City Council District H in the May 9 Special Election. The Houston GLBT Caucus, the South's oldest GLBT civil rights organization, made the endorsement at their monthly meeting last night.

"I'm very honored to receive the endorsement of the Caucus," Maverick said. "District H is a place as diverse as our city. I'm very proud that my qualifications and my commitment to making sure everyone's voice is heard were recognized by the GLBT community."

Maverick has been reaching out to all the communities of District H since he began campaigning in late January. "I'm running for City Council because everybody counts. The issues that we face today are important to the future of our city. Whether you were born in our city or found your way here, everybody in District H is concerned about rising crime, soaring electricity rates and how we spend our precious City resources in tough economic times."

"I've worked as a Chief of Staff, I've run a Council office, I've worked with every level of city government and I'll be ready to fight for District H the first day in office."

Find out more in both English and Spanish at www.MaverickWelsh.com, including a chance to tell Maverick what's on your mind in the new Maverick Listens section.

Tea Party

"Indeed, the rightward tilt of the state's GOP electorate permitted another Tea Party insurgent to mount a respectable run without serving as a spoiler to Perry's similarly themed campaign. Debra Medina, a darling of the far right, recently made headlines for questioning the government's involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but came in with about the same 16 percent showing that polls registered prior to her gaffe. -http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100304/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1213


The rightward slant of the Republican party in Texas portends ill for its citizens and residents alike. A state already gerrymandered to the Republican's advantage, allowing a comfortable margin for incompetence, is being pulled toward a radical part of the political spectrum.

The Tea Party rejects any workable form of federalism where the Federal government plays a necessarily central role in funding large projects, such as roads and dams, and provides funding for necessary functions, such as public education.

"But by the time Republican voters went to the polls here in a primary on Tuesday, the political ground had shifted under Senator Hutchison, who lost in a three-way race to Mr. Perry." -link to NY Times Article.

The Tea Party candidates posit themselves as outsiders. But, Rick Perry has been governor for over 10 years.

http://www.billwhitefortexas.com/


If you really want change, elect someone who hasn't been governor for 10 years. Bill White handily beat several other Democratic challengers, and, Bill White doesn't have to hide under a false agenda.

The Tea Party is a mis-informed tax revolt married to a wild-eyed dream of secession. All States require federal money to complete big projects because this is the tax money not hijacked by regional petty thievery, and, back-stabbing. It provides the wealth to the communities too poor to educate their own children or pave their own streets. And it provides a necessary counterweight to local lapses in judgment.

Don't leave the future of Texas in the hands of a movement that would send us back into the Dark Ages; where a decent education is a luxury, and a decent life is a far-off dream. This is the movement that would deny you your unemployment benefits. In fact, Governor Perry already has.

Capitol Building -Austin

State Capitol Complex:
11th and Congress.
Parking at the intersection's southeast Corner, and 1500 block of Congress.
Larger than any other state capitol.

Texas Employment Law

"Texas employment law does NOT prohibit workplace discrimination and/or termination based upon sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status." -Equality Texas


"The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), federal legislation that would add sexual orientation as a protected class against discrimination, has been proposed but failed in the past few years. But it is expected that President Obama and the a stronger Democratic majority in Congress will pass and enact the law in 2009." -HRHero.com

http://www.hrhero.com/topics/sex_discrimination.html

Texas Travel and Leisure Blog

Check out my website:
Texas Travel and Leisure Blog
It has articles on travel and leisure in Texas. Also, information pertaining to equality.
Enjoy!