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, April 28, 2010

GLBT Civil Equality: David Greer


Carl,

As you know, GLBT Civil Equality is an issue near and dear to me. Hopefully, my suggestions will be received in the spirit that they are intended; that is, that GLBT civil equality runs the risk of becoming a political "hot potato" the closer these issues come to the mid-term elections.

All letters should be COPIED to the POTUS because the Whitehouse is quietly BACKING AWAY from the President's COMMITMENT TO END DADT THIS YEAR, AS PROMISED.

The most logical means of repealing DADT is to insert the necessary language into the Defense Authorization. The House Armed Services Committee will be addressing the authorization in the next two weeks and the Senate Armed Services Committee will be addressing it in the next three weeks. WE CANNOT RISK LOSING A DADT REPEAL BY FORWARDING STAND ALONE LEGISLATION. Health Insurance Reform was attached to defense spending and that was an issue irrelevant to national security. On the other hand, what could be more RELEVANT to national security than retaining hard working, dedicated patriots/service members that are being expelled in numbers that rival the Bush Administration's (see SLDN for numbers)?

Getting the repeal of DADT in the Defense Authorization Act will require SIXTY VOTES to have it removed via filibuster by the Republicans and Blue Dog coalition. Failure to do so and leaving it to stand alone legislation will kill DADT in its tracks.

The SLDN (Servicemembers Legal Defense Network) has started sending daily letters from discharged service members to the Whitehouse. This campaign started YESTERDAY (4/27). Here is a link to the campaign:

/www.sldn.org/blog/

Our President campaigned that he would be a "fierce advocate" for GLBT Civil Equality, going so far as to make the bold statement that GLBT Equality would be AS IMPORTANT TO HIS ADMINISTRATION as health care (insurance) reform, the economy, "bail outs", job creation, etc. That means that we should have seen SOME movement/support from the Whitehouse in the first fifteen months. What we have seen is the signing of the Matthew Shepherd Act and the extension of SOME benefits to GLBT federal employees (a fraction of 1% of GLBT citizens nationwide). Yes, signing the Matthew Shepherd Act was important, but it is important to keep in mind that this legislation was LARGELY COMPLETED before last November's election.

To learn more about this administration's lack of willingness to move proactively for the GLBT community and to learn more about recent events, specifically regarding DADT, please reference these recent articles:

This first link is a "mother lode" of information, in that it is the main "hub" of Towleroad's coverage of DADT (note: there are articles that HRC will take great exception to, particularly the articles regarding Dan Choi and GetEQUAL, both of whom are far more proactive in getting the message to the Whitehouse than HRC.)

http://www.towleroad.com/dont_ask_dont_tell/

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0410/Dont_Ask_advocates_worry_about_timeline.html?showall#

http://www.rollcall.com/news/45597-1.html

http://www.lgbtpov.com/2010/04/rep-barney-frank-on-enda-dadt-and-how-lgbts-should-lobby-like-the-nra/

http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Washington_D_C_/View_from_Washington_Why_Wait/

http://www.dcagenda.com/2010/04/26/pelosi-plans-dont-ask-repeal-vote-this-year/

http://web.me.com/natashadillon/DADTRepeal/Political_Targets.html

http://web.me.com/natashadillon/DADTRepeal/Talking_Points.html


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alexander-nicholson/the-lgbt-communitys-raise_b_551932.html

Our once-in-a-generation window of opportunity could come to a close in the upcoming mid-terms. WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO "WAIT" any longer. The time for action is NOW. We are in danger of completely losing our majority in the House and current polling shows that we should expect to lease at least FOUR seats in the Senate. Are we willing to wait another generation to be treated equally? I'm not.

Respectfully,

David Greer
Austin County

No comments:

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!