Lobby for Equality 2009

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Equality Texas

Lobby your Representatives and Senators with Equality Texas.

Meet other Texans committed to equality.

Gain a better understanding of the political process.

Take advantage of this opportunity to actively participate in the decisions of governance that affect you in your everyday life!

LOBBY DAY IS MARCH 2nd.

Write MARCH 2nd on your calender and join Equality in Austin. Make a weekend of it! Visit Texas' most vibrant city.

Houston Stonewall Young Democrats

From the Stonewall Democrats

The Houston Stonewall Young Democrats e-mailed me this message today. And, I would like to share it with you.

The Houston Stonewall Young Democrats are finalizing their charter!

The next generation must take the mantle and lead us forward.

Join the Houston Stonewall Young Democrats they complete this at their charter meeting!

Join the Houston Stonewall Young Democrats and participate in their great energy!

They will be finalizing their charter.

Thank you for allowing me to relate their message to you.

Howdy! Stonewalls, we have some very exciting upcoming meetings. Please join us for HSYD Happy Hour- it's a great way to meet the group and socialize! Also, we're finalizing changes to the HSYD Charter at our HSYD Charter Meeting this Sunday.
Finally, please join us on FACEBOOK by clicking here!

HSYD Happy Hour

Time and Place
Date:	Friday, January 30, 2009
Time:	6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:	Guava Lamp
Street:	570 Waugh Dr.
City/Town:	Houston, TX

HSYD Charter Meeting

Time and Place

Date:	Sunday, February 1, 2009
Time:	7:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:	Inversion Coffee Shop
Street:	1953 Montrose Blvd

Regards,

EB

--
E.B. Allen, Secretary-Treasurer
Houston Stonewall Young Democrats
hsyd.secretary@houstonstonewallyd.org
http://www.houstonstonewallyd.org

Join the Stonewall Members and help shape the future of Texas!

Houston Stonewall Young Democrats

Voter Identification

On January 16th, the Texas Legislature was called upon to abandon the requirement of additional voter identification at the polls.

The Texas Voter ID Bills will disenfranchise voters.


The coalition of Civil Rights and Public Interest Groups gathered in Austin; our great State's Capital.

The coalition included the ACLU of Texas.

Some groups would be affected disproportionately.

In-person voter-impersonation fraud at the polls is extremely rare.

“The Senate is changing the rules to blatantly disenfranchise citizens with the discriminatory Voter ID Law and silence minority opinions in the Legislative process.” -said William C. Velásquez Institute President Antonio Gonzalez.

The Texas State Senate planned to suspend the two-thirds vote to promote the Voter-ID law. The law would be de facto discrimination.


The Texas Senate has exempted the Voter Identification Legislation from the Two-Thirds Rule, setting a dangerous precedent. (Capitol Annex Link Above)

The 81st Texas State Senate voted 18-13 to suspend the two-thirds requirement for Voter-ID legislation. Usually, 20 Senators are required to support a measure. (See the Capitol Annex Link)

This mockery of the legislative process is a Republican attempt to court their Right-Wing base.

"The federal Help America Vote Act mandates that all states require identification from first-time voters who registered to vote by mail and did not provide verification of their identification with their mail-in voter registration. " -National Conference of State Legislatures.

Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002

(The above link is to Ballot Pedia .ORG)

GLBT Pride Parades

Pride Houston

Houston will have its 2009 GLBT Pride Parade Saturday, June 27th. It is not too early to get ready and volunteer! You can join an organization that participates in the parade!

Austin

Austin will have its Pride Parade, Saturday, June 6th, 2009.

Austin is the most progressive city in Texas. (Click to read About.com article)

It is one of the most Gay-Friendly in the South. This easy-going city will concurrently have the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Pride Parade, along with the, Pride Texas Festival. (Remember, Saturday, June 6th, 2009, Austin.)

Dallas

I know Dallas had a parade last year.

Anyway, even the vampires will come out for Gay Pride, or as it is called, GLBT Pride!!

From Culberson

***BREAKING NEWS***

January 19, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Culberson issued the following statement regarding President Bush’s commuting the sentences of Border Agents Ramos and Compean:

“I am thrilled that President George W. Bush took the opportunity, on his last full day in office, to commute the sentences of wrongly imprisoned Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. This long overdue commutation is a blessing to the agents and their families, and it will instantly improve the morale of our Border Patrol, which will help make our nation more secure. Their sentences will now expire on March 20, and these men will finally be released from prison and return home to their loving families.

“Last Thursday I secured the signatures of 29 (all but three) Texas Representatives, two former members and both of our Texas Senators on a letter to the President Bush requesting that he commute the sentences of Agents Ramos and Compean. I hand-delivered the letter to the White House on Thursday night to ensure the President would see it before he left office. Today is a great day for Texans and people from across the country who sought justice for Ramos and Compean. Their appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals was rejected in September, so a presidential commutation was their best and most timely option. With this one act, President Bush has done more to restore his popularity than anything else he could have done and he showed once again that he is a man of character and integrity.”

Interview with a Vampire

Interview with a Vampire, written by Ann Rice, begins and ends in San Francisco. The interview took place in a building I would walk past frequently because it was in my old neighborhood, The Tenderloin.

One of the scenes in Interview with a Vampire takes place on the Golden Gate Bridge. The Bridge, in this movie, is a symbol where the gap between two worlds is traveled via a misty passage.

Bradd Pitt is the too-sincere-to-be-a-vampire vampire. The movie has at least one backward glance that has to be a visual double entendre that could be considered a gay pass between Bradd Pitt and Stuart Townsend.

Armand propositions Louis in another scene. (Their character names.)

But we all know this is a gay film. That is part of why I am so fond of it. I saw it again on DVD recently; minus the popcorn and the sticky floor.

I was struck by what a philosophical film this is. Brad is a creature of his age because he does not fit in. Is the product of a given age someone who would be at odds with it? Apparently so.

Brad has internalized the contradictions of his age. He compensates for its' shortcomings without realizing it. His own nature has been shaped and molded in a certain foundry. Vampires are nothing if not eternal. There is the difference in their nature, or essence. That's the profound change Ann Rice seeks to illustrate.

The price of eternal life is the inability to change. But the ability to change is the very definition of life. Perhaps, life is the ability to adapt.

The film explored the meaning of the quality of being human. What are it's properties?

As the buddha would say, suffering comes from clinging to things. Also, change is eternal. Lestat observes that Louis clings to "His precious guilt" He must have it; the suffering I mean.

The Misty Passage:
There are two kinds of change, incremental, and profound. Change of the incremental type does not alter the nature of an individual. The profound change does.

© James Legare Feb. 1, 2009

Annise Parker

SFBaytimesArticle

The following is from the SF Bay Times; a paper I would read when I was living in San Francisco.

"Anise Parker was a city councilwoman from Houston, Texas, and just won reelection as Houston Comptroller."

"She is running for mayor of Houston in 2009. She said San Francisco is really different than Houston, joking, 'Chicken is a vegetable in Texas.' She has been in elected office for ten years."

Annise Parker's Bio According to The Victory Fund.

The Caucus Meeting

Wednesday, February 4, 7:00 pm
Havens Center
1827 W. Alabama, Houston 77098

Our February meeting will be on Wednesday the 4th, at 7:00 pm.

There will be a reception prior to the meeting starting at 6:30 pm. Come by early to socialize and grab a bite to eat.

Merry Mixer Invitation

This message was e-mailed from Equality Texas:

Yesterday marked the 1st day of the 81st Legislative Session at the Texas Capitol.

Our lobbying efforts in Texas are the reasons why we host community driven fundraisers like the Merry Merry Martini Mixer.

Monday we issued our legislative agenda and our strategic plan for you to see how far your financial support takes us.

Take a look at what we are doing to achieve the mission of Equality Texas by clicking here!

oin us for one of the hottest events of the season and an open bar of signature martinis!

Celebrate the start of a wonderful 2009 with Equality Texas for the

Merry Merry Martini Mixer

Presented by:

Alex Martinez and Flair Event Productions

On-line, advanced tickets are $30 each; $50 at the door. Tickets selling out soon!

Tickets available on the web until Wednesday, February 4th at noon; this event has very limited entry and will sell out, so buy tickets now!

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

6:30pm to 8:30pm

Momentum Audi
2315 Richmond Avenue in Houston

The Merry Merry Martini Mixer will feature the delicious signature martinis, wine & beer, nonalcoholic beverages, hors d'oeuvres, and music!

Casual cocktail attire suggested

Proceeds from the Merry Merry Martini Mixer benefit Equality Texas, the organization that advocates and lobbies for the elimination of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in Texas.

Sponsorships of $500 and up benefit Equality Texas Foundation, the organization that educates and engages the public about policies and their effect on Texans of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions. All sponsorships are tax deductable to the fullest extent allowable by law. Buy your sponsorship now and receive a wonderful marketing and benefits package!

Houston Area Stonewall Democrats

The Houston Area Stonewall Democrats will be having a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 7PM.

They will elect there 2009 HASD Officers. The Houston Area Stonewall Democrats have over 100 members!

It is already time to get ready for 2010.

Tuesday, January 13, 7 pm

County Democratic Party Headquarters
1445 N Loop W, Houston, 77008

New Caucus President

As of Jan 8th, the new president of the Caucus is Kristopher Banks, who is succeeding Jennifer Pool: pictured here.

Kris was nominated via acclimation.

Some elected officials that were present were; Sue Lovell, Yolanda Jones, and Judge Shawna Reagin.

Also, in addition to filling the vacancy of the presidency:

Rose Wall was elected to Board Position 1 (unopposed)
Nick Hellyar to Position 2,
Kevin Hoffman to position 7,
and Travis Shy to position 5. (unopposed)

There will be a retreat January 24th, 9-3pm at the Cullen Bldg. Entrance 13A;