GLBT Issues

We Kissed Inside The Statehouse

Photo Set: 2005 Rally Against SJR-7

We had a wonderful, successful rally at the Indiana Statehouse yesterday! Hundreds of people showed up with extraordinary signs to protest the SJR7 legislation. We were getting people’s contact information, and of the people who agreed to sign up, we got 757 contact addresses. That was about 3/4ths of the crowd, so we had about 1,000 people attending.

What I was really impressed with was not just the fact that I saw tons of people I knew (some of whom I’d never imagine going to a political rally) but I saw tons of people I’ve never seen before in my life. That’s really amazing, because when you’ve been out in the gay community as long as I have, you tend to think it’s really small and that everyone knows everyone else. It takes something like this to make me realize that we have a HUGE gay community in Indiana.

There were excellent speakers, and according to some of the people who lobby regularly, we made a great impression on some of the legislators. Nobody expected the size of crowd we had. At the end of the rally we went inside to lobby, and ran into Eric Miller’s Advance America bigots as they were leaving. Most of Miller’s crowd were home-schooled kids and christian school kids who get extra credit for being bussed into Miller’s rally.

So we chanted at them and basically screwed up the end of their rally. Stephanie and I were by the doors, and a group of bigots who were leaving started to bunch up to trap us inside, chanting and trying to intimidate us. So we kissed in front of them and freaked them out. It was GREAT! They RAN outside to get away from us. A reporter from the IU School Paper snapped our photo while we were kissing, and then interviewed us, so we’re likely to end up in the IU paper. It was really exciting.

UPDATE: Stephanie and I were quoted in the IU paper but they didn’t include our picture.

Indiana Daily News

Other’s Pictures from the Rally

Scott Barrett’s Photos
Marti Abernathy’s Photos
Scott Barnes’ Photos
Wilson’s Photos

Media Coverage of the Rally

Check out this picture of an anti-gay bigot attempting to punch one of the people from our rally:

South Bend Tribune
Another Story of threatened violence from the bigots from a person at our rally: “The Advance America people were filing out —a small group of 5 or 6 young men approached me holding our big IE sign and one said, ‘Don’t you wish we had some torches?!’ The others laughed and they continued on down to the sidewalk.”

NUVO Story: “God hates gays”
Indy Star
WISH-TV
WTHR
The IndyChannel (RTV6)
WXIN – Channel 59 (Indianapolis)
WIBC/Network Indiana
Associated Press
Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Indianapolis Star (Dan Carpenter column) “Inside the anti-gay crusade”
Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
Courier & Press (Evansville)
Northwest Indiana Times
365Gay.Com

Continue ReadingWe Kissed Inside The Statehouse

Statehouse Rally for Equal Marriage Rights – March 8

I will be attending this rally on March 8th, and I’m inviting you all to join me. I will be one of the crowd-control folks in a lovely orange vest. If you want to get together for a sign-making party, please let me know; this event is only a few short days away.

In response to the State Legislature’s current bill (SJR 7) seeking to limit equal marriage rights for same-sex couples by amending the constitution, gay rights advocates and their friends and families are planning a Rally/Silent protest at the east steps of the Indiana Statehouse on March 8 at 11 a.m. to protest this piece of legislation and several others that are currently under consideration. Organizers are expecting over 1,000 supporters to attend the rally.

This rally will also serve as a counter rally to the one taking place on the west side of the statehouse, held by the right-wing organization Advance America, founded by former political candidate and longtime lobbyist Eric Miller.

The Legislation
A number of bills have been introduced into into the Indiana State Legislature this season that will have an effect on the lives of gay and lesbian citizens of Indiana. Here is a synopsis of three of them:

SJR 7 – EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS: This bill seeks to amend the Indiana constitution to limit the possibility of marriage to a definition of one man and one woman, and additionally seeks to prevent any legal arrangements between same-sex couples that are intended to provide the same protections as marriage.

SJR 585 – ADOPTION/FOSTERING: This bill will prohibit gay people from being foster parents and adopting.

SJR 541 – DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS: This bill will limit eligibility under a state university health plan to an employee of the university and to the spouse and dependant children of the employee.

The first legislation, SJR 7 has already passed in the senate and will move on to the house in this legislative session. If it passes the house (it is expected to) it will need to be passed again in a future legislative session, and with then be placed on a ballot referendum for Hoosiers to vote on.

Additional Rally Information
Organizers describe the rally as a silent protest intended to emphasize the attempts by the religious right to silence the gay and lesbian community. They also ask attendees to remember that they want no noise, rude behavior or disorderly conduct, and that rally supporters are asked to stay off the Statehouse grass, to avoid blocking entrances to the Statehouse and foot traffic on the sidewalks. 15 to 20 organizers of the event will be on hand to provide crowd control and to help attendees maintain order.

There will be several speakers, including the possibility of Senators who opposed the legislation.
Attendees of the Rally are encouraged to make signs. Organizers suggestions include: “SJR7 – The Hate Debate” or “SJR7 – Blatant Discrimination” or “Eric Miller -Conservative Approach; Extremist Agenda” or “Hate is Not a Family Value” or “It’s Our Constitution Too”

More information about the rally, including a map of the Statehouse, flyers that can be distributed, and parking information is available at [link deprecated: http://www.stopthebigots.org] Stopthebigots.org.

Parking for the Rally

Attendees of the rally are urged to carpool to the event due to downtown parking and traffic considerations. Parking at Circle Center Mall may provide the best location.

Continue ReadingStatehouse Rally for Equal Marriage Rights – March 8

Statehouse Rally for Equal Marriage Rights – March 8

In response to the State Legislature’s current bill (SJR 7) seeking to limit equal marriage rights for same-sex couples by amending the constitution, gay rights advocates and their friends and families are planning a Rally/Silent Protest at the east steps of the Indiana Statehouse on Tuesday, March 8 at 11 a.m. to protest this piece of legislation and several others that are currently under consideration. Organizers are expecting over 1,000 supporters to attend the rally.

This rally will also serve as a counter rally to the one taking place on the west side of the statehouse, held by the right-wing organization Advance America, founded by former political candidate and longtime lobbyist Eric Miller. Miller is a supporter of amending the Indiana constitution to prevent equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.

The Legislation

A number of bills have been introduced into into the Indiana State Legislature this season that will have an effect on the lives of gay and lesbian citizens of Indiana. Here is a synopsis of three of them:

SJR 7 – EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS: This bill seeks to amend the Indiana constitution to limit the possibility of marriage to a definition of one man and one woman, and additionally seeks to prevent any legal arrangements between same-sex couples that are intended to provide the same protections as marriage.

SJR 585 – ADOPTION/FOSTERING: This bill will prohibit gay people from being foster parents and adopting.

SJR 541 – DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS: This bill will limit eligibility under a state university health plan to an employee of the university and to the spouse and dependant children of the employee.

The first legislation, SJR 7 has already passed in the senate and will move on to the house in this legislative session. In the House of Representatives, SJR 7 is expected to be assigned to the House Judiciary Committee, which will conduct a hearing on the resolution in mid-March. A proposed constitutional amendment must be passed by two separately-elected legislatures, and then approved by voters in a state-wide referendum. The earliest such a vote could take place is November 2008.

Senators who voted no on SJR 7 include:
Anita Bowser (D-Michigan City)
Billie Breaux (D-Indianapolis)
John Broden (D-South Bend)
Glenn Howard (D-Indianapolis)
Tim Lanane (D-Anderson)
Earline Rogers (D-Gary)
Vi Simpson (D-Bloomington)
Sam Smith (D-East Chicago)

Additional Rally Information

Organizers describe the rally as a silent protest intended to emphasize the attempts by the religious right to silence the gay and lesbian community. They also ask attendees to remember that they want no noise, rude behavior or disorderly conduct, and that rally supporters are asked to stay off the Statehouse grass, to avoid blocking entrances to the Statehouse and foot traffic on the sidewalks. 15 to 20 organizers of the event will be on hand to provide crowd control and to help attendees maintain order.

There will be several speakers, including the possibility of Senators who opposed the legislation speaking or making an appearance.
Attendees of the Rally are encouraged to make signs. Organizers suggestions include: “SJR7 – The Hate Debate” or “SJR7 – Blatant Discrimination” or “Eric Miller -Conservative Approach; Extremist Agenda” or “Hate is Not a Family Value” or “It’s Our Constitution Too”
More information about the rally, including a map of the Statehouse, flyers that can be distributed, and parking information is available at [link deprecated http://www.stopthebigots.org] Stopthebigots.org.

Rally organizer Pepper Partin explains the motivation for the rally: “We are being persecuted because of our sexual orientation, and sexual orientation is no more of a choice than our height or our eye color or anything else that is part of our pre-determined make-up. So we must make sure people understand that we are not a subculture and this is not a lifestyle, and that is a big reason we must stop people like Eric Miller and his organization from making people think we are nature’s mistakes deserving of only table scraps beneath the table of equality. Our constitution is for everyone – not just for those who feel they are superior in some sense.”

Parking for the Rally

Attendees of the rally are urged to carpool to the event due to downtown parking and traffic considerations. Parking at Circle Center Mall may provide the best location.

Continue ReadingStatehouse Rally for Equal Marriage Rights – March 8

Marriage Discrimination Amendment Bill Passes Senate (SJR-7)

You may have read that yesterday the Senate passed SJR7, the bill designed to codify hate and discrimination against gay people into the Indiana Constitution. Soon it will pass the House, and then it will need to pass in another legislative season, and be voted on by the people of Indiana before it becomes the law of the land.

I fully expected it to happen, but I still felt almost knocked down by the shock of it. I want so much to be able to get married. It’s not going to happen in Indiana, apparently. My company has offices in Boston; it crossed my mind to look into getting transferred there.

This would not have happened if people I know had not voted Republican. And believe me, I’m not forgetting that. And I am holding a grudge.

Continue ReadingMarriage Discrimination Amendment Bill Passes Senate (SJR-7)

Rock Indiana Counter Rally Key Information

WHEN, WHERE AND WHAT TIME?
Tuesday, March 8th at the State House – Capitol Ave.
East steps (facing Capitol Ave.)
From 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Parking will be a free for all, but Circle Center Garage may offer the best option. Carpool if you can. Make it as fun as possible – under the circumstances.

SIGNS
Though our counter rally will be silent, our signs and the sheer number of people will speak volumes. Make your own signs with your own messages such as
SJR7 – The Hate Debate
SJR7 – Blatant Discrimination
Eric Miller – Conservative Approach; Extremist Agenda.
A list of other possible sign messages will be forthcoming.

Continue ReadingRock Indiana Counter Rally Key Information

Same-Sex Marriage – That Happy Golden Feeling

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Just a reminder of what was going on last year at this time…

In S.F., debate on gay nuptials marked by joy
“Boston and San Francisco are often compared for their similarities. But of the two cities that bookended a historic week in the debate on gay marriage, I know which place I’d rather have been this holiday. I’d choose the city of joy. Infectious, unadulterated joy, sparked by this unprecedented five-day run of gay-marriage ceremonies that was part civil disobedience, part political statement, part Woodstock Nation. In San Francisco… volunteers smiled through the night Sunday, brought hot cocoa and food to couples and families who were wrapped around the block, braving cold and downpour to wait their turn to exchange vows. As word spread Friday the exultant crowds kept coming — by car, by taxi, by bus, by plane. People took photographs, flashed peace signs and knew they were at the heart of something historic. Children — toddlers, babes-in-arms, schoolchildren — were everywhere.”

The Joy of Gay Marriage
“Whatever their short-term legal fate, the San Francisco weddings mark a new high-water mark in one of the most fast-paced cultural tsunamis America has seen. As Evan Wolfson, the civil rights lawyer who founded Freedom to Marry, says, “An act as unremarkable as getting a wedding license” has been transformed by the people embracing it, much as the unremarkable act of sitting at a Formica lunch counter was transformed by an act of civil disobedience at a Woolworth’s in North Carolina 44 years ago this month.”

For Children of Gays, Marriage Brings Joy
“It was so cool,” said Gabriel, 13, who served as the ringbearer, after standing in line overnight with his parents. “I always accepted that ‘Yeah, they’re my moms,’ but they were actually getting married. I felt thick inside with happiness. Just thick.”

Speaking of his mothers’ marriage, Alex said: “It is something I always wanted. I’ve always been around people saying, ‘Oh, my parents anniversary is this week.’ It’s always been the sight of two parents, married, with rings. And knowing I’d probably never experience it ever.” That changed in the City Hall rotunda as his mothers exchanged vows. “The atmosphere was just springing with life,” Alex recalled. “I just couldn’t hold myself in. It was oh my god oh my god oh my god. I felt so happy I wanted to scream.”

Lesbian couple wedded at SF City Hall Women had been together for five decades
History was made at 11:06 a.m. today at San Francisco City Hall when Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon took their wedding vows, becoming the first same-sex couple to be officially married in the United States. About 20 people witnessed the ceremony; many of them were moved to tears as the couple, who have been together for five decades, were wed.

Photos of Phyllis and Del
More Wedding Photos
More Wedding Photos
More Wedding Photos
More Wedding Photos

Continue ReadingSame-Sex Marriage – That Happy Golden Feeling

Indiana Democrats Admit They Have No Principles

In response to criticism that several local Democratic candidates took money from gay rights organizations in Indiana, and then came out with policy stances against gay rights during the election, Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Kip Tew had this to say:

“The race was about winning. I will not allow us to go down without a fight, nor will I allow us to take a stand on principle that will cause us to go backwards and diminish our chance for success for many years.”

Interesting. If the race is about winning, and not about having a set of principles, then how the hell are Democrats different than Republicans? And what’s the point of running at all?

Fuck you, Kip Tew. And that “democratic” horse you rode in on.

Continue ReadingIndiana Democrats Admit They Have No Principles

Republicans Dress Up as Gay Outside Florida Polls

In an attempt to discourage black voters from voting Democrat on Sunday, Republicans dressed up as “gay” and “abortion rights” advocates and held provocative signs outside polling places as black voters went to the polls after Church this Sunday.

Read more about other Republican voter suppression tactics here:

REPUBLICAN PARTY DECEIVING VOTERS IN WEST VIRGINIA

GOP demands IDs of 37,000 in Milwaukee

Daily Kos’s Big List of GOP Voter Suppression Attempts

And on the bright side, a court decided in Ohio that people attempting to intimidate voters into not voting by challenging their status is unconstitutional.

Continue ReadingRepublicans Dress Up as Gay Outside Florida Polls